Tom Baker says he's hardly ever watched Doctor Who

Tom Baker says he doesn't watch Doctor Who now and missed it when he was in it.

He says the adventures he starred in were always broadcast just as the pubs opened.

The 1974 adventure Doctor Who: Ark In Space is being released on DVD today.

Baker told Ananova: "The joy of Doctor Who was acting in it and rehearsing it. I never watched it when I was in it because it was always on TV when the pubs opened.

"What I enjoy most is being seen as a children's hero and being able to get that wonderful intimacy and reverence from young people.

"I was in a tiny sci-fi shop in Guildford yesterday signing copies of Ark In Space and 250 people came to see me. There's a new generation of Doctor Who fans now who watch the show with their dads."

The fourth and most popular Doctor Who says he's still not interested in watching any of his old work.

"I get sent every new release by the BBC but I never watch or keep them. They all end up going to charity.

"As soon as you send charity anything, they want lots more. There's no limit to what people want me to send to charity. They'd have my underpants if I let them. I won a safe in a raffle once and keep my underpants in that now.

"But I did watch Ark In Space about a year ago with the producer Philip Hinchcliffe and my eyes filled with tears. I was very touched."

Baker says he's thinking of patenting a new range of deodorants based on popular smells.

"I've just been to the Body Shop to get a new body. I actually wanted a new smell. I said I wanted to smell of coffee beans. I used to go out with a girl who smelt of bonfires so I wanted to smell of those too," he said.

DVD extras on the new Ark In Space release include an audio commentary by Tom Baker, actress Elisabeth Sladen and producer Philip Hinchcliffe plus an interview with designer Roger Murray-Leach.