Part II, Chapter XXXI: "Playing it Safe"
“I hadn’t planned on a career in television. In fact, I swore that I would never work there. I also swore that I would never work in Los Angeles, but by 1992, I had done both. It was really nerve-wracking, going from complete obscurity to one of the leads in one of the biggest television shows of the time. But then, Sid had already done that, so he was able to help me through it all.”
- Gillian Anderson on her role as Dr Rachel Vance, taken from
An Adventure in Space and Time. [1]
To describe the atmosphere on the set of the twenty-sixth season of
Doctor Who as one of unease would likely have been an understatement. The higher-ups at NBC were threatening cancellation should ratings not improve, and the rumours of Siddig leaving the role were not helping with the rampant fan speculation.
Despite the clear on-screen chemistry between Siddig and Anderson, the fact that they were both still relative newcomers to mainstream television made many of the producers uneasy. There were talks of firing Siddig and hiring a replacement, but that would likely reduce viewership even further, which could lead to cancellation. [2]
Andrew Cartmel, the showrunner, had had a great deal of creative freedom over the previous season, but it was the opinion of many of the producers that it was these risks that had resulted in the previous season being a failure. As a result, the show would stick much closer to its roots this season, rather than exploring the route that Cartmel had wanted. Siddig’s Doctor would be less dark than in the previous season, which had seen him manipulate his companion to further his own ends. [3]
Once on set, it was clear that Gillian Anderson would be a much better fit for a companion for Siddig’s Doctor than Teri Hatcher had been. The two quickly struck up a friendship, having worked together on the previous season’s finale “Love and War”, which resulted in Anderson being offered a role as the new companion.
The unexpected departure of Hatcher would mean that some of the scripts for the season would need to be reworked to accommodate the new companion, Dr Rachel Vance. Vance would be a departure from the previous companions of the American-produced era, as she would be from the future. While this could make her less relatable to the audience, it was the hope of the writers that Dr Vance’s familiarity with future technology would reduce the need for technobabble, as there would be fewer explanations as to how various devices in the plot would work.
The season would see the long-awaited return of Nicholas Courtenay as the Brigadier. Courtenay’s Brigadier had been a mainstay of the classic series, but had not appeared since the 20th anniversary special
The Five Doctors. He would appear in the opening story of the season,
Battlefield, which would see him join forces with the Doctor and Rachel to stop a sorceress from another dimension. [4]
J.E. Freeman’s Master would also make a return, as would Eric Idle’s Monk. Both had received a positive critical reception, and the recurring cast of “Gallifreyan rogues” proved to be incredibly popular among fans. [5]
In order to prove that the show was still viable, the producers made an effort to reduce the cost per episode. This would result in fewer guest stars, in much the same vein as the previous season, as well as an increased number of “bottle episodes” and other stories that would use props and costumes already available to the crew.
Shortly after the start of the airing of the twenty-sixth season, Siddig announced that he was not going to renew his contract beyond his third season, which would be season twenty-seven. Siddig said that while he was enjoying his time on the show now, he wished to move into a role where he would not be the main star, and would prefer to work as part of an ensemble. While Anderson would renew her contract for a second season, she also announced that season twenty-seven would be her last. [6]
Doctor Who began airing on the 23rd of November 1963, and 1993 would bring the thirtieth anniversary, as well as Siddig’s departure from the main role. Though the anniversary was a year away, plans had been being drawn up for a while. It had been decided that the anniversary story would be the finale to season twenty-seven, so as to enable Siddig’s regeneration into the as-yet-uncast Ninth Doctor.
The planned script, titled
Lost in the Dark Dimension would see the return of all prior seven Doctors and a main role for Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor, which remained a favourite among fans. The story would see the Doctor return to Logopolis, as a chronal being attempts to stop the Doctor’s regeneration into the Fifth Doctor.
However, whether the previous Doctors’ actors would be willing to return was unclear, especially in the case of Christopher Lloyd. [7]
As 1992 came, the future of
Doctor Who was up in the air, and many fans were prepared for season twenty-six to be its last. Much as the show had unexpectedly stormed onto American televisions, it could just as quickly disappear. [8]
[1] Anderson's move to LA ITTL is not as a way to get a job in showbusiness, but rather because that's where Doctor Who is based.
[2] I was tempted to "Colin Baker" Siddig here, but as there is no Grade in charge, I figured he'd be given a second chance. Anyway, the producers don't want to have to get a last minute replacement.
[3] Expect him to be a bit more like Sylvester McCoy in his first season. The "Cartmel Masterplan" stuff is being toned down this season.
[4] Not the best story, but I think that in this situation, bringing back a fan favourite character could boost viewership ratings (of course, this story actually had the lowest ratings of any Classic Who story).
[5] I may or may not be working towards something here. If I were, the payoff wouldn't be for another few years in-universe though.
[6] The Troughton rule reigns supreme. I've announced it earlier for two main reasons. One, I want to see who you think I'll cast. Who knows, I may even drop in a hint. Two, with how much Siddig wanted out during season 1, he'll announce it as soon as he has the chance but when it won't affect the release too much.
[7] Dropping some hints for the 30th here. Should be a lot of fun. Already run the story by a couple of people, and I think I've got it nailed down.
[8] It's not all smooth sailing for the show. Gambles like Siddig might not always pay off.
