Summary
- Limited time role for Billie Piper as Doctor Who could repeat past mistakes
- Prior short series with David Tennant caused confusion and negative impact
- Doctor Who needs stability and full season to rebuild audience faith and continuity
Doctor Who has been off the air since June, and there has still been no official confirmation regarding the series' future. Despite the previous season ending emphatically with Ncuti Gatwa regenerating into former Doctor Who star Billie Piper, it seemed to set up a new and exciting opportunity to move the iconic science fiction series forward.
However, there have been fresh rumors about what could happen to Doctor Who, suggesting that the series still has life. Unfortunately, those plans seem to be steering the show back to a mistake that has been made previously, which may have a more long-term negative impact.
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Billie Piper Is Expected To Be The Doctor For A Limited Time Only
This Will Be Similar To David Tennant’s Run As The 14th Doctor
Bringing Piper back to Doctor Who sparked a lot of discussion, largely from a nostalgic perspective, and some fans wondered whether it was a somewhat desperate move to get people talking about the show again. While it achieved that, the lack of follow-up has been frustrating, as people eagerly await hearing if another series will be happening. While there have been no official comments from anyone involved in Doctor Who, from the BBC or Disney, industry insider Daniel Richtman has weighed in on what he knows about the show’s future. The current understanding is that Piper will indeed be the Doctor, but her run in the titular role will be for a short, limited time only. This will be similar to when David Tennant returned to the series to play the 14th Doctor, reprising the role for just three episodes. This means that Piper isn’t expected to have a lengthy run in the role, as many people had been hoping for.
The Previous Short Doctor Who Series caused Problems For The Show
David Tennant’s Doctor Was Always On People’s Minds
A short-term role for Piper might end up making sense if there is a specific plan in place, but she’s admitted her call to take on the role was very last-minute, which would prove that it isn’t the case. That’s where Doctor Who could be making a mistake with having her be part of the show for a short-term run, rather than just committing to a totally new actor who is capable of taking on the role for several years, where Doctor Who can be built up as a full show. The previous limited series might’ve been fun for nostalgia purposes in seeing Tennant back in the role, but the way it ended caused issues. The bi-generation decision left fans confused and had them constantly asking about Tennant as his character was still alive alongside Gatwa’s, even though he was never shown. Therefore, if a good ending cannot be explained for Piper’s character, then it simply won’t be worth doing.
Doctor Who Needs A Period Of Stability Moving Forward
Another Brief Season Might See Audiences Totally Lose Faith
While it is positive to hear that there are plans for Doctor Who to return, even if it’s in a limited series, that sadly isn’t what the show needs right now. The previous season of Doctor Who was met with plummeting ratings and complaints about storylines becoming too woke. After Gatwa’s brief tenure as the Doctor, which ended in a lot of mystery and unanswered questions, it ultimately damaged the show's reputation. Currently, it needs to be rebuilt, and a fully-fledged season is the only way to do that. A limited run of three or four episodes isn’t going to be enough to create all the backstory, drama, and emotion that brings out the best in Doctor Who. Whether it’s the bond with a companion, a long-term battle with a memorable villain, or just the ability to flesh out what this version of the Doctor is like, it’s a struggle to do it in such a short period. The only reason it worked with Tennant is that people were already familiar with his version of the Doctor and the bond he had with Donna. That’s not going to be the case with Piper’s Time Lord, and it will be a stretch to try and make that happen in just a few episodes, especially since there are going to be a lot of questions as to how she’s in that role in the first place, given her history with Doctor Who.
Plus, if she’s only set for a limited run, that will mean that another person is inevitably going to take over at the end of it. This would mean a fourth person taking on the role since Tennant reprised the character for the 60th anniversary specials. That’s not a particularly good look for the show, even one where the lead character does change somewhat frequently. Audiences have already started to lose faith in Doctor Who, as evidenced by the ratings drop, but forcing another major change, such as this, would risk alienating even more of the fan base. That’s something that Doctor Who can simply ill-afford if it wants to continue in the long term, which is why repeating the mini-series is a mistake that shouldn’t be made.
Doctor Who / Whoniverse
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- William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker, Ncuti Gatwa