Billie Back In Doctor Who?

[Si Hunt]

Just read my Nan's Daily Express and they are reporting today that Billie Piper is returning to Doctor Who in "three new episodes".

Can it be true? We've all read an awful lot of fluff printed in the papers, but also a lot of things (Kylie, Daleks vs Cybermen) that have turned out to be true!

Is this likely? And if true, would it be fantastic or a bad idea?

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

There's been rumours that she'll return for Tennant's last episodes.

Whether it's likely or not, who knows...

[Andrew Curnow]

I wouldn't be at all surprised...

...but it would be very difficult to do without diluting the impact of the end of "Doomsday".

Plus, I think season 3, with Freema (and I suspect season 4 with Catherine Tate) has demonstrated that the female lead can be replaced with as much success as the title character. Why bring back Rose, when Martha is such a successful and enjoyable successor?

[Lissa]

it would be very difficult to do without diluting the impact of the end of "Doomsday"

Haven't they diluted the impact of every single dramatic event that has occurred over the three seasons? Why would this be any different?

[Captain Tancredi]

She could record some new flashback footage without it interfering with the flow of the series too much.

[Si Hunt]

Before we berate the new series for this too much we should consider that they also tried to get Sarah Jane back in 1978 and Sarah and Leela back in 1980.

Si.

[Larry]

Just read my Nan's Daily Express and they are reporting today that Billie Piper is returning to Doctor Who in "three new episodes".

Can it be true? We've all read an awful lot of fluff printed in the papers, but also a lot of things (Kylie, Daleks vs Cybermen) that have turned out to be true!

Is this likely? And if true, would it be fantastic or a bad idea?

Si.

Well lets face it it by not killing Rose off and just leaving her trapped on the alternate Earth was always going to leave the door open for a possible return and I personaly don't have a problem with it.

But the part about "three new episodes" you just wonder if this is a refference to the three specials we are getting in 2009.

[Andrew Curnow]

Haven't they diluted the impact of every single dramatic event that has occurred over the three seasons? Why would this be any different?

Not 100% sure I follow (unless you mean that we've seen that Slitheen/Big Ben shot more than enough times already). But having made the big thing of Rose being 'The Woman' for the Doctor, and that they could only be separated by being in different universes, it would be a bit naff to then find a way of having her pop back to 'our' universe after all.

Si's right, they did try and get Sarah and Leela back... but since they didn't succeed, we'll never know whether it would have worked or not.

[Lissa]

I meant that nothing has any real dramatic impact because they've undone everything they've ever made a point to do.

For example -

Mickey decides to stay behind in the parallel universe. We absolutely won't ever see him again, nor will Rose and they have an emotional goodbye. Mickey returns shortly afterwards.

The last Dalek in the universe sacrifices itself because it cannot bear to be alone. It is an emotional farewell because we finally have sympathy for a Dalek. He needn't have bothered because they returned en masse a few weeks later.

The Master is brought back in style and seems more evil than ever. He dies in the Doctor's arms - an emotional moment as the Doctor cries that he'd rather have the Master live than be alone in the universe. The Master is burned in a sombre finale. Except he isn't really dead - he's just painted his nails.

Martha decides to stay behind with her family. It's been fun travelling with the Doctor but it is over. They're both heartbroken as they go their separate ways. Except she'll be back in a few episodes.

Not to mention the final destruction of every Dalek in existence. Except the ones that survived.

Not that any of these things make the series a worse thing to watch and enjoy but over the three years they have gone back on their dramatic word so many times that it doesn't really mean anything. People only leave for good if the actor or actress doesn't want to come back. Anyone or anything that dies or leaves or is destroyed for creative reasons is most likely going to come back at some point.

[Captain Tancredi]

Not forgetting Pete Tyler...

[Dirk Gently]

He's come back from the dead more times than Lazarus!

[Andrew Curnow]

For example -, etc

Ah, yes, I take your point!

[Perry Vale]

The only thing about this I find surprising is how it's taken this many weeks since the 'three specials' announcment for this to surface. It was the first thing I thought would happen, to be honest.

[Si Hunt]

I didn't. I wouldn't have thought Billie would want to be known as a Doctor Who Girl again for a whole extra year, all for three hours work.

Si.

[Perry Vale]

Not even for a couple of million quid? Or maybe she's seen the script ideas, and RTD takes Rose on another "emotional journey"?

[Mike Saville]

I agree with Lissa.

[Carol Baynes]

Anyone or anything that dies or leaves or is destroyed for creative reasons is most likely going to come back at some point.

It's "Doctor Who" and it's generally always been like that! It's also a series about a time traveller, so many definites are only that in the context of the episode in which the event occured. You may well have the last Dalek, but you also have the original Skaro Daleks somewhere else in time and space, and it woul dbe feasible to see them again if the production team so wished. Linear continuity sadly gets adhered to in "Doctor Who" to much, actually, as not to confuse, but the alternatives could be far more exciting. Travelling through time means the end isn't always the end for old enemies, I would have thought.

[Lissa]

The monsters thing isn't as bad because you know they're going to come back. It's when they have characters making big emotional exits when they KNOW said character will be back in a few episodes. There was no way - NO WAY - Rose would ever see Mickey again. It was completely impossible. Absolutely. This was goodbye. People cried - I didn't because I'm all hard and tough - on this forum, on other forums and across the nation's living rooms. This was as final a goodbye as you will ever see. A different universe. Bye Mick.

Six weeks later he returned, skipping between universes like it was nothing.

They could've left Mickey on an alien planet or in the future with a "We'll probably never see him again" but they chose to pile on the finality of something they knew was temporary.

It's by no means unique to Doctor Who. I've lost count of how many times Buffy died or how many trips to various underworlds Xena took. Both of those production teams cheapened dramatic events until they became worthless gimmicks too. It just seemed to take Cardiff much less time to do it.

[P-Bal]

I have it on good authority moves are being made to get JACKIE LANE back for three feature length specials, with circle print dress, detailing exactly WHY she disappeared so mysteriously half way through The War Machines.

[Lissa]

When a girl gets a taste for the country she'll stay down there for ages.

Now, I wonder young man, do you suppose er-er... No I don't suppose you would.

[Si Hunt]

I'm inclined to suggest that the problems Lissa describes highlight the difference between watching as a child and a (for want of a better word) cynical adult. I bet to a kid the tearful departure of Mickey and his subsequent joyful return was all part of a long and totally natural journey with those characters; it's when you're an adult and you know there are big fat gay men behind the scenes feverishly plotting these things that you can resent them when they seem to pull a fast one on you.

Si.

[SiHart]

I'd be very disappointed if they did bring her back. Not because I wouldn't like to see more Rose, but because her story was thoroughly finished, with a happy ending for the Tyler family. It'd be difficult to see what new could be done with the character.

And as for RTD's "always moving on" and "no going back to the past" statements, well, that'd be a whole different kettle of fish really.

I think the whole thing would be abot of a mistake really, and I'd like to see them do something new rather than rely on the old.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

That's exactly how I felt when they announced Donna was coming back!

I've changed my mind a bit now, and am prepared to give them a chance to do something new with her.

Si.

[Wayne]

Thing is, there's plenty of scope for Donna as she's only appeared once, whereas Rose has been done to death.
I wouldn't complain if we saw Jackie again, though!

[Anthony Williams]

bring back Billie as Rose Tyler?

I bloody hope not!

Ant x