Notable Deaths in November 2021
Bob Baker
A legend in British pop culture for both his work on Doctor Who–where he co-created the Doctor’s beloved robotic canine companion K-9–and as the co-writer on Aardman’s iconic Wallace & Gromit shorts, Baker died at the age of 82. His legacy with his late writing partner, Dave Martin, included work on Z Cars and several serials of Doctor Who across the 1970s, including “The Hand of Fear,” Elisabeth Sladen’s final regular appearance as Sarah Jane Smith, and “The Three Doctors”, the series’ first anniversary special.
Stephen Sondheim
This titan of American musical theater revitalized Broadway and redefined the art form through works like West Side Story and Gypsy, as well as the fairy classic Into the Woods and dark comedy Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, both of which were made into excellent films. He also wrote several songs for Warren Beatty’s 1990 Dick Tracy film, but his most important work is the tremendous influence he’s had on composers around the world. He passed away of cardiovascular disease at 91.
