Doctor Who - Season 13 - (**Spoilers**)

Agent Coulson

Teaser dropped this evening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNb51OwYO6M&ab_channel=DoctorWho

pixelburp

The panel at comic con confirmed that this season would be only 8 episodes... but will be one continuous serialised story. That's a first.

TheValeyard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117660277#Comment_117660277

Not sure I like this idea for Doctor Who

I love the two partners or long arc where it comes together. But I'm a massive fan of the weekly hour adventure.

But the serialised format did make a couple of good seasons on Torchwood.

aaronjennings

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117660277#Comment_117660277

Allow me to introduce you to the Classic series 😂

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117661236#Comment_117661236

For the 2005+ format it's new, and even the old series had many (multi episode) adventures per season - so wasn't ever that a single run in a year was one runaround. The closest was arguably the much reviled Trial of a Timelord, and even then was more a bookend than single story. This reads like it'll be a proper serialised season, chasing some maguffin about.

CastorTroy

Well good to see they narrowed it down to "later this year". Though does that mean the season will air or the season will start with episode 1 airing around Christmas or something?

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117665705#Comment_117665705

Last season started on New Year's day, so I'm guess it'll be similar and start around Christmas time?

EoinMcLovin

https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/1420746545616408580?s=19

Just announced

pixelburp

The rumours are confirmed: not just Whittaker though; both her and Chris Chibnall will leave the show in 2022, after three Special episodes. Not too many tears shed for Chibnall but this unofficial "three years" policy for Doctor actors is a bit meh. Feels like the perfect time to give the show a pause, give it some time to recharge.

https://www.doctorwho.tv/news/?article=jodie-whittaker-chris-chibnall-leave-doctor-who

ixoy

Between this and the Sweet Tooth renewal, it's been a great day for TV news!

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679381#Comment_117679381

Salty! But yes, Chibnall hasn't been a great producer and it's a shame Whittaker's Doc never coalesced properly for her to act around. I can't see who'd be a good fit though; prior to this, there were a few standout / "star" writers like Moffat or Chibnall himself who got promoted to the top chair. Not sure who might be in line next.

Agent Coulson

If I could pick anyone Cillian Murphy would be a great Doctor and would add huge star power to the role however I doubt he would take after spending the last 8 years in Peaky Blinders which is just finishing.

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679432#Comment_117679432

They should have known going down that story route they would have to get it perfect but it was just a mess. I don't think Whittaker would have been a bad Doctor if the story was well written just lay off some of the preachy stuff. As whoever is Doctor it will all wrong

Agent Coulson

Starts October 31st.

It will be 6 episodes and the season will be titled Flux.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrGBqKqb3gg&feature=emb_title

FunLover18

https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/1449131719743787011?t=5qNJvyqlAHQq6ijsV-d_Wg&s=19

They're going big by the looks of it.

pixelburp

YouTube embed for those who hate Twitter video (and that weird subtitling)

https://youtu.be/xUUjYzYcMx4

pixelburp

FYI, the first episode of this airs tonight

CastorTroy

Saw a comment on tvline about an extended encore in the States. Wonder if that just means the episode airing the same time as here will be edited over there but we still get the full version

flazio

Right, first thing that Rusty needs to get rid is that TARDIS set.

ebbsy

Load of different bits whacked together.

Bishop was not too bad.

Im not sure where this is heading.

fritzelly

Wasn't a terrible first episode, but I'll reserve final judgement til the end and see if it all comes together

CastorTroy

I liked it and seems a good set up for the season.

Just need to know where the 1820 story fits in.

FunLover18

I think Chibnall might be one of the worst TV writers I've ever experienced. His dialogue is absolutely woeful and some of the direction made this episode feel like a school production at times. Yaz randomly declaring "Halloween! Trick or treat!" when she hears the date and I can only imagine how proud Chibnall must have been when he came up with that "forebears" gag.

ixoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118105181#Comment_118105181

I winced a number of times at some of the lines. There was some bizarre piece about cheese in the fridge? And the dialogue between the Sontarans was dreadful.

One good thing about RTD returning is that he's a much better writer at dialogue. It wasn't always evident in 'Doctor Who' itself but I know he's capable based on 'Years and Years' and 'It's a Sin'.

Well let's wait, the idea of the flux is good. It was a very disjointed episode though.

pixelburp

Very hard episode to judge, given it was clearly setting up about a half dozen threads we'll see expanded on over the next few episodes. Of course I tried not to think too hard about the barmy nonsense of the dog aliens' pairing with humanity (where have they been all this time?), or the Flux itself being the literal "end of the universe"; funny that the one legacy RTD left was this shows predilection for an OTT scale of things. It has got a little bit much.

Yeah the dialogue wasn't much to listen to. No question, Whitaker has had shít to work with all throughout her time.

pixelburp

Actually, I woke up this morning and realised I hated it. The stupid humour; Whittaker's Doctor's total absence of personality; the inane plot. And makes me a little wary of Davies returning to the show; even if he's a little better with all that forced wackiness and insane scale. I really do find myself missing the Moffat era: I know the puzzle box storytelling got a little much, but he knew how to balance the nonsense with the drama. While all this "wahey, we're so crazy! 7 billion ships on their way to earth!!" is wearing my patience, and not sure I could endure more of it from the guy who started it all.

Maybe not, here's hoping. Creatives tend to mature alongside their output so perhaps Davies is done with that kind of camp, OTT approach. I doubt it though. It's entirely possible having been a solid, dependable viewer for 13 seasons (jaysus), my appetite might finally have been blown out by all this sugar.

ebbsy

All good posts above.

Do you know what kind of episodes I miss ? The likes of "Family of Blood" and "Dalek" and "Fathers Day".

Then again, you do need the writers and actors/actresses to pull these things off.

ebbsy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118121848#Comment_118121848

Nothing wrong with thinking that.

"Total absence of personality" - you are 100% right, it is confused.

FunLover18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118123026#Comment_118123026

I think the shows current state is primarily down to writing and directing, the like of Jodi and even John Bishop have proven themselves to be good actors (he was very good in Accused on BBC), I just think the material is very poor. The three examples you mentioned were all fairly camp and OTT in their own way but it came naturally whereas this feels like someone trying to mimic that RTD style and just failing miserably. It feels like Doctor Who fanfic.

loyatemu

when you start out with the entire universe disintegrating, where do you go from there?

(a general problem with recent Who - there's no real sense of peril, the character has become too much like a omnipotent god).