Doctor Who IV - Everything Whovian - Would you like a jelly baby?

[d.w washburn]

I am glad Moffat is leaving. It is time for some new blood and to get away from the "special girl" formula the show has fallen into and just get back to some good adventuring stories. I am tired of the overly complicated storylines we have gotten with Amy, River, and Clara. The Doctor needs another companion like Donna.

I don't see any of that happening no matter who the new showrunner is. The show has its format and it is in all likely hood going to stick with it.

And Adventure Show? It hasn't been that for a long time.

[d.w washburn]

Stupid double post

[Carabas]

I am glad Moffat is leaving. It is time for some new blood and to get away from the "special girl" formula the show has fallen into and just get back to some good adventuring stories. I am tired of the overly complicated storylines we have gotten with Amy, River, and Clara. The Doctor needs another companion like Donna.

Umm... Donna was one of those very special companions, and the only reason her arc lasted only one season is that they knew in advance that they only had Catherine Tate for one season.

[Zero Hunter]

Umm... Donna was one of those very special companions, and the only reason her arc lasted only one season is that they knew in advance that they only had Catherine Tate for one season.

But with Donna it worked since it was the first time they used the troupe. Plus Donna being special was explained much better and simplier. Amy and Clara just became convoluted messes the longer their arcs when on. Plus Donna and the Doctor were just friends without all the constant sexual undertones they kept slapping on Amy and Clara.

[Vworp Vworp]

But with Donna it worked since it was the first time they used the troupe. Plus Donna being special was explained much better and simplier. Amy and Clara just became convoluted messes the longer their arcs when on.

Simpler? Well yeah, that's one way of putting it. Donna was special... because she was special. Or, more honestly, cos she happened to be in the right place at the right time. And in the end, what was she? As it turned out, exactly what she always had been - a Temp. Essentially, she was really just a vessel for the Doctor's intellect.

Plus Donna and the Doctor were just friends without all the constant sexual undertones they kept slapping on Amy and Clara.

Kept?

Amy flirted with the Doc', but ultimately always put Rory first. Clara and Eleven's relationship was much the same, and Clara and Twelve were just very, very close friends... Too close, as it ultimately turned out.

The whole Donna being 'just a friend' thing was so utterly tiresome, cos it was repeatedly banged on about as something that made her 'different' to her Rose and Martha. And to this day, I'm convinced RTD lumbered Martha with that awful unrequited love angle, purely so whoever came next would be that 'breath of fresh air' that Donna was subsequently promoted as. Seriously, what was the point of it, otherwise? It served no purpose, it diminished Martha as a character and it made the Doc' look like a bit of a douche on more than one occasion.

[Carabas]

But with Donna it worked since it was the first time they used the troupe.

Second time. Rose was first. Well, technically future Timelady Ace would have been first.

Plus Donna being special was explained much better and simplier.

How as it simpler?

Amy and Clara just became convoluted messes the longer their arcs when on.

Amy: special girl arc over and done with at the end of season 5 when she rebooted the universe. Never or rarely referenced later on.
Clara: special girl arc over and done with at the end of season... 7, I think. Whatever season she first appeared in, when she split into Impossible Girls. Never or rarely referenced later on.

Plus Donna and the Doctor were just friends without all the constant sexual undertones they kept slapping on Amy and Clara.

You're seeing very tiny, very short subplots that were over and done with very early on, and making a mountain out of them.
And it's not as if there wasn't some flirting between Donna and Tennant-Doc.

[Jim Kelly]

I think the "you're very special and that's why you're here" angle has been present in DOCTOR WHO almost since the beginning. Although, since the Doctor seems to meet his companions by mistake, it's probably not the Doctor who's in control of this. It seems to be time itself (or at least the TARDIS) that brings these happy accidents.

The Doctor is sometimes ignorant about his companions and why they're so special and why he should appreciate them. Sometimes he makes that discovery in the middle of their adventures. Sometimes he doesn't get it until after, if at all.

With Martha we could all see how special she was. Heck, I'm screaming at the screen a lot of the time when I watch those episodes, because the Tenth is so thick. Martha was one of the greatest companions he ever had and he never understood that. Arrrgh!

[Blackphoenix]

I can't believe we're only getting one episode this year! Delaying the new season until 2017 was a mistake.

[The Whovian]

I can't believe we're only getting one episode this year! Delaying the new season until 2017 was a mistake.

It's crap, is what it is. There's no reason why they couldn't have started the season the same way they've been doing for several years now, in the fall with the Christmas special the last ep. I have a feeling Capaldi asked for some time off and they granted it.

[The Whovian]

Sorry, double post.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

It's crap, is what it is. There's no reason why they couldn't have started the season the same way they've been doing for several years now, in the fall with the Christmas special the last ep. I have a feeling Capaldi asked for some time off and they granted it.

That and they maybe preparing for Calpaldi's last season. He talked about doing 1 more series and leaving since he doesn't wanna over stay his welcome. Its best to prepare for the either him staying past Moffat or ....him leaving and them preparing a final 2017 exit for his Doctor.

Part of me kinda hopes he sticks around til 2018 when the new guy comes in and he leaves either halfway into that season or at the end.

[The Whovian]

That and they maybe preparing for Calpaldi's last season. He talked about doing 1 more series and leaving since he doesn't wanna over stay his welcome. Its best to prepare for the either him staying past Moffat or ....him leaving and them preparing a final 2017 exit for his Doctor.

Part of me kinda hopes he sticks around til 2018 when the new guy comes in and he leaves either halfway into that season or at the end.

I love Capaldi as an actor, but I really hope this upcoming series will be his last. And I hope they find another brilliant actor to play the next Doctor.

[Jim Kelly]

I think Capaldi likes playing the Doctor and would be willing to do more. But if he's going to leave, I would think he'd prefer to do it now to get it over with so he can clear his schedule for other things. It seems highly unfair to an actor to make him wait around for a year to shoot a series.

If there's a reason actors want to leave the series, it's probably not the job itself--I think they like playing make-believe and being like kids again--it's all that other stuff that goes with the job, things that up with an actor should not have to put.

As long as actors only put in three years as the Doctor, Tom Baker and David Tennant will remain ahead on those polls of favourite Doctors. I'd like to see someone else give them a run for their money.

[The Whovian]

I'm hoping the next Doctor is a great actor so they can stay on for a long time, not three years. I really want a long, memorable run.

[ZeroBG82]

It's crap, is what it is. There's no reason why they couldn't have started the season the same way they've been doing for several years now, in the fall with the Christmas special the last ep. I have a feeling Capaldi asked for some time off and they granted it.

Frankly, I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that Chris Chibnall isn't going to be available until he's done with Broadchurch, and that the Beeb really, really wants another series of Sherlock while the leads are available. Those two facts conspire to keep both current and future Producers busy this year. Everything I'm hearing is that Moffat wanted out now, and didn't even want to make Series 10, but that the BBC made new Sherlock conditional on another series of Who while they waited for Chibnall to become available. Which could all be bullpuckey, obviously, but that seems to be the story these days.

I'm hoping the next Doctor is a great actor so they can stay on for a long time, not three years. I really want a long, memorable run.

You'll be waiting for that a while, I think. Anybody relatively unknown isn't going to want to risk being typecast and will jump ship while their star is rising (Tennant, Smith), and any veteran star is going to get hungry for opportunities to do other work (Capaldi). Obviously it only takes one actor to change that, but I really don't think we'll see more than 3-4 years out of any Doctor from here on out. The profile is just too big to keep an actor long term in the current model.