Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

I think Russell is spending too much time on Twitter (I refuse to call it anything else.)

 

Who is that on the right? At first glance, I thought that was Alan Cumming but it's clearly not him.

 

I thought this was already confirmed but I guess it was only ever rumor:

Miriam Margolyes is voicing Beep the Meep!

Award-winning actress Miriam Margolyes joins Doctor Who for the 60th anniversary specials that will air this November. Miriam is the voice behind the Meep, the iconic creature adapted from THE STAR BEAST comic strip.

On joining Doctor Who, Miriam Margolyes said:

“I’m relieved I got to work on Doctor Who before I died. With sci-fi you never know. Thank you for making an old woman very happy.”
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Curious to note that the phrasing of the first paragraph suggests she's in multiple specials and not just the one (which the teaser suggests). I suspect it's just a broad statement that she's joining the collective of specials and not necessarily multiple episodes. Or I'm just overthinking it.

Edit: I also just noticed that Beep isn't actually named, just the Meep part.

 

Have to say I've found the reaction to Russell's latest "Letter From The Showrunner" to be both sadly predictable and hilarious.

On the one hand you've got the snowflakes on Twitter complaining that he's insulting them personally because one of the things he wrote resembles something they once wrote. And on the other you have more "serious" outlets reporting that "Russell T Davies says he is not erasing Jodie Whitaker from 'Doctor Who' history" because they are incapable of grasping the context or tone of what he wrote.

 

My bigger worry is the anniversary will be such a mulligan that we essentially and metaphorically lose Smith and Capaldi with her. It feels very… Dark Dimension.

 

Obviously not confirmed yet but it's highly likely that there's now only eight weeks until "The Star Beast".

Which will be a relief since it feels like eight years since they shot the specials.

 

So we've just had a new "glitchy" teaser with hidden messages in it.

One says "Their time has come" and the other "Saturday 23rd September BBC One 6.10PM"

I wonder what that could possibly mean...

 

One episode a *month* ?!?

 

No doubt some new trailer i would wager.

 

A couple of new "WhoSpy" photos from the Beeb.

Spoiler: Spoiler Thoughts

The first one is clearly Joey the Clown, which should put an end to the question of who NPH is playing.

The second is the alleyway where they shot the scene of the Doctor and Donna coming out of the TARDIS talking about Mel.

 

This is Russell who insisted the drawing of the 8th Doctor be so prominent in the Journal of Impossible Things from Human Nature/The Family of Blood., canonising it in both the context of the new and the old show. Thinking on it, this is Russell who pushed for the revival to be a continuation rather than a reboot. He's not an eraser. He loves the show and respects his colleagues too much to do that. He speaks highly of Moffat and Chibnall and I just can't imagine he would do such a thing.

The DWM above article is fantastic.

 

I am think a more metaphorical erasure. A ‘don’t ask don’t tell, and we’re not gonna mention it’ which is sort of what we got in the new series until The Next Doctor vis a vis the eighth doctor. (The portrait was big, but indistinct enough that at the time people were discussing if it was or wasn’t and poring over screen grabs)

I know precisely what you mean, and agree with you, but here we are getting essentially a Doctor/Donna epilogue for a sixtieth anniversary, and with Tennant essentially being the Tom of the modern era, it has that feel of when other Doctors were sidelined in the planned Dark Dimension special.

I’m not expecting him to find a way to rewrite history, but there’s this element of quietly disregarding that is in the feel of what we have seen before, that bothers my fannish self. Especially on an anniversary. It has the feel of more of a reboot than usual.

If there *are* other Doctors involved, I am not sure keeping them as a surprise is the way to go.

 

I see what you mean when you put it like that, but… well, Tennant is the Tom of the modern era. Nothing against any of the others, I love them all, but Tennant was in Doctor Who and when it was water cooler stuff.

I’m 100% confident it’s all gonna be fine.

 

The funny thing is, prior to that, the most direct reference to Paul McGann RTD was noted for was an episode of Queer as Folk, where a character mentioned something about "all seven Doctors." Another character asked "aren't there eight?" to which the other answered "Paul McGann doesn't count."

Indeed, I still maintain that there's something about the whole Timeless Child storyline that sparked RTD's imagination and led to him wanting to return to the show.

 

If I was him I would want to ride in with a lance of retcon and rapidly turn it into the machinations of the Bolloxian Kings of the Neverwas or whatever too…

 

Setting aside any views we may have about the concept of the Timeless Child, I can imagine RTD seeing the potential for getting the odd big name to pop up for a handful of episodes, people who'd never sign on to be the Doctor for three seasons but are quite happy to be the Doctor for an episode or two. (imagining Kate Winslet popping in once a season as Doctor -4)

 

Patsy Stone is the human form of the Doctor whose essence is hidden in a bottle of Stoli that gets lost at a New Years part. Hijinks ensue while searching for the bottle with Eddie. Bubble turns out to be the Master.

 

Surprise!

Series 15 or the 2024 Xmas Special starts shooting tonight, even though it wasn't expected to begin until late October. It might have to do with the location as Scott Handcock mentioned in the new DWM that they had to rearrange some shooting dates.

Here's a look at the monster. (Maybe.) Under the tarp, I mean, unless the Disney money has all run out.



Oh, and...

Spoiler

Millie Gibson is also returning.

 

I read that as

Spoiler

Mel Gibson at first