The Russell T Davies - your thoughts and opinions on his 4 years as producer

[Larry]

Well with RTD's reign as Executive producer now almost over I think it's time we devoted a thread to express our thoughts and opinions on his 4 years in charge. - do you like or hate him ?, do you think his scripts are good or bad ? -should he have written less stories ? - what has he got right and what has he got wrong ?.




my general feeling is that RTD has done a fantastic job he has taken a programm that had become a sad joke and an embarrassment and turned it into a hugely popular family show.

He knew exactly what needed to be done for Doctor Who to survive and he did it he knew if it was made in the same way as the old series (which some die hard fans still want) Doctor Who would of been dead and burried by episode 3 of series 1.

But the greatest testiment to Russell, is and one that I think he will be proudest of is that Doctor Who, has a brand new generation of young chilldren who are now Doctor Who fans thanks to the new series.

[Paul Clement]

I think he did really well do create a new format for the series, and I believe he has the ability to write great Doctor Who as shown by Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways. His other stories do make me feel that he's overstretched himself by writing too many of the epiosdes and this has led him to write some of the weakest episodes of each season. He also comes over as being to precious about what he's done, and I'm sure he's responsible for the sugar-coated shite that gets spouted about every episode of the new series in the DWM, with little to no negative views being expressed.

[Paul Clement]

Oh, and although I applaud his reinvention of the Cybermen and Daleks, I'm disappointed that he hasn't produced a monster that I'd like to see come back again.

[MacNimon]

I agree. RTD's biggest fault wasn't the 'soapiness' of the companions and families, or the farting gags and so forth, which were so obviously aimed at kids; it was the fact that he insisted on writing too many of the episodes himself. He gave us some classic episodes (Bad Wolf/TPOTW for instance) but he also inflicted such dross as 'Last Of The Timelords' (possibly the poorest new series story to date, imo) on us. He has had a good vision of where he's wanted each season to go, but if only he had given out even a couple of his own scripts each season to other writers then he may have improved on the ones he did write.

My only other fault with him is the fact that the structure of each season has barely changed since 2005. A little bit more variety would have been nice.

Overall though, RTD has had a hugely successful reign which I had no right to expect way back in 2005: but if only he could have stepped back a bit and let some others write a bit more it may have been even better!

[Si Hunt]

Of course, he's done the most spectacular job of bringing back Doctor Who and making it the biggest thing on TV. What impresses me most is the way he's done it - with a sort of "curveball" approach that's quite unlike anything we predicted we would get if a "fan" were to take it over. He makes decisions that seem utterly wrong for the series but then, magically, they turn out to work brilliantly. If, in 2004, you'd been told the series would return with no cliffhangers, a Doctor who kisses his companion once a year and loads of continuity, you'd probably be horrified! But he's made all these things not only work, but turn out to be the best approach. Another example is the casting of Donna as companion, which I remember being depressed about after her Christmas special appearance. I wanted someone new. Oh dear, I should have put my trust in Russell - he made Donna into the most wonderful, sympathetic companion we've ever had!

If RTD has a fault it's that sometimes his mastery over the tactical side of the show - the publicity, planning, the formula of it, makes his stories appear formulaic. He's a more strategic than imaginative writer, and that makes him great for writing those light hearted adventures that kick us off each year, or the whamtastic closing stories that excite everyone at the close of every season - but those stories do their jobs SO well they come over as a bit unlovable in their own right. Russell's yet to come up with a truly moving romantic story, or a perfect historical escapade, or really a story that will rank with the greats... perhaps because his adventures are that little bit too functional and calculated.

But what we shouldn't overlook is just how many of them he's knocked out each year. "Smith and Jones", "Partners In Crime" and "Army of Ghosts" are all great Doctor Who stories. Perhaps none of them go the extra mile to becoming all-time classics, stuffed as they are with mum-pleasing calculated emotional escapades or kid-baiting celebrity cameos... but they're all good, and I admire him for coming up with something watchable so many times a year.

I think his ideas, his planning and his sheer bloody nouse borders on the genius.

Si.

[Paul Clement]

I'd agree with you Si, except when it comes to some of the stories you've chosen. 'Smith and Jones' and 'Partners in Crime' are two of the worst offerings the new series has had in my opinion. 'Army of Ghosts', 'Long Game' and 'Tooth and Claw' fall into the category you're talking about for me. 'Love & Monsters' is up there with 'Bad Wolf', as one of RTD's best, and in the former case most innovative ideas.

[Paul Clement]

Love & Monsters reminded me, I think his introduction of a Doctor-Lite episode was a great idea.

[Si Hunt]

When you make an album, in order to sell it you need a good first single - not good as in deep, a masterpeice etc, but catchy, commercial, worthy. It needs to hook people in and get played on the radio to make people buy the album.

That's what "Partners and Crime" and "Smith and Jones" are for - to get people watching Doctor Who again after the break. As such, they are never going to be deep, complex and classic stories. Their function is to introduce you to Martha/re-introduce you to Donna, give you a few good jokes, a bit of action and a few cute monsters before everyone arrives home for tea and Doctor Who has nine million viewers ready to watch the rest of the season. They're "first singles". And I think they do their job perfectly!

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

I think we're perhaps a bit too close to really judge yet - unquestionably, I think RTD's pulled off what I would have said to be an impossible trick, namely to bring back Doctor Who and make it as popular (and arguably, even more popular) as it ever was in its heyday.

I absolutely agree with Si's comment that:

What impresses me most is the way he's done it - with a sort of "curveball" approach that's quite unlike anything we predicted we would get if a "fan" were to take it over. He makes decisions that seem utterly wrong for the series but then, magically, they turn out to work brilliantly. If, in 2004, you'd been told the series would return with no cliffhangers, a Doctor who kisses his companion once a year and loads of continuity, you'd probably be horrified! But he's made all these things not only work, but turn out to be the best approach. Another example is the casting of Donna as companion, which I remember being depressed about after her Christmas special appearance. I wanted someone new. Oh dear, I should have put my trust in Russell - he made Donna into the most wonderful, sympathetic companion we've ever had!

However, although I agree he's clearly got a very tactical mind, in that he's looking not just at a run of 13 episodes, but also at how Doctor Who fits in the schedules, where it can catch the mood of the moment, how it can be anchored in to the public consciousness via Blue Peter and the Radio Times, all those many peripheral things; although that's clearly the case, I don't think I'd say it makes his episodes unlovable, far from it. Even where he's produced a story I can't stand (New Earth) I can see that the very things I particularly dislike (the reuse of Cassandra and Boe and the 'everybody lives' and even the music) are due to a deliberate choice to make the episode familiar, so that new viewers will know that, new Doctor or not, it's still the same show.

Has he produced any bona fide classics - I'd say he has, with the two-parter end to season 1; and with Tooth & Claw. By all accounts that was a fairly last-minute 'commission' from Russell, and perhaps that's why it seems to be in a wholly different style to his usual stuff, but whatever the reason, there are some really great moments in that one (the 'dinner table' scene is one of my all-time favourites).

I suspect looking back I'll agree with the comments I've heard already about season 4, namely that it does feel very 'familiar' and similar to the past three years, and certainly I think it's for the best that he moves on and we get another change; but unquestionably, RTD has made Doctor Who into Event Television, and at the moment I'm really looking forward to this year's grand finale.

[Stuart Wallis]

I agree with Paul and Mac that in trying to concentrate on the writing of so many episodes, he's overstretched himself and produced some less-than-perfect episodes - I think The Long Game is one of the most dreadful stories the series has ever produced, for example* - and that he has been a little predictable in his planning of each series. That said, he's done the impossible and brought the series out of hibernation and shown the BBC that it's a gem that should never have been put away: that all it needed was a little careful polishing and the right marketing strategy.




*-Even if he didn't write it, and he did if dodgy memory serves, he presumably had a hand in commissioning it, but i'm going off at a tangent now...

[Paul Clement]

Yep the Long Game was one of RTD's, though I quite like that one.

[Si Hunt]

I just like to stress that I was trying to use my criticism of Russell's episodes very lightly - I do of course love plenty of his, particuarly "Tooth and Claw", "Smith and Jones", "Love and Monsters" and "Army of Ghosts". What I mean is... there's love, and there's love. Some stories are just... special. We're talking "The Five Doctors" here, "Human Nature", "Fathers Day", "The Curse of Fenric". Bona-fide classics. Maybe time will help, but I find Russell tends to pull off the good stories excellently, but it's usually other writers that pick up the plaudits for the Classic ones. He's PERHAPS, amid all the brilliant openers and closers, not yet written a story that most would agree was up there with the best.

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

I find it difficult to remember who wrote what so I sharn't even bother trying to say anything about Rusty's writing but as Exec Producer he's done a fantastic job. He made the UK love Doctor Who again in a way I never thought possible a few years ago. We'll always be indebted to him for getting Doctor Who back on our screens & making it wonderful again.

May a seasonal list of stories with writers would help, because I'm not sure R.T.D did write all the ones I think are duff, although I suspect he did.

[Milky Tears]

The Five Doctors??

[FlyingBeastie]

Poor RTD, I think he's done a fine job as Showrunner, and at times you forget the high caliber talent for writing he has, but it was quite obvious when he really turned up to 11 for the episode of Midnight!

And yes, I've been gone for a wee bit to finish my school duties, but I am back and free for the summer! And just in time for the series finale! CANNOT WAIT!!!!

[Logo Polish]

May a seasonal list of stories with writers would help, because I'm not sure R.T.D did write all the ones I think are duff, although I suspect he did.

Would this be any good? Only stories already broadcast are included.

RTD

Rose
The End Of The World
Aliens Of London/World War Three
The Long Game
Boom Town
Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways
The Christmas Invasion
New Earth
Tooth And Claw
Love & Monsters
Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday
The Runaway Bride
Smith And Jones
Gridlock
Utopia/The Sound Of Drums/Last Of The Time Lords
Voyage Of The Damned
Partners In Crime
Midnight
Turn Left

Mark Gatiss

The Unquiet Dead
The Idiot's Lantern

Robert Shearman

Dalek

Paul Cornell

Father's Day
Human Nature/The Family Of Blood

Steven Moffat

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
The Girl In The Fireplace
Blink
Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead

Toby Whithouse

School Reunion

Tom Macrae

Rise Of The Cybermen/The Age Of Steel

Matthew Jones

The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit

Matthew Graham

Fear Her

Gareth Roberts

The Shakespeare Code
The Unicorn And The Wasp

Helen Raynor

Daleks In Manhattan/Evolution Of The Daleks
The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky

Stephen Greenhorn

The Lazarus Experiment
The Doctor's Daughter

Chris Chibnall

42

James Moran

The Fires Of Pompeii

Keith Temple

Planet Of The Ood

[Dirk Gently]

That's excellent, Iain. Thanks.

IN MY OPINION: Key: Poor, OK, Good, Very Good, Excellent.
RTD
Rose: Very Good to start.
The End Of The World: Good.
Aliens Of London/World War Three: OK.
The Long Game: Poor.
Boom Town. Poor
Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways: Excellent.
The Christmas Invasion: Good.
New Earth: Good.
Tooth And Claw: Excellent.
Love & Monsters: Poor.
Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday: Very Good.
The Runaway Bride: OK.
Smith And Jones: OK.
Gridlock: Good.
Utopia/The Sound Of Drums/Last Of The Time Lords: OK.
Voyage Of The Damned: Good.
Partners In Crime: Poor.
Midnight: Very Good.
Turn Left: Excellent.

Mark Gatiss
The Unquiet Dead: Excellent.
The Idiot's Lantern: Good.

Robert Shearman
Dalek: Good.

Paul Cornell
Father's Day: Excellent.
Human Nature/The Family Of Blood: Excellent.

Steven Moffat
The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances: Excellent.
The Girl In The Fireplace: Good.
Blink: Excellent.
Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead: Excellent.

Toby Whithouse
School Reunion: Good.

Tom Macrae
Rise Of The Cybermen/The Age Of Steel: Very Good.

Matthew Jones
The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit: OK.

Matthew Graham
Fear Her: Poor.

Gareth Roberts
The Shakespeare Code: OK.
The Unicorn And The Wasp: Poor.

Helen Raynor
Daleks In Manhattan/Evolution Of The Daleks: Ok.
The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky: OK.

Stephen Greenhorn
The Lazarus Experiment: Good.
The Doctor's Daughter: Excellent.

Chris Chibnall
42: OK.

James Moran
The Fires Of Pompeii: Very Good.

Keith Temple
Planet Of The Ood: Very Good.

So in answer to the original question of R.T.D's writing, very up & down. When he hits it's a bullseye, when he misses, he's wide of the mark for me.
From this list you can see the writers I'd like to see write again & also the ones I'd rather not see again...Raynor, Roberts & Graham I'm mostly looking at you!!

[FlyingBeastie]

RTD
Rose: Very Good to start. (Agree)
The End Of The World: Good. (Agree)
Aliens Of London/World War Three: I thought they were Good
The Long Game: OK I thought
Boom Town. In NO way was it poor, great dialog and I think it was a very strong character episode and really revealed that the Doctor still has many layers of his past we don't know about.
Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways: Excellent. (Agree)
The Christmas Invasion: Good. (Agree)
New Earth: Poor...yeah, poor...
Tooth And Claw: Good
Love & Monsters: OK
Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday: Very Good. (Agree)
The Runaway Bride: Good
Smith And Jones: Good
Gridlock: Good. (Agree)
Utopia/The Sound Of Drums/Last Of The Time Lords: OK. (Agree)
Voyage Of The Damned: Excellent
Partners In Crime: Excellent, I took it for what it was- a bit of fun, especially since it has been the only episode this season with any sense of hope or fun cos' this season has been very dark and serious.
Midnight: Mind Numbingly Magnificent
Turn Left: Good

Mark Gatiss
The Unquiet Dead: Ok...it's boring, I'm sorry
The Idiot's Lantern: Poor, I can't even recall it when I say the episodes back from series 2

Robert Shearman
Dalek: Good. (Agree)

Paul Cornell
Father's Day: Excellent. (Agree)
Human Nature/The Family Of Blood: Excellent. (Agree)

Steven Moffat
The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances: Excellent. (Agree)
The Girl In The Fireplace: Excellent
Blink: Excellent.(Agree)
Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead: Excellent. (Agree)

Toby Whithouse
School Reunion: Ok, another one that slips my mind sometimes

Tom Macrae
Rise Of The Cybermen/The Age Of Steel: OK, I'm a big Cybermen fan and I'm disapointed that the manner in which they were brought back was that they were "created" AND it was in a "parallel universe" ergh

Matthew Jones
The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit: EXCELLENT

Matthew Graham
Fear Her: Soooo poor I RATHER WATCH TIMEFLIGHT IN A CLOCKWORK ORANGE CHAIR ON REPEAT FOR 2 DAYS INSTEAD OF WATCHING A MINUTE OF FEAR HER!!!!!!

Gareth Roberts
The Shakespeare Code: Excellent
The Unicorn And The Wasp: EXCELLENT

Helen Raynor
Daleks In Manhattan/Evolution Of The Daleks: Incredibly POOR
The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky: Good

Stephen Greenhorn
The Lazarus Experiment: POOR
The Doctor's Daughter: OK

Chris Chibnall
42: Good

James Moran
The Fires Of Pompeii: Very Good. (agree)

Keith Temple
Planet Of The Ood: OK

[Paul Clement]

Bona-fide classics. Maybe time will help, but I find Russell tends to pull off the good stories excellently, but it's usually other writers that pick up the plaudits for the Classic ones. He's PERHAPS, amid all the brilliant openers and closers, not yet written a story that most would agree was up there with the best.

With Stolen Earth, that may have just changed.

[Kaybee Bailey]

Not sure if it's been mentioned elsewhere, but if anyone is desperate to ask the man himself anything before his showrunning tenure ends, the Beeb site is doing Q&A here.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Haha, I wonder how many "why don't you just f*** off and die!" comments will get filtered out before they get to him.

[Carol Baynes]

Haha, I wonder how many "why don't you just f*** off and die!" comments will get filtered out before they get to him.

I'm sure most people wouldn't send such a distasteful comment; no matter how much someone might dislike his creative decisions.
Unless you're thinking of sending some?!

[Milky Tears]

I'm still disgusted that Tim needed a list of stories and writers.

Ban him from PS!!

[Dirk Gently]

I told you I'm not a proper fan, I don't know the sequence of stories to the previous 26 seasons so I'm not likely to know the last 4 am I?

[Wayne]

I told you I'm not a proper fan, I don't know the sequence of stories to the previous 26 seasons so I'm not likely to know the last 4 am I?

A shocking admission Tim! Ralph & i can get away with because we're just the Evil Uncles of Pertweedom, but you?!!