The Seventh Doctor: The TV Movie
Another emotionless regeneration for a great Doctor (he has some brilliant moments in his final two series) but at least the Seventh Doctor goes out with a bang. When the first attempt to resurrect Doctor Who appeared on our screens, a big budget Americanised Doctor Who, the producers had the good fortune of enticing Sylvester McCoy back to the role, to link the TV movie to the series that came before it. And he was as brilliant as before. A lot older (you get the feeling that the Seventh Doctor has many, many years of adventures between
Survival and this). But its a shameful way to go. Stepping out of the Tardis, he is gunned down by a San Francisco street gang. Critically injured, he is rushed to hospital and receives open-heart surgery by new companion (for one outing anyway) Grace Holloway. The trouble is, not realizing hes an alien with two hearts she kills the Doctor instead. Its a tragic affair that might have been avoided had he been travelling with a companion at the time. What follows is a rather cool regeneration however. Cue lightning effects and a decent budget as the Seventh Doctor transforms into the Eighth, complete with rather creepy, warping face that would have made Vigo from Ghostbusters II proud. Its not emotional. It doesnt have the shock value (we knew Paul McGann was playing the Doctor so the appearance of the Seventh signaled his regeneration), but it was still rather cool. No wonder they felt the need to up the effects budget with Nu Who. BTW, slightly adjacent point. Paul McGanns Eighth Doctor was brilliant even if the story was fun but not very Who at all.
Please let him make another appearance soon! Even if its so we can see his regeneration Ranking: 8th Shock Value: 2 Epic Scale: 3 Emotional trauma: 1