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I always keep up with this thread, but I don't like to post too many comments as I don't particularly like upsetting fans of Moffat's era. The thing I'd like you all to recognise is how much "I love this show". Doctor Who will always be a huge part of me - having grown up with it in the mid to late 1970's and then watched the show religiously ever since. At one point I had every single show on Video and collected all of the audio adventures from Big Finish Productions. Even now, I'm trying to rebuild my collection on DVD (basically I lost my entire video and audio collection somewhere around 2006 due to reasons I won't go into here).
The funny thing is, I was elated as anyone when the show finally returned under the control of Russell T Davis. During his tenure, it certainly had its fair share of ups and downs. Sometimes brilliant (Aliens of London, World War Three, Dalek, The Girl in The Fireplace, Human Nature, Family of Blood, Blink, and The Waters of Mars), sometimes downright terrible (The Stolen Earth and The Journey's End). By the time Davis' had Tennant's Doctor with Donna in the Tardis during the less than spectacular Season 4, I was ready and very willing for someone else to take over the keys to the Tardis. When it was announced that Moffat was the chosen one, well, I was ecstatic. After all, he had written two of my favourite episodes in Blink and The Girl in the Fireplace.
To be fair to Moffat, such was the weight of expectation on his shoulders, it's not surprising that his tenure has not turned out to be as satisfactory (for me at least) as one would have hoped for. For me, he's a better writer when he has a producer to answer to. That way some of his expansive ideas can be curtailed before they spiral out of control (ala the nonsensical story arc running through and ruining Season 6). Please don't get me wrong. There's still been some great stories (Vincent and The Doctor was a lovely surprise for example, The Girl who Waited gave Karen Gillan a real chance to shine, and most recently A Town Called Mercy was absolutely fantastic). I just think as a producer and writer he's capable of so much more, I really do.
Strangely, and this is perhaps a very much minority opinion, the best season of the new series for me has easily been Season 3, where the lovely Martha Jones made such a good companion to David Tennant's impressive 10th Doctor. The main reason for this I believe, is that unlike most of the other seasons, the balance in the way the companion and the Doctor shared the limelight seemed just about spot on. The one thing which has bored me silly is the over reliance on so-called depth of character for the companions - Rose, Donna, and certainly Amy have all had the stories centred far too much around them. Plus, more to the point nearly all of them come over as simply annoying a lot of the time. Martha however, seemed to be the odd one out - and yet, for many she was the dullest of the companions, so go figure! What the hell do I know?! lol.
And so, we now have Clara. Hmmmm, well, the early signs are a bit distressing. I'm with White43 when he says it's lazy writing in regards to the scene when the Doctor is sitting on the swing speaking to her as a child. And yet, I will say this now - I will not leave this show because I love it too much. I may well moan about the direction Moffat seems to take the show occasionally, but hey, he's not the first producer to split opinions and as I've mentioned, there are still some great episodes which come along - albeit too infrequently . The classic series also suffered the same lulls and was certainly never brilliant 100% of the time.
So, I'm getting excited too for the return of Doctor 11... I just ask one thing. Please don't drop the ball on the return of the Ice Warriors... it's been far too long for a wait for these villains to return. Let's make them frightening again.
Remember... it's just my opinion guys. All's fair in love and war
The funny thing is, I was elated as anyone when the show finally returned under the control of Russell T Davis. During his tenure, it certainly had its fair share of ups and downs. Sometimes brilliant (Aliens of London, World War Three, Dalek, The Girl in The Fireplace, Human Nature, Family of Blood, Blink, and The Waters of Mars), sometimes downright terrible (The Stolen Earth and The Journey's End). By the time Davis' had Tennant's Doctor with Donna in the Tardis during the less than spectacular Season 4, I was ready and very willing for someone else to take over the keys to the Tardis. When it was announced that Moffat was the chosen one, well, I was ecstatic. After all, he had written two of my favourite episodes in Blink and The Girl in the Fireplace.
To be fair to Moffat, such was the weight of expectation on his shoulders, it's not surprising that his tenure has not turned out to be as satisfactory (for me at least) as one would have hoped for. For me, he's a better writer when he has a producer to answer to. That way some of his expansive ideas can be curtailed before they spiral out of control (ala the nonsensical story arc running through and ruining Season 6). Please don't get me wrong. There's still been some great stories (Vincent and The Doctor was a lovely surprise for example, The Girl who Waited gave Karen Gillan a real chance to shine, and most recently A Town Called Mercy was absolutely fantastic). I just think as a producer and writer he's capable of so much more, I really do.
Strangely, and this is perhaps a very much minority opinion, the best season of the new series for me has easily been Season 3, where the lovely Martha Jones made such a good companion to David Tennant's impressive 10th Doctor. The main reason for this I believe, is that unlike most of the other seasons, the balance in the way the companion and the Doctor shared the limelight seemed just about spot on. The one thing which has bored me silly is the over reliance on so-called depth of character for the companions - Rose, Donna, and certainly Amy have all had the stories centred far too much around them. Plus, more to the point nearly all of them come over as simply annoying a lot of the time. Martha however, seemed to be the odd one out - and yet, for many she was the dullest of the companions, so go figure! What the hell do I know?! lol.
And so, we now have Clara. Hmmmm, well, the early signs are a bit distressing. I'm with White43 when he says it's lazy writing in regards to the scene when the Doctor is sitting on the swing speaking to her as a child. And yet, I will say this now - I will not leave this show because I love it too much. I may well moan about the direction Moffat seems to take the show occasionally, but hey, he's not the first producer to split opinions and as I've mentioned, there are still some great episodes which come along - albeit too infrequently . The classic series also suffered the same lulls and was certainly never brilliant 100% of the time.
So, I'm getting excited too for the return of Doctor 11... I just ask one thing. Please don't drop the ball on the return of the Ice Warriors... it's been far too long for a wait for these villains to return. Let's make them frightening again.
Remember... it's just my opinion guys. All's fair in love and war