The Doctor In The TARDIS

Tom Spilsbury who is the editor of DWM has said this:

As Doctor Who fast approaches its 50th anniversary in 2013, the programme is set to get even bigger. Last week, I attended the first proper meeting at the BBC to discuss plans for the golden anniversary celebrations.

This confirms 2 exciting things.

1. They are planning something special enough to garner 3 years of prep
2. DW will still be around in 3 years time

That is enough to tide me over for a few days :)

This is brilliant news. Im glad they are planning so far ahead. The Doc said on his site a while back that the show was already in pre-planning for, I think, up to series 8 (assuming both parts of 2011 count as one series). I will see if I can dig it out.

I only had a quick scan so I might not have grabbed the right links, but there is this, which indicates a bright future

http://tardisspoilers.blogspot.com/2010/07/series-8-confirmed.html

Brilliant news. Thanks Roranicus :)

Its good to know they are taking the even seriously and planning ahead, though I think they will be planning something big scale as 3 years to prepare for a story seems like a long time. Perhaps another stage show or something, but obviously less obvious

Whatever it turns out to be this is all very encouraging - dare I say comforting?

Making plans is always a good sign :D

I agree. Its a great thing for the fans and hopefully will give all the naysayer journalists something positive to report on for a change

*crosses fingers for a multi doctor story that includes 9*

RTD said he had this idea where the Doctor gets sick, and starts going through his regenerations in reverse. Cool concept, the problem is then, we wouldn't see the Doc's on screen together.

There is an article from a few months ago on the site about the plans for series 7 which I will look for and post this evening when I have a bit more time :)

I think the chances of 9 being in it are slim. He seems to want nothing to do with the show and he hasnt spoken too favourably about it recently

I know :( but the thing is, he had a problem with the people who ran the show. Those people are gone now. So maybe he'll come back under a new regime, since he still appreciates the fans.

I remember reading a story where a child and his mother were out in London, and they saw Christopher Eccelston, and the kid wanted to meet his Doctor and get an autograph and stuff, and the mom was hesitant because she knew he left on bad terms and didn't want her kid's memory of him to be tarnished or something. But Eccelston was nothing but lovely, signed things, took a picture, talked to the kid etc. So yeah, his experience on their wasn't good, but he appreciates the fans a lot, and I would hope if he sees enough love out there he would come back, even if it is for a short scene.

I didnt think he had a problem with the crew overall, just with that one director he argued with?

It was something like that yeah. I thought it was a couple people though.

If its a mutli Doctor story, I want to see them all, or none (except the current) I know some are dead, so not so easy, but this is a big milestone and none should be left out.

Matt Smith has commented to Io9 (http://io9.com/5825844/nicolas-cage-moves-like-a-cobra-in-the-new-ghost-rider-plus-more-intriguing-cast-updates-for-pacific-rim) on the thought of a multi Doctor story...

"There hasn't been any official talk about it yet. That's still over a year away. But I'd love for it to happen. How amazing would it be to see Tom Baker?! Can you imagine just seeing him back in the scarf, man? That would be amazing! So cool! And Paul McGann is a great actor, man, and a great Doctor. I say bring back Chris and Dave, too! How many Doctors can we get into one story?! Imagine if there were five or six of us in one ep and we could all just look at each other and judge each other."

Moff has been speaking about the 50th again.

I’ve got various plans, but all I can say emphatically is it will be huge... it won’t be just one thing…. We’ll be doing lots of stuff... the plans are quite extensive, and changing all the time... We will hit that year very, very hard indeed. The BBC are fully committed. There’s lot of decisions we’re making that are about making all that possible. It’ll be amazing.

This isn't official, obviously, but I thought I would pop it in here. It's McCoy and Sophie Aldred talking about the 50th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCC5hmfljCg

Hm, interesting suggestion from Sly.

I actually quite like that idea. I think it could work.

This is fan made, but I thought it was wonderful. Some people have a real talent for these things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d941hp6VKgw

I had a thought last night about the anniversary that I thought I would share to see what people thought.

Lots of fans want to see some sort of multi-Doctor story, or see the actors return in another form. Others have mentioned remaking a lost or just general classic story. I've seen some mention doing a live episode or something from the Doctors youth, but I think most of these just won't work logistically.

My thought, and it might be ridiculous, is to shoot it in black and white. It could be mentioned in the story as part of the plot, or perhaps just done as a nod to the early days without having anything to do with the story, but I think it would be a great little twist thats different to what people might expect. The thing is, doing it today as an effect rather than a necessity as it was in the 60s means that it can still look visually attractive and glossy and bold but also be a nice nod to where the show started 50 years ago.

I love that idea. It's definately original. I can't think of any other shows that have done something similar and I just think it would give the story a very cool classic feel to it.

I also think that's a great idea. Black and white FTW! :)

That's a great idea.  Actually, when you think about it, The Girl Who Waited could have very easily been made in black & white, and they could do something equivalent.  Even if the whole thing isn't B/W, perhaps the Doctor would go back to 1963 (obviously avoiding the same territory as Remembrance of the Daleks) and there's some reason why it turns B/W when he steps out of the TARDIS.

I think filming it in black and white would be really neat. I'd love to see them do that. We need to bombard Moff with the idea :P

I was thinking about this on the treadmill this morning. For the 50th, assuming we are getting another series leading up to it or airing at the time, I think we should have an entire series of returning monsters. Strong, popular villains from both eras of the show for the Doctor to re-face and then one new brilliant villain created specifically for the anniversary. I think having lots of new monsters would mean that none stand out over the others and would lessen the impact of the fact the show has reached such a milestone. Creating just one new race means that a lot of effort and focus can go on making them brilliant and hopefully iconic while using returning monsters for all the other stories would be a nice nod to the classic and early new era. The show could even perhaps acknowledge the fact they have all been faced before by connecting it all together in a loose arc. Maybe something cooked up by the new race?

I think the idea of having perhaps part of it shot in black and white might be a nice homage - or perhaps even having a prequel shot in black and white would be a lovely nod to the shows past. If i'm honest I wouldn't want the whole lot shot in b/w - i think the show has moved on from that and should actually be an HD special effects extravaganza to show how far it has come.

My idea for the 50th is a little odd but I think would provide a fitting tribute to the Doctor's 50 years and free us from a lot of the continuity problems that inevitably occur if a multi-doctor story is proposed.

The plot premise is this. The Doctor is dying. He has a regenerative disorder - a Time Lord deadly disease - whereby large parts of his past degrade due to his prolonged exposure to the time vortex. So we see his previous regenerations but in an older, more degraded form. Some regenerations are totally inaccessible (the first three Doctors) and the Doctor and companions old and new must try and help the Doctor find a cure before its too late and before his enemies can stop him (think of the Adric quote at the end of Caves of Androzani "to many people would delight in your death")

The 50th anniversary is the Doctor facing a fight with his ultimate foe - Death.

Great idea, VA.  I wonder if Moff is listening.


This is something like what they did in the series leading up to the 20th, where each story featured someone or something returning (Omega, the Mara, the Brig, the two Guardians, the Master).  It could work well to do that again.

I like both those ideas. I've heard some great ideas put out there about the anniversary and it just makes me even more excited. I think whatever it is, it won't be something so simple that we can guess it. I'm not always Moffs biggest fan but I have faith that he will give us something spectacular

Likewise, I am prepared to have the Moff take me on a roller coaster ride. I have a slight fear about the expectations game that Moff is now facing. The anticipation about the 50th anniversary is huge - so are the expectations. But, in Moff we trust and all that!

The idea of the returning monsters is a good one. As Nyki says its something they have done before but it's not such an obvious thing that it would seem like they are copying, especially if the stories are all different. I also like the idea of reinventing old stories. Not strictly remaking them as such, but perhaps new interpretations or something. Perhaps that is what the Moff is going with if the western/Gunslinger rumour is right.

This made me laugh, so I thought it was worth sharing. The Express (http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/311988). Do I even need to tell you all take take it with a bucket full of salt?

DOCTOR Who will turn into a woman when the show marks its 50th anniversary next year, Day & Night has been informed.

The show’s bosses are planning to change the character’s gender after half a century, with Sherlock star Lara Pulver,
31, pictured, being tipped among the front runners for the role.

Insiders say a dramatic twist will see current Time Lord Matt Smith, 29, regenerate into a new female character when next year’s series reaches its dramatic climax.

“The 50th anniversary series will end with a very big twist,” we’re told. “The Doctor becoming a woman will give the show a new lease of life.”

Pulver sent pulses racing with her raunchy portrayal of the scheming Irene Adler opposite Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Holmes on BBC1 earlier this year.

Writer Steven Moffat, 50, the co-creator of the Sherlock series, is also the
executive producer of Doctor Who. “Lara has already been mentioned as a real contender for the role,” adds our show mole.

How many regenerations does that make that the Doctor's definitely going to turn into a woman?

I wonder if (and this is reading the above with the appropriate salt as PP wisely advises) instead of a permenant Incarnation, we are going to see a time lord, body swap story (those who know it, think Original Star Trek, final episode, Turnabout Intruder) whereby someone takes the time lord body and swaps it so they can have eternal life. I know it's been kinda done in New Earth but I'm thinking something a bit more serious and operating as the fundamental story device (the Cassandra body swap was almost a bit of fun)

Perhaps not for the 50th story though - I wonder if this story is a mix of "we've got some great plans this year leading up to the Doctors 50th anniversary" and "doctor who to become a woman" add this to someone hunting for a story and bingo!

Was Turnaround Intruder the split Kirk one?  For most series (other than DW) I tend to think of episodes as "The One Where..."

Its the very last episode where a female Doctor (Janice Lester played rather well by Sandra Smith) literally swaps bodies with Captain Kirk ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnabout_Intruder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnabout_Intruder)

I really hope Moffat doesn't go against yet another thing we thought we knew about the Time Lord race, that's my only limit as to how far he can go (I think)

My main hope for the series is that the Master has somehow survived. I also think it's a good idea to bring back old foes, but not if it ends up as a series full of Closing Time-style episodes where the monster/creature/bad guy/posessing spirit isn't really the focus. Don't get me wrong, I liked that episode, but I couldn't stand a whole series of it.

This isn't a spoiler as such after reading Doctor Who Magazine they seem to be indicating that plans for the 50th are well underway and that we are going to see elements of it seeded into this current series. But what appears to be certain is that Jenna Louise Coleman is going to be the companion and Matt Smith is going to be the Doctor. Moff is in no way ruling out a multi Doctor episode

But... I have another idea to pitch for you.

The story is told from the perspective of an old man who is dying. About the adventures he had with this traveller from time and Space. This old man is a fixed point in time and the Daleks are trying to kill him to try and upset the balance of the universe and establish themselves as temporal overlords. The Doctor alone can save him but must fight his deadliest foes...

The old man in question - Ian Chesterton!

Tom Baker has said at the weekend that if they want him and he is allowed script approval for his scenes then he would return for the anniversary. He also said he wanted it to be funny.

He was a con when he said that btw. Here is a picture :)

(https://p.twimg.com/AuiqxIeCMAA7eUh.jpg)

The more I hear about this, the less convinced I am that it will ever happen. After listening to Tom Baker on the Big Finish Audios, he is a completely different actor to the one who was the Doctor in the late seventies. I cannot imagine the Moff (someone who is completely convinced of his own abilities) would ever cede script approval to someone else - and I think this whole thing is a little bit of a red herring. I adore Tom Baker unreservedly - but I just can't see this happening.

More to the point, I am not sure I want a multi Doctor story. It seems to be Who tradition that every time an anniversary rocks along, we have a multi Doctor tale (Three Doctors, Five Doctors, Two Doctors) but realistically Christopher Ecclestone is not going to appear. The first three Doctors are dead and irreplaceable (Yes, we got away with Richard Hurndall in the Five Doctors but that was very much accepted in the spirit of compromise). We have the problem of the movie to deal with and the age/appearance of the actors. Writing a really good story with one lead is often difficult. Writing a story with potentially seven leads, all jockeying for screen time might well be impossible.

Similarly, I think there are settings and scenarios that would be disappointing if they choose to go there. In my mind, the Time War is epic and immense with huge, rolling space battles and intense conflict. Any attempt to show the Time War would surely be anti-climactic. Similarly, Gallifrey should not be revisited - RTD tried that in The End of Time and it didn't really work.

So the Moff has one heck of a task ahead of him. There is an expectation that the 50th Anniversary is going to be amazing and mind-blowing and Moff has to manage the expectations of fans. At the same time he has to be original and yet doff his cap to the 50 year history of the show.

This will not be easy for him.

 

Here's a transcript of what Tom Baker said about returning...

Well, if they ask me nicely and I could see what they wanted me to do I would consider it because I think the fans have been so good to me, they expect me at least to make an appearance so of course I would consider that. If it was something witty. But I would want to know what the detail of the scene was or what I was supposed to do. I just don’t want to be paraded through as some shagged out old icon of the last century. It’s too much of a source of happiness. I was never really happy until I became Doctor Who. At the same time although, it’s the loveliest job I ever had, it essentially killed my career stone dead because I suddenly realised I liked being Doctor Who more than anything that had ever happened to me. So when I went to play Macbeth the audience wanted me to play Macbeth in the style of Doctor Who and naturally I did. Afterwards a critic said ‘I had no idea how nice Macbeth was’. So I realised then that the people coming to see me – people like you – didn’t want to see me playing Jack the Ripper or whatever it was. So when I went to Ireland to play Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty in the same play, they were absolutely baffled because they were absolutely interchangeable, my reason being the same person, really. So that was another failure, a glorious failure.

Well, that doesn't really mean he's demanding script approval, just reserving his right only to say yes if it seems worth it, which is fair enough.  Whether it'll happen or not is another issue - like VA, I'm dubious.

Matt Smith has confirmed that he knows what Steven Moffat is planning for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who.


"He was pitching the 50th anniversary at the end of this series and what everything was going to be about and it was... very exciting," said Smith. "No doubt he'll come up with something brilliant because that's the sort of man he is.

"I hope that we mark it in the best way possible and we honour the people that have been in the show before us and we make it as grand and brilliant and inventive and as much an occasion as possible. What I may have an idea, but I can't tell you, I'm afraid."


"Who knows?" he said. "I think it's an exciting idea. Whether it would be possible, or whether it could ever happen I just don't know, but whatever we can do to mark that 50th anniversary will be spectacular, that much I do know.

"Nothing's set in stone. I imagine there will be a script knocking around about Christmas and there we will develop further and shoot it next spring."

Everyone leaves eventually no, I'm not leaving any time soon," he insisted. "I am coming back for the 50th anniversary. To suggest I am quitting now is wrong."

Not sure if it has been mentioned in here already, but it has been confirmed that a special episode will be airing for the anniversary, described as 'a love letter to the fans' and 'event tv'.

I want at least 20 companions please :)

Oh, at least.  That, plus at least half a dozen Doctors, the Master, Daleks and Cybermen has to be the absolute minimum  And perhaps the return of the Valyard 8)

Of the 50th, Moff has said:

"They are immense, they are considerable," he promised. "[The episodes] will be full of tremendous surprises. But they wouldn't be surprises if I accidentally said them now, would they? But I promise you, we're going to take over television. Trust me."

I have a couple of things to add to the 50th wish list:

1. If it is to be a series of episodes, is there any chance we could have one written or at least co-written by Terrance D1cks. If it is a true love letter to the fans, what better way to do this than to infuse it with the spirit of Classic Who!

2. Two words; Ian Chesterton. The link to the very first episode. He must be in there somewhere.

Tennant was on Jonathan Ross last night being pretty cagey, and possibly revealing too much by trying to reveal nothing.

Jonathan: This year is the Fiftieth anniversary of Doctor Who

David: Is it? I hadn’t noticed

Jonathan: I believe they’re planning something special

David: I believe, I don’t know

Jonathan: I know you’re an honest man, so if I ask you directly, so no one has spoken to you about…

David: No one has spoken… I know nothing.

Jonathan: No one has spoken to you?

David: I know nothing.

Jonathan: No one has spoken to you, saying its the fiftieth anniversary”

David: In make up tonight this lovely lady came in, who I’d never met before and aid “hello I’m from the BBC” I went “oh hello, nice to meet you.” “I’ve been sent to say that anything that the Doctor Who 50th anniversary must not be mentioned on television.” That’s how scared they are. I don’t know anything, they’re sending out spies to shut me up from telling you things I don’t know.

Jonathan: They haven’t said to you are you free, do you have a gap in your work diary at any stage this year.

David: I have not had a conversation like that

Jonathan: Has anyone had a conversation on your behalf about your diary, is there someone who keeps your diary who for the sake of honesty ininterviews like this who would not yet have spoken to you about chunks of time you might have put by to visit Wales this year

David:  I don’t know if I’ll be going to Wales, I couldn’t…

Jonathan: So you’re going to film it here in London?

Also from Anneke Wills, when asked if she woud like to return in some capacity:

“Oh listen, any damn thing! Of course! But at the same time I don’t want to, because on screen you look ten years older. Perhaps if I had prosthetics. But everyone keep your fingers crossed, because the 50th is coming up and we’re all hoping to get work… And Frazer Hines’s knees still look good! There’s all sorts of secrets going on but I can’t tell you.”

Isn't it the case that because the BBC is publicly funded, they are not allowed to tell lies if questioned about what they are doing? So if a reporter says 'Is the Master returning to DW', they can't say no if in fact he is.

If Tennant really wasn't returning, then saying no would be no problem at all. And also, if he knew nothing, why would the BBC send someone to the ITV studios to tell him not to talk about the anniversary of the show which he knows nothing about anyways?

I love both of those - but they'd have to retract what Sarah Jane said about Ian and Barbara not having aged a day 8)

Yes, that poses a little problem!  But however they do it, he should be in there. I adored the Five Doctors and my only problem with it was the lack of Ian (he had Coronation St. commitments).

Also, I would like it directed by Graeme Harper.

He'll be back, if even for only a cameo. I don't doubt it for a second.

Ian should definitely return in some form. Even if it's only recorded inserts like they did with Hartnell in The Three Doctors. And with Sarah Jane, she did say it was only a rumour. Or perhaps she was just teasing. I think it was vague enough to gloss over.

Isn't the anniversary episode also the 800th? I think Gaimans is also the 100th from NuWho.

Well The Snowmen was 790. We have 8 more for this series, the anniversary (assuming there is just one episode) will be 799 and Christmas (assuming there is one) would be 800. Gaimans is the 100th of the new run.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/A-New-Dimension-for-Doctor-Whos-Fiftieth-Anniversary

The BBC have just announced that Doctor Who is going into 3D.  Which is great, I suppose, for the two people in the country with 3D televisions.  Which definitely doesn't include me  8)

The only positive spin I can put on the 3D story is that it might mean cinema screenings of the 50th Special - a chance to mingle with other like-minded souls? If they do this, I hope it is a simulcast and not a preview!

Another thought that struck me today - considering what other 50th anniversary it is this November, could the episode have something to do with JFK?  That would be a nod not only to the start of the classic series but also to the start of the reboot, and we already know the Ninth Doctor was there in the crowd.

Just a thought . . . what about a cross-over episode? Dr. Who prevents Blake's 7 from all being killed? Rescues Sapphire & Steel from being trapped in space? Rescues Gordon from being overrun by Tribbles in Thunderbird 5? (OK, maybe not the last one)

Or, one way you might be able to get all the Doctors together, have the Angels zap them into the same point in the past.