Doctor Who and the Star Trek franchise model...

[Volpone]

Star Trek just kind of accidentally stumbled into a great model for running a science fiction franchise. After the TV series got canceled by the network (well, a decade after) the success of "Star Wars" turned a series relaunch into a film franchise. Concurrent to that, Paramount rolled out a syndicated series with a new cast.

In a perfect world, the TNG movies would have taken off and Picard, et al, would have had 5 or 6 highly profitable film adventures while Janeway, et al, slogged along on the small screen. Then Archer, et al, would take over the TV while Voyager had big budget adventures on the silver screen. That didn't happen, of course, because someone involved with the production was retarded (which is another thread for another time) but it was a neat idea.

And if the studio monkeys at MGM had been smarter, that would have been the model for Stargate too. At the end of Season 5 (or 6, or n), SG1 would have moved to the big screen and they'd have started a new TV series with a fresh (and much cheaper and younger) cast. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Which (FINALLY) gets me to Doctor Who. Yes, they did the horrible and odd Peter Cushing movie. But in a perfect world, the BBC would have a film arm and before each Doctor regenerated, he would have an adventure with no companion, leaving the door open for a series of big budget movie adventures set in that time frame.

 

[NightJim]

Both RTD and Moffat have been very clever with Tennant and Smith, and already built in a lot of wriggle room for new adventures. I'm going to guess it comes from coming up during the Wilderness Years and struggling to find space for extra 5 adventures etc.

Capaldi already has a bit built in too. The amount of time he just went off and had adventures without Clara gives writers free reign. Even with her, since we had those montages of adventures we didn't need for the series storyline.

The odd film would be nice. But 8 first please.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

But 8 first please.

That will never happen. Aside from the hardcore fans, people don't won't know or care about a one-off Doctor who was in a TV film nearly 20 years ago (no pun intended). Yes, he's been very popular and successful with Big Finish but that's only because of the hardcore fans. Yes, he returned briefly in Night of the Doctor, but that was merely fan service.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have more live-action adventures with Paul McGann, but if a theatrical film ever happened, it would be either David Tennant or the current Doctor.

 

[Doctorwhovian]

Apart from the Cushing films and showing Day of the Doctor, Deep Breath and the Cybermen 2-parter screenings, Doctor Who's almost been on the big screen a few times in it's long history.

Tom Baker worked with Ian Marter (Who played Harry Sullivan and also a writer) on a possible Fourth Doctor movie, Doctor Who meets Scratchmen. The film would've been in continuity and in at least one draft would have the original companion team of Harry and Sarah.


In the late 80s and early 90s a film was proposed when things started to go bad for the show. Spielberg's production company almost made a Doctor Who film as well-the one with the Spider Daleks I think (of which concept art exists). Spielberg is a fan of the show I think although he doesn't make a big deal about it as much as Peter Jackson does.


Finally there was the proposed David Yates (Harry Potter director) film mentioned a few years ago, which Moffat and many fans were not happy about, and I think that project was halted.

 

[DWF]

Truthfully I don't see the need for a movie series to run concurrently with the TV series. The nice thing about the TOS Star Trek movies was that we caught up with the crew every couple years and had a nice adventure with them and I could see that happening after Doctor Who has left the air but not while the show is on the air.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Spielberg's production company Amblin was involved with the FOX movie. The Spider-Daleks come from one of the early "origin of the Doctor" drafts.

Leonard Nimoy was attached to direct a film circa 1993. That had a script that Denny Martin Flinn wrote with Pierce Brosnan in mind, though I believe the producers had decided upon Alan Rickman.

 

[DWF]

Segal left Amblin for Lakeshore and Speilberg let him take the Doctor Who movie with him.

Meanwhile, in July Doctor Who had lost a key personnel member when Peter Wagg elected to leave the project to return to his family in London. Nonetheless, Wagg offered to keep in touch with Segal and lend a hand -- albeit remotely -- whenever he could. It was also around this time that Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier's advisory role ended. The relationship between Segal and the Lofficiers would subsequently sour when much of the production material Segal had given them was transformed into a book, The Nth Doctor, released by Virgin Publishing in 1996. Then, in September, Segal found yet another producer being added to the project. This time it was Universal who wanted a representative in the production office, in the form of Alex Beaton. Later that month, Segal left Amblin for Lakeshore Television (which was under the aegis of Paramount Pictures). Spielberg allowed Segal to take Doctor Who with him, and Segal elected to work on the project directly through Beaton and Universal, essentially meaning there was one less cook in the kitchen.

 

[Doctorwhovian]

I think Hammer actress/Bond girl Caroline Munro was considered as a companion for one of the productions (Possibly the Baker one).

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

From the "25 Glorious Years" book, it was supposed to be Sylvester McCoy in that movie with Munro. In a world BEFORE the Doctor was a sex icon. Weird.

Mark

 

[NightJim]

But 8 first please.

That will never happen. Aside from the hardcore fans, people don't won't know or care about a one-off Doctor who was in a TV film nearly 20 years ago (no pun intended). Yes, he's been very popular and successful with Big Finish but that's only because of the hardcore fans. Yes, he returned briefly in Night of the Doctor, but that was merely fan service.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have more live-action adventures with Paul McGann, but if a theatrical film ever happened, it would be either David Tennant or the current Doctor.

Oh I know in reality it won't. But dream project it would be there.

In a slightly more realistic take, I think they'd maybe want to avoid the current Doctor, and not wanting to go further forward to tie themselves down, previous Doctors would be the way to go. A Smith jaunt when he was away from the Ponds. Tennant during his alone years. McGann could easily fit there, and a lot more likely than Eccleston would be to do it.

 

[diankra]

Caroline Munro was initially in the 1970s film proposal because.. well, she was the lead female in most 1970s British SF films. By the late 1980s, she was in the film proposal for sort-of the same reason, but also because she was married to one of the producers by then.
McCoy was only ever 'in' it when the BBC was insisting that the current Doctor had to be in the film. That rule came and went as the onscreen Doctors - and the onscreen series - came and went.

 

[Captaindemotion]

But 8 first please.

That will never happen. Aside from the hardcore fans, people don't won't know or care about a one-off Doctor who was in a TV film nearly 20 years ago (no pun intended). Yes, he's been very popular and successful with Big Finish but that's only because of the hardcore fans. Yes, he returned briefly in Night of the Doctor, but that was merely fan service.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have more live-action adventures with Paul McGann, but if a theatrical film ever happened, it would be either David Tennant or the current Doctor.

Oh I know in reality it won't. But dream project it would be there.

In a slightly more realistic take, I think they'd maybe want to avoid the current Doctor, and not wanting to go further forward to tie themselves down, previous Doctors would be the way to go. A Smith jaunt when he was away from the Ponds. Tennant during his alone years. McGann could easily fit there, and a lot more likely than Eccleston would be to do it.

I can't see what logic it would make for them to use a previous Doctor. It's not like Tennant has become a major movie box office draw since leaving the show. As I understand it, the show was even more successful in America under Matt than him (I'm subject to correction though) so it's not like he'd pull in viewers that Capaldi wouldn't. What would the advantage be to using a previous actor? Wouldn't they want to publicise the show as it currently stands?

I think if they were to make a film, they'd use the incumbent. If they were to cast anyone else, it's possible that they'd make a standalone film out of continuity, using some major Brit actor as a sort of generic The Doctor. Colin Firth, Ralph Fiennes or someone who can put bums on seats. Much like the proposed David Yates film. But I don't really see that happening.

 

[NightJim]

It's a lot of conjecture on my part, admittedly but basically with production scheduling and cast etc, you couldn't really have a full season and the production of a movie all at once. Which means either it's the only Who release that year or another season of specials like Tennants last year. The final one makes the movie less special as there's a few other movies out, just this one is in the cinema.

From a BBC schedule side, taking the approach they'd not want to lose a season, the other option is to go for a different Doctor. While you're right Tennant or Smith don't have any major box office draw, you do get the draw of an outing from a previous Doctor.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^No worries, we can only conjecture in a discussion like this. Mine is that I think if they were to make a cinematic film, they'd probably skip a TV season for a year on the basis that people may not want to go out and pay money to see something that they can see for free at home on TV. Whet the appetite by creating demand or whatever.

I think by bringing back a previous actor for something other than a multi-Doctor story or a Night of the Doctor-style mini episode, they'd run the risk of alienating the current star. It would be somewhat undermining for him.

 

[NightJim]

Very good point. I'd not thought of actor ego. Then again you could sell it as the Star Trek model to current. Once you finish as the regular you can do a movie every few years. No denying that nose's might get bent out of shape to start with though

 

[The Wormhole]

Star Trek just kind of accidentally stumbled into a great model for running a science fiction franchise. After the TV series got canceled by the network (well, a decade after) the success of "Star Wars" turned a series relaunch into a film franchise. Concurrent to that, Paramount rolled out a syndicated series with a new cast.

In a perfect world, the TNG movies would have taken off and Picard, et al, would have had 5 or 6 highly profitable film adventures while Janeway, et al, slogged along on the small screen. Then Archer, et al, would take over the TV while Voyager had big budget adventures on the silver screen. That didn't happen, of course, because someone involved with the production was retarded (which is another thread for another time) but it was a neat idea.

And if the studio monkeys at MGM had been smarter, that would have been the model for Stargate too. At the end of Season 5 (or 6, or n), SG1 would have moved to the big screen and they'd have started a new TV series with a fresh (and much cheaper and younger) cast. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Which (FINALLY) gets me to Doctor Who. Yes, they did the horrible and odd Peter Cushing movie. But in a perfect world, the BBC would have a film arm and before each Doctor regenerated, he would have an adventure with no companion, leaving the door open for a series of big budget movie adventures set in that time frame.

Honestly, the fact that Star Trek had movies and TV shows running concurrently was a factor in the oversaturation of the franchise of the 90s and why we are now only getting watered-down Abrams filth every four years. And to be honest, I don't imagine Stargate having much better luck if they had moved SG-1 onto theatrical movies.

So, no, I don't see any reason why we should have or even would need regular Doctor Who movies, especially one which is just "here's the previous Doctor on an unseen adventure." Bit of a disservice to the current Doctor, really.

 

[Doctorwhovian]

I think that's part of the reason Tom didn't do The Five Doctors-he had just left anyway and didn't want to overshadow Davison.


Although, once the series was cancelled Tom did become more open to returning to the franchise, doing "Dimensions In Time" (and I think he was going to be in a big part in the cancelled Dark Dimension) some ads in character as the Fourth (Although lacking the curly hair due to age) although he didn't really return to the role until recently, in audios and of course "Day of the Doctor".

 

[Mr Awe]

It's a lot of conjecture on my part, admittedly but basically with production scheduling and cast etc, you couldn't really have a full season and the production of a movie all at once. Which means either it's the only Who release that year or another season of specials like Tennants last year. The final one makes the movie less special as there's a few other movies out, just this one is in the cinema.

From a BBC schedule side, taking the approach they'd not want to lose a season, the other option is to go for a different Doctor. While you're right Tennant or Smith don't have any major box office draw, you do get the draw of an outing from a previous Doctor.

Scheduling doesn't have to be a problem. I'm not sure how long it takes to produce an entire season but it's less than a year for sure. Produce the season and then produce the movie right after that.

However, I'm not one pushing for a movie. If there were to be one, I'd like it to show the first Doctor in the adventure that led to him leaving Gallifrey with Susan!

Mr Awe

 

[DWF]

I think that's part of the reason Tom didn't do The Five Doctors-he had just left anyway and didn't want to overshadow Davison.


Although, once the series was cancelled Tom did become more open to returning to the franchise, doing "Dimensions In Time" (and I think he was going to be in a big part in the cancelled Dark Dimension) some ads in character as the Fourth (Although lacking the curly hair due to age) although he didn't really return to the role until recently, in audios and of course "Day of the Doctor".

Tom Baker had planned a movie during his own run to be called Doctor Who Meets Scratchman with Vincent Price as the possible villain.

 

[Volpone]

I apologize in advance, because I'm going to be jumping all over the place here. Hopefully it makes some kind of sense.

There are a couple reasons to do a film with your past Doctor (or Enterprise crew, or SG team, or Friends). At least half of them are boringly financial.

1) You had stories you just couldn't do on a TV budget.
2) Your cast has gotten too expensive. Maybe this isn't a problem with a BBC show, but it certainly was a factor in shows like SG1. RDA wants to spend more time with his family. Michael Shanks is tired of wearing glasses. Chris Judge is tired of shaving his head. But for the right money, they'll do it one more time.

Look at "Friends." By the end of that show, I think it was costing upwards of $4 million just to get the cast to show up for 30 minutes worth of television. When you're that much in the hole before you've even paid a writer, directors, crew, and studio time, filming, and production, it gets harder and harder to make the numbers work. But especially for a show like Doctor Who that has a fairly small cast (The Doctor and a companion or two), you can pay them a movie salary to get them to put up with the character for a couple weeks more.

And whoever said the bit about the workload was on the money. (No pun intended.) You keep your TV production crew turning out as many episodes as you can to make you money that way while you build a production team around your old cast to make a big budget film or two to milk some more bucks out of the old cast. Double your pleasure, double your dollars.