KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: 'ALCATRAZ's PARMINDER NAGRA

Footballer, doctor, now scientist: the delights of actress Parminder Nagra continue. Image: ULIKE. 

She's bent it like Beckham and saved lives within the busy and tumultuous world of a top Chicago hospital ER, now lovely British actress Parminder Nagra continues her rise up the Hollywood chart planting one stiletto into the past and the other firmly in the present as the time jumping and mysterious psychoanalyst and scientist Dr. Lucy Banerjee, investigating the emerging dark and dangerous secrets of ALCATRAZ and its inmates within the titular hit FOX series.

Football crazy! Parminder and Keira Knightley in the UK indie-film hit BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM. Image: ULIKE.

And as the talented but often beleaguered Dr. Neela Rasgotra in ER. Image: WARNER BROS.

Within these walls... Parminder as Dr. Lucy Banerjee in ALCATRAZ. Image: FOX.

Shot down by an assassin early on in the series, and in a decades spanning relationship with her boss,    FBI agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neil), who was one of the few prison guards on the once island containment facility who didn't mysteriously disappear in 1963, does the still youthful Banerjee have the answers to the evolving mystery buried deep down somewhere in her subconscious? Seemingly more cold-hearted in the present, is she truly friend or foe? Keep watching this enjoyable mystery, now showing on the UK's WATCH HD channel, which carries on from the fine, if often baffling, tradition of LOST. And let's hope for a season renewal, too!

NOR IRON BARS A CAGE. UNLOCKING THE MYSTERIES OF 'ALCATRAZ'

Escaping to where? A mystery past and present to solve for our heroes of ALCATRAZ. Images: Kharen Hill for FOX.

Comparisons to previous and distinctive BAD ROBOT/ J.J. Abrams productions are inevitable and unavoidable as far as the ambitious new multi-genre crossing FOX series ALCATRAZ is concerned: a ballsy leading lady (and blond, perhaps a homage to Hitchcock's passion for that hair colour with his heroines) with a mystery shrouded past yet to be revealed, acting alongside quirky supporting characters-some friendly, some with agendas, long term story arcs that may not necessarily be conveniently tied up anytime soon, some kind of island somewhere, one word titles, all-round weird goings on, and Michael Giacchino's now all too samey music, as well as links and nods to previous hit shows like THE 4400 and the granddaddy of them all, THE X-FILES. But, with its fast paced opening episode feel and a reasonably fresh new take adapting many popular film and TV icons- part mystery drama, part sci-fi/time travel, part conspiracy thriller, mixed with a little bit of THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION-ALCATRAZ, created by LOST writer Elisabeth Sarnoff with Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, and soon to air exclusively on the UK's WATCH HD channel from 13th March, does show enjoyable potential which I hope sustains itself to at least reach a satisfying destination at the end of its premiere year.

Sarah Jones as Rebecca Madsen.

LOST's Jorge Garcia as Dr. Diego Soto

Parminder Nagra as Lucy Banerjee.

Sam Neill as FBI Agent Emerson Hauser

Solid, always on the move direction from British producer/ex-CSI and NIKITA director Danny Cannon keeps things lively and atmospheric against the picturesque San Francisco location filming of the opener, and brings an amiable main cast into focus, too. Sarah Jones proves a comfortable choice in the lead role of sharp eyed and instinctive Detective Rebecca Madsen, adding humour and tomboy-ish looks that make her different from FRINGE's slightly more aloof Olivia Dunham, ably supported by the always likable ex-LOSTer Jorge Garcia, escaping Hurley for the most part in a nice to see series second lead role (bucking the Hollywood trend-Thank God!- of not using way too young, Brad Pitt/ 12 year old looking facial types of the kind we see all too often as leads these days) as Dr. Diego Soto, a more serious but still fun Alcatraz expert/comic book writer whose knowledge of the inmates of the notorious, escape proof prison comes in very handy, though he soon finds a lot of his work turned upside down as frightening new revelations about the island's final days are slowly uncovered. No longer fighting Dinosaurs within JURASSIC PARK, Sam Neill is suitably enigmatic as shadowy FBI agent Emerson Hauser and adds the right kind of menace where needed, whilst ER's attractive Parminda Nagra goes beyond bending it like Beckham to play a character, Lucy Banerjee, whom we soon discover is shrouded in mystery. Could she be the Nina Sharp of the series? (But without the DR NO-ish black gloved hands, I hope!) The occasional appearance of popular seventies film star/character actor Robert Forster as Rebecca's great-uncle and ex-prison guard, with secrets to hide about what happened during the island's final days in 1963, also proves to be a fine casting choice, whom I hope we see a lot more of.
The same for ex-HEROES star Santiago Cabrera, too.

Its not a classic series yet, but ALCATRAZ certainly could be, as the long-term characters and story arcs begin to firm up and we find out more about the kidnapped 63's: 302 missing prisoners, wardens and their families who literally and inexplicably vanished into thin air in 1963- their loss covered up by the authorities- and whom are now returning to the present day, seemingly one by one, un-aged and with a purpose, under the orders of unknown deliverers/benefactors, to bring chaos to San Francisco and modern America. Is this mysterious, destiny controlling force from a down to Earth, as yet untraceable source? (Using a kind of Philadelphia Experiment type technology developed by ambitious scientists and government men in the sixties?) Are the returnees part of a long term and purposeful programme of de-stabilisation? Or is something more evil, possibly extra-terrestrial, at work? And how is all this connected to Rebecca's family lineage, who worked on the island during that intense period? Will dangerous and disturbing aspects of their past threaten her future? Lots of questions in just the series opener alone, and I look forward to finding out more. Though please, please-note to producers-don't spread the revelations out until five years time with the final episode!

The full series cast of ALCATRAZ. Coming to the UK's WATCH Channel and HD.

KOOL TV RATING OF OPENING EPISODE: 4 out of 5


Enjoy the UK WATCH website pages for the new series here: Alcatraz

Check out our previous series preview feature here: DOING TIME ON "ALCATRAZ" | KOOL TV


Look out for more of ALCATRAZ on KOOL TV in the not too distant future.

KOOL TV PIC OF THE WEEK: "GRIMM"

Don't go down in the woods today. Investigations begin for GRIMM. Image: ABC TV.

Re-imaginings of dark fairy tales and childhood fantasies are the current order of the day on American TV (whether that's deliberate ingenuity or because Hollywood's literally running out of ideas (once again!) is a decision I leave up to you to ponder) with the recent premieres of ONCE UPON A TIME, from LOST writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (about fairy tales characters living for real in Maine), and now ABC's GRIMM, pictured above, now showing exclusively on the UK's WATCH CHANNEL and charting the adventures of Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), a detective working in modern day Portland, Oregon possessing a rare ability, passed down through his family linage, to uncover the supernatural and take on its many dangerous and ethereal nightmare creatures, inspired from the works of the famous Grimm Fairy Tales.

Grimm - Full Trailer - YouTube

Mixing the always expected high production values alongside detective drama with monster slaying, and created by Stephen Carpenter alongside THE X-FILES/BUFFY's David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf, GRIMM has a strong writing and producing pedigree that includes CSI and HAWAII FIVE-O's Sarah Goldfinger and STAR TREK's Naren Shankar amongst its creative team. Early episodes, despite a mixed critical reception, have improved, and the series could be around a little while longer. Whether it looks set to challenge the popularity of recent genre hits like SUPERNATURAL and SANCTUARY is unknown, though it surely won't be a case of fangs for the memory at least for a season!

Sweet dreams!

CREATURE FEATURE! KOOL TV REVIEW OF "PRIMEVAL" SEASON FIVE

Matt Anderson takes on a T-Rex in PRIMEVAL Season Five. Images: WATCH.

Please note: this review contains possible SPOILERS!

ITV had first dibs on the Dino-mania of the returned from prior cancelation PRIMEVAL, now its the turn of the UK digital satellite channel WATCH, one of the series now primary co-funders, to get in on the act with their exclusive transmission rights of Season Five during the tail end of 2011 (though it’s a shame that the channel couldn’t make the most of the HD filmed show in terms of picture quality. Oh, and a further message to WATCH, please shop bombarding us with un-necessary info at the top of the screen- it takes us out if the drama and fans already know that you have a dedicated website section to the series-if we want it we’ll find it, don’t you worry!). As the monster packed show unfolded, it was, in many ways, business as usual regarding its continuing format and mix of old and new characters, and the same criticisms I had from my previous Season Four review remain pretty much in evidence-for good and for bad. It once again got off to a bit of an underwhelming start with the burrowing creatures-its lower production budget being a lot more noticeable this time around-but, again like last season, it improved as it went on, remaining enjoyable enough family fare.

PRIMEVAL's three main stars: Connor (Andrew-Lee Potts), Abby (Hannah Spearritt) and Matt Anderson (Ciaran McMenamin).

Episode Two’s Submarine adventure and Three’s Raptor on the loose in Victorian London were both good fun and amongst the highlights of the season for me, backed up with some fine CGI creature work, but, like all the stories this season, they could’ve been far more developed in their story telling.

Ruth Bradley returns in Episode Three as Emily Merchant, soon reined in by her nasty husband, Lord Henry (Stephen Hogan) 

Of the new characters introduced in Year Four, action hero lead Matt Anderson, played by Ciaran McMenamin (who, with his Irish Sam Worthington-ish looks, seems a lot more comfortable in the role this time around)- is finally revealed as being from the Earth’s future, on a determined mission to stop businessman/industrialist Philip Burton’s and duped Connor Temple’s plans in harnessing the dangerously powerful, life threateningly forces of the mysterious anomalies, whilst Ruth Bradley also returned as his past love, Lady Emily Merchant, in Episode Three, where she was certainly memorable in her new super heroine-like costume: her cowl wearing, blade wielding attributes, and the Emma Peel leathers, as she tried to track down and corner the time crossing Raptor in her native environment, though she wouldn’t be quite as well served in the latter episodes where, now a firm part of the ARC team, she had more running about with a dino stun gun, kicking a few security guards and having a quick snog with Matt rather than having any meaty character storyline or further development. Also wasted was the other newcomer, the baddie secretary/assistant to Philip, April, as played by the lovely cool blonde Janice Byrne, who ultimately felt like a stock baddie by season’s end, whilst charmingly cute Ruth Kearney, as computer-whizz Jess, really needs to be allowed to get away from her desk at the ARC facility a bit more, too!

Having not been in the Year Four stories very much, it was nice to have a more prominent appearance in the series from Ben Miller, who continued to be very enjoyable this year as Ministry Boss James Lester, though there have been many times throughout the entire series run when the quirky comedy surreal-ness of the actor in his role has often led me to wonder if he’s been acting on the wrong series at times, seemingly walking in and out of PRIMEVAL’s sets and drama as if by accident and improvising. And that wouldn’t be a bad thing, believe me, because he’s great and very funny! I loved his penultimate episode ARC garage face-off, mega-gun in hand, against a fearsome creature atop his prized new Jaguar! Great stuff.

Matt and Connor take on some memorably nasty Beetles in Episode Four.

Former modern DOCTOR WHO script editor Helen Raynor added some welcome variety to the mostly male writing team of the show and crafted up the best written episode of the season by far-Four- working with limited resources in a positive way and creating a seriously nasty threat to the ARC team with her multiplying killer beetles threat/base under siege scenario, which was atmospheric and tensely realized by director Robert Quinn, who, alongside other series regular visualist, Cilla Ware, was easily the best director of the returned two seasons.

As the time for the season (series?) finale swiftly came, there was a lot of running about, fighting, chasing and throwing computer buttons and panels in the last two episodes- reminiscent of the best and worst aspects of Jon Pertwee’s era of seventies DOCTOR WHO- as the ARC team attempted to stop Philip Burton (Alexander Siddig) from activating his New Age generators and wrecking the planets future, but it was all a bit passé to this writer. We all knew Philip was a creep from the offset, but I was hoping for something a bit more major to happen dialogue and character-wise between him and Connor rather than the pretty underwhelming scene where he talks to the injured young scientist trapped in an upturned jeep. This should have been a bigger moment for the series. The sub plot idea of the anomaly creatures fully unleashed across the Earth was also a good one but that should have been saved for a potential movie-there was no real point in the dinosaurs turning up in Episode Five’s second half other than to provide a bit of variety amongst the human based action…

Abby takes aim on some future monsters in the Season Finale.

For a brief few minutes of Episode Six, the Season Finale became dinosaurs meets the futuristic wastelands of THE TERMINATOR as Matt returned back to his annihilated future time, alongside Abby, to rescue the once again anomaly trapped Connor-he’s so unlucky, that boy- from hordes of nasty mutated creatures, though not enough time was spent there developing that intriguing realm before they were quickly whisked back to deal with the final solution of Philip’s power plant.

Finally realizing he had been used and duped by the late Helen Cutter (Juliet Aubrey, who craftily managed to sneak in and return for some importantly needed baddie voiceover speak), Silly Billy Philip managed to be all right in the end, becoming heroic enough to save lives and the future, as he literally disappeared up his own anomaly, so to speak! With all that resolved it was then back to the ARC for a guns down dark corridors wrap up against some of the aforementioned future nasties, now in our time and possessing vicious sonar like tracking abilities, in an enjoyable last ten minutes.

With the bangs detonated and that weeks batch of CGI monsters defeated, PRIMEVAL ends on a subtle note of finality as our heroes, almost BATMAN-like, rushed to their next containment mission, but, as ever with the series producers, there's always a sneaky, normally twisted side plot that can be activated and developed further if picked up for another run. Though the ARC team may admirably handle carnivorous dinosaurs, there are ultimately far worse creatures out there in charge of their destinies: the suits and bean counters of the TV accounts department who will make that final decision as to whether the series will come back for Year Six. If ITV’s ratings for their screenings in 2012 are good, and if overseas sales remain strong in Europe and America, chances are positive that PRIMEVAL may well return to unleash more wonderful creatures coming up and attacking us through our loos!

Now there’s a nasty thought!

KOOL TV OVERALL SERIES RATING: 3 out of 5

PRIMEVAL Season Five is available on DVD and Blu-ray from July 11th.

CELEBRATION DAY FOR "DOCTOR WHO"!

Daleks conquer and destroy! The sixties excitement of Dalekmania returns with the duology of films starring Peter Cushing as DOCTOR WHO. Image: CANAL+

UK fans of the small screen adventures of sci-fi hero DOCTOR WHO, as played by the enthusiastic David Tennant (who, I'm sure has fans still mourning his loss from the show two years back), and on the big screens of the 1960's as played by the legendary Peter Cushing will enjoy the special DOCTOR WHO bank holiday weekend on the WATCH, with its screenings of Tennant's two 2008 specials- the Christmas themed THE NEXT DOCTOR (with David Morrissey guest starring as a possible incarnation of the Time Lord, fighting against the body snatching Cybermen in Dickensian London) and the fun, though hardly classic, PLANET OF THE DEAD, where the Time Lord teams up with the posh jewel thief Lady Christina De Souza (Michelle Ryan) when they and the passengers of a number 200 double decker bus are stranded in the hostile desert wilderness of an alien planet. These two colourful romps of pace and audience friendly excitement were huge ratings winners in their and repeat screenings and, whether older classic fans like them or not, they certainly prove themselves as true examples of Producer/writer Russell T. Davies's final tenure on the show.

Trailers:YouTube - Doctor Who Easter Special: Planet of the Dead - Trailer
YouTube - Doctor Who: The Next Doctor (Trailer)

The two David Doctors-Morrissey and Tennant- fight Miss Hartigan (Dervla Kirwan) and the Cybermen in THE NEXT DOCTOR. Image: BBC.

Tennant of Dubai! The Doctor and one-off companion Lady Christina De Souza (Michelle Ryan) are trapped in hostile climes on the PLANET OF THE DEAD. Image: YESTERDAY. Image copyright: BBC.

Peter Cushing adds humour and heroism as the sixties movie version of DOCTOR WHO. Image: CANAL+

Then there's the equally colourful and exciting Dalek films-DOCTOR WHO AND THE DALEKS and DALEKS: INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D.- produced by horror movie veterans AARU of the sixties, which are adaptations of two previous William Hartnell WHO stories from 1963 and 64- THE DALEKS and THE DALEK INVASION OF EARTH, both originally written by equally iconic Dalek creator Terry Nation. The stories, with many times the production budgets of the BBC adventures, transfer to the big screen well and have acquired a faithful following over the years, and the Daleks certainly look bigger and better than ever for their time. Cushing, who's Doctor isn't a Time Lord but a friendly inventor/Grandfather, is terrific-a perfect choice for the role. Its a pity that the third in the planned movie series never got made.

Trailers: YouTube - Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) - Theatrical Trailer
YouTube - Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (1966) - Theatrical Trailer

Paul McGann as The Doctor from 1996. Image: BBC/RADIO TIMES

Finally, as well as a DOCTOR WHO AT THE PROMS special concert devoted to modern WHO series music, there's another chance to see Paul McGann's promising but sadly one-off DOCTOR WHO: THE MOVIE from 1996, which has many of the elements that would be incorporated more successfully into modern WHO series today. It may not totally synch with either the original or modern versions of WHO but, with a fine performance from McGann, its nonetheless an intriguing what could have been exploration...

Trailer: YouTube - Doctor Who: Original 80s trailer for TV Movie starring Paul McGann

ROMPER STOMPER! "PRIMEVAL" SEASON FIVE

Connor (Andrew-Lee Potts) is in trouble again! PRIMEVAL Season Five. Images: WATCH 

Just to re-remind UK viewers that the new fifth series of the dino-hit PRIMEVAL is playing exclusively on the WATCH channel every Tuesday from 8pm tonight. Here's a few more images from the new series.

The ARC team: Captain Becker (Ben Mansfield), Matt Anderson (Ciaran McMenamin) and Abby (Hannah Spearritt)

Lovely new ARC recruit April (Janice Byrne)

Another hungry monster roars back!

Here's a monster packed trailer: YouTube - Primeval Series 5 Official Trailer

Season Four of PRIMEVAL is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

MONSTER MUNCH! "PRIMEVAL" SEASON FIVE

Ready for more anomaly action-the PRIMEVAL team stand ready. Images: WATCH.

Picking up straight from where the prior series ended on its cliffhanger note, the new fifth season of the monster (I mean that figuratively and literally!) hit series PRIMEVAL, successfully combining dinosaurs and time travel in a fun way for family audiences of all ages to enjoy, continues its life after cancellation exclusively on the UK's WATCH channel (and presumably BBC AMERICA around the same time) every week from May 24th, with its producers promising the action and excitement stakes being taken up a notch from what had been a prior slow burning fourth season on ITV shown earlier in the year. Seemingly abducted (but by choice), what will happen to our amiable hero scientist Connor (Andrew Lee-Potts) in the ambitious hands of wealthy industrialist Philip Burton (STAR TREK's Alexander Siddig)? And just how will the persevering ARC team deal with the newly discovered revelation about the mysterious anomaly gateways which have been letting in all manner of weird and wonderful beasties into our universe?

Back on the monster beat: Hannah Spearritt as Abby and Ben Mansfield as Captain Becker.

To save the past? Stephen Hogan as new character Henry Merchant.

I'm really a nice guy, y'know! What's that crafty industrialist Philip Burton (Alexander Siddig) up to this season?

Ambitious major highlights this season include a vicious burrowing creature terrorising London in the opening episode, a submarine under attack from a Liopleurodon and, even more intriguingly, another time travel story, this time set within the foggy, cobbled streets of the Victorian past, amidst a Velociraptor terrorizing old London town, and which also sees in the return of last season's mysterious Ruth Bradley as Emily Merchant, previously caught in our future and with a healthy admiration for hero with a secret, Matt Anderson (Ciaran McMenamin), and the introduction of new actor Stephen Hogan, presumably playing her long lost husband, Henry.

New character April (Janice Byrne) joins the ARC team.

Last seasons introduction of McMenamin and Ruth Kearney as leggy tech heroine Jess Parker to the series seem to have been well received, and now joining them as a semi regular is the lovely Janice Byrne as ARC technician April. Previously employed by Philip Burton, and a possible new love interest for Connor, just how she becomes embroiled in the series remains to be seen, but there may be more to her than meets the eye...

Will Connor and Abby regain their mojo for one another this season?

Scary monsters, human baddies, people being eaten and all round general mayhem and destruction...what more could TV viewers want from a series on a Tuesday night!

Keep an eye out for WATCH's PRIMEVAL site here: Primeval

Season Four of PRIMEVAL is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

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.