Michael Jackson once favourite to play 'Doctor Who'

It was a casting decision that, had it been taken, could well have changed the course of history: Michael Jackson was reportedly once in line to play beloved British sci-fi hero Doctor Who.

It emerged in The Times yesterday that, thanks to the success of his feature-length 1988 music video film Moonwalker, Jackson allegedly caught the eye of Paramount Studios, who were planning a big screen reworking of the series.

The revelation comes courtesy of Charles Norton’s new book, Now On The Big Screen: The Unofficial And Unauthorised Guide To Doctor Who At The Cinema, which also claims that famous gibberish enthusiast Bill Cosby had also been lined up for the role.

He might have lost the opportunity to wield a sonic screwdriver, but if the rumours are true, then perhaps Jackson managed to content himself a few years later by composing the score to the iconic 1994 videogame Sonic The Hedgehog 3.

[via FACT]