Rona Munro (Survival) is a returning writer in series 10! - Doctor Who (1963) Discussion

[–] paulbeardsley 8 years ago

I wonder if anyone will still insist Classic Who and New Who are separate?

So this is permanence, love's shattered pride.
What once was innocence, turned on its side.

reply

[–] The_Weeping_Prophet 8 years ago

I don't see them as separate, but I only make the distinction because she's the first pre-2005 Doctor Who writer to return and I think that's neat.

You're a nutcase.

reply

[–] lawrenceconwayvulcan 8 years ago

When I saw the news that a classic era writer was working on the new season, 3 names came to mind, Ben Aaronvitch, Stephen Gallagher and Rona Munro. Just have to see if her more radical ideas make the cut this times.

reply

[–] mindbait 8 years ago

BAD REQUEST INVALID URL

https://soundcloud.com/rhythm-n-weird

New song "Where was I?"

reply

[–] paulbeardsley 8 years ago

I don't see them as separate, but I only make the distinction because she's the first pre-2005 Doctor Who writer to return

Yes, I realise that. I also acknowledge that IMDB treats the 20th century and 21st century ones as distinct. But when it came back in 2005, it was perfectly possible that it would be a reboot, not least because Chris Eccleston's debut was a remake of Jon Pertwee's debut, and nobody onscreen mentioned the suspiciously similar events of 30 years ago.

But once the Time Lords had been mentioned, regeneration had been reintroduced, Sarah Jane returned, and Sarah Jane listed some of her best-known adventures, it was kind of impossible to pretend that the 21st century series was not a continuation of the 20th century series. And that was before they included loads of cameos of past Doctors, occasional cameos of past companions, mentioning, showing and even visiting Gallifrey, featuring characters, planets and props from Classic Who (the Master, Karn and Davros, for example).

and I think that's neat.

Me too. My initial thought was, she's not my first choice. Survival was really not a good serial in any sense; as the last ever story of the 26 year run, it was disastrous. But not everything wrong with it was down to the writing, and even if it was, she's had 27 years to improve.

So this is permanence, love's shattered pride.
What once was innocence, turned on its side.

reply

[–] ed_zeppelin 8 years ago

I wonder if anyone will still insist Classic Who and New Who are separate?

Are Doctor Who and Thunderbirds separate? Dennis Spooner wrote for both.

reply

[–] paulbeardsley 8 years ago

What do you think?

So this is permanence, love's shattered pride.
What once was innocence, turned on its side.

reply

[–] mindbait 8 years ago

I was still kind of holding out hope that it might be uncle Terry (would like to see what he could do with Capaldi's doctor) but I liked Survival so I'm happy to see what Munro comes up with

https://soundcloud.com/rhythm-n-weird

New song "Where was I?"

reply

[–] pferreira86 8 years ago

I wonder if anyone will still insist Classic Who and New Who are separate?

My opinion was always more that New Who resisted following continuity with Classic Who. Every originals series character or villain had to be re-introduced and fans of New Who were never the wiser when people raised ideas of bringing the Rani or Romana back. For many the new series is where it started and they have no idea that it's even linked to an original series that ran for twenty six years. The New Who production team mostly in the early days were doing nothing to educate the new fans on Classic Who.

Rona Munro returning to write? "Just the start Midge...just the start". 

reply

[–] paulbeardsley 8 years ago

For many the new series is where it started and they have no idea that it's even linked to an original series that ran for twenty six years.

That's one way of looking at it - a commercially viable way of looking at it.

Imagine if, after all those years of wilderness, they announced, "Doctor Who is coming back! For those 10,000 or so of you who've been waiting to find out what happened to the Rani after she left Lakertya, how the Master survived being swallowed by the Eye of Harmony, and what the Valeyard's real origins are, tune in on Saturday night! For all those millions of potential viewers who don't have a clue what I'm on about, well, you'll just have to get up to speed with the old series because Crisis in Kasterborous isn't going to mean a thing to you otherwise!"

But for at least the first decade and a half, it was almost always possible for new viewers to jump on board. And with no internet and hardly any reference material it was possible to begin watching with The Monster of Peladon and have no idea the Doctor's previous visit had been televised, no idea the Doctor had had a companion prior to Sarah Jane, no idea he'd been exiled to Earth or had previous incarnations.

Doctor Who has often looked back at its own past, but most of the time it hasn't required casual viewers to have more than a passing awareness of its past.

So this is permanence, love's shattered pride.
What once was innocence, turned on its side.

reply

[–] mindbait 8 years ago

But for at least the first decade and a half, it was almost always possible for new viewers to jump on board. And with no internet and hardly any reference material it was possible to begin watching with The Monster of Peladon and have no idea the Doctor's previous visit had been televised, no idea the Doctor had had a companion prior to Sarah Jane, no idea he'd been exiled to Earth or had previous incarnations.

This is true, when I watched timelash I went around trying to find this old 3rd doctor and Jo on Karfel.
I started watching with 'planet of the daleks' so the regeneration a few stories later came as a complete (and wonderful) surprise. I hadn't been watching so long that I was devastated by losing Pertwee

https://soundcloud.com/rhythm-n-weird

New song "Where was I?"

reply

[–] pferreira86 8 years ago

That's one way of looking at it - a commercially viable way of looking at it.

Yeah makes perfect sense in one way. I think that once they pulled in new viewers they could have done more to educate new fans of the original series.

This is true, when I watched timelash I went around trying to find this old 3rd doctor and Jo on Karfel.

Well you know Russell T Davies actually did something cool and had Jo Grant refer to those events you described in her Sarah Janes Adventures story. One of the few times I've been happy with something RTD has done. 

reply

[–] mindbait 8 years ago

Oh really? yeah that is actually a pretty decent bit of fan-service. I haven't really got past season 1 of the Sarah Jane adventures...not becauseI didn't like them but because I just haven't got around to the rest of it... ditto with torchwood

https://soundcloud.com/rhythm-n-weird

New song "Where was I?"

reply

[–] Chris12955 8 years ago

Sounds good. Now they just need to find a way to bring back Robert Holmes. I suppose a medium would be required though. 

reply

[–] pferreira86 8 years ago

Oh really? yeah that is actually a pretty decent bit of fan-service. I haven't really got past season 1 of the Sarah Jane adventures...not becauseI didn't like them but because I just haven't got around to the rest of it... ditto with torchwood

The story is in the fourth season of SJA, The Death of the Doctor. It's good that RTD did that, he didn't have to considering the lack of interest in Timelash.

reply

[–] mindbait 8 years ago

I guess sooner or later he had to SOMETHING right! 

nah, jokes

https://soundcloud.com/coin-sides

New song "Breathless Love"

reply

[–] pferreira86 8 years ago

I guess sooner or later he had to SOMETHING right!

I couldn't agree more! 

reply

[–] mindbait 8 years ago

I'm grateful for him bringing the show back in the first place.

https://soundcloud.com/coin-sides

New song "Breathless Love"

reply

[–] pferreira86 8 years ago

I'm grateful for him bringing the show back in the first place.

I am grateful he brought the series back, how he brought it back is something I can't congratulate him on.

reply