Unless you’ve been living in a cave on an obscure penal colony in orbit around the planet Mondas you will know that this year we have the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. On previous occasions we have been treated to the best efforts to give us all previous Doctors in a special. We know there is a special coming and rumours are rife but there are some obvious challenges that the BBC faces.
Sadly some actors are no longer with us so the absence of William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee gives us a particular problem. Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy are still alive but would be the first to admit that the resemblance to their time as the Doctor is not as convincing as it might be.
Paul McGann could readily return as the Eighth Doctor and could even give us the regeneration flashback to Christopher Ecclestone; as there was only ever one TV episode for the Eighth Doctor we don’t know how he ended up looking.
Given that we fans want a reunion I started to speculate on how it might be achieved…
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12 Comments
I will watch it, first time since the first series of ms, Hope he regs soon
Paul Cornell’s ‘Timewyrm: Revelation’ did the whole ‘Time Lord afterlife’ thing far better than ‘Zagreus’ managed – although I take your point regarding the device as an acceptable possibility for the Golden…
Thanks for this, I haven’t read the Paul Cornell story and will look out for it
Paul Cornell’s really excellent – well worth checking out his books.
I’ve read London Falling (ok not a Who book) which was a strong piece of writing but none of his Who stuff. I’ll take that as another vote for Paul.
Thanks Noel!
I’ve had an idea for some time to bring back ALL the doctors in a believable way. A powerful villain from the past (I’m thinking the black guardian, Omega, even the Master) whose “life force” is dying captures the 4th doctor and drains his remaining regenerations. The 11th doctor realizes this when Clara sees that he is beginning to age (wrinkles, some gray hair). He uses some gizmo from the Tardis to temporarily stabilize himself. In the meantime, the now aged 4th Doctor escapes in the TARDIS to present day Earth and makes contact with the only two people still living that he can find & trust … Sgt. Benton & Mike Yates. The 11th Doctor is recalled to Earth by Captain Jack and/or Martha and the 4th & 11th are reunited. UNIT/Torchwood has technology that will help the Doctors stabilize themselves until they can help the 4th regain his life force. The 11th then goes back through his time stream to try and help his other selves stabilize themselves. He has no trouble finding the 10th Doctor & Donna, the 9th & Rose, and together they use their TARDISES to break through the Time War barrier and reach the 8th Doctor. They stabilize him with the help of an older Romana, Leela & K-9. The 11th & Clara, 10th & & Donna, 9th & Rose, and 8th & K-9 cannot find the 5th, 6th & 7th Doctors. They realize their close proximity to the 4th Doctor must have caused the aging process to advance. Using their TRADISES, they track them all to specific points in time. The 5th Doctor is now living with an older Tegan and/or Nyssa on Earth, the 6th with an older Peri, and the 7th with an older Ace. Their TARDISES stopped working due to the effects of their aging … the TARDIS no longer ecognized them as Time Lords and went into “safety” mode, returning the companions to Earth before shutting down. The other Doctors realize the same will happen to them. They gather themselves to make a final assault on the black guardian/Omega/Master. In the meantime, River Song has been seen visting the 3rd, 2nd & 1st Doctors (using the same technology Star Trek used to bring the Deep Space 9 crew into the Trouble with Tribbles episode from the original series). When 4-11 reach the Black Guardian, he has time locked himself so they cannot reach him. However, a TARDIS materializes behind him & out steps River Song & Doctors 1-3. They absorb the life force back into themselves & the Black Guardian dies. This causes them to become much younger (and could be a way for younger actors to portray 1-3). The effects are temporary & will soon filter down to the remaining Doctors. 4-7 say their goodbyes and disappear since their pasts have now been restored. 9-11 help the 8th & K-9 to return to Galiffrey at the point he left. The episode ends with the 8th doing what he must do to end the Time War & his regeneration into the 9th while other former companions are seen and heard telling their children/grandchildren bedtime stories about their adventures with the Doctor The 11th also visits the graves of former companions and finally arrives at a funeral in time to help carry a casket. We see Clyde, Rani, Luke and others among the mourners and see that this funeral is for Sarah Jane Smith.
I would just like to see Eccleston back.
I’d really like to see the regeneration from McGann to Eccleston – fingers crossed
Yes! 8 to 9 regeneration and the circumstances leading up to it.
I do like the last “Afterlife” idea. Either that or some similar out can be imagined by Moffat I’m sure. I have faith that he will come up with something very good. It will be nicer than the five Doctors, I’m sure. That did have a lot of running around pointlessly and silly ankle twisting. And I do think he’ll try to include all the Doctors or at least the actors in supporting roles.
I don’t want to see anything about the Time War, even an 8th into 9th regeneration.
I don’t want to know what caused the first Doctor to flee Gallifrey originally, and I’d rather not ever learn his real name.
I’m not interested in the identities of Susan’s parents, nor whether or not there is a familial relationship between the Doctor and the Master.
I’m not bothered to get definitive confirmation as to whether or not the faces shown during the Doctor’s mind battle with Morbius
I don’t want to see any part of the Time War, not least an 8th/9th regeneration scene.
I’d rather not know what inspired the Doctor to first flee Gallifrey all that time ago.
I’d prefer never to discover the Doctor’s real name, the identity of Susan’s parents or whether or not there is some familial relationship between the Doctor and the Master.
I don’t want a definitive answer as to whether or not those faces shown during the Doctor’s mind battle with Morbius were pre-Hartnell incarnations, how many regenerations a Time Lord can have, or if it’s true or not that the Doctor is half-human on his mother’s side.
Spare me an explanation about the Doctor’s part in Gallifrey’s “Old Time” and just how the second Doctor and Jamie can be agents of the High Council of Time Lords at a time when the Doctor is still ‘on the run’ from them.
Let’s keep the “Who” in the programme’s title relevant, shall we?
You may have problems with Moffat’s intentions for this series then if the BBC quote can be believed about the Doctor’s greatest secret