The Night Of The Doctor (2013) | REACTION

[@TheMoonRover]

This minisode was a complete secret until they released it on BBC Red Button a few days before _The Day of the Doctor_ in 2013. Paul McGann was a surprise (hence the line "I'm a Doctor, but probably not the one you're expecting") and IIRC this was the first official confirmation that John Hurt's Doctor was between 8 and 9, during the Time War.

[@alessandroarsuffi9227]

Yep, It came out as a surprise. Three Beeb told us on their news that this minisode would have featured only one of the three Doctors from the 50th. They didn't lie, but those 5 seconds of John Hurt's face just hid the biggest secret of all: McGann holding a sonic screwdriver on screen for the second time ever. It blew my mind.

[@daveangel2991]

If I remember correctly, this was released earlier than Moffat/BBC had planned - albeit by only a few days - because someone had leaked it to the tabloid press.

[@alessandroarsuffi9227]

@daveangel2991 I was following the online community at the time and didn't get spoiled at all... This is the first time I hear (well, read) about this.

[@alunrundle162]

They also played with it in 'The Five(ish) Doctors reboot' where, when Peter is calling the old Doctors, Paul McGann is, at first, interested in their protest. Then, later, they can't contact him and he's seen walking past them in the studios...

[@nocturne8333]

I will always be grateful to Moffat for bringing back the sisterhood of Karn. It’s always lovely to see Paul McGann as the Doctor, he’s brilliant.

[@jamiec6372]

the story that referenced big finish directly!!!! (when he mentions his companions) 8's audiodramas are fantastic would highly recommend

[@Paul_1971]

This should've been a pre-titles prologue to the 50th Special.

[@lumariadp]

Yeah, one of the few things BBC America did right was airing this immediately preceding the 50th special.

[@awall1701]

I had always wished that Paul McGann was given his own mini series.

[@simonoleary9264]

Technically I think they did, but as a collection of Big Finish audio dramas.

[@DoctorWossname]

This mini episode was made as a prequel to Day Of The Doctor (50th Annivesary Special). If memory serves it went round and round on BBC3 for a few hours on the Friday night setting up up the anniversary special on the Saturday.

[@RegianOne]

And the special was simultaneously shown in over 100 countries

[@oldwebshooter]

Ah, it'll never be the same as when people went into it having no idea McGann was in it. It was the first time he'd played the part on screen since the TV movie.

[@gregf9160]

Next to _Midnight_ and _Blink,_ it's up there as one of the best episodes of that era ever done. And, yes, fans lost their ____ at the time.

[@MrPaulMorris]

This short minisode showed, despite the producers' doubts, that Paul McGann would have been entirely capable of carrying the 50th special. The thought at the time was apparently that they needed a 'big name' so had to concoct a way to squeeze in the War Doctor( as previously we viewers had sort of assumed it was Nine who had fought in the Time War--despite the obvious hints in 'Rose' that he had regenerated recently). I don't recall anyone ever mentioning McGann as being in the running for the role in 2005. Whether this was about availability, clean breaks or simply a casting decision based on preferences I've never seen explained. Eccleston was just 'the best man for the job'. This minisode, as well as bringing Big Finish audio stories into canon, definitively links Classic and New Who since (along with the events of the 'Day of the Doctor') we bridge the gap in regenerations 8-> War Doctor -> 9.

[@Rik77]

I like that he lists all his companions from the audio dramas, bringing them into cannon. And great companions they are, lucie miller for example played by Sheridan Smith. And i agree he would gave been amazing in season 1 2005.

[@danielhead8123]

Big finish is what made me love the eighth doctor

[@kieronball8962]

Timey Wimey Moment, Marie-Clare. When the 50th Anniversary Episode was proposed, Eccleston was approached, but sadly declined to return. ( For reasons we need not go into, here. ) Thus John Hurt was introduced as " The War Doctor " to bridge the gap between Paul McGann and Eccleston, for the Day Of The Doctor. The Night Of The Doctor was a brilliant transitional episode, to explain Eccleston's absence, during The Time War. It also allowed every Big Finish audio adventure featuring McGann, to become cannon in the Doctor Who TV Universe.

[@markbelsom3174]

If I remember we didn't know Paul Mcgan was back as the doctor, was a total surprise.

[@alexfletcher5192]

People were complaining there wasn't enough about the Classic Doctors during the 50th. Well, 'Unearthly Child' was re-run, the 'Five-Ish Doctors' went out after 'Day of the Doctor'. this minisode happened... Other than reanimating the bodies of Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee and getting them to dance to the theme tune, I'm not sure what more they could have feasibly accomplished.

[@alessandroarsuffi9227]

The "thirteen Doctors" scene and Tom Baker's return were more than enough. Especially, considering how RTD mistreated the show by doing a Tennant solo in the 60th.

[@djco5782]

This was kept under wraps and was supposed to be released on or just before the 50th anniversary, but I think it was about to be leaked so they released it a week earlier, coincidentally on Paul McGann's birthday. It was a complete surprise.

[@Mr_RB75]

Probably the most important regeneration. The Doctor stopped being the Doctor and became the War Doctor for decades, hence the young image of John Hurt at the end. As others have said, this was shown with The Day of the Doctor and the special Adventure in time and space for the anniversary. Paul McGann should have been given a proper series.

[@GrilloTheFlightless]

I love the fact that they used old footage of a younger John Hurt at the end. Remember how many thousands of years it took for Matt Smith’s Doctor to look really old? Imagine how long the War Doctor’s generation must have lasted between this and Day Of The Doctor! How many hundreds, if not thousands, of years the Time War lasted! Of all the things the fans have been crying out for on social media, so very many want an 8th Doctor mini-series on screen. I’d love that, and Paul McGann deserves to have it. I don’t suppose we’ll ever see it, but we can dream!

[@danielhead8123]

It wasn't a children in need short it was released shortly before the anniversary episode

[@WaIkers]

The 8th Doctor is one of my favourites thanks to Big Finish and the DWM comics. When this came out, they teased a Doctor would appear, but which one would it be? And as soon as I heard his voice, I absolutely lost my shit. The Companions he lists are also Big Finish companions up to Dark Eyes 1, officially making them canon for the first time. Lucie (Sheridan Smith) is a great stepping on point for his adventures. Also side note about 7 from what you said: given his manipulation tactics and how many steps ahead he always is, someone pointed out to me that him being shot is such a curveball, so sudden and unplanned, it's almost perfect for his ending, the only way such a master manipulator could be taken out. Since then I've always apreciated it more

[@EditedAF987]

It’s so perfect that even other writers had been toying with the idea of killing 7 off in an abrupt and undignified manner. Andrew Cartmel envisioned him regenerating while gagged and bound in a straight jacket at the end of season 27, while the Virgin novels were planning to kill him off mid-story by having him step on a landmine.

[@magicalmrwest]

McGann is so underrated, you can find clips of his big finish work on KZbin. My particular favourite is “Doctor Who - Dark Eyes - the Master confronts Eight” which features Alex MacQueen as the Master which was a thing I didn’t even know I needed till I had it.

[@lumariadp]

Yeah, I didn't know he was going to be on it until they dropped this and I was floored. I'd listened to ha few 8th Doc audios by that point and so when he showed up I'm sure I could've been heard a mile away. I almost hate you knew ahead of time he was in it. But I'm glad you finally saw it!

[@alexfletcher5192]

I do think it was a bit harsh for the BBC to bring back Paul for a regeneration that ensured he couldn't reprise the role at a later date without looking anachronistic - in the same year they gave Matt Smith the opportunity to return to Dr Who at ANY POINT in the future and at ANY AGE - only for the latter never to take up that opportunity. This is the kind of logic that keeps the fan brain working overtime; coming up with any excuse for the character to return, looking much older than they should do. I think they call it the 'Patrick Troughton Manoeuvre'.

[@CP-bx6xw]

This really should have been a pre-credits sequence ahead of Day of the Doctor

[@kemmdog4444]

And now there’s Big Finish audios with Cass Fermazzi

[@goblin457]

This was great and a total surprise glad it didn't get spoiled beforehand

[@Jamienomore]

The TV Movie was supposed to be the Pilot for a new Series of Doctor Who. However they Americanized it so much it did not go down well. The new Series was cancelled and they called it a Movie.

[@thenationaltimelyactionhou9328]

There are a lot of audio books about the 8th Doctor.

[@thatcedric]

Somebody has spoiled this haven't they. No one new it was the 8th Doctor, it was kept secret. It was a big surprise. 🙂

[@MrThomasC22]

It's always tragic to me when I hear someone refer to Big Finish as "audiobooks" They are so much more. And people's dedication to the eighth Doctor is a testament to that. I know several people who consider 8 their favorite Doctor. With no offense towards the TV movie, no one fell in love with him because of that. It was entirely the audio dramas. Someday I hope they can animate them or something like that. Just so people can see the amount of effort that went into their production

[@JoanneRachelAnnand]

❤❤❤

[@joshuajoshua2732]

NuWho isn't a reboot it's a revival. This was Paul McGann's first return in 17 years and was done as a prequel to the 50th anniversary "The Day of the Doctor" and the first episode of NuWho "Rose". Originally it was thought until this prequel that it was The Eighth Doctor who fought in the Time War only to turn out he was actually avoiding it then became the War Doctor and started fighting the original plan was to have Christopher Eccleston return as the Ninth Doctor for the 50th when Eccleston declined the War Doctor was created.

[@JulieFreyHomeWebBiz]

50th Anniversary should include the following: "Night of the Doctor" "Day of the Doctor" "The Five(ish) Doctors" (everyone wonders who will be in the 50th anniversary special including past Doctors) 8th Doctor references Big Finish Audio companions.

[@frankshailes3205]

Or at least some companions with the same names.

[@mpg272727]

Paul McGann is an incredible actor. He has lots of really good big finish audio stories too. Honestly the fact he did not get his own tv series is a crime if you ask me. Can someone send me to an alternate universe in which 8s McGann got picked up by the BBC and he got multiple tv series? Please?

[@hornorsilk2901]

There is the 8th Doctor version of Shada which has some flash animation for it., but otherwise, yes, he is regulated to audio - and he is great as the Doctor. The movie is worth watching for the sake of him, but yes, he is a great Doctor who we just did not see enough. John Hurt's War Doctor is also good in the audios....

[@johng5859]

This was exciting at the time, and it was nice to see Paul McGann again, if only briefly, and to have the gap in canon covering the eighth Doctor’s regeneration into the War Doctor filled. It is a great shame McGann never got a crack at a full series on TV - I think RTD did consider going with him when the show came back, but eventually decided (understandably) that a completely fresh start with a new Doctor was the way to go, to stop the past weighing on the show too much.

[@alexbruce9499]

Series 1 was a soft reboot. It was initially ambiguous as to whether it was a direct continuation of the classic series or actually a hard reboot. Kicking it off with a new Doctor was a part of that fresh start approach. The status of the Eighth Doctor in particular was unclear since the TV movie was such a failure, so it took several series before the rebooted show directly acknowledged McGann's Eighth Doctor as still part of continuity. RTD was also very respectful to Big Finish and so likely didn't want to de-canonise their Eighth Doctor stories by going in his own direction with the character.

[@SCUTCHERBOY]

Get back on the Big Finish audios. Paul McGann and Colin Baker really build on their short tv appearances. Paul McGann... oh what should have been...

[@michaelnemo7629]

This episode exemplifies the shortsightedness of RTD and Moffat to gloriously underestimate the power that Paul McGann can wield in 6 minutes. He's owned Big Finish as the Doctor and neither showrunner had the vision or trust in this actor. Or trust in the audience to follow him. He's great and hes always been great. And while it was lovely to see him again, I see it as an insult to recast him in 2005, bring in the War Doctor, and finally shoot 6 minutes and kill him again. He deserved better imo.

[@bananasaregood8655]

will it hurt? yes, it will john hurt lol

[@frankshailes3205]

Don't forget to watch the 3-minutes of the War Doctor: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqbXnH-EZbVjhq8

[@mark-s]

Wow didn't realise you never saw this regeneration great mini episode mc back on kahn loving brain of morbius call back never sure why they didn't give Paul mcann a full series in 2005

[@ClaireWW]

The sixth, eight and thirteenth Doctors were all great Doctors that were badly let down by poor writing and production. When Eccleston turned the anniversary down I wish they'd just asked McGann.

[@marineboy-kv6rf]

Better then all of Chibnall's combined monstrosities AND one of the best doctors altogether!

[@Domihork]

I always find it weird when people film their reaction and then they just sit there without moving a muscle.

[@MarieClaresWorld]

Thanks for your kind comment. I hope you have a great day :)