Monday, 4 April 2011

Doctor Who's Paul McGann Is NOT Coming Back for Series 6

No, this is not confirmed. This "theory" is in no way more proven or evidenced than the "pro-McGann" position, but it is logical, something that doesn't support a possibility for the Eighth Doctor's return in Series 6. If you haven't even heard of this, don't worry. You've not missed out on much.


io9 succintly wraps up the rumours swarming across the Internet.
There's this utterly insane rumor going around that Paul McGann is "very likely" going to make an appearance as the Eighth Doctor in the upcoming series. Much as I would love to see a return appearance by his Doctor - and I still hold out some hope this will happen in a fiftieth anniversary special in 2013 - this rumor is completely bonkers, patently untrue, and doesn't make even the slightest bit of sense. 
The main evidence for this seems to be the fact that the latest trailer appears to feature the previous console room - the one used by the Ninth and Tenth Doctors, and not the Eighth, just so we're clear about how ridiculous this entire thing is - and the fact that the Doctor mentions the Time War, which was most likely fought by the Eighth Doctor. This of course will be like all the previous times the Doctor mentioned the Time War in the new series, and every time we then cut to a flashback of Paul McGann...or, you know, nothing even remotely like that ever happened. And I thought the David Tennant rumor was ridiculous...
In my oh-so-holy opinion, if Doctor Who were to return to the Eighth Doctor's death, The End of Time would have been the best and only time to do it. The opportunity is gone and in no way wasted.

Could you imagine being in the perspective of someone who's never seen the Classic Series or even someone who hasn't watched the TV Movie? It's likely that some of you reading this belong in that hypothetical group. Such a person would be utterly confused when some random, angry man appears onscreen ranting about the Time War. Would they think this is the Doctor from the past or the future? A return to the Eighth Doctor would instantly alienate millions of viewers.

So stop it. It's not going to happen. It simply isn't. There are so many better, rational plots to occur during Series 6, and a useless throwback to the past doesn't offer anything to the Doctor's current adventures without arbitrarily drawing a connection between the present and the past, which doesn't need to be explained in flashback anyway.

11 comments :

Walt said...

Given that we saw a prototype Tardis in The Lodger that is coming back, and now that The Doctors Wife mentions "lots and lots" of Time Lords, it seems mostly likely what we'll be seeing is somebody else's Tardis. Either that, or (as in the classic series) there's an alternate console room somewhere.

Ribs said...

I also think that bridging The Parting of The Ways with flashbacks throughout would have worked, as that'd mean Eccelston would be on set to film.

jonnoholt said...

10th - (said in best Michael Winner voice) - Calm Down Dear, its only a rumour...

10thPlanet said...

Thanks, Michael Winner. You always make me feel better. :)

BlueDalek said...

What about the Blue Peter console? We haven't seen that yet and that was marketed in DWM as 'not belonging to the Doctor'.

Liam said...

We can always have hope!

\S/ said...

You make a very strong argument that makes complete and total sense. And I hope you're wrong.

Gavin Bollard said...

I'll agree that it's probably not happening and it's probably just another time lord's TARDIS

....but....

wouldn't it be so cool if we had a whole season where this dazed older man (PMG's new look) kept popping up to pass messages onto companions to "stop the doctor doing X" (whatever X is) but don't let him know I spoke to you.

The companions wouldn't know who he was or whether to trust him - and neither would half the fans.

Then it resovles at the end of the season into some breakpoint in the time-war which would let everything out if not stopped.

Anonymous said...

Couldn't that have been the 8th doctors TARDIS? The Ninth Doctor started out with it so isnt it possible the Eighth had it for a bit?

Cathy said...

Personally, I'd like to see them do a mini series on the Time War starring Paul McGann. They aren't doing Torchwood anymore so why not an 8th doctor mini series?! C,mon guys!

10thPlanet said...

Because no matter how well they do the Time War, it couldn't live up to your expectations. Ultimately, the Eighth Doctor's death was just another regeneration, so alone it lacks impact; they'd have to show the whole of the Time War in a miniseries, as you said, which would be beyond the grasp of mortal minds.