Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[jaime]

Citation needed. Your opinion is not conclusive.



You just said the show needed a back to basics approach. The show got a back to basics approach. For you it didn't work. For me it did. You can't just assert your negative reactions as statements of fact.

I’m not. There’s plenty of discussions where the negative response to the lore changes have simply not been outweighed by an equivalent positive response. And certainly not in any depth.
And you have a different opinion of what ‘back to basics’ means in this context. It doesn’t mean ignoring or not using continuity, it largely means not fudging with it and getting it back to the equilibrium it had. I don’t even like Tennant as either of his Doctors particularly, but know that if you need a face for a hiatus Doctor, it’s going to be his. So ditch the TC as the Master telling some porkies (it’s better if it were The Master anyway, as it makes a *lot* more sense) stick Chef!Doctor into the 6B retcon with some added dazzle if they like (aborted timelines) get Gallifrey off its uppers and return the underlying core to its status quo with Tennants gurning mug as the Doctor, one and only and no Sword of Damocles spare in the back pocket (which his fourteenth currently is) Ideally that way you can leave the show on a high with general audiences too, cos they like the chap.

Now, there’s some possibilities around what is rumoured this series that may help, and make it possible to get the ducks in a row in some other manner, but if the toys are being put back in the box till someone else comes along, it’s better to make sure they are in the same shape as the current lot found them and in the right place.

If not, then that’s it. These last two Doctors eras have done more damage than anything JNT, or Cartmel, or Saward, ever even thought about. Well. Maybe not Saward.

 

[The Wormhole]

the behind the scenes scramble for trying to find someone who would actually run the show led to Moffat (and Capaldi himself) staying on longer than intended

Moffat, yes, ended up sticking around for an extra season than planned, but Capaldi was still under contract for three years. Even if Chibnall or someone else took over for 2017, Capaldi would still be there. Capaldi's intended departure was supposed to be the season 10 finale, but then that was changed late in the game to keep him for the 2017 Christmas special, but that's the only extension to his time he had.

 

[jaime]

Moffat, yes, ended up sticking around for an extra season than planned, but Capaldi was still under contract for three years. Even if Chibnall or someone else took over for 2017, Capaldi would still be there. Capaldi's intended departure was supposed to be the season 10 finale, but then that was changed late in the game to keep him for the 2017 Christmas special, but that's the only extension to his time he had.

Ah. That may have actually helped the next person — an easier take off if your star is already in place. (With the exception of when JNT took over in Tom’s final season) There was still something of a refresh with the Bill season, even with Moffat still in place. It was very different to the Ponds era or the Clara era that preceded.

 

[Samurai8472]

Andrew Evans, former journalist for Doctor Who Magazine, and who first broke many of the leaks we've seen covered, has popped up on one of Confused Adipose videos' comments section and has provided more details about the finale

Spoiler

-Andrew can't tell much about the plot because it's a bit of a mess and hard to follow (sounds on par with RTD)

-Tennant leak is fake. But there is a past Doctor in the finale that helps Ncuti along with his regeneration. (some have speculated Ncuti meets this Doctor at 'The Edge')

-Jo Martin appears but 'briefly' in one episode

-Susan is in episode 7

-Anita from 'Joy to the World' is in the finale

- You do not see who Ncuti regenerates into. It's very much what "Power of the Doctor" would have been if RTD hadn't come back

-There is a realm called the 'Underverse'

-There are no Daleks other than a clip used from Classic Who (said to be from "Day of the Daleks")

-An old foe is reimagined as another big hulking Suktech-style CG monster with a claw attached.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Andrew Evans, former journalist for Doctor Who Magazine, and who first broke many of the leaks we've seen covered, has popped up on one of Confused Adipose videos' comments section and has provided more details about the finale

Spoiler

-Tennant leak is fake. But there is a past Doctor in the finale that helps Ncuti along with his regeneration. (some have speculated Ncuti meets this Doctor at 'The Edge')

- You do not see who Ncuti regenerates into. It's very much what "Power of the Doctor" would have been if RTD hadn't come back

I do not see why...

Spoiler

...if this is the end, why Gatwa's era needs to be closed off with a regeneration right now. Why not just leave it open-ended? Another producer can still start afresh, as RTD did twenty years ago.

 

[jaime]

I do not see why...

Spoiler

...if this is the end, why Gatwa's era needs to be closed off with a regeneration right now. Why not just leave it open-ended? Another producer can still start afresh, as RTD did twenty years ago.

They have a spare Tennant face living in suburban joy who can be the face of a second hiatus should it come to it. Am repeating me self, but I do think that may be the suitable response to the spoilers.

 

[Mr Awe]

Ah. That may have actually helped the next person — an easier take off if your star is already in place. (With the exception of when JNT took over in Tom’s final season) There was still something of a refresh with the Bill season, even with Moffat still in place. It was very different to the Ponds era or the Clara era that preceded.

I liked the Capaldi era overall but his final season was my favorite.

 

[jaime]

I liked the Capaldi era overall but his final season was my favorite.

It was a nice blend of stuff. And if the show had ended there, for a while, it would have had a nice circularity to it. Mind you, same is true of The Big Bang and Smiths first season, and his finale. Say what you like about Moffat, but his endings feel like endings, and he’s very good for crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s on the way there.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Andrew Evans, former journalist for Doctor Who Magazine, and who first broke many of the leaks we've seen covered, has popped up on one of Confused Adipose videos' comments section and has provided more details about the finale

Spoiler

-Andrew can't tell much about the plot because it's a bit of a mess and hard to follow (sounds on par with RTD)

-Tennant leak is fake. But there is a past Doctor in the finale that helps Ncuti along with his regeneration. (some have speculated Ncuti meets this Doctor at 'The Edge')

-Jo Martin appears but 'briefly' in one episode

-Susan is in episode 7

-Anita from 'Joy to the World' is in the finale

- You do not see who Ncuti regenerates into. It's very much what "Power of the Doctor" would have been if RTD hadn't come back

-There is a realm called the 'Underverse'

-There are no Daleks other than a clip used from Classic Who (said to be from "Day of the Daleks")

-An old foe is reimagined as another big hulking Suktech-style CG monster with a claw attached.

Spoiler

Bummer.

 

[The Wormhole]

Andrew Evans, former journalist for Doctor Who Magazine, and who first broke many of the leaks we've seen covered, has popped up on one of Confused Adipose videos' comments section and has provided more details about the finale

Spoiler

-Andrew can't tell much about the plot because it's a bit of a mess and hard to follow (sounds on par with RTD)

-Tennant leak is fake. But there is a past Doctor in the finale that helps Ncuti along with his regeneration. (some have speculated Ncuti meets this Doctor at 'The Edge')

-Jo Martin appears but 'briefly' in one episode

-Susan is in episode 7

-Anita from 'Joy to the World' is in the finale

- You do not see who Ncuti regenerates into. It's very much what "Power of the Doctor" would have been if RTD hadn't come back

-There is a realm called the 'Underverse'

-There are no Daleks other than a clip used from Classic Who (said to be from "Day of the Daleks")

-An old foe is reimagined as another big hulking Suktech-style CG monster with a claw attached.

Spoiler

A bit surprised there are no Daleks. Given the whole "you're not really the Doctor until you fight the Daleks" mentality, it seems bad optics for the franchise's first black Doctor (as a lead) to not have a Dalek episode during his run.

 

[JD]

Ah. That may have actually helped the next person — an easier take off if your star is already in place. (With the exception of when JNT took over in Tom’s final season) There was still something of a refresh with the Bill season, even with Moffat still in place. It was very different to the Ponds era or the Clara era that preceded.

I would think it would be easier to start with a new Doctor when you're starting out as a new showrunner. That way you would have a complete clean slate to do your own thing without having to worry about continuing on with the previous person's Doctor.

 

[jaime]

I would think it would be easier to start with a new Doctor when you're starting out as a new showrunner. That way you would have a complete clean slate to do your own thing without having to worry about continuing on with the previous person's Doctor.

Depends. If you are relatively new to running a show, it’s one less thing to worry about, especially if the stars a good one and has a decent grasp on the show itself. (Which in Capaldi’s case, was very true — and he knew more than a little about production in general) You also don’t have to worry about upsetting the Apple cart too much or losing audience with an actor change. Ego also comes into it a fair bit. Moffat was happy to offer Tennant another year or so in the role for example.

 

[Starkers]

I do wonder if Moffat offering Tennant the chance to stay and Chibnall asking Capaldi wasn't just the done thing, the polite approach. Everyone knew they were going to go, and likely Moff and Chibnall would rather they went (certainly it's hard to see how Capaldi would have fitted into Chibnall's plans) but this way everyone saves face.

And hasn't Tom said he wishes he'd left a year earlier when JNT came in?

 

[Samurai8472]

The Doctor will go up against the Unholy trinity

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[The Wormhole]

I do wonder if Moffat offering Tennant the chance to stay and Chibnall asking Capaldi wasn't just the done thing, the polite approach. Everyone knew they were going to go, and likely Moff and Chibnall would rather they went (certainly it's hard to see how Capaldi would have fitted into Chibnall's plans) but this way everyone saves face.

In the case of Moffat and Tennant, I suspect that was BBC putting pressure to keep Tennant around, which we know they were very reluctant to lose him to the point he was also offered the "dump truck full of cash" that BBC also tried to persuade RTD to stay with. And IIRC, didn't it come to light years later that Moffat did in the early stages have an outline with the season starting with child Amelia Pond meeting a post-regeneration Eleventh Doctor still wearing the Tenth's tattered clothes, much as we saw in The Eleventh Hour, only when we see grown up Amy Pond she would meet the Tenth Doctor, have a season's of adventures with him and then in the finale we would see him regenerate and the story would circle back to the season's opening scene?

 

[N-121973]

The Doctor will go up against the Unholy trinity

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

The Daleks, Cybermen & Master?

 

[Starkers]

RTD, Moffat, Chibnall obviously

 

[jaime]

I do wonder if Moffat offering Tennant the chance to stay and Chibnall asking Capaldi wasn't just the done thing, the polite approach. Everyone knew they were going to go, and likely Moff and Chibnall would rather they went (certainly it's hard to see how Capaldi would have fitted into Chibnall's plans) but this way everyone saves face.

And hasn't Tom said he wishes he'd left a year earlier when JNT came in?

I daresay there’s a bit of that too. But Tom saw off a couple of behind the scenes changes. If he had left a year earlier when JNT came in, well, I suspect it would have been more a good idea for his life away from the show rather than anything to do with the show itself.
And Moffat outright had the episodes written, then just tweaked and wrote some more when he needed to find a new Doctor as well.
As to Chibnall? It likely would have benefit that first series to have a more seasoned Doctor in place to be honest, and some of the things in those episode would have actually worked better (or… well, wild have worked when they didn’t) with Capaldi about.
There probably is a politeness approach as well mind you, in a few directions — a Doctor feels like maybe he should go when his boss goes, a new chap feels like he should offer the existing incumbent a crack, and the incumbent feels he should at least listen to the ideas so as not to make the new fellow feel like he’s not as good as whoever he’s replacing.
But it’s not set in stone.

 

[jaime]

The Daleks, Cybermen & Master?

Omega, don’t forget Omega.
And the terrible Zodin.

 

[matthunter]

Three incarnations of the Monk?

Lends to the "Unholy".