Dr Who - Season 30 (4) [SPOILERS]

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

From what I have been able to gather he is going from lead of the show to guest star. How do you have Torchwood with out Captain Jack, The BBC and Russel Davies need to to do everything they can to keep him, they need to not gut the show. The show was intended fro adult audiences and now they are doing an about face and want to make it family friendly Look what happed to Andromeda, wholesale changes ruined that show, it went from potentially another Babylon 5 to mediocre series. If they are going to do show cutbacks why don't they pick a show thats not pulling in ratings? why cut a show thats doing well ?. I hear Primevil another series is getting an 18 episode season !! in England? , thats unusual, Why not spend the money on Torchwood instead?

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

Garovorkin said:

I hear Primevil another series is getting an 18 episode season !! in England? , thats unusual, Why not spend the money on Torchwood instead?

Click to expand...

Possibly because Primeval is ITV.

I shall have to ask around about Jack, because I haven't heard that one yet.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

Elenopa I hope what I am hearing about Torchwood is wrong believe me ! I like this show to much!

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

Also RTD won't be doing anything much... Moffat's in charge from now on... and you know the old proverb - new broom....

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

Sometimes I think the BBC would be better served if Mr Blobby were in charge.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

I think I'll respectfully disagree.

On the basis of his work, I'm prepared to take Moffatt on trust. I personally think Torchwood is Ok to good... but it has never been absolutely great. I prefer ITV's Primeval. If Who's survival depended on Torchwood's demise I'd sharpen the axe myself.

I'm not saying I want to see Torchwood go... I'm just pointing out that it's not worth walking around in a sandwich board proclaiming the "The end is nigh!" if it does go.

If hat you are saying is correct, what is more likely to occur with Torchwood, is that like Doctor Who, they are going to have long hard think where they are going with it. Let's not forget they wiped out two fifths of the series regulars. Youcan't just pick up and run where you left off just like that. You have to create new characters, work out their stories and personalities... and decide where they are going to fit in. A smaller series would enable them to do some screen testing before going off on a heavy arc... and this would be beneficial.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

My problem here Galahad is that they should not have done any of that< I happen think that this show is comparable to the X files when the X files was at best. Galahad do you remember remember the series Andromeda? and what happened to that one when they changed producers the show lost direction it got quite bad or Earth Final Conflict last two season how they screwed that show up because they decided to revamp it. Ive seen too many good shows ruined because somebody had to tinker with what made the show good. With the changes that they are talking about the best case scenario for Torchwood is that it will be gone by the end of its 4th season. Galahad as to Moffat , I know how good he is at his job, but I am not about to take him at his word. because the end result will be a vastly inferior show which will sink rapidly into cancellation, its going to loose its core audience, bet on that. What we will end up with is another Sarah Jane show or something slightly above that piece of science fiction Drek.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

I have to confess, I didn't appreciate that Moffatt taking over from RTD meant taking over Torchwood too ... I am sure I recall that SM said he would never ever write for Torchwood, and that, for me, is not a good starting point for him taking over a show that I, personally, love.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

Galahad said:

You have to create new characters, work out their stories and personalities... and decide where they are going to fit in. A smaller series would enable them to do some screen testing before going off on a heavy arc... and this would be beneficial.

Click to expand...

I believe the replacements have already been cast.. with established backstories, personalities, etc. It would be a bit of a spoiler to tell you who, though. Suffice to say, you've seen them before if you've followed "New Who" regularly.

No spoiler tags here, I guess..

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

It still would have been nice if they left Torchwood the way it was. Making wholesale changes to a hit show like that, not good and not smart. Moffats the BBC and the audience are going to be sorely disappointed by the end result.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

Garovorkin said:

It still would have been nice if they left Torchwood the way it was. Making wholesale changes to a hit show like that, not good and not smart. Moffats the BBC and the audience are going to be sorely disappointed by the end result.

Click to expand...

Knowing who the two replacements are, and where they came from, I feel better about having them than I do about Owen and Tosh. Didn't dislike Owen or Tosh, but they didn't really blow me away either.

Now if only Gwen would have a horrific accident..

Shall I name the replacements for you, or are you all massively spoiler-phobic even about casting changes and such?

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

Doctor, the show was doing well, ,If something ain't broke don't fix it , Remember Andromeda, and Earth Final Conflict ?. Andromeda new 's producer, He tinkered, the show went to the Toilet. Earth Final Conflict, they tinkered It had long run true but its last two seasons were lousy. Moffat is going screw it up. I like Gwen by the way. Tosh and Owen, I was pissed when they killed both them off. Making this show family friendly very bad move and its likely not to work out.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

Never watched either of those shows.

Having just finished watching Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead, (both are among the best episodes I've ever seen) it's safe to say I have no qualms about Moffat's ability to guide Who and its spinoffs.

Since you either don't have spoiler tags here or I am not aware of how to use them, I have come up with a possible alternate solution. I'll link to them without naming them in the link text. If you don't want to know who the replacements are, DO NOT click on or mouse over the following links:

Here's your new replacement for Tosh, the computer expert.
Here's your new replacement for Owen, the medical doctor.

Good for you, that you like Gwen. My fiance used to love her, now she can't stand the character. I still stand by my opinion on her no matter how much it might bug fans of hers. If I never saw Gwen Cooper in the Who universe again, it would be too soon. Also starting to feel that way about Rose, while we're at it...

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

I was aware of those two being the replacements. Doctor, I do plan on watching, but you understand my point about making wholesale changes to any hit any show. It tends not to work out.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

Garovorkin said:

I was aware of those two being the replacements. Doctor, I do plan on watching, but you understand my point about making wholesale changes to any hit any show. It tends not to work out.

Click to expand...

You may have personally been aware of the replacements, but I didn't direct that at just you.. you happened to be the person responding, giving me an excuse to reply.



You mean like recasting the main character every 3 years or so, on average? It's impossible for a show to survive 30+ seasons/40-something years with changes like that, right? Guess we better dig up William Hartnell and fix that right now. Just don't tell that to Patrick Troughton or Jon Pertwee.. they'll be floored. While we're at it, let's discuss digging up DeForest Kelley and James Doohan, because none of that "final frontier" stuff could ever happen without the FULL crew of the original NCC-1701, right..?

Tends not to work out? I don't care what works or doesn't work for most TV shows. As far as I'm concerned, 99.9% of television doesn't even deserve to be flushed down my toilet.. and Doctor Who isn't "most TV shows". I'd even go so far as to say Doctor Who has snuck up and pushed B5 off the top of my list of favorite-ever shows. (we'll still call it #2 on the list, though) If it weren't for Doctor Who, nu-Galactica, and Top Gear.. well I'd have given up on television completely by now. Even my beloved science programs on things like Discovery and the Science Channel are being overrun by rampant idiocy, and I hardly ever watch them now.

In other words: No, I don't see your point. Signed, a fan of the Third Doctor, Fourth Doctor, Fifth Doctor, Ninth Doctor, and Tenth Doctor.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

Apparently you did not read my comment carefully , I said the history does not favor wholesale changes to show , I did not in any comments say impossible which you seem to think that I did. Dr Who yes it did work out there some shows have survived cast changes . If your point about trek that it continued to be a success with out Kirk McCoy and Company, well Next Generation is a different show so that really doesn't apply here, now does it? by the way Doctor who is a good show but I really would not put it in the same category as Babylon 5 or BSG. Here's a question for you, The Timelords got wiped out by the Daleks, Now the Timelords are able to see the future yet they could not see their end coming, rather curious on that one, that part never made any sense to me. By the way Torchwood is not Dr who so its survival in the face of recast is not a sure thing. I do agree with you about one fact most television is toilet worthy.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

And Doctor this is a not contest to see who is right or wrong, there is no malice intended here. This is not a life or death issue we are debating. If I am proven wrong then fine, I am wrong , no problem. But it does beg the question how do you have Torchwood without Captain Jack? i know he's in the 5 episode shortened season, but beyond that. He so identified with the show that it may prove to be a problem, Not an am impossibility, but a serious problem none the less. I will bet you that in the original Dr Who that Terry Nation and company were probably keeping their fingers crossed when Patrick Troughon , succeeded William Hartnell in the role of the Doctor, this one did end up working out though and I will concede that they were smart enough to come up with the whole regeneration concept to allow for recasting the lead actor. when Jon Pertwee succeeded, Troughton in 1969. Moffat is going to have come up big here for this to even have a chance of success, they need to find an actor with the same kind of audience appeal, thats not always as easy as it sounds.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

We Know Davros is going be back working with the last member of the Cult of Skarro, now the indications that i have seen, allude to the possibility that the Master is going to be involved, Im wondering if Davros and the Master are going to be somehow joining forces, that would be frightening.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

The Trek reference is irrelevant only if no one ever said Star Trek couldn't be remade with a new ship and crew and succeed. Oh wait, some people DID say that, way back when. I can only imagine how ugly that conversation would've been if the present-day Internet (huge and filled with ill will) had been around for the start of Next Generation. I think you'll find, however, that Star Trek transcended cast and crew. Doctor Who does, as well. BSG does, sort of. (I say that because, now that the new BSG is out, I find I can't even watch the original because it was so awful.. I liked it as a child, but that's all I can say for it. I also thoroughly enjoyed "Supertrain" when I was a kid.. and Buck Rogers, too.. but come on, Erin Gray was hot)


You're right, I wouldn't put B5 or nu-BSG together with Doctor Who. Neither of those shows, as much as I love both of them, could ever hope to touch Doctor Who.. especially not now.

As my fiance and I discussed the other day: While we both enjoy Galactica and think it's fantastic, it rarely compels us to talk about it once the show is over for the week. With Doctor Who, we're both not only rewatching the new episodes constantly and talking about them all the time, we're also now going back and watching a lot of the old series to look for tie-ins. (they're there, alright) Thinking about taking a fourth run through Enlightenment right now, for example. Might be spoilerific, but I think it has something to do with the end of this season.



Believe it or not, I'd rather have Touchwood (intentional misspelling) without "Captain Jack Hotness", as my fiance calls him. I like Captain Jack as he is on Doctor Who as a companion. I don't really like the Torchwood version of Jack. Too dark and brooding.. an emo hero for an emo world. Come to think of it, even though I like watching Torchwood when it's on, I could do without the whole show if they decided it was best. Perhaps it would've been better off as a completely separate show not connected to Doctor Who at all.. much as some cranky old fans of the original Galactica think nu-BSG should've had a new name too.

Touchwood (I love using that nickname) may not be Doctor Who, but it is still a spinoff of Doctor Who.. and I believe it'll live or die the same way Who does.. in its own unique way, irrelevant of what the rest of television does. The only cast change I don't think I could wrap my head around would be someone else playing Sarah Jane Smith.. but I suppose even that could be done by the right person. Might initially go over about as well as recasting G'kar.. in other words, not bloody well.. but ultimately who knows, for the right person?

Being up all night is starting to creep into this, so this is a good time to end this post.

Re: Dr Who - Season 30 (4)

Hey Doc its been a fun little debate we had please do keep posting, we need new voices here.