I’ve resisted offering an opinion on the progress of the next series of “Doctor Who”… until now! But, if true, the latest revelations on how Series Four will end just beggar belief!! For goodness sake, someone with some clout please have the courage to tell Russell T. Davies that less is more. Robert Holmes was one of the finest writers to work on the classic series of “Doctor Who” and he turned down the job of writing “The Five Doctors” twentieth anniversary story on the grounds there were too many leading characters. So, why is the new series’ lead writer now proceeding to make exactly the same error of judgment? He must know his “Who” history and yet he blunders on! Just read the following Daily Star item from a few days ago…
“Doctor Who” bosses are set to call back FOUR of the Time Lord’s favourite assistants – including Billie Piper – for a sensational showdown. The old cast members will be reunited to help the Doctor fight evil Dalek creator Davros in an explosive finale to the next series.
Leading the way in the line-up will be Billie (Piper) as Rose Tyler along with the rest of the Tyler family; they will hook up with the TARDIS traveller’s latest assistants Martha Jones and Donna Noble. Also on hand to help out the Doctor will be his old companion Sarah Jane Smith as well as “Torchwood” boss Captain Jack Harkness. Even the Time Lord’s dog K-9 will make an appearance.
The TV source said: “This is the daddy of all shows. The writer Russell T. Davies really wants to pull out all the stops for the finale next year.”
As well as the aforementioned load of old nonsense, reports also suggest the return of the Sontarans. They are too similar, in design, to the Judoon. I think the programme would fare better, next year, with an appearance from the Ice Warriors. Just a personal preference. I grew up with the series in the Sixties and thus view the Daleks, Cybermen, Ice Warriors and Yeti as the four main adversaries of the Doctor but I wouldn’t be averse to seeing the Silurians or Sea Devils again as long as the latter dump their string vests!
On the plus side, both the Christmas and Rome episodes boast strong casts. Joining David Tennant and Kylie Minogue on the Titanic, alongside Geoffrey Palmer and Clive Swift, is George Costigan. I recently rewatched him in a rerun of P. D. James’s “A Mind to Murder” and thought him superb. I have fond memories of him, also, as the editor of The Jupiter newspaper in “The Barchester Chronicles”.
The Rome episode includes “The Thick of It” actor Peter Capaldi guest starring as Caecillius. I remember him as pop star Zeno opposite George Baker as Inspector Wexford in “Some Lie and Some Die”, one of “The Ruth Rendell Mysteries”. He’s joined by “Quadrophenia” and “Rose and Maloney” actor Phil Davis as Lucius. He is always terrific, never more so than in “Births, Marriages and Deaths” and, more recently, in “Bleak House”. “Howards’ Way” and “Born and Bred” actress Tracey Childs plays Metella. I remember her in the Gareth Thomas vehicle “Morgan’s Boy” and, before that, as Marianne Dashwood in an early-Eighties’ production of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility”. So, all things considered, it’s not entirely bad news!
“Doctor Who” bosses are set to call back FOUR of the Time Lord’s favourite assistants – including Billie Piper – for a sensational showdown. The old cast members will be reunited to help the Doctor fight evil Dalek creator Davros in an explosive finale to the next series.
Leading the way in the line-up will be Billie (Piper) as Rose Tyler along with the rest of the Tyler family; they will hook up with the TARDIS traveller’s latest assistants Martha Jones and Donna Noble. Also on hand to help out the Doctor will be his old companion Sarah Jane Smith as well as “Torchwood” boss Captain Jack Harkness. Even the Time Lord’s dog K-9 will make an appearance.
The TV source said: “This is the daddy of all shows. The writer Russell T. Davies really wants to pull out all the stops for the finale next year.”
As well as the aforementioned load of old nonsense, reports also suggest the return of the Sontarans. They are too similar, in design, to the Judoon. I think the programme would fare better, next year, with an appearance from the Ice Warriors. Just a personal preference. I grew up with the series in the Sixties and thus view the Daleks, Cybermen, Ice Warriors and Yeti as the four main adversaries of the Doctor but I wouldn’t be averse to seeing the Silurians or Sea Devils again as long as the latter dump their string vests!
On the plus side, both the Christmas and Rome episodes boast strong casts. Joining David Tennant and Kylie Minogue on the Titanic, alongside Geoffrey Palmer and Clive Swift, is George Costigan. I recently rewatched him in a rerun of P. D. James’s “A Mind to Murder” and thought him superb. I have fond memories of him, also, as the editor of The Jupiter newspaper in “The Barchester Chronicles”.
The Rome episode includes “The Thick of It” actor Peter Capaldi guest starring as Caecillius. I remember him as pop star Zeno opposite George Baker as Inspector Wexford in “Some Lie and Some Die”, one of “The Ruth Rendell Mysteries”. He’s joined by “Quadrophenia” and “Rose and Maloney” actor Phil Davis as Lucius. He is always terrific, never more so than in “Births, Marriages and Deaths” and, more recently, in “Bleak House”. “Howards’ Way” and “Born and Bred” actress Tracey Childs plays Metella. I remember her in the Gareth Thomas vehicle “Morgan’s Boy” and, before that, as Marianne Dashwood in an early-Eighties’ production of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility”. So, all things considered, it’s not entirely bad news!
6 comments:
Dear oh dear. What is RTD up to? He obviously desires to be written so indelibly into the DW consciousness that he's willing to risk notoriety as opposed to respect... doesn't bode well but let's wait and see...
I too am questioning RTD's judgement. Seems he wants to go for an all-out, all-star blockbuster but after the disappointment of last season's closing episodes I'm wondering if it's such a good idea and if he can realistically pull it off! It seems that old Russell is getting increasingly bedazzled by the need to pull in the ratings and go for bigger and glitzier stories, but this isn't a guarantee of quality.
You're right Tim, less is more. If so many old characters are coming back I don't know how they're going to (decently) fit them all into a (presumably) 2 x 50 minute episode season finale - it's a very tall order!
Roll on the new production team...
I can't get past the picture of Billie Piper and her nipples, maybe if you remove the pic I might be able to concentrate on the text ! :)
It stands to reason, the more people you have in the TARDIS the less dialogue each of them can have and thus, ultimately, the less character development. RTD is supposed to be a television professional and should know that by now. I think we all know, already, how it will turn out before they've even filmed a single shot!
The distraction is understandable, Andrew!!
Too right... they'd have your eye out and no mistake!
Only if you're lucky enough to get too close!
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