Doctor Who Megathread

[politicallefty]

Wow, I had no idea. I really like her as the Doctor too even though I think the episodes have been somewhat hit and miss (but that's mostly been my feeling since RTD left). Even though I think Tennant is the best Doctor, I loved the series with Capaldi and Bill Potts. It was definitely of the strongest series of the modern era. That was probably my fav duo since Tennant and Donna. I really wish they'd done another series with Capaldi and Bill.

[politicallefty]

I am honestly legit ecstatic that RTD is returning. Ultimately, his tenure is what got me into the show in the first place. The Eccleston/Tennant Era will always be my favourite. I've written so much here about how I've felt about Doctor Who over the years. I've always felt RTD is by far the best showrunner. With that said, the occasional two-parter from Moffat wouldn't be a bad idea. I don't think Moffat was a strong showrunner, but he was a strong writer under a different showrunner. His stuff under RTD was some of the absolute best. I could start rambling on about the best episodes during his tenure, but I won't right now.

[politicallefty]

I have to say I've really been enjoying this so far, but it's still hard to see where they're going with this. Bringing back the Fugitive Doctor just complicated the story that much more. I do like the Weeping Angels being a major element of this story arc, something I expected during the first episode. They haven't been a major part of a plotline since Series 7. Episode 4 is apparently titled "Village of the Angels". That title and the ending of last night's episode definitely has me looking forward to the next episode. So far though, they seem to be piling on more questions with little in the way of answers. I'm hoping the payoff will be good since these massive storylines can sometimes collapse in on themselves. (When it comes to two-parters, it's hard to think of the stories where the second part is better than the first, but that might just be me.)

With all that said, this isn't going to be a regeneration story. There are three specials planned for next year. Hopefully, Series 14 will premiere early in 2023 rather than later. After all, it will be coinciding with the 60th anniversary.

[politicallefty]

With all that said, this isn't going to be a regeneration story. There are three specials planned for next year. Hopefully, Series 14 will premiere early in 2023 rather than later. After all, it will be coinciding with the 60th anniversary.

Hate to break it to you, but S14 won't air 'til after the 60th anniversary, which will be RTD & the 14th Doctor's 1st episode.

For sure? That's almost 2024 then. The anniversary is November 23rd. I always know that because the show premiered one day after President Kennedy was assassinated.

Actually, all of the 50th anniversary stuff is what got me to watch Classic Doctor Who. I started watching the BBC America specials where they did a story for each Doctor. They chose The Aztecs for the First Doctor. I really loved The Tomb of the Cybermen for the Second Doctor, but it's hard to separate from the fact that my grandma had died the day before. The music when they're reanimating and leaving the tomb is unforgettable to me. From what I've seen of him, I'm a big fan of the Second Doctor. However, I always liked the creepiness of the first incarnation of Cybermen (which we saw at the end of Series 10, for the first time since 1966).

[politicallefty]

"Reverse the polarity of the Neutron flow!"
haha never get's old. 

I take it you're a big fan of the Third Doctor?

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

I had high hopes for this episode and I was not disappointed. It drew from all of the previous Angel episodes. I have to say I feel the show is really firing on all cylinders right now. The cliffhanger? Wow.

If there's one thing I didn't really like, it's what happens when the Angel gets you a second time.

[politicallefty]

He's certainly in my top 3.

Yeah, his era was certainly different. He had a very different style. I have to say I definitely preferred Liz amongst his companions. Among the Classic Who Doctors, I still like the Second above the others.

[politicallefty]

The final part was good, but not great. But then again, endings are rarely great. I think the only exception to that was the Heaven Sent/Hell Bent two-parter at the end of Series 9. I thought Hell Bent was better than its first part. I wasn't disappointed though.

I do hope we can keep at least one companion between this Doctor and the next. That's probably one of the biggest reasons I found it so jarring going from Series 4 to Series 5. It was too much change all in one go. While I do think Matt Smith was a really good Doctor, I felt so many of the stories were rather underwhelming. As soon as Moffat was at his best (imo, 12th Doctor and Bill), he left. I would've loved another season with those two. It reminded me of the 10th Doctor and Donna.

[politicallefty]

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.

[politicallefty]

After the set design of the past five years, that's more like it!
https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/1728500067609305474

That's stunning, really. I don't think RTD is going to disappoint (though I admit I am biased as a huge fan of his previous tenure as showrunner).

[politicallefty]

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.

I think for most of the audience that has been watching since Doctor Who was revived in 2005 or those that have jumped on along the way, Tennant is sort of the Tom Baker of NuWho. For RTD as well, it probably eased him back into his role as showrunner. I'd also like to think that he had regrets as to how he wrapped up Donna's story at the end of Series 4. Ten and Donna are still my top Doctor/Companion pairing in NuWho (though Twelve and Bill got very close), so I'll pretty much always defend any decision putting more of them on screen, haha.

Oh yeah, it's all out there innit. I guess I'll get to it, given how much I liked Gatwa. Ideally he isn't let down the same way so many Modern Whos have been.

Next week is a Moffat episode so that will help tremendously.

The Moff isn't without fault. Yes, he's usually really good, but when does miss, he really misses. Cautiously optimistic.

That was as showrunner though. Everything he wrote when RTD was showrunner ranks at the top of most lists.

[politicallefty]

I'd say each episode has been better than the last. I'm surprised they went for a Doctor-lite episode this soon though.

That was weird but good. RTD's approach to politics remains clunky as ever, but it made emotional sense. I don't ever want answers on this episode, I want it to remain gloriously ambiguous.

In that last respect, it reminded me of Midnight, one of the best episodes from RTD's first tenure. There certainly have been episodes where that doesn't work.

[politicallefty]

Dot and Bubble on the surface is about social media and 'the yoof', but it's actually about algorithms creating and supporting white supremacist spaces.

People are so quick to consciously 'count' diversity on screen, usually to attack it but even being supportive I just 'accepted' that everyone was white without ever realising it. Quite a gut punch.

Also a classic 'sometimes people don't deserve to be saved' RTD episode too.

I didn't really catch the racial element until others mentioned it. I might've caught it if it was an American show, but the UK's quite a bit whiter, so I didn't quite catch it at first. Apart from one person in Finetime (and what happened there was pretty shocking to me), they're all incredibly vapid, but they don't really become contemptible until the end. On your last point, I agree and he really dialed it up to 11 in this one. Most of the people in Midnight acted pretty awful, but they realized it after the fact (especially when the Doctor asks what the hostess's name was and no one even knew). I certainly wouldn't say those people were undeserving of being saved.

[politicallefty]

Some sad news to report:

One of Doctor Who's four original cast members, William Russell, has died aged 99.

His death was confirmed and announced on Tuesday by the Guardian newspaper.

Russell played schoolteacher Ian Chesterton in the first two series of the BBC's sci-fi show and was the Doctor's first companion.

He left the show in 1965, but in 2022 he reprised his role and made a cameo in Jodie Whittaker's final episode, The Power of The Doctor.

The actor broke a Guinness World Record for the longest gap between TV appearances.

RIP.