Tim Curry apparently is always interested in any role where he's not a villain. I wish he had been able to play Sharaz Jek back in the day.
The 8th Doctor
- Thread starter Mr Pointy Ears
- Start date
Tim Curry apparently is always interested in any role where he's not a villain. I wish he had been able to play Sharaz Jek back in the day.
I believe that McGann and Ashbrook were both signed to five year contracts in case the movie went to series. That kind of cast stability was (and still is) unknown in Doctor Who's history, and I think that could have altered the character of the series going forward.
I didn't see anything that made Rassilon's gauntlet remotely resemble the Hand of Omega. The Hand of Omega doesn't even look like a hand! Also the thing about getting the old Rassilon back is definitely a joke.
Zagreus
Caerdroia
The Next Life
Listen more closely next time.
As DWF says, it was Mark McGann. If you want to see all four McGann brothers in action, they play a group of brothers in the excellent The Hanging Gale.
Some interesting contenders in there, I never heard of most of them having been in contention. Interesting that three of the actors under consideration would go on to appear in nuWho (Dalton, Anthony Head and Jacobi), as well as those who would appear in COTFD.
Liam Cunningham as the favourite? Wonder how he would have fared; the first Irish Doctor (though McGann is Irish-Liverpudlian).
What the hell is Rob Lowe doing on that list? Or Aidan Quinn? You can't have an American Doctor!
A Jeremy Brett Doctor would've been something to see. Ditto Jacobi, McKellen, and Ustinov. McKellen could've been a rather Pertwee-esque Doctor with elements of Hartnell, I think. Michael Palin could also have been interesting, maybe taking it in a more Troughtonesque direction.
A Jeremy Brett Doctor would've been something to see. Ditto Jacobi, McKellen, and Ustinov. McKellen could've been a rather Pertwee-esque Doctor with elements of Hartnell, I think. Michael Palin could also have been interesting, maybe taking it in a more Troughtonesque direction.
^ Aidan Quinn is Irish-American and does a pretty spot-on Irish accent, so I think he's probably also capable of doing a generic English one.
With you on Rob Lowe, though! Still, could be worse. Anyone remember the rumours of David Hasselhoff?!
With you on Rob Lowe, though! Still, could be worse. Anyone remember the rumours of David Hasselhoff?!
I just watched the '96 movie again courtesy of Netflix. I'm still not crazy about the TARDIS interior design -- the stone construction and torches in the cloister room are just too much. I mean, a retro look is one thing, but this is supposed to be the interior of a hyperadvanced time/space vessel, not a medieval castle. I guess the steampunk look of the console room isn't so bad in comparison, though I'm still not crazy about it.
Still, given that the movie is generally considered a failure, it's interesting how much it seems to have influenced the revival series. There are a lot of similar elements:
I could probably think of others, but I don't want to stretch the point too much. And of course there are a number of things from the movie that the revival series hasn't followed up on, like the Doctor being half-human or casually telling random people what their future holds.
Still, given that the movie is generally considered a failure, it's interesting how much it seems to have influenced the revival series. There are a lot of similar elements:
- A title sequence showing the TARDIS flying through the time vortex, including a part where the camera turns to follow as it flies past.
- Cast credits being shown during the main titles.
- A console with a retro/makeshift design to its controls.
- A console ringed by girders/pillars.
- A time rotor extending to the ceiling with components rising and falling within.
- Wind effects accompanying the TARDIS materialization.
- The Doctor as a more romantic figure.
I could probably think of others, but I don't want to stretch the point too much. And of course there are a number of things from the movie that the revival series hasn't followed up on, like the Doctor being half-human or casually telling random people what their future holds.
An early draft of the script for The End of Time had an awesome joke about that. I'm paraphrasing here, but it went something like this:
Cactus Lady: "So let's review. Mr Saxon isn't human?"
The Doctor: "No."
Cactus Lady: "Right, and you're not human either?"
The Doctor: "No. Well, I was, briefly. New Year's Eve, 1999. But I got over it, like a flu."
Well, I'll get shot for posting this but I actually was okay with the half-human thing. It gave me some reasoning for why he cared so much about Earth and why he seemed to have trouble with regenerations compared to other Time Lords/Ladys.
Yeah, it's Spock-ish, just like how they used "Cloaking Device" instead of "Chameleon Circuit"...
Yeah, it's Spock-ish, just like how they used "Cloaking Device" instead of "Chameleon Circuit"...
I liked lots about it - the sets, Paul McGann and his costume, the effects. Unfortunately, the plot and the script were poor.
I loved the control room above all others though !
Maybe he just told Grace that so she wouldn't be so freaked. Don't forget, the Doctor lies.
Oh, I forgot -- one more thing introduced in the '96 movie that was then adopted by the '05 series:
The latter part never occurred to me (I figured his regenerations were problematical because he so often "died" by violence), but I had the same thought about the former. It always seemed random that out of all the gazillions of species in the universe, the Doctor latched onto humans as his favorite.
- The TARDIS engine/materialization sound effect being heard inside the console room while in flight. In the original series, it was usually only heard from the outside, though in the early years it was often heard from inside during takeoff/landing.
The latter part never occurred to me (I figured his regenerations were problematical because he so often "died" by violence), but I had the same thought about the former. It always seemed random that out of all the gazillions of species in the universe, the Doctor latched onto humans as his favorite.
More than anything, it's the flashier direction and faster-paced storytelling that reminds me most of the new series.
And I still prefer that theme tune to any of the newer ones. It just seems more catchy and fun, and yet still does a great job evoking the classic series.
And I still prefer that theme tune to any of the newer ones. It just seems more catchy and fun, and yet still does a great job evoking the classic series.
To add one more item to my list of stylistic elements of the RTD years that debuted in the '96 movie:
- TV newsreaders playing a prominent role in the presentation of events, complete with fast cutting and extreme closeups of the television screen with visible pixels.
Debney's version of the theme is interesting, and I love the way it leads with the "bridge" portion, which is my favorite part of the melody, but which is rarely heard in the opening titles and often absent from the end titles as well. But I don't like the orchestration much; it's a little too harsh and staccato. It would've been better with a real orchestra. Sure, all the previous theme arrangements were electronic, but they embraced it. Electronic music that tries to sound like orchestral music, which this was, doesn't work very well as either.
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I love the theme arrangement used for the telemovie. It and the arrangement used for the Sylvester McCoy era are my two favourite versions of the theme.
Yes, I said Sylvester McCoy.
There doesn't always seem to be that much imagination used when reworking the theme, but I do like the Big Finish theme created for the McGann audio series.
The David Arnold theme? The one that sounds like sewage moving through rusted pipes in a rundown tenement? That theme? It's one of the worst versions of the Who theme I've ever heard.
Nonsense! It works just fine friend. Not the best mind you but not the worst in my little black book either.
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