Colin Baker has paid tribute to Russell T Davies for saving 'Doctor Who'.
The 70-year-old actor - who portrayed the Sixth Doctor from 1984 to 1986 - has praised the producer for convincing the BBC to bring back the sci-fi show in 2005 after it was off air for 16 years.
Colin insists without Russell the 50th anniversary special, 'The Day of the Doctor', and the celebratory atmosphere surrounding this weekend couldn't have happened.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the 'Doctor Who Official 50th Celebration' on Friday (22.11.13), Colin said: "It was a joy to see it back. I think we'd all accepted the fact that it was gone. If no other person says it this weekend, Russell T Davies deserves the biggest tick in the universe!
"It needed a man who had the power. Russell had done some very good telly, he loved 'Doctor Who' and he seized them by the throat and said, 'We need to do it again'.
"If he hadn't done that we'd be sitting here looking at an empty hall today. So Russell wherever you are thank you!"
Colin - who was joined at the event at London's ExCel centre by Fifth Doctor Peter Davison and Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy - also singled out Second Doctor Patrick Troughton as a key person in 'Doctor Who' history.
The actor insists without Patrick being a "brilliant first regeneration" when he took over the role as the Time Lord from William Hartnell in 1966 the show would have died.
Colin - who starred in an episode with Patrick in 1985, 'The Two Doctors' - said: "Pat was the governor. To be fair, without Patrick's contribution to 'Who' none of us would be sitting here.
"That first regeneration was a big possible stumbling block. If it went wrong the programme would have gone forever and it didn't because of Patrick.
"He was so different and so clever and Patrick was such a good character actor that he raised the flag for us all."
Peter added: "I remember sitting down and watching that first episode of Pat's and thinking, 'This is going to be terrible.' By the end of that first half hour you were like, 'This is brilliant!' "
'The Day of the Doctor' - starring current Doctor Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt - airs on BBC One tonight (23.11.13), exactly 50 years after the first episode 'An Unearthly Child' appeared on screens.
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