It seems the “episode without the Doctor” possibility is really driving fans nuts. We've already had Love and Monsters in series two, and the expectation is that there'll be another episode that's Doctor-lite, thanks to hellish filming schedules. So how will the production team cope?
We've already had one possibility thrown at us: the Doctor and new companion are regressed into children by mad scientist Mark Gatiss and so child actors will take the place of Freema Agyeman and David Tennant. Since there's that exciting competition for some lucky fan to land a part on the show, maybe that'll tie in nicely.
But now, we have another one, which has the virtues of a 1% chance of being true and all the hallmarks of a conspiracy theory. In this exciting possibility, Martha Jones turns round, says “Tell me all about regeneration, Doctor”, and low and behold, we have a Tennant-narrated tale of life being Paul McGann. That would fill me with joy if it happened, because it's about time McGann got to be something more than a footnote in Who history*.
Where the conspiracy theory element comes in is the BBC7 series starting in the New Year. The idea is that that will act as a primer for the public to accept McGann as a previous Doctor and more importantly to get them used to Sheridan Smith as his companion, who will then legitimately be able to appear on-screen as the Doctor's companion and be an audience draw. Smith, of course, has a big youth following from Two Pints of Lager (although not from Grown Ups).
Not at all plausible, particularly since the rumour also says it's going to be set during the Time War, but I liked it anyway.
Incidentally, the Big Finish web site now has more details on those BBC7 audio plays. One thing I spotted that I hadn't seen elsewhere: Sheridan Smith's character is going to be with the Doctor thanks to some form of Time Lord Witness Protection Programme (very Big Finish). Even she doesn't know what she's supposed to have seen, though.
*Footnote: Technically, Paul McGann is the longest running Doctor, since he was the official Doctor between 1996 and 2005, appearing in the TV movie, comics, books and audio plays, all of which were licensed by the BBC.
UPDATE: The rumour mutates and combines with the earlier rumour! Now the suggestion is that when the Doctor and companion are zapped by Mark Gatiss, he turns back into Paul McGann. Now that's the hallmark of a great rumour.
Subscribe to the daily news by RSS or email
October 27, 2006 | Reply
We of course appreciate the gratuitous use of a David Tennant picture, but I'm with you on this being a completely implausible but highly appealing storyline.
Although it was deeply flawed, I found the McGann feature adventure not half as bad as many assummed it was, and as you say, he's done some fine work since then for the Big Finish series. And you're bang on about the TLWPP being very Big Finish!
October 27, 2006 | Reply
Apparently, some bloke has a friend who works at the BBC who told him it was all true.
The movie has some very nice touches (RTD himself says it has some of his favourite moments of Who), not the least of which is McGann. But there is a great big stench of pantsness about it for the most part. Plus the Doctor being half-human? Hmm..
Still, McGann is great in the Big Finish audios when give some good lines to work with: I particularly like the idea of the Doctor being a Liverpool supporter after an entire incarnation as a cricket fan.
October 27, 2006 | Reply
There's a nice bit of nerd polyfilla that says it was only the 8th Doctor who was half-human... something to do with the blood transfusions that the 7th Doc received after he was shot.
I can't see this happening at all, unfortunately.
October 27, 2006 | Reply
The more I think about it, the more I love it (although the less true it becomes). How many spin-offs can one show support? And how expensive they all must be! But how about if you have two, equally popular shows called Doctor Who, except one's on radio and therefore very much cheaper? Twice the licensing, twice the ratings...
As for the nerd polyfilla, I'd heard an even better bit that said that Time Lords can change species when they regenerate and that the 8th Doctor was indeed half-human because that's what he regenerated into. Or that the Doctor was still confused after he'd regenerated and the half-human bit was delusional.
The best bit I ever heard, though, was that Time Lords only get their second heart when they've regenerated for the second time, thus explaining why Troughton and Hartnell appear only to have one heart when subjected to medical examination.
October 27, 2006 | Reply
Yeah, I would prefer the Doctor to retain that level of alien-ness about him. It's only hanging around with humans that makes him empathise or despise them and not some genetic link (otherwise its like saying you can only connect with dogs by being a dog: and every one knows thats rubbish...)
And as I say, the McGann film was deeply flawed but no less worthy of some attention despite that. I think it was the lameness of the San Fran pumped up storyline that was what irked me. But that's just personal. Specific elements and scenes worked better and I suppose some of its 'glossiness' rubbed off on 'new Who'.
October 27, 2006 | Reply
I don't suppose Paul McGann would cost them much more than Antony Head for a single story... they'd have to use the new TARDIS design, cos they couldn't recreate the movie set...
It's doable. But it still won't happen.
And yeah, the Doctor is an alien who doesn't understand humans half as well as he thinks he does. Making him half-human wasn't a good idea.
October 27, 2006 | Reply
I imagine his opening words would be "What do you think of the new console room, Lucie?" as he polishes it with the sleeve of his velvet jacket...
October 27, 2006 | Reply
That regression to children storyline was done on 'ST:TNG', "Rascals" was the title I think.
If they did do it, what do you think about the child version of the Doctor? Would they hire a kid who looked like David Tennant, or one who looked like William Hartnell as a little boy?
October 27, 2006 | Reply
Rascals was indeed the episode. It's notable, conspiracy-lovers that another ST:TNG episode, Lower Decks, was frequently cited by RTD as an influence for Love and Monsters (Buffy's The Zeppo is another), so why not go to another ST:TNG ep for inspiration?
As for what a child Doctor would be like in this scenario, any or all of the above, as well as Paul McGann. Or one who looked completely different.
October 28, 2006 | Reply
How totally rubbish would it be to win a competition to be in Doctor Who and then not get to meet the Doctor because you're playing him as a kid?
October 28, 2006 | Reply
Depends. Will you get invited to be at every convention with David Tennant, so long as you both shall live?
October 28, 2006 | Reply
It won't be that anyway, as they could only pick a white boy or a black girl, which would be very un-BBC.
October 28, 2006 | Reply
Where did you read this one? I'm a bit behind on my reading this weekend, so I've missed some of the speculation.
October 28, 2006 | Reply
Where all frothing fan rumours begin: the Well of Lost Souls aka Outpost Gallifrey's forums. Although sometimes, they do have validity, I will admit.
October 28, 2006 | Reply
Ah. I have never been an OG forum customer, though I've heard many things about that land of happy little elves -- none of them positive, mind, but I live in hope.
October 29, 2006 | Reply
Have always been a bit put off the forum board at OG, not least because I have a bad reputation for joining and then abandoning boards due to an apathy for joining anything - especially when it gets unfeasibly overpopulated - and then acute embarrassment for not being as
obsessiveregular a contributor as I feel I should be.Besides, don't you have to have a non-web/free account to sign up on OG? Bah.
October 30, 2006 | Reply
Yep, you need a 'trustworthy' net identity, which rules out hotmail and the like. It's understandable from a security point of view -- many a Usenet forum has been plagued with irritating sock puppets and the like. And I think one of the central motivating factors in the OG forum's set up was to avoid its turning into rec.arts.drwho at its worst. However, I'm told the level of traffic OG currently enjoys precludes efficient moderation around episode broadcasts, so it's not necessarily a paradise.