Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[Samurai8472]

Davies has written a new article for Doctor Who Magazine detailing the operation to announce Ncuti as The Doctor on the BAFTA red carpet, and also confirms his Production Notes feature is returning to the magazine later in the year

Russell T Davies to resume writing Production Notes column

 

[The Wormhole]

I thought this new RTD era would be forward facing, RTD being one of my favourite creative people. It's looking more and more like a greatest hits package to me.

Ugh, I really want to love this show again so much. Maybe it is all for the 60th, so a short wallow in nostalgia is all well and good?

I suspect this may be a wish from BBC for marketing reasons. With the way the show has been hemorrhaging ratings in recent years, they need to go balls to the walls to get high profile interest in the show again. Bringing back Tennant, one of the most popular Doctors, even if just temporarily, is probably viewed as a worthy enough gamble to do that. Plus Donna, a fan favorite companion played by Catherine Tate, who was already a well known celebrity in Britain even before she was involved with Doctor Who. It'll get noticed, at the very least.

Oh, lord. Some people are refusing to buy the new issue of DWM, with a semi-shirtless Ncuti on the cover, because it would make people think they're gay.

Seriously, what aspect of the series is it that people like that are fans of?

I wonder how these same people felt about Noel Clark doing a photoshoot in his underwear for DWM, or a DWM interview with John Barrowman where he talked on and on about his penis. It's funny to think shirtless Gatwa is suddenly "too gay" compared to what's been in this magazine in the past.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

Maybe we're dealing with an alternate timeline in which the Tenth Doctor didn't go, but it's clashing with the timeline in which he did...

Yeah, that’s the theory I like.

 

[dupersuper]

Honestly, it’s less the show that’s driven me away over the past few years than the fandom itself.

I do not get how anyone who truly enjoys watching Doctor Who be phobic towards anything. WTF have they been watching? Not the same show as me it seems.

Yeah...like super conservative Star Trek fans: it's a mystery.

Yeah, but The Doctor has been wrong before.

Also: they lie.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

Does anyone think we may not get Gatwa in the 60th special at all? Gatwa for Series 14 and a trip down memory lane for the 60th?

The more I get used to the idea, then the more I find I’m lukewarm on Tennant’s return but I’m cautiously happy to see Tate and Cribbins come back. Especially Tate. Donna will hopefully finally get some decent closure as her exit back in Series 4 still stinks for me.

 

[jaime]

I suspect this may be a wish from BBC for marketing reasons. With the way the show has been hemorrhaging ratings in recent years, they need to go balls to the walls to get high profile interest in the show again. Bringing back Tennant, one of the most popular Doctors, even if just temporarily, is probably viewed as a worthy enough gamble to do that. Plus Donna, a fan favorite companion played by Catherine Tate, who was already a well known celebrity in Britain even before she was involved with Doctor Who. It'll get noticed, at the very least.

I wonder how these same people felt about Noel Clark doing a photoshoot in his underwear for DWM, or a DWM interview with John Barrowman where he talked on and on about his penis. It's funny to think shirtless Gatwa is suddenly "too gay" compared to what's been in this magazine in the past.

I was bullied (with homosexual slurs involved) just for reading the normal DWM in the nineties. I can see why school kids may not fancy the cover. Anyone else? Eh. You’re a big boy now. Even if the cover is a bit daft.

 

[The Wormhole]

Does anyone think we may not get Gatwa in the 60th special at all? Gatwa for Series 14 and a trip down memory lane for the 60th?

Oh, he's definitely going to be in the 60th. They managed to insert Capaldi into the 50th and he was cast while Day of the Doctor was in post production. Fitting Gatwa into the 60th should be super easy, barely an inconvenience by comparison.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

Oh, he's definitely going to be in the 60th. They managed to insert Capaldi into the 50th and he was cast while Day of the Doctor was in post production. Fitting Gatwa into the 60th should be super easy, barely an inconvenience by comparison.

I guess that’s what I mean. The Day of the Doctor was a Smith story guest starring Tennant/Hurt with a Capaldi eye cameo slipped in.

I just wondered if Gatwa is going to be an active participant with scenes against Tennant or if he’s going to be relegated to cameo status until Series 14?

 

[DigificWriter]

Gatwa has to be in the 60th in some capacity because there's not going to be any broadcasting gap between that Special and the start of Series 14.

 

[Brendan Moody]

Even if the latter is true, it doesn’t require the former to be.

 

[Redfern]

...should be super easy, barely an inconvenience...

I caught that reference!

 

[Starkers]

I caught that reference!

Ditto

 

[The Wormhole]

I caught that reference!

Catching references is tight!

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Wow, wow, wow

 

[DigificWriter]

Even if the latter is true, it doesn’t require the former to be.

RTD already confirmed that there's no gap between the 60th Special (which airs in November 2023) and Series 14, so, what, Gatwa won't get an introduction and will just show up in Episode 14x01 with no onscreen regeneration?

That might be a hard sell in today's TV culture.

 

[jaime]

RTD already confirmed that there's no gap between the 60th Special (which airs in November 2023) and Series 14, so, what, Gatwa won't get an introduction and will just show up in Episode 14x01 with no onscreen regeneration?

That might be a hard sell in today's TV culture.

Tennant and possibly extra past doctors/companions driving up the viewers culminating in the near traditional Christmas Day regeneration/new Doctor as it reclaims things from it’s more successful past? Six episodes in the New Year with New Doctor?
Lays out an intent pretty well.
I’d say that’s an easier sell than an Ice Cream in July.

 

[DigificWriter]

^ You're not listening to what I'm saying, or paying attention to what RTD confirmed.

Doctor Who returns to weekly broadcasting in November 2023 with the 60th Special, followed immediately thereafter by Series 14.

Therefore, either Gatwa debuts at the very end of the Special, or else Series 14 starts with an off screen regeneration, which, as I said, might not work in today's TV culture.

 

[jaime]

^ You're not listening to what I'm saying, or paying attention to what RTD confirmed.

Doctor Who returns to weekly broadcasting in November 2023 with the 60th Special, followed immediately thereafter by Series 14.

Therefore, either Gatwa debuts at the very end of the Special, or else Series 14 starts with an off screen regeneration, which, as I said, might not work in today's TV culture.

Or, the regeneration occurs mid season. It’s been teased before, and has happened before.
The leaks (that have been pretty accurate thus far) suggest a few episodes with Tennant. Which would cover the period pretty much right up to Christmas.

 

[DigificWriter]

^ David Tennant is not starring in Series 14; Ncuti Gatwa is.

The broadcast schedule as confirmed by RTD is this (dates estimated):
November 26th, 2023 - 60th Special
December 3rd - Series 14 starring Ncuti Gatwa

This whole 'several Specials with David Tennant' thing is bullocks because of what RTD already confirmed.

 

[jaime]

^ David Tennant is not starring in Series 14; Ncuti Gatwa is.

The broadcast schedule as confirmed by RTD is this (dates estimated):
November 26th, 2023 - 60th Special
December 3rd - Series 14 starring Ncuti Gatwa

This whole 'several Specials with David Tennant' thing is bullocks because of what RTD already confirmed.

Well, we’ll see, but I would honestly not count it out with surety. The show needs to build its buzz back (and is already) and I would not be surprised *at all* if things happened in a less predictable fashion. Lot of thrones need reclaiming.