The New Doctor! A Doctor Who Alternate History Story

Part 17 - Excerpt, Starburst Interview, Ian Levine, March 1999

Vienna, 1913. I can't watch it. Seriously, I can't. I get physically ill.

The thing with Vienna, 1913, you see, is that I know what it was supposed to be. It was going to be amazing. It was going to be epic. This was what was going to show the world what we could do. It was going to be the redefinition of Doctor Who. People were going to watch it and say "Aha, this is what it's really about!"

I see the Vienna, 1913, that we meant to have, that we should have had. It's so clear in my mind I can reach out and touch it.

Then I see the Vienna, 1913, that we actually got, and I want to throw up.

David Burton. David Burton. A tenth of Tom Baker's charisma, a hundredth of his talent, and twice his ego. Every scene, there's David Burton hamming it up, he's looking directly into the camera and winking, shamelessly mugging his way through every scene, just ruining it How hard did we work on it? And he turned every scene into a children's pantomime. Every line butchered, not a trace of nuance, god forbid. It wasn't acting, it was mugging for the fairground.

He was just such a mistake. I knew that from the Monsters of Ness. I watched him then. And I thought 'this man is the star of the show, why does he feel the need to try to steal scenes from his supporting actors.' He was the worst kind of bit player. The sort who is always trying to get over on the featured performers, steal a bit of their thunder. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he was supposed to be the star - he didn't have to upstage anyone.

After Monsters of Ness, I tried to get him replaced. I said 'He'll ruin us.' But Paul Bernard and Barry Letts fought for him, and I was intimidated. They were real producers and directors and who was I? So I let them have their way. That was such a mistake. I learned my lesson, but it was too late.

People will actually come up to me, and they'll say "Oh I just loooooove Vienna, 1913, it's briiiillllliant!" And all I can feel is this black weight.