Doctor Who (Enemy Within)

Notes

• Producer Philip Segal had been trying for some years to launch a new American-produced series of Doctor Who, but the Fox Network - the only American network that showed any interest - was only prepared to commit to a single telemovie. It was hoped that, if the telemovie were successful, Fox might be persuaded to reconsider a series; however, the telemovie's ratings performance in America was not strong enough to hold Fox's interest. Reportedly, Fox had the choice of commissioning a new Doctor Who series or greenlighting an original project called ' and chose the latter.
• The movie was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the first time any Doctor Who story had been filmed in the "New World". It also had its debut broadcast in that city, on the local CityTV station on May 12, two days prior to the Fox Network showing.
• John Debney was commissioned to write the score for this film, and intended to replace Ron Grainer's original theme music with a new composition. Ultimately, Debney did in fact use Grainer's music for the theme, although Grainer was not credited.
• Instead of designing a new Doctor Who logo for this film, it was decided instead to use a modified version of the logo used during the early part of the Jon Pertwee era of the original series (1970-1973).
• There is some disagreement over exactly what the movie should be called. The production documentation only referred to the project as "Doctor Who". Segal suggested the unofficial title "Enemy Within" as an alternative at Manopticon 5, apparently after being repeatedly asked what the actual title for the movie was. When the DVD was released it was labelled as Doctor Who: The Movie. The most common fan usage appears to refer to it as "the television movie", the "TVM", or variations thereof. See: Doctor Who story title controversy
• The opening pre-credits sequence went through a number of modifications, with several different voice overs recorded. At one stage the voice over was to be made by the old Master, played by Gordon Tipple, however in the end this was not used. Tipple is still credited as "The Old Master" though on the final edit his appearance is very brief, stationary and mute.
• The Doctor's most famous alien adversaries, the Daleks, are not seen in the film; but they are heard condemning the Master to death during the film's opening sequence (sporting their trademark warcry of: "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!!". However, their appearance and role has proven to be controversial amongst fans; for reasons as trivial as "their voices are too squeaky" (as the DWAS claims), and for allegedly greater claims like the Doctor uncharacteristically "running an errand" for his mortal enemies.
• Had the original pre-credits sequence voice-over, as voiced by Gordon Tipple, been used, the viewers unfamiliar with the series would have had no idea that Sylvester McCoy was playing the Seventh Doctor (as his role is simply credited as "The Old Doctor"). Only the rewritten narration (as read by Paul McGann) makes his regeneration number clear.
• At several points during the film, including the opening credits, the Master is seen sporting cat's eyes. This is an apparent allusion to his cheetah-influenced condition during his previous appearance in Survival.
• The book that the Doctor sits down to read at the beginning and the end of the movie is The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. The Doctor shared an adventure with Wells in the 1985 Sixth Doctor serial Timelash. In 1973's Frontier in Space, the Master is seen reading Wells's The War of the Worlds. In the untelevised story Shada, Professor Chronotis can be seen with a copy of The Time Machine, which is later visible throughout the episode.
• Chang Lee gives the unconscious Seventh Doctor the alias "John Smith". The Doctor's use of that alias has a long history in the series, beginning with The Wheel in Space and then several times thereafter, in particular during the Third Doctor's tenure with UNIT as "Dr John Smith". The alias is next mentioned in the 2005 episode The Empty Child. For other aliases used by the Doctor, see The Doctor - "Doctor who?"
• It can be argued that Grace technically "kills" the Seventh Doctor on the operating table, triggering his (delayed) regeneration. This is the only time in the series history that a companion has been directly responsible for the change (albeit unintentionally).
• The Seventh Doctor's final words were "Timing malfunction! The Master, he's out there! I've got to stop..."
• The scene where the newly-regenerated Eighth Doctor breaks down the metal door at the morgue is echoed in the 2005 episode, Aliens of London when a mock-up porcine "alien" breaks through the metal door of the morgue at Albion Hospital (similarly terrifying Dr Sato).
• While rummaging through lockers in search of clothing, the Doctor momentarily examines a long multi-coloured scarf, similar to that worn by the Fourth Doctor. The Eighth Doctor also a policeman a jelly baby, a favourite candy of the Second and Fourth Doctors.
• The controversial kiss between the Doctor and Grace is obliquely referred to by the Ninth Doctor in The Long Game (2005) when he explains that time travel means immersing oneself in the period, including "kissing complete strangers... or is that just me?"
• The controversy in fan circles over the revelation that the Doctor is half-human is slyly referenced in The Parting of the Ways (2005). When Rose Tyler suggests that the Daleks are half-human, the Dalek Emperor decries the words as "blasphemy".
• The Master tried to use the Eye of Harmony to obtain a new set of regenerations before, in The Deadly Assassin.
• Commercials on the Fox network advertising the film used special effects footage from the 1986 story The Trial of a Time Lord, even though this footage was not used in the movie. This marked the first time that footage from the original BBC series had been shown on a major American network.
• 1996 also saw Fox broadcast another television movie titled '; "The Enemy Within" was also the title of an episode of '.
• The telemovie received disappointing US ratings (partly due to the popularity of the programmes it was up against, and partly because of unfamiliarity among average American TV viewers with the British series). When shown on BBC One in the United Kingdom thirteen days after its American broadcast, however, it received over 9 million viewers in Great Britain alone.
• Former Doctor Jon Pertwee died a few days after the US broadcast of the film, and the UK broadcast included a dedication to the actor.
• It remains Paul McGann's sole televised story as the Doctor. It has nonetheless had a significant impact, with the ongoing Doctor Who novel line, comic strip, and audio series all featuring the Eighth Doctor from the telemovie. Several of the audio plays are currently being broadcast in serial form on the digital radio channel BBC7.
• This remains Eric Roberts' sole appearance as the Master. The character of the Master was not featured in the 2005 season of the new series of Doctor Who. See also Celebrity appearances in Doctor Who.
• The movie was released on home video in the United Kingdom the week prior to its debut broadcast on BBC One. Hundreds of fans queued in London at midnight in order to buy a copy at the earliest possible moment. The unedited version was released on DVD in 2001. Both versions have also been released in countries such as Australia and New Zealand. However there has been no home entertainment release of any form in North America owing to complicated licensing.
• Writer Matthew Jacobs's father Anthony Jacobs played the role of Doc Holliday in the 1966 Doctor Who serial The Gunfighters, and the young Jacobs visited the studio during production.