“He’s back… and it’s about time.” That was the tagline for the Doctor Who TV movie back in 1996, created by Philip Segal and introducing Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. The BBC had canceled Doctor Who back in 1989, but Segal hoped to relaunch the show on American networks. It didn’t pay off; the viewership sadly wasn’t there at the time, and he didn’t quite get the formula right, with Russell T. Davies finally succeeding where Segal had failed. But the TV movie is still an important part of Doctor Who‘s heritage, a reminder that the world’s longest-running sci-fi TV show has always been loved.
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The TV movie picked up where the classic series left off, with Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor forced into an untimely regeneration. Now, 20 years later, McCoy himself has officially announced an anniversary edition restored to full 4K Ultra High Definition after meticulous re-scanning of the original film prints. Think of it as the Doctor Who version of the Star Wars Special Editions.
The Doctor Who TV Movie Has a Bigger Legacy Than You Think
The Doctor Who TV movie may not have fulfilled its goal, but it had a massive impact on the franchise – even to the present day. In the short term, it led to a revival of Doctor Who publishing in the so-called “Eighth Doctor Adventures,” which introduced iconic plots such as a Time War that destroyed Gallifrey (yes, you read that right; there is truly nothing new under the sun). McGann’s Doctor was seen as a love interest, even sharing a kiss with his companion in the movie, and setting a precedent for so many modern Doctor Who adventures.
The modern revival took something of a “softly-softly” approach to continuity at first, and McGann wasn’t even confirmed to be a canon Doctor until the 2010 episode “The Eleventh Hour.” This featured a scene in which Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor watched holographic images of past Doctors, including McGann, leaving Whovians delighted. Three years later, McGann himself returned in a short called “The Night of the Doctor.” This served to give him an all-important Doctor Who regeneration scene, part of the show’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Doctor Who TV movie is now looked on fondly as something of a “road not traveled,” one that nevertheless served a purpose by pointing the way to future revivals. It’s absolutely thrilling to see the franchise honor Segal’s TV movie once again, celebrating the 20th anniversary in style. Truly, Doctor Who is back – and it’s about time.
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Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme -
Image courtesy of Tor Books/Macmillan -
A photo of the Retrovolt Arcade taken in 2017, showing several classic arcade cabinets and stools. -
Courtesy of TOHO Animation
