Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[Allyn Gibson]

Oops.

Disney+ have accidentally confirmed that the Christmas Special will indeeed be on Christmas Day. Oh, and they threw in the title too. Which is exactly what the leaked synopsis from months ago said it would be. So add that to the other bits we know were right and it's safe to assume the whole thing is correct.

If anyone could break the BBC's maniacal and insane secrecy over broadcast dates, it would be Disney. People with BBC America complained about how they couldn't market Doctor Who because the BBC just had to keep its broadcast dates secret until the last possible moment. (Truly. I was in several of those conversations.) It doesn't make any sense when your partners are commercial broadcasters who have marketing schedules. The BBC's secrecy ran headlong into Disney's marketing, and it's the BBC's blood all over the highway. It's twenty-fucking-twenty-three. It's long overdue.

 

[Steve Roby]

Yep, and that's a canon. A limited one. One that can evolve. But it is a canon.

You were talking about no canon at all, and that's more like Twilight Zone.

What The Twilight Zone doesn't have is continuity.

 

[DigificWriter]

Canon, in fiction, is defined as "the body of works taking place in a particular fictional world that are widely considered to be official or authoritative".

The various narrative threads that make up Doctor Who's 60-year history are neither of these things, being subject to being ignored, changed, or otherwise included or excluded in a story based solely on the whims of and at the discretion of the individual or individuals working on the IP at any given moment in time.

 

[jaime]

Covers for the novelisations. Have to say I'm not a fan of the fake-Chris Achilleos style. You're trying to imitate a master so you're always going to come up short.

Oddly the ebooks will be out the week after the episode airs but the physical books won't be out until January and the audiobooks until February.

The problem is they are using a computer to emulate his art style, on top of the fact that emulating an art style isn’t necessarily a good idea to start with. Plus they should vary it up — it wasn’t just Chris doing those things.

 

[Rich Watson]

Another tradition that's returned with Russell is big-time premiers with "The Star Beast" getting a showing tonight at Battersea Power Station. (Well former Power Station, turned high-end apartment/shop/entertainment complex.)

And safe to say Sylvester won the evening with his choice of waistcoat.

 

[The Wormhole]

If anyone could break the BBC's maniacal and insane secrecy over broadcast dates, it would be Disney. People with BBC America complained about how they couldn't market Doctor Who because the BBC just had to keep its broadcast dates secret until the last possible moment. (Truly. I was in several of those conversations.) It doesn't make any sense when your partners are commercial broadcasters who have marketing schedules. The BBC's secrecy ran headlong into Disney's marketing, and it's the BBC's blood all over the highway. It's twenty-fucking-twenty-three. It's long overdue.

It is kind of ironic though, given the British sense of guarding airdates isn't as much of a hindrance for Disney+ as it was for BBC America. I mean, I get why BBC America (as well as Space/CTV Sci-Fi in Canada) would be frustrated, they have to plan a broadcast schedule, something that has a lot more lead time in North America than it does in Britain. Disney+ does not have that concern, streaming services don't need to schedule the broadcast of shows in that manner. They just upload it the appointed time and the audience watches at their leisure.

 

[Neroon]

The sixth Doctor. A bloviating, pompous, opinionated blowhard that most people don’t like.

Rarely have a poster and an avatar fit together so well.

Warning for flaming. Comments to PM.

 

[Mr Awe]

Canon, in fiction, is defined as "the body of works taking place in a particular fictional world that are widely considered to be official or authoritative".

The various narrative threads that make up Doctor Who's 60-year history are neither of these things, being subject to being ignored, changed, or otherwise included or excluded in a story based solely on the whims of and at the discretion of the individual or individuals working on the IP at any given moment in time.

LOL, that's your story and you're sticking to it. Have fun with that.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Another tradition that's returned with Russell is big-time premiers with "The Star Beast" getting a showing tonight at Battersea Power Station. (Well former Power Station, turned high-end apartment/shop/entertainment complex.)

And safe to say Sylvester won the evening with his choice of waistcoat.

Yup, I definitely need that waistcoat!

Especially since I have that art on my phone case and on my favorite bookmark.

Yes, I have a favorite bookmark. Doesn't everyone?

 

[The Wormhole]

I have a favorite bookmark. Doesn't everyone?

I had one when I was a teenager. I've since lost it.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I stopped reading books all together after I lost my favorite bookmark. What would the point be?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Colin Baker looks quite a bit like Orson Welles. I expect him to tell me about frozen peas and Paul Masson wines.

 

[Samurai8472]

Colin Baker looks quite a bit like Orson Welles. I expect him to tell me about frozen peas and Paul Masson wines.

Or reformatting Megatron

 

[Saul]

Rumor reported by the Mirror that McGann is coming back in a spin off series. Would be fantastic if true.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Rumor reported by the Mirror that McGann is coming back in a spin off series. Would be fantastic if true.

It's the Rumor that Will Never Die!

Seriously, this post could have come from late November 2013, after "The Night of the Doctor."

I'm not scoffing. I'd love to see more McGann. It's just... not something I expect.

 

[Rich Watson]

Rumor reported by the Mirror that McGann is coming back in a spin off series. Would be fantastic if true.

Leave aside that we get this story every six months, and that given their current woes* Disney certainly aren't looking for more 'Doctor Who' before they know how the stuff they're already paying for will do, it's massively insulting to Ncuti to say, "You not good enough to be the Doctor on your own, so we're sending in this old white guy to back you up."

*https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/08/media/disney-earnings-report-q4/index.html

 

[Brendan Moody]

New DWM is out, including previews of the first two specials. The preview of Wild Blue Yonder includes this quote from RTD: “The history of the Flux and the Timeless Child is dealt with very slightly in this episode, to acknowledge the brilliant work Chris [Chibnall, former showrunner] did and to say that’s absolutely part of our history as well.”

 

[Rich Watson]

New DWM is out, including previews of the first two specials. The preview of Wild Blue Yonder includes this quote from RTD: “The history of the Flux and the Timeless Child is dealt with very slightly in this episode, to acknowledge the brilliant work Chris [Chibnall, former showrunner] did and to say that’s absolutely part of our history as well.”

99% of the Universe was destroyed in Flux and it was never undone, so the they'll probably have Barney, sorry the Toymaker fix it for... reasons.

 

[Starkers]

Leave aside that we get this story every six months, and that given their current woes* Disney certainly aren't looking for more 'Doctor Who' before they know how the stuff they're already paying for will do, it's massively insulting to Ncuti to say, "You not good enough to be the Doctor on your own, so we're sending in this old white guy to back you up."

*https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/08/media/disney-earnings-report-q4/index.html

Not quite as bad as "Hey Jodie congrats on becoming the first female Doctor, here's your companions which include a middle aged white guy who, to UK viewers at least, is way more well known than you, oh and we're gonna give him more to work with character wise than you. Good luck!"

Re McGann, as has been said this story raises its head above the parapets all the time. I think if McGann does show up as one of the three redacted guest stars in in Wild Blue Yonder then I guess the probability of an Eight spin off series gets a lot higher.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

^^I remember thinking Moffet had made a bobo by having Smiths doctor brought back onscreen in Capaldi's first episode to beg the audeince to accept Capaldi as the doctor....i still do not like that scene.