No classic Doctors and sereis 8 delayed?

The latest DWM says there will be no classic Doctors in the 50th! Also casts doubt on future episodes after the Christmas special.
I tweeted the BBC Brand manager Edward Russell about this, he says there will be and put it down to internet rumours, however he sent me this article which doesn't confirm any future episodes.

THIS MEANS WAR.

Oh, relax. This is the hottest show BBC has beyond Sherlock. There will be another season and more.

I feel a changing in the guard coming on.....(not to mention the new producer, the 4th one in the last 3 years I could be wrong)

Jenna has already been signed for the next season, from what I read. Producers come and go.....the Doctor goes on. Moffat himself is the only one who will decide when he will leave, just like Matt. I know I still enjoy what they produce, and a great majority of the fans seam to as well. At least most of the ones who never post in forums. I see young who fans everywhere in the US! Never would I have dreamed that is possible back in 1982!

did Colin Baker get to decide when he'd leave?

bret_owen99 wrote:

did Colin Baker get to decide when he'd leave?

Nope. And I liked his stories too. But it seamed nobody else did. Oh, what could have been!

But big difference now. But, if Moffat was to leave.....at least he could do Sherlock a bit quicker.

The film mentioned in the article is reportedly set to start shooting within the month in southeast Michigan. I had wondered what that meant for "Doctor Who" production.

From my understand Tom Baker did not choose to leave as well, nor did Sylvester haha

Ronpur wrote:

Oh, relax. This is the hottest show BBC has beyond Sherlock. There will be another season and more.

It's not the "no series 8" that I'm worried about - it's pretty obvious that there will be another series; I can't see them cancelling the show any time soon - it's the concept of no appearance of Classic Doctors in the 50th anniversary that I'm peeved about. Admittedly, it was kinda expected, but I am still very disappointed.

I guess I can see Moffat's reasoning that if they brought in a lot of the Classic Doctors just because they were still kicking it'd be more of a fanboy move. Don't overwhelm the story more than you need to. The Five Doctors, in my own opinion, while a fine story, did have to stretch its limits to contain so many characters, and that's with Tom Baker and Lalla Ward playing very minor roles in it. (I know why, but come on...)

Imagine if Moffat tried to do a "Seven Doctors" story with Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, David Tennant and Matt Smith. Now imagine him trying to do justice to all these incarnations of the Doctor in just one hour. We'd just get more Moffat hate fuel.

That said, I would have much preferred seeing McGann back onscreen than Tennant. Not that I don't like David Tennant or the 10th Doctor, but we need more 8!

Having views all the multi-Doctor stories...I can't say I'm exactly wounded that the classic Doctors aren't going to show up. The Two Doctors was a pretty pointless exercise, and the less said about Dimensions in Time the better.

I'll even commit a carnal sin and say The Five Doctors wasn't all that strong a story to warrant four Doctors - and incidentally I watched The Five Doctors first and enjoyed it more for the chemistry between Troughton and Pertwee, who really did steal the show. Then I saw The Three Doctors and discovered why that was.

If the story you're trying to tell isn't strong enough for multiple Doctors, don't do Multi-Doctor stories. Similarly, if the actors have no synergy, then it also won't work. Troughton and Pertwee were playing the same character, but had radically different interpretations of him, so they played off each other. In The Five Doctors, that synergy carried over, with the First Doctor being relegated to "Wise Mentor" Role (Which is sort of baffling, when you consider he's the youngest) and Peter Davison doing his best to imitate a mobile piece of furniture.

Colin and Troughton - though I love them both - just lack any sort of chemistry together at all. They were far stronger apart then the scenes they had together and the story is just words put on paper with actors gamely playing it out. I think I had similar storylines when I was seven or eight.


My problem with Tennant isn't that I'm not sure the special will be up for a Multi-Doctor story, it's that I don't know how well Tennant and Smith will play off one another. I think it was Moffat who said in regards to Multi-Doctor storylines that "at the end of the day, they're all playing the same person."

Pertwee and Troughton proved that could work, but Tennant and Smith...they're not that dynamically opposed in presentation. Eccelston and Smith would have been an amazing dynamic - a stern and serious Doctor (Who could smile from time to time) along with a zany, rather care free Doctor (Who can be very dark from time to time) seems like a much better choice then two zany, rather care free Doctors who can be very dark from time to time (Which is better then Post-Rose Ten, which would have been weepy sop who lashes out like a child at every precieved slight, and a zany, rather care free who can be very dark from time to time).

I dunno, we'll wait and see but the more I think about it, the more I'm glad they aren't just throwing all the Doctors together. Though I do wish they'd tapped the Classic Doctors to appear in at least Cameo roles - sort of how the classic Dalek designs appeared in Asylum of the Daleks.

I was under the impression we have know for a while it was only Tennant and Smith.

I just don't think throwing in all the Doctors would work. The Five Doctors is fun, but a bit busy. The Three Doctors was, sadly, really only the 2 Doctors, so it worked a bit better. And it did not try to bring back companions.

I just can't buy seeing the aged actors trying to pull off their roles on screen. I love seeing them so much in my mind as I listen to Big Finish. I am looking forward to what they have in store with much anticipation!

I was really hoping to see some classic companions in the story, but we will see.

And I still hope we see something of the classic Doctors in some form, but they are just not having the actors in it. Some rumor was around about

Spoiler:

but who knows. We will find out in November.

Oh, and I do agree that is only 1 extra Doctor was to come back, I would rather have had 8 or 9. I love 10, but he is just too recent.

Ronpur wrote:

The Three Doctors was, sadly, really only the 2 Doctors, so it worked a bit better. And it did not try to bring back companions.

Not for lack of trying. Frazer Hines was involved in another project at the time, hence why Sergent Benton inherited both the role and the lines that were supposed to be for Jamie.

Rust wrote:

Ronpur wrote:

The Three Doctors was, sadly, really only the 2 Doctors, so it worked a bit better. And it did not try to bring back companions.

Not for lack of trying. Frazer Hines was involved in another project at the time, hence why Sergent Benton inherited both the role and the lines that were supposed to be for Jamie.

True, but in the end, I think Benton was just fantastic. I would love to see Jamie with the modern series. And Frazier would do it.

Given how much of Troughton Smith evokes, getting him and Hines together would be a delight to see.

The plans of Big Finish:

http://bigfinish.com/news/v/doctor-who-the-light-at-the-end-cast-update

Not surprised that BF is doing something like this. These days I prefer them to the TV show anyway.

Really wish they could have had McGann in the tv special. Oh well.

disappointed but not discouraged

Looking forward the docu-drama "An adventure in time and space" looking back at how Dr. Who came around, the Big Finish special and TV special.... all rather exciting.

Since I posted that article, it turns out that the DWM were quoting a source There has been no official statement from the BBC or the production office about the classic Doctors.

Whenever we get Series 8, Matt Smith will still be the Doctor: http://io9.com/matt-smith-confirms-heck-still-be-starring-in-doctor-w-464794392

Moffat's been quoted as saying that he's closer to the end of his time than to the beginning. I know some people are going to be ecstatic to hear that.

Moffat confirmed he is working on Series 8 at the BAFTAS. So at least 1 more year before fans get someone else to hate.