McGann made his debut as the Time Lord in the 1996 TV movie, a feature-length co-production between the BBC and Fox that was intended as a pilot for a new Doctor Who series.
"No, Paul wasn't [attached]," Sax said. "I think his name had been mooted, and I think he'd done a screen test a long time before when [producer] Phil Segal was trying to get it off the ground.
Sax went on to reveal that one actor in particular came very close to landing the part.
"I think what happened was we were pushing for him, and I think the BBC said at the time, 'Well, we would like somebody with a bit more of a name, because obviously, although Doctor Who's got the brand, we just want to make it really special.
"'So, if you can find a name, somebody who's already more established in the UK, let's go with that.' And that's how Paul became involved."
"I just think from the work he'd done on the various shows, he just seemed to be what we were looking for.
Sax added that McGann's comic touch was also key to the performance, having recently revisited the TV movie at a BFI screening.
"Paul had the comedy as well, because there's quite a lot of humour," he said. "We had the screening at the BFI, and I'd forgotten how many laughs there were in it, and a lot of them came from Paul."
View Green Video on the source websiteHe recalled being told after his audition that he had won the role, before being informed that the BBC wanted "somebody with a bit more of a name".
Van Gorkum went on to appear in shows including Friends, Charmed, CSI and 24, while McGann's casting as the Doctor led to a long association with the franchise, including a later screen return in 2013 mini-sode The Night of the Doctor.
The remaster arrives ahead of a new 4K and Blu-ray home media release, with the TV movie newly restored from the original 35mm film elements to mark its 30th anniversary.
The release will be available as a Limited Edition Steelbook featuring the 90-minute adventure on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray, alongside standalone 4K and standard Blu-ray editions.
View oEmbed on the source websitePaul McGann reveals Doctor Who TV movie cast and crew expected a series to followPaul McGann says classic Doctor Who companion convinced him to accept the partDoctor Who director reveals alternative ending pitched for Paul McGann TV movie
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive.
Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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