Simon Kinnear | On 20, Nov 2013

Photo: BBC/Matt Burlem

Doctor Who turns 50 on Saturday 23rd November with a special anniversary episode on the BBC. To celebrate, VODzilla.co is running a daily countdown of every Doctor to date, providing our expert tips on which stories to see – and where to watch them online.

 

Paul McGann (1996, 2013)

Ah, Paul McGann, we hardly knew you. Actually, that’s not true – the actor still plays the Time Lord in fan-produced audio adventures, but on TV we had just the one story – the lavish, feature-length pilot for an Anglo-American series that never materialised. At least, that was true until this month, when McGann’s surprise return confirmed that McGann was a suitably Doctor-ish choice.

Doctor Who: The TV Movie (1996)

Purists still carp at the idea that the Doctor is “half-human” and that The Master is a campy Eric Roberts, but this flawed, fascinating excursion into ‘focus grouped’ Who raised the bar in terms of visual ambition. In retrospect, it’s an essential bridge between old and new.

Not currently available on VOD in the UK.

The Night Of The Doctor (2013)

A bonus present for the 50th anniversary, this ‘minisode’ for the BBC iPlayer gave fans the Time War-flavoured regeneration they’ve been clamouring for since the show’s return, albeit with a twist. But regardless of series continuity, McGann effortlessly inhabits the role after the longest on-screen absence of any Doctor.

Doctor Who: The 50th Anniversary Collection

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