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Doctor Who - Series 9

Started by Replies From View, January 05, 2015, 01:05:09 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Deanjam

Quote from: Replies From View on January 07, 2015, 09:53:31 PM
Don't worry - in about ten years Doctor Who will be written mostly by people who think the very core of the show was the tenth Doctor and Rose being in love.


BritishHobo

I'm sure there are candidates out there though. If we were talking non-Brit writers as well, then sci-fi/fantasy writer Seanan McGuire is someone I'd trust to put out a great original episode that captures the spirit of the show.

biggytitbo

They almost always go with people who are seasoned tv script writers (Gaiman is the only exception and he had to have his hand held) though, so that rules out a lot of these suggestions. We might get one Gaiman every few years at best, simply because they don't have the time to indulge someone as they hit the learning curve of writing something as rock hard as a doctor who tv episode. I guess that's why Moffat loves hacks like Gatiss and Chibnal so much.

olliebean

I'd be happy not to see another one from Gaiman, frankly; look at the stinker he delivered on his second try, without the extra year of hand holding and the dozen rewrites to get it right.

Replies From View

Quote from: olliebean on January 08, 2015, 08:12:33 AM
I'd be happy not to see another one from Gaiman, frankly; look at the stinker he delivered on his second try, without the extra year of hand holding and the dozen rewrites to get it right.

Same here.

Norton Canes

Instead of one-off celebrity contributors, I'd rather have a core team of four or five decent, seasoned TV hacks write a whole series (and more) as a co-operative effort. That way we'd get some consistency of both tone and narrative across the stories, rather than the wildly fluctuating quality of most seasons. And I'd honestly like to see some US small-screen scriptwriters brought in in that capacity. Yeah, I know it's not how we 'do things' over here, but I reckon the whole production process needs a shake-up.

Any directors that people would like to see on board? I've always wanted Chris Cunningham to have a go at a few episodes (though he doesn't seem to have done much film or video work lately).

Attila

I wonder what a contribution from Margaret Atwood would be like.

Bingo Fury

Quote from: Norton Canes on January 08, 2015, 09:33:16 AM
Instead of one-off celebrity contributors, I'd rather have a core team of four or five decent, seasoned TV hacks write a whole series (and more) as a co-operative effort. That way we'd get some consistency of both tone and narrative across the stories, rather than the wildly fluctuating quality of most seasons. And I'd honestly like to see some US small-screen scriptwriters brought in in that capacity. Yeah, I know it's not how we 'do things' over here, but I reckon the whole production process needs a shake-up.

Yeah, I read an article by a journalist who'd spent some time in the Breaking Bad writers' room, where the writers who were assigned to each individual episode got together to not only bounce around ideas which had to be strong enough to stand up to the collective scrutiny of all the talent in the room (with not even the showrunner being exempt) but to work out the pacing for all the various strands and sub-plots for the season - and my immediate thought was of how much benefit that approach could be to Doctor Who. I really do respect Moffat a lot, and his episodes are some of my favourites, but as far as plotting an entire season goes he could really do with the extra rigour that the perspective of several seasoned TV writers could bring.

biggytitbo

Quote from: Norton Canes on January 08, 2015, 09:33:16 AM
Instead of one-off celebrity contributors, I'd rather have a core team of four or five decent, seasoned TV hacks write a whole series (and more) as a co-operative effort. That way we'd get some consistency of both tone and narrative across the stories, rather than the wildly fluctuating quality of most seasons. And I'd honestly like to see some US small-screen scriptwriters brought in in that capacity. Yeah, I know it's not how we 'do things' over here, but I reckon the whole production process needs a shake-up.


It's a difficult one this. Part of the great appeal of Doctor Who is it is almost an anthology show, each episode is meant to be different - different genre, setting, cast, style. It must be very hard to keep the quality consistent, as well as retaining some common tonal and stylistic elements to stop it becoming completely disconnected and inconsistent.


I just don't think Moffat has ever got this balance right. Nor did RTD really, but you always felt there was a much stronger overall consistency across all the elements with him, even down to the design of the monsters. He was willing to go in and almost do page 1 rewrites of other peoples scripts too, if they weren't up to snuff. I think the job is too much for one man, certainly too much for Moffat.


But having said all of that, hasn't inconsistency always been the way with Who? Can it really be anything else without removing whats so great about it?

Replies From View

But Doctor Who could have an "era of consistency" and still be, on the whole, an inconsistent show because it's always changing.

biggytitbo

Radio times are doing a 10 year anniversary poll for best episode http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-01-08/what-is-the-best-doctor-who-episode-of-the-modern-era

What would your best of each series be? Yes because you asked, here is mine -

Series 1 - Empty Child/Doctor Dances
Series 2 - Impossible Planet/Satan Pit
Series 3 - Blink
Series 4 - Turn Left
Series 5 - Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang
Series 6 - Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon
Series 7 - Angels Take Manhatten
Series 8 - Kill the Moon



Replies From View

Imagine somebody picking 'Kill the Moon' as their favourite episode of series 8!!

Deanjam

Quote from: biggytitbo on January 08, 2015, 07:50:39 PM
What would your best of each series be?

Oooh a list!

1. The Empty Child
2. The Girl in the Fireplace
3. Utopia
4. I don't really care for any of this season, but the Moffat 2 parter is the best of a bad bunch.
5. Amy's Choice (best New-Who episode)
6. The Doctor's Wife
7. Asylum of the Daleks
8. Mummy on the Orient Express

Thomas

Quote from: biggytitbo on January 08, 2015, 07:50:39 PM
What would your best of each series be?

Series 1 - Moffat's two-parter is right up there, but I'm very fond of The Parting of the Ways. Actually, Father's Day is better. I don't bloody know, alright?
Series 2 - I think the 'Satan' two-parter is a great bunch, but I'm opting for The Girl in the Fireplace.
Series 3 - Blink, with Cornell's story a close second. And Utopia remains eminently watchable for its ending.
Series 4 - Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
Series 5 - The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang.
Series 6 - The Impossible Astronaut/The Day of the Moon, though The Doctor's Wife, The Girl Who Waited, and The God Complex are tough contenders.
Series 7 - Does The Day of the Doctor fit here? If not, probably Hide or Ayslum of the Daleks.
Series 8 - Mummy on the Orient Express

Natnar

My favourites:

S1 - The Parting Of The Ways
S2 - School Reunion
S3 - Utopia
S4 - Turn Left
S5 - Amy's Choice
S6 - The Girl Who Waited
S7 - The Power Of Three
S8 - Mummy On The Orient Express

lipsink

1. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
2. The Girl in the Fireplace
3. Blink
4. Turn Left
5. Amy's Choice
6. The Impossible Astronaut/The Day of the Moon
7. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship
8. Mummy on the Orient Express

Talulah, really!


S1 - Father's Day
S2 - Love & Monsters
S3 - Blink
S4 - The Unicorn and the Wasp
Specials including Christmas Ones[nb]Excluding the 50th[/nb]- The Waters of Mars
S5 - Vincent and the Doctor
S6 - The Doctor's Wife
S7 - The Crimson Horror
S8 - In the Forest of the Night

Replies From View

Quote from: Talulah, really! on January 08, 2015, 09:27:44 PM
S8 - In the Forest of the Night

Time for me to get my eyes tested, I reckon.

Bingo Fury

S1 - The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (though it's great to see some love for Parting Of The Ways and Father's Day)
S2 - The Girl In The Fireplace
S3 - Blink
S4 - Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead (Midnight's the better story, but all those wonderful Doctor/River scenes make Silence really special for me)
S5 - The Eleventh Hour
S6 - The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon
S7 - This is a toughie as it's the first season where nothing stood head and shoulders above the rest for me. Enjoyed aspects of Asylum, Snowmen, Angels & Day Of The Doctor.
S8 - Listen (seeing as how everyone else is saying Mummy, which is also brilliant, of course. Joint best?)

1. Father's Day
2. The Girl in the Fireplace
3. Human Nature/The Family of Blood
4. The Unicorn and the Wasp
5. Vincent and the Doctor
6. The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People
7. Hide
8. Listen

biggytitbo

Quote from: Replies From View on January 08, 2015, 09:47:09 PM
Time for me to get my eyes tested, I reckon.


We only say these things to annoy you.

BritishHobo

1. That gas mask one, I don't even remember.
2. Fuck, I dunno - the one with the werewolf.
3. Family of Blood
4. Turn Left
5. The Pandorica Opens
6. The Doctor's Wife
7. I'm going to have to count The Snowman as series 7 for this, because fuck me, what a shite run.
8. Time Heist

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Attila on January 08, 2015, 12:19:46 PM
I wonder what a contribution from Margaret Atwood would be like.

Cold and relentlessly depressing most likely, which I'd love to see. On the strength of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell I'd love for Susannah Clarke to be given a shot too, though her work relate seems to be slower than George R Martin's so it's probably doubtful. Still, if the adaptation of the novel goes well you never know.

Quote from: olliebean on January 08, 2015, 08:12:33 AM
I'd be happy not to see another one from Gaiman, frankly; look at the stinker he delivered on his second try, without the extra year of hand holding and the dozen rewrites to get it right.

Gaiman recently went on about how much he adored the show, and that he was definitely going to write another script, but also that he's ridiculously busy right now so doesn't know when. I don't know, I think he's a bit hard done by really, yeah Nightmare In Silver was shit but I really enjoyed The Doctor's Wife, and think he deserves one more go at least. I mean, this is a show that regularly employs Chris Chibnall. What's the worst that could happen?

LIST:
1. The Parting of the Ways
2. The Girl in the Fireplace
3. Blink
4. Journey's End
5. Vincent and the Doctor
6. The Doctor's Wife
7. Struggled here too. Fuck it, The Name of the Doctor just because of the John Hurt reveal at the end.
8. Mummy On The Orient Express

Mister Six

#83
EDIT: Lists!

1. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
2. School Reunion
3. Blink
4. Midnight
5. The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone (but that season had so many great episodes - big love to The Lodger and Vincent and The Doctor in particular)
6. The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon
7. Hide
8. Listen

And did we do an Xmas ep list? Well fuck it - here's mine, in order from tippity toppermost to bum-stinky bottomest:

1- A Christmas Carol
2- The Runaway Bride
3- The Christmas Invasion
4- The Snowmen
5- The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe
6- The Next Doctor
7- The Time of The Doctor
8- Last Christmas
9- Voyage of the Damned
10- The End of Time 1&2

Quote from: pigamus on January 07, 2015, 09:44:38 PM
I'm not having a go at you, but isn't it a shame that they're all blokes? If the show is now so popular with young women, why are there so few obvious female candidates to write for it?

Not shit stirring, just genuinely curious.

Because I can't think of many female genre telly writers. Certainly not British ones. This is, I'm sure, more of a failing on my part than anyone else's.

Jane Espenson was one of the best Buffy writers after Whedon (maybe the best) but I don't know much of her other work. The other major fantasy and sci-fi figures that come to mind - Audrey Niffernegger, JK Rowling, Ursula K LeGuin, Margaret Atwood - don't strike me as quite right (well, maybe Rowling). Maybe Susannah Clarke? Though I've not read Jonathan Strange, perhaps the upcoming telly adaptation will educate me on how well her words translate to the screen.

BritishHobo

IIRC, Jane Espenson wrote a fair few episodes for the fourth season of Torchwood.

Hard to hold that against her, 'cos it was the overall story that was bollocks there, rather than any individual episode.

Norton Canes

Season 1
Nominated: Rose, The End Of The World, The Unquiet Dead, Aliens Of London/World War Three (yes, I was pleased to see the show back), Dalek, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
Winner: Dalek

Season 2
Nominated: Tooth And Claw, The Girl In The Fireplace, The Impossible Planet (but not The Satan Pit)
Winner: The Impossible Planet

Season 3
Nominated: Smith And Jones, Gridlock, Human Nature/The Family Of Blood, Blink, Utopia, The Sound Of Drums (but not Last Of The Time Lords, though I do like it)
Winner: Smith And Jones, though it's crazy that stories as good as Gridlock, Human Nature/The Family Of Blood and Blink lose out

Season 4
Nominated: Midnight
Winner: Midnight

Season 5
Nominated: The Eleventh Hour, The Time Of Angels/Flesh And Stone, Amy's Choice, Vincent And The Doctor
Winner: Amy's Choice

Season 6
Nominated: The Doctor's Wife, The Girl Who Waited, The God Complex
Winner: The God Complex

Season 7
Nominated: Asylum Of The Daleks, Power Of Three, Cold War, Hide, Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS
Winner: Hide

Season 8
Nominated: Into The Dalek, Listen, Time Heist, The Caretaker, Mummy On The Orient Express
Winner: Mummy On The Orient Express

Christmas Specials (Christmas-themed)
Nominated: The Christmas Invasion, The Next Doctor, A Christmas Carol
Winner: The Next Doctor

Other specials
Nominated: The Waters Of Mars, The Day Of The Doctor
Winner: The Day Of The Doctor

Mini-episodes
Nominated: Time Crash, The Night Of The Doctor
Winner: The Night Of The Doctor (but ain't Time Crash great?)

Mister Six

Quote from: Norton Canes on January 09, 2015, 01:49:49 PM
Winner: Dalek

Power Of Three

Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS

Time Heist

You're nuts, mate.

Nuts.

El Unicornio, mang

Series 1 - Father's Day
Series 2 - The Girl in the Fireplace
Series 3 - Blink
Series 4 - Midnight
Series 5 - The Eleventh Hour
Series 6 - The Doctor's Wife
Series 7 - Asylum of the Daleks
Series 8 - Listen

Christmas Special: Too hard to choose because I like them all. If I had to take one to a desert island with me I'd probably take The Time of the Doctor.

Kelvin

Series 1 - The Parting of The Ways
Series 2 - The Girl in the Fireplace
Series 3 - Human Nature/Family of Blood
Series 4 - Silence in The Library/Forest of The Dead
Series 5 - Time of Angels or Amy's Choice. Or The Pandorica Opens. Or The Big Bang. In retrospect, that series as a whole was a league above the rest of New Who. 
Series 6 - The Doctor's Wife
Series 7 - A Town called Mercy, or Asylum of The Daleks
Series 8 - Kill The Moon

Christmas Specials
The Christmas Invasion or The Time of The Doctor

Other Specials
The Waters Of Mars or The Day Of The Doctor

Norton Canes

Quote from: Mister Six on January 09, 2015, 02:50:59 PM
You're nuts, mate.

Nuts.

Dalek's a great episode. Perhaps not as full of bold flourishes as some of the other stories in the season, but as 'comfort Who' it squarely hits the spot. Same as Smith And Jones in season 3, which has stories that I suppose are objectively more accomplished, but none that are quite as, er... warm and fuzzy.