Theoretical-- Recasting Classic Doctors

[Turtletrekker]

Sorry if this is a topic that has come up before.

I was reading up on "The Five Doctors" (Which I have not yet seen) and got to thinking about the re-casting of the first Doctor. I wondered if the fans at the time screamed in outrage (as I imagine many would today) or if it was accepted by everyone and they just rolled with it.

James Bond has been recast numerous times. The entire cast of the original Star Trek has been recast. How many Sherlock Holmes have there been?

If the producers of Who announced tomorrow that they were doing a special called "The Twelve (or thirteen) Doctors" and that they were recasting the classic Doctors, how do you think the fandom would react? How would you react? Is it something that you could accept and roll with, or would it be a violation of something sacred to you?

 

[Skellington]

I wouldn't be averse to the thought of David Bradley turning up as One or Reece Shearsmith as Two, but I think it would be nuts to do a "Twelve Doctors". I can't see a writer with good storytelling instincts wanting to take that one on.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

David Bradley as the First would be great casting.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Well, obviously, I just threw that title out there. But suppose it wasn't a one-off special, but rather an extended arc?

 

[Venardhi]

The only way it could really work is to build a season around the current Doctor having multiple adventures with his previous selves. There just isn't enough time in an hour or two to do them all justice.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Personally, I wouldn't mind recasting, but the show has gone to such great lengths to show the faces of the actual Doctors that I think it would be strange to see someone else as, say, the Sixth Doctor.

Actually, because of that, I think it would be weird to recast.

But, I wouldn't throw a fit if they did. And hopefully the story would be worth it.

 

[Skellington]

Alan Davies as Four?

* hides behind sofa *

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

I think they can safely get away with the First, and even the Third Doctor recasted. The First played by the actor that played the actor that played the First kind of gives him an advantage in fan perception, and the Third only if played by Sean Pertwee in a wig. Other than those... Well, I can actually sorta see McCoy perform as Seven - not too outside the realm of possibility, although that window is rapidly closing. And McGann onward are all more than capable of reprising. Especially McGann, who's proven he's more than up for it.

But really, outside the First, because of Adventure in Time and Space, and because the part was recasted before in The Five Doctors, and the Third because of how much like his father Sean Pertwee looks like and because he's as versatile as his father, if not more, I don't see how recasting the rest of the Doctors wouldn't be a mistake.

And really, would we really want a recast the rest of the Fourth Doctor (nevermind the other Doctors)? More than any other Doctor, he's Tom Baker being himself as the Doctor. None of the other Doctors has that Doctor's bigger-than-life attitude, and it was down to the actor.

 

[Christopher]

As it happens, I just finished rewatching "The Five Doctors" (the 1995 Special Edition) mere minutes ago. Seeing Richard Hurndall as the First Doctor took some getting used to. I've never felt he was as much a lookalike or soundalike for Hartnell as many seemed to think, and he lacked a lot of Hartnell's characteristic tics, like stumbling over words. But after a while, I realized I was just accepting him in the role, because he gave such a strong and effective performance in his own right.

And I think that's pretty much how a recasting has to work -- it's not just an imitation, but an interpretation, meaning that the new actor brings something new that works in its own way while still reflecting the original.

As I've said elsewhere, in theory I love the idea of Sean Pertwee playing the Third Doctor. His facial and vocal resemblance to his father is uncanny. But he's made it clear that he has no interest in imitating his father or playing his roles. He's worked hard to establish his own name as an actor, and I can't begrudge him that.

In fact -- I guess it's because I've been watching Gotham recently, but when I first saw Jon Pertwee tooling along in Bessie in "The Five Doctors," my first reaction was "Oh hey, there's Sean Pertwee's dad."

 

[Stevil2001]

I just don't see the point of it. My affection for the character of "the first Doctor" is really just for "the character of the Doctor as played by William Hartnell." Why hire a good actor and then ask him to play William Hartnell playing the Doctor? If nothing else, I just don't care-- never once when watching The Aztecs have I thought, "Man, it'd be awesome if a guy doing a William Hartnell imitation met Peter Capaldi's Doctor." For me, the different Doctors are the actors, and Doctor Who has a built-in method of recasting already, called "regeneration."

 

[DWF]

I just don't see the point of it. My affection for the character of "the first Doctor" is really just for "the character of the Doctor as played by William Hartnell." Why hire a good actor and then ask him to play William Hartnell playing the Doctor? If nothing else, I just don't care-- never once when watching The Aztecs have I thought, "Man, it'd be awesome if a guy doing a William Hartnell imitation met Peter Capaldi's Doctor." For me, the different Doctors are the actors, and Doctor Who has a built-in method of recasting already, called "regeneration."

I have to agree regeneration is Doctor Who's way of recastig and it works pretty well.

 

[Turtletrekker]

...and the Third only if played by Sean Pertwee in a wig...

... and the Third because of how much like his father Sean Pertwee looks like and because he's as versatile as his father,

As I've said elsewhere, in theory I love the idea of Sean Pertwee playing the Third Doctor. His facial and vocal resemblance to his father is uncanny. But he's made it clear that he has no interest in imitating his father or playing his roles. He's worked hard to establish his own name as an actor, and I can't begrudge him that.

In fact -- I guess it's because I've been watching Gotham recently, but when I first saw Jon Pertwee tooling along in Bessie in "The Five Doctors," my first reaction was "Oh hey, there's Sean Pertwee's dad."

Oh my god, I've watched more Pertwee than any other classic Doctor. How in the world did I not make that connection?

Believe it or not, I had a similar reaction when I found out that Keifer was Donald's son. And that was well into "24"'s run.

 

[Count Zero]

Yeah, Sean Pertwee would be a perfect match for a recast of the Third Doctor but isn't it kind of weird to play your own dead father? Anyway, he said he wouldn't want to do it, anyway.

 

[Relayer1]

David Bradley
David Troughton
Sean Pertwee

I like Reece Shearsmith, but didn't think he looked anything like the 2nd Doctor.

I'm surprised Bradley wasn't in the 50th anniversary episode. David Troughton looks even more like his father than Sean Pertwee looks like Jon. Sadly, but probably understandably, it's unlikely either would want to do it.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Never mind. Ninja'd in a another thread.

 

[Rarewolf]

I was reading up on "The Five Doctors" (Which I have not yet seen) and got to thinking about the re-casting of the first Doctor. I wondered if the fans at the time screamed in outrage (as I imagine many would today) or if it was accepted by everyone and they just rolled with it.

I wasn't a fan at the time - though strangly a 4 part repeat the following year is probably my earliest Who memory! - but the difference between now and then is the entire Hartnell catalogue wasn't available to compare it to. Even the most dedicated fans with videos would only have had the chance to tape one of his stories (and The Three Doctors) so really he was recreating a memory. Not the same now.

The Adventure in Space and Time DVD has some short scene recreations - and they are so different to the original, David sounds nothing like Hartnell's Doctor, I'd never want him play the first Doctor.