Doctor Who Megathread

[brucejoel99]

On the one hand, this comes from the Mirror, which runs on accuracy levels that basically amount to "a broken clock is right twice a day." On the other hand, this is being reported by Nicola Methven, who's very reliable on this kind of stuff. Personally, I'm a bit disappointed. I've had some issues with the show recently but I always found Jodie to be a pretty great Doctor, so I wanted her to be the one who finally breached the 3-season barrier, but given that 10, 11, & 12 all stayed for 3 seasons, this isn't particularly surprising:

https://twitter.com/MirrorBreaking_/status/1345851763337941000

[NewYorkExpress]

Has it really been three years?

Here's hoping for Emma Watson as the next Dr. Who.

[Mr. Smith]

If true, then that's okay. Would've liked another season and would've preferred Chibnall to call it in instead, but this is fine.

I hope Jo Martin gets promoted to take over for good, but I'm not entirely sure who they'll get as a contrast.

[NewYorkExpress]

If true, then that's okay. Would've liked another season and would've preferred Chibnall to call it in instead, but this is fine.

I hope Jo Martin gets promoted to take over for good, but I'm not entirely sure who they'll get as a contrast.

Well, if we're talking contrast, than someone about Peter Capaldi's age would be the most obvious contrast...

[Brother Jonathan]

If true, then that's okay. Would've liked another season and would've preferred Chibnall to call it in instead, but this is fine.

I hope Jo Martin gets promoted to take over for good, but I'm not entirely sure who they'll get as a contrast.

Well, if we're talking contrast, than someone about Peter Capaldi's age would be the most obvious contrast...

Jo Martin Brand?

Seriously though, I do think casting someone older for the role might be the right move if you want a big shift. But I suppose we don't even know if this is true yet.

[Antonio the Sixth]

F**k. She really deserved better. I know three seasons is standard, but Doctor Who seasons have gotten shorter over time, and she didn't get as many specials as Tennant or Smith.

Oh well. Let's see who comes next.

[Middle-aged Europe]

If true, then that's okay. Would've liked another season and would've preferred Chibnall to call it in instead, but this is fine.

^^

Yeah, this. I actually like and enjoy Whittaker's portrayal of the Doctor, although Chibnall has been horrible as a showrunner and he brought the overall quality of the writing down.

[Progressive Pessimist]

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?

[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.

[brucejoel99]

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.

Yeah, 3 seasons has been the modern series' norm (with Eccleston being the obvious exception), though Tennant's reign was stretched out a bit longer with specials instead of a 4th season of his own in 2009-10.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

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?

Not really. No Doctor since Tom Baker has lasted longer than three seasons for one reason or another.

That said, I'm hoping that Big Finish picks up the rights to the Whittaker era soon, see how a different writer's team handles Thirteen. (Granted, at best it's going to be the Thirteenth Doctor Chronicles, but...)

[brucejoel99]

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?

Not really. No Doctor since Tom Baker has lasted longer than three seasons for one reason or another.

That said, I'm hoping that Big Finish picks up the rights to the Whittaker era soon, see how a different writer's team handles Thirteen. (Granted, at best it's going to be the Thirteenth Doctor Chronicles, but...)

I was about to say "at least we'll see her in the 60th, so maybe Chibnall's successor can give her something a bit better to work with," but then I remembered Chibnall's staying & it's only 2 years away. Mfw:

[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.

[The Dowager Mod]

Chibnall is out too.

[Mr. Smith]

Good riddance for Chibs, though I admit I may be eating those words depending on the quality of the next bloke or lass.

Also, last thing the series needs is another Moffatt or JNT, both of whom arguably stayed on far too long and were clearly burned out.

My feelings for Whittaker are mixed, like Peter Davison, in that the direction chosen was probably the only course to follow after a behemoth like Peter Capaldi [like Tom Baker, kinda remarkable he's still alive huh]...but it was just so bland most of the time...not helped by the companion barrage.

I do wonder though, who'll do the 60th now? I do hope Eccleston returns for this one. Can't let Smith and Tennant have all the fun...maybe the ancient Doctors will get bit parts this time!

[brucejoel99]

Chibnall is out too.

Sad to have it confirmed that we'll indeed be saying goodbye to Jodie so soon, but glad to hear this.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Surprised to see Chibnall leaving (I was half-expecting him to pull a JNT and stick around until the show gets axed), but it's for the best. I said it seven months ago, and I'll say it again:

I'm hoping that Big Finish picks up the rights to the Whittaker era soon, see how a different writer's team handles Thirteen. (Granted, at best it's going to be the Thirteenth Doctor Chronicles, but...)

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I don't agree with the apparent consensus in this thread that Chibnall's vision for the show sucks tout court but the longer his period in charge goes on for the clearer it becomes that large parts of it are inexcusable. Fiddling with the core mythology of the series that built up naturally in the 60s and 70s was a bad idea when Andrew Cartmel tried it and it's a bad idea now.

It's a shame we're losing Whittaker too, though. I actually like her portrayal of the Doctor a lot; it's certainly a hell of a lot better than, say, Matt Smith's, even though the show as a whole was for some inexplicable reason better-regarded then.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

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

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Who is the new Doctor going to be?

[GeorgiaModerate]

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

Excellent!!!

[afleitch]

Interesting.

'New Who' has followed a bit of an odd ark. It started as a Saturday tea-time revival in the UK, found itself cult status internationally, started to feel formulaic in the later Moffat years and has became a solid Sunday night drama.

I like the current Who

But it's clear that no one is talking about it. And for the BBC as a content producer they have a problem as Doctor Who is a bit of a cash cow. Even when it was in the dark for years, it was still a money spinner and they need something that's more a flavour of what it was a decade a go.

Giving it back to RTD is as much of a risk as it is a 'safe bet.' He is still a good story teller and more than that, an excellent world builder.

[afleitch]

Also given that it's RTD, there's a strong chance he'll pick an actor he's worked with to be the Doctor. His two big recent dramas Years and Years and the utterly f-cking excellent It's a Sin have a good ensemble cast.

[brucejoel99]

To quote the once-&-future show-runner himself, "Marvelous! Hooray!" This must be the most unexpected Who news since at least "Introducing John Hurt as The Doctor," if not the out-of-the-blue announcement back in 2003 that the BBC was bringing the show back thanks to RTD. Seriously, though, this is incredible news! This is probably one of the best possible things that could happen to the show. If anybody knows how to rejuvenate this show & make it popular again, it's RTD.

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

Interesting.

Quite. IIRC, I once read a rumor that RTD had an agreement with the BBC that, should they ever be in a dire position in which another cancellation was on the table, they'd bring him back into the fold & give him a series to right the ship. Said rumor also lines up with what he once publicly said: that if the show was ever in trouble, he'd come back to save it (IIRC, he said that at a convention as part of a response to a question about Moffat sorta doing a similar thing back in 2017: the Moffat-Chibnall transition had almost caused the annual special to be canceled, as Moffat planned to leave after the Series 10 finale & Chibnall didn't wanna begin his run with a special; when Moffat learned of Chibnall's plans, he was concerned that the show would lose its specials in the future if it missed a year & so decided to remain show-runner long enough to rewrite his plans for the Series 10 finale & allow Capaldi to appear in a final Moffat-produced episode, which became "Twice Upon a Time"). Of course, that obviously doesn't speak well of how the current show is viewed right now, what with ratings having been falling for a while & The Timeless Child being so bad that even hard-core fans are giving up on the show (a phenomenon which I can personally attest to: it took me 8 months to get around to watching the most-recent special).

Who is the new Doctor going to be?

[G]iven that it's RTD, there's a strong chance he'll pick an actor he's worked with to be the Doctor. His two big recent dramas Years and Years and the utterly f-cking excellent It's a Sin have a good ensemble cast.

I'm not gonna lie, I could half-see the 14th Doctor just being Tennant again at this rate, as fan-servicey as that'd be. It may be difficult to generate interest in Who post-Chibnall failures, & such a move would undoubtedly intrigue viewers enough to tune in once again, regardless of the fact that such a desperate move to try & recapture the show's old glory would also undoubtedly result in my excitement for RTD's return reverting to sadness over the show's ongoing calamities.

On the other hand, maybe there's just really been something to those Olly Alexander & Lydia West rumors this whole time.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Loving that RTD is back. Hopefully he casts a woman as the 14th Doctor so Chibnall’s…poor run doesn’t taint the idea of a woman in the role.