10 Doctor Who Real Life Alternate Timelines

6. What If Hartnell Had Been Forced Out During The Celestial Toymaker?

By 1966, producer Innes Lloyd was so fed up with William Hartnell that he wanted Hartnell gone. In The Celestial Toymaker, the Doctor is made invisible, and Lloyd wanted a different actor playing the Doctor when he reappeared. Since Hartnell was on vacation during the making of those episodes, it was considered an easy (albeit cowardly) way to force him out. BBC€™s head of serials Gerald Savoy quashed this before it could happen. But what if the fourth episode (which still exists) had featured the Doctor returning with a different face? We wouldn't still talking about Doctor Who, for one thing - the series might not have made it past the 1960s. One reason for the show's longevity is regeneration. Regeneration has always allowed for a renewal not only of the lead actor but of the entire series. Even during the '80s, when the producer remained the same, there are three distinct eras of Doctor Who, and the change in actor generally lead to a (temporary) ratings bump that kept the show going. Worst case scenario: the actor chosen as the Second Doctor wants to move on after three years to avoid being typecast (as, indeed, he did). Would new producers have come with the idea of regeneration anyway? Or would they have figured that they couldn't possibly spring another far-fetched face change on the audience again? If they don't, Doctor Who does not carry on past 1970; it never gets syndicated abroad; and it has a small fan following (similar to Doomwatch) rather than a worldwide one. Worst of all, all of the episodes are missing because no truly devoted fans are trying to keep them from being destroyed. Good thing Lloyd didn't get his way.