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

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

https://doctorwhowatch.com/2020/12/0...ic-companions/

10 meets 3 classic companions in 2022.

[Derek Metaltron]

The last story sounds especially crazy with the Tenth Doctor, K9 and Ace vs the Axons. Looking forward to listening to this.

[Derek Metaltron]

Just finished listening to Mutually Assured Destruction, the third and final part of the TLV Eight Doctor audio trilogy. This is an excellent adventure that takes place just after the events of the All Flesh Is Grass Novel (the previous audio Enemy Of My Enemy took place just before it) but didn't feel difficult to understand because of it - the Eighth Doctor previously teamed up with the Dalek Time Squad to investigate what is happening in the Dark Times that is affecting the wider universe, but clearly the Daleks betrayed him and he was forced to damage their time ship, which is where this story starts as it plunges out of control through the time vortex.

First up, kudos HAS to go to Nick Briggs here - whilst there are a handful of other characters this is really Eight vs the Daleks, which means he is playing a huge range of specific Dalek characters - the Time Commander, the Strategist, the Scientist and the Executioner, all with distinctive personalities and voices and clashing ideologies that Nick has to play off against himself for dozens of scenes. Paul Mcgann is still excellent as he tries to figure out a way of getting off this volatile situation. There's a moment where I had to stop myself from falling over laughing - did you ever think of a waltzing Dalek? - and some good examination of what Daleks prioritize - pure survival, an opportunity for glory and victory or total and utter extermination. It also has a slightly open ending for my new favorite Dalek character which might be leading into an upcoming audio, not sure. Regardless it's the end of the story for both Eight and most of the Time Squad, and well worth the listen. Excited to read more of them when I hopefully pick up All Flesh Is Grass for Christmas.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I listened to "Subterfuge" . Its fun but underwhelming.

I started listening to "Mutually Assured Destruction" and its a fun wrapup to 8's role in "Time Lord Victorious".

[Somecrazyaussie]

It was deliberate. The guy who discovered them says he saw a reel with episode 3 labelled when he first found them but then figures the owner realized which episode was the important one and hid it away to sell to a higher exclusive buyer he had in mind later. There's theories several lost episodes are owned by such ass holes.

They aren't theories. It's well known in certain film circles that episodes not in the archive exist and are with collectors. Morris knows of 6 such episodes (including Web 3). Paul Vanezis knows of 2 particular episodes as well (whether these are the same as the ones Morris knows, or a further 2, is still unclear). So there is about 6 - 8 more out there that people know about. Just a matter of which stories they hail from. I heard that 2 episodes of The Savages exist with one collector.

I can understand the fan frustration with the missing episode hoarders. However, without them, a lot of Who (plus other older shows) would have been lost to time. Should they hand them back so copies can be made? Yes. Do they need to do it? No. Not really. The BBC doesn't own those films as they forfeited that right by tossing them in the first place. Demanding them to hand them over will just solidify their resolve not to do so. Best to just butter them up and try and soften them up. It'll take time. But it'll happen eventually.

[Somecrazyaussie]

If anything they could have 13 and Jack spend a season together. There's always season 14 but Whitaker is more likely to leave after this one.

There is talk that Jodie's management wants her to leave Who after this season. Apparently they are concerned that the dwindling viewership of the show will be attributed to her as she is "the face" of the franchise. The higher ups at the BBC are also believed to be losing patience with Chibnall as well and are keen to move in another direction.

I pretty much agree Jodie will bow out with the special after the next series. The band is breaking up with Cole and Walsh officially leaving. So it would make sense.

I am more interested in what the BBC will do after she leaves. Having a female Doctor hasn't exactly been the hit they hoped it would be. If it had been, I suspect they would have had a person of colour next. As it is, I reckon they'll return to having a male Doctor again next go around. Does Chibnall stay or does he go as well? if he goes, who will the BBC get to helm the show next? Because their isn't a clear successor like there was with Moffat or Chibnall.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I'm hoping for Toby Whitehouse or Neil Gaiman as next showrunner. Whitehouse feels more likely as I don't know if Gaiman would wanna commit that long to Dr. Who. Plus he has his other projects to worry about and I would respect him choosing them over Dr.Who.

Whitehouse had done Being Human and has written episodes for Doctor Who before. So I could see him as a viable option like Chibnall was.

Would people be as up in arms for a POC doctor like when they were for a female one? Because I always thought that there would be. Sacha Dhawan would've fared no better if he was #13 instead of Whitaker.

[Derek Metaltron]

Whitehouse does seem like a good pick. Jodie has had something of a bum deal being stuck with Chris for an overseer and I hope that she gets to prove her Doctor as better in the future when she returns to the role somewhere. I think Neil wouldn’t like to oversee anything too much he hadn’t created himself but he could be a good fit.

I think there will be lots of resistance in parts of the BBC to simply revert back to a white male Doctor again, so the next Doctor being a person of colour seems quite plausible. I think Jodie’s casting will have eroded enough of the naysayers so that if the next Doctor is distinctive there won’t be quite as much backlash.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

There's always Big Finish, they can redeem her like they did with Six.

A bigger issue is what the new doctor would be like and the new myth arc.

[Somecrazyaussie]

I'm hoping for Toby Whitehouse or Neil Gaiman as next showrunner. Whitehouse feels more likely as I don't know if Gaiman would wanna commit that long to Dr. Who. Plus he has his other projects to worry about and I would respect him choosing them over Dr.Who.

Whitehouse had done Being Human and has written episodes for Doctor Who before. So I could see him as a viable option like Chibnall was.

Would people be as up in arms for a POC doctor like when they were for a female one? Because I always thought that there would be. Sacha Dhawan would've fared no better if he was #13 instead of Whitaker.

I forgot about Whithouse! Yeah, he has past history with Who (School Reunion and The Fisher King two parter). Plus Being Human. Yes, I could see him being a steady pair of hands if he was to get it. Good call on that.

We may never know about a POC getting the gig. I honestly don't think it would have caused much of a fuss (Although there would have been some). I think the public might have been okay with it. Especially if he had been Dhawan in the gig.

[Somecrazyaussie]

Whitehouse does seem like a good pick. Jodie has had something of a bum deal being stuck with Chris for an overseer and I hope that she gets to prove her Doctor as better in the future when she returns to the role somewhere. I think Neil wouldn’t like to oversee anything too much he hadn’t created himself but he could be a good fit.

I think there will be lots of resistance in parts of the BBC to simply revert back to a white male Doctor again, so the next Doctor being a person of colour seems quite plausible. I think Jodie’s casting will have eroded enough of the naysayers so that if the next Doctor is distinctive there won’t be quite as much backlash.

She absolutely has copped a bum rap. I've seen Jodie in many shows/films and she is a great actress. But Chibnall has let her down. A actor/actress is only as good as the quality of the writing behind them. Capaldi suffered the same (But he was able to make many of the scripts he was given serviceable to a degree). Likewise Colin.

They could. It is always a possibility. I just think they might try a "back to basics" approach next go around. Just to try and rebuild the show somewhat to get the punters back in. Once they do that, then I think they'll be in a position to try a POC. But they could pull it after Jodie. I do think they'll go back to a male lead though.

[Somecrazyaussie]

There's always Big Finish, they can redeem her like they did with Six.

A bigger issue is what the new doctor would be like and the new myth arc.

Come in and say that a lot of the revelations from this era was false memories implanted in the matrix? That way we are no closer to knowing what is real vs what isn't.

They probably need to veer away from myth arcs for awhile. Whenever the show goes into that territory they end up alienating general audiences. Continuity nods are great for longtime fans like us who (in my case) have been following for years on end (decades in my case). But the show needs to be broader. That is why RTD worked so well. He found a way to strike that balance. Moffat got increasingly tied up in it as he went along. Chibnall steered clear of it for series 11 (which was wise), but dove right in with series 12.

[Steel Inquisitor]

There's always Big Finish, they can redeem her like they did with Six.

A bigger issue is what the new doctor would be like and the new myth arc.

Whittaker faired far worse than Baker, from what parts of Six I've seen I've loved. Whittaker never had a storyline as a ambitious as Trial of a Time Lord, and Chibnall's quality control is nothing to Nathan-Turner's. The show seriously needs more female show runners while we're at it, especially since the show's first was a woman.

[Derek Metaltron]

It's definitely something of an issue that they elected not to have a female show runner to go with a female Doctor. Not that I know who they could have gone with who is decent. We probably want a British version of Patty Jenkins.

[ChrisIII]

There was a lot of speculation about Paterson Joseph getting the role when Tennant quit.


Kind of curious if they'd also consider a LGBT actor to play the Doctor given the show's mostly good history with that; Ben Daniels was rumored for the twelfth Doctor at one point.