Doctor Who What If: William Russell Was In Mawdryn Undead?

Hi everyone. Here's another What If video, this time trying to answer the question: What If William Russell Was In Mawdryn Undead? I'm doing this so as to pay tribute to William Russell, after his recent passing.
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[@DonnaLang42rockglobally]

I've always wondered would have happened if William Russell had come back to reprise his role of Ian Chesterton in Mawdryn Undead... and now I know. I would have made one little addition to the story line and consiquentially the cast: instead of phoning Barbara at the end of the story, I would have included Jacqueline Hill as Barbara returning to the school after a trip to London (either a day trip with a group of students to a historical site or a visit to relatives) and asking her husband of 18 odd years if she'd missed anything while she was gone. Ian would have laughed and replied, "Where do I start?"

[@thechrisandmikeshow]

Perfect. - Chris

[@LosingThePlotYT]

How hasn’t this channel got a 100k subs yet? Great video. I love the idea of Doctor Who What Ifs.

[@timothyweers8054]

Being that if William Russell wasn't available, couldn't Jacqueline Hill be the next best person to use for the math teacher? She seemed to be the one who held everyone together by logically solving the problems in front of them. I think that she would have accepted the Doctor regenerating more than Ian would. Also, I think Tegan would be more comfortable with talking with another woman especially in a boys school or changing it to a school for more troubled kids if it wasn't heard of a woman being an instructor for an all boys school. If changing the school to a troubled children school, fits more in place for Turlough as his liason was a solicitor in the larger city instead of his parents.

[@BillWhovian]

Well, they never even considered her for it in our timeline bizarrely. I don’t see why there would be any issue with her teaching an all boys private school.

[@user-un9go4qe5i]

Or Harry Sullivan, Mike Yates or Benton - admittedly Benton would have been a P.E. teacher and Harry probably the school medical officer. Mike could have been teaching philosophy or something.

[@martinrobo123]

​​@@user-un9go4qe5ithe actor who played Harry, I believe had passed on by then.

[@evilmorwen]

@@martinrobo123 nah - he died in 1986, three years later.

[@martinrobo123]

@@evilmorwen ok I stand corrected. Tbh I don't know if Harry would've fitted in with the story though tbh.

[@thelordsoftime2001]

it would 've been great seeing ian again don't get me wrong it was great seeing the brigader again but it would have been great having the og compainion for the 20th well i may not have been a fan of his era i will give chibnail credit he did bring him back even if it was only for a cameo as for the five doctors i could see him and barabara cameo like how jamie zoe liz and captain yates did rip `willam russell

[@filmunion8194]

What if 1992 the show came back and was rebooted the next few years and got very successful?

[@f-zilla7347]

Huh.. like half the comments are from the same guy.. BUT he did have one really interesting scenario: “What if the 1996 TV Movie was a success…?” That could be a really fun alternate timeline as they already had quite a few ideas on where to go, like introducing the Doctor’s Human Mother as a recurring character. Oh; and here’s another fun one of my own; What if Richard Griffiths played the Fifth Doctor instead of Peter Davison…?

[@BillWhovian]

Yeah some people get a bit carried away lol 😆 As I said to the guy who commented it earlier, the TV Movie one will be coming soon. I'll be making a miniseries of videos all about it, so that I can go into enough detail.

[@fadikhoory5350]

The UNIT dating controversy wouldn't have been as messed up.

[@BillWhovian]

Yep exactly like I said in the video :)

[@thechrisandmikeshow]

Still think that William Russell and Jacqueline Hill should've at least cameoed in "The Five Doctors" as Ian and Barbara/"Phantoms from the Past" with Richard Hurndall's First Doctor. His was the only Doctor out of the first three that didn't have such a scene. - Chris

[@madmanmark8387]

I'm sad to hear of his passing. Albeit it's been roughly 2 weeks, and I just found out now. I was reading on Wikipedia about what you mentioned. This would have been a good episode with him. Then again, in his final ever brief cameo, he was bewildered to hear the doctor was a female. So him seeing the 5th might have been interesting. He lived a very long life 99 just shy of the illustrious century mark.

[@dougsfilmtv9810]

I would love to see if William Russell to come back in Mawdryn Undead and that would be interesting.

[@KeithMS]

As I understood it, that was the original idea back in the 1980s ... but William Russell had other acting commitments at the time and wasn't available for the period for filming the story.

[@filmunion8194]

What if the show was revived in 1993 was rebooted?

[@filmunion8194]

I would’ve cast Rufus Sewell as the doctor because of his role dark city if the reboot had happened earlier or revival of the show.

[@tonyyoung3985]

I may have cheered a little too loudly during this scene.

[@ruairiedwards8616]

What if Tom Baker and other Companions and Villains returned for The Five Doctors. Such as Ian, Jamie, Victoria, Jo, Leela and Romana for companions and the Ice Warriors and Autons for Villains

[@Eltonlaleham]

I do think Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart returning in Mawdryn Undead but no longer in the Army, and no longer C.O. of UNIT was rather weird and really I would have liked to see Lethbrigdge-Stewart return still in the army and the 5th Doctor comes to earth to assist UNIT in defeating an alien enemy and then going on his way at the end of the story.

[@user-un9go4qe5i]

It should have been Ian Chesterton, Mikes Yates, Harry Sullivan or Benton.

[@drwho-hj1pu]

Good and interesting video mate while it would have been interesting seeing ian Chesterton in mawdryn undead i think and believe it worked out well with the brig. Ian and barabra would have worked out better in the 5 dr's.

[@dwfan91-]

Great video as always

[@BillWhovian]

Thank you 😊

[@bloomingdock516]

Brilliant video. 👏 😊

[@user-vl2kl9pc6u]

What if David Tennant or Jodie Whittaker stayed for season 1 (2024)

[@Eltonlaleham]

I am not sure Ian would have worked in Mawdryn Undead given that he never saw the Dr change his appearance.

[@BillWhovian]

The Doctor could probably explain it to him to be fair

[@filmunion8194]

What if the power of the doctor was released in 1992 and there was no bi regeneration?

[@filmunion8194]

What if the TV movie was a success?

[@BillWhovian]

You've suggested that a lot over the past year. Rest assured, it will happen sometime within the next few months

[@user-wk3ce3yj2u]

What if the Brig was in Stones Of Blood?

[@BillWhovian]

Why would you have him in the Stones of Blood specifically? 🤔

[@user-wk3ce3yj2u]

Because, it’s present day, 1978, London, Earth, Solar System, Milky Way, N-Space

[@BillWhovian]

@user-wk3ce3yj2u Well yeah, but so are some other Fourth Doctor stories, such as the Android Invasion or the Seeds of Doom. And I would’ve picked one of those personally. So I'm curious as to why you decided to go with the Stones of Blood? 🤔

[@martinrobo123]

Arc of Infinity was the 2st story from season 20, and not Mawdryn Undead.

[@BillWhovian]

I said "third." Which is exactly what Mawdryn Undead is. 123.) Arc of Infinity. 124.) Snakedance. 125.) Mawdryn Undead.