He's back and it's about time!
1996 was a great year. After a 7 absence from the airwaves, Doctor Who returned for one night only. A co-production between the BBC and FOX, the ratings in America were horrible because it aired against the final episode Roseanne. But that didn't matter. We were getting brand new Doctor Who!
We pick up with the 7th Doctor, a little older, a little more work, in a huge new TARDIS transporting the remains of the Master back to Gallifrey from being executed on Skaro by the Daleks. Yes I know, it all sounds a bit contrived. But they were checking off the boxes and hit just about everything in the process.
So the Doctor crash lands in San Francisco December 31, 1999, Millennium Eve. This was because the Master escaped his container and forced the TARDIS down. The Master takes over Eric Roberts body. The Doctor get shot, flat lines on the operating table, meets Grace, and regenerates. Adventure ensures.
The symbolism of the resurrection of Christ is spread on pretty thick throughout the story. From crowns of thorns, to death shrouds, to crucifixion poses, the Doctor is Jesus. But I don't care. It's wonderful to see Sylvester McCoy back as the Doctor and he get a proper regeneration, as opposed to his predecessor. Paul McGann is amazing as the Doctor and really sums up what the Doctor is for the 20th century. It's like the new TARDIS console room is made for him- gothic and gorgeous. He simply owns the role. Grace is an okay companion for the story, especially since she caused the Doctor to regenerate. We do actually get the Doctor's first kiss, with Grace. And Chang Lee is pretty much a waste of a good character, partly from the writing and partly from poor acting. But if the show got picked up for series, he probably would have gotten better as part of a TARDIS trio.
It's fitting that the Master was the last enemy the Doctor faced in the classic series and it is the Master that he fights on his return to television. Eric Robert plays the Master WAY over the top and WAY over dressed. Rule to remember, always cast someone from the UK to play the Doctor AND the Master. And the Master wants to steal the Doctor's remaining regenerations via the Eye of Harmony. Again, checking the boxes.
At the end of the day, this is a cherished gem as the only outing for the 8th Doctor. For only 84 minutes, he made a very lasting impression. For more than a decade, Paul McGann has performed as the 8th Doctor on audios for Big Finish and fleshed out the character to new levels. My only hope is that he makes a return to the screen in the 50th anniversary special. Long live the 8th Doctor!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_(film)
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