Thursday, October 10, 2013

The Undefined Gamer Meets The Eighth Doctor

It's a Doctor love-fest!
That didn't come out right...



      My most anticipated television/film event is the Doctor
Who 50th Anniversary Special. To say that I'm curious as to what role
John Hurt will play and how exactly will they resolve the whole
Trenzalore story arc is a severe understatement. What I'm most excited
about though is seeing all the respectful nods that Moffat most
likely will give to the series as a whole. The fact that David Tennant
is returning, at least for the special, simply adds to this
excitement.
      However, the purpose of this post is not to tell you all about my
excitement, but to inform you guys on an issue that I really think is
garbage.
      Everyone except Christopher Eccleston who has played the Doctor has
lots of love for the show. As such, Doctors 6,7, and 8 are very eager
to be a part of the special if they're called. Steven Moffat, the
showrunner if DW, has made it known that he probably won't use any
classic Doctors in the special; and for good reason, for they've aged
significantly since their DW days.
      However, Doctor #8, Paul McGann is not a classic Doctor. And he's
eagerly waiting a slice of the action.
    McGann only received one hour of screentime on Television in the
1996 Doctor Who movie. He was supposed to launch another era of DW
episodes, though, the TV movie was supposedly kicked out of the
ratings by an episode of Roseanne (which is why I will never watch that
show). The movie was well-received, as was McGann, but it simply
wasn't popular enough to relaunch the Doctor's TV show.
      But McGann's journey didn't end there. In the 9 years between the
1996 movie and the 2005 revival show, McGann's Eighth Doctor survived
in a series of radio dramas. From what I've heard, these where
excellent, despite being audio-only.
      McGann's Doctor has been active recently. In 2012, BBC released an
Eighth Doctor audiobook in which McGann's Doctor has received a major
revamp; sporting a blue sonic screwdriver (making him chronologically
the first Doctor to sport a sonic), shorter hair, a scruffy beard, and
a Tardis-blue overcoat. He looks kickass, moving towards the
battle-scarred, tortured look of Eccleston's Ninth Doctor.
      Most of his audio work is relatively recent, and is
well-received. McGann already proved himself to be a competent Doctor
in front of a camera in 1996, and if the success of his audio-books say
anything, it's that McGann has still got it.
      He has every right to be a part of the 50th Anniversary Special. He
helped kept the flame going in the dark times (the 90s and early
2000s), until Doctor Who regained its show. To my knowledge, all of
McGann's audio work is considered canon.
      Age is no excuse. I'm pretty sure that you can make him look like
what he looked like on the cover of his 2012 audiobook today. In terms
of age, he's doing even better than Tennant, who has four years under
his belt since his last DW appearance.
      Yet so far, Moffat has not contacted McGann.
      Look, people, this man has every right to be in the special, even
if he only gets a cameo, but it might not happen unless fans give
Moffat a little nudge. Already, most fans who know of this problem
agree that him and his Tardis-blue overcoat belong in the special, but
many still do not know.
      I mean, come on. His Doctor seemed to have started the Sonic
Screwdriver trend! Sure, he got a tough break, with his Doctor never
really getting a TV show of his own, yet he never gave up. He didn't
pull an Eccleston. He stuck with the show, even when there wasn't a
"real" show. He has the ability, the talent, the physical appearance,
and passion for the show.
      But all we can do is give the producers a nudge. They're not stupid
people. There is very little real reason why the 8th Doctor shouldn't
be there.

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