How Would You Do a Reboot?
- Thread starter the vet
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I wouldn't. Doctor Who does not need a reboot, unless it takes another decade off the air. Even then, when it returns it's less a reboot, and more a re-introduction. Everything's still the same, you're just assuming the audience hasn't seen the show before.
Reboots in general are often lame. And for something that has reinvented itself as often as Doctor Who has, it seems especially unnecessary.
The show reboots itself every time there's a new Doctor anyway; it's part of the format and ethos.
The show needs more of a rest than any sort of reboot IMO. After the 10th regular season airs I would like to see a handful of specials to say farewell to the current Doctor and this whole era of the franchise that began in 2005 and then let the show fall out of sight for at least several years before bringing it back.
A reboot wouldn't improve anything. If one wanted to do something "radically different," just do it with the next regeneration.
IMO, the show feels more like a reboot when we change showrunners than Doctors. Granted, a new Doctor changes the dynamic among the characters moreso than changing companions does, but the tone and style of the show changes completely when the showrunners change. After all, there's more differences between the change from RTD to Moffat than there were from Eccleston to Tennant or Smith to Capaldi. Likewise, there's sure to be a similar case when we change from Moffat to Chibnall.
Eh? The classic era ran for 26 years, but regardless, why does Doctor Who "need a rest?" It's already taken three years of reduced programming (2009, 2012) or even no programming (2016). I'll admit, Moffat seems to be getting tired, but the solution there is to change the showrunner, which is happening, not pull the show completely.
Same is true for the classic era. From Verity Lambert to Barry Letts to Philip Hinchcliffe to John Nathan-Turner, each caused bigger changes than a new Doctor. Not perfect since Letts only worked with The Third Doctor and Nathan-Turner worked with four Doctors, but it was their styles that defined the different eras. With Nathan-Turner, I think whoever was the script editor also had significant influence on the era's style.
Definitely not a perfect comparison since this also coincided with a change of Doctors, but you could definitely see the difference in the show when Andrew Cartmel took over the show. IMO, those changes would still have happened even if Colin Baker had stayed on during the Cartmel years. Likewise, had Eric Saward stayed and Colin Baker still left and was replaced by Sylvester McCoy we would have had more of the same as we had from the Davison and C Baker years.
If Eric Saward had stayed much longer, I'm pretty sure either he or JNT would have ended up dead. 
Ctrl-Alt-Del?
Reboots seem to be the in thing and I am personally so tired of them. If anything needs a reboot, it's originality. But I digress.
As far as Doctor Who, regeneration does away with the need for a reboot. Between it and a change in the show runner or writing staff and it has a new start with a new direction whenever it is needed. There isn't any reason why this new Who couldn't run for 26 or more seasons just like the classic did.
That being said, if I were to do something to rejuvinate it right now, here's an idea.
Begin the new season with something happening to the Doctor, a death or something and the inability to regenerate. Cut to Jenny, the doctor's daughter, who was last seen leaving Messalline in a rocket. Spend the entire 2017 series/season following her as she searches for her father and discovers her place as a Time Lord.
Throw in some familiar faces searching for a way to bring the Doctor back and some new and familiar enemies for everyone to run in to along the way. And then, in some way give Jenny access to a Tardis to finally arrive at the time and place the Doctor is and use her regeneration ability to kickstart his regeneration.
Not a fully worked out scenario, but it would be something I would like to see.
Anyway, that's my two cents. I'll step away now.
As far as Doctor Who, regeneration does away with the need for a reboot. Between it and a change in the show runner or writing staff and it has a new start with a new direction whenever it is needed. There isn't any reason why this new Who couldn't run for 26 or more seasons just like the classic did.
That being said, if I were to do something to rejuvinate it right now, here's an idea.
Begin the new season with something happening to the Doctor, a death or something and the inability to regenerate. Cut to Jenny, the doctor's daughter, who was last seen leaving Messalline in a rocket. Spend the entire 2017 series/season following her as she searches for her father and discovers her place as a Time Lord.
Throw in some familiar faces searching for a way to bring the Doctor back and some new and familiar enemies for everyone to run in to along the way. And then, in some way give Jenny access to a Tardis to finally arrive at the time and place the Doctor is and use her regeneration ability to kickstart his regeneration.
Not a fully worked out scenario, but it would be something I would like to see.
Anyway, that's my two cents. I'll step away now.
Britain doesn't do reboots. Evolution not revolution is our philosophy.
That said, a reboot in this decade would consist of the following:
The Doctor is a black lesbian who flies around the universe in a six foot tall iPhone. The opening episode features her breaking into Buckingham Palace with a sonic cricket bat to save the Queen from a Sontaran by shoving jelly babies into his probic vent, all set to grand orchestral music with fast panning shots and huge amounts of lens flare.
That said, a reboot in this decade would consist of the following:
The Doctor is a black lesbian who flies around the universe in a six foot tall iPhone. The opening episode features her breaking into Buckingham Palace with a sonic cricket bat to save the Queen from a Sontaran by shoving jelly babies into his probic vent, all set to grand orchestral music with fast panning shots and huge amounts of lens flare.
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Kind of already happening anyway, we have Kate Stewart and Osgood in UNIT stories now as opposed to the Brigadier and Mike Yates or Sgt. Benton.
Isn't that basically the Virgin New Adventures?
And isn't that basically the RTD era?
A female Doctor, a male companion who is a total thick, some camo's from older Doctors, lot's of product placement, new Who prop's that are basically made to make toy merchandise manufacturer easy, and a big name studio to handle it all, let's say Sony, and a new logo with the show tag, Who you gonna call!
Oh that is right, i went there.
But no, i don't think it needs a reboot, still very young after the 2005 one.
Oh that is right, i went there.
But no, i don't think it needs a reboot, still very young after the 2005 one.
I'd love to see a reboot big budget Doctor Who origin movie. If Matt Smith was the Doctor's second childhood, this would be the first. I know the lore is that he was as seen in "The Empty Child" when he stole the Tardis and began his adventures, but I'd have him in his early 20's. I'd probably have him and The Master start off as BFF's and show their rift develop.
I'M IN!!! BRING IT ON!!!
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