RTD: Fans Can’t Ignore “Half-Human” Doctor

One of the most controversial elements in the 1996 TV movie is the scene where Paul McGann’s Doctor says that he is half-human “On his mother’s side.” Many fans have chosen to ignore this.

However, Doctor Who’s former lead writer Russell T Davies says that, although he doesn’t like the idea, it shouldn’t simply be ignored either.

Speaking on Who’s Round, Davies said: “I don’t like the half-human thing. He certainly isn’t half-human, but it’s less interesting to say it simply doesn’t count.

He adds: “I always wanted to put in a line where someone says to the Doctor ‘are you human?’ and the Doctor says ‘no, but I was once in 1999. It was a 24 hour bunk.’ Part of the reason I never put that in was it was a bit too self-referential but also I thought I’m spoiling the TV movie if I do that.

“In that time, like it or not, the Doctor was half human. Everything in that story says he was half human, so you can’t not count it. I don’t think we can ignore it.”