Paul McGann says classic Doctor Who companion convinced him to accept the part

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Paul McGann has shared that Janet Fielding, a well-known actress from classic Doctor Who, played a key role in his decision to take on the part of the Eighth Doctor.

Paul McGann first played the Doctor in a 1996 TV movie, succeeding Sylvester McCoy and marking a fresh start for the BBC’s science fiction show.

At a recent screening of the restored 4K version of Doctor Who: The Movie, Paul McGann discussed how Janet Fielding – famous for playing Tegan Jovanka alongside the Fourth and Fifth Doctors – gave him valuable insight into the importance of the role he was about to play.

After we arrived in Canada and began working on the project, my agent, Janet Fielding, told me this wasn’t going to be like any of my previous jobs. She predicted we’d still be talking about it decades later.

The actor shared that Helen Fielding’s advice was key when the producer, Philip Segal, was trying to convince him to accept the role, and he might not have agreed to it without her help.

I hadn’t discussed it until Phil Segal encouraged me to consider it. Then, I talked it over with her, and her advice was incredibly helpful. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have agreed to it without her encouragement.

Niamh Fielding played a role in Doctor Who from 1981 to 1984, working alongside Tom Baker and Peter Davison. She later revisited the series through audio dramas and made an appearance in the 2022 BBC special, ‘The Power of the Doctor,’ which celebrated the show’s 100th anniversary.

Although Paul McGann only starred in one complete televised Doctor Who story, his portrayal of the Doctor has had a lasting impact on the show’s lore. He continued the role through audio dramas produced by Big Finish, and even reappeared in a special mini-episode celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary, ‘The Night of the Doctor’.

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, the 1996 Doctor Who movie is getting a fresh look! It’s been completely restored using the original 35mm film, making it look better than ever.

This release comes in a special Limited Edition Steelbook, including the 90-minute adventure on both 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. It will also be available as separate 4K and standard Blu-ray discs.

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You can now watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer. For a complete guide to the show – including reviews of every episode from 1963 onwards, details on the cast and crew, behind-the-scenes facts, and exclusive content from the TopMob archive – check out our Doctor Who story guide.

As a huge sci-fi fan, I’m telling you, you absolutely need to add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the TopMob ‘What to Watch’ app! Seriously, download it now – it gives you daily TV recommendations and all sorts of cool features, and you won’t want to miss out on the Doctor’s adventures.

Authors

Morgan JefferyDigital Editor

Hey, so I’m Morgan Jeffery, and I basically run the digital side of things at TopMob – I oversee everything we publish online. Before this, I was the TV Editor at Digital Spy, and I’ve even gotten to be a TV talking head on shows like BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live, and Sky Atlantic. I’m a bit of a TV fanatic, so it’s a dream gig!

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2026-05-20 10:40