The year is 1996, and Doctor Who has been off the air since 1989. The BBC has no interest in launching a new series, as the ratings had dropped so low in the final year of new episodes. Plans had been on the drawing board off-and-on for renewing the character. A movie was in the works for a while, and the contract had finally lapsed. A UK-born, American movie and television producer has been courting the BBC to get a chance to create a new series since the series went off the air. The producer, Philip Segal, gets his chance to start production of the backdoor pilot after years of troubles in Hollywood. The movie keeps in the timeline with the old series and adds to the story by creating a new Eighth Doctor, but by sticking with the story the movie could have confused the new viewers. The Doctor Who – The Movie failed in the US due to a poor choice of timeslot for airing, being aired against some of the higher rated programs of the era such as the series finale of Rosanne. This was the lost first chance for a new series of Doctor Who and now it is available for you to own on DVD!
Doctor Who: The Movie stars Paul McGann (Withnail & I, Alien 3) as The Eighth Doctor, and Eric Roberts (The Specialist, The Dark Knight) as The Master. The movie starts with the Doctor telling of the trial and execution of the Master by the daleks, and the subsequent retrieval of his remains by the Doctor for return to their homeworld of Gallifrey. On the way, The Master escapes from his “casket” and causes the TARDIS to crash land in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve, 1999. The doctor exits the TARDIS, and gets shot by a gang member, and taken to a hospital for emergency surgery. It is here where the seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) regenerates into the eighth Doctor. The master, in a snake-like form escapes in the coat of the EMT that took the Doctor to the hospital, and enters into the body of the EMT, Bruce (Eric Roberts). The Master, now in the body of Bruce, goes to hunt down the doctor and steal his remaining five lives. The Doctor escapes from the hospital with the cardiologist that accidentally killed him, and meets up with the guy who went with the Doctor to the hospital in the TARDIS, and convinces him to help him. It is at this point where the doctor finds out where to get the piece that he needs to fix the TARDIS, and the chase is on.
As with any regeneration of the Doctor, along with a new face, a new outfit has to be designed. With this new Doctor a new Master was also introduced. The Master starts out as an EMT names Bruce. Bruce wears his normal EMT uniform. After the Master possesses Bruce’s body the outfit adds a leather (or vinyl) ankle length trench coat and a pair of dark aviator sunglasses. The outfit then changes to one last permutation, Time Lord Ceremonial Robes. The robes are similar what would have been worn on Gallifrey during the fourth Doctor’s tenure, or even during the recent David Tennant episode, “The End of Time.” The Doctor’s look is actually reminiscent of many of the previous incarnations of the Doctor. The outfit is a stolen Wild Bill costume which is made up of a black velvet frock coat, a silver western vest with a shawl collar, a white French cuffed shirt, a grey cravat, light grey fitted California pants, and modern thick soled dress shoes with suspenders of unknown design. It is most immediately recognizable as being reminiscent of the first Doctor’s outfit. The hairstyle is a nod to the fourth Doctor’s hair. It actually seems that the outfit is more of a direct nod to the fourth Doctor’s outfit, as the hair is long and curly, they are both made up of similar components, and there is one scene in Grace’s car that has the cravat open in a scarf like fashion. The eighth Doctor is dressed in a manner similar to Doctors five and six, wearing a long coat and vest. Most Doctors dressed in a semi-Victorian fashion throughout the series, and the Eighth Doctor is no exception.
Special Features:
Disc One-
-Two audio commentaries, one with the director, Geoffrey Sax, and another with the seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy, and the eighth Doctor, Paul McGann, moderated by Nichols Briggs.
-An Isolated Music Score.
-The four songs that are used in the movie: “In A Dream,” a jazzy selection listened to by the Doctor while reading The Time Machine. “Ride Into The Moonlight,” a rock selection from the episode. “All Dressed Up,” a country song played over the radio in the hospital’s morgue. “Auld Lang Syne,” the traditional New Years celebration song.
-“The Seven Year Itch” is an hour-long feature that tells the story of how the TV movie eventually became a reality.
-“The Doctor’s Strange Love” three fans discussing their love for the TV movie.
PDF materials, downloadable documents of Radio Times Listings.
Disc Two-
-The original behind the scenes promotional clip.
“Philip Segal’s Tour of the TARDIS” a tour of the TARDIS personally guided by the producer.
This is one of the Holy Grails of releases for the pantheon of Doctor Who episodes. This movie had one airing in the US, and was subsequently hidden away. In the UK it was, for the most part, Doctor Who as usual. The eighth Doctor appeared in comics, audio plays, and books. This episode is the only true outing of this Doctor, as the Fox network didn’t pick it up. The entire personality is fleshed out in the entire movie. This is the best introduction of a doctor to date. Every fan of Doctor Who should rush out and purchase a copy of this one, as it is the beginning of the new ways that are woven throughout the new series. This is the legendary eighth Doctor who fought the time war. This is his beginning, and every fan of the series should watch this one to learn who this man was. With very strong writing, and high production values, this shows what America could do with the property, and how we could update it while sticking to the original property, as this wasn’t Hollywood’s first time at that rodeo. So go out, get this one of a kind Doctor Who adventure, and experience the Lost Doctor.
ComicsOnline gives Doctor Who: The Movie – Special Edition 5 regenerations out of 5.
