POINTS OF DEBATE: 96 TELEMOVIE - NEW OR CLASSIC WHO?

Last August, I decided to do several POINTS OF DEBATES in a row. It's a new style of essay so I wanted it to have a bit more presence in the blog. I also really enjoy the format of the whole thing. As much as I love expressing my blowhard opinions, it's a nice change of pace to just present the different sides of an argument and then let you decide. 

I had intended to push through just one more essay in this vein before the month was over. It would have represented a sort of "climax" to all these points of debate. A question that has nagged at me greatly and, I think, eats away at the hearts of other fans too. But I just wasn't able to find the time to write it and I wanted September to move on to something new. 

So, here it is, at last. While this would have been an enjoyable piece to finish out my August Run, it's also a fun way to begin the New Year. 



PAUL McGANN'S FIRST AND ONLY TELEVISED STORY: NEW OR CLASSIC WHO? 

I think I have legitimately lost sleep over Paul McGann's Doctor. For several different reasons. Firstly, even with a slightly troubled script, he showed tremendous promise. Doctor Eight was both written and performed in a very interesting manner. While both Colin Baker and, especially, Sylvester McCoy were making the character darker, McGann turned the Doctor back into the idealist he once was. Refusing to stoop to the level of his enemies, he was back to always trying to stay on that High Road. He was a romantic not just because of his sex-appeal, but also in the truer sense of the word. He held to lofty ideals and refused to break them. We got this kind of impression of him in less than 90 minutes of screentime.

I, for one, wanted to see more of him. And that's the first thing that causes me to lose sleep over Doctor Eight. I have, literally, stayed up at night yearning for more Eighth Doctor. I was so distraught over the fact that this will probably never happen that it was making it difficult for me to close my eyes and shut down for a bit. That's how pathetic of a fan I can be!

But something that affects my sleep pattern even worse is debate. If I can't make up my mind over something, I will get restless. And that is the other factor that keeps me tossing and turning over Doctor Eight. Do we consider him a Doctor from the Classic Series? Or is he, technically, a part of New Who canon? I can't decide! 


POINT-BY-POINT

The best way to examine this argument is to break it down. So we're going to look at several key elements of the whole production and see whether they better resemble the style of the Classic Series or New Who. In some cases, things will be very clear (ie: the use of symphonic scoring). In other instances, the issue will be more cloudy. A certain aspect of the story might reflect traits from both versions of the show. I'll do my best to cover everything as comprehensively as possible and point out even the smallest of details that might get the episode to lean more towards New or Old Who. 


THE EIGHTH DOCTOR, HIMSELF - PART ONE: THE OUTFIT

From a purely aesthetic perspective, Doctor Eight would lead us to believe that he is from the Classic Series. There is a fairly strong distinction between the Doctor's costume choices between the two eras of the show. And McGann's clothing has a definite leaning towards Old Who. 

In Old Who, his outfits had a strong historical flare to them. Oftentimes borrowing heavily from either the Victorian or Edwardian periods. Lots of vests, frock coats and cravats. With the occasional hat, scarf and cape thrown in for good measure. The Old Series Doctor looks like a man from a more classical time period.  There were slight exceptions to this rule. Sylvester McCoy looked a bit more modern with his blazer, pullover and tie during his proper run. But even when we first see him in The 96 Telemovie, he's switched to a vest (or waistcoat if you want to be more British about the whole thing!). Which definitely gives him a more Classic Doctor kind of feel.

Whereas New Who Doctors definitely tend to go with a more modern look. Particularly the first Doctor that we see in the series. It was almost shocking to witness Eccleston prancing around in a pullover, leather jacket and black jeans. But we came to accept that this would be the way of things for the Doctor from hereon in. And this is, generally, the case. There have also been exceptions to this rule.  Matt Smith definitely looked a little more classical during his later period. Peter Capaldi's early outfit also had a more historical vibe to it. But he definitely dispelled that as he added in the hoodie and the sonic shades..

Paul McGann's costume is definitely in keeping with the styles of a Classic Who Doctor. A nice knee-length frock coat with a vest and cravat definitely all feels quite Victorian. In fact, some have complained that the whole outfit is just a bit too "generically Doctorish". As if more thought should have been put into making the costume feel more distinctive. Statements such as these are in reference to how the Doctor would dress from 1963 to 1989. Rather than alluding to the fashion tastes of Modern Who Doctors.

While I know this isn't part of the debate, if we bother to go to the Night of the Doctor minisode, he's still looking pretty Victorian.  The costume does become a bit more individualized, but the same basic vest, frock coat and neckwear motif is there.He still looks more like a Classic Series Doctor than a modern one. Even though the story was made by a New Who production team


THE EIGHTH DOCTOR, HIMSELF - PART 2:. THE INTERPRETATION

Moving past aesthetics, the actual portrayal of the character leans more heavily in the direction of New Who. Again, there is a pretty clear division between how the role was handled in both periods.

During the Classic Days, the Doctor came across as much more emotionally distant. While lots of exciting and dangerous things were going on around him, he tended to be the stability in the story. Oftentimes keeping a much more calm outlook on things. This was done to make him seem more alien. Being from an advanced culture endowed him with a sort of superior intellect that allowed him to see a bigger picture. This made him less likely to be distracted by the perils going on immediately in front of him. This is not to say that the Doctor was completely unemotional or dispassionate. He had his moments where his back would get up a bit. More times than others, however, it manifested itself in moral outrage when dealing with the villain of the tale. If that villain suddenly locked him in a room with a bomb, however, the Doctor would go about calmly diffusing it before it blows him up. Other people that might be in that room with him would be showing the necessary panic and fear that the scene needed. This was often the formula with how the character was portrayed. A sense of urgency was created more through companions and supporting characters. The Doctor, himself, frequently came across as more aloof.

As usual, this concept is not written in stone. Troughton, Davison, and McCoy could all get quite excitable, sometimes, when tension presented itself in a story. But they also showed a lot of that same aloofness that I just described.

In New Who, the Doctor is very much more a part of the action. Getting just as swept up in things as the companions and supports are. Having a sort of frantic edge to his personality is now a core ingredient to the character. He/she displays much more greatly what the audience is meant to be experiencing in any given moment of an adventure. Particularly when things get exciting. The Doctor is far more easily agitated these days. In fact, we see very little of that calmer more reflective side that was so apparent in Old Who. Capaldi showed it a bit during those moments when he would strum away at his electric guitar in the console room. Eccleston and Tennant even displayed it a bit when they were facing up to some of their angst. But, more times than others, the Doctor is very much caught up in the emotions of his whirlwind adventures.

We first see this being displayed in Doctor Eight. Much of his introductory story is propelled by the sense of urgency that he specifically shows in his demeanor. There are several moments, in fact, where everyone else is sitting around quite calmly while he's being upset by the impending danger of things. The ambulance ride with the Master, Grace and Chang-Lee is a great example of this. "This planet's about to be destroyed and I'm stuck in a traffic jam!" he rants. Everyone else in the vehicle almost seems to be looking at him like he needs to calm down. Even though they're all riding in an emergency vehicle - something that should be cultivating a sense of urgency in everyone!

I am the first to admit that character interpretation is a pretty subjective thing and that I am painting in pretty broad strokes, here. But I'm still more prone to believing that much of how Doctor Eight's character is handled by McGann is more reflective of a New Who Doctor than one from the Classic Series.


THE DOCTOR, HIMSELF - PART THREE: HAVING A LOVE LIFE

This is a big one that definitely makes Doctor Eight a New Who Doctor. Aside from a brief misunderstanding in The Aztecs, the Doctor never really entertains a love life in the Classic Series. He is clearly an avuncular character who was not necessarily unattractive - but certainly wasn't some hot piece of eye-candy, either!

This, very much, changes in the modern series. Even Doctor Nine, who doesn't ooze sex appeal like Ten and Eleven did, ends up gettin' it on a bit with Rose at the end of his season (yes, he's kissing her to remove the Time Vortex from her body - but did it really have to be done that way?! Quite frankly, it seemed more like just an excuse to make out with Rose!). Ten, of course, was a rampaging slut by Classic Who standards. He snogs any number of women throughout his tenure and even gets one more kissing scene in 50th Anniversary Special. Eleven doesn't slow down much. Even Twelve makes out with Missy a bit. Oddly enough, Thirteen is the first Doctor in a while that doesn't ever seem to have a love life. That may change as the show progresses. But, if it doesn't, that's cool too. It's nice to see the Doctor just having adventures and enjoying science again. Rather than trying to get laid.

Just like in the last category, this trend of the Doctor developing a libido starts in The 96 Telemovie. In fact, it was almost shocking to see him kissing Grace against the tree. Our hero was forever changed after that moment. From that point onward, the Doctor had sexuality.

Of course, actually performing a romantic act was only the half of it. As I had mentioned in the first paragraph: the Classic Series Doctor wasn't hideous but he wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, either. This definitely changed with McGann. Like some of the New Who Doctors, his appearance could make the ladies swoon (and certain types of boys, too, for that matter!). I still love that there was a whole website in the 90s called: "It's 1999. The Master Wants the Doctor's Body. He's Not the Only One!".

This is definitely another point in favor of the "The 96 Telemovie is New Who" camp.



THE DOCTOR, HIMSELF - PART FOUR: HIS TASTES

As we wrap up character examination, one more point must go to the Classic Series.

While 21st Century Doctors still make some classic references, they are definitely much more into pop culture. In the Classic Series, the Doctor was often completely unfamiliar with the trendiness of the age the show was being shot in. He favored the things of bygone eras and enjoyed displaying a sense of culture and even sophistication.

Even the War Doctor, who is very much a representation of a Classic Series Doctor (who takes place after Doctor Eight and, therefore, encourages the idea that Eight is an Old Who Doctor) doesn't know what cup-a-soup is and is outraged that the Doctor now says things like: "Timey Whimey". He very clearly demonstrates this division between New and Classic Doctors.

Those console room scenes that bookend The 96 Telemovie are the best examples of the Doctor being much more Classic than New. He's listening to an old Torch Song while sipping tea and reading H.G. Wells. If that doesn't create a Classic Series vibe, I don't know what does!


STORY STRUCTURE  - PART ONE: PACING

We've looked at how the Doctor was represented in The 96 Telemovie, now it's time to move on to the other traits of the backdoor pilot. The very structure of the story has several characteristics that point to either New or Classic Who.

The pacing of this particular story is very much in keeping with a New Who adventure. Old Who is well-known for being much more slow and ponderous, whereas the Modern Series moves at an almost frantic pace (something I've already discussed in my Capture-and-Escape Hall of Fame entry: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/11/complete-and-utter-silliness-capture.html).

The 96 Telemovie definitely tries to push things along as quickly as possible and not get bogged down with any more exposition than it needs to. Once again, this is really the first time we've seen a Doctor Who story play out in such a manner (with a notable exception or two - Earthshock, for instance, moves quite fast).


STORY STRUCTURE - PART TWO: THE PLOT

Another point for New Who! Classic Who is much more happy to indulge in subplots as its main storyline plays out. Various plot strands will move along together towards a conclusion. All of them get quite a bit of attention as they do so.

New Who is much more about a very strong focus on Plot A. It's not to say that there are no subplots at all, but they are, very much, pushed to the background.

Paul McGann's one-and-only televisual outing is mainly about trying to stop the Master from destroying the Earth as he tries to take over the Doctor's body. There are some very minor B and C stories (Grace breaking up with her boyfriend, Professor Wagg still trying to save the party even though his clock doesn't work), but they are painfully insignificant.


STORY STRUCTURE - PART THREE: THE CHARACTERS

This one is quite odd. I'm bringing it up on purpose to help introduce a premise I'll explore more deeply later.

Both New and Classic Who tend to like have a strong stable of supporting characters to help build the story. You'll have your main characters: the Doctor and a companion, a villain and, perhaps, a henchman. But then you'll have a series of other characters that, generally, only get seen in that particular adventure. The leads will build up some sort of relationship with them. Which gives the supports a suitable amount of screentime.

96 Telemovie treats its supports in a very different way. Aside from the Doctor, Grace, the Master and Chang Lee, everyone else is extremely incidental. They get a few brief scenes with only a handful of lines and then they get kicked out of the story. They might pop back briefly at a New Year's eve party - but they are, for the most part, harshly neglected.

This is, pretty much, the only time we've seen a Who Tale handle its supporting characters in such a manner. It almost causes us to feel like we're not actually watching real Doctor Who. This is, very much, the backdoor pilot doing its own thing.


GENERAL AESTHETICS:

There are a few vaguer points to this adventure that also help to get it to seem like it hails from a specific era:

The music of The 96 Telemovie definitely makes it feel New Who. The Classic Series relied heavily on electronic music (in the case of The Sea Devils, it may have relied on it too much!). But we switch to symphonic scoring as the Eighth Doctor makes his entrance. And this continues throughout the New Series.

Some might say that the way the whole thing was shot also makes it New Who. I could argue that point, though. Yes, Classic Who relies heavily on studio work using the three camera system. Whereas Modern Who is shot more in the style of a movie: single camera and largely on location. But if you look at the last two seasons of Sylvester McCoy, a lot of his stuff is also created in a filmic manner. So I'm more inclined to say that the show was evolving in this fashion even before we got to Doctor Eight. So, this is neither a point for New or Old. They both use this filming technique quite prominently.


A WILD THEORY:

If we're bothering to keep score, it does look like the New Series is winning, here. There does seem to be more points supporting the idea. But this still remains pretty subjective. You may feel that I've missed certain points or that the points that support Old Who are more significant even if they are fewer.

But there is but one more theory that we can explore. Could it be that The 96 Telemovie is neither New nor Classic Who? Or, perhaps, a hybrid of the two that causes it to sit in its own unique category? This idea, to me, has as much validity as classifying it as either New or Old Who. In many ways, I think it's the most accurate appraisal. It is its own special thing that doesn't fit anywhere but by itself.

It is entirely possible that Doctor Who gets put on extended hiatus again someday. That another one-off might be made several years after it ends that tries to resurrect it, but fails. Then, and only then, might The 96 Telemovie have something else that fits in its category with it.



Hopefully, that covers this debate comprehensively. I really did try to think of every little detail that categorizes the 96 Telemovie in some way. If I've missed anything, feel free to mention it in the comments.