The Whoniverse is abuzz with anticipation for Ncuti Gatwa’s second season as the Doctor, and for long-time fans, it’s also a time to delve into the rich history of Doctor Who. For those of us who’ve journeyed through the ‘Wilderness Years’ of Doctor Who – the period between the classic series and the 2005 revival – a particular webcast adventure warrants revisiting: Scream of the Shalka. Why now? Because Rogue, a recent episode in the revived series, unexpectedly brought the Shalka Doctor back into the fold, prompting a fresh look at this once-forgotten chapter. Starring Richard E. Grant as a Doctor initially touted as the Ninth, before plans shifted and he became the ‘Shalka Doctor’, this story offers a fascinating ‘what if’ scenario and a potentially significant piece of Doctor Who lore, especially if showrunner RTD decides to further explore this avenue.
Richard E. Grant as the Shalka Doctor in Scream of the Shalka, a now recanonized part of Doctor Who lore from the Wilderness Years.
Unearthing Scream of the Shalka: A Webcast from the Wilderness Years
Scream of the Shalka throws the Doctor into 2003 England, seemingly against his will. His TARDIS is no longer his to command, instead acting on the whims of mysterious higher powers – suspected to be the Time Lords – who are using him as a cosmic troubleshooter, punishing him for an unknown transgression. Adding to the complexity, the Master (voiced by Derek Jacobi) is trapped within the TARDIS, his consciousness residing in an android body under the Doctor’s control.
Arriving in a strangely deserted English town, the Doctor’s investigation leads him to a local pub and its resourceful bartender, Alison Cheney (Sophie Okonedo). Alison is bravely holding things together amidst a pervasive sense of unease. As the Doctor delves deeper, he uncovers a sinister invasion originating from beneath the Earth’s surface. A dark force, the Shalka, is at play, reaching through the planet’s crust to petrify those who displease them and dragging the TARDIS down into their subterranean, lava-filled domain. The central question becomes: can the Doctor and Alison overcome the threat of the Scream of the Shalka and save the town, and perhaps the world?
Originally released in late 2003, Scream of the Shalka was the BBC’s flagship offering for Doctor Who‘s 40th anniversary. However, overshadowed by a lack of promotion and swiftly sidelined, it became easily overlooked, particularly when compared to Big Finish’s grand audio drama Zagreus, also released for the anniversary. While Zagreus arguably had a more lasting impact within the Doctor Who expanded universe, shaping subsequent Eighth Doctor audio adventures, Scream of the Shalka‘s intended significance was initially far greater.
The Shalka Doctor: A Ninth Doctor That Almost Was
Scream of the Shalka was envisioned as the launchpad for a series of canonical Doctor Who webcasts. Richard E. Grant was publicly announced as the Ninth Doctor, marking a significant step towards the show’s official return. Following the unsuccessful TV movie, the BBC still hoped for a Hollywood film adaptation. However, Lorraine Heggessey, then Controller of BBC One, successfully argued that pursuing film deals was hindering the show’s revival. Her proposal to restart television production directly led to Russell T Davies (RTD) taking the helm as showrunner, effectively diverting the course of Doctor Who history and relegating the Shalka project to an alternate timeline.
Among the Doctor Who webcasts produced during the Wilderness Years, Scream of the Shalka stood out as the most ambitious. Other webcasts like Death Comes To Time, Real Time, and the Paul McGann Shada adaptation, while theoretically having visual elements, primarily used static images with minimal animation due to budget and the limitations of early 2000s streaming technology. These were essentially audio dramas with optional visuals.
Scream of the Shalka, in contrast, embraced Flash animation, then considered cutting-edge. While Flash animation of that era now appears somewhat dated, reminiscent of early Newgrounds cartoons or basic videogame cutscenes, it was a significant step up in visual ambition for a Doctor Who webcast. Cosgrove Hall, a reputable animation studio, was outsourced for the project, but the budget constraints of BBCi, the BBC’s online division at the time, are evident in the animation’s quality. Certain sequences appear rushed or confusing, and the title sequence itself is notably rudimentary.
Paul Cornell’s Story: Intriguing Ideas Amidst Production Quirks
Despite the animation’s limitations, the story itself, penned by Paul Cornell, a writer with a strong Doctor Who pedigree including Timewyrm: Revelation, Human Nature, and Father’s Day, holds considerable interest. RTD himself acknowledged Cornell’s contribution, later bringing him in to write Father’s Day for the revived series, possibly as a form of recompense for the Shalka project’s cancellation.
The narrative of Scream of the Shalka is engaging, though it occasionally feels like it skips crucial steps in its storytelling. For instance, the Doctor’s actions against the Shalka in episode 2 lead to an abrupt and somewhat unearned celebration by the townspeople, and his farewell to Alison suggests a deeper connection than the preceding narrative truly establishes.
The story hints at the Shalka emitting a low-frequency sound similar to “The Hum,” a real-world phenomenon of unexplained low-frequency noise. However, this element isn’t effectively integrated into the sound design of the webcast. The absence of Big Finish’s involvement, known for their exceptional Doctor Who audio work, feels like a missed opportunity, especially given the story’s sound-centric concept.
Furthermore, the dialogue delivery in Scream of the Shalka can sound somewhat flat. While Richard E. Grant’s performance as the Doctor was later criticized by RTD, the audio’s flatness seems to affect all performances, including Derek Jacobi’s Master. This suggests that budget constraints and recording conditions might have impacted the overall audio quality and nuanced performances.
Despite these shortcomings, Scream of the Shalka introduces compelling ideas. Hints are dropped about the Doctor grappling with grief following the loss of a previous companion, a trauma influencing his unusual alliance with the Master in an android body. This concept echoes elements from Death Comes To Time and anticipates the emotional depth explored with Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor in the 2005 revival, suggesting Cornell’s story had a prescient understanding of the direction the revived series would take.
The compromised production quality of Scream of the Shalka likely stems from its swift decanonization after initial development. The six episodes, ranging from 10 to 15 minutes in length, and the uneven pacing suggest significant cuts and compromises during production. The overall impression is of a promising first draft, lacking polish in animation, sound effects, and pacing.
The Shalka Doctor’s Recanonization and Future Possibilities
The recent Doctor Who episode Rogue unexpectedly reintroduced the Shalka Doctor into mainstream canon, raising intriguing questions about his place in the Doctor’s timeline. One theory posits that the War Doctor’s regeneration during The Day of the Doctor wasn’t fully depicted, leaving room for a regeneration into the Shalka Doctor. This incarnation could have been subsequently manipulated by the Division, operating outside the constraints of sealed Gallifrey, before a memory wipe and further regeneration. This theory aligns with the Shalka Doctor’s resurgence in the Doctor’s remembered history after The Timeless Children, where fragmented memories of the Fugitive Doctor might have also triggered recollections of the Shalka Doctor.
Alternatively, the Shalka Doctor could genuinely be a post-War Doctor Ninth incarnation, a casualty of the Time War, erased from mainstream continuity by a Dalek maneuver, leaving only Scream of the Shalka and the Rogue appearance as fragmented remnants of his existence. Whether RTD plans to further explore the Shalka Doctor’s renewed canonicity remains to be seen, but Scream of the Shalka is no longer just a footnote in Doctor Who history. It’s a potentially significant piece of the puzzle, ripe for re-examination and perhaps future exploration.
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