Tom Baker transforms his long-lost movie script into Doctor Who in a novel

Actor Tom Baker is best known for his role as a doctor in the British TV series Doctor Whoand will return soon in the franchise with a new novel, Doctor Who: Scratchman, based on a scenario that he and a co-star have written while playing in the series.

The book will be in stores on January 24, 2019, according to Radio Times (via io9), who says that Baker started writing ideas with his co-star Ian Marter between scenes while filming the series in the 1970s. He later turned them into script for a possible film, Doctor meeting the Scratchmanbut was finally left to languish in an archive.

Image: BBC Books

The story follows The Doctor, Harry and Sarah Jane as they arrive on a Scottish island, discovering that it is being invaded by scarecrows that threaten local residents. While the Doctor promises to save them, it becomes obvious that the whole setup is a trap of the Scratchman, who may or may not be the devil.

Baker is resurrecting the concept of the book, of which he co-wrote the novel with author James Goss. The story has been part of the fan tradition for years and it will be a long awaited treat for fans who wanted to incorporate it. As a bonus, Baker will tell the audio book.