Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Series

[JoeZhang]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I don't understand why Jenny in particular has been picked up? Except for the aspect that appeals to geeks, what is actually interesting about the character?

 

[chelly]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I have no clue and I don't see a reason why Jenny would need to return. Wasn't she left in the far future without a tardis. . I have no problem of them bringing in a character you saw in an episode a few years ago or someone you have never met. It just makes me go to the Doctor Who Wiki to look it up or find one of the classic episodes on the net with the character.

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I guess for me there's a difference between bringing back an old friend/enemy (like Sarah Jane, The Master, etc) and bringing back a one-off character that was in a random episode that otherwise had no impact.

Again, my point is that many stories "bring back" characters who had never been seen before at all. Again, when the Master was first introduced in "Terror of the Autons" in 1971, he was already an old nemesis of the Doctor, even though he'd never appeared in the show before.

So how many times a character has appeared before -- or if they've ever appeared at all -- should have no bearing on whether an effective story can be told about their return. Ideally, the story should be written for the benefit of viewers who aren't familiar with the character anyway, so that they won't be confused or left out. As long as you explain any relevant backstory in the episode itself, what came before or didn't come before should be irrelevant.

Of course, the corollary of that is that you ideally don't bring a character back just for nostalgia's sake, but do so because there's a story worth telling about them, a story that would be just as meaningful even if they'd never been seen before. Like how Moffat handled the Great Intelligence. Aside from a couple of subtle in-joke nods about snowmen and the London Underground, and the Doctor muttering something about finding it familiar, there's no real indication in "The Snowmen" or "The Name of the Doctor" that the Intelligence is an old 1960s foe being brought back; it feels like a newly created villain, and its presence was driven by the story being told in the then-current season, not simply by reminiscing about a couple of Second Doctor tales. If it's meaningful to the present story, then past appearances or lack thereof make no difference.

I'm not actually disagreeing with you about any particular point. I guess I'm just having a hard time envisioning a story where Jenny comes back and it doesn't seem convoluted and bizarre. If she was going to come back, it would have been during Tennant's run. The show has such a different feel to it now that it's almost like a spin-off of itself.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I hate that the companion is part time. The Doctor picks her (them) up, has an adventure, drops them off home. All the companions from the beginning up to Donna stayed in the Tardis. Amy (and then Amy & Rory) did until the end of season 6. Until that garbage stops, you won't get companion character development as before.

Moffat IMO seems to misunderstand the idea behind a companion, they're meant to be us the audience, by taking the companions out of the Doctor's day to day life it takes us out it as well.

I'm Clara?

I need to take a better look at my self next time I have a shower.

 

[Christopher]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I'm not actually disagreeing with you about any particular point. I guess I'm just having a hard time envisioning a story where Jenny comes back and it doesn't seem convoluted and bizarre. If she was going to come back, it would have been during Tennant's run. The show has such a different feel to it now that it's almost like a spin-off of itself.

Well, as someone mentioned, they brought Sarah Jane back several Doctors after her last one.

Given that Capaldi is an older, more paternal Doctor, I think having him discover he has a daughter has definite potential. I mean, Tennant was of the same generation as the actress who played his "daughter" -- indeed, they ended up getting married. But Capaldi actually is old enough to be her father, so bringing Jenny back could work even better with him than it would have with Tennant.

I could even see them bringing Jenny back as a companion after Clara, recreating the family dynamic that the First Doctor and Susan had. That would certainly be interestingly different than the usual Doctor-companion relationship. I think there's plenty of potential there.

 

[Thestral]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I don't understand why Jenny in particular has been picked up? Except for the aspect that appeals to geeks, what is actually interesting about the character?

At least for me it's a matter of, hmm, "might have been" than anything else. Georgia Moffat was fun and charming, and Jenny was very optimistic especially considering the environment she came from.

 

[Venardhi]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I think it would be more interesting to see her appear as a villain myself. Left to her own devices for a few hundred years and convinced she is immortal. . . who isn't likely to go a little mad and maybe take over a planet or two?

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I think it would be more interesting to see her appear as a villain myself. Left to her own devices for a few hundred years and convinced she is immortal. . . who isn't likely to go a little mad and maybe take over a planet or two?

Now this I might not mind.

 

[Green Lantern]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

Could work. Maybe she could become a bit of a brat. A mix of good and evil. Could be a bit like River after she regenerated I suppose....

 

[Yminale]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I'm not actually disagreeing with you about any particular point. I guess I'm just having a hard time envisioning a story where Jenny comes back and it doesn't seem convoluted and bizarre.

This is Moffat we're talking about. Can it get any stranger than the whole River character arc or the adventures souffle girl.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I think it would be more interesting to see her appear as a villain myself. Left to her own devices for a few hundred years and convinced she is immortal. . . who isn't likely to go a little mad and maybe take over a planet or two?

Or married to Porridge.

 

[Worf2DS9]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I could even see them bringing Jenny back as a companion after Clara, recreating the family dynamic that the First Doctor and Susan had. That would certainly be interestingly different than the usual Doctor-companion relationship. I think there's plenty of potential there.

I never thought of that, but you're right, that would be an interesting dynamic to explore. And we wouldn't be saddled with any romantic pining between them either.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

I could even see them bringing Jenny back as a companion after Clara, recreating the family dynamic that the First Doctor and Susan had. That would certainly be interestingly different than the usual Doctor-companion relationship. I think there's plenty of potential there.

I never thought of that, but you're right, that would be an interesting dynamic to explore. And we wouldn't be saddled with any romantic pining between them either.

Thirded, I like that idea.

Christopher, have you ever thought about writing? You never know, you might be quite good at it?

 

[Christopher]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie

^Now that's just crazy talk.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Re: Steven Moffat Talks About The "Raw", "New Direction" For The Serie