The arrival of Doctor Who's fourth season has crept up on me this year. Has it really been over 6 months since David Tennant went screwdriver-to-screwdriver with John Simm? The show is now very established and successful, so there's noticeably less fanfare than previous years. We all know what to expect, which actually presents Who with a big challenge: to keep things fresh, interesting and unpredictable.
The trailers haven't excited me this time. It just looks like business as usual, with only that giant wasp making much of an impression. Nor do I think Catherine Tate is the solution to a Martha-shaped problem nobody had with the show. I just didn't like Donna in The Runaway Bride. And that's not blind hatred of actress Catherine Tate, it's just the truth about my reaction to Donna in that Christmas Special. I'm hoping my gut reaction is wrong about her, but seeing as Russell T. Davies agreed Donna would make a poor regular while publicizing Runaway Bride in 2006, that can't be a good sign.
And why drop Martha Jones so quickly, anyway? I know the writers messed up giving her a Rose-style affection for The Doctor (yaaawn), but it was nothing a short break and character tweak couldn't fix. And has done, judging from her "rebirth" on Torchwood, during a three-episode guest spot (where only 1 episode required her presence). Anyway, Martha will be back in season 4 for a few episodes -- but does every season have to introduce a new Doctor or companion? I just wish they'd settle on a combo and run with it for longer than a year!
I'm sure Donna will be "toned down" and fleshed out, and I'm not sharpening my knives to attack her like some people are, but every time I catch a repeat of Runaway Bride there's something bothersome about Catherine Tate's performance. She just bugs me. And I like Catherine Tate's sketch show, and find her a pleasant interviewee, so it's not "Tate Hate". Maybe I'm just concerned Who's about to start leaning on knockabout comedy because of Tate's background. She brings a certain expectation of being larger than life, bolshy and overly-expressive. That extravagant tone is bearable for a light-hearted Christmas special, but not a full series
Oh well. Some reasons to be cheerful: potato-headed classic baddies The Sontarons return! Genius Steven Moffat has written a two-parter! Billie's back – which I'm not actually excited about, but it does mean we'll see four companions jostling for The Doctor's attention (Sarah-Jane, Rose, Martha and Donna.) Captain Jack is back (again), but he's more entertaining on Who -- where he can't swear and kiss men. And it's a near-certainty that Dalek creator Davros will be gliding around in the finale, played by Julian Bleach (who was the creepy Ghostmaker in Torchwood recently). Hooray! Davros used to shit me up good and proper as a kid...
But once the back-catalogue of Who villains have all been recycled, and we've seen all the obvious "gimmick episodes" (multiple Doctors, multiple companions), I really hope we're not left with an empty shell for some poor exec-producer to inherit. It's wise Doctor Who will be taking a break from regular seasons, and concentrating on 3 "specials" in 2009. And it would be amazing to see what modern Who looks like through another creative lens for season 5. And yes, I'd still love to see Steven Moffat take the reigns, but is that likely now he's working on Tintin for Steven Spielberg?
BBC1, Doctor Who -- Saturday 5 April, 6.20 pm
BBC Three, Doctor Who: Confidential -- Saturday 5 April, 7.10 pm
The trailers haven't excited me this time. It just looks like business as usual, with only that giant wasp making much of an impression. Nor do I think Catherine Tate is the solution to a Martha-shaped problem nobody had with the show. I just didn't like Donna in The Runaway Bride. And that's not blind hatred of actress Catherine Tate, it's just the truth about my reaction to Donna in that Christmas Special. I'm hoping my gut reaction is wrong about her, but seeing as Russell T. Davies agreed Donna would make a poor regular while publicizing Runaway Bride in 2006, that can't be a good sign.
And why drop Martha Jones so quickly, anyway? I know the writers messed up giving her a Rose-style affection for The Doctor (yaaawn), but it was nothing a short break and character tweak couldn't fix. And has done, judging from her "rebirth" on Torchwood, during a three-episode guest spot (where only 1 episode required her presence). Anyway, Martha will be back in season 4 for a few episodes -- but does every season have to introduce a new Doctor or companion? I just wish they'd settle on a combo and run with it for longer than a year!
I'm sure Donna will be "toned down" and fleshed out, and I'm not sharpening my knives to attack her like some people are, but every time I catch a repeat of Runaway Bride there's something bothersome about Catherine Tate's performance. She just bugs me. And I like Catherine Tate's sketch show, and find her a pleasant interviewee, so it's not "Tate Hate". Maybe I'm just concerned Who's about to start leaning on knockabout comedy because of Tate's background. She brings a certain expectation of being larger than life, bolshy and overly-expressive. That extravagant tone is bearable for a light-hearted Christmas special, but not a full series
Oh well. Some reasons to be cheerful: potato-headed classic baddies The Sontarons return! Genius Steven Moffat has written a two-parter! Billie's back – which I'm not actually excited about, but it does mean we'll see four companions jostling for The Doctor's attention (Sarah-Jane, Rose, Martha and Donna.) Captain Jack is back (again), but he's more entertaining on Who -- where he can't swear and kiss men. And it's a near-certainty that Dalek creator Davros will be gliding around in the finale, played by Julian Bleach (who was the creepy Ghostmaker in Torchwood recently). Hooray! Davros used to shit me up good and proper as a kid...
But once the back-catalogue of Who villains have all been recycled, and we've seen all the obvious "gimmick episodes" (multiple Doctors, multiple companions), I really hope we're not left with an empty shell for some poor exec-producer to inherit. It's wise Doctor Who will be taking a break from regular seasons, and concentrating on 3 "specials" in 2009. And it would be amazing to see what modern Who looks like through another creative lens for season 5. And yes, I'd still love to see Steven Moffat take the reigns, but is that likely now he's working on Tintin for Steven Spielberg?
BBC1, Doctor Who -- Saturday 5 April, 6.20 pm
BBC Three, Doctor Who: Confidential -- Saturday 5 April, 7.10 pm
