Watching NuWho

[pete lashmar]

If or when the series is rested a rethink is obviously needed.

When the lead actor tells fans to go & touch grass if they don't like what they're watching it's not a good sign.

Doctor Who was successful because it was so British, so when Disney plowed $100m into it RTD chose to waste it on a ridiculously large TARDIS sets and SFX that the show just didn't need in the abundance it got.

They followed the first female Doctor with a gay or possibly bi one, then followed him with a black gay Doctor - and speaking as a gay man it was a complete U turn on the character 3 times over.

Fans hoped RTD could bring the show back to the golden days, but he chose to fill the show with minority group politics.

Power & politics sometimes work well in Doctor Who, but his arrant regard for the general audience has resulted in millions of fans switching off.

People tune in to watch great adventures in time & space, fighing monsters and villains throughout the cosmos - not a soapy drama with identity politics and gender debates.

That is what has killed Doctor Who.

 

[Seaviewer]

There are no plans for a Christmas special, or a series 3 That is FACT

As a tangent, I've always found the phrase "we have no plans" to be evasive. It's not the same as saying "we will not."

 

[pete lashmar]

Well.....that was just the worst episode and the finale ever.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Well.....that was just the worst episode and the finale ever.

The ending is described in a heading on the BBC 's News site this evening, with the big twist revealed at the top of the article... in a line ABOVE their spoiler warning.

 

[tommie]

The ending is described in a heading on the BBC 's News site this evening, with the big twist revealed at the top of the article... in a line ABOVE their spoiler warning.

I don't even watch Dr Who and even I found out inadvertingly. I'm guessing this is why they've been so cagey about talking about continuing the series with either a special or another season. They want to use this as a Hail Mary and hope that streaming numbers will tick up and justify continuing. The reaction seems quite polarized though.

 

[James from London]

I really enjoyed watching the last ever ever ever episode of Doctor Who ever. This morning, though, I sort of feel like I dreamt the whole thing.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I don't even watch Dr Who and even I found out inadvertingly.

It hasn't happened to me yet.
A big twist...I wonder what it could be?

 

[James from London]

Jo Grant weighs in. This is the way to watch Dr Who. Hashtag spoilers.

https://x.com/ManningOfficial/status/1929979196593352967

 

[Seaviewer]

I finally broke down and got Disney+
So far I've watched the first two Tennant specials. What everyone is tactfully avoiding saying of course is that he doesn't actually have the same face; he has what that face would have looked like had it aged the 15 years since he and Donna were last together.

 

[darkshadows38]

well he is in his 50's now i believe

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Russell T Davies will no longer be writing production notes for 'Doctor Who Magazine"
This is quite significant, It leads to a lot of unanswered questions.
Will RTD no longer be the showrunner?
Is the show on Pause? If so for how long?

Here is what we know:
Ncuti Gatwa has exited the program
Billie Piper's character was not identified in the closing credits
The partnership with Disney has expired. It consisted of 26 episodes, including Christmas specials, the spinoff, and the 14th Doctor
"The War between the Land and Sea (5 episodes)" has completed production but there is no confirmed date for when it will air
There is no further co-production partnership with Disney or any other streaming service
There is no confirmed Christmas special
There is no confirmed date for "Doctor Who" to resume production

Best guess is that "Doctor Who" will return in some form, after an indefinite "pause"
and there will be a new production team.
Whether there will be a partnership with another streaming service is an interesting question,
and will that co-production entity have more control over the show.

Russell T Davies Confirms the Show Is “On Pause”: So Is Doctor Who on Hiatus Again?

We all know how the previous hiatus turned out…

thedoctorwhocompanion.com

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Updates/Clarifications

"HBO Max has confirmed that all 13 seasons of the modern-era Doctor Who reboot will leave the platform on July 31, 2025. Its spin-off Torchwood will exit earlier, on July 26." https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/when-is-doctor-who-leaving-hbo-max-why/ar-AA1Iey1e

The agreement with Disney to coproduce and transmit 26 episodes will be completed when the 5 episode spinoff is broadcast.
However, no official transmission date has been announced

There is a lot of speculation about the show's future.

What is known is that Ncuti Gatwa has departed, Billie Piper's character was not identified in the closing credits,
no Christmas special has been announced,
and no date has been been announced to resume production

In summary, the show's future is both unknown and uncertain

 

[Seaviewer]

Just started Gatwa's first full season. Confusingly, the first episode and Special 4 are listed separately on Disney+ but are the same thing.

 

[pete lashmar]

There are so many things going on behind the scenes right now.

Amazon Prime are the preferred partner but want a lot more creative control and the full back catalogue, but Bad Wolf and RTD still have 3 years on their contract to make new shows - the BBC desperately want new shows, but currently there are no plans.

Amazon Prime do not want RTD anywhere near the show, but will the BBC be able to resist their bottomless wallets?

 

[Seaviewer]

"The Devil's Chord".
The Maestro insists on the pronoun "they" but appears fine being called "father" rather than "parent." And "maestro" itself is a masculine word, the feminine being "maestra" and the plural "maestri."

 

[pete lashmar]

"The Devil's Chord".
The Maestro insists on the pronoun "they" but appears fine being called "father" rather than "parent." And "maestro" itself is a masculine word, the feminine being "maestra" and the plural "maestri."

They tangle themselves up constantly with these pro-nouns. There is an interview with RTD about this episode where he constantly says he, then she, then them - just corrects himself throughout, it's hilarious and just goes to show how ridiculous it all is.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Today is significant

"HBO Max has confirmed that all 13 seasons of the modern-era Doctor Who reboot will leave the platform on July 31, 2025. Its spin-off Torchwood will exit earlier, on July 26." https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/when-is-doctor-who-leaving-hbo-max-why/ar-AA1Iey1e


This matters because the rights to these seasons will be a component, probably a MAJOR component, of any new agreement/decision regarding the show's future

There is a lot of speculation/rumor about Doctor Who's future.

Right now, the facts are as follows.

Gatwa has departed the role

Billie Piper's character was not identified in the closing credits.

The agreement with Disney to coproduce and transmit 26 episodes will be completed when the 5 episode spinoff is broadcast.
However, no official transmission date has been announced

Best guess, in general, is that the show will return in some form after an indefinite hiatus.

It is truly sad that such an iconic show is experiencing so much uncertainty
It is baffling how poor the decision making has been, in leading to this situation

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Russell T Davies comments are significant, more for what he doesn't say

"Russell T. Davies brought the show back from the void back in 2005, and after leaving in 2010, he came back in 2023 to usher in the new era. But during an appearance on the Pilot TV podcast, he warned that he doesn’t have any say in those decisions. “Conversations are between the BBC and Disney,” Davies said. “I don’t work for either of them. I work for Bad Wolf, so I’m not part of those rooms.” Bad Wolf Productions is Davies’ production company, named for a major plot point during the 2005 Doctor Who reboot.


What’s more, Davies doesn’t even really have access to the people who are in those conversations. “Even people I work with every day, so they couldn’t know what’s really going on. I’m going, ‘I don’t know.’ I really don’t know.”"

I don't think he's as out of the loop as he is indicating
We don't know what the contract between Disney and the BBC covers specifically.
However, it is worth noting that the 5 episode spinoff not only hasn't aired,
but also no date for transmission has been announced.
Begs the question of it will air anytime soon, if at all.
Not that I have much confidence in it, based on the post Moffatt/Capaldi eras, which are "Doctor Who" in name only.

Disney may have some type of option on the series, and the delayed airing of those episodes may
be extending the Disney/BBC contract.
Disney may be negotiating for access to the classic series and the new series seasons.

All in all, lots of uncertainty.

Perhaps the beginning of another wilderness era
I do think the show will return in some form, but it may be quite some time before that occurs.

The Oldest Sci-Fi Show's Future Is More Nebulous Than Before

'Doctor Who' has been in limbo for months now, but the series showrunner warns the decision is out of his hands.

www.inverse.com

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

"Doctor Who is 'Probably as Dead as We've Ever Known It,' Writer Says​

"No one's going to start writing Doctor Who books with a Billie Piper Doctor."​

From Robert Shearman, who has written Doctor Who audio plays, short stories and the acclaimed Tv story "Dalek""


He is merely stating the obvious.

Doctor Who is not in production, there are no plans for it to resume production, Billie Piper's character has not been identified,
there is no incumbent Doctor, no plans for a Christmas special.

The 5 episode miniseries (Doctorlesss) will fulfill Disney's obligation to air 26 episodes.
There does not seem to be much interest in it.

I do think Doctor Who will resume in some form, but it will be not be anytime soon, in all likelihood

Doctor Who is 'Probably as Dead as We've Ever Known It,' Writer Says - IGN

Former Doctor Who writer Robert Shearman has stated that the beleagured British sci-fi series is now "probably as dead as we've ever seen it."

www.ign.com

 

[James from London]

Jock Ewing Fan said:

is "The Daleks" or "Genesis of the Daleks" the origin story?

Me then:

At the moment, I'm working my way through the Sarah Jane Adventures, ten minutes every morning. When I eventually finish that, I think I'll make a start on watching this chronological thingy so if and when I eventually get there, I'll let you know.
Jock Ewing Fan said:

Now the minisode with David Tennant adds another ambiguity.

Me then:
And more ambiguity means more fun.

Well, my historical-chroniological Who watch finally reached "Genesis of the Daleks" this morning which apparently, randomly, takes place in 1959 in Earth-years. The very fun Davros/David Tennant mini-sode has already occurred - I forget when - but "The Daleks" has yet to occur, so I guess that makes "Genesis" a bit more "origin-y" that that one, even though it comes after "The Daleks in Manhattan" in the 1930s (a bit of a mess) and the Daleks "helping" Winston Churchill win World War II (much better). Anyway, it's just great to see Tom Baker again after an absence of fifty years (1909's "Horror of Fang Rock" -- possibly my new favourite Who story of all-time). And the dark brilliance of "Genesis" coming immediately after the endearingly moronic "Delta and the Bannermen" (also 1959) couldn't be more of a contrast.