Doctor Who TV movie director recalls actor who came “extremely close” to playing the Eighth Doctor

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Geoffrey Sax, the director of the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie, has shared that another actor was nearly cast as the Eighth Doctor before Paul McGann got the part.

Paul McGann first played the Doctor in a 1996 TV movie. This movie was a joint project between the BBC and Fox, and it was meant to kick off a new Doctor Who television series.

In a recent interview with TopMob, Sax clarified that the actor wasn’t originally involved with the project when he joined.

Paul wasn’t involved, as far as I know,” Sax explained. “I believe his name came up early on, and he’d actually done a screen test quite a while before, when producer Phil Segal was first trying to get the project started.

Phil Segal attempted to launch the project several times previously, and Paul was considered as a possible leader back then. However, when I joined, we had a fresh start and interviewed a large number of candidates for the position.

Sax went on to reveal that one actor in particular came very close to landing the part.

He described a man named Harry Van Gorkum as incredibly charismatic and almost successful.

We were really keen on getting him for the role, but the BBC felt they needed someone with more recognition. While Doctor Who is a well-known brand, they wanted to ensure the casting was exceptional.

The idea was to partner with someone already well-known in the UK, and that’s how Paul joined the project.

Sax explained that Paul McGann was suggested by someone – though he can’t recall who after all this time – and they immediately thought it was a good fit, so they offered him the role.

Honestly, after seeing his work on other shows, he just felt like the perfect fit for what we needed. As a fan, it was clear he understood the vibe and could really deliver!

We met a lot of talented people, but none of them felt like the perfect fit.

Sax also pointed out that McGann’s ability to bring humor to the role was crucial, and he’d recently confirmed this while watching the TV movie again at a BFI event.

He explained that the film was also quite funny. “We recently screened it at the BFI, and I realized how many laughs it gets, with a lot of the humor coming from Paul,” he said.

Actor Peter Van Gorkum once discussed almost being cast as the Doctor in Doctor Who, telling Doctor Who Magazine in 2021 that landing that role – or the role of James Bond – would be life-changing. He said these are the only two parts that could instantly transform an actor’s career.

He remembered being initially told he got the part, but then the BBC decided they preferred someone more well-known.

That was the end of it, and I was devastated,” Van Gorkum explained. “I don’t hold any resentment, though. I was really embarrassed when it happened, but I knew that came with the territory of the job I’d chosen.

Van Gorkum continued acting in popular shows like Friends, Charmed, CSI, and 24. Meanwhile, McGann’s role as the Doctor led to a lasting involvement with the series, and he even reprised the part in a short online episode, ‘The Night of the Doctor,’ in 2013.

A newly restored 4K version of the TV movie was shown at BFI Southbank, and after the screening, actors Sax and McGann answered questions from the audience.

This remastered version is being released alongside a new 4K and Blu-ray disc. The TV movie has been newly restored from the original film to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

The movie will be released in a special Limited Edition Steelbook, which includes the 90-minute film on both 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. It will also be available on 4K and standard Blu-ray separately.

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You can now watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer. For a comprehensive look at the show, explore our story guide, which includes reviews of every episode from 1963 to the present day, as well as information on the cast, crew, production details, and exclusive content from the TopMob archive.

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Authors

Morgan JefferyDigital Editor

Morgan Jeffery leads the editorial content for TopMob across all its digital platforms as the Digital Editor. Before joining TopMob, he worked as TV Editor at Digital Spy and has appeared as a television expert on programs like BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live, and Sky Atlantic.

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2026-05-27 20:35