Series One (2010) News & Rumours

[SiHart]

You'd have thought it was the second coming judging by the reaction to the news on OG!

Si xx

[Jon Masters]

I can't say I'm that excited - I've found some of the stories he's written a bit hit and miss - but at the same time, if RTD's determined to go I can't think of anyone better.

My main hope would be that the showrunner actually writes less stories in future - because I think it allows greater variety, and develops new writers, and because DW isn't like , say, Babylon 5 or Heroes where long story arcs are an essential ingredient and therefore having one main writer is a big benefit.

[WhiteCrow]

You'd have thought it was the second coming judging by the reaction to the news on OG!

Si xx

Well our cousins on OG are "special".

[Lord President]

Excellent F-ing news! Moffatt for Prime Minister!!!!!!!

[Paul Monk]

Has Ian Levine exploded yet?

Good news. Although I will be sad to see Russell go. I'm quite fond of the big lummox.

[Rob McCow]

Moffat? What was BBC WASLES production team thinking of?!

Good luck to him. I hope he maintains the high level of success enjoyed by Russel T Davies.

[Perry Vale]

I'm hoping for a crowded Tardis crew featuring Sally Sparrow, Nancy, Madame Pompadour & the Doctor's daughter.

Talk on Roobarbs suggests this will mean the return of Rob Shearman to writing duties.

And apparently "The Moff" is the well known person who famously told Ian Levine to "f**k off".

[Wayne]

Has Ian Levine exploded yet?

Unfortunately not.

Ian

How do you think you'll feel about the show once Moffat takes over seeing as you despise the man for telling you to f*** off at the Torchwood press launch.

Levine's reply:

We made up a while back.

How convenient. I wonder if Moffat knows they made up?

[SiHart]

Talk on Roobarbs suggests this will mean the return of Rob Shearman to writing duties.

That can only be a good thing.

Si xx

[Paul Monk]

I've still never managed to get in a situation where I can ask Rob Shearman if he remembers Jody!

[NorthernStar]

This is brilliant news. I've been a Moffat fan since Press Gang and have loved his episodes of Who.

Moffat was always (the majority of) the fans first choice to take over from RTD but I had doubts that it would come about. I'm so pleased it has.

The show (any sci-fi show really, Star Trek should've taken note) is best run by a producer who's also a fan, IMO, as nuWho and even the last couple of Classic series (whether you liked them or not) proved.

[WhiteCrow]

I'm hoping for a crowded Tardis crew featuring Sally Sparrow, Nancy, Madame Pompadour & the Doctor's daughter.

Yes the only thing I'm not loving about the whole announcement of Moffet is the "Sally Sparrow crew" are at it again with their "can we have her as a companion".

NO YOU CAN'T!!!

[WhiteCrow]

The show (any sci-fi show really, Star Trek should've taken note) is best run by a producer who's also a fan, IMO, as nuWho and even the last couple of Classic series (whether you liked them or not) proved.

I don't know if that's always such a good thing - there are certainly some more vocal "superfans" of Doctor Who that I'd personally hate to be brought anywhere near the new series.

That said I think you should have some understanding of what's gone on before, and a respect for it. But then a producer really has to "do their own thing". If Doctor Who was only made for old school Who fans, then the series would have ratings under a million and be cancelled by now.

RTD's heinous crime has been to make Doctor Who popular again - something some fans have decided is unforgiveable, and why he had to go!

[Rob McCow]

Actually, he might well bring that Sparrow woman back.*

Perhaps the BBC might issue a correction - Moffat is the new show's runner so he will be making cups of tea and knocking on the actors' trailer doors at 7am.


*and the Doctor will share a bed with her.

[Dirk Gently]

Yes the only thing I'm not loving about the whole announcement of Moffet is the "Sally Sparrow crew" are at it again with their "can we have her as a companion".

NO YOU CAN'T!!!

Er, why not?

And Madame de Pompadour died, Perry.

[Perry Vale]

RTD's heinous crime has been to make Doctor Who popular again - something some fans have decided is unforgiveable, and why he had to go!

I think that's a silly thing to say really, imo. I've seen just as many people who state a love for the Hinchliffe era (when the show was just as popular, probably even more so), say they're dissatisfied with RTD's era. They just want a better written one.

And Madame de Pompadour died, Perry.

In this universe......

[Rob McCow]

I think that's a silly thing to say really, imo.

When has that stopped anyone before?

They just want a better written one.

The new series is extremely well written. There's a problem with scientific accuracy, I'll grant you but generally that's been in the background of the stories.

What I believe the fans actually want is more gothic horror and less humour. Moffat is clearly a fan of gothic horror and so we'll probably get that in spades.

[Si Hunt]

What we will lose with RTD is something nobody really acknowledges; yes, he writes stories which are oftenly overly grand, have cop-out endings and annoy the fans. But his writing, even though he's produced some great stories (and so many too!) isn't his biggest gift to Doctor Who - it's his knack of doing the unexpected with the show's format and making it work. No fans modestly plotting their ideal of how a new series should be would EVER have suggested doing things like ditching cliffhangers, bringing back the most overused villains (like the Master) or the most obscure (the Macra), or having semi-regular companions, or casting Catherine Tate. But somehow Russell has known what the general public wants, and how to give it to them. That's what we'll miss.

Si.

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

I'm pleased. I like Moffat's work (I even liked Coupling)!!!

As for RTD, I can't thank the guy enough. Yes, it's true that I prefere the classic series but as has been said already on this thread, if RTD had brought back the show as it was before, it wouldn't have survived in today's world.
RTD has very sucessfully brought the show back - and the show in any format is better than nothing at all. I may not enjoy the new style format compared with the old, but hats off to RTD for some of the best 'Who moments' ever.
I agree with many that some of RTD's stories can be a bit naff at times, but I think despite what may, or may not, be happening with the plots, that RTD has penned some of the best dialogue of the new series. It's his dialogue that I think people may miss the most.

If Moffat does bring more gothic horror to the show then I for one will be very happy. Let's have the dark settings back...and reschedule the show for the autumn too!!!

[Larry]

As for RTD, I can't thank the guy enough. Yes, it's true that I prefere the classic series but as has been said already on this thread, if RTD had brought back the show as it was before, it wouldn't have survived in today's world.
RTD has very sucessfully brought the show back - and the show in any format is better than nothing at all. I

sadly there are still many die hard fans of the old series who are unable to understnd this - but as you say massive thank you for RTD for every thing he has done .


I'm absoloutly delighted that Moffett is taking over - and as Whitecrowuk, says "Change is always frightening" and had it been any body else I would of had my concerns. But I honestly believe that we have nothing to worry about Moffett has IMO given us the best stories since the new series started and I firmly believe the series is in safe hands.

As for the direction the series will now take I get the the feeling that on the basis of his stories so far we could be going back to some thing similar to the Hinchcliff era of seasons 12 to 14.

Any way all hail the mighty Moff ..

[Perry Vale]

sadly there are still many die hard fans of the old series who are unable to understand this - but as you say massive thank you for RTD for every thing he has done .

And sadly too, there are also many fans who fail to grasp the notion that he could have brought it back differently than he did and still made it a success. It sounds a bit like "it's successful, so that's good enough" to me, people have the right to expect more. Asking for it to be different isn't the same as asking for what came before.

[Larry]

And sadly too, there are also many fans who fail to grasp the notion that he could have brought it back differently than he did and still made it a success. It sounds a bit like "it's successful, so that's good enough" to me, people have the right to expect more. Asking for it to be different isn't the same as asking for what came before.

not really sure about that the new series has been so successfull is because RTD understands what modern day tv viewers want from their programms. I firmly believe that it's because he changed Doctor Who from "cult" tv programm into a family programm catering for all ages/sexes and tastes that has made it the success it is.

[Logo Polish]

a family programm catering for all ages/sexes and tastes that has made it the success it is.

No-one's arguing with that part, but it doesn't follow that the only way of achieving that is to do it in exactly the way that RTD's done. There's a lot of scope in there and certainly a lot more than two options.

[Perry Vale]

I was going to say something similar (again) but Logo beat me to it.

[WhiteCrow]

I think my only concern is Moffat has brought us some of the best moments of the new series.

But he's in some ways also given us the least Who moments. RTD understood and could replicate what made a good Who story, but I'd same sometimes the writing could be a little lazy, and sometimes they overly "bigged it up" in Confidential.

I am not without my own critisism of the New Series, but overall it's been much more hit than miss. I think it just needed a bit more fine tuning at times.

Overall I've found the New Series the most exciting since the peak of Peter Davisons. It's brought out the Who fan back in me, it's found a whole new fan in my son. Kudos to RTD for that mammoth achievement.