WHERE EIGHTH WAS NOT ENOUGH: THE RETURN OF PAUL McGANN AS "DOCTOR WHO"

Ready for new adventures in time and space, Paul McGann is the Eighth DOCTOR WHO. All images: BBC.

In 1996, DOCTOR WHO fans dreams of a Second Coming for their beloved show, following its unfortunate axe by disinterested BBC 1 executives in 1989, were soon ignited into reality by the news that a daring new controller for the channel, Alan Yentob, working alongside an enthusiastic US producer/die- hard fan of the show, Philip Segal, had completed a deal with the US television network FOX and UNIVERSAL STUDIOS for the creation of a "back-door" pilot TV movie for WHO that, if successful with American audiences, could act as a potential springboard for a brand new series. All of the series defining imagery and icons would be quick to return (like the police box TARDIS, the trusty sonic screwdriver, and even a brief voices only cameo from the Daleks at the stories opening!), though casting the right person in the role of the resurrected Time Lord from Gallifrey proved as tricky as ever, with the eventual choice of Paul McGann soon becoming much appreciated by fans and very successful (in a nod to the series past he would be decked out in a long wig (which the actor hated) and an intriguing smart clothes creation, discovered by the Doctor at a fancy dress party within the story, that reflected not only past Doctors atirements but was also a fine nod to the US's legendary Wild Bill Hickok, too!). Being filmed in Canada for budgetary reasons (filling in for the stories central location, San Francisco, at the eve of the Millennium), it was inevitable that our hero would/must have several American companions involved in the adventure alongside him, the main one being Daphne Ashbrook (sister of TWIN PEAKS Dana) playing Doctor/surgeon Grace Holloway, and youthful Yee Jee Tso as ex-Chinese gang initiate Chang Lee, whose early appearance leads to gun totting rival youths shooting down the previous Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy, returning for a strong and memorable final performance so as to provide what was deemed a necessary regeneration/transition for McGann) as he comes out of the TARDIS. On the main villain side, the series longtime Moriarty, and one of the Doctor's most famous human-like nemesis, would be the rival Time Lord known as The Master (played by HEROES Eric Roberts, aware of the sci-fi show from his living in England in the Seventies, and becoming a shade too camp in his portrayal by story's end!) who, after being prior disintegrated at the episodes start, would mysteriously and dangerously come back to life, capable of transforming himself into a nasty snake-like creature, spitting venom and paralysing/killing his victims, before ultimately wanting to steal the Doctor's body/life-cycle.

Caught in the middle, The Doctor with friend- Grace Holloway (Daphne Ashbrook)- and foe- The Master (Eric Roberts).

Opening scene and credits: YouTube - Doctor Who 1996 TV Movie Part 1/8

Behind the scenes:YouTube - Dr Who 1996 Movie (Official Fox Promo Trailer)

Written by Matthew Jacobs and directed with visual verve by Geoffrey Sax, a well known transatlantic film-maker, and both Brits who were already aware of the success of the Classic Series, the pilot TV movie (which had the behind the scenes working title of THE ENEMY WITHIN) was a glossy and well made affair, though it had many critics at its first UK showing in May of that year (including some of the Classic WHO cast and crew, seeing it at a special sneak preview in London) who were unhappy with the show being too Americanised, bogged down in continuity and with a script they felt had too much technobabble by its end (the overall plot involving the search for a specialised clock and the power core of the TARDIS-now the nucleus of a black hole- or something like that!), and the surprise revelation that the Doctor is half human. Plus, even more controversial at the time, and long before David Tennant started making it fashionable in his incarnation, the Time Lord even managed to pucker up for a kiss with Grace!  

Passing of the key! The Seventh Doctor hands over the TARDIS to his Eighth incarnation. 

Airing on British Television over the May Bank Holiday weekend, the return of WHO, looking even more glossy and exciting in the early trailers than ever before, was much welcomed by a mighty nine million viewers, who, despite the episodes flaws (and unwarranted editing of some of its opening violent scenes), tuned in to watch and enjoy it, with audiences young and old marking particular praise for McGann in the title role. Unfortunately, despite it being a hit in the UK, with healthy VHS tapes sales and other magazine/book related merchandise soon following, it was how the pilot did in the US that ultimately counted and, sad to say, it was a ratings disappointment for the FOX channel when it aired a week or so before the UK (its premier showing on the CITV channel in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on 12th May), with only about five million people ultimately tuning in to see what all the fuss was about concerning the British sci-fi hero- in post-mortem its failure would be primarily due to the comedy series ROSEANNE, which, at that time, was at the peak of its popularity on a rival channel. With such disappointment and the fickle nature of the US television industry, it would soon become apparent that there would be no second chance at this time for The Doctor or a second adventure for McGann (the BBC themselves not having the money or willpower to finance a new series, and deciding to concentrate their time on the possibility of a feature length movie instead) who, in the pilots release, had been worried that, should the debut flop, it could result in his performance/incarnation becoming the "George Lazenby of the DOCTOR WHO universe." Fortunately, that was not to be, as, a few years later, the Eighth Doctor, alongside numerous fresh companions (including popular stage and TV star Sheridan Smith), would famously thrive in many new adventures, not only in a hugely successful BBC book range, but also on audio for the UK's BIG FINISH company, in regularly produced, officially licensed, fully sanctioned seasons of universe spanning tales that are still going strong today, and with no end in sight.

He may not have had the chance to come back in a story for the modern day TV success that is the new DOCTOR WHO (if asked, McGann would have been happy to have filmed a regeneration scene into successor Christopher Eccleston), but the zestful, eccentric and heroic Eighth Doctor continues to make an indelible mark with fans worldwide, and his place in DOCTOR WHO, even as a one-off performance on television, remains as strong and vital as ever, whilst the one-off stories more successful dramatic elements and character ideas still continue to resonate and impact on the shape of new WHO even today!


Here's a link to the BIG FINISH Eighth Doctor stories available on audio CD/download: Big Finish - The Eighth Doctor Adventures

Catch the DOCTOR WHO: THE MOVIE screening on the UK's WATCH channel today at 10pm. Its also available on DVD, with a wealth of special features, from 2ENTERTAIN, as part of the REVISITATIONS box set 1.