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1996 TV Movie Question
FIFA1966
Posts: 1,101 Forum Member
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How come the TV Movie, that was shown in 1996, is considered as part of the show when it was only a single story and not part of a series?
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FIFA1966
Posts: 1,101
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the Christmas episodes are single stories too
Paul McGann became the new face of the Doctor, in the Books, in the DWM comic strip, and even the Audio Plays.
Had the show been revived immediately after the movie flopped, and they didn't decide to keep McGann, he may very well have been discounted, as was the case with the brief reign of the Ninth Doctor played by Richard E Grant.
Although, on the other hand, it was quite a big deal when McGann became the Eighth Doctor. In the papers and that, whereas REG was featured in a more low key animated episode, so even then its apples and oranges,
For me it was because the previous Doctor played by Sylvester McCoy was in the movie and regenerated into Paul McGann making it a continuation of the character.
Yeah and McGann was officially the Doctor at that time.
It variously was, wasn't and partially was or wasn't embraced by "fans" over the years. Even those who said it was definitely part of the series cherry-picked the parts that suited themselves and rejected others - such as the Doctor claiming to be half-human and the Master being a snake.
It remained the bastard-child of the franchise until recently for most fans - regarded as a true Doctor but not one to care that much about due ot the lack of screen time. The character was embraced by the BBC after the 2005 reboot when his image was given equal prominence amongst the other previous Doctors and was finally made a "full member" thanks to Moffat and co finally giving him an ending and regeneration (into the Warrior or "War Doctor").
Oh - and there's a sector of DW "fans" that still turn purple and explode if you mention his being half-human.
I don't care about that either way but just put it down to the chameleon arch either he used it or his mother did (but later reverted back) so what he was saying was technically true if not the whole truth
That or the fact he was so out of it he didn't even know his name let alone species
Of course, the real reason was that Segal had an awful, awful plan to explore the Doctor's family tree with a human mother and the Master as his fully Time Lord half-brother.
Like Mr Spock? With a human mother and vulcan father.
The film is on Netflix and I have thought about watching. Not seen since it was originally on telly and I remember it being a bit rubbish.
Told ya
A vein in my forehead just popped!!!
Paul McGann was excellent in his role for the 50th anniversary so I'm willing to forgive... and try to forget
While unconvincing, that does make at least 900% more sense than anything that was in the minds of those writing the damn thing.
With respect, I fear you seriously understate the awfulness of this awful, awful, bloody bloody awful plan.
At the time we all cursed that there was to be no series after the "movie" but in retrospect we should all be thankful. It is clear that nobody had a coherent idea of what to do and it would have failed so hard that it would have killed off any chance of a return later. This list of pathetic remakes and barely half-arsed ideas makes particularly sad reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unmade_Doctor_Who_serials_and_films#Eighth_Doctor
I don't know about turning purple and exploding, but it really did sound like a monumentally daft idea if "half-human" was to be taken literally as opposed to being an insult.
I suppose they could have nailed the whole thing when the Master returned in two lines: "You're half-human" - "Insults? Again?" but why bother? Best to just let it wither and die!
When Doctor Who returned in 2005 it certainly looked as though there was a conscious decision to not say anything about Dr Who:USA so that it was neither confirmed nor denied whether it was to be considered part of the current Doctor's past. It wasn't until "Human Nature" an a likeness of Paul McGann appearing in "John Smith's" notebook that there was anything that settled the matter, and it's quite possible that nobody had decided up to that point.
Night of the Doctor convinced me that I'd probably have liked a series with Paul McGann - just not the series that was planned at the time.
The bats were native to Gallifrey, and the Doctor enjoyed their company because they used to live in his estate, so he let a bunch of them live in his TARDIS.
The reason the eye of harmony could only be opened by humans was due to a Dalek invasion on Gallifrey where they used the Eye of Harmony to create their own Galaxy, so the Doctor did it as a means of defence.
The Master's execution by the Daleks was part of a peace treaty between the Time Lords and the Daleks.
The Master survived the execution by taking the form of a Morphant Deathworm, and subsequently continued to live in that state for decades before being rescued by the Time Lords.
They only thing that hasn't been adequately explained was the Half human thing. I don't know of I buy the Chameleon arc explanation.
My theory is that it was ONLY the Eighth Doctor that was half-human, do to
a regeneration quirk (like the Fifth Doctor being vulnerable to "certain gases").
A bit like me being half-Scottish but my twin brother isn't???
But you can't apply human/real world logic to Doctor Who. Its just how it's written. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it doesn't make sense. Yes it's silly the eighth Doctor was half human. But he was. Because that's how it was written. You can't argue that someone else's idea is wrong.
That said, I do like the movie
Maybe that's why regenerating to and from 8 appeared to hurt more than it usually does
Also why when he was in Night Of The Doctor why he had aged (if he were human I'd say he aged a good 17 years;-) ) and why apart from that regeneration hurting he needed help to regenerate.
Dear Sweet Lord, reading that 'proposal' has made my eyes bleed. "The pilot was to feature the half-human Doctor seeking his father, Ulysses..." is right about where it started...:o
The 8th Doctor lived a long time, maybe even longer than the 11th Doctor (if you add up all the years that pass in the books and Audios) why shouldn't he have aged?
He died in the crashed ship on Karn if the Sisterhood hadn't brought him back to life (for 4 mins) and then helped him to regenerate he would be dead.
Your smellchucker got "useless" wrong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56h_JuBZ9_0
All that's missing is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyM-hNRieVU
A lot of people feel they have to consider it 'cannon' just because they had mc coy in it, but if I was to go and pay Capaldi a ridiculous amount of money to film a scene where he regenerated into someone else, it wouldn't make that any more part of the show just because Capaldi was in it. My feeling is that if you take the whole 'but mc coy was in it' argument and weigh it against all the statements made in that film that jst make no sense with any other part of the show past or present (daleks putting master on trial, half human etc) then it proves that there is way more that dosen't tally with the show than what does.
Of course mc gann is a legitimate doctor now, but for me it's only because of night of the doctor.
But we do not know how long Eight was on the sidelines of the Time War, trying to help without actually taking up arms.
He might have been doing that for hundreds of years, not the seventeen you suggest.