Doctor Who TV movie director Geoffrey Sax has said he would be open to returning to the franchise for a potential Paul McGann spin-off series.
McGann made his debut as the Eighth Doctor in the 1996 TV movie, which was originally intended as a potential pilot for a new series.
While that full TV revival did not materialise at the time, McGann’s Doctor has retained a devoted following over the past 30 years, with fans continuing to call for the actor to be given his own full-fledged spin-off or miniseries.
Interest in McGann’s Doctor was only heightened by his surprise return in 2013 minisode The Night of the Doctor, which finally showed the Eighth Doctor’s regeneration and helped cement the incarnation’s place in modern Doctor Who mythology.
Asked whether he would be open to being involved in any future McGann-led project, Sax told Radio Times: “I would absolutely be open to being involved.”
He added: “I’d love to. I’d love to work again with Paul. I think now, 30 years on, especially with this renewed interest in it, I would definitely… I’d love to be involved.”
McGann has continued to play the Eighth Doctor in audio dramas, while his sole full-length TV outing has remained a fascinating “what if?” moment in Doctor Who history – particularly given that the 1996 film was designed with hopes of launching a new era of the show.
In recent years, fan hopes for an Eighth Doctor follow-up have ranged from calls for a full spin-off series to a shorter miniseries or special, giving McGann the kind of extended screen run that his incarnation never received in the 1990s.
Sax noted he has been struck by the continuing interest in the TV movie, saying: “What’s been interesting about this is that normally directors on TV shows are not often mentioned.
“I’ve done more podcasts and interviews and that than anything on any other show that I’ve ever done in my entire career, and to be doing it 30 years later is extraordinary.
“Every now and then, it just keeps on – like 15 years ago, it suddenly comes back, and then it’s in the press again.
“I just think it’s amazing. So yes, I would certainly be open to doing it.”
The renewed interest comes as Doctor Who: The Movie returns to the spotlight with a new 4K restoration, recently screened at BFI Southbank with Sax and McGann in attendance for a Q&A.
The remaster arrives ahead of a new 4K and Blu-ray home media release, with the TV movie newly restored from the original 35mm film elements to mark its 30th anniversary.
The release will be available as a Limited Edition Steelbook featuring the 90-minute adventure on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray, alongside standalone 4K and standard Blu-ray editions.=
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