Doctor Who Megathread

[GeorgiaModerate]

Did the chauvinistic internet nerd bros get the better of her?

Regardless of whether that's true or not, the Doctors' tenures seem to be getting shorter. Or is it just me?

No, if she leaves after three years, it will be the same as her two predecessors, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Russell T. Davies is back as showrunner starting with 6-0.

Excellent!!!

[GeorgiaModerate]

TIL people still watch Dr Who

Yes.  Yes, we do.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Thoughts on the first episode?  It definitely had me on the edge of my seat, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Best episode of Whittakers by far, that is a fantastic episode.

I recorded the episode and finally had time to watch it today.  Agree with you on both counts.

[GeorgiaModerate]

We’ve already got confirmation that Mandip Gil (Yaz) is leaving, and John Bishop (Dan) is starting a new evening standup show, as well as continuing to tour, so I doubt it will happen this time.

The jarring change is just one of the unfortunate side effects of changing showrunners I think.

Every time the showrunner has shifted, they’ve thrown out the old Doctor, companion(s), and Tardis for a fresh start.

I do agree though - inter-Doctor companions make for some good drama. I was lukewarm on Series 8 at first, but Clara adjusting to a radically different Doctor was one of the things that pulled me back into the show.

Aw, that's disappointing. It's not that I'm even necessarily too attached to these companions. I've felt it sort of smoothes things over. Obviously, I'm not against change. I don't think you can be and still be a fan of Doctor Who. But it's like too much change if you change both the Doctor and companion. Keeping a companion can sort of distract from other changes, just as you said with Clara and the change from the 11th to 12th Doctor. I was sort of lukewarm with Clara from the start, but she really endeared herself to me with the 12th Doctor. The ending of Face the Raven left me stone-faced.

Ah, I was talking post-revival Who, which seems like the best context to work in.

The BBC, and TV at large was wildly different in the 70s/80s, and run in quite different circumstances. The official showrunner/head-writer position itself is a post-2005 innovation, replacing the more general producer credit held by everyone from the OG, Verity Lambert, all the way through to the ever-controversial JNT.

I'm familiar with Classic Doctor Who, but I've never watched it in order. I do wonder if it'll be different with a previous showrunner returning. I think the most exciting aspect of the next series is that RTD will be returning.

This is not a positive.

Davies had his time, and while it was decent under Eccleston...it really was rather lacking until almost the end of his run.

It's time for someone truly new.

Different strokes.  I thought the second half of Tennant's second season (from "Human Nature" through the end) is by far the strongest run of episodes in the revived show, and perhaps even in all of Doctor Who.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Not gonna say much about last week's episode, 'cuz there's really not much to say for it until Old Man Wilfred returns. It was just there really.

But this week's episode, now this is the one we deserve, even if I'm still not quite sure I like the ending, or maybe I should say, I don't believe Tennant's Doctor deserves it...would've been much happier if this had been Smith's part or Capaldi's [but especially Smith]...but like I said before, for what the aim was, RTD & Co. "understood the assignment".

I appreciate that regeneration used some musical touches from the very first modern regeneration, which brought forth Tennant in the first place.

Really? I quite liked last week's episode (apart from the rather silly and pointless opening bit with Newton). It reminded me of scary, psychological episodes like Blink or Silence in the Library.  But to each his own.

I haven't had a chance to watch the latest one yet.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Just watched the Christmas special.  That was truly demented (in a good way)!  It reminded me a lot of "Rose", the initial episode of the Doctor Who revival in 2005 -- perhaps not too surprisingly, since RTD has returned to take the helm as showrunner again.

And the question that I'm sure we're all asking:

Spoiler alert! Click Show to show the content.

Show

WHO IS MRS. FLOOD?

[GeorgiaModerate]

Finally watched the special and I have to ask:  Why did we have all this David Tennant nonsense, when Gatwa is already more interesting than anyone since Eccleston?!...at least Matt Smith at a minimum.

It's just amazing how quickly he slipped into it.

He practically bubbles over with energy and charisma.  And Ruby is adorable.  I'm really interested to see how the upcoming season goes.

[GeorgiaModerate]

the wife just had to show me something from the newest episode before I left for work tonight.  There was some sort of big monster eating stuff (babies?) off of a conveyor belt and a bunch of smaller monsters were watching another small monster sing a song, and there was like call and responses and other clearly choreographed things.  I had no context and thought it was insane, my wife had context and also found it insane.  WTF was that?

It was insane, but it worked.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Rumor is Moffatt is returning for this years Christmas special.

Nice.  Now if only we could get Georgia Moffett back as well (to clear up one of the greatest remaining loose ends in the new era).

[GeorgiaModerate]

The latest episode had me on the edge of my seat.  Certainly the best of the season so far.