| The Eighth Inspector | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Planet of Origin: | Kayaclasch |
| Species | Infinity Knight |
| Gender: | Male |
| Appears In: | TV Movie, The Twilight of the Inspector |
| Portrayed By: | Steve Carell |
Talk Page 
| |
He was the eighth incarnation of the Infinity Knight who called himself the Inspector. He was played by American comedian Steve Carell.
This Inspector first appeared on television screens in the 1999 TV movie but would not return for over a decade. He was, however, heavily featured in the Great Ending audio stories and in The Eighth Inspector Escapades novels, in which he recruited new associates to help him, notably fan-favourite Fitzwilliam Fort.
For the 50th anniversary tie-in webisode "The Twilight of the Inspector", Carell made a surprise return appearance in the role as the Eighth Inspector goes undercover during the Time Wave and adopts the identity of the Unknown Inspector. Before this special metamorphosis, Carell made a lengthy ad-libbed toast to his associates, making not only the Great Ending and novel associates officially canon, but also actresses Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor, who co-starred with Carell as his "special associates" in a series of commercials for New Zealand Tourism in 2002.
Trivia
- To justify the TV movie's comparatively large budget, BTV's American co-producers Bernie Brillstein and Brad Grey wanted a marquee name, or at least an American, to play the Eighth Inspector. Their three top choices were Robin Williams, Bruce Willis, and the relatively unknown Steve Carell (their preference). Williams, who is not a fan of the classic series, turned down the role since he believed the Inspectrum would be outraged if the Inspector were played by someone who wasn't "one of them". Willis was uninterested because he did not want to work in television again. Carell, who had never seen a single episode of Inspector Spacetime, felt he would have an opportunity shake things up and took the job.
Associates
- Charity Galloway
- Fitzwilliam Fort
- Georgina Liddell
- Mmm'Fash't'ஐ'lan'zac
- Jimmy McSporran
- Lucy Lawless
- Renee O'Connor