Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[Rich Watson]

Another titbit from one of Russell's many, many interviews.

"There’s one great, great actor who appeared in the very last episode that we haven’t credited anywhere yet. That’s not a celebrity cameo, but just a phenomenal actor stepping forward and delivering the most brilliant scene you’ve ever seen."

I'm guessing this is the actor playing Ruby's mother and they're someone well known either generally or to DW fans specifically.*

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t...who-russell-t-davies-disney-debut-1235894296/

*There was a rumour that Helena Bonham Carter was set to appear at some point.

 

[Rich Watson]

So.... Benny and Bjorn from ABBA wanted to do a 'Torchwood' musical but Russell turned them down. This has to be him winding the interviewer up, right?

https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/sci-fi-shows/doctor-who-musical-russell-t-davies-exclusive/

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Who Culture just hypothesized, based on the penultimate episode synopsis, that Ruby‘s mother might just be….














… Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.

"The Legend of Ruby Sunday," will revolve around a surprising connection to the Third Doctors era that comes back to haunt the Time Lord. The same episode will also reveal a clue about Ruby's story via her mother.

Third Doctor‘s era -> The Brigadier -> Kate -> Clue about Ruby‘s mother


Not sure, I find that likely, but gotta say, Kate looks the part.

 

[Samurai8472]

As if anyone would believe this


https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/david-tennant-doctor-who-role-retired-newsupdate/

David Tennant has "retired" from #DoctorWho role, says Russell T Davies: "He's absolutely not coming back"

Tennant said this in November


https://twitter.com/Tardis_Central/status/1719707678769832378

 

[The Nth Doctor]

He's right. I would never believe him.

As for Ruby's mother, Kate does seem logical based on limited clues but I doubt it. Just doesn't feel right.

But I've been wrong before.

 

[matthunter]

I can't see it being Kate. She's already got two kids who presumably she hasn't abandoned (would you proudly refer to yourself as a mother of two if you'd done so?) and, even if circumstances meant she couldn't care for Ruby as she did the others, she is well-connected and could arrange an adoption or care by a UNIT contact.

Barring some timey-wimey predestination paradox I'm not sure I'm buying it.

 

[jaime]

As if anyone would believe this


https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/david-tennant-doctor-who-role-retired-newsupdate/




Tennant said this in November


https://twitter.com/Tardis_Central/status/1719707678769832378

For once, I would like to see him come back, just to neaten up the rough edges around the concept of bigeneration.

 

[Rich Watson]

Looks like the right-wing CHUDs have turned their review bombing antics onto Doctor Who. Not a shock and if anything, a badge of honour.

Edit: It's actually gone up to 100% from the Critics side now but I'm too lazy to redo the screenshot.

 

[jaime]

Even I would at least wait until I had read a detailed synopsis and seen clips before declaring it shite. And even then, I don’t think I would bother heading to a review site.
I am in two minds about whether I will watch it still.
Odds on I will try and see what it’s like for the Moffat episode.

 

[DigificWriter]

Rotten Tomatoes itself is shite and should be expunged from existence.

 

[JD]

IGN has a new interview up with Davies.
I think the most interesting thing to me is the bit at the end about the episode that he first came up with 10 years. He first came up with the idea it while having lunch with Stephen Moffat and Karen Gillen as they were getting for their first season, but at the time it would have been too expensive to actually do it.

 

[jaime]

IGN has a new interview up with Davies.
I think the most interesting thing to me is the bit at the end about the episode that he first came up with 10 years. He first came up with the idea it while having lunch with Stephen Moffat and Karen Gillen as they were getting for their first season, but at the time it would have been too expensive to actually do it.

Probably something needing a lot of de-aging or cgi ‘real’ people. He does waffle some though. Susan’s coming back by the looks of it for sure.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Looks like the right-wing CHUDs have turned their review bombing antics onto Doctor Who. Not a shock and if anything, a badge of honour.

Ian Levine's had a meltdown on Twitter this morning. He appears to feel personally betrayed by RTD, as if all the other times he felt personally betrayed by RTD didn't happen.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

It only means the show is fine, just different from before. Nothing to see here, lol.

 

[Rich Watson]

Lets hope millions of people stayed up to watch the show at midnight as it just pulled in its two worst overnight figures ever. (2.6/2.4)

Or do we have to admit that the only reason last years episodes did so well was because of Tennant and Tate?

 

[Captaindemotion]

Lets hope millions of people stayed up to watch the show at midnight as it just pulled in its two worst overnight figures ever. (2.6/2.4)

Or do we have to admit that the only reason last years episodes did so well was because of Tennant and Tate?

I wonder would good weather and/or the Eurovision have been factors? Had it been raining, I would’ve probably watched this in the early afternoon or late morning but with the weather being good, I left it until later. But perhaps others were too busy enjoying the sunshine to think about tv.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I wonder would good weather and/or the Eurovision have been factors? Had it been raining, I would’ve probably watched this in the early afternoon or late morning but with the weather being good, I left it until later. But perhaps others were too busy enjoying the sunshine to think about tv.

Or, you know, work. Which is why I didn't watch either episode right away. Streaming has allowed people to choose the times to watch shows they want to watch.

Either way, I still don't care about the ratings and all of the hand wringing over them is obnoxious, tedious, and boring. All that matters is that we know that plenty of episodes are on the way. The rest is just unnecessary drama.

 

[JoeZhang]

So.... Benny and Bjorn from ABBA wanted to do a 'Torchwood' musical but Russell turned them down. This has to be him winding the interviewer up, right?

https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/sci-fi-shows/doctor-who-musical-russell-t-davies-exclusive/

I suspect it's shorthand for one of the production companies they own.

 

[Starkers]

Lets hope millions of people stayed up to watch the show at midnight as it just pulled in its two worst overnight figures ever. (2.6/2.4)

Or do we have to admit that the only reason last years episodes did so well was because of Tennant and Tate?

I suspect the iPlayer figures are going to increase that substantially- way more than they usually do I suspect given how many fans will have been watching from midnight/early morning.

@Captaindemotion the weather will definitely have been a factor and while the Devil's Chord makes for a great lead into Eurovision I do wonder at the logic of two episodes on the same day, especially when we have such a truncated season to begin with, and I wonder how many people only watched one? We'll know better in a week I guess, and I also reckon we won't ever know what the Disney+ figures are like.

One utterly isolated comment though. My girlfriend, who's only ever watched Who reluctantly said these were probably the two most enjoyable episodes she'd seen. (for context she hasn't even seen the Christmas special yet!)

 

[Daedalus]

As if anyone would believe this


https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/david-tennant-doctor-who-role-retired-newsupdate/




Tennant said this in November


https://twitter.com/Tardis_Central/status/1719707678769832378

Oh, they'll be wheeling him out until he's 98! He's inherited the mantle of Tom Baker now, so he's got a job for life.

Need an actor for a funny skit about time travel? Just call up David Tennant.