The sad news was confirmed on Friday.

Bob Baker, Doctor Who writer and co-creator of robotic canine K9, has died aged 82.

Dear Friends.
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear friend and business partner, the iconic BOB BAKER. pic.twitter.com/4Quj7zWbqJ

— K9Official (@K9official1) November 5, 2021

K9 Official’s Twitter account posted the news today (5th November) alongside a statement.

“Bob was a prolific Film and Television writer,” it reads. “Alongside his late writing partner, Dave Martin, they were stalwarts of children’s Television in the 1970s, with a well-earned reputation for bizarre and spine-tingling adventure. They wrote many of what have become to be regarded by fans worldwide as true classic BBC TV Doctor Who stories; creating many well-remembered enemies for the time lord during the Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker years.”

As well as being responsible for a wealth of fan favourite Doctor Who stories, Baker and his partner Martin were also the minds behind the Doctor’s robot dog companion, K9, who made his first appearance in The Invisible Enemy.

The official Doctor Who Twitter account also posted a tribute to the writer, saying: “We’re sad to hear that Bob Baker has passed away, who wrote many of the Doctor’s adventures, and was the co-creator of K9.”

We’re sad to hear that Bob Baker has passed away, who wrote many of the Doctor's adventures, and was the co-creator of K9 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/eq7kpkOx2K

— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) November 5, 2021

Baker wrote for Doctor Who between 1971 and 1979. For all but the last of his contributions to this series (Nightmare of Eden), Baker collaborated with Dave Martin, together, they were nicknamed “The Bristol Boys” by the Doctor Who production teams with whom they worked on stories such as…

The Claws of Axos (1971)

The Mutants (1972)

The Three Doctors (1972–1973)

The Sontaran Experiment (1975)

The Hand of Fear (1976)

The Invisible Enemy (1977)

Underworld (1978)

The Armageddon Factor (1979)

In addition to their work for Doctor Who, Baker and Martin also wrote cult TV series SKY and King of the Castle. He went on to work on the Wallace & Gromit films alongside creator Nick Park.

Fellow Doctor Who writer Eddie Robson paid tribute to Baker on Twitter, writing:

“RIP Bob Baker, who once wrote his own murder into a Wallace & Gromit film.”

Robson also shared two pictures of said scene, with Baker himself in classic Aardman style.

RIP Bob Baker, who once wrote his own murder into a Wallace & Gromit film pic.twitter.com/Z3UW6LHXQe

— Eddie Robson (@EddieRobson) November 5, 2021

RIP Bob Baker, One of the Minds Behind Doctor Who's K-9 https://t.co/IdfnQ7uIw9 pic.twitter.com/75ezYH96BN

— io9 (@io9) November 5, 2021

RIP Bob Baker, writer of #DrWho, Wallace and Gromit, a dear friend and joyous man. I'll be writing a tribute to Bob for @TheWritersGuild https://t.co/uA5vgRCb6L

— GailRenard (@GailRenard) November 5, 2021

Before he became a writer, Baker was a monumental stonemason and an animator. He also wrote an autobiography, K9 Stole My Trousers, which takes a look at his more than five-decades-long career in entertainment.

Later in life, Baker also set up a production company which “created a new audience for K9 with a TV series shown worldwide via Disney, Cartoon Network and BBC Kids”.

Baker had recently written scripts for a new K9 film and TV series which will “continue in tribute to Bob and his legacy”.