14th Doctor is Here! BBC Children in Need 2023!

[Samurai8472]

The thing about Davros is that RTD had a perfect in show, already established event that could have explained away any future him looking different. The very last time we saw him in the timeline he was stealing the Doctor’s regeneration energy. That right there is all the justification needed for why he looks so vastly different. It wouldn’t explain away something like this which happens in the past, but if Gatwa ever goes up against Davros, The Witch’s Familiar is a perfect in canon reason for the change.

 

[Ovation]

Nope. According to Russell in the making-of episode this is what Davros always looked like and will look like if he ever appears again. And yes it's for exactly the bullshit "can't show someone in a wheelchair being evil" reasons you're imagining.

If this is the sort of pathetic pandering that's going to drive the series going forward I'm feeling a lot less optimistic about the future.

Yawn.

Because a world where anyone who isn't a able-bodied straight white man can't be portrayed as a villain isn't insulting and patronising in the slightest. Right?

Yawning intensifies.

 

[Captaindemotion]

L, and I can’t emphasise this enough, O L
https://twitter.com/ianlevine/status/1725918368052433080?s=46&t=4gRLv-uovddel5zbS4TQ9g

 

[Rich Watson]

Yawning intensifies.

What an astonishingly well thought out response. I hope it didn't tax too many of your brain cells; I know you haven't got many to spare.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Chibnall it seems was able to mollify BBC by using Daleks in the holiday specials.

Back when I talked to people at BBC America, I knew that that -- Daleks in the Christmas specials -- was something they wanted (they were quite open about that), and it wouldn't terribly surprise me if BBC proper did, too.

L, and I can’t emphasise this enough, O L
https://twitter.com/ianlevine/status/1725918368052433080?s=46&t=4gRLv-uovddel5zbS4TQ9g

RTD's probably beside himself with glee--"I pissed off Ian again! I've missed this! All is well with the world!"

 

[Ovation]

What an astonishingly well thought out response. I hope it didn't tax too many of your brain cells; I know you haven't got many to spare.

I expended exactly the amount of effort required to respond to your…insightful…commentary. Thankfully, it wasn’t taxing in the least, but I appreciate your…concern. As to what you “know”? This isn’t the appropriate forum to provide a comprehensive answer. In the interest of not violating the rules of this forum, I’ll leave it at that.

 

[Sketcher]

RTD mentioned there's a long line of wheelchair-bond villains. Out of curiosity, who are they? All I can think of off the top of my head are the crazy admiral from TNG season 1 and that villain from the short-lived John Doe seres.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

RTD mentioned there's a long line of wheelchair-bond villains. Out of curiosity, who are they? All I can think of off the top of my head are the crazy admiral from TNG season 1 and that villain from the short-lived John Doe seres.

The TV Tropes web page has a long list of 'Evil Cripple' characters, wheelchair and other.

 

[Captaindemotion]

RTD mentioned there's a long line of wheelchair-bond villains. Out of curiosity, who are they? All I can think of off the top of my head are the crazy admiral from TNG season 1 and that villain from the short-lived John Doe seres.

Blofeld (well, he’s never identified as such, because of legal issues, but it’s clearly meant to be him) at the start of For Your Eyes Only (but to be fair, it’s logical from the ending of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, not that this is Blofeld, for obvious legal reasons, why he’d be in a wheelchair).

 

[Saul]

RTD mentioned there's a long line of wheelchair-bond villains. Out of curiosity, who are they? All I can think of off the top of my head are the crazy admiral from TNG season 1 and that villain from the short-lived John Doe seres.

Doctor Strange Love. Lets not also forget John Lumic who created the Cybermen. That's not RTD's doing though. Roger Anthony Lloyd-Pack was injured at the time so that's why his character used a wheelchair. The other iconic wheelchair I can think of is Chris Pike, although he isn't a villain. I've seen arguments for and against RTD's decision on both sides. I think they bought have valid arguments. At least we can have a healthy discussion about it.

 

[Redfern]

Blofeld (well, he’s never identified as such, because of legal issues, but it’s clearly meant to be him) at the start of For Your Eyes Only (but to be fair, it’s logical from the ending of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, not that this is Blofeld, for obvious legal reasons, why he’d be in a wheelchair).

I think Sketcher meant to type "wheelchair-bound" villains rather than "wheelchair-Bond" villains. Likely an AutoCorrect issue.

 

[valkyrie013]

Davros is still in a space Nazi uniform... Another stereotype and cliche ..
Another pander change that no one asked for or complained about .. ( except the typical always whiners.)

 

[Tosk]

I think Sketcher meant to type "wheelchair-bound" villains rather than "wheelchair-Bond" villains. Likely an AutoCorrect issue.

Either way, "Blofeld" is in a wheelchair at the start of For Your Eyes Only.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I think Sketcher meant to type "wheelchair-bound" villains rather than "wheelchair-Bond" villains. Likely an AutoCorrect issue.

Either way, "Blofeld" is in a wheelchair at the start of For Your Eyes Only.

Exactly!

 

[Starkers]

My two pennies worth. I think RTD is both right and wrong. The disabled/scarred villain is a trope that needs addressing (no where more than the Bond franchise which really needs to move away from it) and somehow associating evil with otherness isn't a great look.

That said I think suggesting disabled people can never be villainous is somewhat patronising to say the least, as well as denying the disabled agency it also cuts disabled actors out of the chance to play bad guys, often the most fun roles to play.

RTD is doing positive things to address the trope by hiring disabled actors for non villainous roles with the wonderful Ruth Madeley and Lenny Rush and I'm looking forward to seeing both of them in Who. I think you can do this, and decide you won't play into the trope again while still leaving Davros as he is. I'm perfectly happy to accept a pre accident Davros in this instance. If RTD doesn't want to use the life support/scarred Davros in future that's fine, but just retire the character rather than retcon him, it isn't like we've seen him that often in modern Who anyway

RTD will do what he wants to do and if he is going to make use of new Davros going forward there's nowt I can do about that, and it's not like I'm going to stop watching Dr Who but I think it will be s shame.

 

[Steve Roby]

The idea that Russell T Davies, of all people, was going to undo the horrible wokeness of Chibnal Who was never less than hilarious. That loons like Levine are trying to start a backlash before a single full episode has aired is the icing on the cake. Seriously, did no one watch Years and Years or It's a Sin over the last couple of years?

On a more nerdish note: the Doctor interfered with the timeline (again). Maybe Davros was supposed to be badly injured by an malfunctioning Dalek multifuinction arm, the Doctor prevented that from happening by breaking it and giving Castavillian a plunger, thus Davros never ended up in his wheelie thing.

 

[Samurai8472]

We've been talking about it but no one's posted it. For context. Here's the video with Russell explaining his reasons for Davros new look

 

[Starkers]

The idea that Russell T Davies, of all people, was going to undo the horrible wokeness of Chibnal Who was never less than hilarious. That loons like Levine are trying to start a backlash before a single full episode has aired is the icing on the cake. Seriously, did no one watch Years and Years or It's a Sin over the last couple of years?

On a more nerdish note: the Doctor interfered with the timeline (again). Maybe Davros was supposed to be badly injured by an malfunctioning Dalek multifuinction arm, the Doctor prevented that from happening by breaking it and giving Castavillian a plunger, thus Davros never ended up in his wheelie thing.

Also Chibnall Who wasn't nearly as woke as people claimed it was.

 

[The Wormhole]

The idea that Russell T Davies, of all people, was going to undo the horrible wokeness of Chibnal Who was never less than hilarious. That loons like Levine are trying to start a backlash before a single full episode has aired is the icing on the cake. Seriously, did no one watch Years and Years or It's a Sin over the last couple of years?

Just like when Moffat took over and there were people going on about how Moffat was going to "free the show of RTD's gay agenda." Despite the fact that the more overt references to homosexuality in the first RTD era were in Moffat's scripts.

 

[Samurai8472]

Just like when Moffat took over and there were people going on about how Moffat was going to "free the show of RTD's gay agenda." Despite the fact that the more overt references to homosexuality in the first RTD era were in Moffat's scripts.

In fact it felt like the agenda was amplified