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TARDIS Guide

Overview

Released

Monday, May 27, 1996

Production Code

TVM

Written by

Matthew Jacobs

Directed by

Geoffrey Sax

Runtime

86 minutes

Time Travel

Future

Inventory (Potential Spoilers!)

Eye of Harmony, Jelly Babies, Sonic Screwdriver

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Earth, San Francisco, The Cloister Room, USA

UK Viewers

9.87 million

Appreciation Index

75

Synopsis

The Doctor, nearing the end of his seventh life, is charged with transporting the remains of his fellow Time Lord, the Master, back to their home planet. Despite his precautions, his old enemy is not only not dead, but is out for revenge. Creating a timing malfunction in the TARDIS, and bringing the Doctor to San Francisco in 1999, the Master escapes and puts his plans into motion. The Doctor must find a beryllium atomic clock and stop the Master, but after being shot down by members of a street gang, how will he succeed?

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14 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

I'd heard a lot about this in the past, so I wasn't sure what I'd think about it. Well, I finally watched it, and it was actually pretty good.

Now, don't get me wrong, there's still a lot that wasn't great in it. (The master is a translucent snake? The Doctor is half-human?) But I loved Paul McGann and Eric Robert's acting, the music was great, the TARDIS set is gorgeous, and it was overall just a fun ride.

Not sure what I think about the Seventh Doctor dying because of a medical procedure...

I would recommend to fans of the Eighth Doctor or for a look at what could have been.


whitestar1993

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This wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't great.

Nonetheless, I like the story, and rewatching clips of the movie always reminds me of what could've been. There definitely should've been a 90s Doctor Who series with McGann as the Doctor.


AJwaderz

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This review contains spoilers!

one of my fav televised dw episodes and a fun look at what could have been. doesn't work as a regeneration story but that's because it isn't; it's fun, silly sci-fi. grace is nice, wish we had more of her. overall, it's tonally nuwho with all the camp of classic. 9/10


evilsophie2002

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This review contains spoilers!

It's like that one post that goes "who was the target audience for this movie?" "me, i was the target audience".

People that dislike this movie have no concept of joy, no whimsy. I made a casual, nuwho friend watch it with me and spent at least one hour explaining how the plot makes sense, actually, if you ignore the fact that the Eye of Harmony can do anything, the fact that you need a human eye to open it (honestly, what was up with that??), and some other things as well. Hilarious that poor Seven gets killed not by the bullets, but by the doctors investigating why his heart rate is so damn high. Grace is living the life as a companion: gets to kill and snog the Doctor in the span of two days! But really, she's a pretty solid companion, and Daphne Ashbrook and Paul McGann have great chemistry. Roberts' Master is fun and camp ("I always drezzz for the occasion") and also scary and I like him, okay? I also like it when the Master has a little companion, and Chang Lee is a good gullible accomplice for him.

Now. The real reason this movie somehow works in the end is Paul McGann. People complain about the memory loss, but idk, it's not a problem for me. The audience gets to figure out who he is alongside himself and Grace, and I thought that was nice, actually. The regeneration in the morgue bit was great, the "WHO. AM. I." was unprecedented in levels of ham. "These shoes! They fit perfectly!". His delivery of that "so that he will live and I will DIE! NO!" line lives in my head rent free. I liked him from the very first second, but was 100% sold when he steals that cop's gun and threatens to shoot... himself. C'mon. What's not to like. Love everything about him. Also, Paul McGann shouts very well?? He shouts "GO!" I'm like "yessir" and I'm out, fast. He can put a lot of authority on it and it's very impressive considering he can also be extremely soft spoken. I'm very glad got into his BF audio dramas, where this talent is very well utilized indeed.

Maybe my fav Doctor. Considering his further characterization in the novels and BF dramas, to me he's a combination of my favorite traits of the previous (and future, actually) Doctors. He's usually kind, very caring, self-sacrificing, full of child-like wonder and love, and quite ditsy. He's great at sleight of hand (love this gimmick), believably a genius, very alien. He has a lot of gravitas, can go from polite to commanding to cold in a split second, and can be quite manipulative too. Of course it's not all present in a 90min movie, but it does start here. Also, I love the outfit! It matches his personality very well and that's important to me.

Def my fav TARDIS interior!!! It makes Fifteenth's look like the inside of a fridge. Monstrous crime that this is the only time we see it.

Bottom line, this is definitely a comfort movie for me, and very much not a guilty pleasure, because I feel no guilt at all. Not to mention it doubles as a New Years movie, so I have a great excuse to watch it every year.


mndy

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I think that the TV movie has some cool concepts, and I also feel that it looks good visually with nice costumes and sets (particularly the TARDIS console room). However, I feel that the plot is a bit messy with a few plot holes, and the romance elements didn't interest me at all. It's not too offensive, but it's also not too incredible.


Bongo50

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AVG. Rating666 members
3.58 / 5

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AVG. Rating541 votes
3.25 / 5

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Quotes

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DOCTOR: I love humans. Always seeing patterns in things that aren’t there.

— Eighth Doctor, Doctor Who (The TV Movie)

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Transcript Needs checking

(Cold Open)

DOCTOR [OC]: It was on the planet Skaro that my old enemy the Master was finally put on trial. They say he listened calmly as his list of evil was read and sentence passed. Then he made his last, and I thought somewhat curious, request. He demanded that I, the Doctor, a rival Time Lord, should take his remains back to our home planet, Gallifrey.

[Skaro]

DALEKS: Exterminate! Exterminate.

(The Master is atomised.)


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