The Paul McGann Era - Final Thoughts

Harry -
How to sum up the Paul McGann era of Doctor Who? It's really two eras: the single appearance in the televised Movie, and then the years of BBC novels and Big Finish audios that followed. We've left out these aspects of other Doctors' eras for the most part, but they are almost the entirety of McGann's portrayal of the Doctor.


Sarah -
Once again, we bow our heads in thanks for the wonder that is Big Finish. They've extended the eras of all of the Doctors, but Paul McGann and Colin Baker are the Doctors who have most benefitted from Big Finish. Baker finally got some decent stories, without being encumbered by a clown costume, and Paul McGann got to be a real Doctor. Before listening to his Big Finish stories, I have to admit I considered the Eighth Doctor to be little more than a footnote. Big Finish (and Steven Moffat, but that's a story for another day) finally made McGann's Doctor canon for me.


Harry -
Having just watched the entirety of the televised McGann era, it begs the old question: was it short because it was unsuccessful, or was it unsuccessful because it was short?


Sarah -
It's kind of a chicken-and-egg conundrum, isn't it? In retrospect, the TV Movie is the hinge between the classic and contemporary eras of Doctor Who. I love all the callbacks -- the Fourth Doctor's scarf, finding his clothes in the hospital staff locker room just like the Third Doctor, the return of the sonic screwdriver, etc. -- but it's also mapping out a future for when Doctor Who returns, nine years hence.


Harry -
I remember there was so much uproar over things like The Kiss, and the Master's portrayal, and the half-human thing, and other supposed outrages. But the Movie introduced these things that the new series grabbed and ran with. Watching the Movie again, none of these things boiled my blood as they might have before.


Sarah -
The half-human thing has fortunately been dropped.


Harry -
One thing that still boils my blood is that silly wig they made McGann wear. Luckily, we can imagine that he got a haircut immediately after the events of the Movie.


Sarah -
That wig is the worst. Why would you put a stupid wig on an amazingly handsome actor? I like to think his first stop after leaving Grace was the closest barbershop.


Harry -
Agreed. The next time we see this Doctor, he's still got a shock of curls up top, but the flowing locks have been trimmed around the back and sides. A much better look.


Sarah -
A very good look, indeed!


Harry -
I've read a bunch of the earlier Eighth Doctor novels and what I like best about them is the freedom each author is given to explore the character. The template is so minimal that the Doctor could be whatever that writer wanted him to be. I don't have to be fussed with things like "hmm, that doesn't sound like him," or "that captures him perfectly,". In some books we end up with a generic, stock Doctor, but in others he's bursting with character.

McGann was able to put his own stamp on the Doctor via the Big Finish audios, and he's been great in those. Confident but calm, he seldom raises his voice, but he never hesitates to jump into action either. He's unencumbered by stock phrases or physical gimmicks. Would that be a postive or a negative?


Sarah -
I think of it as a change of pace. And, oh, that voice!


Harry -
As far as his televised era, there's not much else we haven't already covered in our review of the Movie. It's time to wade back into the wilderness years.


Sarah -
And this time, their end is just around the corner.


Harry -
Kudos to Steven Moffat for going back in time to wrap up the Eighth Doctor's era as part of the 50th anniversary festivities. We'll see Paul McGann again, in the future, back in the Doctor's past.


Sarah -
That was one of my favorite bits of the 50th. It just felt so right. I look forward to revisiting the Eighth Doctor in a few years. Until then, it's time for a little comic relief. 

Our marathon continues with the 1999 special, The Curse of Fatal Death...

Story #156: The Movie (1996)

Sarah -
Do you remember how you felt when you heard Doctor Who was coming back? I got the news from a friend and was cautiously optimistic.


Harry -
I was thrilled by the news. Even though it had only been a handful of years, it felt like a lifetime had passed between eras. I was stoked for more!


Sarah -
I wasn't able to watch the movie the night it aired, so I set my VCR (It was 1996, kiddos!) to record it and watched it the next night.


Harry -
"The Movie" had a curious broadcast schedule. Being a joint US-UK production, FOX aired it in America two weeks before viewers across the pond got to see it. Canadians actually got to see it first, a couple of days before the FOX broadcast.


Sarah -
I recall sitting down with Mr. Smith, simply hoping that it would be good. It didn't have to be great, I just didn't want to be disappointed. 

Spoiler Alert: I was disappointed.


Harry -
The one thing that leapt out immediately was the difference in production values. These were the peak years for The X-Files, and "The Movie" was steeped in the same look and feel. Both shows were filmed in Vancouver.


Sarah -
It definitely has an X-Files vibe. Rewatching, I found myself thinking that Daphne Ashbrook could have been cast as Dana Scully's sister, their looks were so alike.


Harry -
After a quick prelude filled with references to Skaro and the Master, the story opens in the TARDIS console room. And it's gorgeous! This console room is what I've patterned my home after. Comfy chairs, bookcases, music and snacky treats. It's all there and I love it. Best console room ever? I'd argue yes.


Sarah -
The console room is amazing! I remember my shock and delight when I saw it the first time and it still stands out as one of the highlights of the movie. It's a perfect fit for the Seventh Doctor. Your home is a delightful homage to this comfy console room.


Harry -
Having been executed by the Daleks after who-knows-what-kind-of-attempted-coalition, the Master's remains are being transported back to Gallifrey by the Doctor. It was a request that should never have been granted!


Sarah -
In retrospect, I have to question the continuity dump that opens the film. I know it's there for geeks like us, but I can't imagine it making any sense to a new viewer. If the plan was to use this movie to relaunch the series, I don't think this was the way to start.


Harry -
A lot of present-day shows go to the other extreme, by telling us nothing at the start. It's not all that frustrating though, because we now get to binge watch entire seasons in one go and the pieces fall in place in short order. Here, they just crammed in too much in the opening minutes. Fans knew they were watching Doctor Who, and they didn't need to be soaked with continuity. Lesson learned by RTD!


Sarah -
There are so many lessons RTD clearly learned from "The Movie", but that's a discussion for later.


Harry -
Sylvester McCoy's Doctor returns at the start of the story. He's relaxing with a good book as, out of view, the Master breaks out of his funereal urn having been transformed into slimy ooze. Soon enough, he wreaks havoc on the TARDIS controls, forcing an emergency landing on Earth, San Francisco, 1999.


Sarah -
Syl! I know we just watched Survival a couple weeks ago, but I was already feeling nostalgic, which is exactly how I felt in 1996.


Harry -
His longer hair looked odd, but clearly a sign that he was mellowing in his later years. Speaking of length, one of the things that always struck me about this story -- watching it for the first time in 1996, watching it again on VHS in the 00s, and again now -- was how long Sylvester's Doctor was in the story.


Sarah -
It's amazing that the entire broadcast history of Paul McGann's Doctor is just over an hour long.


Harry -
True. After the emergency landing, the Seventh Doctor emerges from the TARDIS and gets shot by gangsters. He gets rushed to emergency, where he succumbs on the operating table. It's 16 minutes into the story but it feels so long every time.

It's also extremely horrible watching the Doctor die. He fights so hard, I almost teared up.


Sarah -
It's just awful. He's trying to tell the medical workers -- who think his two hearts are a double exposure on the x-ray -- that he's not human, but Dr Grace Holloway manages to kill him while trying to save his life. Oops. 

So, Grace. I tried really hard to like her more this time, but I don't find the character interesting or engaging. Her introduction irritated me -- another doctor referring to her as "Amazing Grace," Grace crying at the opera and running slow-mo through the hospital in her opera gown. It just didn't work for me.


Harry -
The opera scene, the frustrated boyfriend, the running in the gown, all forgettable moments. Once she got into surgery, the thing that sticks out most about Dr. Holloway's character is that she's not very "doctory". I don't mean that in a Gallifreyan sense, but that she's not all that convincing as a surgeon. A little more ice in the veins should have been projected.


Sarah -
I was never sold on Grace as a brilliant heart surgeon. I am always predisposed to like strong female characters, but Grace was like a cardboard cutout of the token "strong female character. It's a real lost opportunity.


Harry -
Anyway, it all goes horribly wrong and John Smith's body is wheeled away to the morgue. Sylvester gets to make some funny faces one more time as the regeneration kicks in, and then... hello Paul McGann!


Sarah -
After the most gruesome Doctor "death," this has to be the smoothest regeneration ever.


Harry -
It's an impressive regeneration thanks to the CGI work.


Sarah -
Doctor Who with a budget -- anything is possible!


Harry -
It was bizarre how the Doctor stumbled into a room full of mirrors right after that. Does every hospital have a room of mirrors? Can't recall ever seeing one.


Sarah -
OMG, that scene killed me -- a room of not only mirrors, but dripping water and discarded furniture! Where the hell is this hospital? Dickensian England?


Harry -
Synchronizing the regeneration with Frankenstein playing on a TV was a bit clunky.


Sarah -
I agree on the Frankenstein clips, but the morgue scenes were otherwise memorable. I really enjoyed Will Sasso's performance as Pete the morgue attendant. I wouldn't want Pete to be my co-worker, but Sasso makes the most of his brief appearance. 

The morgue also turns out to be the source of the Doctor's new wardrobe. Turns out he died on December 30 and the hospital workers are planning a costume New Year's Eve party the following night. After wandering around a bit in the sheet, the Doctor stumbles into the locker room and finds Pete's co-worker's Wild Bill Hickock costume. My favorite thing about this scene is the fact that someone at the hospital seems to be planning to attend the party dressed as Tom Baker's Doctor!


Harry -
I liked the cameos by both Sasso and the scarf.

It made more sense to synchronize the Frankenstein clips with the rebirth of the Master. They really upped the creepiness of the Master's efforts. The oozing slime becomes snakelike and invades the ambulance driver's body as he sleeps. The Master is good at this sort of thing, having previously stolen the body of Tremas on Traken. Not sure about the glowing green eyes, other than "glowing green eyes look creepier".


Sarah -
The glowing eyes are an odd choice, but it's the Master, so we'll just wave our hands and bit and move along. My memory of Eric Roberts' performance as the Master wasn't good, but I found myself really enjoying his over-the-top stylings this time.


Harry -
I recall Roberts getting rapped for his over-the-top performance ("I always DREZZ for the occasion."), but it's now just one of many such performances thanks to John Simm and Michelle Gomez. In fact, this Master seemed almost subdued compared to subsequent incarnations ("Bananas!").


Sarah -
The Master's bonkers level has definitely been recalibrated in recent years.


Harry -
Now that we've got our new Doctor, Master and companions for both, the adventure proper can begin. Boy was it wobbly. The Master feels that his newly stolen body won't last long, so he wants to steal the Doctor's remaining lives. He somehow sneaks into the TARDIS and recruits Chang Lee to help him open the Eye of Harmony, which is now inside the TARDIS. Er... okay.

The Doctor, meanwhile, has amnesia but latched onto Dr. Holloway and she decided to bring him home. Er... okay.


Sarah -
I did laugh when they enter the house to discover Grace's boyfriend has moved out -- and taken the sofa with him! And yet, somehow, he managed to leave his perfectly sized shoes behind for the Doctor.


Harry -
The Master uses Chang to open the Eye and locate the Doctor. At that moment, the Doctor's memory returns and he celebrates by smooching Grace. Two weeks later, somewhere in England, Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts will die many silent deaths watching all of this.


Sarah -
You've heard the story of them walking out of the screening? If we were disappointed, imagine how they must have felt. 

How did you feel about "THE KISS"? At the time, I was all bent out of shape. This time, it felt celebratory and not smoochy-woochy. Maybe my tolerance, like the Master's crazy, has been reset by the current series, but it didn't bother me too much.


Harry -
The new series has made most of the things that were controversial in The Movie into no big deal anymore. The Master, the kiss, the Doctor's bullshitting ("I'm half human on my mother's side."), watching it now barely got a response out of me.

And yes, I've assigned the "half human" remark to the folder "This Was the Doctor Bullshitting Someone".


Sarah -
Oh yeah, complete bullshit. I thought that Grace misinterpreted the kiss and would eventually be disappointed to find out the Doctor had no romantic interest in her.


Harry -
Grace didn't seem all that interested in sticking with the Doctor at the end anyway.


Sarah -
Probably for the best, really. What did you think of Chang Lee?


Harry -
He stumbled into the Doctor's world, became a patsy for the Master, and was ultimately a non-entity. A stock "helper" character with no development. Yee Jee Tso has forged a career playing bit parts in TV and film, and he has been in a handful of Big Finish audios, including Excelis Decays. I don't recall being wowed by his performance.


Sarah -
I would have been more interested to see him join the Doctor in the TARDIS than Grace. His character was sort of an Adric-Turlough hybrid.


Harry -
In the worlds of Doctor Who novels and audios, the Eighth Doctor will pick up many different companions. I'm not sure if Grace was intended to be a continuing companion of the Doctor's or not.

In The Movie, she ably assists the Doctor as he races to get to an atomic clock, which contains a piece that will help close the Eye of Harmony, which for reasons unexplained is warping the fabric of time and will destroy the Earth at the stroke of midnight on December 31st. Er... okay.


Sarah -
The Eye of Harmony scene is definitely my favorite part of the movie. It's all so wonderfully camp -- the Master parading around in his robes, Grace trying to sort out what to do, Chang Lee in the Master's thrall, and the Doctor trussed up in some serious bondage gear. I don't know what the hell was going on here, but I loved the insanity of it all.


Harry -
For the Master, it ends predictably. How many times have we seen him totally obliviated?


Sarah -
I've lost count.


Harry -
And there's the Doctor, going back in time to save the lives of Grace and Chang -- WHEN HE REFUSED TO DO THE SAME THING FOR ADRIC.


Sarah -
WTF, Doctor?


Harry -
I will say one thing I liked about this story: the whole thing takes place at night, and I love Doctor Who stories that take place at night.


Sarah -
As weak at the script may be, Geoffrey Sax's direction is solid.


Harry -
After all that, the Doctor returns to the TARDIS and takes off alone. The show has been relaunched and a universe of new adventures awaits. 

Or so we thought! We can save our discussion of what happened next for our entry on the Paul McGann era. For now, I'm ready to wrap this one up.

Best Line: 
Grace: "I'm not a child. Don't treat me like I'm a child, only children believe that crap. I am a doctor." 
The Doctor: "But it was a childish dream that made you a doctor."

Favourite Moment: the Master camping it up during the Eye of Harmony scene.

Lasting Image: the new TARDIS interior.

6/10


Sarah -
Best Line: "I always dress for the occasion."

Favorite Moment: Camp Master 4 Life!

Lasting Image: The Doctor in the Master's wacky bondage gear. It looked even less comfortable than Adric in "Castrovalva". 

5/10

 



Next, we continue wandering the wilderness years with "The Curse of Fatal Death"...