November 21, 2018
During his time as the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker always wanted to expand Doctor Who into the cinema world so he teamed up with Ian Marter (who played his companion Harry Sullivan) to create a movie script titled Doctor Who Meets Scratchman.
Unfortunately, Tom Baker couldn’t get the necessary funding to make the film and the project was dropped. Fast forward to 2018 and the story originally intended for the big screen is now being released as a novel titled Scratchman. In this gripping, white-knuckle thriller almost forty years in the making, Tom Baker’s incredible imagination is given free rein.
What are you afraid of?
The Doctor, Harry and Sarah Jane Smith arrive at a remote Scottish island, when their holiday is cut short by the appearance of strange creatures – hideous scarecrows, preying on the local population. The islanders are living in fear, and the Doctor vows to save them all. But things don’t quite go to plan – the time travellers have fallen into a trap, and Scratchman is coming for them.
With the fate of the universe hanging in the balance, the Doctor must battle an ancient force from another dimension, one who claims to be the Devil. Scratchman wants to know what the Doctor is most afraid of. And the Doctor’s worst nightmares are coming out to play...
Tom Baker commented:
“I love the improbability of Doctor Who. Reason plays no part at all. As in religion, the overriding thing is faith. It may be improbable, but just believe in it and it’ll all come right.” “When I was approached about the book, I thought, ‘Why not?’ I’m always on the lookout for a novelty. I’m very enthusiastic as I get close to darkness.”
Doctor Who: Scratchman will be published 24th January 2019. You can pre-order it here. An audiobook read by Tom Baker will also be available from the same date.