How did characters develop in the 2024 season? Promises of novelty, universe expansions and contractions, character conflict, audience relationships, storytelling worlds, & much more is discussed in this look at the second year of Russell T Davies’ return.
https://archive.org/download/2025-03-doctor-who-s-1-2024-reflection/2025%20%2303%20Doctor%20Who%20S1%202024%20Reflection.mp3
00:00:00 Overall feelings on S1
00:05:12 Expectations & reality of RTD’s return
00:11:20 Promises of newness vs. the outcome
00:15:21 Considering 2024 S1 against other seasons
00:19:56 Tracking S1’s narratives
00:21:01 Church: Ruby & 15’s worlds
00:28:34 Church: character conflict
00:32:48 Space: story & arcs
00:40:03 Space: character conflict
00:42:30 Chord: Ruby & 15’s development
00:46:45 Boom: Moffat’s take on Ruby & 15
00:52:42 Boom: character conflict
00:54:48 Yards: Ruby’s acceptance
00:59:03 Bubble: Ruby’s acceptance
01:03:43 Rogue: heart-to-heart moments
01:07:27 Legend: arc focus & Susan
01:12:57 Empire: story, arcs, character
01:26:06 Strengths of 15’s character
01:32:46 Fourth wall + editing
01:39:23 Comic-Con: canon, friendship, Star Trek
01:42:51 Comic-Con: RTD reflections
01:56:08 Comic-Con: Whoniverse, announcements, IP, acting, leaks
02:20:06 Mel, family, VHS
02:23:32 Doctor Who at the Proms (2024)
02:57:44 Bubble’s premise, 15’s characterisation, Yards’ ambiguity, S1’s shape
03:13:37 The spinoff
03:30:19 Season 3 + reflecting on the revived series
03:35:20 Wobbly empire + audience relationship + streaming bubble
04:09:31 Individual seasons as individual ‘worlds’
04:22:12 Looking forward
Badbadwolf3. “*MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW*
A friend of mine works at bad wolf, and has let slip some details about the upcoming 60th anniversary plans… this is all 100% accurate, so if you want to avoid spoilers don’t click below.
David Tennant and Catherine Tate are back for 3 specials – after Jodie regenerates into him (on a clifftop). The three stories are linked by the Doctor working out why he got his old face back, and why he runs into Donna again after all these years. Unit are back for the first episode. It’s a simple alien invasion story, with the main emphasis on the Doctor reuniting with Donna again after 15 years (for her). Sylvia and Shaun return, Wilf is mentioned but I don’t know if he appears because Bernard Cribbins is now 93. Donna also has a daughter called Rose. Rachel Talalay also directs the first special
Oh and a classic companion returns in the final special – but I don’t want to ruin that surprise…
That’s all I know for certain atm, but I imagine something will be announced in the next week or two as filming begins.” Reddit, 4 May 2022, https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/comments/uarx1h/the_doctor_eventually_regenerates_discuss/i7a5x51/ [https://archive.vn/9b5oz]
Ruby Road cut Goblin King sequence
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 31:48-32:53, 33:21-33:59, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
Empire of Death storytelling issues; RTD commentary (laser)
Davies, Russell T, Bonnie Langford, and Vicki Delow. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, Empire of Death with commentary, 22 June 2024, ~32m, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0020m9n/doctor-who-video-commentaries-empire-of-death-with-commentary
Midnight vs Planet of the Dead
Joke comment, but RTD did of writing Midnight as a counterpoint to Voyage of the Damned on a similar line of thought:
Davies, Russell T, and Benjamin Cook. The Writer’s Tale – The Final Chapter. BBC Books, 2010, ch. 8.
RTD on most devastating finale
Davies, Russell T. “Boxing Clever.” Interview with Darren Scott. SFX magazine, vol. 378, May 2024, p. 27.
RTD DWM 603 showrunner letter
Davies, Russell T. “Letter From The Showrunner.” Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 603, 25 April 2024, pp. 4-5.
RTD Star Wars sequels inspiration
Davies, Russell T, Bonnie Langford, and Vicki Delow. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, Empire of Death with commentary, 22 June 2024, ~43m34s-44m35s, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0020m9n/doctor-who-video-commentaries-empire-of-death-with-commentary
RTD to SFX (July 2024) on S1 and S2
Davies, Russell T. “Defying Mavity. Article by Darren Scott. SFX, vol. 381, 10 July 2024, p. 33.
RTD about the fourth wall breaks (Comic-Con)
Davies, Russell T, Ncuti Gatwa, and Millie Gibson. “Doctor Who @ San Diego Comic-Con: Full Hall H Panel | Doctor Who.” Hosted by Josh Horowitz. YouTube, uploaded by Doctor Who, 2 Aug. 2024, ~50m, https://youtu.be/HMO03pHxmxM
Extended edits of TV shows
“‘The Office’ to Stream Exclusively on NBCU’s Peacock Starting Next Month, With First Two Seasons Free”. Variety, 14 Dec. 2020, https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/the-office-peacock-streaming-free-1234853111/
Comic-Con 2024 Star Trek panel
Davies, Russell T, and Alex Kurtzman. “Doctor Who x Star Trek: Full SDCC Panel with Russell T Davies and Alex Kurtzman | Doctor Who.” Hosted by Keisha Hatchett. YouTube, uploaded by Doctor Who, 31 July 2024, https://youtu.be/WQiuvNqaOEw
Comic-Con Doctor Who podcast panel
Davies, Russell T, Ncuti Gatwa, and Millie Gibson. “LIVE at San Diego Comic-Con! | The Official Doctor Who Podcast | Doctor Who.” Hosted by Krystina Arielle. YouTube, uploaded by Doctor Who, 7 Aug. 2024, https://youtu.be/ECHAoyqOm9Y
Comic-Con Doctor Who Hall H panel
Davies, Russell T, Ncuti Gatwa, and Millie Gibson. “Doctor Who @ San Diego Comic-Con: Full Hall H Panel | Doctor Who.” Hosted by Josh Horowitz. YouTube, uploaded by Doctor Who, 2 Aug. 2024, https://youtu.be/HMO03pHxmxM
Vision for Doctor Who (just make it really)
“Chris Chibnall: “I don’t know how many times I need to say it. There are no old monsters this series”. Radio Times, 22 Sep. 2018, https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/chris-chibnall-i-dont-know-how-many-times-i-need-to-say-it-there-are-no-old-monsters-this-series/
RTD dismissing Shalka (contemporary)
Davies, Russell T. “Tooth and Claw [Interview: Russell T Davies].” Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 360, 18 Aug. 2005, p. 17.
Davies, Russell T. “Empire State of Mind.” Interview with Benjamin Cook. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 607, 15 Aug. 2024, p. 17.
Langford, Bonnie. “Empire State of Mind.” Interview with Benjamin Cook. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 607, 15 Aug. 2024, p. 17.
“Doctor Who at the Proms” [2024]. Doctor Who [BBC iPlayer], 24 Dec. 2024 , https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0026drr
Axford, Beth. “Face the Music.” Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 608, 12 Sep. 2024, pp. 12-18.
Gold, Murray. “Face the Music.” Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 608, 12 Sep. 2024, p. 16.
Akinola, Segun. “Face the Music.” Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 608, 12 Sep. 2024, p. 17.
Axford, Beth. “Moving’ With the Monsters”. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 609, 10 Oct 2024, pp. 28-29.
RTD SFX interview (September)
Davies, Russell T. “Pure and Simple.” Interview with Darren Scott. SFX, vol. 383, 4 Sep. 2024, pp. 62-65.
Patrick Stewart Othello race swap
“Patrick Stewart On ‘Logan,’ His Career and a Vertigo Diagnosis: “They Have All Said That It Will Go Away””. The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Nov. 2017, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/patrick-stewart-reveals-vertigo-diagnosis-they-have-all-said-it-will-go-away-1057879/
Henry Cavill moustache drama
“‘Justice League’ Extensive Reshoots Causing Headaches for Star Schedules (EXCLUSIVE)”. Variety, 24 July, https://variety.com/2017/film/news/justice-league-reshoots-1202502433/
RTD initially hoping for more episodes in RTD2
Davies, Russell T. “Letter From the Showrunner”. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 585, 8 Dec. 2022, p. 7.
“Remembrance of the Daleks” [The Collection: Season 25 preview]. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 609, 10 Oct 2024, p. 35.
“The War Between the Land and the Sea”. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 609, 10 Oct 2024, pp. 20-24.
Davies, Russell T. “Letter From the Showrunner”. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 609, 10 Oct 2024, p. 6.
“New Whoniverse Spin-Off ‘The War Between The Land And The Sea’ announced at San Diego Comic-Con”. Doctor Who [official website], 27 July 2024, https://www.doctorwho.tv/news-and-features/new-whoniverse-spin-off-the-war-between-the-land-and-the-sea-announced-at-san
RTD Comic-Con comments on the spinoff
Davies, Russell T, Ncuti Gatwa, and Millie Gibson. “Doctor Who @ San Diego Comic-Con: Full Hall H Panel | Doctor Who.” Hosted by Josh Horowitz. YouTube, uploaded by Doctor Who, 2 Aug. 2024, ~15m, https://youtu.be/HMO03pHxmxM
UNIT: Assembled. UNIT: The New Series, 23 May 2017, Big Finish.
RTD showrunner letter regarding the spinoff
Davies, Russell T. “Letter From the Showrunner”. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 609, 10 Oct 2024, p. 6.
“DELETED SCENES from Season 1 and the 60th Anniversary Specials | Doctor Who”. YouTube, uploaded by Doctor Who, 23 Nov. 2024, https://youtu.be/IqQsL79UpMs
2024 December DWM RTD showrunner letter
Davies, Russell T. “Letter From the Showrunner.” Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 611, 5 Dec. 2024, p. 4.
2024 December Radio Times showrunner interview
Davies, Russell T, and Steven Moffat. “Two Time Lords A-Leaping.” Interview by Huw Fullerton. Radio Times Magazine, 14 Dec 2024, p. 15.
Millie Gibson press dramas
Methven, Nicola. “Doctor Who companion Millie Gibson dropped from next series of BBC show as replacement revealed”. The Mirror, 19 Jan. 2024, https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/doctor-who-companion-millie-gibson-31924485
Neil Gaiman Victorian Clara S7
Doctor Who: The Complete History #74. Stories 237-239: The Crimson Horror, Nightmare in Silver and The Name of the Doctor. Panini UK, 16 May 2018, p. 55.
RTD showrunner letter on fandom experience of episodes
Davies, Russell T. “Letter From the Showrunner”. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 595, 14 Sep. 2023, p. 11
2024 December RTD on Radio 4
“Russell T Davies: streamers are heading for a South Sea Bubble”. Broadcast, 6 Dec. 2024, https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/bbc/russell-t-davies-streamers-are-heading-for-a-south-sea-bubble/5199870
RTD on ‘collapsed’ low-budget ghost story Doctor Who
Davies, Russell T. “Little Wigs Abound! And Russell T Davies (DOCTOR WHO)” [podcast episode]. Firecrotch & Normcore: THEY LIKE TO WATCH, 27 March 2024, https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/little-wigs-abound-and-russell-t-davies-doctor-who
Series 6 finale not filming in the USA — Moffat did actually give Toby Haynes some pages to shoot during the US filming in Block One of Series 6 (as cited below)
Doctor Who: The Complete History #70. Stories 224-226: The Wedding of River Song, the Doctor, the Widor and the Wardrobe and Asylum of the Daleks. Panini UK, 28 June. 2017, p. 12.
2008 S4 finale issues affording all actors
Davies, Russell T {@russelltdavies63}. “BUDGET: I wish we could have had ALL the Sarah Jane team in here… but I had to save money. Funny thing is, that becomes more of a shame as time goes on, really #SubwaveNetwork”. Twitter, 20 April 2020, https://archive.vn/yVM91
2024 April RTD Ruby Sunday spanning two series
Davies, Russell T. “Boxing Clever.” Interview with Darren Scott. SFX magazine, vol. 378, May 2024, p. 26.
RTD and Bonnie Langford Empire commentary on the Disney+ order
Davies, Russell T, Bonnie Langford, and Vicki Delow. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, Empire of Death with commentary, 22 June 2024, ~50m40s, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0020m9n/doctor-who-video-commentaries-empire-of-death-with-commentary
Moffat promotion of the split S6 seasons
“Doctor Who promises ‘game-changing cliffhanger’ as series split in two”. The Guardian, 29 Aug. 2010, https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/aug/29/doctor-who-cliffhanger-series-split
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