The Five Doctors (Spoilers)

[OmahaStar]

Why did Tom turn it down? I've heard several rumours but would be nice to know his reasoning.

From the commentaries and features, the boiled-down version seems to be he hadn't been gone from the part long enough for it to be special, but he did allow use of the footage from Shada to be used.

I wasn't aware it required his permission, but since they referenced it at least 3 times, it must have been a big deal. I wonder if that means they needed Lala's permission as well?

 

[Guy Gardener]

Well, the Shada scenes were excellent, but what are the odds of Lala accepting a role without Tom? hell I would have preferred some insane accident where the story boiled down to the two Romanas... And Susan was acting like a shadow. What the hell was up with that?

I watched this yesterday and the story is just mad.

Why would Borusa send Daleks and Cybermen and Raston warriors into the death Zone to hinder the Doctor if he needed at least one doctor to survive long enough to turn the "forcefield off"? And why go seeking immortality when it's within his power to bequeth completely new regeneration cycles on timelords and not Timelords as in the case of how they were bribing the Master?

Of course who was in control of those lasers coming out of the sky? If it was Borusa, then he was a complete dick as well as "evil".

 

[ClayinCA]

and who'd he have teamed up with also?

The early idea was to team Tom up with Sarah Jane, Pertwee with the Brigadier, and Troughton with either Jamie or Zoe. Then, when Tom dropped out, I believe they'd already booked Lis Sladen and Nick Courtney, so they were re-allocated to the Third and Second Doctors, and Frazer Hines was only available to do a short cameo anyway.

I wasn't aware it required his permission, but since they referenced it at least 3 times, it must have been a big deal. I wonder if that means they needed Lala's permission as well?

They did indeed, and apparently both of them were more or less happy to give that permission. I know Lalla Ward has said that she was happy that some portion of Shada would now see the light of day, because she really enjoyed that story and was very sad that it was unfinished.

 

[Stevil2001]

Also, the fourth Doctor would have been the one to go to the Capitol and be hypnotized, because Terrance Dicks thought he could do some good evil. The fifth Doctor and Tegan would have gone to the Tower together, and the first Doctor would have stayed in the TARDIS.

As I recall; it's been a while.

 

[Cutter John]

By coincidence I finally broke down and ordered the new Anniversary version. Listening to David Tennant giving his thoughts on it was just too much to resist. Its a fun story, but if I recall correctly, even Terrance Dicks wasn't all that happy with the finished product. Seeing as how the script was such a rush job and all.

The main trouble with these sorts of stories though is that theres always going to be a couple scenes that you're unhappy weren't included.

 

[diankra]

By coincidence I finally broke down and ordered the new Anniversary version. Listening to David Tennant giving his thoughts on it was just too much to resist. Its a fun story, but if I recall correctly, even Terrance Dicks wasn't all that happy with the finished product. Seeing as how the script was such a rush job and all.

The main trouble with these sorts of stories though is that theres always going to be a couple scenes that you're unhappy weren't included.

Terrance has always said that he did the best job he could, given the brief: fit everyone in, and who you have to fit in changes from day to day. Whereas Robert Holmes was openbly goggling at the entire idea all of the time he was one the project before dropping out (though his outline did have an explanation for why the First Doctor didn't quite look like William Hartnell - he was a robot imposter!).

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/6k.html

Lots of Five Doctors answers for you here.

Mark