Peter Davison reveals Doctor Who project was axed over "compromises"

peter davison
Peter Davison reveals scrapped Doctor Who skitGetty Images

Doctor Who star Peter Davison has revealed details of a scrapped follow-up to his 2013 sketch for the sci-fi show.

Titled 'The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot', the skit was made for the show's 50th anniversary 'Day of the Doctor' special, and featured Davison alongside Sixth Doctor Colin Baker and Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy attempting to sneak onto the set of the episode.

Now, in an interview with Radio Times, Davison, who played the fifth iteration of the Doctor, revealed he had planned to do a follow-up to the skit for the upcoming 60th anniversary but it was ultimately scrapped.

"It's a different world now. And I am always – I wouldn't say – pushing the boundaries. My sense of humour is maybe a little out of sync with the sense of humour that now exists," the actor said.

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Getty Images

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Going on to explain why the project was shelved, Davison said: "In the end, it became very clear to me that there were too many compromises I'd be asked to make in the making of it and I thought it just best to leave it alone – because the original was perfect!

"I wouldn't have wanted to do it anyway unless I thought it could be as good, or better."

Set to air later this year, the 60th-anniversary specials will consist of three hour-long specials, titled 'The Star Beast', 'Wild Blue Yonder' and 'The Giggle'.

The episodes will see the return of David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor alongside Catherine Tate who is reprising her role as Donna Noble.

doctor who 60th anniversary, david tennant as the doctor
BBC

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Neil Patrick Harris, Ruth Madeley and Yasmin Finney will join the special as guest stars while Jacqueline King and Karl Collins will return to their respective roles as Donna's mum and husband.

The three episodes will end with Tennant's doctor regenerating, with Ncuti Gatwa taking over the role as the fifteenth iteration of the iconic Time Lord.

Doctor Who returns later in 2023 on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Meanwhile, in the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on Max.

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