Doctor Who: Should Alex Macqueen play the Master in the TV series?

He’s been brilliant in Big Finish’s Doctor Who audios, but should Alex Macqueen’s Master face Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor on the small screen?

As you’ve probably seen already, we’re big fans of Alex Macqueen’s Master in the Doctor Who audios. He has just the right balance of classic and new. He’s classy yet funny; eccentric yet dangerous; methodical yet unpredictable. He’s the kind of Master that fits in easily alongside Simm’s and Gomez’s incarnations.

This begs the question: should Macqueen’s Master show up on screen at some point?

It could be possible. Certainly, he seems to be a popular Master for fans of Big Finish’s audios, at least. It’s not hard to see why either, as Macqueen really does throw himself completely into the role. He clearly enjoys having a lot of fun with it.

We’ve also seen plenty of Macqueen on television in general, so he’s hardly a stranger to the medium. Particularly in British comedy, such as The Inbetweeners or The Thick of It. Usually, he plays less serious, arguably more camp roles. Certainly, he rarely gets the chance to play a villain on television, but I suspect that he’d love the opportunity.

Now, what could have potentially been a problem before was that he was an incarnation from before the Time War. For the longest time, we had always seen each incarnation of both the Doctor and the Master meet in the right order.

At least, we had done. Because that all changed when Simm’s Master returned in World Enough and Time. And the audios have often had Time Lords meet in the wrong order.

However, other than with the Doctor meeting his own past incarnations, this has barely happened at all in the TV series. Still, a Doctor meeting a past Master is not only an interesting idea, but has already been established as possible, at the very least.

What also works with the Master is that viewers wouldn’t need to know too much about who he is. A little bit of backstory could be established about how he’s from before the Time War, but that’s about it.

Alex Macqueen has faced Classic Doctors on audio, including Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor. But could he one day face Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor on television?

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

A surprise twist in plain sight?

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But perhaps best of all is how it could be handled: as a surprise twist. Macqueen could be advertised as playing a completely different character on television. And the fans would believe it, because actors play other roles in both audios and the television series all the time. He wouldn’t even need to wear a disguise (which we all know the Master is very fond of doing, anyway).

Perhaps his character doesn’t even meet the Doctor in the first half the story. Perhaps he meets a companion first, and comes across as a generally likable character. However, it’s only when the Doctor actually sees him at the end and recognizes him that he’s revealed to be the Master.

This kind of cliffhanger would not only be shocking. It would also be a great of way introducing this Master to a brand new audience. At the same time, it would definitely amaze Big Finish fans, to say the least. (The Eighth Doctor saying the names of his companions in The Night of the Doctor was enough to blow this writer’s mind, certainly.)

Is this scenario likely? Not really. We know that the showrunners generally prefer to focus on their own characters and their own incarnations of the Doctor and the Master. Still, I can’t help but think that this could be a potentially brilliant twist, if handled exactly right. More than that, Macqueen is fantastic as the Master, and deserves to be seen by a much larger audience.

Next. Alex Macqueen – Big Finish’s bridge Master. dark

Do you think that Alex Macqueen should play the Master in the TV series? Or do you think he should just continue playing the role in audio form only? Let us know in the comments below.

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