An odd bit of 'Doctor Who' trivia surfaced this weekend, that comic legend Billy Connolly was nearly tapped to play the Eighth Doctor in the 1996 one-off TV movie. Paul McGann wound up with the role instead. Scottish paper the Daily Record reported that a 'Doctor Who' historian named Alex Westthorp learned that the BBC had him on a "short list" after seeing him opposite Dame Judi Dench in 'Mrs. Brown.'

Apparently, no one at the BBC told Connolly. When TV Squad spoke with The Big Yin Tuesday, he said he had only heard that morning about the possibility he'd be tapped for the role. "That never reached as far as me," he said. "As a matter of fact, my manager told me that this morning. He read it in the newspaper and was amazed. It didn't get as far as him. These were just discussions at BBC I think."

This should be considered rumor until officially confirmed by the BBC, but apparently the seven living actors to play the character of the Doctor in Doctor Who are set to all appear together in this year's Children in Need special on the BBC.

While I would absolutely love it if this could actually happen, I have to question the veracity of this claim. At least the Telegraph isn't the Sun or I'd dismiss it outright. Tom Baker has historically had a problem with attending reunions (he wasn't in "The Five Doctors", but he did participate in a 1993 special "Dimensions In Time").