Doctor Who

Doctor Who (Tues. (14), 8-10 p.m., Fox) Filmed in British Columbia by Universal Canada Prods. in association with BBC Worldwide. Executive producers, Alex Beaton, Philip David Segal, Jo Wright; producer, Peter V. Ware; co-producer , Matthew Jacobs; director, Geoffrey Sax; script, Matthew Jacobs, based on the original series broadcast on the BBC.

Cast: Paul McGann, Eric Roberts, Daphne Ashbrook, Sylvester McCoy, Yee Jee Tso, John Novak, Michael David Simms, Catherine Lough, Dolores Drake, William Sasso, Jeremy Radick, Eliza Roberts, Bill Croft, Dave Hurtubise, Joel Wirkkunen, Dee Jay Jackson, Gordon Tipple, Mi-Jung Lee, Joanna Piros. Sci-fi hero who could only have originated in Great Britain is resurrected for U.S. (and worldwide) television in his shiniest incarnation yet. Fans should enjoy "Doctor Who"; whether enough of them will to justify additional episodes is a big question.

First "Doctor Who" episode aired on BBC in November 1963; current episode is said to be the 695th. Format of series allows replacement of main character whenever necessary: "Time Lords" from planet Gallifrey such as the Doctor are able to regenerate themselves after death in new forms. Paul McGann is eighth actor to play The Doctor; Sylvester McCoy, who appears in opening sequences, was his predecessor.

Original series has been aired sporadically in the U.S., most with Tom Baker in the lead. Good news is that McGann's Doctor bears close resemblance to Baker's, physically and in character.

In current episode, Doctor (McCoy) is assigned to escort the remains of his nemesis, a renegade Time Lord known as the Master, across space to his home planet. Doctor's TARDIS (a time and space-travel device shaped like an English police box) runs awry, landing in 1999 San Francisco. The Master escapes, in the temporary form of an enormous slug, re-emerging in body of a paramedic (Eric Roberts) in the crew that takes incapacitated Doctor to hospital. There, medic Dr. Grace Holloway (Daphne Ashbrook) botches surgery on the Doctor and, in the morgue while attendants are watching "Frankenstein," he returns to life in the form of Paul McGann.

Rest of the episode is devoted to the Doctor as he attempts to prevent the Master and Earthling accomplice Chang Lee (Yee Jee Tso) from destroying the planet.

Current version brings production design (Richard Hudolin) and special effects (Northwest Imaging & Fx) up to lavish contemporary standards while retaining much of the original's visual wit. Ditto for costumes (Jori Woodman), especially the outfit worn by the Master toward the episode's end.

Newcomers to the series will have to invest some time in figuring out what's going on. Longtime fans should appreciate the way current producers continue series as well as the casting of McGann.

Camera, Glen MacPherson; editor, Patrick Lussier; production designer, Richard Hudolin; art director, Bridget McGuire; sound, Gordon W. Anderson; music, John Debney, John Sponsler, Louis Serbe; casting, Beth Hymson-Ayer.

Variety is striving to present the most thorough review database. To report inaccuracies in review credits, please click here. We do not currently list below-the-line credits, although we hope to include them in the future. Please note we may not respond to every suggestion. Your assistance is appreciated.