How’s this for an early morning pick-me-up? Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor and honorary SFX legend has thrown his hat (and rainbow scarf) into the ring and confirmed he will be joining thousands of devoted fans at the definitive SF event of 2010, the SFX Weekender!

Baker’s enduringly popular stint as the Time Lord began in 1974 at the tail end of six-parter Planet Of The Spiders, a serial also starring Elisabeth Sladen as the delightful Sarah Jane Smith (who’ll be popping along to the Weekender too). Taking over the role from Jon Pertwee was an unenviable task for Baker, because while he had an established career in stage, screen and television, he was still largely an unknown name at the time for the general public. But Baker made the character his own, jelly babies in hand, and gave a whole new generation of viewers an offbeat bohemian hero they could never forget.

The fact Baker’s fourth Doctor is still the longest-living incarnation of the Time Lord (seven years from 1974 to 1981) is a testament to his popularity across the galaxy. Since then Baker has returned to a successful career as an actor, livening up any show he appears in. He also became infamous as the voice of Little Britain. But he hasn’t completely left the Doctor behind, voicing the character for the recent BBC audio adventure Hornets' Nest.

And you can meet Tom Baker at the electrifying SFX Weekender taking place on 5-6 February 2010 in Camber Sands, where he’ll be signing autographs and appearing on-stage to be interviewed live by SFX. So what are you waiting for? The SFX Weekender is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a phenomenal weekend in the company of like-minded sci-fi addicts. Head over to www.sfxweekender.com for all the details you could possibly need and to book tickets now.