So, with the imminent arrival of Series 14/Season 2/Season 41 on our screens, and the news that expanded media writer Juno Dawson is one of the writers this season, there’s been a lot of talk about getting more writers from expanded media to write for the TV Show. Therefore, I decided to take all the writers who wrote stories for Big Finish’s Monthly Adventures (formerly the Main Range)[1] and get your takes on who should write for the show. I’ll be doing this in bite-sized chunks through the thread for ease of reading. So, the first set is:
Nicholas Briggs: The Voice of the Daleks[2] has a huge body of work. For the Main Range specifically he wrote releases 1, 15, 17, 31, 44, 84, 98, 102b, 109b, 124, 126, 149, 171[3], and 198. He also wrote one Eleventh Doctor/Dalek novel. He has however, never written an episode for the TV series. Should Briggs be commissioned to write for TV Doctor Who?
Mark Gatiss: Mark Gatiss only wrote two Main Range stories early in the run: Phantasmagoria (MR #2) and Invaders From Mars (MR #28). He has on the other hand written quite a bit for the modern era of the show with his last story being Empress of Mars for Series 10. Should Gatiss return to write more for the TV series?
Justin Richards: At one point Justin Richards acted as Range Consultant for the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who series. On top of that, he’s a prolific Doctor Who novel writer[4] and has contibuted five stories to the Main Range (3, 8, 32, 194, and 212) as well as plenty of other audios and lots of short stories. His only TV credits for Doctor Who are the Monster Files[5]. Should Justin Richards be commissioned to write an episode for the TV series?
this is Main Range only because I had to draw the line somewhere for a single post ↩︎
Honestly I really think we should get more EU writers on board to write for the TV series. Not as a priority above new writers in general, but certainly it’d be nice. Even one a series. Nick would be interesting, Mark’s had enough TV ones, Justin I’ve not heard enough of but sure!
While he has written some great Stuff, when his Material is weak, it can come across as super bland. I also simply don’t think he really needs a TV Script, he has written already a lot for the EU and him being basically the main Voice Actor for the Show has given him enough Body of Work. I don’t think he would be all that great of a Choice.
I don’t think he should, his best Work has been outside the TV Show (Adventures in Space and Time, a few of his EU Stories) and I think he has already enough to his Body of Work.
If I had to chose somebody, then probably him, I am not the biggest Fan of most of his Work, but I think he does have more claim to get a Chance than either of the previous two. Still not one that I would jump in the Air for.
These were just the first three Main Range writers. I’ll be conituing on down the run with more over time. I decided to start with just three so that the individual posts wouldn’t be super long.
Stephen Cole: Cole has a long history with the show. He was in charge of merchandising at BBC Enterprises between 1997 and 1999, deciding which stories should be released on video, as well as the range editor of the PDAs and EDAs. He’s written several novels, short stories and audios. For the Main Range, he wrotes releases 4, 11, 51, 123b, 137, 147, 187, and 224a. He also wrote three Gallifrey releases (1.2, 2.2, and 3.1). He has not written for the TV show. Should Cole (or one of his many pseudonyms) be commissioned to write a TV episode?
Jonathan Blum: Primarily a novelist (often with his wife Kate Orman), his only audio story is The Fearmonger (MR #5). He (and Kate) wrote three well-regarded Eighth Doctor novels (Vampire Science, Seeing I, and Unnatural History) and Blum has written two Lethbridge-Stewart novels (United Nations and Intelligence Taskforce), and a handful of short stories. He has not written for the TV show. Should Jonathan Blum be commissioned to write a TV story, and with or without Kate Orman?
Jacqueline Rayner: Current producer of Big Finish’s Sixth Doctor Adventures (and former producer of various things), Rayner is a prolific novel, comic, short story and audio writer. For the Main Range, she wrote The Marian Conspiracy (MR #6), Doctor Who and the Pirates (MR #43), 100 BC (MR #100a), The Doomwood Curse (MR #111), and The Bridge Master (MR #266b). For TV, she wrote the Yaz’s Case Files that accompanied Series 11. Should Rayner be commissioned to write an episode of the TV series?
Stephen Cole might be interesting, I liked his work on Gallifrey. I’d be quite excited for anything by Rayner though.
I’d love to get Blum onboard because I think he’s a great character writer (though I’m basing that assessment off things I’ve seen him and Orman say about which of them worked on what in their books together) but I would be profoundly disappointed if Kate Orman wasn’t also involved.
PLEASE get Tim ‘the legendary’ Foley on the screen. Literally everyone I have ever seen loves him RTD are you listening there is no human on this planet that dislikes Tim Foley we must have him on tv please-
Oh n- wait he wrote Spirit?! Hmm perhaps he could be an interesting one, yeah! But then again I am not quite sure, he seems like somebody who has already enough body of Work even without a TV Episode.
I wouldn’t mind it. I think from what I heard or read, Blum can be quite a nice Writer, admittedly I haven’t read any of his highly-regarded Novels, so I can’t comment on them. But then again, being a great Novelist doesn’t make you a great TV Writer automatically. I’d be open for him, now if we were talking about Orman… Yes. She should write for TV Who.
I like her Material, yeah sure, I wouldn’t mind her writing for TV
I want to see what Cole can do on screen. Apocalypse Element, Spirit and Fractures are among my top doctor who stories ever and I want to see if he can translate to the screen as well
