BBC considers Paul McGann as canonical, as they turned this into one of the Doctor Who radio dramas. In the opening of McGann, they connect what happened in the Five Doctors to where they are now. The intent of this version of Shada was to get the story in the official "Who" canon in honor of Douglas Adams, hence why they had Romana and K-9 MK II included.
@gouletdrg The BBC definately consider Paul McGann as canon, but remember the audio Drama was produced by Big Finish (although the BBC currently host it in the classic Doctor Who web pages). If McGann's Shada is canon, most of the Baker Shada must therefore not be (which is a shame, as the Fourth Doctor's scene on the bicycle was great). Also, exactly how Romana II and K9 have escaped from E-Space is not made clear in the McGann Shada.
@Castrolvalva the Big Finish series is considered canonical according to the BBC, a statement was published when the new series came out as the new series makes references to the Time War. Big Finish explains the E-Space escape and Romana as Pres. The BBC view of the Baker Shada is that as it was never completed, and scenes were used in the "Five Doctors", it cannot be considered canon. It was never published in book form, and the video release was to share the story line, not make it canon.
@gouletdrg To continue: Since the Big Finish series are canonical, they were able to use that thread and complete Shada with almost the same storyline, with a new beginning prior to the opening credits. Romana mentions getting stuck in a time votex or something close to that and K9 tells them they never met the Prof. So they go back to finish the mission. The webcast/radio broadcast then follows the original script, without the punting scene. Therefore, BBC considers McGann Shada canonical.
Nicely done, I am just a little perplexed now as to which doctor experienced shada, ok originally it was the 4th, tom baker, but it was abandoned and made as a webcast with the 8th, paul mcgann.
I genuinly do not know which doctor should get the credit and if it is even remotely canonical.
If it is canon, it would be nice to give the 8th doctor another story but then it probably wasn't written for his doctor, add the fact that shada was already used in the 5 doctors and it's very confusing.
I agree that the sequence is well done, but I would just like to clarify I just edited the second one, the first is how it appears in the webcast.
With regard to which Doctor was meant to experience the events, it is certainly ambiguous. It was meant for the Fourth to have experienced it, but as the program was never broadcast due to strike action the first time the general public would have seen (some of the) events was in The Five Doctors.
However, The Five Doctors still allows the events of the Fourth Doctor experiencing Shada to happen, as he and Romana are returned to the same time they were taken from at the end of The Five Doctors.
The Eighth Doctor's Shada explains how, apparently, the Fourth Doctor and Romana went straight onto Brighton (i.e. the start of events of The Leisure Hive) after being placed back.
However, just to confuse matters, the Fourth Doctor's Shada was completed with narration from Tom Baker and realeased on video, and was broadcast in May - June 2003!
I think the best thing is to accept the Fourth Doctor as being the one who experienced the events of Shada. Enjoy the Eighth Doctor's Shada as an example of how the original version might have looked, but I don't think it should really be considered canonical.
BBC considers Paul McGann as canonical, as they turned this into one of the Doctor Who radio dramas. In the opening of McGann, they connect what happened in the Five Doctors to where they are now. The intent of this version of Shada was to get the story in the official "Who" canon in honor of Douglas Adams, hence why they had Romana and K-9 MK II included.
gouletdrg 1 year ago
@gouletdrg The BBC definately consider Paul McGann as canon, but remember the audio Drama was produced by Big Finish (although the BBC currently host it in the classic Doctor Who web pages). If McGann's Shada is canon, most of the Baker Shada must therefore not be (which is a shame, as the Fourth Doctor's scene on the bicycle was great). Also, exactly how Romana II and K9 have escaped from E-Space is not made clear in the McGann Shada.
Castrolvalva 1 year ago
@Castrolvalva the Big Finish series is considered canonical according to the BBC, a statement was published when the new series came out as the new series makes references to the Time War. Big Finish explains the E-Space escape and Romana as Pres. The BBC view of the Baker Shada is that as it was never completed, and scenes were used in the "Five Doctors", it cannot be considered canon. It was never published in book form, and the video release was to share the story line, not make it canon.
gouletdrg 1 year ago
@gouletdrg To continue: Since the Big Finish series are canonical, they were able to use that thread and complete Shada with almost the same storyline, with a new beginning prior to the opening credits. Romana mentions getting stuck in a time votex or something close to that and K9 tells them they never met the Prof. So they go back to finish the mission. The webcast/radio broadcast then follows the original script, without the punting scene. Therefore, BBC considers McGann Shada canonical.
gouletdrg 1 year ago
Nicely done, I am just a little perplexed now as to which doctor experienced shada, ok originally it was the 4th, tom baker, but it was abandoned and made as a webcast with the 8th, paul mcgann.
I genuinly do not know which doctor should get the credit and if it is even remotely canonical.
If it is canon, it would be nice to give the 8th doctor another story but then it probably wasn't written for his doctor, add the fact that shada was already used in the 5 doctors and it's very confusing.
farshnuke 2 years ago
I agree that the sequence is well done, but I would just like to clarify I just edited the second one, the first is how it appears in the webcast.
With regard to which Doctor was meant to experience the events, it is certainly ambiguous. It was meant for the Fourth to have experienced it, but as the program was never broadcast due to strike action the first time the general public would have seen (some of the) events was in The Five Doctors.
Castrolvalva 2 years ago
However, The Five Doctors still allows the events of the Fourth Doctor experiencing Shada to happen, as he and Romana are returned to the same time they were taken from at the end of The Five Doctors.
The Eighth Doctor's Shada explains how, apparently, the Fourth Doctor and Romana went straight onto Brighton (i.e. the start of events of The Leisure Hive) after being placed back.
Castrolvalva 2 years ago
However, just to confuse matters, the Fourth Doctor's Shada was completed with narration from Tom Baker and realeased on video, and was broadcast in May - June 2003!
I think the best thing is to accept the Fourth Doctor as being the one who experienced the events of Shada. Enjoy the Eighth Doctor's Shada as an example of how the original version might have looked, but I don't think it should really be considered canonical.
Castrolvalva 2 years ago
i count both as canon
daleksfearthewhovian 2 years ago