We take a look at an alternate Doctor Who history with the Doctors that never were…
Robbie Williams as The Shalka Doctor
In 2003, to celebrate Doctor Who’s 40th Anniversary, a six part animated webcast titled ‘Scream Of The Shalka’ was made; starring Richard E. Grant as the Doctor, and Derek Jacobi as the Master. But before Grant took on the role, there was another actor aiming to be the Doctor. Well, not so much an actor as a singer.
Take That’s lead vocalist Robbie Williams was interested in playing the Doctor, provoking a lot of discussion from the producers about whether it was a good idea or a crazy idea. But despite what the BBC’s decision might have been, Williams turned out to be unavailable when the episodes were recorded. Talking about the idea of casting Williams years later, the webcast’s writer Paul Cornell noted that, because the animation was aiming for a mainstream audience, “It would actually get us an enormous kick of attention.”
Thanks to the resurrection of Doctor Who shortly afterwards, the Shalka Doctor remained a one-off role for Richard E. Grant who later had a recurring guest spot in Season 7 as Dr Simeon/the Great Intelligence. Williams has yet to appear in Doctor Who.
Hugh Grant as The Eighth or Ninth Doctors
Originally considered for the roles of both the Doctor and Borusa in what ultimately became the 1996 TV Movie, Hugh Grant got another shot at the part when Doctor Who made its 21st century comeback.
But despite this offer to helm the new era of Doctor Who, Grant turned down the role largely because he didn’t think the series would be a success; later saying that he was highly flattered but that “The danger with those things is that it’s only when you see it on screen that you think, ‘Damn, that was good, why did I say no?”
Meanwhile, long before calls for a female Doctor were becoming more widespread, producer Jane Tranter was supposedly considering Judi Dench for the role.
In 2007, Grant was reportedly in talks for a one-off appearance wanting to play a villain but nine years later his part in Doctor Who history remains playing the Twelfth Doctor in Steven Moffat’s 1999 Comic Relief spoof ‘The Curse Of Fatal Death’.
Russell Tovey as The Eleventh Doctor
Being Human star Russell Tovey first appeared in Doctor Who as Midshipman Frame in 2007’s ‘Voyage Of The Damned’ and certainly made an impact on Russell T. Davies. In his book The Writer’s Tale; Davies made an offhand comment about how he thought Tovey would make a good Eleventh Doctor. Something that was quickly blown out of proportion by the media when the book was serialised in The Times.
But it seems that Davies’ endorsement paid off since Tovey did briefly audition for the role but was passed over in favour of Matt Smith. But Tovey doesn’t hold any regrets over missing out on the part, saying that it would have terrified him and that “I don’t know what I’d have done with all the attention”.
Also in the frame to play the Eleventh Doctor was Peep Show’s Paterson Joseph (last seen being shot by the Daleks in Season 1’s ‘The Parting Of The Ways’) who revealed in 2015 that he had also auditioned for the role, while Gavin And Stacey star Mathew Horne also screen tested.
Ben Daniels as The Twelfth Doctor
Sticking with the BBC’s preference for an older Doctor following on from Matt Smith being the youngest actor to take on the role, forty-nine year old Ben Daniels was one of the BBC’s top choices for the Twelfth Doctor after Peter Capaldi.
Several months after Capaldi’s casting was announced, Daniels revealed that he had been approached by the programme’s producers and “when I eventually managed to peel myself off the ceiling” confirmed his interest in doing it. A big Doctor Who fan who had grown up on Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, Daniels was very excited by the prospect, telling Digital Spy that “To be thrown into that mix as a possibility was fantastic.”
Daniels knew that he wasn’t the BBC’s first choice but often phoned his agent to ask about it and spent a few months considering what the implications of taking the role could be. Particularly that he’d probably have to move house since he lived close to three different schools.
> Buy the complete Season 9 box set on DVD on Amazon.
> Buy the complete Season 9 box set on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Which other actors could have played the Doctor? Let us know below…