Paul McGann’s Doctor Who: A matter of… “time?”
A look back at the genesis of the Eighth Doctor and the BBC/Universal/Fox co-production, usually referred to as the Doctor Who TV Movie.
In 1996, Doctor Who was 33 years old, and following its cancellation seven years earlier existed mainly on satellite TV channels, where the remaining episodes were screened daily, with a bonus Sunday-morning omnibus to cure a few hangovers.
But things were changing. The resurrection of a much-loved, under-appreciated, and wrongly-cancelled television favourite required foreign money. Under the guiding wing of Philip Segal, Universal and Fox invested in a project to redevelop and reboot Doctor Who.
The Eighth Doctor
For the last 9 years, Segal had been involved in an attempt to make an American version of the show, calling on different production companies and a legion of writers to re-package the show. Screen-tested were a host of actors including Mark McGann, Tony Slattery, Harry Van Gorkum and Rob Heyland. Billy Connolly has also stated that he was offered Doctor Who, while eventual 13th Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi turned down the chance to audition.
Eventually chosen was a somewhat reluctant Paul McGann, then a popular British actor known for both his good looks and his intensity. Notable credits had included The Hanging Gale (in which he starred with his three brothers Stephen, fellow auditionee Mark, and Joe), Alien³ and Nice Town, but he was most well known for his roles in the BBC series The Monocled Mutineer and the cult Bruce Robinson movie Withnail & I… in which he starred with another future Doctor, Richard E. Grant.
McGann’s view of the Doctor appears to be one of a lonely wanderer, spending his life looking for… something. This was reflected in Philip Segal’s own view.
The Leekley Bible
Doctor Who under Segal had a protracted development, taking on various guises and pitched to various production companies (including Steven Spielberg’s Amblin) before the go-ahead was achieved. The show in this form relied on a “Bible” (essentially a reference guide for potential writers of a television series) produced by John Leekley.
In a diversion from the original show, this new take on Doctor Who concerned the tale of a Time Lord, the Doctor, searching for his father, guided by a TARDIS possessed by the spirit of Borusa. Adventures would take place across time and space, visiting historically significant events on earth, and some classic serials might even have been reinterpreted and retold. Oh, and the Daleks would have a brand new appearance…
Clearly, some of these elements were dropped before the TV Movie entered production.
He’s back… and it’s about Radio Times
The announcement in January 1996 that Doctor Who would be returning to a television set near you was one embraced with wonder and anticipation by Doctor Who fans the world over. As the weeks ticked by, filming was begun and completed and soon Paul McGann was on the cover of TV magazines throughout the UK, occasionally alongside outgoing Doctor Who Sylvester McCoy.
On board as director was Geoffrey Sax, well known for his work in British television (Spitting Image, Lovejoy, The New Statesman, and Tipping the Velvet since then) and the script was by Young Indiana Jones writer Matthew Jacobs.
Filming appeared to go relatively smoothly, with only the occasional murmur regarding the behaviour of the famously difficult Eric Roberts (who has since found a niche playing bad guys on TV in series such as Heroes). At a late stage, what can only be classed in retrospect as important plot details were dropped from the script, as was a physical appearance by some aliens called Daleks…
Who is the Eighth Doctor?
The US prime time introduction sees the Doctor defined as a man appreciative of music, nature and science, a lover of Earth… and half-human. This one line: “I’m half human, on my Mothers side” caused quite a stir in the fan-audience contingent, and remained a point of considerable debate years later.
(Of course, the show has taken far more controversial directions since then.)
With little under an hour of screen time, however, Paul McGann created a fresh new Doctor, resplendent in 19th Century frock-coat and Byron-esque curls. This performance, complete with moments which harked back to both Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker was certainly enough for the authors of the BBC Books range to work from.
As a hero, McGann’s Doctor has echoes of Pertwee, motor biking it down the central reservation of a main road and engaging in physical combat with the Master. Yet with so little screen time, the Eighth Doctor gets so much right, the actor drawing as much from the script as he can; the sole appearance of McGann as the Doctor for several years was executed with emotional gravitas, inner strength, intelligence, and charisma. These qualities would remain with the Doctor for the next 8 or 9 years.
Which might be why the at-the-time “controversial” kiss with potential companion Grace seems charming all these years later. At the time, it offended many of the more vociferous fans, and lead some elements of Doctor Who fandom to seriously consider discarding the TVM as “canon”. In truth, the kiss is innocent, innocuous and honest.
Ultimately, McGann delivers one of the most compelling introductions of a new incarnation in the show’s 60+ year history.
The Eighth Doctor’s Grandfather Paradox
Through comic strips in the essential Doctor Who Magazine, Virgin and BBC Books adventures and the wonderful people at Big Finish, the 60 minutes of screen time has mushroomed Paul McGann’s Doctor into the most well-travelled of them all. Whether in print or audio, some excellent moments have been derived from the “Boil in the bag Doctor” performance. Among these includes the “regeneration” of the Eighth Doctor in DWM, the destruction of Gallifrey in the BBC books and the wonderful fact that you can actually hear Paul McGann as the Doctor on the Big Finish discs.
Both short-lived and long-lived, Paul McGann will always be known to the general viewing public as the chap who appeared once, sadly fulfilling the actor’s fear of being the George Lazenby of Doctor Who. Even with guest appearances in 2013 and 2022, McGann’s impact on the show remains one night only in 1996 and a sub-industry of audios and books.
But it was always going to be this way, whoever got the gig in late 1995. Paul McGann was a hostage to circumstances, the “backdoor pilot” nature of the co-production tenuous by the time it hit the airwaves.
Yes, he was perfect, and everything he has contributed to Doctor Who has been first class, but while Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor will always be bloody good, he could have been so much more.
The Doctor Who TV Movie is hitting 4k and UHD Blu-ray in April, and is available to preorder now. You can hear Christian Cawley and James McLean discussing this news in the latest podcast, out now on Patreon and hitting podcasting platforms on Wednesday.