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Who would you like to see write for Doctor Who? [slight spoilers]

Bones2

Commodore
Commodore
Right, we're three episodes in, and in my view the Moffat episodes have been good and great, while the Gatiss one was poor. I think we can mostly agree that Moffat's a safe pair of hands, so if we take it as read that his episodes are likely be at the least acceptable, then for the rest of the series we've got Toby Whithouse, Simon Nye, Chris Chibnall, Richard Curtis, and Gareth Roberts. Toby Whithouse of course wrote School Reunion (good), so despite writing an episode with (yawn) vampires, I think that could be good. Simon Nye is best known for Men Behaving Badly, which I'm not especially a fan of, but how he'd write a DW episode is anyone's guess. Chibnall can take a fair share of the blame for Torchwood, Roberts is similarly responsible for some meh DW episodes and SJA, and Richard Curtis' previous writings range from the just tolerable to the contemptible (in my view obviously, others seem to love him).

So, who would you like to see writing for the show? Out of those who have never written for the show, I'd say David Renwick ought to be a major candidate. The imagination he's often shown for Jonathan Creek and even the subtle surreality that underlied much of One Foot in the Grave could translate very well into a Doctor Who story. I actually don't watch an awful lot of TV, so I'm a bit hazy on TV writers, but one of my favourite shows ever is Life on Mars. Matthew Graham of course wrote the awful Fear Her, but perhaps co-creator Ashley Pharoah could put in a good showing. Waking the Dead's another favourite, and though you'd think it's a completely different type of show, some of those writers (Declan Croghan especially) could put in a dark Androzani-type story. Still also on my list is Lawrence Miles. And I'm working on some sad little stories no one will read in the hope of sending millions of copies to BBC Wales until they're so inundated that they're forced to read it before they eventually tell me to sod off (I may or may not be joking).

As for those who've already written for the show, I think Rob Shearman should definitely write another, being responsible for the sole decent Dalek story since Remembrance. Whether the rumours of his falling out with RTD are true or not, he's gone now, so maybe we will get that. It's also near unbelievable to me that Paul Cornell hasn't written one this series, after the alright Father's Day and the extremely well-received Human Nature.

So, who do you think should be writing for the show?
 
Alan Moore (Watchmen)

Grant Morrison (The Invisibles)

Warren Ellis (Planetary)

Mark Millar (The Authority)

Brian K. Vaughn (Y:The Last Man)

Ronald Moore (Battlestar Galactica)

Terrence Dicks (Doctor Who ;) )

J.J. Abrams (LOST and some "star track" movie...)

The ghost writer for Russel Davies (Torchwood:Children of Earth) :angel:
 
P.S. I know some of those have written alternate media for Who. I'm thinking the actual show...
 
Pulling some names out of your post, USS Bones:

* David Renwick -- I have heard that he is not a Doctor Who fan and has no interest in writing for the series.

* Lawrence Miles -- He has no television experience, and I doubt strenuously that Moffat would ever think about letting him gain that experience by writing for the series. Much as I would be intrigued by a Milesian episode, I don't see it as any sort of possibility.

* Rob Shearman -- No disagreement from me; I'd love to see him write, well, anything for the series.

My suggestions:

* Michael Hirst -- The writer/producer behind The Tudors, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth: The Golden Age. I think he could inject some dark intensity into the series. And, strange as this sounds, I want The Tudors' Sarah Bolger as Princess Mary as a companion!

* P.J. Hammond -- Yes, he's written two episodes of Torchwood. I'd like to see him write for the "mothership."

* Lance Parkin -- Parkin, the novelist behind The Infinity Doctors and The Gallifrey Chronicles has, unlike Lawrence Miles, a little television experience (Emmerdale), and I'd like to see him write for the series.

* Andrew Cartmel -- Script editor during the Sylvester McCoy era. He was rumored to have a script in contention for the third season of Torchwood before the plans changed and that season turned into Children of Earth.

* Steve Moore -- Want something different done with the Daleks? Turn to the creator of Abslom Daak, Dalek Killer! Moore, unfortunately, has no television background that I have found, but he's been a mainstay of the British comics scene for thirty years.
 
I just thought after I posted it of Terrence Dicks. If he could be coaxed out of retirement. Come to that, I wouldn't mind Eric Saward being wheeled out for another go, but I'm probably more alone in that. As for the Trek writers, I'd most like to see Brannon Braga, but I'm almost definitely alone in that.

Cartmel I wouldn't be sure of. He never actually wrote an episode of his own, though I've not read his books. That said, his attempts to bring more mystery to the Doctor definitely meet with my approval. And if Parkin gets an episode before Miles, I'd cry my eyes out. Though Parkin doesn't have a habit of managing to offend everyone involved with Doctor Who (that I know of), so he'd be far more likely. As for the guy who writes The Tudors: I'd not heard of him, but...well, he writes The Tudors :borg:.
 
Alan Moore (Watchmen)
Not to rain on your parade, The, but that so won't happen. Moore thinks Doctor Who went all wrong when they got rid of Hartnell. :)

And yes, I'm aware of Moore's work on DWM, but 1) he didn't write for the Doctor, and 2) it's pretty clear from his portrayal of the Cybermen that he had absolutely no idea what the Cybermen even were.

Grant Morrison (The Invisibles)
SFX reported a decade ago that Morrison was writing an eighth Doctor novel. It turned out it was a misquote on his part, but for about a month, I was so excited. Morrison's work on the Doctor Who comics is variable, but an Invisibles-styled Doctor Who would be awesome. :)

Warren Ellis (Planetary)
Elijah Snow would be very interested in the Doctor. I can almost imagine Jack Harkness and Jakita Wagner; the problem is that mixture would be seriously explosive.

No real comment on the rest of your list, except to say that I would like to see Uncle Terrance write one more story for old time's sake.

Also, Eric Saward.

As for the Trek writers, I'd most like to see Brannon Braga, but I'm almost definitely alone in that.
No, not really. :)

Braga would be perfect a showrunner for Torchwood. It fits his sensibilities.
 
I'd kinda like to see what Peter David could do with a full episode of Doctor Who.
 
I second (or is that third) the nomination of Terrance Dicks. In addition, Ronald D. Moore and, if they're both still alive and collaborating Bob Baker and Dave Martin.
 
My own votes are for slightly less "big" writers, but i'd love to see a Dan Abnett written episode. His Torchwood tie-in was fantastic as is everything else he writes in my opinion.

Another vote would be James Swallow. Again he's written tie-in fiction for Doctor Who, and again i think he's a brilliant writer who i'd love to see take a shot at an episode of Doctor Who.
 
Joss Whedon, writing a three parter about the history of the Doctor. It would be full of angst, pathos, and happy people having their significant others being killed or worse. Add in a planet where the inhabitants communicate by song. And a group of soldiers who lost their war and survive out on the fringe in their beaten up cargo ship.

It would be epic.
 
Neil Gaiman.
He has written for the BBC before. Though he may have to be reminded it is a family show, before it gets too weird.
 
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