Talk:Doctor Who

History

Since this is an overview, it needed a look at the general history of the series. I have written this by rote, so if I made any glaring errors, please correct me. Also, I wouldn't be adverse to the section being spun-off into a "History of Doctor Who" article. 23skidoo 03:38, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

The new logo

I'm starting a discussion thread regarding use of the new logo, unveiled on 6th October 2009, with regards to the lead image of this overview article. Although it's the "new" logo, it won't be the "current" logo until the Matt Smith era truly begins, after Tennant's final special. There's even a BBC Books release with the current logo scheduled for as late as March 2010. For this reason I think the lead image should remain the "current" logo, and be replaced by the new era logo after Tennant's final special. If someone feels differently, please feel free to state your case; whatever consensus works out is fine by me. 23skidoo 13:37, October 6, 2009 (UTC)

I agree. Keep the current orange logo for now until the new bluey-purple one becomes the one to use after Tennant's last story. --Tangerineduel 15:01, October 6, 2009 (UTC)

Does anyone mind if I change it to the new logo as the final Tennant special is now over and done with?

Images

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Misunderstanding?

"...and was famously referenced to in the 1996 television movie, where even though the Doctor is unconscious a complete stranger knows enough to write John Smith on his hospital admission papers."

I think someone has missunderstood what was happening, the guy picked "John Smith" at random not because he had some foreknowlede or because the Doctor had told him off screen. I don't know if whoever wrote this was American or anything, but "John Smith" its just the english version of the American "Joe Sixpack", you know the name of the everyman. "John" and "Smith" are two of the most common names in the UK. I have edited it as a result. Looq 13:27, May 25, 2010 (UTC)

• In addition, it's also known as an in joke. 68.146.81.123 04:41, July 25, 2010 (UTC)

First and Second interregnum

Where did these statements come from?

Under "A False Start" it's stated "The franchise's so-called "first interregnum" on television ended in 1996" and "Back to the Wilderness" "The "second interregnum" that followed saw more novels". The notable part of the first sentence is so-called, which means someone actually called it that.

I have been able to find a source, Mark Gatiss referring to an interregnum, but when he's using the term it's to refer to the series from 1989 to 2005, rather than how it's cited in the article. Just wondering if "first/second interregnum" is citeable somewhere. --Tangerineduel 14:50, August 10, 2010 (UTC)

Colin Baker

Is there are source or documentation that shows Colin Baker was forced out? 152.131.9.132 18:40, October 4, 2010 (UTC)

Clean up tag

I added the clean up tag in the TRIUMPHAT RETURN section because most of it is fawning over the Tenth Doctor and Rose. It is less history about the show and more of a fan page type of discourse. I can try to make it more historical, but I am new and don't want to start an edit war with some fan. | Who is Dr. Who? 14:11, March 30, 2011 (UTC)

Excised sections

When I encountered it, the article had two huge sections that I thought needed to be cut. The first of these just seems to me to be kind of a "cheerleading" section inappropriate to an encyclopedia:

What makes Doctor Who unique

Fans often speak of the "undefinable magic" present in Doctor Who. This can be explained as a combination of several factors:

• The Doctor can change from serious to satirical, young to old, and change back again. He can go from self-doubting anti-hero to exuberant lover of life, all within the same continuity and even the same episode, then change back again, remaking himself every couple of years.

• The series can range in tone, style and genre, as well as almost any place and time. The travellers may meet storybook characters in a land of fantasy and the next week land in a credible day-after-tomorrow London.

• No other telefantasy series has, as often said, stayed on air for so long. Its longevity enabled it to enthral (and frighten) new generations of children and teenagers for three decades. Everyone can have "their" own favourite Doctor or period of the series, including those who prefer the novels to the television series. It's important to make the distinction that Doctor Who, whether in 1963 or in 2010, is the same series. This differs from The Twilight Zone, which has been produced off and on since 1959, but is an anthology which has no ongoing continuity or characters, or the Star Trek franchise, which has consisted of numerous series but with an ever-changing ensemble of characters rather than the constant presence of a single character.

• The evolution of viewer from fan to maker of the series. As early as 1980, "Full Circle", a script authored by a teenaged fan, Andrew Smith, appeared on the screen. Smith also wrote the novelisation. In the same story, another young fan, Matthew Waterhouse made his debut in the series as series regular. A few months later, Peter Davison, who professed to being a fan of the series in his youth, became the Fifth Doctor. Colin Baker had been a fan of the series since the first episode, which he had seen when he was twenty. Though not crossing over in large numbers, members of fandom made the odd venture into the production side of the series up until the end of the original series. In 2005, the elders of Doctor Who fandom have grown into the creators of the new series. Two of the franchise's recent leading men, David Tennant and John Barrowman, are lifelong Who fans, able to cite chapter and verse in their DVD commentaries and interviews, a feat rarely demonstrated by participants in other franchises, including Star Trek. Matt Smith says he grew up during the period when Doctor Who was not on the air, but since getting the role has immersed himself in the franchise's history.
• The flexibility of being able to change the lead actor via regeneration has allowed the series to continually reinvent itself, while maintaining continuity and offering audiences an easy-to-grasp rationale for the change of actor. Similarly, the continually changing supporting cast of companions and recurring characters allows new perspectives and new chemistry to be brought into the series frequently. These factors were also cited in contributing to Law & Order's twenty-year run on American TV; that series was also known for making frequent changes to its lead cast.
• Both of the above have also offered the series, at least in its original run, the flexibility to make changes in the event of perceived audience dissatisfaction, such as the decision to replace Colin Baker with Sylvester McCoy (although the rationale in that case remains hotly debated two decades later).

TV online The series is also unique for its longevity. Its original twenty-six-season run places it far beyond the longevity of any other single, uninterrupted English-language science fiction series. This is record Doctor Who retains even if the 1985-86 hiatus is taken into account. Its nearest rival, America's Stargate SG-1, ran for ten seasons. Star Trek and its spinoffs amassed more individual seasons, but these were separate series, not one ongoing production. Doctor Who surpasses the Trek franchise in terms of individual seasons when the revived series, plus its spinoffs, are added together (thirty-eight seasons as of December 2010). The Guinness Book of Records has officially recognised Doctor Who as the world's longest-running science fiction television series; in July 2009 Guinness also proclaimed Doctor Who the single most successful science-fiction series.

I really don't see any use to this section at all. The article doesn't need to establish why Doctor Who is "special". Its specialness is implied by the fact that we have a whole wiki dedicated to it. Some of these facts could well go into other parts of the article, though. For instance, the Guinness thing really needs to go in the lead.

On to the section section cut:

The future

There are strong indications that the BBC intends to continue Doctor Who well in to the future. On 24 June 2010, BBC News, reporting on the start of construction of BBC Wales' new "drama village" studio in Cardiff, stated that production of Doctor Who is expect to relocated to the studios in 2012. The BBC announced on June 7th, 2011 that 14 new episodes have been commissioned following the 2011 Christmas special, all starring Matt Smith. Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will also appear. On 15 June 2011, BBC One controller Danny Cohen stated that some of the episodes will air in 2013, though a reduction in the length of series 7 has been denied by Moffat.

Doctor Who's spin-offs however are somewhat laden with doubts about their futures. With the death of Elisabeth Sladen, it would appear that The Sarah Jane Adventures is to be cancelled following the broadcast of the episodes already filmed for series five. Torchwood relies upon a deal between BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and Starz Entertainment. If it receives satisfactory ratings, it will be renewed. Davies hopes to see future crossovers between it and Doctor Who. A second series of K9 is planned, and is scheduled to air in 2012 whilst the first series is syndicated around the globe.

In other media, Big Finish Productions has announced its audio publishing schedules well into 2011. Although it closed down its Short Trips printed short story collections in 2009, it replaced them with a new audio line in 2010. An American comic book publisher, IDW Publishing is currently printing a mix of new and reprinted Doctor Who comic strips with plans to begin featuring the Eleventh Doctor at the end of 2010. Doctor Who Magazine, the longest-running publication based upon an English-language TV series, celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in October 2009 with no sign of slowing down. In January 2010 it launched a new format tying into the new franchise branding related to the new Doctor.

BBC Books and BBC Audio have also reconfigured their lines of original fiction to feature the Eleventh Doctor and Amy. The occasional new releases based upon Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures continue.

Doctor Who's history is not being forgotten. BBC Video indicated in 2009 that it intends to continue releasing classic-series episodes on DVD format (release to high-definition Blu-Ray is not considered feasible due to image resolution issues) until at least the fiftieth anniversary of the series at the end of 2013.

In absolutely no way should this section be retained. It's always very dangerous to talk about "the future" in an encyclopedic section, because, basically, we're just guessing. Also people don't come back and maintain such section. Note how some of the information here is now 2 years old, but still in the future tense! No, this section needs to go, entirely, and not be re-integrated.
czechout<staff /> ☎ ✍  <span style="">04:27: Sat 03 Mar 2012