The Doctor is transporting the remains of his nemesis, the Master back to their homeworld of Gallifrey. However, the Master is not as dead as the Doctor may think. The Master's essence escapes and sabotages the TARDIS causing it to crash land in San Francisco on December 30th 1999. The Doctor requires a beryllium atomic clock to repair the TARDIS, but upon leaving the TARDIS he is shot. Taken to the hospital, the seventh Doctor's regeneration is triggered by a surgeon, confused by his alien physiology, while the Master takes over a paramedic's body. He needs a Time Lord's body to survive and be able to regenerate again so he needs the Doctor's. Newly regenerated, the Doctor must fight to save his own eighth body, and the world when the Master sabotages the TARDIS' power source. By midnight on December 31st 1999, the Earth will be pulled through this power source, a mini-black hole, and only the Doctor can stop if only he can remember who he is... This made-for-TV movie follows the amazing long-running series: Doctor Who: The Classic Era (TV Series 1963-1989) and was an attempt to revive the show. Unfortunately, this didn't work which is a big shame as I really enjoyed Paul McGann as the eighth incarnation of the Doctor and only ever got a film to show his rendition of the beloved character. He should have gotten the chance to have a series and was a big missed opportunity. This movie also has one of the coolest TARDIS interiors in my opinion and has so much detail. It was also the first interior to have a centre column that meets with the ceiling, which was later used in all future TARDIS interiors for the later revival series. I like how this version appears more as a cosy home, rather than the bright white sci-fi console room we had become accustomed to. It has a Victorian-type look about it mixed with futuristic technology, making for one of the more unique interiors. It is such a shame it only appears in this film and never got the chance to be viewed more often in all its glory. Despite not reviving the Doctor Who franchise in the 90s, all was not lost as the series was finally brought back in 2005 and, many years later, Paul McGann did return in a mini-episode: 'The Night of the Doctor' to show his regeneration into the War Doctor. One of the best and nicest surprises of this film was being able to see Sylvester McCoy return as the seventh Doctor for some of the opening, showing how he regenerated. Unfortunately, he didn't have many lines nevertheless, his acting skills made up for it with some great moments and facial expressions that still make him an impactful inclusion, especially with that brutal death. Hands down the most horrific and darkest way to go because it was so sudden and much more graphic than we have ever seen from the show. The regeneration sequence was very awesome, actually seeing the physical transformation right before our eyes from one to the other, which had never been shown like this in the original serial. Throughout the movie, there are plenty of references to the iconic show from a bowl of jelly babies, an unusually long scarf and even the return of the trusty sonic screwdriver, which we hadn't seen since its destruction with the 5th Doctor. There is so much for fans to point out in the background and foreground, so keep your eyes peeled for all kinds of easter eggs. The return of the Master was also made for some interesting rivalry moments for our newly regenerated Doctor and was very menacing in this depiction. Overall, I love this film despite being a TV movie. With such amazing acting and lines from Paul McCann alongside some other engaging characters who become part-time companions. I found it extremely enjoyable and it left me wanting more. This film is as much a favourite of mine as the series and is a lot of fun for fans that everyone can agree should've gotten a follow-up series for McGann to shine. Also check out the renewed show that eventually came back in Doctor Who: The Revival Era (TV Series 2005-2017) to see where the Doctor's travels continue.
Runtime: 1h 29m
Runtime: 1h 29m
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Movie Trailer:
Paul McGann's only other appearance as the Doctor is in this mini episode from 2013. It really goes to show how amazing he could have been had he gotten his own series.
My DVD Copy:
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