Why I won't be posting about Doctor Who any more.

[avevale_intelligencer]

The latest issue of Doctor Who Monthly has an article by Russell T Davies in it, in which he wonders why the fans aren't enthusing more about the new series. Apparently everyone else is crazy about it, so what's the matter with us? Are we just being cool and uptight about it? Why don't we shout it out loud: "I love Doctor Who"?

This hurts.

It hurts because I know I've been being a whinger and a whiner and a naysayer, and he makes me feel guilty and ashamed about it. It hurts because I've loved Doctor Who all my life, and I liked what I saw of his work before, and I was ready to love the new series without a moment's qualm or question. And I do love it. I couldn't be this upset if I didn't.

But it's like the moment when the brisk, bright Welsh nurse ushers you into the ward, saying cheerfully how well the patient's doing, and you see the grey-faced, emaciated figure in the bed and you look into the dark-rimmed, fever-bright eyes and somehow you have to make yourself smile, and you do, and inside you're screaming "what have you DONE to him?"

Critics rave about this new incarnation being "Doctor Who with every ounce of fat stripped away." I can't get that phrase out of my head, because a human being with every ounce of fat stripped away is desperately unwell, and so, to my eyes, is this being that I love. All the bits are there. I know, because when I hug him I can feel them sticking into me. But there's no substance, there's no comfort, and a huge part of what I used to go to him for was comfort, was reassurance, in an increasingly comfortless world. he and I go way back, we have history, but vast stretches of that history are gone, and I hardly recognise the person he's become. And it hurts.

The brisk, bright nurse says he's fine, he's doing splendidly, I should really be happy for him. Strangers may see nothing wrong, because they didn't know him before. Better people than I, stronger people, see signs of hope, or at least reasons not to be afraid. I don't. I see an enfeebled, confused almost-stranger who just, this last visit, gave me a shadow of a smile and got my name nearly right.

So I won't be posting about Doctor Who again, because I don't want to be a naysayer and I can't be a cheerleader, and if you can't say something nice you shouldn't say anything at all.

Comments

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

"and if you can't say something nice you shouldn't say anything at all."
Wrong! Wrong wrong wrong. (See? You're *always* wrong about something... =;o} )

Your critiques of the new series have always been thoughtful and well expressed. That's a *lot* different from being a knee-kerk flamer (with the emphasis on jerk), as (predicatbly) many of the "old guard" are being.

And I hereby implore you to email everything you've said above directly to DWM, at this address: dwm@panini.co.uk

If they publish it in the mag, they'll probably edit it down to a few choice phrases, but the thing is RTD and co. *do* pay attention to feedback, and feedback like the above is much more likely to be taken seriously than the kind of rantings that he *knew* he was going to get whatever he did, and sure enough, is getting.

The new show isn't perfect. We can be glad it's back, and still give useful feedback on the things we think are mistakes. The above is a viewpoint I haven't seem expressed anywhere else, and for prescisely that reason it needs to be heard.

Things that might encourage you: There is a strong concensus emerging that RTD's own scripts are the least succesful of the season. That fact *will* be picked up on by the production team, guaranteed. How they respond will depend on how they interpret the criticism. If all they get is 97 sackloads of "RTD sucks!" that will lead them to a different conclusion than if they get a healthy number of "I like this, this and this, but I feel that that and *that* were mistakes."

I'd be happy to see RTD's responsibilities redefined so that he's still Executive Producer but not handling so much of the writing. He's trying to be Bob Holmes at the moment - an admirable role model, for sure, but he isn't quite pulling it off. Or, he may step down completely after the 2nd year and move on to other projects, probably just coming back to provide the odd script now and then.

And we've got a new Doctor coming up. A change of personality, and a golden chance to apply whatever lessons the producers have learned from the first season without it begin a glaring continuity error. (And bear in mind, unlike previous seasons, there's been *no* opportunity to stear the writing of the later stories based on feedback from the early ones. The whole season had to be scripted and nearly all of it in the can before the first ep. was broadcast.

Also: Many of the new fans brought in by the new show are investigating the old show, and are asking about things like "why is it such a big deal that the new Doctor does (X) in stead of (Y)?". And that's a chance for us oldies to say what we loved about the old show and why we're sometimes a bit uncomfortable (or in your case very uncomfortable) about the new; and sometimes they grok it; and then *they'll* be joining in the discussions saying "I think that was a good idea, we should go back to doing it that way."

[BIG HUG]

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

I have done as you implored. :)

[soren-nyrond.livejournal.com]

I disagree with your rationale, but I shall respect your right to your POV. I certainly don't want to cheerlead for the New Incarnation -- the one episode idea rushes things too much. 'Dances' was closer to the time-signature I remember and feel worked, but that only served to confirm for me that Things Have Moved On. I shall watch it, but I shall let the new Generation do the rooting and hooting.
So, thank you for deciding me, and I, too, shall eschew postings on the subject (although I reserve the right to comment if other people elect to post in their LJs).

[cleverthylacine]

Well, I guess I just won't ever say anything again, lol! (Like that's gonna happen.)

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

I would be very upset if it did. :)

[unclechristo.livejournal.com]

one thing tho - it's early days
I remmebr thiking how stiff everyone was in the 1st episode of Star Trek Next Gen - (still looks that way I think when you see that series now) - and I thought there was nobody for me to like in it.
It grew into being a comfortable place, characters ,and it;'s own sense of history developed
- the patient got better...

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Meant to respond to this this other day. Just realized I never did.

Please don't stop talking about the show, no matter what your feelings about it. Personally, I'm enjoying the new show and very glad to have it. I don't think it's perfect. There are bits I'd do differently. But I like it.

Having said that, I think that both the knee-jerk "This is the best thing that ever happened to me ever ever!" reactions are just as useless as the "This sucks and everything about it sucks and did I happen to mention that it sucks" reactions.

There are things about the show that upset you, but you discuss them in a reasonable way and think about your reactions and why you have them. We need more of that on both the positive and negative sides of the debate.

I'd really hate to lose your voice from the discussion. I'd consider it a tremendous loss.

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

We'll see. The last episode was also better than the run has been so far, though the ending made very little sense. And pace Christo's comments above, you're allowed the luxury of a rocky first season if you're set for at least three. The producers of DW started the season knowing that their star was bunking off after one year, and we were going to be doing it all over again next season with a different Doctor. It's taken them altogether too long to start to get good (and I'm kind of dreading one particular element of next week's show...).

Thank you for your kind words, but if I do say anything it'll be because I've got something new to say. Which may, for all I know, be "Hurrah!" We'll see.