When actors aren't available | Doctor Who 

What was the explanation of their disappearances?

It's been a while since I've seen it, but their kidnapping would usually be the cliffhanger, and they would return without knowing the culprit after they were absent for an episode. I think they found out did it, but it was pretty easy to tell that it wasn't important to the overall plot.@@francisfett2612

@@francisfett2612 i'm not sure if it is the example in this video, but there was another actor playing Jamie for a few episodes because Frazer Hines was ill Edit: yes it was in the video en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamish_Wilson "Hamish Wilson is best known for briefly taking over the role of Jamie McCrimmon for part of two episodes in the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Mind Robber when series regular Frazer Hines was ill with chickenpox and unable to attend the recording. The change of actor was written in as part of the story when Jamie is turned into a cardboard cut-out and has his face removed by the Master of the Land of Fiction. The Second Doctor's first attempt to reconstruct his face is unsuccessful. Eventually, Jamie's real face is restored when Hines recovered."

In the 60s even the Doctors would randomly disappear or fall unconscious and get replaced by a body double for an episode (The Seeds of Death episode four, for example), so the actor could go on a week's holiday. Every 60s season had 39-45 episodes, which were recorded weekly, so that kind of thing had to happen. That's why the Doctor is only heard speaking a few prerecorded lines offscreen in episode two of The Time Meddler. Frazer Hines got chickenpox when The Mind Robber was being recorded, so they took advantage of the surreal nature of the story and replaced him with another actor for a week. Sometimes contracs randomly expired, which is why Dodo disappears after episode two of The War Machines and is never seen again.

Lmaoo

to be fair on 14th, its his own body

Wait, who's body did 6th copy?

​​@andrewrosen965 I think Colin Baker played a character in a 5th doctor story before the regeneration was decided. Edit: the scene is at 2:01

Don't forget The Caretaker...

@@andrewrosen965Technically nobody. Colin Baker had just appeared on the show in a different role prior to becoming the Doctor. Although, that would be an interesting headcanon.

What was the explanation for that? Why was the actor for Jamie not available?

@@MasterChiefSpartan117Chicken pox lol

“I thought it looked very nice on the Princess”

Wax figure for the photoshoot dont forget! Now that's producing in the pre cgi/deepfake era for ya!

It should’ve been called the Four Doctors.

@ShockwaveFPSStudios The original version, by Robert Holmes, would have included Tom Baker(and possibly more brief clips of Hartnell), and would have been called 'The Six Doctors'...with the 'sixth' revealed to be a robot, played by Richard Hurndall.

The "old guy in a white wig" IS the Doctor, how DARE you disrespect Richard Hurndall! It's not their fault William Hartnell died!

@@Foebane72 @ I'm actually quoting David Tennant from 'The Five Doctors' DVD commentary. I think Richard Hurndall gives a superb performance as the first Doctor.

Curator also called confirmed the Doctor could regenerate old faces

@@potsdam28and backdoor explained the partial regeneration 10 did as well…might extend further to 6

It is not, I think they don't care

​ If i recall, Moffat wanted to have Paul Mcgann originally, but the BBC wouldn't let him, as they didn't think new fans would know who he is and it wouldn't bring as many viewers in. So Moffat hired John Hurt instead to play a new incarnation.

​@@TheCosmicFaeThe BBC worried that FANS wouldn't know who a PREVIOUS DOCTOR was so instead they cast someone who had NEVER been in the show before? Brilliant thinking BBC, what a genius move!

@@TheCosmicFaeMoffat wanted Ecclestone originally but obviously that wasn’t possible due to his issues with the show’s production, and he couldn’t picture the 8th Doctor fighting in a war so he came up with a new incarnation between them.

@@Sparx632 That's right yh, now I remember. Tbh, I couldn't imagine Paul Mcgann either, he's very much a romantic, not a warrior

Donna Noble: OH MY GOD I DID IT AGAIN

@@hotelmario510 Okay-that’s more proof that Donna and the Doctor share a braincell, and Donna wasn’t even a person in Patrick’s run

way better than the stuck in peru bit.

*Jamie

He still appeared, even if it was in a reduced capacity.

@@Alkonium Yes I know, Pertwee and Troughton still had to react to pre-filmed footage of Hartnell on the scanner as though it was coming through live to hide the fact he wasn't actually there for the studio recording. Even though they did do a superb job making it seamless.

Should’ve been called the 2 Doctors.

@@ShockwaveFPSStudios Trouble is they'd already announced it was gonna be called the 3 Doctors before Hartnell's wife phoned to say he couldn't do it.

​@@ShockwaveFPSStudios they did end up using that name later for the crossover with 6 and 2, which was Patrick Troughton's last appearance as 2 if I remember correctly.

Yes, especially as he never f***ing knows the answer when it's important😅😅

@@AndrewChapman”affirmative”

Probably cuz all but the last part are missing.

Colin and Peter 2 aswell.

He stated on several occasions he doesn't want to do his Dad's role.

@@JavertRA he’s open to it but he’s not jumping at the opportunity

Yes.....yes it was.

The actor for the first doctor isn't the original as he sadly passed away in 1975

@@incognitoaccount7510 ooooohhh. I understand now. I thought it was that Peter Capaldi or David Bradley wasn’t available on the day of filming that scene and used stand ins. Thank you.

Yes, he sadly wasn't available for filming that decade

Apparently Tubi has all the classic episodes right now.

@@floydlooney6837THANK YOU!!!!!!

No they wanted to Baker to repriae the role but to Baker refused. So He just gets kidnapped at the start of the Episode by some edited footage from City of death.

@@keit99 The fourth Doctor clips were from "Shada," not "City of Death." Both of them were some of my favorite stories in the series.

@@dangerman5617 that was shada? Oh OK need to rewatch City of death and shada At one point.

@@keit99 They're both in the same season 17, so they do have the same comedic elements. They're both written by Douglas Adams too. Cheers!

First one is five doctors, when Tom baker didn't return so they used stock footage in the episode and the second one where William Hartnell had already passed away so Bradley was cast as the first doctor

@hannahrg06 OH I see. I didn't know that's what they were referring to.

Colin Baker refused, Jamie’s actor had a doctor appointment, they reshot the finale of “Trial of a Time Lord”, Tom Baker refused to be in The Five Doctors…others might be other reasons

​@@bostonrailfan2427William Hartnell has been dead for roughly 43 years at that point.

Basically it's a group of scenes from throughout the show where they were written a certain way because an actor wasn't available. Out of context irs harder to follow.

You mean mavity. 🤣

Nah. I'm glad they didn't bump off Peri. What a horrible death that would have been for her. Not worth it. So, no, it's not a fake out.