News of a Doctor Who animated series dropped last month. Which caused a flurry of online speculation. Some thought the show should take its cues from Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century. One creative fan thought the show should begin with: “Which Doctor is it today?” With a huge cheer for each Doctor’s number as they stepped from the TARDIS. We at Scifipulse thought we’d throw our hat (fez) in the ring; and offer our suggestions.
Fear at the TARDIS’s core
The Doctor Who animation could borrow science fiction writer Christopher Priest’s idea, that the Doctor’s worst fear is lurking at the TARDIS’s centre. And the Doctor must journey through a hostile time ship to confront it. This could introduce kids to facing their fears. As the TARDIS is infinite space; each episode could feature the animated Doctor in a different setting, a ruined city, a spooky old house, a futuristic space station. Taking inspiration from the Spider-Verse films; maybe many Doctors are trapped inside the hostile TARDIS? And they need the animated Doctor’s help. It’s possible that the Doctor could assemble a team: Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman); River Song (Alex Kingston), the Paternoster Gang (Neve McIntosh, Catrin Stewart and Dan Starkey) and Rogue ( Jonathan Groff). To show kids teamwork’s importance. Maybe the animated Doctor meets his former companions? Who are attempting to save their Doctors from the corrupted TARDIS. Each Doctor saved could impart a vote of confidence to the animated Doctor.
Enemy mine
When the animated Doctor reaches the TARDIS’s core in the final episode, their worst fear could be an evil doppelganger. This imposter declares themselves “Time Lord of Darkness” and unleashes all of the Doctor’s enemies. The animated Doctor and friends could be surrounded, with no hope. Only for the other Doctors they rescued in previous episodes to appear and help them; Avengers: Endgame style. A huge battle could commence, with all the Doctors fighting all the monsters. Meanwhile, the animated Doctor and their doppelganger fight; Reichenbach Falls style. Ending in the doppelganger falling into the TARDIS’s heart. As the animated Doctor tries to save them. All the other Doctors and companions could congratulate the animated Doctor; hailing them as a true Doctor and hero.
John Walsh’s take on animated Doctor Who and British animation
John Walsh is a filmmaker and author best known for his friendship with Ray Harryhausen, especially his book Harryhausen: The Lost Movies. He also serves as a Trustee of the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation. Walsh first met Harryhausen while studying film, and their relationship grew into a close friendship. Over time, Walsh contributed by recording commentaries for many of Harryhausen’s films.
Wanting to source a quote on a potential Doctor Who animation from an industry insider, my friend and colleague Ian Cullen contacted John Walsh on my behalf and asked him some questions. Below are his answers:
SFP: “How would you define British animation styles?” and “Is it possible to make a high-quality Doctor Who animation wholly in the UK?”
John Walsh: When I think of quintessential British animation, I think of the animated inserts on Monty Python’s Flying Circus, by Terry Gilliam, an American! But Gilliam caught the British humour bug and translated this into his work. Growing up, British animation was a mix of television commercials, TV shows like Roobarb by Bob Godfrey, and stop-motion animation, such as the Paddington Bear series. An eclectic mix that allowed for experimentation ranging from the claymation of Morph and later Wallace and Gromit to the fantasy and photo-real works of Ray Harryhausen, primarily shot in the UK.
British animation had a no-fear ethic, while the bigger-budget works from North America were technically perfectly executed but allowed little room for creative innovation, focusing instead on technical excellence.
A UK-made animated Doctor Who series has been available for some years. The BBC’s animated reconstruction of a lost Doctor Who serial, created from surviving audio recordings and other materials, is The Power of the Daleks, which features Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. This animated version was released in 2016. I have great hopes for the Doctor’s animated future.
SFP: How do you think Ray Harryhausen would have approached creating an animated Doctor Who using stop-motion combined with some of today’s techniques?
John Walsh: Ray Harryhausen was a great fan of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine and tried to get the film made before his good friend George Pal did in 1960. Doctor Who is heavily influenced by this literary classic, so Ray Harryhausen would have loved to animate not just the creatures, but the entire series.
I imagine Ray would have established an elaborate stop-motion animation centrifuge for the TARDIS, with a stop-motion sidekick. Think K-9 meets Bubo the Owl. Not to mention the monstrous possibilities of creatures from other worlds.
Ray Harryhausen’s Concept Art for an unmade War of the Worlds movie.
In my book Harryhausen: The Lost Movies, you can see what Ray would have done with his version of War of the Worlds. He would have greatly enriched the Doctor’s Whoniverse.
In conclusion
Doctor Who has entered another “wilderness” period. Doubtless the fans and Big Finish will keep the flame alive through their creativity. There have been a few attempts at a Doctor Who animated series before that never got off the ground. I believe that the Doctor is such a vital hero for children that an animated series is exactly what is needed right now. Especially one that doesn’t speak down to its young audience; that introduces difficult concepts and thorny questions, but at the same time lets children feel safe. Knowing the Doctor will save the day; as they always did in the live-action show. Against that, perhaps there is also room for a simpler adventure story; in the style of Captain N: The Game Master and the Jumanji cartoon (remember those?) To quote the incomparable 1st Doctor William Hartnell: “One day I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then there must be no tears, no regrets, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.”
Many thanks to my friend and colleague Ian Cullen for sourcing the John Walsh quotes. And many thanks to John Walsh for so graciously taking the time to answer our questions.
