News RUMOR: Whittaker potentially leaving

[jaime]

I see the same story on TVLine, Variety and Nerdist, but like most stories, it could be one rumor making the rounds.

If true, it's definitely time. I've liked Jodie well enough as the Doc but the stories and overall feel of the show have felt too different to be called Doctor Who any more.

FYI, I didn't mind the Timeless Child idea (being derived from the Cartmel Masterplan). That might have been the most DW thing I've seen from this group.

Even that was a rip off. All the dead humans are cyber men now!
All the dead time lords are cybermen now!
I want you to be just like me!
So, so , so much of a mess. So much. The worse thing is how thrown under a bus all the work done with Missy was.
Welllll… as long as you ignore all the thoughtless tone deaf racism and sexism they managed to fit in by accident. Kneel before your master lady doctor, oh, and then send the brown skinned fellow to the Nazis. That should do it.

 

[jaime]

If Deadline and Variety are reporting that the BBC has officially confirmed it, it's not just a rumor.

I'm glad to see Chibnall leave, but I was hoping for at least one season of Whittaker under a new showrunner. I wonder if Chibnall's departure will have any bearing on the possibility of Jo Martin being the next Doctor. Obviously, we don't know if she'll play a role in the next season or the specials, so something in those stories might make it impossible anyway.

Eh, I was never that impressed by his scripts for DW. I thought he did a better job on Sherlock, although that went off the rails by the end. I'd rather see someone who's new to the series.

I just know Gatiss at least cares and tries, and wouldn’t take it on half heartedly like it some homework he doesn’t want to do. Chibnall was the biggest mistake in the shows history, by a looonnnggg margin.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Like the Hybrid story that fizzled out, the Timeless Child could simply be ignored going forward. No need to "unwrite" it, just don't refer to it again, if that is their wont.

Write new and interesting stories instead of trying to undo past things.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

For what it's worth, the official Doctor Who website has confirmed it with statements from Chibnall and Jodie.

 

[Relayer1]

Are we allowed to speculate now ?

 

[cultcross]

Wellity wellity wellity

 

[jaime]

Like the Hybrid story that fizzled out, the Timeless Child could simply be ignored going forward. No need to "unwrite" it, just don't refer to it again, if that is their wont.

Write new and interesting stories instead of trying to undo past things.

I think it was too big for that.
The hybrid had a resolution, it just wasn’t a greatly satisfying one for a lot of people, and dint change anything going forwards. (Other than unleashing Clara and Me on an unsuspecting universe, likely too expensive to ever be seen again)
Timeless Child needs a full on ‘the Master was lying, it’s a Matrix fiction’ riposte, and I was go as far as to say it would be better to have it revealed thirteen has been in the wrong universe from day one, or at the very least that (a) The Master is the Timeless Child and (b) isn’t the Master at all, but the Timless Child taking on the identity to mess with the Doctor. Because frankly, the stuff with Missy was literally sublime, transcending the show and possibly the medium, and to just go back to Ainley style Master (and I like Ainley a lot) seems such a crying shame.

I started drifting off in Capaldi (and said as much, it was beginning to feel like the Colin Baker era. Turns out he was Davison. Hopefully) but the writing turned up a notch or ten, and even if it wasn’t quite the family-friendly show who on TV needs to be, it was at least very very good. Until the coming of Chibnall.

 

[captainkirk]

I just know Gatiss at least cares and tries, and wouldn’t take it on half heartedly like it some homework he doesn’t want to do. Chibnall was the biggest mistake in the shows history, by a looonnnggg margin.

True, and his stories do have much more energy and humor to them than Chibnall's, I just don't think they live up to Moffat and Davies at their best. But I feel that it's time to let that old gang of writers move on and bring in someone with a fresh perspective.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I’m not sorry to hear the breaking news TBH and that’s the first time I’ve felt I won’t miss an outgoing Doctor since McCoy left. Jodie is a decent actress but she never really clicked with me in the role, whether due to weak writing or too placid a personality, I don’t know.

I do hope that the next season and the specials are great and change my mind on her departure. I’m surprised that they didn’t hang on to see out the 60th anniversary TBH and I wonder if this means no multi-Doctor special, in case the new actor or actress is overshadowed by the returning ones?

 

[PhotoBoy]

Like the Hybrid story that fizzled out, the Timeless Child could simply be ignored going forward. No need to "unwrite" it, just don't refer to it again, if that is their wont.

Write new and interesting stories instead of trying to undo past things.

Indeed, while it wasn't terrible, the whole explaining of Klingon ridges in Enterprise seemed a bit pointless. It's probably best not to devote one or more episodes of Doctor Who to undoing the Chibnall era.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Hey @DigificWriter, did you hear the news?

 

[Turtletrekker]

I just know Gatiss at least cares and tries, and wouldn’t take it on half heartedly like it some homework he doesn’t want to do. Chibnall was the biggest mistake in the shows history, by a looonnnggg margin.

There's so many things wrong with this statement I don't even know where to begin.

 

[DigificWriter]

This is my only comment on this situation:

The BBC is being run by monkeys.

You don't admit that your star and creative team are leaving just days after you made a huge deal about their next set of adventures.

I'm less pissed about Jodie and Chibnall leaving (because I knew and understood that it would happen at some point) than I am about the fact that the well has been poisoned before its been drunk from and now all of the haters are going to have the next six months to a year to crow about Doctor Who being 'saved'.

 

[StCoop]

Time for RTD to come back to save that day and make the show popular (and good) again?

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Time for RTD to come back to save that day and make the show popular (and good) again?

With Michael Sheen as the new Doctor and David Tennant as the new Master

 

[Turtletrekker]

With Michael Sheen as the new Doctor and David Tennant as the new Master

l approve.

 

[StCoop]

I look forward to a year of totally unrealistic names being suggested* before the real next Doctor pops up on the betting websites a week before the official announcement.


*Hint: If someone has won a lot of awards or has already appeared in big movies and/or US TV shows, it's not going to be them. Eg. Michaela Cole. Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Jodie Comer.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

l approve.

Or even the other way round. They're both excellent at playing either side. But David "McDonald" as the Master would be a nice twist and he'd get top billing

I look forward to a year of totally unrealistic names being suggested* before the real next Doctor pops up on the betting websites a week before the official announcement.
*Hint: If someone has won a lot of awards or has already appeared in big movies and/or US TV shows, it's not going to be them. Eg. Michaela Cole. Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Jodie Comer.

I could still go for Alexander Siddig as a more serious Doc.

 

[Lonemagpie]

So now we start demanding the next showrunner and 14th Doctor be fired, right? That's how fandom works. I expect the first special will be New Year's Day, and while it's annoying to have another Specials year, at least they can have a proper relaunch for the 60th.

As for who will be 14 - first we have to see who the new showrunner is, and look at who's been in stuff they've done before.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I could still go for Alexander Siddig as a more serious Doc.

I've been wanting (a bearded!) Alexander Siddig since Tennant announced his departure. Still needs to happen.

I'm also renewing my hope for Amara Karan.