Doctor Who Opinion: Which Doctor should get more TV stories?
Big Finish, Doctor Who
Which Doctor Who actor deserves more screentime? What about the eighth Doctor?
Recently, I wrote a post about whether David Bradley should reshoot some, or all, of William Hartnell’s older episodes for a new generation. While I was anticipating backlash, I received incredibly agreeable thoughts about the idea — especially the lost stories. However, some people had an idea that got me thinking. And now I can’t stop thinking about it.
It’s no secret that we love Paul McGann’s eighth Doctor on Doctor Who Watch. James often focuses on the audios of the Eighth Doctor, which are amazing. But since that’s all we really have of McGann’s talent, besides the movie, there’s nowhere else to look.
Which means that it’s only fair for Paul McGann and the Eighth Doctor to get some more episodes. He did fantastic in The Night of the Doctor, which gave us a small look at his abilities, and he definitely delivered.
How would it work?
The Eighth Doctor stories would have to come in as a spinoff. A way to have two Doctors going at the same time, without stepping on either one’s toe, so to speak. Since, most likely it would be darker stories, it could air after Doctor Who with Jodie Whittaker.
The stories would cover right up to the Time War, explaining the darkness of the show. They can bring companions from the audio series as well as storylines to play out on the television. This would give the audios a boost and give people the ability to “see” rather than just “hear”.
Why the 8th Doctor?
Many people want to see the 9th Doctor in action more. And I totally get that! Why wouldn’t you?! But my gut feeling is that we could get Paul McGann easier than Eccleston. Beyond that, it would also bring back some of the classic fans who may have stopped watching.
In The Night of the Doctor, he quickly became a favorite among New Who fans, and it would be great to show them more of the actor they only saw a couple minutes of. McGann has grown a fanbase in only a few minutes. Imagine what he could do with a couple or even a season, of episodes!
It’s the best of both worlds! We get to explore a time that was only given an hour and a half in the 90s, with an actor who could still easily play the part and is still active in the Who fandom.