News

Doctor Who Fan "Anime" Completed

A British fan-made film that adapts the BBC series Doctor Who in the style of 1980s SF and action anime has been released on youtube. The film is a montage of scenes involving the 'Third Doctor' - the version played by the late Jon Pertwee from 1970-4 - materialising in Tokyo to battle Daleks, Cybermen, the Master and other enemies. The film was drawn and animated by Paul Johnson, who previously released in-progess versions online, but he designates this twelve-and-a-half-minute edition as the 'final' version.

Among the characters represented are two versions of the Doctor's nemesis The Master, as played by Roger Delgado in the 1970s and Anthony Ainley in the 1980s. There are also appearances by the Doctor's long-standing ally, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stwewart, as played by Nicholas Courtney through four decades. (Courtney died this February, and the film includes a dedication to him.)

Much of the soundtrack is taken from the TV series, with Johnson supplying extra Dalek and Cyberman vocals. The Doctor's nubile Japanese assistant Tomo Kajiura (created for the film) is voiced by Sachika Souno.

There have been several other animated Doctor Who spinoffs, both fan-made and commercial. For example, the Manchester studio Cosgrove Hall animated two 'lost' episodes of a 1968 serial, The Invasion, for its DVD release in 2006.