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20 ways to improve Doctor Who
Martin Anderson
When you love something as much as Martin, you do get a certain liberty to criticise. Here are the 20 improvements he'd make to Doctor Who...
20: Turn the music down.
Am I supposed to cry here? Ah yes, thanks, Murray – if it weren’t for that blanket wash of violins I would have been guffawing like a fool while a character I had come to care about bit the bullet.
19: Take the bullet-time out of the title-sequence.
It was old by Matrix Reloaded, and that was fecking years ago. Get that render-farm out…
18: Stop dicking around with the title sequence.
What was with that guitar business? Once the bullet-time’s out, leave the bloody thing alone.
17: Stop templating good ideas.
It’s great to unexpectedly have a tearful death scene. Trouble is with New Who, anything that proves popular gets written in as a requisite. How many more times will Donna lament the loss of this week’s character? The reason things prove popular is that they surprise us, not because they turn up on cue like a Swiss watch.
Am I supposed to cry here? Ah yes, thanks, Murray – if it weren’t for that blanket wash of violins I would have been guffawing like a fool while a character I had come to care about bit the bullet.
19: Take the bullet-time out of the title-sequence.
It was old by Matrix Reloaded, and that was fecking years ago. Get that render-farm out…
18: Stop dicking around with the title sequence.
What was with that guitar business? Once the bullet-time’s out, leave the bloody thing alone.
17: Stop templating good ideas.
It’s great to unexpectedly have a tearful death scene. Trouble is with New Who, anything that proves popular gets written in as a requisite. How many more times will Donna lament the loss of this week’s character? The reason things prove popular is that they surprise us, not because they turn up on cue like a Swiss watch.
16: Tell Tennant to STOP SHOUTING!
Are there any cheap seats amongst the Doctor Who audience? Is there a gallery to play to?
15: Don’t bring Billie Piper back.
Please. Please. Ah gwan…
14: If Donna’s off, bring back Martha.
Strewth, why did the Beeb put so little effort into Agyeman’s character and so much into Tate’s? Freema could handle it if you’d just give her a chance, as she demonstrated in The Doctor’s Daughter.
13: Bring back the Brig.
…just for an episode or a two-parter. Nicholas Courtney is always a welcome presence in Who.
12: Show an entry into the TARDIS from the outside world.
C’mon, this is the first time in TV history that such a shot would remotely be within the budget of the show. I’m talking about a running shot where the camera follows our heroes to where the Tardis is parked (ideally in the middle of nowhere) and follows them right inside to the control centre. It’s a show reel shot that would dazzle, and Who fans have been wanting to see it since before even I was born. And that’s going back in time a bit.
11: Lose the sonic screwdriver
For at least two seasons. Wouldn’t be the first time.
10: And the psychic paper too.
Lazy bastards.
9: Don’t ever tell us what the Doctor’s name really is.
Oh Gawd, this is an issue that has begun to emerge in the series, and I fear a Tiberial disappointment coming on.
8: Keep Tennant on for all of series 5.
I have an awful feeling that the semi-hiatus may find us bereft of this fine actor before he gets within reach of the Moffat era.
7: Give ‘Jenny’ her own show.
The demand for a female time-lord has bubbled and sizzled for thirty or forty years, and The Doctor’s Daughter is a cool enough character to handle it. But just one cross-over per season – Jenny OR Torchwood, not both. Let’s keep some canon sacred here.
6: Don’t ever go back to the twenties.
It sucked in Black Orchid, it sucked in The Unicorn and The Wasp and it will suck forever. But if you must, why not go back to the pre-Beveridge plight of the British working class and say something useful about post-Imperial Britain instead of tarting about in the boudoirs of the idle rich? The effete classes are as tedious in Who as in Dickens (with the exception of Lady Dedlock)
5: Skip the Daleks for an entire season. At least.
I love the Daleks, but they need a rest, poor things. Makes the heart grow fonder, y’know…
4: Do something decent with the Master.
Are all the minor portents in series 4 pointing to the hand of the Master, who returned briefly in series 3? If not, give him ONE good story in season 5.
3: Bring back the multi-part episodes.
And just call them [episode name] part 1, [Episode name] part 2, etc, so we’re all on the same page as to which story we’re talking about.
2: Slow the pace down
You virtually need a half-speed playback to follow the current pacing of the show. Only Steven Moffat’s Silence In The Library put the brakes on enough to let the audience keep up. In fact…
1: Make Steven Moffat executive producer
Ahhh, I feel a warm glow coming on…
Den Of Geek has loads of Doctor Who interviews, reviews and articles, which we have begun to index here
Users Comments
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoI'd like to see...
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Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoHow about Doctor Who Vs Aliens Vs Predator, where the predator chases Who through time, following the TARDIS onto the aliens' home world, where they're locked in a desperate struggle to stop the alien queen spawning a new, intelligent breed of aliens who would most likely conquer the galaxy...
Or maybe an entire episode of Tennant playing on a Nintendo DS? After all, Doctor Who spawned a Top Trumps deck, which was fair enough. But then some idiot converted the Doctor Who Top Trumps game to the DS, which was pathetic. We might at least let Doctor Who play the Doctor Who Top Trumps game to complete the ring of insanity. | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoGreat article!
My random thoughts:
I don't mind Billy/Rose coming back. Or Sarah for that matter. Or any of the old characters That is okay if the stories are strong.
I would like 2 or 3 part stories more often.
Brig, absolutely!
For the mid-season vacation episode, bring back an old doctor to do that one, instead of other actors filling other roles. That would be interesting. Peter Davidson or Colin Baker would be nice. Tom Baker would not do it I think. Skip Sylvestor - too goofy and we have goofy done right at the moment. Paul McGann would be excellent. Give him the opportunity to really show what he could have done.
No more Daleks or Cybermen for awhile.
Stop talking about the shadow proclamation. No one abides by it anyway, whatever it is.
No more farting aliens.
Love the Master. If done right.
Jenny! Yes. But not a kid show. Do a serious kick ass sci-fi show with a girl! We already have two kid versions (Sarah, K9).
No more torchwood involvement. Unit was better.
Tone down the sexuality bits especially in Torchwood stories. Cause your gonna do them anyway. Is everyone a hormonal teenager? Can't people be serious and adult and not flirt with every living thing. Its too one dimensional.
I'd like to see more of the inside of the Tardis.
Resolve the Time War storyline. Is Galifrey really gone?
Oh I could go on . . .
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Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoI liked the comment about Tennant shouting. He does have a tendancy to snarl a lot. It's the eyes that get me, the mad scientist eyes. He should star as Doc Brown in a Back to the Future remake. | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoI would say a good article but to be honest you just you just sound like all the other Whovians out there whining about how New Who isn't going the way you want it to.
And forgive me for saying so but Martha failed as a character in the Doctor's Daughter, mostly because of Freema's bad acting. I'm sure if the character was put in more capable hands I would have liked her, but so much falls flat because Freema can't see to grasp emotional acting the way many others are able. Her character came off as a spoiled, love sick, 13 year old for that very reason rather than the strong 'equal' character we were promised.
Tennant has hardly yelled, yes he has raised his voice but it isn't the same thing.
And Donna laments because... *gasp* she is a bloody human being. Is that really such a bad thing? Not to mention her character is much more mature than her predecessors as she is not a teenager but a woman who feels emotions.
And your qualm about the Doctor going to the 20's... completely idiotic because... He's got a rudding time machine! Sorry it can't all be ren faires and futuristic quarries. Once again, it just sounds like you're whining abot Doctor Who not doing what you want it to do.
So yes, you really really do just sound like a petulant child that's not getting their way. And quite frankly it's people like you that are really making me want to avoid articles about Doctor Who because of your inane habit of focusing on the negative aspects that seriously make me wonder why you even bother watching if all you are going to do is complain about it. | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoI did not like Martha's character and I don't really care for Donna much either. But companions are clearly hard to cast. I'd like to see two companions to play off each other and not so much of the partnership love angle. I totally agree with the music comment! Too heavy handed. | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoDefinitely stop dicking around with the theme music - from day one I thought that Murray Gold has been gilding a lily. The Delia Derbyshire version is a timeless classic which will never need any 'improvents'.
Bring back Romana from E-Space for an episode or two. I would love to see Lalla Ward back in the series - perhaps we could see her regenerate!
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Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoWe'll, like most geeks I have an over abundance of opinions when it comes to his (or her) favorite show. I like most of what you say. I like the sonic screwdriver as a metaphor, but it's a lazy plot device. Same goes for the psychic paper. And has there ever been a descent companion for the Doctor!? They're all weak willed mamby pamby morons whose sole purpose is to scream, get caught, and ask the Doctor expository questions.
And as for Tom Baker, I think he'd make an awesome Socrates. | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoForget about bringing Ramona back for an episode, bring her back for the entire season! | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoAside from your comments about the music (too much, too loud), I think rhiakitten's post hits the nail on the head - how about a list of 20 things that nu-Who does well? | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoWay to undermine my own point with stupid a sentence - I meant to say "Like bringing family sci-fi back and expanding the Timelord's fanbase beyond whining fanboys" | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor Whoheh, whaddya know, i agree.
Note: How did i know that there would be comments down here dissing companions? gosh, we should just stop debating them already- for every new Who companion there's a huge fan base. Besides, Freema's the best. *runs away*
(lol my side note is larger than my comment) | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor Who Good Article but personally I don't like Donna or Martha and I think there should be an episode where they both turn into aliens and then get thrown into some colosseum type of building. The Doctor not know who they were enjoys the fight (because he is into that stuff) sees them kill each-other. Ripping limbs (how many they now have) blood everywhere. It doesn't matter who wins.The emperor decides the fight sucks and get's the other one killed. Now they Doctor spends about 4 episodes without a companion. Then a person with talent becomes the companion.
Used to like Martha until she went onto Torchwood. She seemed kind of bland to me. And for Donna I don't really notice her. | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoIt ain't broke, so don't fix it. | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoBringing back any of the old Doctors could be a bad idea. Tom would struggle to look anything like his previous self as would Colin. I like to think DW is going off in new directions rather than old one. Like the idea of a Jenny spin off, a strong female character could play well, but it would struggle not to cover DW territory. | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoThe music is always too loud in almost everything. | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoWrite your comment here...e: 20 ways to improve Doctor Who
Editors Note;
10: And the psychic paper too.
Lazy bastards.
personally.I like the phychic paper and the sonic screwdriver.Maybe Doctor Who should lose chronic bitch and complainers like you.
9: Don’t ever tell us what the Doctor’s name really is.
Oh Gawd, this is an issue that has begun to emerge in the series, and I fear a Tiberial disappointment coming on.
His names Doctor John Smith or Doctor Who-move on .Get over this issue.
They really need inprove the writting.The two episodes that stunk was the one with kid and drawings coming to life and the burn with me Sun episode.Oh,and the one where the devil was stuck in a planet near a black hole.Bring back the Time Lords-no one but the Doctor and the show believe they are dead.
Doc Thompson
Posted by Ian_Osborne on Jun 5, 2008
How about Doctor Who Vs Aliens Vs Predator, where the predator chases Who through time, following the TARDIS onto the aliens' home world, where they're locked in a desperate struggle to stop the alien queen spawning a new, intelligent breed of aliens who would most likely conquer the galaxy... Or maybe an entire episode of Tennant playing on a Nintendo DS? After all, Doctor Who spawned a Top Trumps deck, which was fair enough. But then some idiot converted the Doctor Who Top Trumps game to the DS, which was pathetic. We might at least let Doctor Who play the Doctor Who Top Trumps game to complete the ring of insanity.
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Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoWrite your comment here...Write your comment here...if they bring one of the Doctors-it should be the one who never got to play the character for a series-Paul Goghan. I'm really don't to see Tom Baker return. In my opinion, he ruined the show because of his popularity-everything they did afterwards was because of his time on the show. They picked a terrible choice even Colin Baker, just his last was Baker. They show stopped being fun and was a major chore to watch midway into Peter Davison. In addition, it isn't went from fun to trash after him. Syvester McCoy could have been good, but the show really stunk by then.
An episode set far in the future where he regenerates as William Hartnell (ok CGI might be expensive...) called 'Origins'
Far as I'm concerned the origin of the character, is somewhere between William Hartnell and Peter Cushing’s take on the character. Peter Cushing should be considered cannon, if allot of other stuff, that shouldn't fit is considered cannon. Actually, I wished they scrapped the 28 years of Doctor Who history and started over, but they you people would forever bitch about that, but the show, never really had strait continuity-other there was a guy called the Doctor and he traveled about in a thing called the Tardis-everything else was flexible.
They need to create the Doctor more as a character-not simply an actor who alternated with character gimmicks. I don’t creating a character, as this guy has the flute or that Doctor, wears a hat and scarf. Each Doctor should share something central to all incarnations-they problem the Doctor is they lost him in trying to re created Tom Baker again and again. All the actors playing the character should share qualities alike and not ok, Tom Baker was freaking popular. Lets ruin the show to re-create that or lets have a confused Doctor as Peter Davison, who spent far to much being confused all the dammed time. The Children in Need should he could play more than just that. It probably was Davison’s best Doctor Portrayal to date.
It is all down the scripting first, production and direction. Moreover, Doctor needs to get into space more. I like the fact, the companions have families, but they are keeping the Tardis trapped to many times near current era Earth. Either take them all along or limit their use or trap the Tardis back on Earth again.I know,a show that’s been running as long as this one’s a hard one to present as a whole-too many producers,writers,actors and Indian chief’s in the mix,but now here is a wonderful chance to say things about the character and his world.Thay are trying bring the character up from the mysterious time traveling hobo,in the Tardis with ‘’girlfreind/daughter figures as it was for so many years,but I think saying more about who the Doctor was and is,who his people are and so on,is way better than all post Tom Baker rubbish and much pre Jon Pertwee obscure nothing about who he really is.Time for the Doctor to either grow up and his fans,too or get out and go away.
Doc Thompson
http://groups.google.com/group/GALAXYBEINGS1/web/doctor-who-series-4-episode-9-review-forest-of-the-dead?hl=en&msg=ns
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Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor Who... I have no idea what you're trying to say.
Tom Baker ruined the show because he was a popular Doctor? Something about being a chronic bitch. | |
Re: 20 ways to improve Doctor WhoI think Martin her has produced a very good article on the flaws of the current Doctor who. here's my opinion on each of his ways of improvement:
20: Turn the music down. (Definiteley should be done. Either turn it down or get the sack Murray.)
19: Take the bullet-time out of the title-sequence. (Yeah! Also,go back to the originals and have Tennants face on the front accompannied by the original music, not this guitar crap!)
18: " "
17: Stop templating good ideas.( Nope. Don't agree with this. Moffat should keep on templating the ideas but instead create satisfying endings for them which is what I think you mean to say.)
16: Tell Tennant to STOP SHOUTING! (Or get a new doctor!)
15: Don’t bring Billie Piper back. ( If moffat learned anything from season 4 it should be never use Piper again! Shes a bad actor, dull companion and has had her time.)
14: If Donna’s off, bring back Martha. (No! Don't do that either!Sack both Martha and Donna 4 evr and hire up someone new, fresh and for godsake a good actor! So far the new series has failed to hire a good acress/tor for a companion.
13: Bring back the Brig.
(That would be great to bring back one of the best evr companions to the doctor. But only for a few episodes or they'll go back to sentimental davies world)
12: Show an entry into the TARDIS from the outside world.( not too bothered about this so no I don't really think its an improvement!)
11: Lose the sonic screwdriver (Don't lose the screwdriver as it is a pivotal part of the Doctor. But only use it for minor plot devices and not what davies has done with it so far which is make it save the doctor on countless occassions.)
10: And the psychic paper too. ( Agree with this one. Writers should start using their brains a bit more.)
9: Don’t ever tell us what the Doctor’s name really is.(defo. It would take all element of weirness out of the doctor.)
8: Keep Tennant on for all of series 5.( Certainly. keep him on for at least series 5 and them give him a superb regeneration episode.)
7: Give ‘Jenny’ her own show. ( No way! Jenny was an average character and the amount of who spinoffs is already too much so never!)
6: Don’t ever go back to the twenties.(Yes. But more important when going back in time go to intersting historical events like world war 2 in the auchzwits camps and I know it is a childrens show but think of the potential!)
5: Skip the Daleks for an entire season. At least.(definiteley! Thesse dalek stories had worn thin by season 3 and a new refreshingly cool monster is needed to take its place for a while)
4: Do something decent with the Master.(Yes! Mind you, the first 2 episodes of the master triple were great but let down by the last one.)
3: Bring back the multi-part episodes.( Mixed opinions on this one. It sounds great and would make the whole feel of Doctor who back to the Baker era again. But, it would mean less stories and shorter episodes and would it really work in this modern age of speed and jam-packed tv?)
1: Make Steven Moffat executive producer ( Well we all know the answer to this one so YIPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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