Yeah, that's a good point. That shows just how exhausting it is to film each season.
2023: 60th Anniversary speculation
- Thread starter Timelord79 (he/him)
- Start date
And these are good actors who like doing other things... opportunities start knocking...
Total agreement! Series 10 was a breath of fresh air and everything was pretty much perfect, series 9 just felt stale and forced... Capaldi and Mackie were the best NuWHO Doctor/companion pairing of all time, Nardole needed more screen time but was cool, and most of the stories were really solid or great.)
But then we got series 11 and it's retread after cliche after duplication of previous years' scenes (e.g. the regeneration is a pure copy'n'paste of the 10->11 Doctor's regeneration, falling out of TARDIS as zing-whiz crowd pleasing moment and all) and that did not bode well.
At least series 12 is starting to show a possible recovery* but tomorrow's episode with the teaser showing "Look at how wacky my fam is this week!" with the giant lizard tail and the mopping they're doing around it (are they moving endangered sea dragons to another planet or did this one just have bladder control problems?), and the guy with green hair who wouldn't be out of place in an episode of "UFO" circa 1970. Depending on how the episode plays out, "UFO" may still end up looking by far the more mature sci-fi program (and it's already horribly dated)... 
* despite being quick to go back to the well of "Let's destroy Gallifrey for a crowd-pleasing moment", but to be fair it takes more effort to have one complex and more intimate villain like the Master do it than a generic army like the Daleks and that's one reason why I'm still more than interested in what's going to transpire. (Intimate on a personal level, not a former lover or anything so soap opera-like.)
* despite being quick to go back to the well of "Let's destroy Gallifrey for a crowd-pleasing moment", but to be fair it takes more effort to have one complex and more intimate villain like the Master do it than a generic army like the Daleks and that's one reason why I'm still more than interested in what's going to transpire. (Intimate on a personal level, not a former lover or anything so soap opera-like.)
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Agreed. I was hoping that Capaldi would hold on for at least 1 more season. Not only would that vault him past Smith & Tennant to become the longest running Doctor of the new series, but it also would have put him in a sold 3rd place for longest running TV Doctor of all time, just behind T. Baker & Pertwee.
That and Capaldi is my favorite Doctor. I've only seen a few of Whittaker's episodes so far. She's fine. In fact, she's by far the best thing about her otherwise weak era. But I was not at all ready for Capaldi to go when he did, especially since the Capaldi/Bill/Nardole team was just starting to hit their stride when Season 10 ended.
Dude! Spoilers! Just because the BBC doesn't think the rules apply to them, doesn't mean that they don't still apply here.
I think Capaldi staying for Chibnail's first season would've helped the latter enormously. You have a truly great actor who knows how to BE the Doctor and thus sells the stories better. Jodie could then take a page directly from that.
Anyway, I would like to point that technically Tennant did do four years? The year of the specials (Dreamland included) should count as his last year, right? And that is also sold seperated as a Specials season, so, yeah.
Anyway, I would like to point that technically Tennant did do four years? The year of the specials (Dreamland included) should count as his last year, right? And that is also sold seperated as a Specials season, so, yeah.
Please follow the spoiler policy as spelled out in the pinned postTotal agreement! Series 10 was a breath of fresh air and everything was pretty much perfect, series 9 just felt stale and forced... Capaldi and Mackie were the best NuWHO Doctor/companion pairing of all time, Nardole needed more screen time but was cool, and most of the stories were really solid or great.)
But then we got series 11 and it's retread after cliche after duplication of previous years' scenes (e.g. the regeneration is a pure copy'n'paste of the 10->11 Doctor's regeneration, falling out of TARDIS as zing-whiz crowd pleasing moment and all) and that did not bode well.
At least series 12 is starting to show a possible recovery* but tomorrow's episode with the teaser showing "Look at how wacky my fam is this week!" with the giant lizard tail and the mopping they're doing around it (are they moving endangered sea dragons to another planet or did this one just have bladder control problems?), and the guy with green hair who wouldn't be out of place in an episode of "UFO" circa 1970. Depending on how the episode plays out, "UFO" may still end up looking by far the more mature sci-fi program (and it's already horribly dated)...
* despite being quick to go back to the well of "Let's destroy Gallifrey for a crowd-pleasing moment", but to be fair it takes more effort to have one complex and more intimate villain like the Master do it than a generic army like the Daleks and that's one reason why I'm still more than interested in what's going to transpire. (Intimate on a personal level, not a former lover or anything so soap opera-like.)
Mackie saved Season 10, as Bill was the best part of the entire 12th Doctor's run. Honestly, it just feels to me like Chibnal just doesn't have the same view of The Doctor as a character that Moffat and RTD did. I think she's more than just the goofy bits, but Chibnal seems to disagree. The 'fam' is amazing, all three are really great additions to the show and carry my attention from week to week but The Doctor is just missing that spark of danger that gives the show the edge it needs. It's a shame, because I think Whittaker is perfect for the role but she hasn't been given the right material IMHO.
Even when Moffat & RTD were at their worst, they still seemed to be giving it their all and having the time of their lives while doing it. Chibnall's episodes just seem so pedestrian that I really wonder why he even bothers. I'd love for Moffat to come back just to write a single episode for Whittaker. I think it would really give her something to sink her teeth into and would help immensely to define just WHO (pun intended 
) this Doctor is.
) this Doctor is.
We're really missing Moffat right now, aren't we? I do hope we keep Jodie but Chibnall should probably go, if he doesn't improve much, and fast.
It seems like only yesterday, people were bitching and moaning about Moffat. How he outstayed his welcome by far too much. For years.
...and same for Davies.
All of this has happened before and it will happen again...
Yep, and when the next showrunner takes over we'll be moaning about how they're a hack and Chibnall needs to be brought back pronto.
I genuinely doubt that. In fact, I am willing to bet on that.
People said the same about Moffat (and Davies) and yet, here we are.
While the rise and fall, and the subsequent desire to have both RTD and Moffat come back at a later date are both predictable and kinda funny, I doubt that'll be true with Chibnall--not unless the quality of his seasons drastically improves. Chibnall hasn't gotten to the "rise" portion of that "rise, fall, and please come back" trajectory yet!
I know he's not writing all the scripts, and he's writing less this year, but the showrunner has massive input into the show's style. He selects the writers based on him anticipating they'll deliver what he wants, discusses what he wants with them to further guide them, and makes notes and edits on the scripts they submit. It all goes through the Chibnall filter.
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I am sure I am right on this, though. Because for all their faults, RTD and Moffat were actually better writers than Chibnall, who has been consistently mediocre and never exceptional. And I'm even trying to play favorites, I was not a fan of Moffat's showrunning, but he still wrote better dialogue and funnier rapport for his companions that Chib's does.
Of course, that's all of a matter of opinion.
Yup. Chibnall’s Efforts have been rather lacklustre, but I wouldn’t go so far as wanting RTD or Moffat back, though I would love to see them both write Jodie episodes.
Chibnall could yet do something awesome. Something involving McGann, for example, and all would be forgiven. Who knows.
One thing I always wanted to see was a classic style serial produced with a modern doctor. Modern special affects, but classic camera work, musical cues, story beats. Five or six 20 minute episodes to make a modern serial. That would be an awesome 60th special.
Chibnall could yet do something awesome. Something involving McGann, for example, and all would be forgiven. Who knows.
One thing I always wanted to see was a classic style serial produced with a modern doctor. Modern special affects, but classic camera work, musical cues, story beats. Five or six 20 minute episodes to make a modern serial. That would be an awesome 60th special.
Mark my words, if the next showrunner is not white and male, a good portion of those currently complaining about Chibnall will do a sudden 180 and start pining for the good old days under Chibnall.
While I don't think I'd go quite that far, it is true, serialized storytelling is a serious thing on TV these days. Maybe it's time Doctor Who tried a full season-long storyline, or barring that something like two three part stories and a four part story, if we're sticking at ten episodes. At the very least, it's a different approach.
Yeah, I've been wanting that for awhile...shoot, since the show restarted. If nothing else, I wouldn't mind a Key to Time-esque treasure hunt (although we did get that in The Infinite Quest, albeit it's actually only the length of a single episode).
I'm not blind to Moffat's faults. There were certain indulgences that he would often wallow in. But I appreciate the fact that he felt distinctly Moffat-y. Even at his worst, his scripts were full of funny moments and TONS of ideas. His problem usually tended to be a lack of follow-through on his interesting ideas. I never felt that Moffat had outstayed his welcome, although I'm well aware that many did. But I was always Team Moffat.
But part of the advantage that RTD & Moffat both had was a certain extra level of buy-in from the fans. Davies got a lot of points merely for bringing the show back at all (and not making it a reboot). Moffat entered his era with a lot of goodwill from the fans thanks to having written 6 of the best episodes of the RTD era. OTOH, Chibnall's pre-showrunner Doctor Who contributions were much more lacklustre. His Torchwood material was better but he still doesn't have a "Blink" or "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead" on his resume.
And it would be different if Chibnall was striking out in a bold new direction that yielded mixed results. Davies & Moffat both had their share of misfires and storytelling tendencies that didn't always appeal to everyone, whether it's Davies with his soapy companion angst or Moffat with his messy fairy tale time paradoxes. But Chibnall's greatest flaw is simply mediocrity. Instead of bringing his own flavor to the show, we seem to be getting seasons that are 100% filler episodes. (Which makes sense coming from the writer of "42" and "The Hungry Earth"/"Cold Blood.")
In one of Moffat's DWM columns, he mentioned how he wanted RTD to come back to write an episode for him. He said something like, "Come on, I wrote 6 episodes for you. Actually, 7. 'Time Crash' counts. And that was for charity!"
It would seem fair enough. Terrance Dicks & Robert Holmes both wrote a few stories after they left the script editor job. Barring that, I'd like to see Chibnall bring back at least one pre-Season 11 writer, whether it's Toby Whithouse, Mark Gatiss, Sarah Dollard, Paul Cornell, Robert Shearman, whoever.
Ah yes, standard tactics. Even when the people who disagree with you don't say anything racist or sexist, you can just accuse them of being racist & sexist anyway. Because why not!?
