Steven Knight's incredibly interesting adaptation of the 1860s novel raises questions of society's relationship with Charles Dickens, revising endings, the British collective subconscious, shock tactics, adaptive remixing, myopic approaches to cultural touchstones, problematising periods, social mobility, rags-to-riches storytelling, character agency, cultural ownership, and much more.

(00:00:00) New expectations & Steven Knight

(00:07:40) Problematising a period

(00:16:16) Women in the show + social mobility

(00:23:21) Pip & Magwitch

(00:27:21) Policing adaptations + Pip’s agency

(00:38:48) Why another adaptation?

(00:46:09) Endings, period drama, Pip’s personality

(00:55:21) Shock tactics & apologia

(01:08:09) Dreams, adaptations, collective subconscious

(01:18:32) Improvisation & rags-to-riches storytelling

(01:32:45) Style of the show

(01:41:13) Jaggers, realism

(01:59:32) Three endings + sexuality

(02:28:38) The show’s beginning + gentlemen

(02:39:24) Reception to the show

(03:06:53) Stray positive thoughts + different Drummle

(03:14:19) Pip, Havisham, maturity

(03:31:37) Knight’s next Dickens adaptation…

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What does this episode say about history, civil rights, education, revolution, pacifism, complicity, the law, and race? What did the fandom and press reactions to the episode tell us? What is the legacy of the episode?

(00:00:00) Intro + reactions to the episode

(00:04:25) Introducing ideologies

(00:05:44) Usage of the companions

(00:10:43) Incuriosity & agency

(00:14:52) Pessimistic view of civil rights

(00:21:26) Semantics + obeying authority

(00:24:53) Possibilities + Ryan’s role

(00:29:09) Falling back on Grace

(00:30:26) Tonderai and Chibnall’s thoughts

(00:38:42) Grace vs Fugitive Doctor

(00:41:04) Respectability politics & generational differences

(00:45:03) Tonal mismatches

(00:47:57) Strange aesthetics + American aspiration

(00:53:24) Rise Up

(00:55:14) Krasko

(00:57:09) Could the show do better?

(00:59:26) End of history & dehistoricisation

(01:03:00) Focus on individuals

(01:05:15) Connections to RTD2

(01:06:50) Fandom reactions + Graham as viewer

(01:10:32) Lack of critical discourse

(01:14:27) Dead museum or theme park

(01:19:41) Outro…

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What defined the Chibnall era? How did fandom process the era? How is the era being reassessed? How did those behind the era see it when they first began work on it, and how do they see it now that it's over? Audio commentaries, interviews, panel discussions — we discuss all of these through a bookending chat tracing it from the commentary for its very first episode, to Chibnall's debrief conversations over his first fan convention appearance following his era ending.

We finish our series of exploring the commentaries of the Chibnall Era in a metacommentary looking at a new 2023 interview with Chibnall, the audio commentary for The Woman Who Fell to Earth, and coverage of the 2023 Gallifrey One fan convention.

(00:00:00) Commentaries & conventions

(00:04:17) THE WOMAN WHO FELL TO EARTH — representation

(00:14:44) Spontaneity & acting

(00:18:31) Pick-up shots & viewer immersion

(00:41:27) 13th Doctor audition scene

(00:53:38) Misunderstandings & sci-fi conventions

(01:01:25) Attitudes towards spoilers

(01:09:56) Timeless tangibility

(01:18:39) Blame, Ryan, memory

(01:28:36) CHIBNALL INTERVIEW — Reality Bomb, 2023

(01:37:17) Showrunner retroactive perspective

(01:48:40) Community & therapy

(01:57:10) Diversity, specificity, Chibnall's vision

(02:09:25) Adoption narratives

(02:38:20) Timeless Tecteun

(03:05:21) Legacy, Aswok, continuity, readings

(03:29:22) GALLIFREY ONE 2023 — fan conventions & fan framing

(03:47:59) Clarifications & cataloguing

(03:51:59) Chibnall interview from Gary Russell

(04:18:03) The Power of the Doctor commentary

(04:37:35) Jodie Whittaker panels

(04:46:17) Chibnall on Writing for TV

(04:51:32) Chibnall on Production Stories

(05:10:57) Chibnall on 21st Century Production

(05:13:45) The Halloween Apocalypse commentary

(05:21:15) Final thoughts…

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What's the future of the franchise? What sort of Doctor Who esoterica is out there? Could Doctor Who work as an animated show? How do our nationalities affect our experience of the show? How do the Eighth and Twelfth Doctor's storylines rhyme? We answer our Q&A questions focused on future plans, esoterica, franchise direction, & the most specific and in-depth questions we received overall.

(00:00:00) Questions

(00:01:40) Future shows to cover

(00:10:59) Showrunner shows

(00:15:05) Do-overs

(00:19:38) Class & The Sarah Jane Adventures

(00:22:32) Handling the Timeless Children + looking ahead

(00:29:36) Introducing Nate + Nate’s favourites

(00:33:30) Doctor Who criticism books

(00:40:16) Nationalities & opinions

(00:50:09) Iris Wildthyme

(00:53:29) Interesting Doctor Who esoterica

(00:59:58) Animated Doctor Who

(01:06:48) Eighth Doctor & Hell Bent comparisons

(01:24:53) Will Doctor Who last forever?

(01:29:20) Grinding Gig’s gears

(01:35:10) Genre shifts

(01:42:39) Crossovers & culture

(01:49:24) Watching behind-the-scenes material

(02:05:28) Turn Left style episodes

(02:09:11) Video games & the TV streaming crunch

(02:17:43) Considerations & dreams

(02:25:04) First fandoms

(02:27:45) Final points & thanks…

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Why did Murray Gold return as Doctor Who's composer? How did RTD2's first directors approach the 60th anniversary specials? What does the ready unveiling of the Fifteenth Doctor's 1960s costume tell us about how RTD approaches branding? What Murray Gold tracks best showcase how he approaches the show? What happened to the Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver?

We explore these questions in a discussion of new RTD2 era interviews and discourses in the lead-up to the 60th anniversary specials and Series 14. We discuss Murray Gold's 2023 return interview, along with a range of specific music tracks, as well as interviews with Russell T Davies and other RTD2 creatives. We also look at The Sarah Jane Adventures-related discourse, the Doom's Day announcement, and the ongoing Fourteenth Doctor Liberation of the Daleks comic.

(00:00:00) Recent events

(00:03:42) Murray Gold returning

(00:19:00) Franchise comparisons

(00:23:09) Series 14's music

(00:29:28) Gold and the writing

(00:35:59) Murray's return interview

(01:20:28) Favourite Murray Gold tracks

(02:09:50) Press, plans, and costumes

(02:18:08) 60th directors interview

(02:33:01) Doom's Day announced

(02:42:17) RTD anecdotes

(02:47:07) Tech & prep

(02:50:51) The Sarah Jane Controversies

(03:06:29) Liberation of the Daleks comic, parts 5-7

(03:16:23) New and old hires

(03:26:22) Other composers…

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How should regeneration be handled? What’s special about the TV format? What can Doctor Who never change? How should RTD2 handle companions? We answer our Q&A questions focused on matters ‘behind the scenes’, regeneration responses, celebrity historicals, reconciling writer differences, interactive adventures, & much more!

(00:00:00) Questions

(00:01:49) Voices in a discussion

(00:04:25) Pride, money, writing

(00:07:27) Hot takes

(00:12:01) Dropping Doctor Who + recantations

(00:19:48) Chibnall’s past work

(00:25:18) Aesthetics & Bandersnatch

(00:28:54) Choose-your-own-adventure Resolution

(00:34:09) Sherlock osmosis

(00:38:26) Recording sessions

(00:46:06) Sherlock & future shows to cover

(00:51:49) Collaborations

(00:55:15) Recommendations

(01:00:52) RTD2 paths forward

(01:06:03) Introducing Oliver + Oliver’s favourites

(01:15:42) Extremis & video essays

(01:24:46) TV specificity

(01:37:12) Extremis video background

(01:41:37) Rose & Clara regeneration responses

(01:47:47) Celebrity historicals

(01:52:31) More favourites

(01:57:12) Covering the Capaldi Era

(02:01:36) Were Clara and 12 romantic?

(02:10:21) Anthology episodes…

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Murder, repression, escapism, Britishness, politics — lots is at play in Steven Moffat's play the Unfriend. We discuss the play itself (including the differences between iterations), as well as where the play came from, the theatre experience, how the play sits in Moffat's career, and how the play has been received.

(00:00:00) Approaching The Unfriend

(00:04:38) Reading vs watching

(00:23:45) Origin of the play

(00:36:25) Reception & politics

(00:45:12) Why a play?

(00:50:44) Kinds of humour

(00:55:21) Themes of the play

(01:14:02) Murder, domesticity, The Unfriend, Inside Man

(01:27:12) The neighbour

(01:30:34) Differences between script versions

(01:42:37) Memorable dialogue

(01:49:53) Gags & characters

(01:55:40) Final impressions…

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What's the appeal of Doctor Who? What makes a favourite episode? What's intended in Hell Bent? What's in a good spinoff? We answer our Q&A questions focused on preferences, favourites, backgrounds, characters, RTD2, spinoffs, the UK, storytelling mediums, Torchwood, future marketing, fond memories, fan films, & more!

(00:00:00) Questions

(00:02:50) Appeal of Doctor Who

(00:12:56) Fond memories & first impressions

(00:19:51) Favourites (non Doctor Who)

(00:24:17) Favourites (Doctor Who)

(00:31:59) Favourite fan films

(00:37:24) Dreams made & dashed + K9

(00:48:52) Favourite video games

(00:54:20) Introducing Astra + Astra’s favourites

(00:59:58) Our backgrounds

(01:02:07) Yaz, Thasmin, shipping, redemption

(01:07:47) Torchwood & RTD2 spinoffs

(01:28:21) Hell Bent intent & defence

(01:46:50) Issues in the UK

(01:56:38) Younger generation storytelling

(02:24:44) Scotland & narratives

(02:31:08) Doom & costuming

(02:35:41) Q&A part 1 ending…

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Questions. Queries. Quizzes about the Qurunx. Do you have any? We'd love to hear them!

Who Cares has reached 1000 subscribers and 100+ uploads, so we're commemorating those milestones with a Q&A. Send in any questions you have — to us the hosts, Neo and Ingiga, or any of our friends that have appeared on Who Cares as well. Write your questions in the YouTube comments, or send them in privately here https://whocaresdw.wordpress.com/contact/ , or via Twitter to @Neo_WhoCares…

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Luther moves into film in The Fallen Sun. What does that format bring to the series? How does the paratext of James Bond Idris Elba fancasting play into the actual film? How does the film shift our understanding of the show, and the ‘Luther Land’ setting? How does making a standalone-ish film after five serialised TV seasons work? We delve into these questions, along with ‘red rooms’, moral conundrums, character continuity, filmic setpieces, questions of recasting, Idris Elba’s 2015 Luther short film/music video, and several interviews with Idris Elba, writer Neil Cross, director Jamie Payne, & more!

(00:00:00) Form & format

(00:03:56) Meaning of the title

(00:13:50) Retcons/insertions into the show

(00:24:26) Why a movie?

(00:38:17) ‘I’m still a copper’ + moral conundrums

(00:48:12) James Bond, fancasting, intertextuality

(01:05:24) Prison break setpiece + continuity & structure

(01:15:51) Luther over London

(01:19:48) Piccadilly Circus + Robey unveiling

(01:48:37) Story about Luther + Luther themes

(02:01:27) Potential second film + this film’s ending

(02:10:28) The ending

(02:14:31) Luther Land

(02:32:42) Alice + the coat

(02:37:07) Odette, Catherine, Erin

(02:47:07) Red Room

(03:00:05) Schenk, Alice, Robey, tattooist

(03:07:01) Recasting + Murdah Loves John short film (music video)

(03:28:57) Neil Cross Independent interview (violence, gender, dreams)

(03:40:36) Neil Cross Digital Trends interview (character development)

(03:44:50) Neil Cross Radio Times interviews (Bond, Luther Land, Alice spinoff)

(03:54:40) Neil Cross GQ interview (earlier ideas, anti-Alice)

(03:59:56) Cars, art, helicopters, music

(04:11:14) Closure…

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