Wait, what?

[elisi]

Doctor Who: Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall to leave in 2022

BOTH OF THEM?

omg who will take over from Chibnall???

(Sorry to see Jodie go, but it is what it is)

Comments

[elisi]

Wait, what?
I'd heard rumours of Jodie leaving, but then there are always rumours so I didn't pay any attention...

That is a piece of news I am definitely reading with one crying and one laughing eye. I like Thirteen and was very meh on most of her episodes, unfortunately
Same here. Let's hope this final run is awesome. (It's going to be all one long story, rather than standalones, so it'll finally be Chibnall playing to his strengths.)

[nostalgia]

He has strengths?! XD

[elisi]

He DOES. Tons of good Torchwood stuff, Broadchurch which is generally lauded as pretty good (I haven't seen it, so can't vouch for it, but I believe that it's good) and just... none of it has translated to showrunning. I wasn't expecting particular greatness, I just wanted something decent. So here's to hoping that a serialised story will be better than all the standalone stuff.

[nostalgia]

Yeah maybe it will be

[elisi]

I mean, we can hope...

Mostly I am DEEPLY CURIOUS who the next one is going to be. MAYBE it will be a woman! :O

[nostalgia]

Kris Marshall!!!!

[elisi]

*screams*

[promethia_tenk]

I am rather worried they won't find anybody, tbh . . .

[elisi]

Who knows with the BBC these days...

ETA: It's the 60th anniversary in 2023. Ponder, ponder.

[promethia_tenk]

You just really got the impression with Chibbs taking over that they didn't have any other options and had to strong-arm him into it. How much can that situation have changed in five years?

Now would be a great time to tell me Britain is sitting on a vast but hidden pool of women of color writers with show-running experience.

Maybe they could get two people to do it together? Pair up somebody new and fresh with someone with all the industry expertise.

[elisi]

You just really got the impression with Chibbs taking over that they didn't have any other options and had to strong-arm him into it.
Yes, definitely a sense of RTD & Moffat letting him know that he was The Chosen One. And also the logical choice - he practically ran Torchwood, is a massive fan and has showrunning experience.

How much can that situation have changed in five years?
I think the main thing is that there *isn't* an obvious successor. Which is interesting.

Now would be a great time to tell me Britain is sitting on a vast but hidden pool of women of color writers with show-running experience.
Possibly there is, but if so, it's *hidden*.

Maybe they could get two people to do it together? Pair up somebody new and fresh with someone with all the industry expertise.
That is a brilliant idea. Pitch it to the BBC!

[masakochan]

Your Chibnall icon sums it up pretty good.

[elisi]

Promethia made it, we felt we needed it.

[promethia_tenk]

I hate how useful it's been.

[elisi]

Yeah. OTOH I haven't used it all THAT much because... I've not talked about Chibnall Who all that much.

[promethia_tenk]

Ironically when I made it it was in a reasonably optimistic mind frame? I was fully intending to settle into a comfortable if unexciting bit of Doctor Who. After a while I realized it had become more of a plea.

[elisi]

After a while I realized it had become more of a plea.
LOL! And yeah, I remember expecting meat&potatoes stories. Something solid, probably more Earth-and-companions based...

AH WELL.

[makamu]

I'd heard rumours of Jodie leaving, but then there are always rumours so I didn't pay any attention...

I had the same thought.

Same here. Let's hope this final run is awesome. (It's going to be all one long story, rather than standalones, so it'll finally be Chibnall playing to his strengths.)

I have been wondering since series 11 why they chose to do episodic stuff again when most of television has moved away from that model and Chibnall was manifestly better when telling arcs ( Broadchurch Series 1 , anyone?)

[elisi]

I have been wondering since series 11 why they chose to do episodic stuff again when most of television has moved away from that model and Chibnall was manifestly better when telling arcs ( Broadchurch Series 1 , anyone?)
It's so WEIRD. Also Chibnall does ensembles/group dynamics/character stuff very well and just... next to nothing.

[makamu]

Also Chibnall does ensembles/group dynamics/character stuff very well and just... next to nothing.

Granted, I have not seen series 12 yet, but I have been wondering at the lack as well. It cannot be the number of characters (the cast of Torchwood and Broadchurch are both bigger), so why?

[elisi]

It's honestly baffling. S12 is definitely an improvement on S11, but I still don't feel attached to any of the Companions. And I LOVED everyone on Torchwood, even if/because they were often terrible. The 'Fam' were just sort of... there.

[makamu]

The 'Fam' were just sort of... there

My thoughts exactly so far. I'll see what I make of them in series 12 then

[elisi]

Slightly better imho, but not enough. It's such a shame. Companions should elicit feelings like this:



(Obviously not every companion will work for everyone, but with THREE of them at least one ought to hit the spot.)

[ruuger]

The 'Fam' were just sort of... there.
That's exactly how I feel about them. There was nothing wrong with them (except Gharam, who I hate ;P), but somehow together they were just... blah.

[elisi]

Oh I luff Graham, he's the only one who got some actual character stuff to work with!!

But yeah, when I think of them they're all just standing in a line.

Whereas if I think back on, oh Five and all his bitty companions, they are all SUCH individuals.