The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot (2013 TV Movie) User Reviews

Very funny if you know the series

[cherold · 9/10 · 22 December 2013]

Being full of in-jokes, I'm not sure how entertaining this would be for those not familiar with Doctor Who, but if you know the series, this is pretty brilliant and laugh-out-loud funny (I suspect it's even funnier if you know the older episodes, which I don't). This goofy tale of ex- Doctors desperate to get a guest shot in the anniversary episode is elegantly constructed and quite ingenious.

Most of the projects surrounding the anniversary episode were appalling, dreary clips and comments shows that represented the worst instincts of cheerleading television (although that short piece on how the "warrior doctor" came to be was pretty good). I'm happy that amidst all the self congratulation, someone thought to poke a little fun at the series.

Hilarious Satire That Was Better Than Day Of The Doctor

[GenevaDuck · 10/10 · 2 December 2013]

Simply put, this was hilarious. With the fiftieth anniversary of Doctor Who coming up, former Doctors Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy are, when not calling the office, sitting by the phone waiting for the call from Steven Moffat to appear in the special...and they wait...and wait...and wait...surrounded by family members who could care less...and wait some more...and then hatch a brilliant plan with some inside help from a certain Scottish-accented son-in-law.

This is full of cameos of former companions from the classic and current series. I hate to give it away, but my favorite scene was a recreation of Peter Davison's regeneration scene, but this time the face of former companions are swirling around Steven Moffat's head asking for a role in the Anniversary leading up to the only time I found Adric the least bit interesting.

This also bring up the question that perhaps our three heroes were in the Anniversary (undercover of course) after all.

A delightful piece of fluff

[stomper131313 · 10/10 · 13 December 2013]

The fans have always looked forward to multi-Doctor stories from "The Three Doctors" to "The Two Doctors" to "The Five Doctors".

This is no different with the possible exception that this is the 50th anniversary one of the top science fiction franchises in the world and the demand for a multi-doctor story, however impractical, was there.

Enter Peter Davison...

Scene: Christmas 2012-Filming is fast approaching for the actual 50th anniversary episode (Day Of The Doctor) with three actors anxiously awaiting a phone call from show runner Steven Moffat. It becomes more and more clear that Mssrs Davison, C. Baker and McCoy are not penciled into the cast. Desperate times call for desperate measures. They picket The BBC building in London. Enter John Barrowman who informs the picketers that Doctor Who is filmed in Cardiff, Wales.

Road Trip!! The boys arrive in Cardiff and promptly steal t-shirts resembling their old costumes from the Doctor Who Experience. Luckily, Peter Davison has an inside contact on the set, a certain actor with a Scottish accent who happens to be married to his daughter. That's when the fun begins as they are hunted by security, wander through some of the offices, sign autographs for one of the guards, lock the Dalek operators in their waiting room and manage to get on set disguised as Daleks. Mission Accomplished! Or is it? Cut to (after closing credits) two weeks later where Producer Steven Moffat and an associate are viewing and editing the programme. The show is running 10 minutes over, the Dalek scene is then cut from the programme. When Mr. Moffat is distracted by a phone call, the editor moves onto the next scene, one with The Doctor, Clara and Kate first enter the under-gallery. Guess who might be under those shrouds? Lightly poking fun at itself for almost the entire 30 minutes, there are many 'insider references' and inside jokes that will delight the fans (particularly ones of the classics) but do not have to be understood to enjoy the programme.

The cast list is impressive and the show needs multiple viewing to see who's who. And despite the title, there are references or nods to each of the other doctors with the exception of the late William Hartnell, Chris Eccleston, and the upcoming doctor, Peter Capaldi. Or if there were, I missed them.

Doctors 2 and 3 are referenced by their sons, David Troughton and Sean Pertwee respectively. Tom Baker is referenced when Colin calls him and we hear his voice on a voice-mail. And of course, Matt Smith and David Tennant physically appear.

30 minutes of fun at least semi-sanctioned by the BBC judging from the cast and use of opening credits. Very enjoyable.

Really enjoyable film which pokes fun at the show and the Doctors in an affectionate and funny way

[bob the moo · 8 December 2013]

With all the overblown hype and excitement around the flagship Doctor Who I did feel that something was missing; it really doesn't feel very British to always be cheering for something and not be allowed to say that anything about it is anything other than perfect. In particular, although the newest episodes do have plenty of humor, not much of it is directed at itself and the show does tend towards an importance that maybe it doesn't full warrant. Thank goodness I managed to stumble upon this special short film written and directed by Peter Davidson and original put on the BBC website.

The plot sees Davidson realizing that he may not be part of the 50th Anniversary special and his two sons really don't seem bothered by the news that it may just focus of Tennant and Smith. Turns out he is not the only one frantically trying to have a meeting with Steven Moffat because Colin Baker has been neglecting his garden waiting for the call while Sylvester McCoy has been eagerly awaiting the call despite being busy on the set of The Hobbit (something he mentions quite often). With Paul McGann in the same boat but busy with filming commitments ("television?" sniffs McCoy), the three former Doctors combine to try to get into the 50th Anniversary episode one way or the other.

What this plot allows for is an effective frame for lots of self- deprecating jokes and references – to the fans, to the Doctors, to John Barrowman and so on. It is all done with great affection but yet also has some teeth as jokes are made about the new episodes and the distance between them and the Doctors of the 80s (which was the era I started watching). I really appreciated this sense of mischief and affectionate lack of respect – it was the perfect antidote for a show which is swimming in OTT praise and gives itself too much side in my opinion. It is frequently funny and when it isn't, it is still amusing. The cast are generally very good, with Davidson, McCoy and Baker all in on the joke and playing themselves up really well and it is hard not to be impressed when the film manages to even get Peter Jackson and Ian McKellen to deliver a nice gag. Likewise Barrowman, Colman, Tennant, Pertwee and others all show good senses of humor and timing.

It isn't perfect but it is refreshingly lacking in an inflated sense of its own importance and I loved the affectionate nature of the comedy which fans will really love. Well worth seeking this out if you remember that Doctor Who didn't start with Christopher Eccleston.

"It's For the Fans"

[boblipton · 8/10 · 28 November 2013]

Peter Davison makes his directorial debut in this funny, funny short film shot as part of the 50th anniversary of DOCTOR WHO. It was posted at the BBC/Doctor Who website. I hope you get a chance to see it before they take it down. If not, I expect it will show up on the DVD when it is issued.

The story of the film is that Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, who played the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors want to be in the Fiftieth Anniversary Special and wander around, from Australia to Wales, in a desperate attempt to sneak in. The clueless way they play themselves is a delight and underlines the essential silliness of the entire series. The entire Doctor Who production staff is in on the film, and even Russell T. Davies shows up, discussing how he should be the next Doctor.

At one point, one of the three ex-Doctors is asked why they want to be in the special. All three have had solid and successful careers before and after. They stare at each other groggily and one announces "It's for the fans!" This short definitely is.

The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 10/10 · 14 April 2021]

An absolutely spectacular episode, very funny indeed, especially in the first half. I never realised that it was McCoy who played Radagast. So that was brilliant and funny to learn. In conclusion it was hilarious and a must watch for all fans of the show.

GOOD JOB PETER DAVISON on The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot!

[patriotsfan1119 · 10/10 · 25 May 2014]

THE FIVE(ISH) DOCTORS REBOOT is so much better than that filthy, rotten, disgusting 50th Anniversary failure special called Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor because I saw Peter Jackson and Ian McKellen as Gandalf in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. I'm not gonna lie. I heard a bunch of references of The Hobbit. But the one question I would like to ask about The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot for Peter Davison. Was there a deleted scene of the Power Rangers actors that got invited to go to New Zealand for filming Power Rangers Super Megaforce? I hope there is an extended cut of The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot and I give The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot over 150 stars times 65 million.

Better Than The Proper Anniversary Special

[Theo Robertson · 8/10 · 10 December 2013]

IMDb legend Bob The Moo mentioned in passing that I should check out this short comedy film poking fun at DOCTOR WHO . Truth be told I'd known it had existed for a couple of weeks but had zero interest in it as other comedy specials namely DIMENSIONS IN TIME and THE CURSE OF THE FATAL DEATH were so awful as to being unwatchable and the story seemed to revolve around the three Doctors from the 1980s . Let's analyse the history of classic Who

Hartnell 1963-66 ) Stories are clearly defined in to being either historical dramas or experiental sci-fi . A bit hit and miss but you never knew what was coming next

Troughton 1966-69 )The show evolves in to being a tea time horror show for all the family

Pertwee 1970-74 ) More of the same but mainly Earth bound

Early T Baker 1974-77 ) More of the same but more sophisticated and really pushed the boat out with the horror element

Latter T Baker 1978-81 ) Pythonesque humour that was an accuquired taste

Davison 1981-84 ) Bland Doctor in very many bland stories

C Baker 1984-86 ) Dreadful Doctor in very many dreadful stories

S McCoy 1987-89 ) The absolute nadir of the series that saw the BBC commit a mercy killing by cancelling the show

So watching a bland Doctor , a dreadful Doctor and the worst Doctor since Josef Mengele didn't fill me with any hope but I gave Mr Moo the benefit of the doubt since I normally mirror his opinions with the exception of Aronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN

I needn't have worried because this is the most effective tongue in cheek tribute we've ever seen dedicated to the show and was totally surprised why it wasn't broadcast on BBC 1 during peak hours . The premise is simple - three forgotten Doctors played by washed out actors try to gatecrash the anniversary special . This isn't where the comedy succeeds in Peter Davison's script , though it is enjoyable . The major success is in the casting that literally caused my jaw to hit the floor several times as household names appeared on screen . Do yourself a favour and watch this without reading the cast list on this page because you might be literally shocked as to who is appearing

Any downside ? Well truth be told we can't travel through time and time always catches up with us in the end and some of the cast have been ravaged a bit too much by time . That said the years have been kind to Steven Moffat and doesn't look a day older than when he played McClaren in PORRIDGE all those decades ago

Better

[heymando · 9/10 · 12 November 2020]

Better than the actual special at a fraction of the cost. Sorry Matt Smith, David, etc, you can't act charm. The original Doctors had it, because the had too! The modern ones? Well, the FX are pretty, now and again, briefly.

Barrowman has a wife, apparently.

[zacpetch · 7/10 · 30 November 2014]

The fiftieth anniversary special did not disappoint and to celebrate the former doctors that didn't reprise their roles Moffat permitted Peter Davison to pen this short. What he wrote for us sees himself, with Sylvester McCoy and Colin Baker, break into the studios to try to get into the special.

There are many inside jokes here; every doctor (minus Hurt, Capaldi and Ecclestone) gets a look in, but it's Moffat who steals the show as the villain. The inclusion of RTD trying to get into this production and failing is a stroke of genius and paying for entry with John Barrowman's album is a nice idea, but giving him a secret family is laugh out loud stuff. Clever use of music too as the trio enter the studio in Cardiff and suddenly it modernises - very subtle but amazingly well realised. Even Peter Cushing's fake Dr Who gets a shout-out.

The celebrity role-call is another point of interest. Olivia Coleman, Sean Pertwee (son of Jon, the third doctor), Peter Jackson, Ian McKellen and Frank Skinner to name but a few.

Well worth a watch. Good fun for fans of the show.

Good watch for fans

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 9 September 2015]

"The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot" is a 30-minute television special that was made 2 years ago by Peter Davison, who also plays one of the three main characters in this film. It's the 50th anniversary of the successful, long-lasting television show "Doctor Who" and 3 former Doctors want to be in the anniversary special and try all they can to make their dream come true. This is one of those films where people play themselves, or I should maybe say crass versions of themselves. I am not familiar with "Doctor Who", but this is a good watch for fans of the series for two reasons. First of all, you see some of the creators of the show that you do not usually see, and secondly, more importantly, you see some of the old Doctors again, which is probably especially nice if you have seen them in the episodes from decades ago when they were young and starring in the show. All in all, a funny watch. Recommended. Probably the best of the "Doctor Who" specials for its nostalgic value.

For the fans

[allan-14931 · 6/10 · 24 November 2019]

Sweet and silly, and great companion to the real show, for the real fans.