Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[Starkers]

The concept of episodes that are 'Doctor Lite' doesn't work; stop utilizing it.

Narrator: Russell did not stop utilising it.

Actually he might. Season 15 will be the test. With a shorter season there really should be less reason to need them, so it may be that they've been a necessity of the speedy production of Season 14 and Ncuti's Sex Education shooting commitments, then again they've been quick with S15 as well.

I do know this. If RTD never does a Doctor Lite episode again the reason won't be random people shouting at clouds on the internet.

 

[The Wormhole]

On the other hand, even before production necessities required the presence of a Doctor Lite episode, RTD was still aware that a whole season with just a cast of two was difficult on those two actors. Though not a Doctor Lite episode as we would come to know them, The Long Game in S1 was meant to be a breather of sorts for Eccleston and Piper. Adam from the Dalek episode tagged along in The Long Game exactly so he could have his own subplot there meaning there was less of a workload for Eccleston and Piper. So I wouldn't be too shocked if next season, even with Gatwa not having any scheduling conflicts had if not a Doctor Lite episode than at least an episode where he has a reduced role.

Besides, look at other Disney+ shows with similarly length seasons. The Book of Boba Fett had two whole episodes where Boba Fett wasn't even there. Season 3 of The Mandalorian could rather accurately be called Everyone But The Mandalorian. Even Ahsoka had an Ahsoka lite episode.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

A concept we haven't see yet that generally works for a Doctor or Companion Lite episode(s) would be to make POV episodes of teh same story. Where the same story is told from different perspectives after being seperated early on.
A bit like Strange New World showing us a Spock adventure in S1 first episode with Pike being off elsewhere and then catching up on what Pike was up to in the meantime.
Then it would feel meaningful as part of a larger whole.

 

[Starkers]

It's weird 'cos that Den of Geek article calls Father's Day a Doctor Lite episode when surely it is, as you say, The Long Game!

I'm not sure adding Mando and Grogu to The Book of Boba Fett was about giving the main cast a break, I just think they didn't have enough story for the number of episodes they had! And is there an Andor lite episode of Andor? I don't think there is and that's 12 episodes!

Also should we differentiate between Doctor and Companion Lite episodes and Doctor or Companion Lite episodes? Episodes like Love and Monsters and Blink sideline both the Doctor and his companion, whilst things like Turn Left and 73 Yards sideline the Doctor but still focus on the companion as the lead (and obviously you have Midnight which focuses just on the Doctor and sidelines the companion).

Of couse now we have a Doctor on call maybe next season's Doctor lite episode will just be a Current Doctor lite one and Tennant will hop back for an hour (I know he's retired as the Doctor but I'm not sure many of us believe he's retired )

 

[The Wormhole]

I'm not sure adding Mando and Grogu to The Book of Boba Fett was about giving the main cast a break, I just think they didn't have enough story for the number of episodes they had!

The actual reason had more to do with the pandemic knocking their plans all out of whack. As originally planned, Book of Boba Fett and Mando S3 would have been released simultaneously, telling their own stories and then merging together for a combined finale. But the pandemic prevented that, and so Boba Fett was rewritten to insert Mando and Grogu into it.

Also should we differentiate between Doctor and Companion Lite episodes and Doctor or Companion Lite episodes? Episodes like Love and Monsters and Blink sideline both the Doctor and his companion, whilst things like Turn Left and 73 Yards sideline the Doctor but still focus on the companion as the lead (and obviously you have Midnight which focuses just on the Doctor and sidelines the companion).

I guess, I just got used to the term "Doctor Lite" referring to episodes with neither Doctor or Companion, which aside from Turn Left and now 73 Yards was the norm for Doctor Lites. Basically, I'm set in my ways and don't feel like updating with the times.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

The concept of episodes that are 'Doctor Lite' doesn't work; stop utilizing it.

There you go again with the absolutes.

 

[Captaindemotion]

There you go again with the absolutes.

Only a sith…

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Only a sith…

Or the Daleks.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

All this complaining about Doctor Lite episodes. This isn't new. Does no one here remember that Hartnell and Troughton took episodes off to lessen their workloads and would sometimes only been seen in pre-filmed inserts or body doubles?

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

The Five Doctors sure was a great outing for Tom Baker.

 

[Rich Watson]

Does no one here remember that Hartnell and Troughton took episodes off to lessen their workloads and would sometimes only been seen in pre-filmed inserts or body doubles?

Is this a joke? You're talking about the days when the series was on nearly every week of the year, not just for eight episodes.

 

[DigificWriter]

All this complaining about Doctor Lite episodes. This isn't new. Does no one here remember that Hartnell and Troughton took episodes off to lessen their workloads and would sometimes only been seen in pre-filmed inserts or body doubles?

Completely different set of circumstances and execution.

It's one thing for a Doctor actor to miss an episode or two of a single, multi-episode Serial; it's an entirely different thing for a story to not actually be focused on The Doctor at all.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Completely different set of circumstances and execution.

It's one thing for a Doctor actor to miss an episode or two of a single, multi-episode Serial; it's an entirely different thing for a story to not actually be focused on The Doctor at all.

"Mission to the Unknown" would like to have a word with you.

 

[Rich Watson]

"Mission to the Unknown" would like to have a word with you.

One whole episode in 61 years. You win!

 

[Starkers]

Nobody's got a banana to your head forcing you to watch Doctor Lite episodes.

 

[matthunter]

Moffatt is quoted as saying that Ncuti "gives it the full Capaldi" in the Xmas ep. I had some concerns with 15 in Boom precisely because he was given a few 12-like speeches, though we could forgive his anger there due to the stress of the situation.

Unless he just means the eyebrows?

 

[Relayer1]

I like Doctor-lite episodes.

As long as they're done well, anyway.

 

[Starkers]

I like Doctor-lite episodes.

As long as they're done well, anyway.

and there's the most important point

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I like Doctor-lite episodes.

As long as they're done well, anyway.

and there's the most important point

Precisely what I've been trying to say the whole time but apparently that doesn't matter. The concept is flawed and must done with!

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Completely different set of circumstances and execution.

It's one thing for a Doctor actor to miss an episode or two of a single, multi-episode Serial; it's an entirely different thing for a story to not actually be focused on The Doctor at all.

How about this then. The Hartnell series "The Massacre", where the Doctor is only at the beginning and end of the first and last episodes, the rest of the time Hartnell plays a character called "The Abbott" and is credited as such; the rest of the serial focuses on Steven. It's a Doctor-Lite episode with Hartnell appearing but not playing The Doctor.

The Troughton serial The Enemy of the World might also count. Troughton plays the dual role of The Doctor and Salamander. When Troughton played the Doctor and Salamander didn't appear in the episode he was credited as "The Doctor". When he played Salamander, and the Doctor wasn't in the episode, he was credited as "Salamander". When the two met in the final episode, Troughton was credited as both The Doctor and Salamander.

Can those be considered Doctor Lite episodes even though the actor playing The Doctor appears in them playing a different character?