Ferret man takes over as the new Doctor Who
- Publication: London Evening Standard
- Date: 1987-03-02
- Author: Patrick McGowan and Steve Clarke
- Page: 3
- Language: English
Fan club protest as 'unknown' is picked to play the Time Lord
THE seventh Doctor Who is introduced by the BBC today
The latest Time Lord is 5ft 6in actor Sylvester McCoy, whose previous claim to fame was for holding the world record for stuffing a ferret down his trousers.
The Doctor Who Appreciation Society, which has 3000 members, would have been happier if the BBC had picked a better known actor.
However McCoy's credentials include television appearances on the children's show Tiswas as well as the epic Scott of the Antarctic series two years ago, The Last Place On Earth.
McCoy, 43, has made a speciality out of playing Shakespeare's clowns and last year made his debut at the National Theatre in the Pied Piper.
Hammer
The actor, who trained for three years to become a priest, is a one-time pub performer who used to hammer a 6-inch nail up his nose as well as the ferret trick.
Asked how dangerous it was to put a strange ferret in his trousers he replied: "You can't train ferrets and they do bite but I've been lucky. I've only been bitten once—on the finger."
McCoy, the 7th Doctor Who, takes over from Colin Baker, who announced he was quitting the part last year because the BBC said it wanted a new Doctor.
"People have been telling me for years that I'd make a good Doctor Who," said McCoy.
Critic
" don't want it to be slapstick, but I would like to see even more of that kind of dotty, zany humour that Patrick Troughton brought to the role."
The new Doctor takes over this autumn
His new role will not be the first time he has worked with Bonnie Langford. They starred together in the Pirates of Penzance.
The first Doctor Who was William Hartnell and since then he has been played in various styles by Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker, Peter Davison and Colin Baker.
Last year a critic went so far as to compare him with Robert de Niro for his role in Antony and Cleopatra.
"That is one review I did keep —when I'd recovered from the shock." he said.
Caption: MEASURING UP TO DR WHO ... Petite Bonnie Langford greets Sylvester McCoy today who must be one of the smallest actors to play the Time Lord.
Caption: TARDIS TRAVELLERS: former Dr Whos included William Hartnell (left), Patrick Troughton and Colin Baker.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Clarke, Patrick McGowan and Steve (1987-03-02). Ferret man takes over as the new Doctor Who. London Evening Standard p. 3.
- MLA 7th ed.: Clarke, Patrick McGowan and Steve. "Ferret man takes over as the new Doctor Who." London Evening Standard [add city] 1987-03-02, 3. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Clarke, Patrick McGowan and Steve. "Ferret man takes over as the new Doctor Who." London Evening Standard, edition, sec., 1987-03-02
- Turabian: Clarke, Patrick McGowan and Steve. "Ferret man takes over as the new Doctor Who." London Evening Standard, 1987-03-02, section, 3 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Ferret man takes over as the new Doctor Who | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Ferret_man_takes_over_as_the_new_Doctor_Who | work=London Evening Standard | pages=3 | date=1987-03-02 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=8 June 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Ferret man takes over as the new Doctor Who | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Ferret_man_takes_over_as_the_new_Doctor_Who | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=8 June 2025}}</ref>
