Why so much negativity about the RTD?

[Starkers]

Timby, I think that's a very good assesment, RTD's need to out epic himself, and his over emphasis of the Doctor as a messiah like figure don't help-The Next Doctor is a classic example of the best/worst of RTD as a writer/producer, as is Love and Monsters.

PorthosShadow, I guess he couldn't bring the Timelords back permanantly given he was handing the reins over to Moffat. Here you go, Stephen, oh and by the way the Timelords are back, hope that's ok

 

[Yminale]

First of all there needs to be some serious love to Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson, who I suspect kept the series on the rails more times than people want to admit.

Second yes RTD was overindulgent but he proves that a fanboy can run a series and deliver a good product. Some of the criticism I don't think it's warranted though. Old time fans seem to forget that THEY ARE NOT THE TARGET AUDIENCE. You may be sick of the Daleks but an 8 year old is certainly not. You may want an alien planet but an 8 year old isn't going to care. Honestly the new series is not for us but for the newer generation of who fans and we need to stop being so full of our selves.

 

[Yminale]

As for Moffat, I can't shake the feeling that he sees this more as a job than a calling. One of the things I really liked about RTD was his enthusiasm. He's like "yeah we're bring back the Autons and you will see they are cool!" I thought the last season was Meh!. Workman-like by the numbers stuff (though Matt Smith is just excellent). I don't feel that team Moff has delivered a home run like "Dalek" or "The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances". The closest was "Vincent and the Doctor" but that was ruined by the whole monster of the week nonsense.

 

[Mr Awe]

^^ Nah, Moffat is a long time fan so this is most certainly a calling for him.

 

[DWF]

Dr. Who is meant to be over the top at times all RTD was able to do was what producers wanted to do on the old show but didn't have the money, hence we got cardboard cutout Daleks in The Dalek Invasion Of Earth. And it's not really accurate to say that all RTD as finals were overblown epics, that certainly not true of Trochwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. RTD also gave us some powerful character based stories too.

 

[Jax]

The only parts of RTD I didn't like were the Slitheen god they looked stupid, Martha's pining for the Doctor and the whole making him look like Doby/floating Jesus bit he could of stuck with old man & walking not fucking floating )

But I liked everything else

 

[Sci]

As for Moffat, I can't shake the feeling that he sees this more as a job than a calling.

Moffat's talked about wanting to be the head writer of Doctor Who since he was 8 years old. He turned down the chance to work on the latter two movies of the upcoming Tintin trilogy that Steven Speilberg is making for Who.

Let me repeat that:

He said no to Speilberg for Doctor Who.

I think it's safe to say that it's a calling for him.

 

[PorthosShadow]

As for Moffat, I can't shake the feeling that he sees this more as a job than a calling.

Moffat's talked about wanting to be the head writer of Doctor Who since he was 8 years old. He turned down the chance to work on the latter two movies of the upcoming Tintin trilogy that Steven Speilberg is making for Who.

Let me repeat that:

He said no to Speilberg for Doctor Who.

I think it's safe to say that it's a calling for him.

I think what it comes down to is that he wants to tell what he thinks is the best possible story. I also think at times there are people who want to ruin the telling of that story for others and like everyone else, gets mad.

 

[Phily B]

I much prefered RTD, the stories in his run also seemed to allow much more creative freedom and Moffat worked much better with RTD characters than he has done as show runner. I also haven't dug many of his comments, especially recent ones.

 

[Whofan]

Moffats an idiiot he turned down a comfy paycheck for doc who.


Spielbergi sn ow a hack look at Indy IV

 

[Jax]

I would love to see RTD/Moffat co write a christmas episode together because despite Moffat writing under RTD, it was made clear by Russell that he left Moffat alone to do his own thing. I would love to see what they could create together especially for a special to celebrate 50 years in 2013.

 

[23skidoo]

Moffats an idiiot he turned down a comfy paycheck for doc who.

Why would he be an idiot? If you have an opportunity to do something you love, you do it. If you're just in it for the money, then that's when you're a hack. And anyway, Moffat has a chance to make a longstanding mark on a successful TV series. That trumps some one-off film that might bomb.

Anyway, back on the original point of the thread, I just saw something I thought was quite sad. Some guy tweeted that he thought Doctor's Wife was a good episode, "but the damage RTD did is still in evidence". What a shame hatred for someone who is not involved is coloring people's views. And it's not just RTD. I saw one review that made note of how the episode took a dip whenever Steven Moffat's words stuck their way into the script. Funny thing being that Neil Gaiman wrote those words, not Moffat. But guilt by association, I guess. Sigh.

The only "damage" RTD did was make the mainstream care about Doctor Who again. But there will always be factions of fandoms (Trek has them, DW definitely has them) who resent anything that removes a favourite show from a comfortable, and private, niche. We're seeing it recently with the people who are grumping about the efforts being made to render DW more accessible to American audiences - such as the Amy Pond intro. They want DW fandom to remain a private club. God help us if CBS were to buy the show or something...

Alex

 

[starsuperion]

I think RTD should go back and edit the Slitheen Stuff, and re-fix their form in CGI..that would make those episodes a bit more tolerable.. as it is, I dread rewatching them for the sheer camp they exude.. there is so much that can be done digitally to just those 2 episodes alone.. not to mention the bathroom scene and tardis scene in the latter episode with jack, rose and the doc..

just a little tightening up of the characters using cgi..even the costumed versions could use some of that as well..

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

I think RTD should go back and edit the Slitheen Stuff, and re-fix their form in CGI..that would make those episodes a bit more tolerable.. as it is, I dread rewatching them for the sheer camp they exude.. there is so much that can be done digitally to just those 2 episodes alone.. not to mention the bathroom scene and tardis scene in the latter episode with jack, rose and the doc..

just a little tightening up of the characters using cgi..even the costumed versions could use some of that as well..

Bah, ridiculous special effects are part of the Doctor Who experience. Might as well fix the entire classic series while you're at it.

 

[PorthosShadow]

Moffats an idiiot he turned down a comfy paycheck for doc who.


Spielberg sn ow a hack look at Indy IV

Steven Spielberg has and is producing some good film and television but he isn't the end all and be all of the business. Someone else stated above that he chose to do something he loves and in this world, that kind of choice is rare. I don't know Stephen Moffat personally but I suspect he has no regrets about his decision.

 

[TedShatner10]

The boring, boorish 'RUSSEL T. DAVIES THE EVUL HAAK DAT RUINZED DOCTOR WHO 4 EVURZ!' sentiments have been bandied about by the sci-fi purists since the wildly succesful revival of the series in 2005 and luckily it's seemed to have fallen mainly on deaf ears, though I'll concede to a certain extent that David Tennant's famililarity was starting to breed contempt by '09 and RTD was getting into a creative rut by S4 (though I adored "Midnight" and "Turn Left").

I'm liking the show with Matt Smith for the most part and I'm less shocked by the show still being hit 'n miss at times because I expected Steven Moffat to have his own weaknesses along with his strengths, because sunlight doesn't shine out of his backside and being a show runner is quite different to penning one story every season.

 

[Yminale]

As for Moffat, I can't shake the feeling that he sees this more as a job than a calling.

Moffat's talked about wanting to be the head writer of Doctor Who since he was 8 years old. He turned down the chance to work on the latter two movies of the upcoming Tintin trilogy that Steven Speilberg is making for Who.

That just proves Moffat has taste. I mean a live action Tintin is a stupid idea. Honestly Moffat's last good story was "Blink" and he hasn't done anything to surpass it. That's why I'm concerned (plus he's still working on "Sherlock")

 

[Sci]

As for Moffat, I can't shake the feeling that he sees this more as a job than a calling.

Moffat's talked about wanting to be the head writer of Doctor Who since he was 8 years old. He turned down the chance to work on the latter two movies of the upcoming Tintin trilogy that Steven Speilberg is making for Who.

That just proves Moffat has taste. I mean a live action Tintin is a stupid idea.

He didn't turn down the second and third Tintin movies because he wanted to. He wanted to do the Tintin movies, he just decided he wanted to do Doctor Who more. Which he has said in numerous interviews.

But even if he hadn't liked the idea of doing the Tintin movies, the only reason a writer like Moffat would turn down the chance to work for Spielberg (with all the opportunities for career advancement Spielberg presents) to work on Doctor Who would be if he honestly just loves Doctor Who. He'd make much more money and probably have a much more successful career if he'd not taken over Doctor Who, frankly. You don't turn down an opportunity like that unless it's out of love. Unless it's a calling.

Honestly Moffat's last good story was "Blink" and he hasn't done anything to surpass it. That's why I'm concerned (plus he's still working on "Sherlock")

That has nothing to do with whether or not Doctor Who is a calling for him.

(And honestly, "Blink" wasn't nearly as good as "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead," nor "The Eleventh Hour," nor "The Beast Below," nor "The Time of Angels"/"Flesh and Blood," nor "The Pandorica Opens"/"The Big Bang," nor "A Christmas Carol.")

 

[Stevil2001]

^ I think you can turn down Spielberg for other reasons than love of Doctor Who. Davies turned down George Lucas after Doctor Who just because he wasn't interested.

 

[Sci]

^ I think you can turn down Spielberg for other reasons than love of Doctor Who. Davies turned down George Lucas after Doctor Who just because he wasn't interested.

Well, once upon a time, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg might have been comparable, but I don't think they are anymore. Spielberg is still Spielberg, but Lucas is the guy who made the Prequel Trilogy. So frankly, I'm skeptical of the idea that a writer seeking a successful career would turn down the chance to work with someone who would open as many doors as Spielberg just because they weren't interested.

But I digress, because Moffat has said, quite explicitly, that he turned down the chance to work on the second and third Tintin movies because of love of Doctor Who. It's a calling for him.