Would you rather have no new Doctor Who?

[23skidoo]

I'm lighting a fire here, but I hope folks use this for reasonable debate and it doesn't become a "bashers vs. gushers" thread. If it does, moderators are welcome to abort it.

I was just reading SFX's review of the new edition of Writer's Tale (some spoilers for the new book):

http://www.sfx.co.uk/page/sfx?entry=20_things_we_learnt_from

Interesting review. And just as sure as the sun comes up in the morning, the user comments include views ranging from "RTD is God" to "RTD is Satan" with all manner of opinion between.

I think we have to all agree to disagree on Russell T. Davies. Lots of people love his work. Lots of people hate his work. What cannot be denied is he took a dead TV series and made it viable again, both commercially, critically, ratings-wise, and it's generating awards and nominations the likes of wish the original series could have never dreamed. I can't imagine anyone disputing this.

However one user made the following comment, which raised my curiosity:

"Yes, he brought it back. And by doing so, he definitively ruled out the possibility of its being brought back by a better writer/showrunner. Which doesn't matter if you think he is the best possible writer/showrunner for the job, but some of us don't, and for us it would have been better if he hadn't bothered."

The first part of the comment is purely subjective. I might think Joss Whedon is a hack who would have destroyed Doctor Who. Others might be of the opinion that he would have blown RTD out of the water. Feel free to insert any name of choice in the preceding example.

The second part is what got me. The fact there are differing opinions is fine, but then we get to "for us it would have been better if he hadn't bothered".

So there's the question. Are there people out there who honestly feel Doctor Who should not have come back to TV in 2005 because their writer of favor wasn't hired for the job?*

Alex

* This question could just as easily be asked regarding the new Trek movie, as not everyone's a fan of Abrams, Kurtzman and Orci.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

I will miss RTD, not only did he bring back DR Who to its hay day Saturday night viewing, but he always came across as so enthusiastic about Who that you could not help liking it or him.

So No i would not like to see Who stop, be it with him or Moffett or Who(Oh the puns)ever is doing it, as long as its enjoyable that's all i ask.

 

[Starkers]

I haven't always been RTD's biggest fan but that guy was talking out his backside. RTD has given us a highly enjoyable and popular show and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ditto Star Trek

 

[The]

Agreed. For every Russel T. Davies script that nauseated me with inane fluff, there were ten other scripts surrounding it that fleshed out the Doctor Who universe in the most reverent, exciting, and iconic of ways. I think RTD can hack it out with the best, but I hail the man at all times for breathing new life into my most favorite of fictional characters...

 

[Captaindemotion]

Anyone who would rather have had no DW clearly never heard of the saying 'Better the bird in the hand than two in the bush.'

Sure, the series isn't perfect, sure, another writer might have made a better pitch and a better show. But the fact is, they didn't. And no-one else was beating down the door to do so.

RTD sought out the DW revival, masterminded it, wrote much of it, cast two great Doctors and not only revived a cancelled show, generally remembered for rubber monsters and wobbly sets but turned it into one of UK tv's biggest hits, the focal point for BBC's Saturday nights (and indeed for their Christmas line up) and, in that silly expression 'a watercooler topic.'

I'll take that over ifs, buts and might-have-beens any time.

 

[WillsBabe]

I'm glad it came back. I've had an immensley enjoyable 4 or 5 years watching it, speculating on it, talking to folks here about it, etc. It's also reignited my interest in the existing series, which I've been watching with renewed enjoyment. There are things about the new series that irritate me, but there were things about the old series that irritated me. I'm glad it came back.

 

[John Picard]

Some of the episodes NOT written by Davies or Moffat were excellent. I would like more from other writers. IIRC, Blink is a perfect example.

 

[Pavonis]

^ But "Blink" was written by Steven Moffat.

 

[captcalhoun]

I can do no more than echo the general trend of opinion here. Sure RTD did over-blown fanwanky finales every season. Sure he did an episode with a paving-slab-oral-sex reference. Sure he followed a morose Northerner with a manic, over-excitable Mockney. Sure he injected WAY more romance into it than I personally enjoy.

But on the other hand he wrote brilliantly epic season finales that most British SF shows would give their right arm for. He wrote a brilliant episode which was based on a gimmick of people repeating other people's dialogue. He brought in two actors who were brilliant in their parts and did a fantastic job of winning over new and old fans alike. And he created characters people CARE about and were believable and three dimensional. Or at least not just one-dimensional scream-queens.

and I, frankly, love him for it.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I prefer the new series to the classic so it's a definite no from me. Not only has it revived Doctor Who but British Sci-fi/fantasy in general. Since Doctor Who we've had Day of The Triffids, Survivors, Paradox, Demons, Primeval, Merlin and probably a couple of others I'm forgetting and regardless of what you think the quality of these shows are I don't think I could name that many British SF&F shows in the preceding 10 years.

 

[John Picard]

^ But "Blink" was written by Steven Moffat.

OK, I remembered incorrectly

A-HA! The Impossible Planet & The Satan Pit, 42

 

[KottenFutz]

Love him or hate him, Davies revived a unfairly cancelled series that can now continue for another 40 years. He ressurected the show, I think brilliantly, but even if you don't agree, we have it back to be brilliant again...

The great aspect of Doctor Who is that it can change with each incarnation, with every new Doctor and\or show runner, it welcomes change. The concept of traveling space and time allows endless possibilities and new stories, new fresh takes on old characters, even erasing old adventures for new ones. How often have the Daleks changed, in origin, in motivation, in ideology even?...

Unlike Trek, Doctor Who welcomes new fresh creative people to have their shot at a different vision and direction for DW, it's fresher each time. It's like the weather in Ohio, if you don't like Dr Who now, wait ten minutes. And so, Davies brought us a new Who then left it to others change again, and I can't wait!!

Duz that make me a gusher? So be it... If I wasn't gloriously entertained, I wouldn't watch.

 

[sidious618]

Otherwise than an episode here or there I never really had a problem with RTD. Sometimes some of the other ones were "meh" but I always looked forward to an RTD episode.

 

[OmahaStar]

I'm thinking of two sides here. On one side, he did tend to go overboard, and his season finales became increasingly silly, kitchen-sink stories. On the other hand, he gave us a season of Donna Noble. And I put her right up there at the top of all my favorite Who characters, tied with Jamie.

And that trumps the first side. So yes, I'd rather have RTD Doctor Who, thanks.

 

[Sci]

Those fans remind me of the folks who hate ST09 so much that they'd rather Star Trek die than not fit their idea of what it ought to be.

Really, it's the same mentality that drives nationalism, religious extremism, and other forms of intolerance. "Better not to exist than to exist impurely!"

I'm just glad they channel it into something as innocuous as television program fandom rather than something more serious.

 

[DimesDan]

Really, it's the same mentality that drives nationalism, religious extremism, and other forms of intolerance. "Better not to exist than to exist impurely!"

Wow, just wow, that's so out of left field it's unbelievable, I know you like to link abso-fucking-lutily everything to (American) Politics and all that jazz, but still, that's just mental comparing someone who is passionate about a damned TV programme and someone who wants to bring down civilisation as we know it.

 

[Sci]

Really, it's the same mentality that drives nationalism, religious extremism, and other forms of intolerance. "Better not to exist than to exist impurely!"

Wow, just wow, that's so out of left field it's unbelievable, I know you like to link abso-fucking-lutily everything to (American) Politics and all that jazz, but still, that's just mental comparing someone who is passionate about a damned TV programme and someone who wants to bring down civilisation as we know it.

Fascinating how you managed to exclude my next paragraph, where I said it was a good thing that most of those only channel that spirit into something fairly innocuous (TV program fandom) instead of the more serious issues.

 

[DimesDan]

Really, it's the same mentality that drives nationalism, religious extremism, and other forms of intolerance. "Better not to exist than to exist impurely!"

Wow, just wow, that's so out of left field it's unbelievable, I know you like to link abso-fucking-lutily everything to (American) Politics and all that jazz, but still, that's just mental comparing someone who is passionate about a damned TV programme and someone who wants to bring down civilisation as we know it.

Fascinating how you managed to exclude my next paragraph, where I said it was a good thing that most of those only channel that spirit into something fairly innocuous (TV program fandom) instead of the more serious issues.

Not really, I decided to quote that clusterfuck of a statement than the bit after. The second statement didn't need any more explaining. Now what you said on the other hand, you know, comparing a bunch of over zealous fans with nationalism, religious extremism, and other forms of intolerance is perplexing to the extreme and fucked up dialled all the way up to 11.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I wouldn't have cared if it never came back; oldWho only mildly and occasionally impressed me and then mainly for its humor. The humor is something that Davies clearly understands the nature and importance of, and that's probably the biggest contrast between his version and the FOX movie resurrection.

 

[Neroon]

I'd be willing to guess that today there are quite a few more fans of "Doctor Who", quite a few more looking up the original series and its incarnations, simply because of the revived version that RTD brought along. There's always room for more science fiction, room for a new perspective in the genre. Granted, I wouldn't want that new take to be an embarrassment, which is in the mind of the beholder. But with the growing fanbase, I'd say things are in good shape.

Those who feel it would have been better had no new series been created are free to hold and express their opinions. Same goes for those who have welcomed the new show. I only know that it's provided me with a new chance to share something with my friends and family.

Yeah, I'm glad there is a new show, regardless of whether it sprang from RTD's forehead.