ext_550458: (Penny Farthing)
http://strange-complex.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] strange-complex.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] strange_complex 2005-04-17 10:42 am (UTC)

Yes, a selective approach is certainly being taken. A strong case can also be made for Peter Cushing, who played the Doctor in two films from the sixties: Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D..

I'm not entirely sure what makes McGann 'canon' and Cushing not, but I think it comes down to the level of BBC involvement in the production: they were involved with both production and distribution for the McGann movie, but had no such direct link with the Cushing films that I'm aware of, apart, of course, from giving permission for the use of the character.

At the level of the story, the degree of BBC involvement shows itself in the form of direct continuity between one incarnation and the next. Hence, we saw McCoy regenerate into McGann in the 1996 film, while hints have been dropped in the new series that Ecclestone is newly-regenerated, and a flashback to the actual regeneration scene remains a possibility. However, Cushing (as for the other non-canon examples you give) seems to have stood alone - there's no reference to his regeneration from or into any of the accepted canon incarnations.

Obviously, Richard Hurndall 'counts' as the same incarnation as William Hartnell, which is the only example I know of of such an approach so far.

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