She sis three seasons, and that seems to be the rule for modern Who Doctors. The longest was of course Tom Baker for 7 seasons from 1974 to 1981. I liked her though I thought the writing under producer Chibnall sometimes weak.
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Spoilers The Doctor Who Thread
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Exwllwnr summary Doctor - I mean @cosmichobo those two look adorable and Ms. Gibson will be relatable to the young folks like my niece who is one year older than her.Hello all.
Thought it was time to bring this thread back up to date...
Whitaker had her final outing as the Doctor in October 2022 in the BBC's 100th Celebration story, Power of the Doctor. It saw the return of 2 classic companions - Ace and Tegan - in the first such return since Sarah Jane in 2006, not to mention the return of Doctors 5, 6, 7, 8 and pseudo 1 - the first time Classic Doctors have been in the new era outside of clips. By the end of the story it had cleared house, with all current companions and the Doctor bowing out.
Jodie's debut episode 4 years earlier had seen something like 10-11 million (UK) viewers (WHO's biggest ever, including the original era, as everyone wanted to see the first female Doctor). The finale was only around 4m. There was a lot of issues at play here such as the decline in terrestrial tv, yadda yadda, but whilst plenty of people may point at the decision to cast a female Doctor as a bad one, I strongly feel it was not Jodie's fault, but rather that of showrunner Chibnall. The stories ultimately were what was failing here, more than Jodie's acting... but anyways.
RTD is back as showrunner after the BBC tried several other options, all who of whom said no. More importantly, Bad Wolf is taking over as production company from BBC Wales. Bad Wolf was created by RTD alongside his WHO producers, and has been creating quality content in the interim. After the WHO announcement, Sony bought a large chunk of Bad Wolf, suggesting a big budget was now possible for the show, thanks to deeper pockets than the BBC. Then, just after Whitaker's finale, it was announced that Disney was becoming the worldwide distributor of the new WHO era (excluding the UK), so - budgets really are expected to increase noticeably.
RTD to return as Showrunner
The new Doctor was soon confirmed as Sex Education star, Ncuti Gatwa (pronounced Shu-tee). I've enjoyed this show, and in particular his performance, so am hopeful he'll do a fine job. At 30 years old, he's not the youngest Doctor (that was Matt Smith, and even Peter Davison was I believe 29 when he debuted as Doc5), although Ncuti is best known for playing a teenager.
However - before we get to Gatwa, David Tennant and Catherine Tate will be returning as the Doctor & Donna for THREE specials during the show's 60th Anniversary month of November 2023. (How can Donna return?? Wait and see, says RTD.)
Doctor and Donna back
This pic was taken during filming - Also seen here is Bernard Cribbins returning as Donna's grandfather, Wilf, in Cribbin's final acting role before his death.There are rumours we may see Matt Smith return as well (his schedule was clear during filming, and Tennant said there were more big surprises in store... maybe Capaldi too?
And now today the new companion for Ncuti's Doctor - Millie Gibson from Corro Street will play "Ruby Sunday" has been announced. Their first story is going to be in "the festive season" of 2023 (Christmas?!), followed by the full season (of likely 8 episodes based on leaked financial info) in 2024.
That's it in a nutshell...
RTD has in the past commented on his belief that WHO is big enough to spawn its own platform of adventures akin to Marvel or Star Wars, and with Disney now owning the distribution rights worldwide (ex UK) - that seems even more likely... although entirely uncomfirmed. I'd be surprised however if we don't hear about some spinoffs toward the end of the 2024 season - assuming it does well.
All of this has certainly reinvigorated my interest in the show, which has wanted during Chibnall's era.
I catch episodes here and there or snippets on YouTube. I enjoy the show and she seem pretty good
Based purely on UK ratings...
Eccelston - First season average 8.1 m
Tennant - First season average 7.8m, then 8.0, 8.4, and 11.1 (4 specials only)
Smith - First season average 8.0m, then 7.7m, 8.2m
Capaldi - First season average 7.3m, then 6.3m, then 5.6m - first real decline in ratings
Lastly,
Whitaker - First season average 7.9m, then 5.5m, 4.8m
As I said, Whitaker was facing things like streaming services really coming to the fore, as well as Covid... but however you look at it, from start to end she lost 3m viewers. But as I said - I think the fault lays with Chibnall, who just didn't come up with the goods from a story perspective. It was also Capaldi's issue IMO - he had some good stuff here and there, but it wasn't as consistent... I think Moffat should have handed off sooner, but - finding someone to run the show is not easy.
She was fine as the Doctor I liked her optimism but as cosmichobo posted Chibnall let her down. Ugh the typos on my phone sorry.
What possessed them to introduce the "Timeless Child" idea ? Utter nonsense to re-write the Doctors history after 60 years.
The fan theory is - The Brain of Morbius; all those extra faces...
I do not like the concept at all... and I suspect that RTD may just shelve it - OR - he'll run with it. It's rife for spin off potential - Ruth Dr or other/s.
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After a 4 year hiatus I am back on YouTube.
Uploading all my old content from 2010 - 2019, and will then be looking at making new stuff, too.
My personal fave to give you an idea of my content:
Also:
The War Games - In 10 Minutes
Boom! (Ace and her Nitro 9)
Kandy Noir (what if Happiness Patrol had been b&w)
...just to name a few.
Not amazing content, but hey, once upon a time I had a few thousand subs, and around 700,000 views... so not too shabby at the low end of town.
Disclaimer - Not monetised, not making a cent, just for the enjoyment and to share with fans.
Uploading all my old content from 2010 - 2019, and will then be looking at making new stuff, too.
My personal fave to give you an idea of my content:
Also:
The War Games - In 10 Minutes
Boom! (Ace and her Nitro 9)
Kandy Noir (what if Happiness Patrol had been b&w)
...just to name a few.
Not amazing content, but hey, once upon a time I had a few thousand subs, and around 700,000 views... so not too shabby at the low end of town.
Disclaimer - Not monetised, not making a cent, just for the enjoyment and to share with fans.
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Cool, subscribed and will watch once I am at home - the special is coming soon isn't it?
First special is Saturday 25 November UK time... With 2 more specials each week after that.
But also if you can get it - they have colourised the original Dalek story, abridged it down from 7 x 25min to just 75mins, rescored it as well... It's due to air on the actual anniversary day - 23 November - on BBC4. No idea how anyone outside of the UK will get to see that "live" but I'm sure it'll be available afterwards.
My thoughts on The Star Beast. Possible spoilers ahoy. Very exciting, lots of cool explosions and sets. The Disney+ money has been well spent. David Tennant and Catherine Tate are an absolute joy. As an old fan who is very familiar with the comic strip on which the story is based, seeing Beep the Meep and the Wraith Warriors come to life was mind blowing though my knowledge spoilt the twist for me.
Lots of interesting characters particularly the women in the wheelchair who clearly knows the Doctor.
Was less impressed by RTD using an almost magical solution to resolve the meta crisis in Donna’s head (Donna and her child are magic) and London streets being ripped literally ripped apart then ’magically’ put back together again. A solid 8 out of 10.
Lots of interesting characters particularly the women in the wheelchair who clearly knows the Doctor.
Was less impressed by RTD using an almost magical solution to resolve the meta crisis in Donna’s head (Donna and her child are magic) and London streets being ripped literally ripped apart then ’magically’ put back together again. A solid 8 out of 10.
Disagree. It was awful. Retcons and lectures. The “a male presenting can’t understand” lecture was not only misandrist, but also transphobic which is probably a first… and worse of all, it was just bad from a filmmaking point of view.
I give it a 2/10. Heck, even BBC’s own review complained about it…
Edit: and don’t get me started on the Davros thing.
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Happy 61st Doctor Who Day!
As a life-long Doctor Who fan, who has read every book published on the matter (well, the good ones), I have written a not too brief history of Doctor Who:
Doctor Who - In Three Parts
Excerpt:
A show about an enigmatic alien who travels the universe of Time and Space in a bigger-on-the-inside Police Box known as the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension in Space, for the Pub Quiz win), the weekly serial was a pioneer in the newly popular tv genre of science fiction. Indeed, following the success a decade earlier of The Quatermass Experiment and its successors, a BBC commissioned report suggested the broadcaster should further explore the the potential for science fiction series, which fitted perfectly with Newman’s pet project that he had been considering for many years.
Verity cast William Hartnell, known at the time for playing tough soldier-types on the big screen, as the lead role of “Dr. Who”; a cranky, dottery grandfather of remarkable knowledge and unknown origins. To tackle the physical action, they cast William Russell, who had recently finished playing Sir Lancelot in his own tv series, as science teacher Ian Chesterton. Rounding out the cast were Jacqueline Hill as history teacher Barbara Wright, and Carole Ann Ford as the Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan. Originally pumping out 39-45 half-hour episodes per year, the serial sought to both entertain and educate its audience, with a near equal mix of alien worlds and Earth-historical settings.
As a life-long Doctor Who fan, who has read every book published on the matter (well, the good ones), I have written a not too brief history of Doctor Who:
Doctor Who - In Three Parts
Excerpt:
A show about an enigmatic alien who travels the universe of Time and Space in a bigger-on-the-inside Police Box known as the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension in Space, for the Pub Quiz win), the weekly serial was a pioneer in the newly popular tv genre of science fiction. Indeed, following the success a decade earlier of The Quatermass Experiment and its successors, a BBC commissioned report suggested the broadcaster should further explore the the potential for science fiction series, which fitted perfectly with Newman’s pet project that he had been considering for many years.
Verity cast William Hartnell, known at the time for playing tough soldier-types on the big screen, as the lead role of “Dr. Who”; a cranky, dottery grandfather of remarkable knowledge and unknown origins. To tackle the physical action, they cast William Russell, who had recently finished playing Sir Lancelot in his own tv series, as science teacher Ian Chesterton. Rounding out the cast were Jacqueline Hill as history teacher Barbara Wright, and Carole Ann Ford as the Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan. Originally pumping out 39-45 half-hour episodes per year, the serial sought to both entertain and educate its audience, with a near equal mix of alien worlds and Earth-historical settings.
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For those who miss 9 and Rose - they have joined together with Big Finish to make a new series of audio adventures.
Ninth Doctor and Rose back together
Ninth Doctor and Rose back together
Well that was interesting. I really liked this past season. I also liked the finale but there were some WTF moments:
1. Rani was beaten too easily - well the new one
2. Omega was "scary" but only in the cliché sense
3. The time out of sync is a cool idea but it may explain the biggest WTF:
Ncuti regenerated!! I wasn't expecting that, I mean I read the rumours he was leaving after two seasons but I am sad.
Also Bille Piper??? I hope RTD is trolling with that ... mind you the credits showed her listed but not as "introducing Billie Piper as the Doctor".
I also liked seeing Jodie Whittaker back.
1. Rani was beaten too easily - well the new one
2. Omega was "scary" but only in the cliché sense
3. The time out of sync is a cool idea but it may explain the biggest WTF:
Ncuti regenerated!! I wasn't expecting that, I mean I read the rumours he was leaving after two seasons but I am sad.
Also Bille Piper??? I hope RTD is trolling with that ... mind you the credits showed her listed but not as "introducing Billie Piper as the Doctor".
I also liked seeing Jodie Whittaker back.
My understanding is Disney won’t be saying yes or no to more episodes til after the spinoff has aired. Meanwhile Ncuti, who I loved, has lots of job offers being thrown at him. So he either stayed, hoping Disney say yes, but knowing it might be a no… or left to do other things.
They lost Matt Smith in vaguely similar ways by splitting his last season over 2 years.
I didn’t expect Whitaker - thought she was brilliant, and had NO idea about Piper! Shark jumped.
I know it’s dubious whether she is or is not the “real” Doctor… I’m not sure I can picture her in the role.
Presumably it’s the same problem as above - they can’t cast a new Doctor until Disney decides what they are doing. But, Ncuti leaving meant they Had to do something. Piper will probably be just a stop gap measure, to avoid the episode ending with Ncuti fading to nothing… which was how Jodie’s era was going to end until RTD signed up to run it again.
I too loved Ncuti in the role, though I wish more had been done with both companions (Ms. Gibbons and Ms. Sethu). Love Billie Piper as Rose, but not sure as the Doctor, well nothing against her but this "recycling" of faces is kind of stale now.
hello all just found out there is a doctor who thread so prepare your self for me going full on nerd
so about a month ago we had the series 15 (season 2) finale and wow I loved it more then then wish world (Pt1) I was lucky to watch in cinemas and it was fantastic .
spoilers ahead on the ending , so I loved Jodie turning up that was so unexpected and she fit in so well in that Tardis and then the big one , who is billie piper playing .
well it could be that she is the bad wolf entity from series 1 and now has to go and find the 14th dr (David Tennant) who is still on earth and then he regenerates into the 16th doctor ?
but now tin foil hat on , that ending as brilliant and sad as was to see ncuti go that wasn't the plan but rather the ending should of been 15th dr and Belinda at a disco with unit with Susan (from the 1963 series 1 companion ) watching over with poppy being her daughter .
and then series 16 (season 3) would of been 15th dr going to find Susan and figuring out who poppy is .
but that didn't happen because of the Disney deal not getting renewed and ncuti couldn't wait any longer as he had other things to go and do and that's fair enough his is a brilliant actor and I wish him the best .
so it now looks like the dr who spinoff war between the land and sea could come November or December and then that's when we will most likely get a announcement that Disney won't be carrying on , so that leaves us with who will take it? well a few names like Apple TV and Netflix have been mentioned but it sounds like HBO could be the one to carry it on but even so I think that any new series will be at least 2-3 years off unless BBC do a quick special with a top actor for a one off .
so about a month ago we had the series 15 (season 2) finale and wow I loved it more then then wish world (Pt1) I was lucky to watch in cinemas and it was fantastic .
spoilers ahead on the ending , so I loved Jodie turning up that was so unexpected and she fit in so well in that Tardis and then the big one , who is billie piper playing .
well it could be that she is the bad wolf entity from series 1 and now has to go and find the 14th dr (David Tennant) who is still on earth and then he regenerates into the 16th doctor ?
but now tin foil hat on , that ending as brilliant and sad as was to see ncuti go that wasn't the plan but rather the ending should of been 15th dr and Belinda at a disco with unit with Susan (from the 1963 series 1 companion ) watching over with poppy being her daughter .
and then series 16 (season 3) would of been 15th dr going to find Susan and figuring out who poppy is .
but that didn't happen because of the Disney deal not getting renewed and ncuti couldn't wait any longer as he had other things to go and do and that's fair enough his is a brilliant actor and I wish him the best .
so it now looks like the dr who spinoff war between the land and sea could come November or December and then that's when we will most likely get a announcement that Disney won't be carrying on , so that leaves us with who will take it? well a few names like Apple TV and Netflix have been mentioned but it sounds like HBO could be the one to carry it on but even so I think that any new series will be at least 2-3 years off unless BBC do a quick special with a top actor for a one off .