Review Series 12

[Doctor Omega]

This year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special is not scheduled for Christmas Day, the first time that has changed since the series came back in 2005 with The Christmas Invasion. Instead it has been rescheduled for New Year’s Day.....

It’s so that the production team won’t have an entire year with no new Who. By dint of having an episode air on January 1st 2019. Because there’s no guarantee they’ll have a Christmas Special for 2019 either.

One episode for an entire year.

And talk of a reduced episode count of five or six episodes for season 12, because Jodie is a new Mum and can't do a full run. (Why not have Jodie leave halfway through a full season and introduce Doctor 14 from that point on? Should an actor hold that much sway over a show that he or she can make it halt?)

I remember the days when it was 13 episodes and a Christmas special, plus eagerly cooked up spin-offs birthing here, there and everywhere.

One would suspect that the show is fading away.

 

[The Seeker]

Seriously?? Didn’t they used to have seasons every year? And more episodes than 13? What’s up with these people lately?

 

[The Seeker]

We posted at the same time. Lol.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Whittaker Returns For “Doctor Who” S12





Jodie Whittaker is set to return for the forthcoming twelfth season of “Doctor Who,” reprising her role as the thirteenth incarnation of ‘The Doctor’ and the first time the character has been female. The next season, the twelfth since the revival, will start filming in early 2019.

Whittaker tells THR: “I really can’t wait to step back in and get to work again. It’s such an incredible role. It’s been an extraordinary journey so far and I’m not quite ready to hand it over yet.”

Ratings wise the Whittaker era has been a success. In the US it is averaging 1.6 million viewers per episode, up by 20%. In its home in the UK, the new season is averaging 8.5 million viewers per episode which is the most successful since the revival. Critically Whittaker and the companions have been praised, but the show’s scripts have come under fire and there are rumors of behind-the-scenes issues with the network.

Whittaker was joined by an all-new cast of characters in the series, including Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill. Chris Chibnall took over as head writer and executive producer.

“Doctor Who” will be having its first ever New’s Year Day episode titled “Who’s Year’s Day” with Wayne Yip set to direct. It premieres January 1st 2019.

 

[Doctor Omega]

It appears that Ed Hime, the writer of "IT TAKES YOU AWAY"


https://www.imdforums.com/threads/doctor-who-it-takes-you-away-episode-9.5259/


......is lined up to write again for series 12.

He already has it listed on his c.v......

https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/ed-hime

 

[Doctor Omega]

Seriously?? Didn’t they used to have seasons every year? And more episodes than 13? What’s up with these people lately?

I also notice that, as well as dumping DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL, replacing it with a vacuous five minute fluff-piece, they have also quietly stopped producing any of those "minisodes", such as "POND LIFE" - and specific episode "prequel" scenes - that seemed to pop up all the time during the modern run.

There won't be much left to cancel at this rate.

 

[Doctor Omega]

The Official Announcement......


https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/1071846154026004484?s=20

 

[The Seeker]

I agree with the replies - that’s too long to wait.

 

[Doctor Omega]

A rumour that I just tripped over on another site......

Word going about on Twitter is that there will be something to plug the gap in 2019 later down the line. it's not clear if it's another spin-off or not

 

[The Seeker]

A good spin-off or a crappy spin-off?

 

[Doctor Omega]

BBC Explains Why Doctor Who Season 12’s Been Delayed Until 2020




Immediately after the airing of the season 11 finale on Sunday, the BBC dropped the bombshell that Doctor Who will return for its next outing…in 2020. We’d heard rumblings about this before, as well as reports that it wasn’t true, but the realization that we’ll be without the show for so long still came as a disappointment to fans.

So, what’s the reason for the delay? Well, a BBC reporter has claimed that it’s due to how difficult a show like Doctor Who is to make. Entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba has revealed that, though there is “a recognition that fans might want a series every single year,” that’s very tricky to achieve because “Doctor Whohas almost uniquely complex filming requirements and a lengthy post-production period.”

Reports have said that showrunner Chris Chibnall called for season 12 to be pushed back so that he can work on making the batch of episodes as good as possible. If you believe these claims, then the BBC wanted Who to release on a yearly basis, but Chibnall shut it down as he said it was impossible. There was even talk that he might walk away, taking Jodie Whittaker with him, after season 12, but that seems to be nothing more than an unverified rumor at this point.

Still, it’s clear that Doctor Who is getting more troublesome to make. The show was a regular fixture every year until season 7 was split between 2012 and 2013. From 2014 onwards, the 13-episodes and a special format went down by one, but even that didn’t prevent there being no new season in 2016. Season 11 reduced the episode count again to 10 but obviously, that didn’t do the trick, either.

The next move seems to be doing away with the traditional Christmas special. This year’s will air on New Year’s Day for the first time, though there’s not expected to be another one next winter. Unfortunately, going by Mzimba’s comments, it sounds like a season every other year will be par for the course from now on.

Given that its the last one for eons then, make sure to catch the Doctor Who New Year’s special – titled “Resolution” – when it airs on January 1st.

 

[Doctor Omega]

the BBC wanted Who to release on a yearly basis, but Chibnall shut it down as he said it was impossible.

The Beeb's response at that point surely should have been "Well, good luck Chris. It's been nice working with you."

Or hired 2 showrunner's instead of one at that point.

 

[The Seeker]

The Beeb's response at that point surely should have been "Well, good luck Chris. It's been nice working with you."

Or hired 2 showrunner's instead of one at that point.

They would have had to recast the Doctor though.

And it kind of sounds like no one was jumping at the chance to be showrunner. I was under the impression that Moffat convinced Chibnall to do it with some difficulty.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Speaking at a special preview screening of 'Resolution' at the BFI, Tony Hall – the BBC's Director General – revealed that series 12 will begin airing on BBC One "very early in 2020".

 

[Doctor Omega]

I was under the impression that Moffat convinced Chibnall to do it with some difficulty.

Yes, Moffat had to convince a reluctant Chibnall - who had already publicly declared in an interview that he didn't want to be showrunner - to take the reins over "several large sherries". Moffat's motivation for this - as he declared it - was to protect the show from the wrong person taking charge by personally hand-picking his successor.

I kind of wish he had kept his nose out of matters now.

But I am doubtful that his BBC masters would have chosen any more wisely.

Maybe - much as in the 1980's - the series has simply run it's current course, if nobody of vision is making themselves known in wanting to take over.

I think the move to Sunday, the loss of the Christmas specials, the reduced episode count, the lack of spin-offs, the lack of merchandise and the preposterously huge gaps between seasons, etc. would seem to support this "ready for another hiatus" scenario?

 

[The Seeker]

Well we’ll see how today goes. I’ll see long after today, but we’ll see nonetheless. It would be a shame. If they end the series I’d like to see her turn into the Valeyard, since she has to do that eventually, but maybe they’ll leave it open-ended in case someone wants to restart it sometime in the future. Got to keep the cash cow going.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Doctor Who boss teases classic monsters returning and a new storyline for Yaz in 2020 series
Chris Chibnall has started to drop hints about what we can expect from the next set of adventures for Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor…


https://www-radiotimes-com.cdn.ampp...g-and-a-new-storyline-for-yaz-in-2020-series/

 

[Doctor Omega]

THE DOCTOR AND HER FRIENDS WILL LAND AGAIN ON BBC ONE IN 2020

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/89823d93-ca6c-486b-9c82-2a71cd1560bb

As series 11 came to a close on BBC One tonight (Sunday 9th December) the show announced that series 12 is on its way and will be returning to BBC One in early 2020.

Series 11 marked a brand new era for Doctor Who with Showrunner, Chris Chibnall, taking control of the TARDIS. With Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, viewers saw the Doctor and her friends travel through space and time on adventures fighting monsters and conquering battles. Series 12 will see Jodie reprise her role as the Doctor and she will once again be joined by Bradley Walsh (Graham), Mandip Gill (Yasmin) and Tosin Cole (Ryan).

So far, from the first eight episodes, series 11 of Doctor Who has averaged a 4-screen consolidated audience of 8.4m.

Jodie’s first episode as the Doctor launched with a consolidated audience of 11 million making it the second biggest drama this year across all channels, while also placing it among the top 10 programmes in 2018 so far across all channels and genres. The episode received 3.7 million requests through BBC iPlayer.

Speaking of the return Showrunner Chris Chibnall said “We’re off again! Well we never actually stopped - as Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and friends have been winning the hearts of families across the nation this autumn, we’ve been busy with a whole new set of action packed adventures for the Thirteenth Doctor. We adore making this show and have been blown away by the response from audiences, so we can’t wait to bring more scares, more monsters and more Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole to BBC One. Brilliant!”

Charlotte Moore, Director of Content added, “We’re delighted that the Doctor and her friends will be returning to thrill audiences in 2020. I know Chris and the whole team are already working on a whole new set of exciting adventures. In the meantime we’ve got a very special episode on New Year’s Day for everyone to enjoy.”

 

[Doctor Omega]

The BBC's own RADIO TIMES magazine has made a list of areas viewers want to see improvement on......

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/...ho-fans-want-when-the-series-returns-in-2020/

 

[Doctor Omega]

I suspect that some version of every item on that list will be applied to series 12 when it returns.

Whether Chibnall is happy or not.

In fact, I would not be surprised if some kind of Sawardian walkout - or walk in - of a new creative figure, (such as a second showrunner) alongside Chibnall - occured in some shape or form before the Doctor next graces our screens.

We have this whole thing of Jodie will go if Chibnall leaves, so the BBC are effectively over a barrell.

Unless they have both been served notice and this is total spin to allow Jodie and Chibnall to exit with dignity, while the BBC spend as little as possible on as few episodes as possible, in order to stretch out her reign to say..... New Year's Day 2021. Effectively giving her four years on paper as the Doctor, but only a year and a half of actual episodes.

Not much of a "five year plan" on Chibnall's part though.