A potentially severe accident occurred during camera rehearsals for part one when the Gravitron prop collapsed just seconds after Troughton had passed underneath it. Fortunately, the actor was not injured and the prop was rebuilt before recording began.
- Shannon Patrick Sullivan on "The Moonbase", A Brief History of Time (Travel)
So, while I adore Patrick Troughton, what if he had been crushed by that prop? Of course, while being a tragic end to a wonderful man and actor, his untimely demise would have massive ramifications for the state of the show.
What would the production team do? Troughton would have three serials under his belt here, with a week's delay occurring during production of the last story, "The Underwater Menace", Doctor Who was being produced one week prior to broadcast.
It seems to me that producer Innes Lloyd and script editor Gerry Davis would have three options: recast the Second Doctor, regenerate the Doctor, or end the show.
Seeing as regeneration is a rather new thing, it could be argued that the Second Doctor was an intermediate form before the regeneration "settles" and they recast the part with minor fanfare. But then, the final scenes of "The Underwater Menace" could also hastily be redone so the Doctor is trapped, drowns, and then regenerates. This would require recording be pushed back, actors rehired, sets reconstructed, and the final episode being put out long after the last one. Plus, rerunning episodes was a logistical nightmare at the time due to actors' unions, so rerunning episodes one through three might not be possible. It might also be insensitive to Troughton.
Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?
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