So it was thought of .... even in ClassicWho times.

Today, in a UseNetArchives thread thread called "Curse of Fenric on NTSC" from Nov, 1991, it seems, even then, there was a desire to bring back a prior Doctor incarnation
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I read in Doctor Who magazine awhile back that there was a good possibility that Jon Pertwee was going to come back as the eighth doctor. This was made open at a convention that he and McCoy did together. Both actors agreed that they liked the idea. (Pertwee especially as he was already doing the Doctor Who play. Can't remember quite what it's called. Something like: The Ultimate Game.)
Having Pertwee back would be a real showsaver. Is Turner still there, anyway?
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So it would seem RTD wasn't the first to think of having The Doctor regenerate into a prior incarnation. .... even though it didn't actually occur in ClassicWho times.
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Daniel