Big Finish Multi-Doctor 50th Anny Announcement

[VDCNI]

Also coming from Big Finish for the 50th a Main Range trilogy with stories for the 5th, 6th & 7th Doctor's - all set in 1963 and the 7th Doctor will be meeting the Rememberance Of The Daleks supporting cast (who got their own Big Finish spin off last year - Counter Measures)

Plus a Companion Chronicles trilogy featuring Terry Malloy as a time lord called Stoyn. Part one is a First Doctor & Susan story showing their first ever journey in the TARDIS. The second has the Second Doctor, Jamie & Zoe in a story linked to The War Games and the third is a 4th Doctor & Romana story which was originally supposed to feature both Romana's but Mary Tamm was too ill to record it, they've rewritten it to make it a tribute to her but it's not clear who will be in it.

[Emh]

^I just read all of those news items over at GallifreyBase, and while I'm a bit overwhelmed with all of the great news all at once, I'm also very excited!

ToddCam wrote:

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Oy, this overwhelming disdain for recasting dead actors... I really wish people would just let it go. For the 60th anniversary, we may not have Tom Baker anymore, and who knows who else will be gone, especially companion-wise (William Russell is quite the older fellow). Don't get me wrong, as I am in no way trying to limit the life of any of these fine actors, but I think limiting our ability to have earlier Doctor stories based on the lifespans of the actors who played them is kind of shooting yourself in the foot. Why can't it just be done respectfully? When Carole Ann Ford, William Russell, Maureen O'Brien, Peter Purves, Jean Marsh, and Anneke Wills are gone, is the First Doctor closed off forever? Are people really that offended by Richard Hurndall? I almost understand the view for TV, for surely the audio medium should give you a little leeway...

As this is a Star Trek board, I am reminded of DeForest Kelley and James Doohan. I know it's not a direct analogy given the nature of the Doctor (though not the Companions), but should we not be able to have Bones and Scotty stories because those great men have passed on?

I'm not saying I'm against it in this format, but I am saying I don't think it'll happen for the reasons I stated.

[Pindar]

Emh wrote:

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I very much doubt that. David Troughton and Sean Pertwee have repeatedly said they won't portray their fathers' characters.

David Troughton did the audio book of Wheel of Ice where he does an excellent turn as the second doctor.

[Allyn Gibson]

Pindar wrote:

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David Troughton did the audio book of Wheel of Ice where he does an excellent turn as the second doctor.

He also said in a Doctor Who Magazine about one of the Tom Baker audio projects that he doesn't object to playing the second Doctor and that no one had ever asked him before.

[Mr Awe]

ToddCam wrote:

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For the 60th anniversary, we may not have Tom Baker anymore, and who knows who else will be gone, especially companion-wise (William Russell is quite the older fellow).

I'm not so sure about recasting the role. But, agree with your point about actors passing on. It's inevitable. And, it was that short term thinking that prevented Nicholas Courtney from appearing in the new series. That's terrible! Yeah, I know that he was on the SJA, but it's not the same.

We should bring back the surviving actors for the TV series while they're still with us. Once they're gone, they're gone. That's assuming, of course, that they want to come back. If not, entirely different matter.

Mr Awe

[Relayer1]

I'm all for recasting if for whatever reason the original actor is unavailable. David Trough ton and Sean Pertwee would be ideal if they would agree to do it, not only because of the family connections and similar voices, but they would also look enough like their parents to do it on the TV.

Sadly Tom will probably be the next to go. Who would you recast - Jon Culshaw ?

[Steve Mollmann]

I don't understand the appeal of recasting. I like the first Doctor because I like William Hartnell, not a pale imitation of him. Jon Culshaw does a good enough imitation of Tom Baker for comedic purposes, but I like Tom Baker as the Doctor, not him.

[Emh]

Allyn Gibson wrote:

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He also said in a Doctor Who Magazine about one of the Tom Baker audio projects that he doesn't object to playing the second Doctor and that no one had ever asked him before.

I stand corrected. I could have sworn I read somewhere that David Troughton didn't want to portray his father's role.

That being said, I know I've seen such interviews with Sean Pertwee.

[Allyn Gibson]

Emh wrote:

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I stand corrected. I could have sworn I read somewhere that David Troughton didn't want to portray his father's role.

It's always been reported as such.

It was even said back in the early-90s that he was uncomfortable with the news that he was going to be "cast" as the eighth Doctor when Virgin planned to regenerate the seventh Doctor in the NAs. Then it was said that he posed for publicity photos for Virgin, but then it turned out that the supposed photos were from A Very Peculiar Practice and he wasn't aware that Virgin had planned for him to be the "model" for the eighth Doctor.

From all indications, however, he's enjoyed portraying the second Doctor on audio.

Emh wrote:

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That being said, I know I've seen such interviews with Sean Pertwee.

What I've heard is that Sean Pertwee would like to portray the Doctor, but not the third Doctor.

To me, he doesn't sound much like his father.

[The Wormhole]

ToddCam wrote:

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I almost understand the view for TV, for surely the audio medium should give you a little leeway...

Maybe at some point re-casting of characters played by dead actors might happen in the audios, but an audio drama celebrating the 50th anniversary (or any anniversary) doesn't really seem like the most appropriate place to start.

As this is a Star Trek board, I am reminded of DeForest Kelley and James Doohan. I know it's not a direct analogy given the nature of the Doctor (though not the Companions), but should we not be able to have Bones and Scotty stories because those great men have passed on?

That doesn't really compare, aside from Trek XI there hasn't been anything on screen featuring those characters since the early 1990s. Star Trek doesn't have audio dramas so using characters whose actor has died isn't really an issue. Aside from TV and movies, the only other medium Trek has are the novels. And Doctor Who does do novels featuring such characters. We recentally had a new novel featuring the Second Doctor and there's another one coming featuring the Third Doctor, the Brigadier, and the Delgado Master.

[ToddCam]

Well I did say it wasn't the best analogy. Would you be ok with a recast first Doctor in a reboot of the universe?

Steve, if you only like the Doctor for the actor who portrays him, doesn't that mean that you would disdain a novel with the character in it? Because the writer is trying to do an imitation of the character, trying to capture the mannerisms and voice ( a good writer, anyway).

[Rarewolf]

Pindar wrote:

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David Troughton did the audio book of Wheel of Ice where he does an excellent turn as the second doctor.

Some people hear it, some don't

I'm among the later.

I've got every Big Finish Doctor Who to date, but I'd draw the line at recast regulars.

[StCoop]

Rarewolf wrote:

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I've got every Big Finish Doctor Who to date, but I'd draw the line at recast regulars.

That's like saying only one person can play James Bond or Sherlock Holmes.

Or Captain Kirk.

[Sindatur]

Rarewolf wrote:

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Some people hear it, some don't

I'm among the later.

I've got every Big Finish Doctor Who to date, but I'd draw the line at recast regulars.

IMHO, The Guy who does The First Doctor Unbound, Geoffrey Bayldon(?) does a fantastic job.

[Emh]

Sindatur wrote:

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IMHO, The Guy who does The First Doctor Unbound, Geoffrey Bayldon(?) does a fantastic job.

Fun fact: Bayldon turned the role of both The First and Second Doctors.