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Doctor Who: The Movie Format Reviewed: DVD Review After seven years in the wilderness, Doctor Who returns to our screens with a television movie largely born out of a desire to 'conquer' America with the show. The format of a television movie was largely designed to test the waters with American audiences for the possibility of either further TV movies or a series being produced. The result was rather a trans-atlantic fayre with elements from both sides of the pond being used to create the movie. The story starts with a voice over from Paul McGann stating that the Master was put on trial on Skaro and executed. The Doctor, upon the Masters last request, then took the Masters remains back to Gallifrey. En-route, the Master escapes in the form of a viscous goo and the TARDIS lands in San Francisco in the middle of a gang gun fight on December 31st 1999. The Doctor emerges and is shot. He is taken to hospital where he diesunder the knife of Dr Grace Holloway. Later, the Doctor regenrates in the morgue and finds Grace. The Master meanwhile has taken the body of a paramedic, Bruce, who lies to gang member Chang Lee so that he will help him steal the Doctors remaining regenrations. The Master enters the TARDIS and opens the Eye of Harmony and the Doctor realises he needs an atomic clock to help stop the catastrophe about to happen. He finds one and eventually closes the Eye of Harmony and stops the Master, with the TARDIS bringing back to life Grace and Chang Lee who died in the struggle. In terms of the story, it's in keeping with Doctor Who that the Master should plan for a way of increasing his number of available regenerations, especially at the cost of his arch enemy, the Doctor. From this point of view it is a decent effort of a story. What I really don't like is several other aspects of the story. First of all, McGann kisses Grace. I don't agree with this and to have something like this in effectively to try to please an audience too indoctrinated with Holywood endings isn't what the show is about in my opinion. Also, to make the Master American? Gallifreyans have always been depicted as 'quintisentially English' effectively, so to have an aggressive American playing the Master doesn't sit well with me. The cast all actually do quite a good job with what they are given. Paul McGann and Sylvester McCoy do fine jobs, especially McGann who I believe makes an excellent Doctor. Daphne Ashbrook and Yee Jee Tso perform well as Grace and Chang Lee respectively and Eric Roberts does all he can really as the Master. Given what the show was for, making Doctor Who much more accessible to Americans, the cast was good and cannot really be criticised. I have a somewhat love-hate relationship with the 1996 TV Movie. I first saw it when it aired for the first time on UK TV and I sat there whinging about it all the way through, and for several days afterwards. Since then I have gone back to it many times and my attitude has certainly mellowed, and dependant on my frame of mind at the time I either like or dislike it. Essentially I think there is a lot to enjoy about this production, such as Paul McGanns wonderful performance as the Doctor. I guess I just don't like the Americanisation of an English iconic figure. I strive against Americanisms in other parts of my life, so why shouldn't I in Doctor Who? I feel there are many other ways to have achieved an American pilot, that this essentially is, and one that would have caused much less of a stir amongst folk like me I venture. The main thing to say in this storys defence though, was that it was the only new television adventure featuring Doctor Who for the best part of 20 years, and for that I heartily congratulate everyone involved. I must admit to being extremely excited in the run up to the airing of this story, and that is possibly why it was disappointing for me. Too much expectation on my part. None of that is the fault of the story or its production. Overall, Doctor Who: The Movie is one of those anomalys in Doctor Who that some will probably skip over while others will laud it as great. There were undoubtedly good production values and some excellent cast performances, but for me the disappointing thing was the Americanisation of the show. Doctor Who is a British institution, and for that this story suffers in my opinion. Rating:  |