Tom Baker returns for surprise Doctor Who cameo

He'll be helping complete the lost 1979 episode 'Shada', which was originally abandoned due to BBC strike action

Tom Baker has returned to Doctor Who for one very special reason - he'll be helping complete a lost episode of the series so that it can finally be enjoyed in full.

Baker, who starred as the fourth doctor between 1974 and 1981, will return to the role for a brief cameo, with the rest of the episode completed using a combination of voice acting and animation.

Which means we'll finally get a chance to see 'Shada' as a complete episode, which began filming in 1979 but was eventually abandoned due to BBC strike action.

The episode sees Baker's Doctor head to Cambridge to fight an evil alien named Skagra. The recorded footage was previously released in 1992, with linking narration provided by Baker.

Describing his return to the role, the 83-year-old actor said the Doctor "probably never left me". He told the BBC, "That's why I can't stay away from it, it was a lovely time of my life."

"I loved doing Doctor Who, it was life to me. I used to dread the end of rehearsal because then real life would impinge on me. Doctor Who… when I was in full flight, then I was happy."

'Shada' is now available to buy as a digital download and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on 4 December.

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