For some this marks the last episode of a great series. Bringing back the First Doctor almost underlines the fact that it's ending, before a new series starts with some woman in the Tardis. Yes, she might be great. The series might be also. But it's as if after the above special the new series will be a remake/adaptation/spin-off. For some this may be the best way to see it.
Well, at the risk of being called arcane (which I'm not), Dr. Who is based nowadays and for some time past on the myth of Hermes, the winged messenger, the encircler of time and space, a hero/redeemer myth where the redeemer saves the worlds by looping back in time and undoing the past. Sonic screwdriver = Hermes's staff.
This means he has traditionally swapped between the two incarnations of Hermes, namely the young, laughing magician and trickster (Tennant etc.) or the ancient sage (Hartnell). But he hasn't yet been the hermaphrodite (product of the union of Hermes and Aphrodite and resolver of opposites), nor has he been a woman. As a shapeshifter (Mercury), this should be part of his repertoire.
He's not Apollo, he's not a mere action hero, he's the orderer of chaos and the entropizer of order. Unpredictable. Eccleston is a good actor, but he was not Dr. Who for that reason.
I suspect a more mischievous embodiment might have been in order, like Missy, but the idea is sound.
The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#516) confirms that two classic era companions will be back this Christmas in “Twice Upon a Time”.
As previously announced, Peter Capaldi’s Doctor will team up with the First Doctor, played by David Bradley, for one final adventure.
Joining the First Doctor will be companions Ben and Polly. Actors Jared Garfield and Lily Travers will play the roles, replacing original actors Michael Craze and Anneke Wills respectively
BBC North's free screenings this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special, Twice Upon A Time, have received a huge request for tickets, with almost 35,000 entries in the ballot.
Exclusive previews will be shown in eight towns and cities in northern England.
Kicking off in Hartlepool on December 14, the Christmas tour will visit York, Hull, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Salford and Durham, before finishing in Bradford on December 22.
Ticket holders will be able to pose on the BBC red carpet alongside props from the shows, including Daleks and the TARDIS.
David Bradley said: It’s really exciting that Doctor Who fans in the north of England have the opportunity to see the Christmas special first. I really enjoyed playing the First Doctor and as I’m from Yorkshire, it’s extra special to me that the screenings are taking place in the north. The ballot to apply for tickets to these exclusive previews closes this Sunday, 3 December. TTo apply visit the BBC Shows and Tours website. Tickets will be allocated via a random draw with 45% going to local postcodes, 45% going to the surrounding county and 10% to the rest of the UK.
The Doctor Who Screenings will be as follows Thursday 14 December - Hartlepool Town Hall - 7pm Friday 15 December - The Guild Hall, York – 7pm Saturday 16 December - Jubilee Church, Hull - 7pm & 8.30pm Sunday 17 December = St Nicholas Cathedral, Newcastle - 7pm & 8.30pm Monday 18 December - The Middlesbrough Empire - 7pm & 8.30pm Tuesday 19 December - Dock 10, MediaCityUK, Salford – 7pm & 8.30pm Wednesday 20 December - Durham School - 7pm & 8.30pm Friday 22 December - Old Odeon, Bradford - 7pm & 8.30pm
Please note the last few moments of the episode will be kept as a surprise until the BBC One broadcast on Christmas Day.
