Paul McGann?
For no particular reason, I've never seen a single episode of his Dr. Who work.
For no particular reason, I've never seen a single episode of his Dr. Who work.
Is the current Doctor REALLY the 11th?
That's because he doesn't have a single episode.
He's the one who plays the Doctor (after Sylvester McCoy is forced to regenerate due to a medical misunderstanding...) in the 1996 Fox/BBC co-produced TV movie.
As the movie didn't get the ratings that Fox wanted, it was never followed up on, and the show went back into hibernation until the Eccleston series.
However, McGann did continue to play the character for several years in audio plays/books, and I believe occasionally still does. In some ways, he's had the longest run as the Doctor, despite having the shortest filmed run.
It was implied, by the production staff referring to Eccleston's Doctor as the Ninth, that they counted McGann. It was confirmed eventually in Tennant's run, when the Diary of Impossible Things contained sketches of all previous incarnations of the Doctor, including a sketch of McGann.
Smith's run made it even more explicit, by having the montage of all ten previous Doctors, including McGann, in his debut episode.
He's the one who plays the Doctor (after Sylvester McCoy is forced to regenerate due to a medical misunderstanding...) in the 1996 Fox/BBC co-produced TV movie.
As the movie didn't get the ratings that Fox wanted, it was never followed up on, and the show went back into hibernation until the Eccleston series.
However, McGann did continue to play the character for several years in audio plays/books, and I believe occasionally still does. In some ways, he's had the longest run as the Doctor, despite having the shortest filmed run.
It was implied, by the production staff referring to Eccleston's Doctor as the Ninth, that they counted McGann. It was confirmed eventually in Tennant's run, when the Diary of Impossible Things contained sketches of all previous incarnations of the Doctor, including a sketch of McGann.
Smith's run made it even more explicit, by having the montage of all ten previous Doctors, including McGann, in his debut episode.
Yep- never saw it.
GreyLord
Legend
That's what I've been thinking...then someone posted something that apparantly happened this season in regards to Regens...which I hadn't seen yet...thanks for the spoilers there...
GMforPowergamers
Legend
I always thought the 13 life (12 regens) was a time lord rule, not a universal one (compair gravity to speeding). The time lords offer to bbreak it for the Drs'13 life (the valiyard) and the Master broke it soooo many times...
I thought there was X amount of regen energy and the time lords limited the regens so everyone could use it...now with no other time lords, we could have Dr number 27...and explain he makes the rules now...
I thought there was X amount of regen energy and the time lords limited the regens so everyone could use it...now with no other time lords, we could have Dr number 27...and explain he makes the rules now...
Viking Bastard
Adventurer
Regenerations seem to somehow be bestowed and it appears that the limit is artificial. The reasoning being that true immortality is too dangerous. Timelords do seem to have a habit of going a bit loopy in their final incarnations.
The Master cheated death any way he could, but he never regenerated on the old show*. He was already on his last regeneration when we first meet him. He was once offered a new regeneration cycle by the Timelords (but didn't get it) and then, during the Time War, he actually got a whole new batch.
They could make an epic arc about the Doctor's impending regeneration shortage and maybe they will do so brilliantly, but they could easily just hand wave it with a line of dialogue. The Doctor is given a new cycle OR the limit is gone because the Timelords aren't there to enforce it OR the Timelords lifted the limit themselves during the war OR whatever else.
* Unless you subscribe to the fan theory that the War Chief from The War Games is a previous incarnation of the Master.
The Regeneration limit was set at 12 some time ago. The Five Doctors mentions this (great old serial if you get to see it ). The council was able to offer the Master a new full set of regenerations if he was to help the doctor/solve the problem.
It could be speculated that the Roger Delgado (ie the Master in the time of the 3rd Doctor) was nearing the end of his set of 12 or was at the end, and he may of gone to Lich form just before the events of the Deadly Assasin (again another damn good older one to watch). In that story it is mentioned by Goth that he came across the Master dying on a planet (and still was mind controlled by the master.. and Goth was certainly no weak willed guy).
The Master uses the temp power later of the Keeper of Traken to subsume the body/mind of Tremas. So this isnt really a regeneration.. more of a possession to keep himself ticking over.
The question now is : Can the Doctor be granted more regenerations now that there is no Time Lord to grant them? (ie Council etc). The Master has a new set of which he has used one up.
Timelords are not the only people who can regenerate incidentilly. In the Invasion of time Leela spends time with Gallifreyans who live outside of the Citadel and who have reverted to a 'primitive' life style. Mention of regeneration is made even amongst them, so Ive always been of the view that the 12 limit is just a genetic llimit of the race.
It could be speculated that the Roger Delgado (ie the Master in the time of the 3rd Doctor) was nearing the end of his set of 12 or was at the end, and he may of gone to Lich form just before the events of the Deadly Assasin (again another damn good older one to watch). In that story it is mentioned by Goth that he came across the Master dying on a planet (and still was mind controlled by the master.. and Goth was certainly no weak willed guy).
The Master uses the temp power later of the Keeper of Traken to subsume the body/mind of Tremas. So this isnt really a regeneration.. more of a possession to keep himself ticking over.
The question now is : Can the Doctor be granted more regenerations now that there is no Time Lord to grant them? (ie Council etc). The Master has a new set of which he has used one up.
Timelords are not the only people who can regenerate incidentilly. In the Invasion of time Leela spends time with Gallifreyans who live outside of the Citadel and who have reverted to a 'primitive' life style. Mention of regeneration is made even amongst them, so Ive always been of the view that the 12 limit is just a genetic llimit of the race.
the master
in the classic series, the master ended up on regeneration 16 or so by stealing bodies of others and other means.
BUT in the new series when the master came back it was said that the Time Lord High council "gave" every time lord a whole new set of regenerations including those who were dead at the time, like Lord Raslion and the Master. So, exactly how many regenerations The Doctor has left is wide open.
in the classic series, the master ended up on regeneration 16 or so by stealing bodies of others and other means.
BUT in the new series when the master came back it was said that the Time Lord High council "gave" every time lord a whole new set of regenerations including those who were dead at the time, like Lord Raslion and the Master. So, exactly how many regenerations The Doctor has left is wide open.
They already may have - in the Sarah Jane Adventures, in an episode titled "Death of the Doctor", which guest stars Matt Smith. When asked how many times he can regenerate, the Doctor replies "507". Russel Davies has said that this number was not to be taken seriously, as the limit of 13 lives was too entrenched to be dismissed by a throwaway line. But, well, the implication is still made.
It is simple to no-prize this, as a change that was made in the Time War, related to the Time Lock.
Are you kidding me? McGann is one of my favorites! He was good in a crap movie but the Big Finish productions showcase a whole lot of his incarnation and they're still making them.
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