Part II, Chapter XXI: "Taking a Gamble"
“To be completely honest, had I not been bound by my contract, I probably would have left after my first season. All things considered, I’m glad that that was the case, but I really wasn’t enjoying myself in that first season. I was still new to show-business, so the sudden change from obscurity to being the face of a beloved franchise put a bit of pressure on me. After my time on the show, I decided that I was going to go for more supporting roles in the future.”
- Alexander Siddig (Siddig El-Fadil) speaking about his role as the Eighth Doctor, taken from
An Adventure in Space and Time. [1]
Many of the producers went into the filming of season twenty-five of
Doctor Who filled with trepidation. A new Doctor, new companion, new showrunner and even a new Master meant that the show could change direction completely. The success of Laurie’s doctor warranted a grand start to a new era.
Cartmel, the new showrunner, had bold ideas for the show. He wanted to explore more of the mythos of the Gallifreyans, the Doctor’s people. Throughout his tenure as head writer, there would be many hints dropped that there was more to the Doctor than first appeared, and that his early history tied in with the history of Gallifrey in a major way. As a result of this, Siddig’s Doctor would be much darker than the previous seven. [2]
As filming commenced, the staff soon found that Hatcher and Siddig did not share the chemistry that Laurie, Hanks and Crosby had. Though there was no bad blood between the two, they did not interact much off set. In addition, the stress of portraying the lead character in a major television show was affecting Siddig’s mental health, resulting in him seeking counselling.
Season 25 would see a return to the more episodic format of seasons 22 and 23, though a multi-season arc would be set up in the season, and the conclusion of another. Many old enemies would return to the show, including the Daleks and Cybermen, as well as a new Master.
The Daleks and Davros would return in the conclusion to the Dalek Civil War arc,
Remembrance of the Daleks. The story would see the Daleks forces on Earth in 1963, searching for an artefact that the Doctor brought with him when he first visited Earth.
The new Master would make appearances in the season, played by American actor J. E. Freeman. Freeman’s Master would act similarly to both Ainley and Delgado’s portrayals, but more outwardly aggressive, and slightly less manipulative. [3]
Fewer guest stars would appear in the season, though Eric Idle and Michael Palin, both members of Monty Python, would guest star in episodes of the season.
The build-up to the release of season 25 of
Doctor Who would be somewhat marred by the announcement that Teri Hatcher would be leaving the show at the end of the season. While both Hatcher and Siddig expressed interest in leaving, Hatcher’s contract was for only one season, while Siddig’s was for three. [4]
When Hatcher was interviewed about why she left, she cited feeling a lack of chemistry with Siddig, and being overworked by the production team. These comments would lead to some fans being turned off of the show.
Season 25 of
Doctor Who would be released on May 12, 1991. The season would consist of 26 episodes, each 45 minutes in length.
Although
Doctor Who had been successful for the past few years, 1991 would show that there was indeed trouble in paradise… [5]
[1] It's not all clear sailing for Doctor Who now. Their star is a newcomer, and the stress is getting to him.
[2] I'll be using aspects of the "Cartmel Masterplan" here. There won't be anything explicit for a while, but hints will be dropped. Expect a few familiar faces to appear.
[3] Thank you to Time Enough for this idea. I was originally going to use him elsewhere, but then I looked at his Wikipedia page and instantly thought: "Master"
[4] I chose Hatcher for the companion, then right after I wrote that update, I came up with a better idea. I also just think that this is how that would play out.
[5] Doctor Who has been riding a high for a little while now. The successes of the Amblin films, immediately followed by the Laurie era, which was a massive success, means that something that is just 'good' will be seen as a step down. I'll explore a bit more of how Siddig's Doctor is seen in retrospect in about 3 updates time.