Does RTD have a habit of ruining his own finales?

[Deleted]

Series 2: The whole thing builds up to Rose's exit. The Doctor tells Rose she can never see him again and fades away. By Series 4 this is no longer the case and so the "emotional" impact of that scene in Doomsday in undone.

Series 3: The climax sees the Master shot dead, leaving the Doctor as "the last of the Time Lords." This is also undone by the return of the Master a mere two years later.

Series 4: The climax involves the Doctor wiping Donna's memory of him forever. Don't fear though, because this is also undone in the 2023 specials.


That's three series that have been made less impactful because RTD can't leave things well enough alone.

[iank]

He's a shit writer.

[UncleDeadly]

So, that's a no.  But only because you can't logically ruin something that is already terrible...

[rushy]

doesn't come close to Wedding of River Song - what the f*ck was that episode

or Death in Heaven with the Cyber-Brig

or Hell sodding Bent

[cyberhat]

You have to be a phenomenal sci-fi writer to start writing without an outline. Just start typing at page one, whatever happens from then on, the end. Structurally, I think most of nupoo's flaws, especially Russell eps stem from this. If you're doing a moving character study about the lives of work colleagues a a citizens advice bureau, this method is probably the way to go. Shows including spaceships and green men, no.

He always seems to put the crescendo 5 minutes in. Same with Chibnell.

[ClockworkOcean]

He needlessly writes himself into earthbound apocalyptic scenarios he knows he won't be able to resolve without resorting to cheap, lazy, unsatisfying deus ex machina cop-outs. All of this could be avoided by simply lowering the stakes or setting the story on a world other than Earth where it would be more feasible to depict lasting consequences, but...

"If the Zogs on planet Zog are having trouble with the Zog-monster… who gives a toss? But if a human colony on the planet Zog is in trouble, a last outpost of humanity fighting to survive… then I’m interested. Every story, somehow, should come back to Earth, to humanity, its ancestors and its descendants." - Russell T Davies, 2003

[rushy]

Jan 22, 2024 17:07:35 GMT ClockworkOcean said:

"If the Zogs on planet Zog are having trouble with the Zog-monster… who gives a toss?" - Russell T Davies, 2003

"I am the perfect person to oversee the revising of The Daleks" - Russell T Davies, 2023

[cyberhat]

Jan 22, 2024 17:07:35 GMT ClockworkOcean said:

"If the Zogs on planet Zog are having trouble with the Zog-monster… who gives a toss? But if a human colony on the planet Zog is in trouble, a last outpost of humanity fighting to survive… then I’m interested. Every story, somehow, should come back to Earth, to humanity, its ancestors and its descendants." - Russell T Davies, 2003

I can be completely intolerant of anything outside my direct experience, but you can't

[Deleted]

I just remember the commentary for the Stolen Earth, in which RTD remarks upon using the actor for the milkman in both Doctor Who and Torchwood. Tennant asks if he remembers his name, and RTD says "no!" and starts giggling like a schoolgirl. Isn't it the mark of a good leader to know everyone's name, especially someone you've used twice on two separate shows? Guy is such a twat.

[Deleted]

Jan 23, 2024 17:59:02 GMT @theyakemperor said:

I just remember the commentary for the Stolen Earth, in which RTD remarks upon using the actor for the milkman in both Doctor Who and Torchwood. Tennant asks if he remembers his name, and RTD says "no!" and starts giggling like a schoolgirl. Isn't it the mark of a good leader to know everyone's name, especially someone you've used twice on two separate shows? Guy is such a twat.

Indeed. There are some actors and directors who were active thirty years ago or more who still remember the name of crew members and actors who only appeared briefly in the show. Those tend to be classy people with a huge amount of respect for people in the industry.  

[Spark Doll King]

Because he's a shit writer and nuwho is all about surface level, pandering change, while holding to a statuesque.

[Spark Doll King]

Jan 22, 2024 17:07:35 GMT ClockworkOcean said:

He needlessly writes himself into earthbound apocalyptic scenarios he knows he won't be able to resolve without resorting to cheap, lazy, unsatisfying deus ex machina cop-outs. All of this could be avoided by simply lowering the stakes or setting the story on a world other than Earth where it would be more feasible to depict lasting consequences, but...

"If the Zogs on planet Zog are having trouble with the Zog-monster… who gives a toss? But if a human colony on the planet Zog is in trouble, a last outpost of humanity fighting to survive… then I’m interested. Every story, somehow, should come back to Earth, to humanity, its ancestors and its descendants." - Russell T Davies, 2003

Never was there more valid reason for this guy to never get his hands on Doctor Who than this quote.

[cyberhat]

A good way to avoid writing about aliens is to not write any science fiction.

[UncleDeadly]

Jan 23, 2024 23:28:59 GMT cyberhat said:

A good way to avoid writing about aliens is to not write any science fiction.

Andrew Cartmel, 1988.

[rushy]

to play devil's advocate, having a fondness for an earthbound format isn't necessarily a total failure to grasp Doctor Who.

After all, the Pertwee era made quite a success out of barely ever going anywhere. Russell gravitating towards this concept for personal rather than budgetary reasons should not be a major slight against him as a Doctor Who showrunner.

The real slight is that he isn't totally honest about it. He could just announce a new UNIT era, and do seasons set entirely on Earth. Some people would grumble, but there's a precedent and nostalgia for UNIT. It would be fine.

Having the Doctor in the TARDIS whilst also constantly going back to Earth just feels like teasing for no reason.

(EDIT: Although now that I think about it, Wild Blue Yonder didn't really have a human element, did it?)