Hearing him reprise his iconic role for the "Big Finish" audios, especially these more recent ones, you'd swear he hasn't aged a day since he left the series after "Logopolis". The first few, while still undeniably Tom Baker, you can deal he's a bit, ah "seasoned". But after doing a few, he found his stride and you'd think someone audio taped a latter 70s BBC broadcast.
In the "back stage" montage presented at the conclusion of "Suburban Hell", Louise Jameson observed Tom sitting back after a recording session. He closed his eyes and softly chuckled. Almost whispering, he said that he was happy. When this observation was brought up, Tom explained that his home life was a mess when he originally played the role during the 70s. So, he dreaded the end of each day as he'd rather stay on set. One wonders if that dissidence resulted in a kind of displaced resentment while playing the character. But since that decade, he finally achieved a happy domestic life. So now, while he's happy to do the recordings, he's also happy to return home when finished. He's found an equilibrium he didn't have 4 decades ago (my phrasing, not Tom's).
Sincerely,
Bill
