2MTL 66: Animating Classic Doctors

There have been original video spinoffs in Doctor Who's history. American comics publishers have had some success in original animated videos. Put these two great tastes together and you get something I'd like to see: new animated stories featuring the First, Second and Third Doctors. But can we get past the deceased actor problem? PLUS: Barry Letts.

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3 Comments

  1. It is certainly an interesting idea, but I am not sure I want to see it.

    You mention the Missing Adventures – I found a lot of them quite difficult to read, merely because the Doctor being portrayed in them wasn't particularly reminiscent of the character on TV.

    I think applying supposed 21st Century story techniques to a 60/70s show is not the right way to go.

    I mean, imagine if we recast Hartnell – we would end up with stories where we really did meet the Doctor's Daughter! (and Susan's mum!)

    A Tomb of the Cybermen remake would spend 2 episodes expanding on the conversation between the Doctor and Victoria that was originally quite satisfactory at 1 minute.

    No, original Doctor's need to be left alone. Any modernisation of storytelling applied to their era would be disrespectful to the memory of these older Doctors.

    If you want to explore some issues and themes, give them to a new Doctor and let him run with them. Don't get Pertwee moping all the way through a story proclaiming "no more companions for me, I travel ALONE!" because he had to leave Jo Grant behind in the previous one.

    Trev.

  2. I don't think modern story techniques have to mean going against the character's nature, Trev. If the Third Doctor wouldn't have behaved in a certain way in the the original series, he would have to behave consistently in any new story or I'd be howling alongside you. I'm thinking more in terms of pacing, sprawling sets not limited by physical or budgetary constraints, and opportunities to place these old characters where the '60s and '70s-era producers could only have dreamed.

    The First Doctor in Silicon Valley, circa the dot-com boom. The Second Doctor and Jamie exploring the ISS. Jack Harkness dodging the Third Doctor in Cardiff on Millennium Eve. I think those stories would be COOL!

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