47 years after their first adventure together, Fourth Doctor Tom Baker and companion actor Louise Jameson have a heartwarming Doctor Who reunion in a previously unseen cast photo. The companion made her debut in 1977’s “The Face of Evil” as a member of the reclusive and stranded Sevateem tribe on an uncharted jungle world. Leela would travel with the Doctor across nine stories from 1977 to 1978, until “The Invasion of Time” saw her choose to leave the TARDIS and remain on the Doctor’s homeworld of Gallifrey after falling in love with a Gallifreyan.
While it may have been many lifetimes since the Fourth Doctor and Leela parted ways, a new photo has seen the stars behind the duo reunite. As reported by RadioTimes on Twitter, Big Finish have released a new photo of Baker and Jameson to mark the release of the upcoming Fourth Doctor audio dramas “The Hellwood Inheritance” and “The Memory Thieves”.
Taking place during their initial travels, the 2025 boxset will see this TARDIS team encounter spirits at the first safari park specializing in ghosts, and aiding a community who are unsure of what monster menaces them. The photo sees Baker and Jameson standing back to back and smiling at one another.
What Jameson & Baker’s New Photo Means For Doctor Who
Leela Made A Long-Awaited On-Screen Return In 2024
Though the newly released image may be just to promote Leela’s next adventure with the Fourth Doctor, there is an incredible amount of excitement surrounding the classic Doctor Who companion in 2024. Despite having not made an on-screen appearance in the main television series since the revival began in 2005, her fate was recently addressed thanks to a promotional short film to announce the classic season 15 being released on The Collection Blu-ray.
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In “Leela VS The Time War,” Jameson reprised her role in live-action as Leela faced down Daleks on the surface of Gallifrey in the final days of the Time War. However, rather than falling with the planet, she is rescued by the Fourth Doctor in his TARDIS, confirming her survival after 19 years of uncertainty.
Our Thoughts On Baker and Jameson’s Reunion
Leela Had A Surprising Long-Lasting Impact
Despite having one of the shorter tenures for a Doctor Who companion, Leela left an incredible impact on the show. Her backstory as a woman from a far-off tribe is an outlier compared to what many viewers are accustomed to with companion origins, yet she is still able to keep up with the Time Lord while not compromising on who she is.
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While every companion of the Doctor’s in Doctor Who may be wildly different in appearance and personality, they share certain significant experiences.
Leela’s impact on pop culture can be seen in the characters named after her, including Futurama‘s cyclops mutant ship captain Turanga Leela. As such, with Leela’s survival in the Time War confirmed, many Doctor Who fans may be eager to see Jameson reprise her role in the near future. With the most recent season bringing back classic companions, there is always a chance that Leela could return to the series again.
