Dr Who

He left because the show's future is very doubtful. No way an actor (especially one on the way to global recognition) would bank on it. The show's future is in doubt because Disney got nothing from it in return for their finamcial outlay. (The BBC have no money and can't afford the show's costs on their own any longer.) Disney got nothing from it because those running Who began writing it exclusively for themselves and their bluesky-type bubble, not the general public. Hence the show is as popular with the public as a fart in a spacesuit! (Streamer platforms like Disney expect decent viewer numbers far more than the beeb does.)

Who was always somewhat niche, but at its best it took the wider public's toleramce with it with a good-natured quirkiness. Lectures every week are not good-natured, they're sneery. And that's what Who became... sneery and intolerant of any naunced views; ironic in a show that previously had always stood for the exact opposite. It needs to go away for a while and come back run by people more tolerant to its original nature.

It needs a total re - think from those who write downwards, the only way who could survive if it was written by people with a deep love of the show as it once was and a deep love of science fiction. Whoever now takes the show on needs to insist on the messaging to stop and concentrate on making it a proper science fiction show, but now having read your post Shandy I fear there is very little appetite left for it and there is no room for it on screen anymore.

(01-06-2025 10:58 )KerrAvon Wrote:  ^You could say so, although depends by what metric I guess. Colin Baker only had 2 full seasons too, although had his first story at end of Davison's last season. Paul McGann only had the one story/movie (untill a webisode years later). Was he essentially the Doctor until the reboot years laters?

That got me thinking - did they ever do a regeneration from him as the Doctor to Christopher Ecclestone - or not?

(03-06-2025 19:24 )lovebabes56 Wrote:  did they ever do a regeneration from him as the Doctor to Christopher Ecclestone - or not?

Paul McGann regenerated to John Hurt, John Hurt regenerated to Christopher Eccleston.

The Season 2 finale as well as the rest of season was filmed a year ago. Apparently the ending wasn’t the original ending and was reshot, there is picture currently doing the rounds which you can easily find. The person the doctor regenerates into (not spoiling in case no one has seen it yet ) apparently was shot recently. As I said in my previous post it’s looking more and more like he left because of the uncertain future of the show.
There’s possibly tell tale signs of the reshoots look at Rubys hair when she’s in the Tardis with the Doctor and Belinda but check her when they arrive back Unit and notice her hair is different lol.

Well, where to start with this...

I doubt Piper is going to be the next Doctor. Looks more like something they've cooked up in a hurry, to buy them time, when Gatwa quit. When (if) they choose a new Doctor, Piper will probably turn out to be a 'glitch' in the regeneration.

Next, the Whoniverse... Doesn't exactly trip off the tongue. Whoever thought that one up wants firing. Why didn't they just call it the Whoverse?

Anyway, to create a 'verse' franchise you need more stuff going on. Different shows with crossovers etc. The ironic thing is, they had that years ago with Torchwood, Class, and The SJ Adventures. But that's all gone now.

I think to appeal to a streaming audience, the show needs more bite to it. Bit more kick-ass of the baddies. Saw a flash of that with the Doctor in one of the episodes, but it didn't sit right.
To move forward into the streaming age, they need a companion that can take care of the kick-ass stuff. Leaving the Doctor to just do the Doctor stuff, if that makes sense.
Katherine Kelly's character, Quill, from Class would be ideal.

I'd like to say, I hope Gatwa doesn't let the door hit him on the way out. But in all fairness it was probably the writing that let him down as much as anything.

Mixed news:

https://www.doctorwho.tv/news-and-featur...al-in-2026

RTD's coming back... Disney isnae.

Today is the 10 year anniversary of the masterpiece Heaven Sent.

(28-11-2025 19:04 )southsidestu Wrote:  Today is the 10 year anniversary of the masterpiece Heaven Sent.

BBC3 has been repeating Matt Smith' 1st series on Saturday nights over the last few weeks, and reached the excellent closer "The Big Bang" this week, which I still enjoyed.

Unpromising spin off "The War Between The Land and The Sea" starts next Sunday night, with further eps on further Sundays.