Doctor Who: Ranking Debut Doctor Stories From Worst To Best
7. The TV Movie - The Eighth Doctor
Ok, wait a minute, let me explain why youre all wrong. The TV Movie is fantastic. As a backdoor pilot to a potential new television series, its absolutely awful. But as a standalone story, its magnificent. As a debut for a new Doctor? Not so much. The Master is tried in court (what?) on Skaro by the Daleks (what?) and it sentenced to death for crimes against the universe (pot calling kettle black from the Daleks I feel). Long story short, The Doctor lands in San Francisco, gets shot, and a nurse wrongly assumed her patient was human and acciently killed him with a camera, introducing Doctor Sexy MD, aka Paul McGann. The rest of the story is all the things I said earlier, with the Master brilliantly (if a tad OTT) played by Oscar nominated actor Eric Roberts, with motorbike chases, good special effects, lots of jelly babies and screw drivers, and the magnificence of Paul McGann. Despite the fact it makes absolutely no sense at all, in relation to both Doctor Who continuity and as a story, its still a jolly good romp. McGanns heroic, romantic flamboyance is so promising, later delivered by the good people at Big Finish audios, but is ultimately cut off before he even begins. The interior of the TARDIS has never looked better, the Time vortex has never looked better, and Doctor Who has never looked so darn good. Oh yeah I forgot also The Doctor snogs Grace three times, but thats not important is it Well yes it is. It allowed RTD to get away with romance, the reason the show didnt end after one year.
Massive Doctor Who fan, guitarist, chubby fella with a passion for long coats and heavy metal. Journalism graduate, and comedy fascist. Occasionally spotted in dark alleys dressed as The Undertaker. Tweet me.
