Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[The Nth Doctor]

Sorry if I'm getting off topic here but I wasn't sure if I should create a thread for this or not. Anyway I'm interested in getting into this show and want to collect as many past DVD sets as possible. I understand that some episodes are lost, but I've also heard that some going back to 1962 are available, but are any of the older ones out of print? Also, is there a complete online list I could consult? I did a google search and found several lists but the way they are set up confuses me. They appear to be compiled by arcs, rather than by seasons and airdates. Any help would be appreciated.

The best and most readable curated lists of the show are Wikipedia's articles, dividing the show's history between the original, classic era and the modern, current era. Since you asked about them, they also have an article on the missing episodes, too, but that's going a bit into the weeds.

In regards to season structures, the classic era released stories in a serial format, containing anywhere between 2 and 12 episodes. The modern era is like the rest of current television, with most seasons totaling 13 episodes plus a Christmas/New Year special (but that number has slowly declined in recent years).

For your purposes, the first two articles will be the most useful to you. All existing episodes exist on DVD/blu-ray, but some are getting remastered reissues as well as with animated episodes to fill in the gaps for the missing episodes. I'm not sure what the overall percentage of missing episodes are animated now but that respective article has a subsection that covers them in list form.

The easiest thing for you to do is to stream the show if you have any of the following platforms. The classic era is available on PlutoTV and BritBox. The modern era is available on Max, except the David Tennant specials and the Ncuti Gatwa episodes, which are available on Disney+.

 

[Starkers]

And if you're in the UK it's pretty much all in iPlayer

 

[The Nth Doctor]

And if you're in the UK it's pretty much all in iPlayer

I knew there was something I forgot to mention.

 

[Picard1994]

The best and most readable curated lists of the show are Wikipedia's articles, dividing the show's history between the original, classic era and the modern, current era. Since you asked about them, they also have an article on the missing episodes, too, but that's going a bit into the weeds.

In regards to season structures, the classic era released stories in a serial format, containing anywhere between 2 and 12 episodes. The modern era is like the rest of current television, with most seasons totaling 13 episodes plus a Christmas/New Year special (but that number has slowly declined in recent years).

For your purposes, the first two articles will be the most useful to you. All existing episodes exist on DVD/blu-ray, but some are getting remastered reissues as well as with animated episodes to fill in the gaps for the missing episodes. I'm not sure what the overall percentage of missing episodes are animated now but that respective article has a subsection that covers them in list form.

The easiest thing for you to do is to stream the show if you have any of the following platforms. The classic era is available on PlutoTV and BritBox. The modern era is available on Max, except the David Tennant specials and the Ncuti Gatwa episodes, which are available on Disney+.

Thanks. And you're right, the Wikipedia articles are pretty much what I'm looking for.

 

[Commander Troi]

Have fun! It's a long, interesting trip, no matter where you start from.

 

[JD]

73 Yards would have been ruined by an explanation (IMO obviously)

As a general rule I can't stand it when we aren't given an explanation, like I said I only liked Midnight as much as I did because of the strength of the stuff with the Doctor and the other passengers dealing with the alien. The lack of an explanation for who/what the alien was what it was trying to do still takes the episode down several points for me.

I think Series 4 is ok. There's a lot of bang average episodes in there which are elevated purely by Tennant and Tate's chemistry into something more enjoyable. Plus, much as I enjoyed that season, even back in the day the RTD template was starting to feel a little stale, sure maybe Moffat changed things too much between seasons but it was like RTD had a tick box that was set in stone- the lighthearted opener, the lightweight early season two parter, the obligatory historical figure episode, the obligatory Moffat story, culminating in the ridiculous over the top finale where teh whole universe was in danger and the day is saved by a giant vacuum cleaner/everyone praying/the doctor twiddling some knobs.

Heck I really liked Series 14 but that template is still in use, the only thing missing is the lightweight early season two parter!

As much as I like RTD, I can't deny his seasons have a definite template. Even the Tennant specials in 2023 follow the template to a certain degree, The Star Beast is the lighthearted opener, Wild Blue Yonder is the somewhat average and forgettable episode elevated a bit by the performances from the middle, The Giggle combines historical tie-in and over the top Threat to Everything solved by a ball game.

I never noticed that before, but as long as the episodes are good I'm not really bothered by it, and I tend to like most the episodes we've gotten under RTD.

 

[Mr Awe]

As a general rule I can't stand it when we aren't given an explanation, like I said I only liked Midnight as much as I did because of the strength of the stuff with the Doctor and the other passengers dealing with the alien. The lack of an explanation for who/what the alien was what it was trying to do still takes the episode down several points for me.

I agree about explanations. But that issue seems to be a key divider between who likes vs. dislikes 72 Yards. Those of us who need explanations don't like it. Those who don't, tend to enjoy it.

And, as I recall, there were other issues that didn't make sense about this story. I'm fuzzy on those because didn't like it then and haven't rewatched. But the lack of explanation was only part of the problem.

The entire story pretty much rested on loving the creepy vibes. I liked that aspect but it wasn't enough to carry the story given the other weaknesses.

 

[jaime]

I agree about explanations. But that issue seems to be a key divider between who likes vs. dislikes 72 Yards. Those of us who need explanations don't like it. Those who don't, tend to enjoy it.

And, as I recall, there were other issues that didn't make sense about this story. I'm fuzzy on those because didn't like it then and haven't rewatched. But the lack of explanation was only part of the problem.

The entire story pretty much rested on loving the creepy vibes. I liked that aspect but it wasn't enough to carry the story given the other weaknesses.

I would have at least settled for an explanation that can be decently inferred from events and dialogue. (Ghost Light, for instance, makes perfect sense without directly telling you what’s going on — another story big on the creepy vibes — and Battlefield essentially gives you a whole second story about a future Doctor by inference alone.) A bigger problem with 73 yards is that some of it makes little sense within the context of the show and just how long the Doctor/Ruby pairing has even existed. A similar thing was done with Clara (arguably a couple of times) but made more sense precisely because we as viewers knew enough for her as a character to be able to carry episodes or chunks of episodes. We don’t know enough about Ruby to get why she would act in the way she does, and some of it doesn’t make sense in context of the episode at all either. The ending doesn’t even give any logic to it — it is something like what it would be like watching the TNG episode ‘Remember Me’ and then just not bothering with the ending that offers explanation and resolution.

 

[David cgc]

I think my big issue with "73 Yards" is that the ending implies the old woman was future-Ruby, but not only were they played by two different actresses, they're different enough in height and build that it was obvious they were different people in the episode. It's a strange complication that keeps the story from feeling self-contained and leaves me waiting for another shoe to drop.

 

[JD]

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This season is really looking like it's going to be great. And the cast's enthusiasm does seem pretty genuine to me.
I'm starting to think that Ruby might just be back as a member of the UNIT team, pretty much all of her scenes we've seen so far appear to be set on Earth and we see at least one scene with her in the UNIT HQ from last season.
It seems to be a pretty regular thing now that UNIT recruits ex-companions.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

So, the latest Twitter chatter this week, has a video of Ncuti and RTD (I've not seen it) and the word is that the body language between the two is, Ncuti is leaving and they both know it. Also that RTD is unsure the show's coming back.

 

[Mr Awe]

I'm pretty sure both things are true (Ncuti leaving (along with RTD) and the show not coming back for a 3rd Disney season) for various reasons.

I don't want to be a negative Nelly, so I won't go into it all (and can't in some cases). But it seems likely DW will be taking a rest after this season and then returning to the BBC when it restarts.

Fortunately, it doesn't seem like the hiatus will be too long--not like after 1989!

 

[Starkers]

As RTD said a while back:

If Disney collapsed tomorrow and we had to go back to making Doctor Who on a normal BBC budget, you know what? We’d all rally round and make it and suddenly the stories would become claustrophobic ghost stories

And I can't find the quote but didn't Moffat say something recently about the show still being popular enough and making enough money that the BBC were unlikely to cancel it any time soon?

 

[jaime]

As RTD said a while back:



And I can't find the quote but didn't Moffat say something recently about the show still being popular enough and making enough money that the BBC were unlikely to cancel it any time soon?

It’s been circling the cancellation… I mean hiatus… since Moffat left. Truth is the money Who makes doesn’t need it to be in production. It’s the Classic Series that is currently pulling in the money, and it did that throughout the wilderness years. There was *more* merchandise and home video releases when Who wasn’t on the air. And, those things cost the BBC far far less to make as well. So no one should rely on ‘it makes money so they aren’t going to shelve it’. Not least as the last golden goose for the Beeb was Top Gear (around the same time NuWho actually *was* raking in the moolah) and that isn’t exactly in existence any more either.

The circumspect language around all of it (and the fact that if RTD said it was raining, I’d still look out the window frankly) says that it’s possibly on its uppers again, and this season is very make or break, and likely to break — not least because it’s essentially the second half of what we already had.

Their best bet is to get Tennant back (again) and close off that silly sword of Damocles they put above Ncuti’s Doctor, get shot of the Timeless Child (balance of averages, more were turned off by it than on) and plaster Tennants face over all the Wilderness Years part deux Merch. They had him everywhere during Jodie’s tenure as well. He’s far from my favourite Doctor, but he is essentially current and the face of the modern series. No way to undo that now. It’s been made into hard fact, as the 60th non-special specials show.

I would rather we get a new series with a back to basics approach for a while, but there are people that won’t get their grubby little protuberances off of the show, and no one likely to take it over in such a steady handed manner. It’s what we thought we were getting (and the Beeb too no doubt) from RTD, but it’s not happened. Maybe Gatiss can be persuaded to drink from the poison chalice, as he’s not doing much, but I wouldn’t place my bets.

 

[Rich Watson]

Instead of keeping his mouth shut and saying nothing Davies has confirmed that the resent leak about Mrs Flood's identity were true. Which I guess means that all the other stuff which was in the same leak was true. What a moron.

'Doctor Who' Boss Reveals How Season 2 Finale Will See the Doctor 'Absolutely Desperate'

Russell T Davies talks the new companion Belinda, Ruby's return, who Mrs Flood is, and more.

www.tvinsider.com

 

[jaime]

Instead of keeping his mouth shut and saying nothing Davies has confirmed that the resent leak about Mrs Flood's identity were true. Which I guess means that all the other stuff which was in the same leak was true. What a moron.

'Doctor Who' Boss Reveals How Season 2 Finale Will See the Doctor 'Absolutely Desperate'

Russell T Davies talks the new companion Belinda, Ruby's return, who Mrs Flood is, and more.

www.tvinsider.com

To be fair (a) he doesn’t say which theory is right, nor mentions it as a leak (he’s big on the more Missy styled behaviour scene in that interview) and (b) if RTD confirmed a leak, it would actually mean it’s probably a better idea to disbelieve the leak these days, because he makes Moffat look like a truth serum junkie in comparison.

 

[CuriousCaitian]

Instead of keeping his mouth shut and saying nothing Davies has confirmed that the resent leak about Mrs Flood's identity were true. Which I guess means that all the other stuff which was in the same leak was true. What a moron.

'Doctor Who' Boss Reveals How Season 2 Finale Will See the Doctor 'Absolutely Desperate'

Russell T Davies talks the new companion Belinda, Ruby's return, who Mrs Flood is, and more.

www.tvinsider.com

I'm really not sure those words mean what you think they mean.

 

[Steve Roby]

It’s been circling the cancellation… I mean hiatus… since Moffat left.

The big fall in ratings started when Matt Smith left. The audience -- the big group of viewers that people who identify as fans are a small subset of -- notices changes in the lead actor more than they notice who the producer is.

Truth is the money Who makes doesn’t need it to be in production. It’s the Classic Series that is currently pulling in the money, and it did that throughout the wilderness years. There was *more* merchandise and home video releases when Who wasn’t on the air.

There were more home video releases because they hadn't released everything yet. People were buying them because streaming wasn't a thing yet. The world has changed. The stores where I used to buy DVDs in the early '00s either no longer exist or long ago stopped selling DVDs and blu rays.

get shot of the Timeless Child (balance of averages, more were turned off by it than on)

"Balance of averages"? Which averages? Averages of what? I don't think the average viewer actually cares. And why should TPTB address it when they can just ignore it? That's the usual approach.

I would rather we get a new series with a back to basics approach for a while,

That was exactly what Chibnall set out to do in Jodie Whittaker's first season. It was a clear reset with mainly standalone episodes, few returning characters or enemies, no Moffaty arcs. A Doctor and three companions, like a lot of the William Hartnell, Tom Baker, and Peter Davison years. That was part of what I liked about it.

 

[jaime]

The big fall in ratings started when Matt Smith left. The audience -- the big group of viewers that people who identify as fans are a small subset of -- notices changes in the lead actor more than they notice who the producer is.



There were more home video releases because they hadn't released everything yet. People were buying them because streaming wasn't a thing yet. The world has changed. The stores where I used to buy DVDs in the early '00s either no longer exist or long ago stopped selling DVDs and blu rays.



"Balance of averages"? Which averages? Averages of what? I don't think the average viewer actually cares. And why should TPTB address it when they can just ignore it? That's the usual approach.



That was exactly what Chibnall set out to do in Jodie Whittaker's first season. It was a clear reset with mainly standalone episodes, few returning characters or enemies, no Moffaty arcs. A Doctor and three companions, like a lot of the William Hartnell, Tom Baker, and Peter Davison years. That was part of what I liked about it.

Erm, the wilderness years we were getting a book or two every month, and by the time the show returns there were whole shelves full in Borders at the time. As to home media, even now, the Classic season sets are regularly charting where such things are still sold.

Ratings after Smith for sure, but 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 just have something on screens and a Christmas episode.

The average viewer aren’t the dedicated fan base you want to hew to when you’re putting an IP into hibernation. Life support for Who is the dedicated fan, and it generally seems recent… lore changes have landed poorly overall in that sector.

As to your assessment of the Chibnall era… yeah but no, to quote Nardole. Aside from Hartnell, Who has always been at least a little self-involved. The horse bolted with the second Dalek serial tbh. And that’s a good thing. It’s why Tom’s first season has Genesis of the Daleks and Revenge of the Cybermen (with a Sontaran in the middle) and Davison starts with an arc concerning the Master, then the return of the Cybermen. Chibnall did try for the clean sheet, but it didn’t work. So he went deep, and everything but the kitchen sink was thrown in. Largely because he would have retconned the kitchen sink into a bidet, and signed it R.Mutt.

 

[Steve Roby]

lore changes have landed poorly overall in that sector.

Citation needed. Your opinion is not conclusive.

Chibnall did try for the clean sheet, but it didn’t work.

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.