What can NuWho/Revival Who learn from Classic?

Television Doctor Who (2023-)
81

Oh woah, that’s more replies for the topic than I expected, time to (respectfully) agree or disagree to a lot of things mwhahaha

While I can see your examples and your point, I’d have to disagree with the core of it big time. I do think there are plenty of examples of non-contemporary Characters being much different due to their different Background, like @Jae said Characters such as Zoe or Romana do feel very different because of the places where they come from originally. Of course, not all non-contemporary Companions do nail it, but I think the ones which do are certainly highlights of their respective Eras. I think it’s worth giving a shot and like I said I would be happy if they just shake it up a little, even going with non UK Companion would be refreshing.

Bring back K9 and make his show 100% needed to understand the future of Doctor Who!!! (Please don’t, I don’t want to need to watch it). But yeah, I would love if they bring back Romana

I swear looking at Pictures from the early 2000s, you could tell me those were from now and I might believe you, this Woman hasn’t aged a day since then! Also, big yes, I’d love seeing the (I mean, she kinda is that, isn’t she?) EU Companion appear in some form in the Main Show. Of course, if that’s possible, is probably a different Thing. I think you don’t have to touch much ground to make it work, no need to overcomplicate if that’s ever happen.

Same here! After having listened to some of her Audios, I do love her and can’t wait to get around with more of them! (The Cybermen Boxset is brilliant, highly recommending it to anybody).

Agreed! Honestly, I’d be happy if they just find a way to shake it up, I think the Finales of Series 9/10 kinda did that. While both very many Finales Stories they do highlight more the emotional stakes than do a big explosive universal threat. I do however think the Chances of that being maybe more the norm than the exception to the Rule is unlikely, especially since so many viewers or modern audience want something huge for their finale, like @sircarolyn pointed out. Oh, well I am overall mixed with it, most of the time the finales slot isn’t one I look that much forward, besides the Capaldi Era and Eccelstons, no NuWho Finales really resented with me, so I guess I am kinda more “what ever” in regard to it. I do definitely would like to see them do and try to shake it up whenever they can!

Yeah, agreed! Although I feel like now that I think about it, Ncutis Run so far didn’t have much use for any sonic material, now, did it? So perhaps they are starting to step away from using it so much. Personally, I would even be happy if we didn’t get any sonic material for quite a while, but that’s doubtful and probably not gonna happen anytime in the future.

9 Likes
82

He definitely uses it a decent amount, from what I remember.

5 Likes
83

I mean perhaps, maybe I am still not used to his sonic looking so different, so maybe I recall it wrong :sob: apology if I did!

6 Likes
84

I’ve never really understood the dislike of using the Sonic Screwdriver.

Sure, if it’s a kind of “deus ex machina” way to resolve a plot then yes that’s bad.

But most of the time they use it to do things like:

  • Open doors
  • Disable security systems
  • Stun an enemy

The alternative, without the screwdriver, would probably be stuff like:

  • Kick a door down
  • Run past shooting guns
  • Punch an enemy

All which are much less “Doctor Who” to me.

Also they’d probably just type into keyboards a lot more.

I think the screwdriver is fun!

12 Likes
85

I think it’s not so much using it at all that’s an issue for some, but more overuse. Gets a bit repetitive when it starts to become the default all the time. But I also understand that modern Who needs a shortcut with its shorter runtime per story.

10 Likes
86

This thread inspired me to put together a rough outline of a five-season Doctor run. Each season is 13 episodes, I don’t have any holiday specials at the moment, though I might work them in at a later point. Some episodes have more detail than others to give potential writers more freedom.

8 Likes
87

I’ll probably post it in its own thread when I’ve finished and refined it a little.

5 Likes
88

Unlikely i reckon. The sonic is always a popular toy the BBC can sell.

12 Likes
89

Go all Visitation on it.

5 Likes
90

Here’s the post for this:

5 Likes
91

I think the sonic is fine most of the time, it’s when it becomes a magic wand like in the Star Beast I start to find it a bit out of place.

The Psychic Paper on the other hand I go back and forth on. I love it so much when in the Classic era the Doctor just waltzes in on tenuous ground - like in Power of the Daleks or The Curse of Peladon.
Waving a blank piece of paper about instead, often followed by a little silly joke, was already starting to wear a bit thin for me during the Matt Smith era…
(I do think it was a bit better used during the Jodie Whittaker years though)

12 Likes
92

Really, they are both tools the Doctor can use instead of being clever, and I’d rather the Doctor was clever. (Though I do understand that they have less time to play with in the story, which is also something I don’t like.)

11 Likes
93

A lot of talk of companions being same-y in new who but I haven’t seen anyone mention the doctor not having any companions that aren’t adults anymore. Classic who had a few companions that were mid teen age. I don’t think it’s imperative that we have a 16 year old companion now but I used to think it couldn’t work before I watched classic.

11 Likes
94

Same here really, I do love it as a concept but I think at times it can get tired, I remember watching The Star Beast and rolling a bit my eyes when I saw it and the Sonic. But then again I do like the Paper more than the Sonic really

Yes.

Oh, True!! I mean, as many already talked about it in this thread, a lot of them fall under a similar age range, but it would be interesting to them to tackle it again. But then again maybe that’s a thing who stays away from due to some external factors (pretty sure filming with much younger actors is harder to pull off in terms of long filming and I can’t see them doing something what they did with Vicki, where the Character is much younger than the Actress/Actor.)

10 Likes
95

I don’t think Adric and Nyssa are really a good example, and I disagree that Leela needed a lot more explaining than any other companion. I think the two alien/out of time companions we did have in Modern Who are a great way of going about it:

Jack is human, but he does a lot more technobabble than the average companion, you really feel that he’s at a similar knowledge level to the Doctor. He has experience with aliens and time travel, he gets to fiddle with the TARDIS, he has fun anecdotes. There are a lot of reminders that he’s not a modern day human, but it’s used as a way to speed things along rather than slow down for an explanation.

Nardol is an alien, and he’s a bit more similar to Romana in the way that he’s different to other companions because he doesn’t get all starry-eyed around the Doctor. He can pilot the TARDIS but doesn’t get as much technobabbly moments. Instead, his difference is used more for comic relief. I think it works great.

I love both these companions. I love a lot of Classic’s non-human companions too. I see absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t get more of them, when they clearly can work so well. How many of us have said in the past that we would have loved Victorian Clara to be a companion? It’s possible!

15 Likes
96

Yeah. Leela was generally very quick to pick up on things. She didn’t need any more explaining to than Jamie did, who also caught on quickly. Adric and Nyssa the problem was mainly that Nyssa was added last minute. Combine that with crowded TARDIS, and they ended up with not enough to do with them, Nyssa especially.

13 Likes