Shalka Doctor

The Doctor

The Shalka Doctor
Doctor Who character
First appearance	Scream of the Shalka
Last appearance	"The Feast of the Stone"
Portrayed by	Richard E. Grant (voice)
Information
Tenure	2003
No. of series	1
Appearances	1 story (6 episodes)
Companions	Android version of the Master, Alison Cheney
Chronology
Preceded by	Eighth Doctor (alternate regeneration)
Succeeded by	N/A
Series	Scream of the Shalka & "The Feast of the Stone"

The Shalka Doctor (or the REG Doctor) is the common fan name given to the character that appeared as an alternate incarnation of the Doctor in the flash-animated serial Scream of the Shalka in 2003 and the later short story The Feast of the Stone which were based on the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. He was voiced by the actor Richard E. Grant.

Overview

Scream of the Shalka was designed to be an official continuation of Doctor Who.^[1] At the time, there were no plans for a continuation of the television series and plans for another film were progressing very slowly. The Shalka Doctor was intended to be the ninth incarnation, as two lines in Scream of the Shalka imply: the Doctor mentions that Andy Warhol once wanted to paint "all nine" of him, and comments that a dead cat has used up its nine lives, like he has. The Shalka Doctor's claim to being the "Ninth Doctor" was also backed up by BBC press releases.^[2][3]

However, the 2005 series was announced in September 2003—about two months before the webcast could meet its 13 November release date.^[4] This led to immediate controversy about the "official" status of the animated Ninth Doctor. Martin Trickey, executive producer of The Scream of the Shalka, noted these concerns when he was interviewed at the time of Shalka's release: "The BBC said it was the ninth Doctor, so that's great. Is it part of the canon? I don't know. There's a big argument raging on the message board. I just hope people enjoy it. That's the main thing. Whether people choose to see it as the official Ninth Doctor or not is really up to them."^[1]

As of 2005, Christopher Eccleston is established as the definitive Ninth Doctor:

• BBC press releases and advertisements have firmly established Eccleston as "the Ninth Doctor".^[5]
• The new series has also demonstrated this in various episodes.

• The Journal of Impossible Things from the two-part episode "Human Nature"/"The Family of Blood" contains sketches of all ten Doctors, with only Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor included.
• In the Christmas special "The Next Doctor", the ten incarnations of the Doctor known at that time appear through an infostamp projection. The footage for the Ninth Doctor was of Christopher Eccleston from "The Parting of the Ways".
• The Eleventh Doctor settles the matter on-screen in the episode "The Lodger", identifying himself to another character as "eleventh" after his nature as a Time-Lord is revealed. Later events would establish that this was incorrect and that the 'Eleventh' Doctor was actually the twelfth distinct incarnation of the character; however the 'missing' incarnation was played by John Hurt and does not appear to be related to the Shalka Doctor.

To date the Shalka Doctor has appeared in three officially licensed Doctor Who products: the original webcast, the novelisation of the webcast by Paul Cornell which was released by BBC Books, and the short story "The Feast of the Stone" by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright which has to date only been published on the BBC's "Cult Vampire Magazine" webpage.^[6]

A further series was commissioned by the BBC. It was called "Blood of the Robots" and was being written by Simon Clark. Three episodes had been written before it was cancelled because of the imminent return of the live series.^[7]

Personality

The Shalka Doctor has an appreciation for the finer things that borders on snobbery, although he shares with his other incarnations an abhorrence of evil. His travels seem to be directed by an unseen power that he resents (possibly the Time Lords). This leads to his initial refusal to intervene in the Shalka invasion of the village of Lannet until the death of a homeless woman raises his ire. He also has an abrasive relationship with the military similar to that of the Third Doctor toward UNIT early in his tenure.

To avoid capture by the Shalka, this Doctor tries to act as if he is a detached alien observer. However, he still has respect for human life and can not allow them to kill their hostage. Grant has described his interpretation of the Doctor as "Sherlock Holmes in space." This incarnation of the Doctor seems haunted by some undisclosed past event, to the point where he actively opposes the notion of Alison becoming a companion. For reasons likewise unexplained, he travels with an android which contains the consciousness of the Master (voiced by Derek Jacobi). The android Master does hint, however, that the Doctor's previous companion may have met an untimely end, perhaps explaining his initial reluctance to take on a new travelling companion.

Portrayal

Richard E. Grant had previously played the Doctor, albeit briefly, in the 1999 Comic Relief charity special Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death, when a series of explosions caused the Doctor to rapidly regenerate; Grant's incarnation was intended to be the Tenth. In the spoof, Grant's Doctor was characterised as conceited, a trait associated with many of Grant's past acting roles. For Shalka, Grant played the character straight, with little of his trademark conceitedness. This charity special does not run in the official Doctor Who continuity.

The Shalka Doctor was visually modelled on Grant himself.^[8]

Before Grant was cast, Robbie Williams was considered for the role.^[9]

Grant would go on to play Dr. Walter Simeon in the 2012 Christmas episode "The Snowmen", a character who was possessed by "The Great Intelligence". He would go on to reprise his role as "The Great Intelligence" in the 2013 episodes "The Bells of Saint John" and "The Name of the Doctor".^[10]

External links

Scream of the Shalka

• Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka at the Internet Movie Database
• Scream of the Shalka, on the BBC website
• Scream of the Shalka at The Doctor Who Reference Guide
• Scream of the Shalka theme music mp3 file

The Feast of the Stone

• The Feast of the Stone, on the BBC website
• Feast of the Stone at The Doctor Who Reference Guide

References