10 Doctor Who Episodes That Accidentally Changed The Show Forever

Before the 2005 revival, there was the 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie. And before the Doctor was getting up-close and personal with Rose Tyler and River Song, there was Dr. Grace Holloway.

The Paul McGann-fronted film made a lot of deliberate alterations to Doctor Who lore that have largely been ignored by the modern series and the fandom (anybody remember when the Doctor was supposed to be half-human?).

But while the TV Movie might have failed to have an effect on canon, it certainly set the tone for what was to come by introducing the world to a younger, more action-oriented Doctor that was a big departure from the fatherly figures of the classic series.

McGann’s Doctor pulled a gun on himself, chased an ambulance through San Francisco on a stolen motorcycle, and, most shocking of all, kissed his companion. That might seem unremarkable today, but at the time there was fan outrage, and many an internet forum descended into chaos.

But unfortunately for those who like their Doctor decidedly non-romantic, McGann’s Doctor arguably became the blueprint for Eccleston, Tennant, and Smith’s takes on the character.