In a first for the site, as I feel it was a very special event, I’ve gathered reviewers from Blogtor Who (and some from elsewhere) to share their thoughts on the recent Doctor Who 50th Anniversary mini-episode, The Night of the Doctor. I’ve asked the regular contributors for their thoughts, but you’ll also find the opinions from those who’ve worked on and written for Doctor Who too! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Many, many thanks to everyone who contributed.

Review by Edward Russell

(Doctor Who Brand Manager)
Having
the Eighth Doctor name-checking his Big Finish companions has sparked a
debate about what is canon and what is not. Ultimately, there are no
rules and it’s down to personal taste. Well, that’s my opinion, anyway!

I
have a friend who rates Time Crash as canon but not Dimensions in Time –
simply on the basis that he doesn’t much rate the latter. And that’s
fine. If a fan doesn’t want to consider the Big Finish stories as canon,
they can simply assume that McGann’s Doctor coincidentally met people
called Charlie, C’rizz etc. Although that does rely on fans agreeing
that the mini episodes themselves are canon, themselves!

Oh
what the heck. It’s all brilliant! Even the Doctor’s less memorable
outings are better than every other TV show, audio play or webisode put
together and multiplied by twelve!

BLOGTOR RATING 10/10 

_____________________
Review by Richard Starkings
(DWM comic strip editor, 87-89; Elephantmen creator)

For those of us who wondered for years — YEARS,
mind — if the Time War had CAUSED the Eighth Doctor to regenerate or
had just taken up so much of the Ninth Doctor’s attention that he really
just had not had the opportunity to check himself out in the mirror,
here at last, in THE NIGHT OF THE DOCTOR we have our answer:

None of the above.

Finally,
a seven minute minisode of sexy NEW WHO that must have proven itself
just too kinky and esoteric — too dark, dirty and distressing, perhaps?
— for CHILDREN IN NEED. Wham, Bam, thank you, Karn.

In 1996, as
an expat in Los Angeles, I had watched DOCTOR WHO: THE MOVIE alone in my
living room while every other American was tuning in to the season
finale of ROSEANNE… and quickly and deliberately forgotten about it.
Had the story begun with the swashbuckling introduction of Paul McGann
delivered to viewers last week… had he rattled off names of long lost
companions in the manner Eccleston and Tennant teased us with details of
the Time War, you can’t help but wonder if we’d have been so impressed
and intrigued that we’d have insisted — nay, demanded — to be treated
to three healthy seasons of the Eighth Doctor back in the days of dotcom
explosions, implosions and aol dialup.

But how would FOX have
known there was such an appetite for New Adventures of the Eighth
Doctor? Without Facebook, Twitter and the iPlayer to measure interest,
perhaps McGann’s fate would have been quickly sealed nevertheless… At
least now, Russell T Davies’ queerest folk quote — “Paul McGann
Doesn’t Count” — has been contradicted by the most courageous Doctor of
all… the one who may not have been part of the Time War, but was
always a part of DOCTOR WHO, the one who made the decision to save the
day… because even in 1996, we did need a Doctor after all.

BLOGTOR RATING 10/10
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Review by Tommy Donbavand

(Author of Doctor Who:  Shroud of Sorrow)

Four minutes may be long enough for the
majestically returned Eighth Doctor to become bored in The Night of the
Doctor (please, won’t somebody bring him some knitting!) – but six and a
half minutes of McGann magnificence is nowhere near enough to satisfy
either yours truly nor, I suspect, many a fellow fan.

The Night of
the Doctor was just, well… right. The script, the costume, the
battered TARDIS, Cass’s reaction to the revelation that her potential
saviour is a Time Lord, the Sisterhood of Karn, the regeneration
options, the ‘hurt’ pun, the youthful reflection and – most importantly –
the version of the Eighth Doctor we’ve come to know and love through
several seasons of utterly brilliant Big Finish releases. This was
Doctor Who at its finest, and it has left us with an appetite for more.

Of
course, we’re now left with more questions than answers – but that’s
exactly how it should be. Questions like how has the Eighth Doctor
remained neutral in the Last Great Time War? What have his fellow
Gallifreyans done to deserve the damnation of the universe at large?

And, the biggest question of all… can we have more please, Mr Moffat?

BLOGTOR RATING 8.8888888/10
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Review by Niel Bushnell
(Author of Sorrowline, creator of The Timesmith Chronicles)
There’s something
awkward and exhilarating about unexpectedly bumping into an old friend
who you haven’t seen for years. There’s that odd mix of emotions –
surprise tempered with curiosity. Have they aged well? What are they
wearing now? What will they say? How have I changed since we last met?

That’s
how it felt when I saw The Night of the Doctor. Had it really been
seventeen years? The Eighth Doctor hardly looked older! It was a joy to
see this old friend again. But, having re-watched it many times now, I’m
left with a tinge of sadness and remorse for the
could-have-been-Doctor. There are seasons of potential television
adventures drifting away from us forever – missing episodes without a
hope of ever being discovered in some dusty foreign cupboard.

So while I
rejoice at the return of Eight I feel like I’m waving goodbye to the
best Doctor we never really had.

BLOGTOR RATING 9/10

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Review by Philip Rowntree
(Regular contributor and theatre producer)
The Doctor… but certainly not the one we were expecting!
It is a cliché amongst fans of the show, but everyone has “their” Doctor. Not their favourite Doctor or the best Doctor, but “their” Doctor.  The Doctor they grew up with, the one that put a stamp on the show – for better or for worse – and Paul McGann was MY doctor.
As a child I remember waiting with my father at midnight, adorned with the Tom Baker scarf my mother had knit for me, so excited to get my very own VHS featuring a Doctor of my time.
I was sat in my office at work when I saw the minisode, and blimey o’Reilly, what a treat.  The wit, the corrective side remarks, the underplayed genius, the old fashioned sonic, the desperation of a man weary of war and an insight into the last moments of the eighth Doctor.
Aside from sentimentality, the story itself is a wonderful precursor to next week’s 50th anniversary story. 
I was never comfortable that the Doctor fought in the Time War, it always seemed to go against what the Doctor stood for.  However, knowing that his involvement came from a realisation that the universe no longer needed him, that the citizens of time and space could no longer see him for what he was and that they were so unwilling to accept his help based on the side he came from begins to go some way to explaining his decision.
Superbly written by Moffat and wonderfully acted by all, it was also wonderful to see Emma Campbell-Jones as Cass, who you may remember as Dr Kent from The Wedding of River Song.
Bravo Paul McGann and goodbye Doctor… You were my Doctor.

BLOGTOR RATING 10/10
_____________________
Review by Andrea McGuire
(Regular Blogtor Who contributor)
We’ve always known Steven Moffat is a master of deception, but who would have seen this one coming? Not me, that’s for sure.
In the pre-titles sequence we heard the already legendary “I’m a doctor…but probably not the one you were expecting,” and I confess that this grown woman wept tears of joy at the sight of Paul McGann in all his Doctor Who glory.
It’s so absolutely fitting and such a thrill to see McGann reprise the role for the 50th anniversary, barely showing a single one of the 17 years that have passed since the TV movie (blimey). And no wig.
In Cass’s horrified reaction to meeting a Time Lord, we’re shown how far the once-great race has fallen and the monstrous task the Doctor faces in stopping them. All nicely leading to the introduction of an extremely young looking John Hurt as The War Doctor.
In The Night of the Doctor’s too-short running time we’re given a glimpse into what McGann’s Doctor could have become as well as finally seeing his regeneration into his next incarnation. It was also heart-warming that Moffat brought the eighth Doctor’s companions from his Big Finish adventures into the fold.
In seven minutes Moffat has given us a slice of brilliance. And let’s face it; if he can do this with a mini-episode, what on Earth has he got in store for the big one? I for one can’t wait. 
BLOGTOR RATING 10/10 

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Review by Richard Unwin

(Journalist)
I help organise a London based social group for
gay Doctor Who fans called The Sisterhood of Karn. (We’re a fairly
normal bunch. Honestly – we don’t “dress up as nuns”, as one recent
first-timer had clearly been led to believe.) So suddenly seeing the
cabalistic coven back in the Doctor’s life added yet another layer to
the Smorgasbord of joy that this minisode offered up over its scant
seven minutes. (And their surprise return hasn’t done any harm to our
membership numbers either – suddenly everyone’s googling the
Sisterhood!)

But the triumphant return of our beloved namesakes
was really just the icing on the unexpectedly early anniversary cake. I
was one of the lucky ones – someone who managed to see Night of the
Doctor without being spoiled. Actually, I’d just woken up when it went
live. (Yes, I know…) I was vaguely aware that we were due for some sort
of bonus scene, but was expecting the usual comedy minute. When the
camera cut to the Eighth Doctor I genuinely had to check if I was
actually awake, or still slumbering in the sweet embrace of the
Dreamlord. And then the sight of the words “Paul McGann” tumbling
through the time vortex induced immediate alertness with the sudden
shock of an adrenaline shot delivered direct to the probic vent.

It’s rare
moments like this that make me rejoice in my fandom. What a warm and
fuzzy and wonderful treat. And what a startling surprise! Hooray for it
being kept (mostly) secret. (Like many, I’d heard rumours of McGann’s
return, but had dismissed them as utter rot months ago. Along with
whispers that The Web of Fear had been found – such nonsense! Ha!) And
finally having the Eighth Doctor’s regeneration scene… That actually
alters the metaphysical landscape of my brain! But now that he’s changed
into John Hurt we’re going to need an awful lot of Tipex to update
those teetering towers of reference books…

I don’t know where
they’re going with the whole “War Doctor” thing. And I love not knowing. Night of the Doctor adds great chunks to the mythos whilst
simultaneously weaving more magical mystery and intrigue. I’m more
excited than ever about The Day of the Doctor now – this tasty entrée
has me salivating for the main dish like an Androgum between courses at
the Savoy.

But before the big day, I’ve got an awful lot of new
Sisters to welcome to the coven, and these (fabulous) habits aren’t
going to sew themselves. Sacred flame, sacred fire…
BLOGTOR RATING 9/10 

_____________________
Review by Gem Kendrick
(Regular Blogtor Who contributor)
It’s been seventeen years since Paul McGann first stepped inside the TARDIS and cemented himself as part of the long history of Doctor Who,
in a single movie appearance that left fans crying out for another
glimpse of the man in the role. A glimpse that after so long they
thought they’d never get.
But they were wrong.
And, seventeen years later? It was well worth the wait.
In
a seven minute scene McGann returned shocking the world and taking it
by storm. After such a long wait it would have been so easy for the
moment to have been a let down, but it was anything but. Seeing his
Doctor in action once again was a pure joy, nothing short of
spectacular, and impossible not to drink up every moment of his screen
time.
The
episode itself is the perfect glance into the life of a Doctor who has
been woefully short on screen time. Thrust quickly into the often talked
about but rarely seen Time War, the viewers run the gamut of emotion,
from his attempted rescue of a person in need to his eventual acceptance
of what must come next, and the regeneration so many had been crying
out to see. Each beat perfectly played out by McGann.
A week away from the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, and it couldn’t be a better time to be a fan. After this, what other surprises might we have in store?
Are you excited? I know I am. 

BLOGTOR RATING 10/10  

_____________________
Review by Emrys Matthews
(Regular contributor and theatre director)
Where to
start?
How great is it to see Paul McGann’s Doctor back on our screens,
whilst also sad to know that we probably won’t see much of him again.
It seems a shame to exile him to a prequel although. my oh my, does it
handle it with style and panache. It’s massive shock – one after another:
the Eight Doctor is back. Boom! He crash lands on Karn and the
Sisterhood of Karn are on hand too. Boom! And, finally, we get to see
that regeneration! Boom!
It’s a little frustrating that he’s
regenerating into John Hurt and not Christopher Eccleston. It’s like the
problem hasn’t been solved but moved along. Although let’s wait and see
what happens in the 50th!
I think my favourite moment has to be when
McGann name checks his Big Finish audio companions before he
regenerates. “Charley, C’rizz, Lucie, Tamsin and Molly.” This simultaneously legitimises and pays homage to McGann’s brilliant audio adventures.
And, it also acts as a beautiful farewell.
BLOGTOR RATING 10/10 
 _____________________
Review by Jack Bowman
(Contributor and Audio drama director/producer)
Showrunner Steven Moffat takes the writing duties for this special in a pleasingly uncharacteristic, linear story that takes us through the final moments of the Eighth Doctor’s life. Also thrown in were some beautiful touches for fans of Tom Baker’s era with the return of the Sisterhood of Karn, and for the fans of the Paul McGann Big Finish audio series, not to mention his old-style Sonic Screwdriver last seen in 1996.
McGann is on witty, sparkling form, burning up the screen in style and this beautiful coda to was was his one-and-only performance as The Doctor reminds us how well-deserved and rewarding his on-screen come-back is. Hopefully, the genuine excitement to this surprise appearance will warrant a more substantial return in the future – we’ve had The Eighth Doctor’s beginning, and now we’ve had his end; perhaps some more of the middle?
Everything about this minisode production exuded class – first-rate direction, casting, acting, FX work and scripting. The only small issue I could take is that the pacing of the Eighth Doctor’s decision to effectively die to become “The War Doctor” feels incredibly fast – as if a few emotional beats were skipped over, rushing through moments that needed to get to the dramatic, game-changing climax.
The Night Of The Doctor was released on Paul McGann’s birthday – and I can think of no better tribute to one of the most underused, charismatic and lovable Doctors in the TV series’ history. Yet again, we’re left where we were in 1996 – asking the BBC if can see more of McGann in the role on-screen, pretty please? In the mean time, my thanks to everyone at BBC Wales for this extra special anniversary treat.
BLOGTOR RATING 9/10 

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Review by Gavin Dunbar

(Regular contributor & Camera Obscura bass player)
Much
like everyone else, I have spent most of the last six months wondering
who the John Hurt Doctor would turn out to be. Would he be the Doctor
before he was the Doctor, pre-fleeing Gallifrey, would he be the
brutal Time War Ender, or would he be somethng else, a Valeyard-esque
dark side to the Doctor’s persona.

The
Night of the Doctor clears up this issue thats had us all theorising
and wondering. It also managed to do something that in modern
television terms is almost impossible, it came as a massive surprise. Paul
McGann, returned to our screens in the role that by his own
admission, to him existed far more in the audio dramas of Big Finish,
where he got to really get to grips with the character and develop
his Eighth Doctor.

It
shows that with the Time War, everything is turned on its head. Our
hero bundles in to save the day, but the day isn’t to be saved. Time
Lords striking as much fear into people as the Daleks do. The Doctor,
a man of peace, is left facing the fact that the only way peace can
be achieved now, is by taking arms and joining the war to finish it.

So
we finally get to see the Eighth Doctor regenerate, we get to re-visit Karn, and see the sisterhood,
and we get some blinding writing from Moffat, and a full on
performance from McGann. This minisode ticks all the boxes, right
down to a young Hurt going to war at the close. Its a massive nod to
the history of the show in its 50th year, and an important prelude to the Day Of The Doctor signifying
whats coming in the future. 
BLOGTOR RATING 10/10 

_____________________

Review by Nick Fraser

(Regular Blogtor Who contributor)
FINALLY.  All those years waiting for the Eighth Doctor to show up, and he crashes the party at the last minute. 

Only it’s clear he’s been travelling in a very different universe to the one we last saw him in.  Where Time Lords are now feared as much Daleks, and the sight of TARDIS causes would-be companion Cass, facing certain death, to choose…certain death.  Post-crash, The Doctor finds himself at the tender mercies of Ohila, Priestess of the Sisterhood of Karn, with the same choice.  He chooses life, but at huge personal cost.

It’s a small story, hinting at a vast backdrop.  Given a four minute warning, the Doctor characteristically lists the activities with which he could fill the time.  Surprising then, he uses very little time and thought for such a massive change of heart(s).

It’s lovely to have the Doctor’s Big Finish adventures endorsed, as the Doctor salutes companions we’ve only ever heard but not seen.  And at last we get to see his regeneration, though clearly a particularly agonising process, divesting himself of his Doctorishness.

Clare Higgins (Ohila) conveys a thrilling sense of urgency during The Doctor’s last minutes.  Her splendid efforts are slightly undermined though, by the “haunting” incidental music, which leached some of the pace from this desperate situation.  Also, the concept of a miscellany of “character trait” elixirs of life put me in mind of an array of Sodastream flavours. 

But step forward once more for one final Doctorial flourish, Paul McGann. Better late than never! 
BLOGTOR RATING 10/10

___________________

Review by Sarah Talbot

(Doctor Who fan)
“I’m The Doctor. But probably not the one you were expecting.” – How right he was!

On 14/11/13 Paul McGann was back as the Eighth Doctor; and it was worth waiting for! The Night of the Doctor was tightly written with Moffat excelling at what he’s best at, quick dialogue and even quicker characterization.

Beginning as seemingly normal Doctor Who adventure, with The Doctor arriving on a plummeting ship to save the brave pilot Cass from certain death, the next seven minutes would prove anything but.

When The Doctor told Cass: “It’s bigger on the inside,” it was shocking to see this normal enticement cause terror as Cass realised exactly who The Doctor was. We see how destructive The Time War had truly become when Cass claims The Time Lords are no better than the Daleks. Cass showed such character; I was actually saddened when she died, when she and The Doctor crashed on Karn. Here he met The Sisterhood of Karn who knew the fate of the universe relied on The Doctor; by temporarily giving him life and a chance to regenerate. It could have so easily seemed like a ‘hand wave’ but it didn’t. Moffat used old school logic to his advantage.

It was at this point where McGann give his best performance, with Eight realising that this world no longer had a place for him. This was the end of his story, and it was a gallant goodbye, giving fans something they had wanted for years. In saying farewell to his companions Eight ensured Big Finish became cannon. And as the longest serving Doctor, seeing it through the wilderness years, I was pleased to see Paul McGann get the recognition he so rightly deserved.

We were given a brief bittersweet glimpse of the Doctor he always was…a good man.
BLOGTOR RATING 10/10

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Thanks again to all my wonderful contributors and special guests who gave up their time to feel the love for Paul McGann and share their brilliant thoughts – very much appreciated by old Blogtor. And I hope everyone reading this got a kick out of it. I have nothing to add to these lovely reviews except to further the adoration for Paul in this remarkable performance from him. An absolute star and a such a good Doctor Who.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. Some great thoughts on a wonderful Mini Episode, thanks for putting these together Blogtor!

    If I can add something, it's that I loved the idea of the regeneration "options". It fits in really well with what we know of the Sisterhood of Karn, and with advanced Time Lord regenerative science. It put me in mind of the Second Doctor's death, or even Romana's regeneration. And it was wonderfully executed on-screen too.

    Paul was of course fantastic, and it was an amazing surprise to see him back. Ohila and Cass were great characters too, and in a very short span of time they totally captivated me. I was actually quite saddened by Cass's death, having grown to quite like her after only a couple of minutes. Another great could-have-been companion.

  2. Wonderful reviews, read every single one of them. It still amazes me that a single 7-minute mini-episode of Paul McGann is enough to set the world aflame! I'd love to see more of the Eighth Doctor. Judging by the reactions to the minisode, so would many others.

  3. A seriously awesome mini-episode. Once again, the doctor visits Karn and lights a flame (this time a metaphorical one).

    The idea of canon or not is somewhat moot in Doctor Who because he can travel backwards, forwards and sideways in time though often the writers forget that. For example, the Ice Warriors are "good" these days but he could very easily travel back to a time when they weren't.

    The daleks illustrate the canon continuity very well. Initially, the daleks of the far flung future knew of the doctor but not the time lords. When he went back in Genesis, he changed the time-line (and most probably set in motion the time war).

    What was canon once can change and what is not canon now could become canon in the future if past events are altered. If nothing else, it could be canon in a parallel universe.

  4. People continually criticize Moffat for things like writing one-part storylines rather than spreading things out for hours on end. But Moffat has since 2005 (actually earlier – his Curse of Fatal Death in 1999 was brilliant) proven that he is the master of the short-form episode. From the single-episode standalones Blink and Girl in the Fireplace, to the minisode Time Crash, he knows how to get a lot done in a short period of time, while giving us memorable characters, terrific dialogue, and food for thought. Night of the Doctor, running about the same length as Time Crash, proved this beyond a shadow of a doubt. I can only imagine what he'll be able to accomplish in 76 minutes.

  5. I remember that night in 1996 when the TV movie premiered. I was glued to the small screen to watch the show that I loved since I can remember and had missed for so many years come back in whatever form. I faked having a Doctors appointment that day so I could leave work early and avoid the traffic home. It was true I did have an appointment. Just not with the Doctor they expected!

    No matter what people thought of the TV movie I thought McGann was perfect as the Doctor. He hit everything on the head when it came to being the Doctor. I missed seeing him since. The Big Finish audios have allowed me to keep up with him and I love them all. But it's just like talking to an old friend on the phone. Just not the same.

    Now 17 years later I get to see the end of that story. And what a story it was. In 7 minutes I ran through a list of emotions I've not expected to feel until Nov 23rd. I saw the mini episode first thing when I woke up in the morning. I was one of the lucky ones who managed to avoid the spoilers. So when I heard the voice over the sparking fire of spaceship electronics I swear my brain started screaming from being overloaded with giddy shock.

    I read all the reviews for the short and I agree with almost every single point except that I didn't like the use of the modern Matt Smith incidental music. It just took me out of the moment because I associate those musical ques of Murray Gold with the 11th Doctor. If it had been some music from the 2005 season it would have felt more 'back' before the new series in my mind. I'd love to see a fan re-edit with different music.

    The other thing that no one has mentioned is that this really allows Big Finish to head in a new direction with the 8th Doctor. Hopefully they'll show us why the Timelords have become as hated as the Daleks. They've been skirting the issue but as time goes on it will need to be addressed some way I believe.

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