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SUNRISE FILMS - INTERNAL MEMO

From: Paul Saltzman

To: File

Status: Confidential

Re: The New Doctor - Sci Fi Channel Project

I’ve had the chance to view the research on the background of the New Doctor and Doctor Who, and I definitely think we have a winner here. The Doctor Who concept trails just behind Star Wars, Star Trek, Buck Rogers, Aliens as far as being iconic film or television science fiction. I’d say it easily stands somewhere in the top dozen. It will probably be superseded by new brands like Stargate and Sliders. As a brand, it’s mainly limited to England, and a cult audience here in North America. But for Moses purpose, a cult audience is just fine.

The main issue with the brand, apart from its narrow audience and lack of wide appeal, is that it’s largely obsolete. But the basic format is sound, and I think that there are several ways to revitalize it.

I think the strongest part of it is the Space Doctor concept, a physician who travels through time and space helping people, getting involved, curing the sick, tending to injuries. There’s a long history of medical drama, but this is unique and it opens wonderful storytelling possibilities. Let’s keep that.

I don’t like that blue box, or the red phone booth. That’s a really obscure bit of british culture, and I don’t think it carries over. What I’d like to see is a Medical Van - something white, with a big red cross on it, that the Doctor and his Assistant can drive in and out of wormholes. Note to get that costed out. That would be a really great special effect.

The original concept of the blue box was that it would change shape to blend in, but got stuck. I like that idea. So we’ll give the medical van a chameleon circuit, so that we can dress it up for whatever era it’s in. For the future, we’ll stick rocket boosters on the back. For the past, we’ll cover the sides with canvas like an old fashioned wagon. Easy to do. I just love this concept.

Oh, and the Doctor should always carry around an old fashioned Doctor’s bag, which will be bigger on the inside, and can contain anything he needs for any situation, including a full automated lab. Maybe we can have it float on anti-gravity and follow him around? Cost it out? Maybe it will be talking? He can call it K9.

From what I can tell, he just shows up randomly. That doesn’t work for me. He should go where he’s needed. I think that there should be a secret signal to call the Doctor, that people in distress can find, and when they activate it, he comes calling. Sort of like the A-Team. We’ll open every episode with people in trouble, they call the Doctor.... and he drives his van through the wormhole. It will be great. I can see it.

What about the society that the Doctor comes from? The Time Lords. He’s part of medical division, maybe he has a superior who monitors how he performs with case, gives him assignments. There’s probably more than just the medical division of the Time Lords. Police or Security, perhaps. Every now and then, his missions conflict with a police mission of the Time Lords? There are some angles there. Potential story ideas.

The Doctor should have an assistant. I think a nurse, or a trainee, someone who is clearly madly in love with him. The Doctor should be aloof though, professional. Except in times of stress, when he would let his romantic feelings come out.

As for enemies - I like Terry Nation’s Daleks concept, and I’m glad he’s bringing them on board. I think that they need more of a redesign. At first, I thought they were robots, but apparently, that’s just the shell, they’re alien cyborgs. I think that they could use a redesign. I’m thinking the bottom half would be mechanical, a vehicle. The top part could clearly be a combination of organic and mechanical parts - head, torso, arms. A sort of mechani-centaur. Half machine, half person. Very creepy.

Serial format has got to go! Stand alone half hour episodes. Keep it moving fast.

I don’t think David is right for the Doctor. He did all right in the British version, but I think we can do better. We’ll come up with a list of good solid TV actors. Besides, I think David is willing to step down. He’s clearly seeing himself, and has stepped up into the role of, a producer. That’s not going to give him any time or energy to actually act. I haven’t asked him flat outright, but we’ve explored it and he clearly sees the writing on the wall and is receptive. I think that handled gently, he’ll be okay with it. Note to make sure he gets to participate in the process of selecting the next Doctor.

This was excellent brandy. I’ll have to remember the brand.

I’m very excited about this. I think that this is something we can sell. I think Moses will go wild for it. Sherry, type this up for me.