Doctor Who: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Hi there! Today is Sunday which is Doctor Who day here on the blog thing called I’m So Glad My Suffering Amuses You.

For the last four weeks, I’ve been posting a Doctor Who fan fiction script called Lifetime Companion. Feel free to click on the links below to catch up or revisit the story so far.

• Episode One
• Episode Two
• Episode Three
• Episode Four 

I’m taking a break from the script this week but it will return next Sunday with Episode Five.

Today, I’m going to kick back a bit and prattle on about some Doctor Who related things ‘n’ stuff with a look back at the past and some speculation about the future.

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This past Friday marked the 20^th anniversary of the Doctor Who movie’s debut on UK television on May 27^th. 1996. The special actually premiered on American TV first two days prior. The Doctor Who movie began with the 7^th Doctor played by Sylvester McCoy who regenerates into the 8^th Doctor as portrayed by Paul McGann.

The movie is, on the whole, not very good. Well, when you pay good money to have Eric Roberts play the Master, you take your chances. Still, most of the flaws come from trying to shove too much of Doctor Who mythology into one package, giving everything a rushed, almost perfunctory feeling.

In a way, it’s hard not to blame the producers from trying to do too much. New Doctor Who had not been seen on TV screens since 1989 and was sorely missed. And there are some really good bits such as a fully realized TARDIS interior, fast paced action sequences and a modern Doctor as a romantic adventurer. 

Paul McGann’s take on our favorite Time Lord has to fight against weak material and too little time yet it’s a testament to Paul’s talent and the strong appeal of his take on the Doctor that McGann’s time on screen as the Doctor, measured in mere minutes, is so well regarded. And it was all we had to hold us over unto Doctor Who was revived in 2005.

If we didn’t get to see Paul McGann as the Doctor, we at least got to hear him as McGann brought the 8^th Doctor to life through Big Finish audio adventures. McGann’s warm, textured voice made him perfect for keeping the Doctor alive through sound alone. Still, it was a treat to see McGann on screen once more for the 50^th anniversary mini-episode, Night of the Doctor and it would be awesome if there was some way to see more such appearances in Doctor Who’s future. 

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Recently, rumors  began swirling around the internet about the possible return of John Barrowman as Capt. Jack Harkness to Doctor Who, possibly for the 2016 Christmas special. The impetus for such rumors? Barrowman himself who Tweeted he was in Cardiff earlier this month (May) and we could make of that what we will.

May is when the Doctor Who Christmas special was scheduled to go into production. And with Doctor Who gone from our screens for a whole year (A whole year? We classic Who fans scoff at waiting a whole year), the return of the much beloved Captain Jack would be a big boost to get audiences back to Doctor Who after 12 months away. And last year’s return of River Song was such a crowd pleaser, why not bring back Jack for one more go around in the TARDIS?

Then this past week, there was a quick teaser released on line, heralding the news that “JACK IS BACK!”.

Except it appears the teaser was not legit. Which is disconcerting because it looked real slick like something that would come out of the BBC. But John Barrowman went online to assert that he’s not back on Doctor Who. He insisted he has not filmed anything and he’s not been asked to.

Which really sucks.

Unless...

Remember in the tumultuous days before Doctor Who’s 50^th anniversary special when David Tennant insisted he knew nothing about the special and had not been asked to return.

And it turned out, yeah he did know and yes he had been asked to return.

So maybe there’s some of that going on?

I guess we should take John Barrowman’s statement at face value. But I really hope that before producer Steven Moffat closes the door behind him on his way out from the Doctor Who offices, the Moff can find a way to have Captain Jack make some kind of a return appearance.

If only to say hello.

And we all like the way Jack says hello.

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Next week...

Toby Parker is surrounded by familiar faces but his life is a new and different place than we’ve seen him before. But is it different enough to keep the Doctor from taking Toby into deep space? The Doctor and Toby confront the warrior race known as the Mire, A warrior race now armed with a terrible weapon… powered by a chronovirus.

My Doctor Who fan fiction serial will return next Sunday with the script for Episode Five of Lifetime Companion.

Meanwhile there’s a new post here every day in between Sundays and I hope you check back in for whatever’s coming up next on my blog. It’ll be a surprise for both of us because I seriously have no idea.

Until next time, remember to be good to one another.