It's been 17 years since I wrote and co-produced Doctor Who the movie for Fox TV/Universal/BBC ... Paul McGann's doctor had his only TV outing on that film, and when the show was revived in 2005 (even though my Doctor was accepted into the cannon of Doctors) his death and regeneration were never really dealt with. The eighth doctor lived on in audio books and novels. I have always felt like the Cinderella of Doctor Who writers. But this year is the 50th anniversary of the Doctor and the gently witty character I gave voice to for McGann has developed a loving following. I was SO happy to see them bring him back to life today on the big screen, so proud of Paul ,and happy that Moffat did this ... It's fantastic to see McGann's Doctor again and I wish I could be writing for him once again.
18 Comments
Dan Burden
11/14/2013 09:03:58 pm
Just wanted to say, I'm huge fan of the TV movie, it's certainly not perfect but it has been unfairly dismissed by fans over the years.
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11/15/2013 03:45:04 am
It was wonderful to see Paul back in the role, however briefly. There were several things wrong with the TV movie, but there were also many things that were very right - Paul McGann was definitely one of them. His performance in audio dramas such as "The Holy Terror" and "The Chimes of Midnight" was captivating.
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Matthew
11/15/2013 05:49:47 am
I think by the time we came back to the Doctor in the mid 90s he'd been almost turned into a Christ figure - llet's face it resurrection is a pretty god-given skill. There were hundreds of thousands of people waiting for the second coming, and their numbers were growing ... We were bound to disappoint, especially with so many demands in terms of selling it to a US audience. The Whovians had developed so many rules and rituals. I think everyone learnt from the movie, including myself. Like you I think there was a lot wrong with it, but also like you I loved the way McGann brought him to life again.
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Jeremy
11/15/2013 07:45:14 am
Mr. Jacobs:
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Matthew
11/15/2013 04:00:01 pm
Jeremy, thank you so much for your kind words! In the mid 90s network TV (especially Fox) was very ratings driven, it was a battleground, and I'm not surprised we lost the night. Things are slightly different now there's so much more cable and internetworks. Also in the 90s the Doctor was still relatively unknown in the states, even though he had a growing following. But you know, things have a way of working out for the best ... The 2005 resurrection of the show was wonderful and I've loved watching it develop since then. The BBC brought it back as a writer-driven show and that's what was and has always been so special about Doctor Who, if Fox and Universal had gone to series, the show would have been run by suits so it's great that that didn't happen. I've been doing small independent films these days for the most part, working both in the States and in Europe. (you can find out about them on this site) But nothing as big as Doctor Who. Yesterday's appearance of the 8th doctor was as big of a shock to me as it was to the rest of the world. I doubt that I own the rights to Grace or Chang Lee even though they were my creation. Obviously you bring yourself to the table and I certainly brought my love for the Doctor there by the boatload. But when you write for hire you sign over all rights to your work to the studio (in this case Universal/Fox/BBC) and the only return you normally get is for repeats, documentary use, and Writers Guild residuals. As far as I know, everything I wrote is owned by those who paid me. Thanks for asking Jeremy, and thanks for posting here.
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Matthew
11/17/2013 10:12:59 am
How can I help you in any way?
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Ian
11/20/2013 01:25:19 pm
Mr. Jacobs,
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Matthew
11/21/2013 12:41:06 am
Yes of course, I'd be interested. Big Finish has a wonderful reputation. Please contact me through the contact form at the back of this site and let's see what we can do. Thanks so much for asking!
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Matthew
11/25/2013 06:32:59 am
In case you tried to contact me through my agent or my US manager from the contact for at the back, it might be quicker if you just use the contact form back there to contact me directly... Looking forward to talking. Did you enjoy the anniversary special this weekend?
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Oliver Crocker
2/26/2014 01:25:37 am
Dear Matthew,
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Matthew jacobs
2/26/2014 05:22:37 am
Hey Oliver, I'm so happy Paul's Doctor was your first. Yes, I'd love to do another. Keep the faith my friend
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Oliver Crocker
2/26/2014 05:52:27 pm
Thank you so much for your reply Sir! A nice start to the day over here in London! All the very best, Oliver
Jeff
8/16/2014 11:14:16 pm
The TV Movie pilot ratings on FOX may not have won the night, But it's ratings were about the same ratings that Star Trek Voyager was getting on UPN in 1996, and that was considered a success. If it had been on any of the other networks it would have been considered a failure, so it's all about the context.
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