Summer Falls

albion_princess

TFTNT!

Summer Falls

your welcome

wilywiccan

If you were hired to be a Doctor Who script writer, what would your episodes be about? What kind of stories would you tell?

CommanderM

In the old days, ie the 1970s, there were usually six stories each season ranging from 4 to 6 episodes each, and each episode ran 25 minutes. I would like to see that format reinstated. I would tell original stories based on current events mixed with adventures involving Gallifrey (Oh yes I would bring it back proper!) a male Master (make Missy all just a bad dream) ,a female Rani, and lots of Cybermen and Sontarans in the style of The Invasion of Time

Almeida's Army

That alone would make you a hero in my book!

I already planned out a three season plan prior to Season 9 so its a bit outdated, but like you I'd switch it back to the correct format of 4/6 parts of 25 minutes in length, I'd scrap any and all romance or hint of romance between the Doctor and his companion (and I'd reserve romance for, as with the Classic series, only when they need a companion leaving plot device).

As for the way my series would look, my first priority would be to change it back to the old format and completely remove romance. I'd integrate it with the Classic stuff more. I'd do more of what they did under RTD in remaking Big Finish audios (Jubillee=Dalek, Spare Parts= Rise of the Cybermen and of course adapting Human Nature to TV).

So this is my Season 9, 10 and 11 so for the first season I'd obviously still have Clara as a companion for the first three stories, have two stories with the Doctor on his own and a finale.

Story one, would be set on Mondas in the midst of a cyber-war.
Story two would be set in Soviet Russia and would be an Ice Warrior story.
Story three would be set in Victorian London where a string of mysterious deaths have the Paternoster Gang, and the Doctor and Clara, stumped so they call on Jago and Litefoot to help identify who, or what, is behind the killing. At the end the TARDIS gets an urgent distress call and its from a civilian in the Sontaran vs Rutan war. The Doctor leaves Clara behind as he doesn't want to risk her life in a warzone, but Strax insists on accompaning the Doctor.
Story four is the six part story set in the midst of the war between Sontarons and Rutans.
Story five is an adaptation of Master from the Big Finish range with Geoffrey Beavers reprising his role as The Master.
Story six is a multi Doctor story with Paul McGann in the early days of the Time War. At the end of the story, Capaldi and McGann team up to find Gallifrey for the whole of next season.

Season 10, would have Capaldi and McGann trying to find Gallifrey and end the Time War once and for all- the one who started it and the one who must finish it sorta thing- with Tom Baker's curator being available for the odd cameo- maybe other Doctors too. You'd have the Doctors visiting worlds torn apart by the Time War (Gelth world etc) looking for clues. At the end of the series, they find the location of Gallifrey and McGann's Doctor fades back into his own time stream, and as the Time Lords and Gallifrey returns to the sky and the Doctor is returned home, expecting a heroes welcome, he is instead arrested by the Time Lords, and put on trial for war crimes.

Season 11, would be the Trial of the Timelord but done right (alas, Colin etc did their best, but the scripts were pretty awful). Capaldi's Doctor is put on trial faced with war crimes where if found guilty, the punishment is removal from the time line. This would allow the return of the Valeyard and that whole storyline, as they witness footage from the Time War witnessing John Hurt's Doctor fight the Time War and some of the lengths he went for to get peace, including a scenario where he did destroy Gallifrey. Returning would be Derek Jacobi as the Master (John Hurt vs Derek Jacobi would be incredible), Timothy Dalton as Rassilon, Michael Jayston as the Valeyard, Louise Jameson as Leela and Lalla Ward as Romana.

Then, at the end of the season, a conspiracy and manipulation of the vortex by the Rassilon (For once the Valeyard was innocent, though would have happily seen the Doctor dead), there would be two alternate endings (Because I can't make up my mind as to which I like better): Found guilty of some crimes but only enough for exile to earth (Ah I miss those UNIT days) or is found completely innoncent, and the Doctor either goes on his travels is elected President... It depends on whether A) The trial was a success- if setting it one place was a success- and B) If Capaldi wanted to stay. If it was a success and he wanted to stay, he'd become President, if it was a success and he wanted to leave, forced regeneration and exile to earth, and if it wasn't a success, travel as normal but in a much better format than before.

Also, I'd make Doctor Who a real flagship show. I'd be playing Big Finish audios on radio daily/weekly, I'd be airing Classic Who weeknights on BBC2- maybe with a link to the story, maybe voted by fans- and it would obviously be on for 26 weeks of the year, so it would be in a position of real strength.

Summer Falls

^ i actually like that i think the idea of bringing Capaldi and McGann together to find gailifrey a great idea than have him be convicted for his war crimes a smart idea but would he be in a lot of trouble since he did save them and put them in a bubble?

Bring back strax and the gang give them a proper farewell

and yes Rani i still wish we had her rathere than the master again

CommanderM

It couldnt be the original Rani actress, as Kate O'Mara passed away a few years ago. But hey she is a Time Lord, she can regenerate offscreen and then we bring in the new Rani, there u go.
The war crimes notion is a brilliant idea, Id love to see that play out.

albion_princess

I'm all for bringing the Rani back and also like Romana make an appearance, but I really like Missy, so she'd have to come back as well.

I'm not interested in a time war trial, it'd be too much like the trial the Sixth Doctor had.

I'd love a mini series the Eighth Doctor and one about the time war.

Fixing what the Time Lords did to Jamie and Zoe, and fix Donna's memory.

Summer Falls

well she could regenerate so im my head the actress that play missy would play her in stead ?

^ i wold love a mini episode or series of the 8th doctor i mean why not

Almeida's Army

If Michelle Gomez's character was The Rani, I'd still think her poorly written, too OTT and forced humour but it would be more in-line with the original Rani as well as the new Big Finish Rani.

As for the Time Lord trial, it would be like the 6th Doctor's one, which is why I'd do it, because that idea is too good to be squandered with rubbish scripts and a channel that had clearly given up on it. Had it had the right resources and the right overarching plot (Like the Doctor being charged with war crimes), I think it would be so exciting. Daleks, Derek Jacobi's Master, Timothy Dalton's Rassilon and John Hurt's Doctor, provided context and commentary by Peter Capaldi?! That is like the British acting all star event right there. So many classical actors, it would be a joy to see them interact with good, gritty war drama.

Summer Falls

do you wish someone else to write it?

i agree that would be great and we could even do it into a big movie that continues into the series .. seeing as we have to wait a whole year!!!

Almeida's Army

Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews / Yes, Matt Smith WOULD Work For Big Finish! | Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews

Very promising news- not surprising but very promising. He's definitely lying in not being asked but is likely not allowed to say at this point.

CommanderM

Very promising indeed. I hope he does get to do a few audios with Big Finish. That would be awesome.

albion_princess

I adored the Eighth Doctor but was so disappointed with the tv movie.

Thanks for posting that.