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Rating:  - The fox film should be released
As the BBC continues to chrun out the latest series and it's spinoffs they are also remastering (where possible) vintage Who. Why BBC doesn't release this one astonishes me as it ws a recent produciton so it can't need that much work and all the principles are alive for commentary.
This film originally airing in the US on Fox in the late 90's was supposed to introduce the Doctor to the US audience widescale (I guess the miyriad of PBS shows that made Dr Who reruns a staple in pledge drives in the 80's made someone think it could work).
And it might have if ever given a chance. The film was a regeneration episode which are usually marred by weak plots anyway. it was further muddled by too many cooks in the kitchen. it is obvious studio execs wanted this to "feel" like other fox shows of the time.
Mcgann is excellent and evne Eric Roberts is good (and he usually annoys me as he overacts worse than Shatner). I was lucky enough to tape it on original broadcast and it occasional airs on STARS. Worth the 2 hour sit down if you cna see it and if you can watch a r2 or it is released in the US it is worth buying
Rating:  - Two starts for McGann's portrayal, everything else in this is terrible...
I remember watching this when it aired, and how bitterly disappointed I was in it. I had a feeling that they were going to try and "Americanize" the Doctor, and I was right.
It starts off with the Master's trial on Skaro (!). In Doctor Who folklore, that would never happen. The Daleks would never have a trial for The Master. The Daleks would more than likely have a trial for the Doctor, who was their arch enemy. It goes downhill from there. Eric Roberts is the Master here, and he doesn't really know how to play a renegade Time Lord. He can be a good actor with good material, but this TV movie was a bone headed decision from the beginning.
There are too many special effects (and violence) in this, making it uncomfortable to watch at times and it has none of the wit and intelligence of vintage Doctor Who. Despite having low expectations going in, the makers of this still managed to exceed those low expectations.
On the plus side, Paul McGann is wonderful as the Doctor, and it's a shame that when they started the series again in the U.K., they didn't put him in it as the Doctor. And it also stinks that in the series' folklore, McGann counts as a regeneration. He only played the role once, for crying out loud! Oh, well.
This film is really just for Doctor Who fans/completists, no one else.
Rating:  - Paul McGann is my favorite Doctor, out of all ten of 'em...
I know what a lot of people have said about this movie, and I know that the eighth Doctor is in that "fuzzy" region of the Who universe. Still. I love Paul McGann's Doctor. As he is shown in this movie. As how he is shown in the Big Finish audio series. And as how he is developed in the BBC novels. I would have to say that while I have always loved the 7th Doctor, and what Virgin publishers did for the seventh Doctor, this and the other works under the Doctor by Paul McGann are my treasured possessions in my many Whovian stuff. This is not what you would call an in-depth movie. But it is something that is suppose to be for the Who series: fun. This is a fun movie. It has full connection to the series (especially if you read the novel Lungbarrow, the last of Virgin 7th Doctor stories) and as well as having the regeneration scene. Which is somewhat important at least for me. I love the story, Paul McGann shows himself well as a Doctor. He builds from the old, develops him, and pushes him toward the future (especially when you connect this tv movie to the novel series and the Big Finish series). Fun. Fun. Fun. Yes the big problem is that this is only on Region 2. I had to buy a regionless DVD player to play this, and the other Doctor Who releases. But you can pick one up for only, say 60 bucks. Worth the effort. This movie is worth it.
Rating:  - not available for U.S. dvd players
i find it very disappointing that this movie, while actually great, seems to only come in a dvd format that is not compatible with dvd players sold here in the united states. I would LOVE to have this movie on dvd and have been looking for it for for a while now and so far have never been able to find a dvd of this movie that is compatible with my dvd player here in the U.S.
i am sure im not the only person here in america who would love to have this movie on dvd. if this ever becomes available on dvd here in the states in a format form that IS compatible with dvd players here in the states...please let me know.
Rating:  - very good beginning
i really enjoyed watching this new begining of doctor who with paul mcgann as the doctor his performance reminded me of tom bakers and peter davidsons potrayal of the doctor. i loved eric roberts as the master he was very scary and sinister. its too bad this was shown on the fox network because no one really watches that network it would have got much larger ratings success if it had been shown on sci fi network channel.
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