Re: Doctor Who
 

I don't see that mentioned on the BBC press release, just that she's been cast in the show.

But even with the other media references to her being trans, what 'box' does that tick in regards to her acting ability or fit within the show?

Re: Doctor Who
 

Only the BBC can ultimately answer that.

As I read somewhere ;

After 60 years its suddenly a female doctor, then a black (possibly gay) doctor, then a trans companion, not to mention a glut of in your face woke episodes - so yes, its looks remarkibly like another box ticking exercise.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Our society includes women, people of colour and people who are trans so it should be unsurprising that some actors from those groups end up in popular TV shows.

The fact that it's not and is seen to be 'box ticking' isn't a positive.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Or is it just that white people have decided that if anyone of different race, gender or sexual orientation get acting jobs instead of white males that it's 'box ticking'.

Messages have always been part of TV programs. Going right back to 60s Star Trek. However people were not as 'woke' back then so the messages didn't seem as in your face, but watching them now it's fairly obvious, same even for kids programs like He-Man and Captain Planet.

Re: Doctor Who
 

You can spin it as much as you want, its a clear BBC box ticking exercise.

How will it pan out with viewers, well that remains to be seen.
It quickly tanked under Chibnall - ultimately logging its lowest ever viewer figures.
Since RTD is back in charge, I'm hoping it will improve, it cant really get much worse.

(We wont see the 14th season until November 2023, so a long way off yet).

Re: Doctor Who
 

Depends how good an actor he is I guess and how good the stories are. Never seen him his acting so will give the guy a chance. If anything bit too young for me but that might be me getting older... Skin colour , expecially for aliens is irrelevant.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Matt Smith was younger when he got the job.

Re: Doctor Who
 

I don't think viewers will care that much, they probably won't notice anyway since they are not playing a trans character. Same with when people were 'worried' the BBC might cast Olly Alexander as the Doctor because he was gay.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Mostly this.
Much of the last three series have been poor, the first was largely in your face PC, applied with a sledge hammer, the next series changing the entire history/backstory of the doctor for no reason, and the last series was just incomprehensible garbage. The "Doctor" has become a babbling narrator who spends far too much time wielding a "sonic".

See above.
If the stories are great, and the doctor [and companions] are played well, then yes, viewers will happy (inc me). If it carries on being poor, they will care, and blame the choices - much like many did with Capaldi, I didnt mind him, my wife didnt like him as the doctor. JFYI, both she (and my mum) think Jodi has been a very poor doctor, and both gave up even trying to understand "the flux".

Re: Doctor Who
 

Most won't notice or care because they're watching something else now

Re: Doctor Who
 

The Daleks paid a visit to Radio 3 yesterday evening:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0018ypk

Re: Doctor Who
 

Have there ever been any black daleks in Dr Who?

Re: Doctor Who
 

Yep.

https://www.cableforum.uk/images/local/2022/07/2.jpg

Re: Doctor Who
 

I think that's one of 1960s unofficial Peter Cushing film Daleks , does it count? 🤔

Transgender daleks are the latest thing , coming soon ;)

Re: Doctor Who
 

Many, many times.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Interesting. I didn't recall ever seeing any, but the other day someone said that his sister had a black Dalek toy in approximately 1967.

Apparently, it's catchphrase was "Don't-touch- my-bumps!" rather than the usual "Ex-ter-min-ate!".

I had wondered if this change of colour and catchphrase was to get out of needing permission from and paying licensing fees to the BBC.

Re: Doctor Who
 

The final Jodie special (The Power of the Doctor) will air in 2 weeks, on Sunday 23rd October 2022.

Re: Doctor Who
 

https://google.com/search?client=fir...&q=Gold+Darlek

Gold Darlek

Re: Doctor Who
 

I think you mean Dalek ;)

Re: Doctor Who
 

Enjoyable end to the Whitaker era. Plenty of Easter eggs and past doctors.


New arrangement announced today that means BBC will be the broadcaster for UK and Ireland. Disney plus will have the rest of the world.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Needs a reboot.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Every new Doctor is basically a reboot.

Re: Doctor Who
 

I think it needs a change in tone to refresh itself. Basically a reinvention of what the show is. Even when they change Doctors it always has that kind of goofiness going on that has been run into the ground at this point.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Well I finally got to see last weeks special (was busy last weekend).

It was nice to see a lot of old faces, both doctor and companions (Ace was one of my favourites, as was Jo Grant). I also liked Graham, it was a shame he left.

Overall, I didnt think it was too bad as an episode, good to see Daleks being evil again, as well as Cybermen (who finally ditched that weird gold problem) and the Master being properly evil again. The best part, of course, was the departure of Jodie. She has been a complete disaster IMO, and clearly the makers seem to think so, they have resorted to pulling in Tennant to try and revive its fortunes - before the black guy takes over in 2024 (or possibly in an Xmas Special at the end of 2023).

I still think he was chosen purely as yet another "inclusive" token (a trend thats infecting and killing all shows) - but that said, I will see how it goes, he may turn out to be great. He cant be any worse than the last one.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Well look at The Master, Missy and the current Master are excellent. I don't see why The Doctor can't do the same.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Doctor Who will have no ‘gap years’ on Disney+

Russell T Davies commits to shorter annual series with Ncuti Gatwa

https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/inter...rce=Newsletter

Re: Doctor Who
 

Paywalled. Can you post an excerpt?

Re: Doctor Who
 

That's the only excerpt I have as a non subscriber

Re: Doctor Who
 

I think this link may give all the information behind the broardcastnow paywall.


https://www.cinemablend.com/streamin...-and-im-pumped

Re: Doctor Who
 

Also this seems to be the same information

https://thedirect.com/article/disney...-episode-count

Season 14 (in 2024) will consist of 8 episodes (plus there will be 4 specials before it, for the 60th anniversary in late 2023).

There will be a yearly Christmas special again.

Thanx Paul,it is the same basic info........

Re: Doctor Who
 

The Disney deal may turn out to be the best thing that’s happened to Doctor Who since the 2005 relaunch. The show’s original run was always at the mercy of capricious executives at the BBC who didn’t feel any sense of ownership of, or obligation towards, something whose success was entirely not their own doing. It suffered interference throughout the mid-late 80s, leading to inconsistent scheduling and reduced production quality, with the inevitable loss of ratings that are then used as a pretext to fully cancel any popular old show that just won’t go away.

There have been too many early signs of similar happening to Who over the past 3-5 years for my liking. Series have got shorter, it’s moved around the schedules, the Christmas special was moved to new year, a position in the season schedules from which it is far easier to drop something entirely (as has now happened), and stunt-casting (Bradley Walsh paid off, more or less, but I don’t think John Bishop did. Great comedian, but as he himself said, ‘middle aged scouse comic’ is the limit of his range).

With Disney paying what’s rumoured to be an absolute king’s ransom for the RotW distribution rights, come certain obligations. The mouse will expect to see a substantial chunk of that money going on increased production values (which, to be fair, are still pretty high on this series), but most of all to satisfy their own streaming drop schedules they will have insisted on the very consistent scheduling that RTD is now promising. There has been an alignment of the stars here - I have no doubt Davies will have wanted predictable, ongoing scheduling (and a Christmas special), but Disney’s backing will have made it non-negotiable.

I have yet to understand what the heck it is they currently do that makes a gap year a necessity, when they can churn out crap like Casualty on a weekly basis and American studios can produce popular sci fi like the Stargate franchise at a rate of 20+ episodes per year (often many more once the spin-offs began) for 14 years.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Teaser Trailer for 2023.

Re: Doctor Who
 

The appearance of Tennant has gotten me properly hyped. Skipped the entirety of Whittaker but admittedly I started to wane off by the end of Capaldi.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Trailer for the three 2023 specials.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Thanks for the link Paul. Really looking forward to watching the 3 specials in November.

I just hope the new Dr Who's arrival in a Christmas special with Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson’s new companion, Ruby Sunday is as good as I hope. Fingers crossed that they have got the castings right this time.

Re: Doctor Who
 

The writing was the main issue rather than casting

Gracious Paul :)

Re: Doctor Who
 

Indira Varma cast in the forthcoming series.

https://variety.com/2023/global/glob...es-1235624006/

Her character name is given by the BBC press office as ‘The Duchess’ and according to RTD “ A whole new audience will be hiding behind the settee when the Duchess unleashes her terror.”

The Duchess is an English translation of Rani (which is Hindi). In fact I bet when the show starts she’s not called the Duchess at all; this is probably just a cover so they can announce a star casting without giving away the returning villain. Although it’s not a very good one …

Re: Doctor Who
 

Bonnie Langford will return as Melanie Bush in an adventure with the new (15th) Doctor. :erm:

Re: Doctor Who
 

The rumour mill has it that RTD is trying to get a UNIT spinoff into production and that Bonnie Langford will also be in that, if it happens, along with Gemma Redgrave and possibly others who have been seen associated with UNIT since the 2005 revival.

I think if the character of Mel is well written and Langford is well-directed, she could do well. She was sorely let down by lazy production last time round. Early on (in the Terror of the Vervoids segment of the Trial of a Time Lord) she showed a willingness to dive in, investigate, and generally show agency. But as soon as it hit the fan they reverted to having her just scream at the top of her lungs. I’m pretty sure they won’t go in for that now.

Re: Doctor Who
 

New trailer ;

Re: Doctor Who
 

Great stuff. I see UNIT appointed Tony Stark as architect of their new London base. :D. A subtle nod at all the Disney cash they have to spend these days, I’m sure.

Re: Doctor Who
 

WOW

Re: Doctor Who
 

Should have just kept David Tennant as the Doctor. I'd probably still watch it.

Re: Doctor Who
 

He was one of the best overall, and the best of the more recent bunch.

Sadly they ruined it with the last PC choice.
Having ticked off the "female" box, they have now gone for ticking off the "coloured" box.
I expect the next one will be a "non binary" doctor (assuming it even survives that long).

I will give Gatwa a chance of course, but after the disaster of Whittaker, I wont be so willing to make a long chance, esp if its more dumb woke stories trying to preach to me.

Re: Doctor Who
 

All 800 episodes of classic Who going on iPlayer from 1 Nov (apart from the first story which they don't have the rights for some arcane reason).
https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a45558...ayer-episodes/

That's the next couple of years sorted :)

Never did take to the new stuff post Tennant.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Tom Baker was one of my favourites.

Re: Doctor Who
 

and also except the episodes they have lost. ;)

---------- Post added at 20:57 ---------- Previous post was at 20:55 ----------

Re: Doctor Who
 

Call me a dinosaur but I just couldn’t get onboard with a female Dr and I make no apologies for it.

I have no issue with the Dr being any ethnicity whatsoever and I would be willing to give Gatwa a watch, but I fear the wokery will be overwhelming. I’ll take my steer from reviews on here.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Return confirmed for SATURDAY 25 November.

https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/25/docto...nnant-19721454

Re: Doctor Who
 

I think that was pretty much a given already, considering its original air date was Nov 23rd. :)

---------- Post added at 00:59 ---------- Previous post was at 00:54 ----------

A new (well, updated) theme tune as well.

https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho/sta...28794630717704

Re: Doctor Who
 

Not bad, but the 1963 version was better. ;)

Re: Doctor Who
 

First one i watched in a long while, pretty good

Re: Doctor Who
 

Really enjoyed it and loved the take on the Star Beast. Was such a great comic.

New TARDIS interior is gorgeous.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Do Disney ONLY have the international distribution rights or do they have a hand in production as well? I heard the production values would go up as a result of the Disney deal but have since heard Disney have nothing to do with the making of the show.

Or was it a precondition of the distribution deal that 'x' amount of the money has to go to improve production values?

Re: Doctor Who
 

The final tile on the end credits looks like this:

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/atta...1&d=1701039373

Which sort of implies Disney is acknowledged as having a role in the commissioning of the series rather than simply being a buyer of the distribution rights. Whatever the strict legal arrangement I think it’s inconceivable that they would put that much money into it and not expect to see it being used in the production.

And it is - the FX budget on yesterday’s episode is reported to have been equivalent to an entire season’s FX budget from the last time Tennant was the Doctor.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Also, FX has moved in in the last 13 years, in reduction in cost and ease of production

Re: Doctor Who
 

They have international distribution rights and have contributed toward the budget
However they have no say in the shows content

Re: Doctor Who
 

I love the new clean/white Tardis look. :)

On the whole I enjoyed this episode/special.
Certainly far more than the previous few seasons.
I did cringe at the blatent woke dig near the end, but it didnt spoil it overall. 6/10. :tu:

Re: Doctor Who
 

I have it recorded, but not watched it yet as all the chatter i have heard has said that it pushes the pro-noun police at you.

but as it's Tennant, I may still watch it.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Personally I didn't think anything was pushed at you. It was just there as part of the story. Some people are just scared of topics that are current and fairly important.

Re: Doctor Who
 

They did, actually. In Donna’s mum’s house, talking to the Meep, the Doctor addresses Meep as ‘he’ and gets a short sharp rebuke from Rose for the 21st century ‘crime’ of assuming someone’s gender. There then follows what can only be described as a template for making introductions and pronoun discovery as preferred by the trans lobby. If you watch the companion show on BBC3 (can’t remember what it’s called now, used to be Doctor Who Confidential years ago) there is a whole segment interviewing RTD and the actor playing Rose in which RTD states quite openly that his aim in doing this story with this character is to ‘normalise’ the trans lobby’s world view in public discourse.

Thankfully the episode is so good it’s possible to just roll your eyes at that segment and enjoy the rest of it for what it is - the best show-runner of the modern era, with the best Doctor/companion combination of the modern era, with a Disney-sized budget and an hour long running time.

Re: Doctor Who
 

I think it was deliberate to make the swivel eyed loons heads explode, as well as being good fun. It succeeded in both :)

Re: Doctor Who
 

Maybe I'm just ok with things and can accept that people have different thoughts and feeling and it's just a bit of respect to treat someone how they expect or wish to be addressed.

I mean if your name was Simon and people kept calling you Frank I'm sure you get pretty annoyed and fed up. This is similar to that. Referring to someone as them/they if they want shouldn't be a big deal.

So in my eyes nothing is forced forced on you or shoved in your face. It just part of the story talking about issues that trans people face everyday. If people have issues with that then surely that's their mindset that's the problem and not what the show is making reference to.

Re: Doctor Who
 

I don't have a problem with that stuff but it was ham-fisted in its delivery, same later when they were saying the Doctor would 'get it' if he was still a woman. I am very much a 'show, don't tell' when it comes to politics in film and television. If you want to make a point then tell it via the story and construction rather than have a character literally deliver the message via a line of dialogue only tangentially related to the story.

In the line mentioned, there is little reason for the Doctor to 'assume' the gender of the thingy. Just have him use 'They' rather than have the family, only moments after coming into contact with an alien lifeform, be bizarrely transfixed on the pronoun used to refer to them. It takes you out of it.

Re: Doctor Who
 

It was the teans character delivering the line though, so that made a bit more sense. Would have been weirder coming from someone else IMO.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Or maybe you have a tendency to accept things uncritically that ought to be questioned and not taken at face value.

There is a world of difference between being polite to someone on the one hand, and on the other, accepting without evidence or debate, that the whole basis on which we understand human existence has changed. The actor Yasmin Finney is a biological male who has ‘transitioned’ - apparently with the help of hormones and possibly surgery, I don’t know - and for all I know has had that change legally recognised as well. You’re right, it would be needlessly antagonistic and rude to find out the name on Yasmin’s birth certificate and use it instead of ‘Yasmin’. I’d never do that and I doubt many people would.

However, if I were in a group chat including her, and referred to her as ‘she’ while talking to someone else in the chat, I’d bet real money that she wouldn’t object to my using female pronouns in reference to her, without having explicitly checked that with her first - even though, in the Doctor Who scene I referred to above, that is exactly what RTD postulated via a line of dialogue given to the character, Rose Noble.

The problem we have as a society is that thus far, the trans lobby’s ‘no debate’ strategy has only really been deployed in the sorts of liberal circles where their cause was always likely to be accepted as a progressive one without much critical analysis. We are however at the point where people with well grounded, competing philosophies of human existence are going to start asking where such heinous crimes as ‘misgendering’ have sprung from, and why, in a supposedly open, liberal democracy, something so fundamental as this should be off limits for proper debate.

Re: Doctor Who
 

With all this wokeism we are having rammed down our throats we are witnessing the fall of the Roman Empire

To be honest this is the sort of thing that was always going to happen in a period of essentially extended peace. Society has nothing to worry about come complacent and now has to find something to worry about.

Imagine if some real threat to world peace started. Once the existing armed forces were deployed and started to suffer casualties this country would fall in a very short period of time. All the while seeing the woke lying down in a dark room

Re: Doctor Who
 

Apologies for steering the conversation down this rabbit hole.

Incidentally, I agree entirely with what Chris has said, and I'll also take his advice and watch it, and ignore the scene in question.

Re: Doctor Who
 

There are two, the one Chris mentioned, and the one I mentioned near the end.

Like I said, cringeworthy, but just about ignorable overall.

I'm just hoping they dont overdo this in every story, otherwise I'm going to give up on the latest Mr Woke doctor before it even gets off the ground.

Re: Doctor Who
 

I do remember covering how 'woke' brought down the Roman Empire in GCSE History. The parallels are uncanny.

Re: Doctor Who
 

“Nero fiddles while Rome burns”

We are all just stood watching the fall of our society and doing nothing to stop it

Re: Doctor Who
 

The same thing was said in the 20s, the 50s, the 60s, the 70s, et al…

Every generation bemoans the following ones…

Re: Doctor Who
 

But each time it gets worse and worse and worse.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Re: Doctor Who
 

Well.

You hire Neil Patrick Harris, you get Neil Patrick Harris.

That was epic.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Epic, scary, fun and also I'm still unsure on that ending it was mad.

Re: Doctor Who
 

I think all those coy comments from Tennant about whether he’d ever come back again have now been supplied some crucial context.

There’s an unresolved plot thread there, and I predict we’ll be seeing him again at the end of the next full series in 2024.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Well that was a lot better than last week (which was dull and boring).

Two doctors existing at the same time, thats new (long term anyway).
Why did no one notice he was in his underwear, and offer him some trousers ....

Lots of references to old events and characters (not sure they were all necessary).
Almost ruined by yet another bloody musical element, fortunately over pretty quick.

Re: Doctor Who
 

So The Master will be back. I wonder who picked up the tooth. Could it be the same woman who picked up his ring many moons ago ?? although I dunno how she would have got there

Re: Doctor Who
 

That was his wife who died. I think it could possibly be the Rani(maybe). They would have had to be floating in mid air.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Just watched it, undoubtedly the best of the three.

It was great, right up until the new Doctor appeared. It was a bit on the nose that the new gay doctor should spend his air time running around with no trousers and tighty whities.

I stopped watching mid-way through Calpaldi, as it had just got boring. I didn’t watch Whitaker because I just didn’t like her as the doctor or her companions.

Tenant coming back has only reaffirmed, to me that those that came after weren’t as good but Smith did do a good job and came close.

I’ll give the new Doctor a go, see what happens.

Re: Doctor Who
 

15 being in boxers wasn't because the actor or character is gay. The outfit 14 had on was split between the two of them. 14th Doctor kept the undershirt, waistcoat, trousers and socks. 15 got the shirt and tie and shoes.

Re: Doctor Who
 

I know how it was split, but my assessment remains the same.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Xmas Teaser.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Already triggered that it is called the "Holiday" special and not the "Christmas" Special.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Doesn’t take much, then… ;)

That’s the Disney+ wording - the Radio Times still calls it a Christmas Special, as does the BBC…

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi...-release-date/

https://youtu.be/AMaz8rC-HAg?si=XbIhUKRRL58_S0WW

https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/arti...h-on-ruby-road

In fact, I’m not sure the BBC have used the "Christmas" word enough, as it’s only mentioned 13 times on the webpage…

(make that 18 times, if you include links at the bottom of the page…)

Re: Doctor Who
 

That's the American Disney+ trailer. The UK BBC trailer is definitely the Christmas special.

Re: Doctor Who
 

I’m surprised the BBC and Disney haven’t agreed to implement region blocking on their YouTube material, especially as the approach to marketing the show itself (as well as Christmas specials in general) is so much different in the US.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Only going off what was posted.

Shame for our American cousins that Disney doesn’t like Christmas.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Disney likes Christmas just fine. People consume a lot of Disney product at this time of year. It makes them much moolah.

As with many things, the phrase ‘happy holidays’ is just a consequence of a language naturally developing and diverging from its roots. They say sidewalk, we say pavement. We say Christmas, they say holidays, which is derived from the Old English for holy days and has been in the language since the 16th century.

In American usage it tends to include advent (itself a thing in the Christian religious calendar) and has come to include non Christian religious festivals that also occur in November-December, principally Hanukkah which is Jewish.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Ive worked with Americans for almost 30 years and in my experience they have always referred to it as "Happy Holidays", and dont make as much fuss about Christmas as we do (they treat Thanks-giving much like we do Xmas, with family get-togethers, and traditional meal, and often taking the week off, not just the two days national holiday).

Re: Doctor Who
 

Great Christmas special. . Goblins were really creepy. Good cameos and an excellent song. The new doctor and companion look like they are going to give us some fun adventures. Roll on May 24

Re: Doctor Who
 

It was great to finally have the Christmas specials back. Fun episode and really interesting that they are clearly setting up a big running plot through out the next series.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Really enjoyed it, but had to watch it twice thanks to annoying relatives who talked loudly over the whole thing. Retreated to my room with iPad and iPlayer and had my second screening immediately after the first.

The falling snowman scene and the dialogue between the Doctor and the polis was excellent - also, apparently, it was filmed as a pickup almost a year after principal photography was complete because Disney requested an earlier and clearer introductory scene for the Doctor. Interesting for those of us who are wondering what level of creative input Disney’s money comes with.

Re: Doctor Who
 

I don't think they have a full on final say on the scripts or what goes in to it. However I think they can suggest changes if they think it will help the story or editing etc. Most shows will have early cuts or edits that get improved and changed before the final broadcast edit.

Yeah they shot that about 4-6 months ago as initially people thought it was for next years Christmas episode.

The Disney budget injection really shows and the CGI and practical effects are a massive leap over previous years.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Interesting start, baby eating monsters, quite a dark theme really.
Certainly a ok start (aside from the musical bit, why does everyone have to spoil episodes like this).
So far they seem a good team up, but I like Ruby a lot more than I like the [new] Doctor, maybe he'll grow on me.

Theories ?
The old woman is an alien (time lord ? master ?).
She may also be (or know) the woman who dropped Ruby off 19 years ago ?

Re: Doctor Who
 

I think maybe the Rani. However I feel she is definitely the one who waits who was referred in the specials.

Re: Doctor Who
 

Doubt it is the Rani...