Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[Starkers]

Yeah you've definitely turned into one of those fans.

You lost me at Gatwa is a terrible actor

It's fine, just leave the show for those of us who still enjoy it, and frankly the run from Boom to Rogue is one of the best consistent run of episodes since the show came back, so much as I was disappointed with the finale I'm still enjoying it.

And what a weird thing to say about a tonal shift between the first episode of a season and the last, that literally sums up pretty much every season of the modern era:

Rose - burping wheelie bins
Parting of the Ways - Daleks massacre everyone

This isn't a new thing?

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

I dunno. I largely enjoy RTD2. Is it the same show as Eccleston/Tennant...well, yes and no. But largely, I felt the characters are well realized and the plots work and the stories individually work.

The arc is rushed, and the finale is completely first-draft-like. Too bad. But, my main complaints about it are really that its just damn too short. Eight episodes per season is not enough time to let the characters breathe in. Honestly, 12 was the magic number for me, and I hope we get back to that one day.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Or why bother with a disguise in Time-Flight? The Master doing nonsensical stuff is part of the territory.

The whole scheme in The King's Demons is goofy beyond measure, and even the Doctor calls it out as distinctly below par for the Master.

Eight episodes per season is not enough time to let the characters breathe in. Honestly, 12 was the magic number for me, and I hope we get back to that one day.

Class is an object lesson in that. I thought the eight episodes of the season where good, but they felt like the eight mythology episodes in a 13-episode season (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13 is usually how I have them). There wasn't time for some generic adventuring; everything was moving the plot forward. This is a problem of the prestige/streaming era; to get "quality" (however defined by the studio/network), quantity is pared down further and further.

 

[The Wormhole]

can see it now, Young Dr Who

Not while RTD's in charge. He already refused to do a Young Doctor series last time, I doubt he's changed his mind on that eighteen years later.

much as I was disappointed with the finale I'm still enjoying it.

Indeed, and it should be said, at this point. disappointing finales seems to be a reality of modern Who. Finales are usually the weakest part of any season, regardless if it's RTD, Moffat or Chibnall running things.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

I don't agree a lot there. At least half the finales on NuWho were great, some of the best ever Who stories, too - Parting of the Ways/Bad Wolf, Utopia/The Sound of Drums/The Last of the Time Lords, Turn Left/Stolen Earth/Journey's End, End of Time, The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, The Name of the Doctor, Face the Raven/Heaven Sent/Hell Bent, World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls/Twice Upon a Time do range from good to great, and are largely entertaining at their lowest ebb, and incredible at their best (especially Heaven Sent, World Enough and Time and Turn Left). . DisneyWho just started, so fair, but the RTD and Moffat finales have more often than not succeded in keeping a good balance in characterization owning the plot, which is essential in a lot of ways.

 

[Australis]

It's fine, just leave the show for those of us who still enjoy it, and frankly the run from Boom to Rogue is one of the best consistent run of episodes since the show came back, so much as I was disappointed with the finale I'm still enjoying it.

Yeah, I'm perfectly happy people still enjoy and get something from it. I just wanted to express my personal disappointment it has gone to a place I can't follow. And I've been a fan since 1966.

Not while RTD's in charge. He already refused to do a Young Doctor series last time, I doubt he's changed his mind on that eighteen years later.

Yes, 18 years ago. A lot's happened since then. And the Mouse knows how to pressure.

At least half the finales on NuWho were great, some of the best ever Who stories, too

I agree entirely.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Yes, 18 years ago. A lot's happened since then. And the Mouse knows how to pressure.

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of Disney's relationship with Doctor Who.

 

[Australis]

Is it? Can you explain further?

 

[Mr Awe]

I'd agree that the finales were generally disappointing. The exceptions for me being both Capaldi's finale of his last season, which was absolutely superb, and his actual final Christmas special, which was very good.

I'm also one who's interest in DW has waned over the long Chibnall years and now RTD2. I don't dislike it. But, it's not appointment TV for me or my top show anymore. I think Ncuti is a fantastic actor but most of the stories this season just didn't gel for me. I guess it's just become another show for me.

In a way, that's not so bad. But considering that I've been a fan since 1980, it's also telling.

 

[Sketcher]

Clearly the solution to a young Doctor Who series is to set it during their time as the Timeless Child. We can call the series 'The Timeless Child'.

 

[Tomalak]

I dunno. I largely enjoy RTD2. Is it the same show as Eccleston/Tennant...well, yes and no. But largely, I felt the characters are well realized and the plots work and the stories individually work.

The arc is rushed, and the finale is completely first-draft-like. Too bad. But, my main complaints about it are really that its just damn too short. Eight episodes per season is not enough time to let the characters breathe in. Honestly, 12 was the magic number for me, and I hope we get back to that one day.

I think the issue with Season 1 was that Ncuti was missing for essentially a quarter of the episodes.

73 Yards and Dot & Bubble were the two best episodes for me, and they would have been fine in a 10+ episode season.

But losing the new Doctor for two consecutive episodes in the middle of the season was a shame for establishing his character.

But it was unavoidable scheduling issues and I appreciate that. Looking forward to seeing more of him at Christmas and in Season 2.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

I think the issue with Season 1 was that Ncuti was missing for essentially a quarter of the episodes.

73 Yards and Dot & Bubble were the two best episodes for me, and they would have been fine in a 10+ episode season.

But losing the new Doctor for two consecutive episodes in the middle of the season was a shame for establishing his character.

But it was unavoidable scheduling issues and I appreciate that. Looking forward to seeing more of him at Christmas and in Season 2.

Doctor-lite episodes is nothing new, and missing Ncuti wasn't an in-and-of-itself kind of issue. It only is because the episode count so small, that it compounded to a lack of normal-ness, as Allyn explained eloquently above. Simply put, we didn't get used to the Doctor/Ruby long enough.

At the very least, the second series is gonna come up straight afterwards, but I'm baffled and (once again) disappointed at the BBC that doesn't want to go on a limb for this program to become a yearly fixture. As a Greek, there is no other programme of theirs that comes even close to international recognizeability and I would even dare anyone to prove me otherwise.

 

[Tomalak]

I think that's a misread - the BBC absolutely wants the show on screen as much as possible. That was the whole point of the Disney deal, which was the definition of "going out on a limb".

It was a high-risk, high-reward gamble to make the show even bigger and secure funding from a massive global player, but it doesn't seem like it fully paid off.

The BBC is facing constant budget pressures, and they can only throw so much money at Doctor Who. It's still just one show, regardless of how much it means for them commercially and internationally.

 

[Takeru]

Go back and watch 9 and 10. Completely different show. My grandkids might like the Space Babies one, but it tonally doesn't match the finale, where everyone dies.

Yes, go back and watch 9 and 10 because tonally their seasons aren't that different from 15. RTD has always flip flopped between more lighthearted borderline ridiculous episodes and highly emotional dramatic world ending finales.

I'm not sure what you expected but the show as it is now is basically exactly what I thought it would be with RTD returning just with sadly fewer episodes.

 

[Australis]

I think Ncuti is a fantastic actor but most of the stories this season just didn't gel for me. I guess it's just become another show for me.

Maybe it's the scripts. I haven't seen him in anything that's excited me.

As I said, it could just be me, aging out.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Yes, go back and watch 9 and 10 because tonally their seasons aren't that different from 15. RTD has always flip flopped between more lighthearted borderline ridiculous episodes and highly emotional dramatic world ending finales.

It's kinda his thing. Remember, this is the same writer who wrote Love and Monsters and Midnight. Tonally, you can't get further apart than those two.

 

[Commander Troi]

I haven't seen him in anything that's excited me.

He was terrific in Sex Education.

 

[The Wormhole]

Yes, 18 years ago. A lot's happened since then. And the Mouse knows how to pressure.

Is it? Can you explain further?

Disney is just a distributor, they don't have any real authority over the show. They can provide input on episodes, and if RTD agrees, he'll do as they ask, but they can't mandate he make a particular spin-off. That goes outside their remit.

Also, RTD has made it clear the minute anyone from Disney or BBC tries to force him to do anything he doesn't want to is the minute he walks. There will not be a Young Doctor series while he's in charge.

 

[JD]

Not while RTD's in charge. He already refused to do a Young Doctor series last time, I doubt he's changed his mind on that eighteen years later.

Indeed, and it should be said, at this point. disappointing finales seems to be a reality of modern Who. Finales are usually the weakest part of any season, regardless if it's RTD, Moffat or Chibnall running things.

I think one of the consistent problems they've had with the finales is that they set up arcs and or mysteries and a lot of the time they do a huge build up to what ends up being something that really isn't worth all of that build up. The ones that have worked were the times where they actually went big and gave us a finale worthy of all the build up.

 

[Mr Awe]

Disney is just a distributor, they don't have any real authority over the show. They can provide input on episodes, and if RTD agrees, he'll do as they ask, but they can't mandate he make a particular spin-off. That goes outside their remit.

Also, RTD has made it clear the minute anyone from Disney or BBC tries to force him to do anything he doesn't want to is the minute he walks. There will not be a Young Doctor series while he's in charge.

Yes and no. While the Mouse probably doesn't have any formalized control, they sure can exert a ton of pressure. After all, if they don't like what they're seeing or the way RTD reacts to their notes, they don't renew.

That all said, I'm not sure there is evidence that they've actually used that potential influence much. But the potential surely is there.