Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[Turtletrekker]

Yeah, pretty bad that neither RTD nor Moffat brought Courtney or Russel back before their respective deaths.

That's unfair to Davies and Moffat. As I understand it, they both approached him, but Nicholas Courtney would back out due to health issues. Courtney was backing out of projects due to health issues from as far back as 1997.

(edited year)

 

[The Wormhole]

That's unfair to Davies and Moffat. As I understand it, they both approached him, but Nicholas Courtney would back out due to health issues. Courtney was backing out of projects due to health issues from as far back as 1995.

Indeed, and it should be noted, the scripts for the SJA episodes Tennant and Smith appeared in originally included the Brigadier, but Courtney couldn't make it due to his health which is why the Brigadier was "stranded in Peru" for those episodes. So even if it wasn't in the main series, RTD at least made an attempt to team the Brigadier up with two modern Doctors. That this did not come to fruition is not RTD's fault. Likewise, given filming of Moffat's first season began a year and a half before Courtney died, I can believe health issues would have prevented him from showing up there if offered, which is not Moffat's fault either.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Still does not excuse not bringing back the original companion when they could have.

 

[Brendan Moody]

Doctor Who showrunners are not obligated to force nostalgia cameos into their work for the benefit of a few thousand fans on the Internet. The extent to which they do it anyway because they want to it is pretty remarkable, and it seems weird to get hung up on a couple that didn’t come together, particularly in the absence of evidence that the actors in question even wanted to.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I mean, was there ever really compelling a story reason to bring back Ian? The Brigadier has the UNIT connection, and was spread over multiple Doctors even in the classic era, so bringing the Brigadier back would seem to be a natural. But Ian? I'm sorry, but why? Because he was among the first group of companions? If there's any character among that group that has a compelling story reason to be brought back, it would be Susan. Because, you know, the promise to come back and all that.

And I find it interesting that I'm hearing harsh words for Davies and Moffat for not doing something that Chris Chibnall, with an actual story reason, actually did. I guess kind words or praise for Chris Chibnall is just heresy for some people.

 

[Mr Awe]

Well, Chibnall obviously didn't bring back Ian, Susan, or the Brig either. So, I guess you must be talking about the classic Doctors, Tegan and Ace. And, I actually thanked Chibnall in person for doing that. That was my favorite part of his era.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Well, Chibnall obviously didn't bring back Ian, Susan, or the Brig either. So, I guess you must be talking about the classic Doctors, Tegan and Ace. And, I actually thanked Chibnall in person for doing that. That was my favorite part of his era.

I don't care about anything Chibnall did or didn't do.

But, suffice to say, bringing Ace and Tegan, the way he did, as well as their respective Doctors, was... basically, awful. So, thanks but no thanks.

 

[Tomalak]

Don't really get this complaint.

Don't people remember how rare *any* old series reference was when the show was brought back? We had to wait until The Next Doctor to even see the previous Doctors, aside from the briefly glimpsed drawings in John Smith's journal.

Sarah Jane was an exception. It eventually lead to Jo and the Brig appearing on SJA, which was wonderful.

Moffat brought in a lot more classic references, but still didn't feel the need to revisit any previous companions.

Chibnall mostly avoided it too, but went all-out for Jodie's last episode, which was specifically intended to celebrate the BBC Centenary.

RTD has obviously felt freer this time, with the Susan references, the Toymaker and the whole Memory Tardis/Tales of the Tardis thing.

 

[Tomalak]

Anyway, looking forward, Ncuti says that Season 3 is shooting next year.

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa says season 16 is being filmed next year

The Fifteenth Doctor star speaks about the sci-fi's future on tonight's Graham Norton Show.

www.radiotimes.com

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

I really hope so. Also hope the constant cancellation rumors would settle sooner rather than later.

 

[The Wormhole]

I mean, was there ever really compelling a story reason to bring back Ian? The Brigadier has the UNIT connection, and was spread over multiple Doctors even in the classic era, so bringing the Brigadier back would seem to be a natural. But Ian? I'm sorry, but why? Because he was among the first group of companions?

The only time I would have brought Ian back would have been Day of the Doctor, basically instead of Tom Baker back as the enigmatic Curator, have William Russell there as Ian to chat with the Eleventh Doctor. 50th anniversary, current Doctor with one of the original companions, reverse dynamic of young Doctor, elderly companion, nostalgia, all that jazz. I get why they went with Tom Baker instead, and indeed, that probably made more sense for the episode's narrative. I just think a scene with Ian would have been great in that moment, but I get why it didn't happen.

Chibnall obviously didn't bring back Ian, Susan, or the Brig either.

Chibnall did bring Ian back, he had a small cameo in Power of the Doctor.

 

[Starkers]

William Russell did get a small cameo in An Adventure in Space and Time, though he obviously wasn't playing Ian.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

The only time I would have brought Ian back would have been Day of the Doctor, basically instead of Tom Baker back as the enigmatic Curator, have William Russell there as Ian to chat with the Eleventh Doctor. 50th anniversary, current Doctor with one of the original companions, reverse dynamic of young Doctor, elderly companion, nostalgia, all that jazz. I get why they went with Tom Baker instead, and indeed, that probably made more sense for the episode's narrative. I just think a scene with Ian would have been great in that moment, but I get why it didn't happen.

If I recall correctly, they even considered Ian for that scene before deciding on Tom Baker's Curator.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I seem to recall reading a very long time ago that Ian was supposed to appear in that very first scene of the Day of the Doctor with Clara at the Coal Hill School, but William Russell was unavailable for some reason.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Anyway, looking forward, Ncuti says that Season 3 is shooting next year.

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa says season 16 is being filmed next year

The Fifteenth Doctor star speaks about the sci-fi's future on tonight's Graham Norton Show.

www.radiotimes.com

That's great news, but despite all of the negative talk, I never really doubted it.

 

[Tomalak]

I seem to recall reading a very long time ago that Ian was supposed to appear in that very first scene of the Day of the Doctor with Clara at the Coal Hill School, but William Russell was unavailable for some reason.

Yeah, I think I might have heard that too.

He's on the school sign as the head of the board of school governors.

If I recall correctly, they even considered Ian for that scene before deciding on Tom Baker's Curator.

I didn't know any spoilers going into it, but I had read Moffat saying there were no classic Doctors in it, and like a fool I believed him. So when Clara talked about the old man wanting to see the Doctor, I wondered if it would be Ian.

Then I heard Tom's voice and I felt genuine tears in my eyes. What a moment! It still gives me chills.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Chibnall did bring Ian back, he had a small cameo in Power of the Doctor.

And William Russell was pushing 99 at the time. He was pushing 90 when he did his brief cameo in Adventures in Time and Space. He was already in his 80s when the new era started, and by the looks of his credits on IMDb already largely retired from live action acting, although he was still prolific in Doctor Who audio. There was no way he was ever going to play a role larger than a sentimental cameo such as the one he had in Power of the Doctor or might have had in Day of the Doctor if things had gone differently.

 

[Rich Watson]

Anyway, looking forward, Ncuti says that Season 3 is shooting next year.

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa says season 16 is being filmed next year

The Fifteenth Doctor star speaks about the sci-fi's future on tonight's Graham Norton Show.

www.radiotimes.com

And it got cut out of the broadcast episode. Presumably someone pointed out that actually nothing's confirmed yet. The clowns really are in charge of the circus now.

 

[Tomalak]

And it got cut out of the broadcast episode. Presumably someone pointed out that actually nothing's confirmed yet. The clowns really are in charge of the circus now.

No need to overreact, it wouldn’t be the first time an actor has let slip something they shouldn’t.

 

[Brendan Moody]

The BBC has already paid for at least some scripts for another series. Scripts are relatively cheap, but they wouldn’t have done that if it weren’t the current plan to film a series next year. The show’s performance for the BBC is good enough that they and Bad Wolf will continue making it in some form; the question is whether Disney re-ups, and whether they do so at the same level of production investment. I would guess the current planning is accounting for all possibilities: a script can be developed to allow for multiple possible budget levels.

It would be extremely tight timeline-wise to film a full series on the scale of this year’s for broadcast in 2026 if they don’t get a formal commission until after the 2025 series premieres. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already baked a cheaper series with reduced post-production into the planning. Streaming budgets have contracted noticeably since the Disney deal in 2022, so it’s pretty easy to imagine that even if Disney sign on for a new series it won’t cost quite as much as the past couple years.