Regeneration is one of the corner stones of Doctor Who, it’s certainly helped to keep it alive for the 47 years it’s racked up so far, but does this miraculous concept have a darker side, is it in fact hastening the demise of the show? Each actor has averaged about 3 years, which seems to be the standard in the role, so if the role of the Doctor is so coveted and such a dream job, why does everyone who plays him seem so keen to leave?
When comparing Doctor Who to other dramas this question seems to become more baffling, as most successful dramas seem to engender a longevity with it’s cast. House for example recently finished it’s sixth season, all the while with Hugh Laurie at the helm. That’s not to say Laurie is utterly rejoiced with the part, as when asked whether he would continue on as House, he replied yes for a few more seasons, but did complain having to feign a limp was beginning to do actual damage to his leg.
Yet Hugh soldiers on, and he’s not the only one, Blackadder, a BBC sitcom to feature Laurie ran between 1983 until 1989, all the time with Rowan Atkinson, who as well as appearing as the titular character for 6 years, continues to this day to appear as his world famous Mr. Bean, having created the character a year later in 1990.
In 1984 Angela Lansbury appeared in what would be her most famous acting role, that of Jessica Fletcher in the long running series Murder, She Wrote. The show was an instant success for it’s format of a sweet old lady who lives in a quiet town that none-the-less is packed with murderers, and this dear old woman goes and solves them. Lansbury was 58 when she took the role, older than any actor to play the Doctor to date, and carried on with the role until 1996 where it was cancelled, a month before her 71st birthday.
Twelve years may seem dizzying to think about, but that’s a mere holiday compared with the longevity of some actors. William Roache is instantly recognisable for his ever presence in popular ITV soap Coronation Street. He first appeared in 1960 and in the last 50 years he’s been twice widowed, married four times, had 27 women and had a ton of other washy soap story lines thrown at him too. Likewise Betty Driver, has played Betty Williams since 1969, she continues to do so, now aged 90, and has stated following an interview she intends to play the role until she dies.
So, if all these successful shows have such long standing cast, why on earth are the tenures of the Doctors so pitiful by comparison? Does the very idea of a lineage to the role put pressure on the actors playing it? Or is it down to individual circumstances?
William Hartnell was the original, and to many still best, Doctor. He took the role when he was 55 and was known to have a number of health problems even then. By the fourth season it was becoming evident Hartnell’s condition was deteriorating, and thus the process of regeneration was born, as at the end of the Tenth Planet, Hartnell dissolved into Troughton.
Patrick Troughton was a much younger, fitter (and some would say cheaper) actor to take on the role, no doubt with the intention of getting some mileage out of him. In interviews made for Myth Makers the cast and crew reflect on both his generous personality and how the work would wear at him from time to time. One of the conditions that made him leave at the end are indeed the feeling of being overworked by the BBC (if you should note, the number of episodes during Troughton’s era are almost double that of Davison’s era)
Jon Pertwee was the first Doctor to be seen in colour, and emerged freshly regenerated into an older man (how odd). Pertwee’s Doctor saw a radical departure from his predecessor in his portrayal as a straighter hero and a gadget man. Pertwee was at the time of his departure the longest serving actor, having played the role for 4 years. In his own words the catalyst for his departure included the departure of Katy Manning (Jo Grant), the death of Rodger Delgado (the first Master) and the imminent departure of Barry Letts, Jon also decided it was time to move on. Letts, a Buddhist, had fostered a family style relationship amongst the cast and crew, and with his decision to leave the show, Pertwee may well have felt that relationship would be destroyed.
Tom Baker’s reason for leaving the show may seem obvious, as he is still the longest serving Doctor. Baker’s career at the time of joining was fairly dismal, as acting jobs were scarce and so he was having to make ends meet by working on a construction site. By his final season in 1981 Baker had noticeably aged (then 47), and the theme of entropy and decay were prevalent, perhaps reflecting the tired looking lead man somewhat. John Nathan-Turner’s approach to the show was to tone down the humour that had become prevalent during Williams tenure. Tom was used to getting his own way with Williams in charge, and Nathan-Turner wanted to reign him in, as he noted in 1993:
“I don’t want to make it sound as if we didn’t get on, we did get on. But we clashed. We clashed.” – John Nathan-Turner
In addition to this Baker saw that he was now an unwilling obstacle to the changes JNT wanted to implement, amongst his criticisms were the new theme tune he introduced, which he felt was too far removed from the original. Baker also made plain his opinion of the scripts during the period, such as in The Leisure Hive:
“So I say it’s a bad idea, and then despite it being a bad idea I throw this fucking dreary prop? Right, now let’s get on with it.” – Tom Baker
By 1981 after 7 years of “The Tom Baker Show” as it was coming to be known, Baker was tired and had enough. In a 2008 convention, when asked if he would ever return as the Doctor he stated “didn’t I do enough?”, he did however express regret at not taking part in The Five Doctors a few years following his departure.
Peter Davison was chosen as Tom’s replacement as a safe choice. His work on All Creatures Great and Small meant he was already well known and well liked to the British public.
The story behind his departure is comparatively bland, as he made a chance meeting with Patrick Troughton who urged him to only do three years, and so when his contract expired he didn’t renew it and passed on the baton to Colin. Peter did however express some irritation that Nicola Byrant’s boobs stole his final shot.
Doctor number six had a turbulent time as he was criticised at every turn for every move he made. The show became so shaky at this time it was put on hiatus for a year. Eventually the BBC unceremoniously dismissed Colin to be done with all the earache. Colin refused to partake in the regeneration and so Sylvester McCoy famously donned his predecessors clothes and a blonde curly wig. The exact reason for Colin’s dismissal has never been disclosed.
The guys on the sixth floor wanted rid of it. They’d always wanted rid of it, because it got in the way of them making programmes that would make their name, make their career, give them immortality” – Sylvester McCoy
At the time of Sylvester’s tenure he was given a show that was dying, or more specifically, it was being killed. McCoy felt the show wasn’t being given the support it deserved, and felt that towards the end of the series the stories were certainly improving. The BBC however saw of it as an obstacle and an embarrassment. The series ended in 1989.
Wind the clock forward 7 years and McCoy returned to pass on the baton to Paul McGann. After Colin’s refusal to film a regeneration McCoy made a vow that he would be available to film his no matter what, though he probably wasn’t expecting to have to wait so long. His feelings on the 1996 film however was that it was too big and complicated, and maintains that he shouldn’t have been in it at all. He did however say the money was good.
Doctor Who properly returned in 2005 and Paul McGann was nowhere to be seen. Russel T. Davies cites this as a sort of correction to the errors made in 1996. Having Paul McGann pop in for two minutes then get blown up would lack any form of drama, the show had been absent for 9 years and there would be no investment in the character before he was replaced. Paul has yet to show us how his regeneration took place, or even give us a second on screen appearance.
Christopher Eccleston’s departure is altogether more of a mystery. After one episode was aired Eccleston announced he wouldn’t return for a second season, much to the disappointment of several reviewers who had cited Chris as a “Doctor the kids will remember”. Eccleston himself was never one for money or fame, but prefers a more solitary existence, one which the job didn’t really grant. His only disclosure on why he left was that he was uncomfortable with the “atmosphere” with the show. Whilst some rather narrow minded people have read this as a streak of homophobia (somehow), it’s far more likely the job was too mainstream for a quite privative man.
David Tennant is probably one of the most learned actors to play the role of the Doctor, having an encyclopaedic knowledge of the man. It’s fairly safe to say this would seem to make him a prime candidate for sticking around That and the constant musings that it was the best job going. Even I had few doubts he’d have a good attack at the Tom Baker mantle. However after only three series as the Doctor he decided to give it up. His reasons are quite similar to those of Jon Pertwee, all the cast and crew were about to leave and, although working with Moffat was “tempting”, Tennant decided to bow out in 2010 and take the TARDIS with him.
Various rumours are now flying around that Smith will remain in the role until 2013 to celebrate the 50th anniversary. Amongst reasons given was the hope to stabilise an almost over dynamic show. Whilst I know that staying on a show for 4 years hardly seems like a big ask, I still have myself wondering if he’ll bow out sooner. It seems to be the curse of the Doctor.
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