General : Doctor Who dumped by Disney

[Jaymoss]

Likely a good thing for the show imo

https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/...-fans-36147684

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by Jaymoss

Likely a good thing for the show imo

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business...wing%20figures.

Another way of putting it us thats its been recomissioned, for a Christmas special and new series. But the Torygraph dont like Dr Woke/the BBC.....

[Jaymoss]

changed the link as it was behind a paywall

---------- Post added at 16:31 ---------- Previous post was at 16:30 ----------

Originally Posted by Mr K

Another way of putting it us thats its been recomissioned, for a Christmas special and new series. But the Torygraph dont like Dr Woke/the BBC.....

all over the net MrK so you bias towards the Telegraph was unfounded plus it has also happened so I dunno why you felt the need to bring your agenda into it

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by Jaymoss

changed the link as it was behind a paywall

---------- Post added at 16:31 ---------- Previous post was at 16:30 ----------



all over the net MrK so you bias towards the Telegraph was unfounded plus it has also happened so I dunno why you felt the need to bring your agenda into it

Agenda ? Are we having a meeting?

Originally Posted by Mr K

Another way of putting it us thats its been recomissioned, for a Christmas special and new series. But the Torygraph dont like Dr Woke/the BBC.....

Hardly.

Disney did the tie up because of what they *thought* they were getting. We all know what that is. Doctor Who has had a following in the States since Tom Baker’s era was first shown over there. If you’re still in any doubt, consider which classic-era logo was brought back for the occasion.

What they actually got was Russel T Davies’ messiah complex, because he’s convinced himself he can use Who as a vehicle for “trans rights” in a similar way to his notable efforts in the gay rights movement with “It’s a Sin” and “Queer as Folk”.

This, I am absolutely certain, is absolutely not what Disney signed up for, and not remotely what it’s interested in, seeing as culturally, those issues sit on a significant political fault line in the USA.

Aside from any of that, “It’s been recommissioned” is just a teensy bit straw-clutchy, seeing as we’re talking about a Christmas special that won’t be screened until 14 months from now, and, presumably, a full new series which we won’t see until some undefined point well into 2027. All of this talk is smoke-and-mirrors obfuscating the fact that without Disney, the BBC has no money to start shooting any more episodes until, probably, mid-summer next year.

I suspect you and I are both old enough to remember the 18-month hiatus of 1985, when the show was ‘rested’ by Michael Grade in order to give it time to explore new blah blah blah, when was was really behind it was Grade simply not liking what the show had become and refusing to allocate any money to it that year. By Christmas next year it will have been off-air for longer than that, and for not dissimilar reasons (the people paying the piper didn’t like the tune).

[Taf]

The Doctor and his Tardis became regular visitors around here, to the point that even the kids didn't give it a second glance.

I used to love the show, as did my wife, but recent seasons just ruined it to the point we stopped watching it.

[Stephen]

I wouldn't say dumped by Disney at all. They were only ever in contract for 2 seasons and the UNIT spin off. Since those are done they didn't have any obligation to renew or continue.

Of course they dumped it.
If the show had been what they wanted, and a success, they would have been more than happy to sign up for more.
It wasnt, and they didnt.

Its UK viewing figures hit a new all time low as well.

Originally Posted by Stephen

I wouldn't say dumped by Disney at all. They were only ever in contract for 2 seasons and the UNIT spin off. Since those are done they didn't have any obligation to renew or continue.

As Paul said - successful TV shows get recommissioned. Successful creative partnerships get extended. They had near-worldwide distribution rights and (subtle) creative influence over the longest running, and one of the most recognisable, sci-fi franchises in the world. Be in no doubt, they haven’t walked away simply because an initial agreement expired. They dumped it, hard.

It's been run into the ground. They need a long break and also now to detach itself from the narrative universe built up over the last 20(?) years. Every time I watch it now, it feels tired and struggling for purpose, written without much energy.

With politics, I think the biggest problem is that it's very didactic. Sci-Fi deals better with allegory that isn't quite so in your face, but Doctor Who got to the point where the characters are literally explaining the moral of the story in the writing. I didn't watch much since Matt Smith left, but I watched the Christmas Special when Tennant came back. There is a sequence where, upon meeting an alien life form, a family is more concerned about not misgendering the alien. It takes you right out of it; you see the seams in the writing and the messaging. That's been one of the biggest problems: ham-fisted and poor writing.

Of course, the biggest problem is that they did an episode where they meet The Beatles and didn't end with a Beatles song. Unforgivable.

[Mr K]

They could do worse than getting Colin Baker back. He has availability

Originally Posted by Damien

It's been run into the ground. They need a long break and also now to detach itself from the narrative universe built up over the last 20(?) years. Every time I watch it now, it feels tired and struggling for purpose, written without much energy.

With politics, I think the biggest problem is that it's very didactic. Sci-Fi deals better with allegory that isn't quite so in your face, but Doctor Who got to the point where the characters are literally explaining the moral of the story in the writing. I didn't watch much since Matt Smith left, but I watched the Christmas Special when Tennant came back. There is a sequence where, upon meeting an alien life form, a family is more concerned about not misgendering the alien. It takes you right out of it; you see the seams in the writing and the messaging. That's been one of the biggest problems: ham-fisted and poor writing.

Of course, the biggest problem is that they did an episode where they meet The Beatles and didn't end with a Beatles song. Unforgivable.

Beatles songs are insanely expensive to licence for TV. They did at least manage to use the sustained E Major chord that concludes the Sergeant Pepper album as the means of destroying Maestro, the (again, blatant, in-your-face) drag queen from central casting they put up as the monster of the week.

Originally Posted by Chris

Beatles songs are insanely expensive to licence for TV. They did at least manage to use the sustained E Major chord that concludes the Sergeant Pepper album as the means of destroying Maestro, the (again, blatant, in-your-face) drag queen from central casting they put up as the monster of the week.

Yeah, I get why they didn't use it but still annoying. Especially when the dance routine at the end was set up for Twist and Shout.

I didn't mind the villain; I thought they played the comically evil thing quite well. It's also cheap, but I liked how they played the theme in the cold open to crash into the opening sequence.

It was by no means awful and tbf Maestro was rather better than I’d feared, but for me the whole thing was still spoiled by the fact that I *knew* RTD was doing this ‘educate the transphobic masses’ thing with this series, because he had explicitly said as much (and also because of the appalling dialogue, characterisation and casting in the previous special with Tennant and Tate and the stunt-casting of a man who thinks he’s a woman, and is there blatantly for representation and bot because he can act). As you said, too much of the messaging was too blatant and preachy. It spoiled the drama.