Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[Emperor-Tiberius]

My basic theory at this point, seeing as there seems to be a series 7 reference from all the way back 1970, and claims of Sean Pertwee apeearing, that we're gonna see the Doctor of the Inferno universe being introduced and maybe Ruby's from that universe also?

I'd love to see Carole Ann Ford back as Susan, but if it didn't happen in End of Time or Twice Upon a Time, I don't think it ever will.

 

[Commander Troi]

Well (not that I ever did) but after that trailer I don't think that Susan Twist is going to turn out to be a Susan twist.

Good catch!

 

[Rich Watson]

Good catch!

I am the sort of sad person who frame advances through trailers.

That's how I spotted the Doctor & Mel in the Memory TARDIS in an earlier one. It passes so quickly you'd barely be able to register it on a normal watch. (Plus in an even earlier trailer they cheated and put the real TARDIS background behind them.)

 

[Samurai8472]

Tales of the TARDIS next week is just a recap of series 1

 

[kirk55555]

My basic theory at this point, seeing as there seems to be a series 7 reference from all the way back 1970, and claims of Sean Pertwee apeearing, that we're gonna see the Doctor of the Inferno universe being introduced and maybe Ruby's from that universe also?

That would require literally anyone working or writing on NuWho to be familiar with anything Doctor Who related pre-2005, and that is just not supported by how the modern show is run in general. Even the few people who have to be aware that the show existed before 2005 seem to hold nothing but contempt for the old show (this especially applies to RTD), so I doubt they'd let any references (outside of brief lazy things like pictures of old Doctors) to be used in the show. RTD apparently won't even allow the real Davros to be used anymore, do you think he'd allow a reference to inferno, much less a whole plot based on it?

 

[jaime]

Tales of the TARDIS next week is just a recap of series 1

I know attention spans have got bad, but an hour and sixteen minutes of ‘previously on’ as a whole seperate program? While the episodes are right there on streaming anyway?
Blimey.

 

[jaime]

That would require literally anyone working or writing on NuWho to be familiar with anything Doctor Who related pre-2005, and that is just not supported by how the modern show is run in general. Even the few people who have to be aware that the show existed before 2005 seem to hold nothing but contempt for the old show (this especially applies to RTD), so I doubt they'd let any references (outside of brief lazy things like pictures of old Doctors) to be used in the show. RTD apparently won't even allow the real Davros to be used anymore, do you think he'd allow a reference to inferno, much less a whole plot based on it?

The Davros thing was ridiculous it must be said. In any way casting Davros as ‘disabled=evil’ really requires a total lack of knowledge of the time period the character was devised in as well. Nation was writing with very much a WW2 hangover in public consciousness — look at Dortmun in Daleks Invasion of Earth. Davros is just a mirror reflection of him.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

I do think the Davros thing is a genuinely bizarre "retcon" by RTD and a wholly misjudged and frankly wrong take to have.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I wonder if it came down to budgetary issues and the rest of it is just RTD spinning a line.

 

[jaime]

I do think the Davros thing is a genuinely bizarre "retcon" by RTD and a wholly misjudged and frankly wrong take to have.

I can’t shake the feeling this is his apology tour — Chris Ecclestone has spoken out against him and his team, Noel Clarke is now persona non grata, and his tolerating of Barrowman’s antics that led to his ‘cancellation’ are now all well known. Not to mention the failure of Miracle Day, and a couple of *direct* snafus in his writing. He’s now aiming so hard at the modern ‘right on’ to reclaim his legacy. I am pro messaging in Who (Cartmel Era Apologist, what can I say) but the current technique is, as the young would say, a bit cringe.

 

[jaime]

I wonder if it came down to budgetary issues and the rest of it is just RTD spinning a line.

I think it worked fine as Davros pre-accident, and that Dalek as the Mark III. Just a silly bit of fluff. It’s RTD opening his trap afterwards that tipped it into WTF and Cringe. Which… happens a lot now.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

I can’t shake the feeling this is his apology tour — Chris Ecclestone has spoken out against him and his team, Noel Clarke is now persona non grata, and his tolerating of Barrowman’s antics that led to his ‘cancellation’ are now all well known. Not to mention the failure of Miracle Day, and a couple of *direct* snafus in his writing. He’s now aiming so hard at the modern ‘right on’ to reclaim his legacy. I am pro messaging in Who (Cartmel Era Apologist, what can I say) but the current technique is, as the young would say, a bit cringe.

With all due respect, I don't really think so. RTD seems completely comfortable in his skin and besides, its more likely his thinking evolved (so to speak) and genuinely thinks this way. It just so happens that this retcon is just straight up bullshit.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Tales of the TARDIS next week is just a recap of series 1

That's definitely disappointing and stupid. The whole point of streaming is to allow easy rewatching of the episodes!

With all due respect, I don't really think so. RTD seems completely comfortable in his skin and besides, its more likely his thinking evolved (so to speak) and genuinely thinks this way. It just so happens that this retcon is just straight up bullshit.

Not only that, but Davies has had plenty of recent success in general with It's a Sin and Years and Years. Davies' so-called legacy (yes, I know jaime means for Doctor Who specifically) is just fine...assuming Davies even cares about such a thing.

 

[jaime]

That's definitely disappointing and stupid. The whole point of streaming is to allow easy rewatching of the episodes!


Not only that, but Davies has had plenty of recent success in general with It's a Sin and Years and Years. Davies' so-called legacy (yes, I know jaime means for Doctor Who specifically) is just fine...assuming Davies even cares about such a thing.

I was mainly thinking of in relation to Who yes. Especially when the Specials were just a quick and dirty series four epilogue where he hit the undo on a couple of things (Donna.)
I don’t know if the truth will ever fully come out about the ‘05 run, but he has the opportunity to try and leave something less tarnished this time. Assuming the main that brought it back isn’t the one who ends up poking it further into hibernation than would have otherwise happened.

 

[jaime]

With all due respect, I don't really think so. RTD seems completely comfortable in his skin and besides, it’s more likely his thinking evolved (so to speak) and genuinely thinks this way. It just so happens that this retcon is just straight up bullshit.

It’s the same man who wrote the only two incidences of homophobic language into Who oddly enough.
But hey ho, Pertwee was mainly written for by a Communist, a Tory, and a Buddhist. There’s nowt so queer as folk.

 

[Steve Roby]

He’s now aiming so hard at the modern ‘right on’ to reclaim his legacy. I am pro messaging in Who (Cartmel Era Apologist, what can I say) but the current technique is, as the young would say, a bit cringe.

How does The Happiness Patrol rate on the right on cringe-o-meter?

 

[jaime]

How does The Happiness Patrol rate on the right on cringe-o-meter?

Stealthy, subtle, allegory, so it barely even blips. Helps that it has other things to cringe at for a while, especially when younger and fussed by such things — but hey, Bassets sued. The novelisation was better. It also helps that it otherwise has a story within which to fold its Aesop stuff.
We know it’s there, but a spoonful of sugar, y’know?

 

[kirk55555]

I do think the Davros thing is a genuinely bizarre "retcon" by RTD and a wholly misjudged and frankly wrong take to have.

Also, speaking of Inferno, the evil Brigadier had an eyepatch, which means he had a disability and so RTD wouldn't allow a character like him to be on screen or be mentioned if we're using his Davros logic.

 

[jaime]

Also, speaking of Inferno, the evil Brigadier had an eyepatch, which means he had a disability and so RTD wouldn't allow a character like him to be on screen or be mentioned if we're using his Davros logic.

Daleks and Cybermen are both right out.

 

[Samurai8472]

RTD's five adventures to revisit before the finale are:

Spearhead from Space
Bad Wolf / Parting of the Ways
The Bells of Saint John
A Good Man Goes to War
The Church on Ruby Road