Doctor Who star Sylvester McCoy hints past Doctors will be returning again
McCoy suggests Tales of the TARDIS wasn't just a nostalgic spin-off, but a crafty bit of set-up.
Looking back one year on from the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who, fans were treated. Not only did the show give fans three new specials, with David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning, but Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor also made his debut, and the show got a new spin-off, Tales of the TARDIS.
That spin-off saw the returns of characters from the show's classic era, including previous Doctor stars Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, as they told stories inside the Memory TARDIS which led into re-edited version of their previous adventures.
Now, speaking in an interview with The 50% Doctor Who Podcast, McCoy has suggested the show wasn't just a nostalgic look back to celebrate the series, but was also intended to reintroduce audiences to the classic Doctors, so they could one day make a return on the main show.
When asked if filming his surprise appearance in Jodie Whittaker's last episode, The Power of the Doctor, felt like "closing the book" on his time on the show, McCoy said: "Not closing the book. That sounds like my end.
"But then we did Tales of the TARDIS after that. [showrunner] Russell T Davies wanted to reintroduce to everybody the Doctors, because they may be coming back. So, you know, that's why he did it, in the future he may want to use them. And therefore, we will be recognised as we are now and not as we were then."
When asked whether that meant he could be returning to the series, McCoy said: "Well, that's up to Russell."
McCoy's suggestion is one which has previously been mooted somewhat by Davies himself. The 60th anniversary special The Giggle introduced the concept of bigeneration, with David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor going on to co-exist alongside Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth, rather than transforming into him.
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Speaking in the commentary for the episode, Davies said: "I think all of the Doctors came back to life with their individual TARDISes, the gift of the Toymaker, and they're all out there travelling round in what I'm calling a Doctor verse.
"Sylvester McCoy woke up in a drawer, in a morgue, in San Francisco… and Jon Pertwee woke up on the floor of the laboratory."
As of now, this has not yet been confirmed within the show itself, meaning it's not clear whether Davies's proposition should be considered canon.
However, if McCoy is correct, it certainly seems as though we could see it confirmed on screen one day, leading to some seriously timey-wimey, multi-Doctor shenanigans.
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Doctor Who: Joy to the World will air on Wednesday 25th December on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 5:10pm. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
