All New Who

I hope the writing for the character rises to the depth implied in the music.- Halfy

{{ Well character writing is RTD's strongest point historically, and if the past can be used as any guide on the music Gold has always had access to the character history, where the story is going and tends to embed the story in some fashion into the music for that theme. A good example is River Songs theme, which not only tells her rather tragic, yet epic tale well in music but also has parts which are played backwards, hinting at her backwards in time relationship with the Doctor, and has a some phrasing from Amy's theme in the later version connecting, before the reveal, mother and daughter. So on that basis I would expect Ruby's theme and indeed the new Doctor's theme to reflect in some way their character journey and/or story.}}

Are the specials the ones with Donna?

{{ Yeah thats the 60th Anniversary next month, 3 episodes. }}

Cool.

{{ Some positive news on directors for NCuti's first series. Seems RTD has wisely ditched Chibnal's master plan of hiring journeymen directors and daytime soap opera directors, and gone back to Moffat eras quality directors with genre experience.
The first two we have announced are Peter Hoar, who has directed The Last of Us, It's a Sin, The Umbrella Academy as well as 11th Doctor era episodes including a Good Man Goes to War with the big River Song reveal.
And the other announced director is Alex Pillai, whose directing credits includes; Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Bridgerton, Merlin, Being Human, and a list of UK tv dramas going back to the 80's.
Very happy to see RTD is going for quality not budget here. }}

He knows if this doesn't work that Dr Who would probably be canned for the next 20 years.

{{ It's very nearly been canned twice since NuWHo began.
The BBC were going to can it when Tennant left, believing there was no way for the show to continue after his popularity in the role - fortunately they were very wrong about that and the show went onto ever greater global success through 11's run culminating in the 50th anniversary global event.
Then it was going to be canned after Chibnal pretty much killed it stone dead, till RTD came in with a rescue plan that basically involved taking the entre production off the BBC's hands so they didn't have to worry about it any more if it failed but could still bask in its success if it worked.}

If RTD cant save it nobody can. He can get back to basics like investment in the characters. This may be 'soapy', but soaps are universally loved, so there is that. He may not be as timey wimey as The Moff, but at this stage all we need is decent sci-fi and a return to being excited to see the next episode.  My only concern with RTD is the queer agenda, and hopefully its not hammered every week, if done with subtlety even that could be great.

the best way to address any LBQT, feminist, green etc agenda is to just make it matter of fact - gays exist, women get trodden on, just show it either as things are or as you wish them to be without making a big deal of it.

That's what I like about the Swordpoint book series. You get a quarter of the way in before you realize a gay relationship is central to the book. And hey, other characters are making advances to both sexes. No commentary, no message, just the way things are in the author's world. Or Ruby Rhodd in the Fifth Element. He's flaming, but everyone just accepts him as he is. No ulterior motive except comedy. Brilliant if divisive performance.

(I don't think Dr Who should take the Ruby Rhodd route. )

{{ How RTD is going to do this sort of stuff is one of the bits I am most uncertain about. Just going on headline info we have the first black gay Doctor, a trans, a dwarf and a drag act for a villain. It sounds worse and clumsier than anything even Chibballs tried to ram down everyone's throat.
But the very fact it seems to be so deliberately confrontational in making these casting choices also has me curious about what RTD is up to. Does he just want to prove you can do it right? Or is he seeking to push a political or social agenda like Chibnall was?
During his original run on the show he was often accused of a 'gay agenda' so its not like there isn't some previous. }}

I think he is heavily pushing the queer agenda but will probably do it much better than Chibbers. RTD is on a mission to out-woke the wokest, but at least it will be interesting.

Official date for the first 60th special, is as expected 25th of November, back in its traditional Saturday night slot.
The show's first every episode aired on Saturday the 23rd of November so 25th is the closest Saturday to that this year. }}

{{ Well after the chaotic shooting and production of the Chibnall era, even before a pandemic made it worse, it seems RTD's promised plan to have a new series every year by shooting ahead of schedule by at least a year is on course. Ncuti has just become the first Doctor to begin filming his second series, before the first has even aired. So we can safely say we have new Who to watch till 2025 at least. }}

{{ Posters released for the 3 specials- }}

Star Beast


Wild Blue Yonder


The Giggle

oh yeah thats so cool

{{ This could be interesting, and possibly a way RTD is getting more Doctors into the 60th celebrations other than in the actual specials.
According to Doctor Who Magazine in July Russell felt they had to do something more for the anniversary and got three writers (who we don't know the names of) together and did a six day studio shoot of whatever they came up with. What this 6 day shoot was, when it will air or anything else about it remains at this point a mystery.

But there is speculation it might at the least involve the 11th Doctor and the new 15th in some way, prompted by the official BBC Who youtube channel posting this short today- }}

{{ Introducing the Whoniverse!



In terms of a bit more info its basically mainly a branding thing, bringing it all under one logo and name- so from now on BBCiplayer there will just be the Whoniverse, and clicking on that will give you access to the the entire back catalogue of Who as well as spin offs like Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood, and a more besides, anything Who related really.
Alongside this, launching tomorrow on iplayer, there is Tales form the TARDIS, which is an interesting concept, it puts a classic Doctor with one of their companions, discussing one of their old adventures, an old episode each, but its all in character. Sounds intriguing, its written by RTD, Phil Ford (eps of Who, Sarah Jane, Torchwood under their belt) and Pete McTighe he also has Who, but its under Chibnall so it wasnt good Who, though it was the slightly better of that poor era) so its mainly in good writing hands, so be interesting to see how it goes and only till tomorrow to wait and see! }}

{{ Well I checked out the Whoniverse and Tales From the TARDIS. The former is as expected, the BBC have collected a bunch of Who stuff in one place - you get classic era and NuWho and Sarah Jane, and Class, and some rarer stuff like the pilot for never made show K9 and Company, which is awful but does have one curio going for it, explains why when we see Sarah Jane again she has K9 with her, when in fact she and K( were never on the TARDIS together. And theres Doctor Who at the Proms, the Science of Doctor Who with Brian Cox. Class is there and Doctor Who Confidential and a very dry almost laughably serious BBC documentary from Melvin Bragg from 1977 about Doctor Who. And the two animated 10th Doctor episodes.

I also watched or flicked though more like, Tales from the TARDIS. Its um, cheap. The set is basically the BBC broom cupboard filled with different era TARDIS knick-knacks and bits. The loose premise for this is that it's a 'memory TARDIS' and it needs memories for some reason. So basically a Doctor and a companion reunite on this memory TARDIS and sit down and recall an adventure they had. What this boils down too is you get the actual episode in question bookended with about 10 minutes of Doctor/Companion chat about it in character.
I see what they are doing, trying to introduce classic Who episodes to newer audiences, but for an old fan who already knows and has seen the episodes in question it's all a bit underwhelming.

One interesting thing though, the 2nd Doctor story is Zoe and Jamie doing the remembering, and as a result of being brought to this 'memory TARDIS' they have all their memories returned of their time with the Doctor ('a last gift') undoing the Time Lords mind wipe of their memories. I like this just because Frazer Hines looks in good health and shape still and it makes it easier for the possibility of him returning now without having to go through the whole how do you remember me thing.

The big news I suppose is that NuWHo is officially over!
Its now its own era, from Rose to Power of the Doctor, although I think a lot of fans will consider the era to have ended with 12, and even putting aside any personal likes or dislikes for the Chibnall era it is undoubtably on its own, whereas RTD and Moffat era are very closely connected and intertwined and the Doctors journey runs very much from the trauma of 9 and the Time War to 12's reacceptance of what it means to be the Doctor and why he does it, as a complete character arc. Chibnall Who, quality aside, always stood apart in that regard.

But yes no more NuWho, Chibbers killed it effectively and what we are apparently getting officially starting with Ncuti as 15 and the show's appearance on Disney is a 'soft reboot' presumably as Rose was a 'soft reboot' of classic this is a soft reboot of NuWho.

What this new era will be called is hard to say so far, the BBC would like folk to call it the Whoniverse, some jokingly refer to it as NuNuWho, but unfortunately the most common name I've seen it referred to so far is, 'The Disney Era' which sends chills down the spine frankly, but we shall see! }}

the boowho?

{{ As part of the 60th the BBC are broadcasting the 1st Doctor story The Daleks (the first time they meet) on the 23rd. But its an all new version. It's been colourised, had new sfx and a new score added (no word if Gold is on that or not) and most interesting/controversial its been re-edited into a 75 minutes film format (from the original 7 part episode running time of 172 minutes) thats a lot to edit out!
Fortunately this is merely an alternative, they haven't gone Lucas on us and the original episodes are available to watch still. }}

{{ For those who may have missed Tales from the TARDIS here is 2nd Doctor companions Jamie (one of my personal all time favourite companions with Zoe) these are the bits bookend the showing of the episode}}

Well it was probably about time for this yearly rumour again:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/paul-mcgann-set-make-comeback-31395291

We know more spinoffs are coming, and I guess the 60th anniversary is as good a time as ever, but somewhat doubtful myself, would the BBC being willing to pay for 2 Doctor who series at the same time? The TV Movie was 1996 if this was going to happen...wouldn't it have happened a bit sooner? What does seeing the 8th Doctor running around for a story or two really offer to the audience that stories with a new doctor couldn't do instead?

Ncuti Gatwa is likely appearing in the 60th anniversary at some point with Tennant...but Tennant/10 is a hugely popular Doctor...McGann/the 8th Doctor isn't...assuming this rumour holds some basis in fact I'd guess a miniseries or internet short or something that ties into the 60th in some fashion rather than a big budget stand alone series.

As I've said before McGann is my favourite Doctor and I'd love to see him return on screen for more than a few minutes, but we've seen this rumour many times before...

...Hmm there are rumours that the Doctor's grandaughter Susan (last seen onscreen being left on earth by the 1st Doctor in 1964's Dalek Invasion Of Earth) will appear in the anniversary specials, and the 8th Doctor revists Susan several times in the audioplays by Big Finish (Susan and the 8th Doctor are currently travelling together in the ongoing 8th Doctor Timer War boxsets by Big Finish)...the BBC considers the Big Finish audios canon (when it suits them) so if one rumour could be true, perhaps the other is too?

If McGann did return onscreen it would be nice to see the continuity of his audio stories respected (especially as some of them were actually originally directly comissioned and broadcast on BBC Radio) but I'd want any hypothetical return to be in service of a good story rather than a throwaway cameo.

{{ Well the official cast list for Wild Blue Yonder (the 2nd of the specials) has three actors whose names are being withheld, so there are possibilities there. Some speculate one of them is Bonnie Langford, but its so well known and leaked set and shooting stills and even an official photo of her on the UNIT helipad, that she is back as Mel that I don't see why they would redact her name at this point.

RTD posted a twitter pic of him and Carol Ford at some do, so that helped fuel the Susan is returning story, and RTD s certainly keen on there being the main Who show and multiple spinoffs around it, exactly what format those spinoffs are to take is unclear but I would suspect the original formula will not be far off, one aimed at a younger audience and one at a more adult audience but all in the Whoniverse. If thats the case than a spinoff show with random adventures from different Doctors maybe? Perhaps Susan will replace Sarah Jane as the lead for the kids show? At this point as the saying goes, Who knows? }}

{{ On McCann returning as 8 the Daily Mirror are reporting-

"The spin-offs will work in the same way that Disney created series for Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe that stream on Disney+. A source said, "Russell likes the idea of brining McCann back with his own set of episodes in the TARDIS. Disney are on board as they want more original content and want to fully exploit the franchise as they know how big it could become."
Other possible spin-offs include a series on UNIT, the earth based military wing that works with the Doctor to defend the planet and a villain anthology."

I have some doubts about this, I know Disney is in the mix now but the BBC have always been very careful that there is only 1 prime Doctor on at a time outside of specials featuring more than one Doctor.
The problem with having a series with 8, as Malick pointed out, is what would the be point? It would just be more of the same with a different Doctor, I dont see what it would offer apart from the main show if its just the same thing with a different Doctor, it doesn't add up.
UNIT as a spin-off s long rumoured and would be a natural for the more 'adult' Who slot taking the place of Torchwood.
A villain anthology on the other hand could be very interesting indeed, an episode with the Master as the main character for example has potential. }}

{{ there's a special in this Fridays Children in Need with our new/returned Tennant Doctor. I expect it will quickly pop up on youtube somewhere.

Meanwhile, another cracking vid from the talented Margarita Life - }}