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Chris Chibnall is the best they could come up with?


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Old 31-01-2016, 20:47
Residents Fan
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It's being a bit generous to call "Jekyll" fairly good.
Personally, I thought "Jekyll" was fine. It had some good shocks and interesting moments. Certainly I enjoyed watching "Jekyll" far more than I ever did "Camelot" or "Broadchurch".
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Old 31-01-2016, 22:46
amos_brearley
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By that logic, the people behing "The Great British Bake-Off" should be given the helm of "Doctor Who".
Behave. It was clear I was talking about scripted drama, not any old TV show.
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Old 31-01-2016, 22:58
Tom Tit
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But Chibnall's work as a producer and writer of television drama is a legitimate subject for discussion, just like the work of Davies and Moffat.

And all Chibnall's detractors here are saying is that they do not see any reason, based on Chibnall's previous sci-fi and fantasy work, that he would be a good producer for "Doctor Who"-it's not like we're saying something really unpleasant or unfair like " Chris Chibnall should be punched in the face!"

Given the show has been losing ratings and getting negative media coverage over
the last few months, it feels like the show needs somebody genuinely talented with
new and interesting ideas. Chris Chibnall is a Doctor Who fan whose episodes attracted little praise (unlike, say, Paul Cornell or Neil Gaiman)* who also made a commerically successful non-SF show (Broadchurch), so it feels like the BBC is giving it to another member of the "Fan Mafia" rather than, say, asking if talented producers from outside DW fandom would be interested in it.

Bear in mind the only other genre shows Chibnall has produced are the patchy first two seasons of "Torchwood", and a fantasy, "Camelot", that was an expensive failure that also garnered very negative reviews. It's like the BBC hiring the people behind the 2013 "Lone Ranger" to make a new Western drama.

To me, the decision to pick Chibnall as producer smacks of profound cowardice and laziness on the part of the BBC.


*Of course, Cornell and Gaiman aren't interested in being DW showrunners, and in any case are following careers outside television.
The problem with comments like this is always the same: you haven't suggested a better alternative. It's all well and good name checking people you then acknowledge are off the table for the BBC. Who, that would actually be available and would accept the job and the terms that go with it, do you think would be an appropriate choice?

If you can't suggest a name (and clearly demonstrate that the BBC could realistically get them to take the job) then you might as well just try and get behind Chibnall and wait to see his work before criticizing, otherwise it is just empty complaining.

'Cowardice'? Come on, you need to know the circumstances before you throw pejorative words around.
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Old 31-01-2016, 23:28
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The problem with comments like this is always the same: you haven't suggested a better alternative. It's all well and good name checking people you then acknowledge are off the table for the BBC. Who, that would actually be and would accept the job and the terms that go with it, do you think would be an appropriate choice?

If you can't suggest a name (and clearly demonstrate that the BBC could realistically get them to take the job) then you might as well just try and get behind Chibnall and wait to see his work before criticizing, otherwise it is just empty complaining.
Very well. People who are available,are known to have an interest in DW
and could accept the job:

*Mark Gatiss (Doctor Who, Sherlock)

*Howard Overman (Misfits)

*Peter Harness (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell)

*Catherine Tregenna (Torchwood)

*Gareth Roberts (Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Adventures)

There's also some other contenders, like Greg Brenman (An Inspector Calls, The Honourable Woman) who make excellent drama, but who I'm not sure are interested
in "Doctor Who".

I stand by my comment that the BBC had plenty of other realistic options for DW producer. And it isn't "empty complaining" to be worried about what will happen to our
favourite program now the man behind "Cyberwoman" has been handed the reins. We have been seeing Chibnall's work as a writer and producer of telefantasy for many
years-he's not some unknown quantity.
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Old 31-01-2016, 23:53
Abomination
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In fairness some of the names listed above would be subjected to just as much division among fans if they were chosen instead of Chibnall. Gatiss is hardly popular within Doctor Who, and his reputation continues to slide. Harness would be an interesting choice, but I feel his episodes have as many haters as they do fans. Tregenna would be derided as a contributor to Torchwood even if her episodes were half decent - her Doctor Who episode was considered to be one of the weakest of Series 9 which as a one-and-only contribution to date would likely not be in her favour. Gareth Roberts would be seen as something of a safe, predictable and uninspired choice (I like more of his stuff than not, personally).

Ultimately though this is all from a fans perspective. The wider audience, no matter how many Buzzfeed articles there are to educate them, simply won't be aware of the episodes of Doctor Who that Chris Chibnall has penned before. He'll be seen as the man who brought them Broadchurch - which even if not to my liking, was very popular. On the face of it there's change...and that's all the mainstream will see. As much as I'm not a big fan of Chibnall's work remotely, and he's the candidate I wanted to hear announced least, I still think the BBC won't be too worried - the fans will watch out of obligation in the hope it's good, the mainstream will watch out of routine or because there's a breath of fresh air about the show again.
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Old 01-02-2016, 01:04
Brandon_Smith
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Very well. People who are available,are known to have an interest in DW
and could accept the job:

*Mark Gatiss (Doctor Who, Sherlock)

*Howard Overman (Misfits)

*Peter Harness (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell)

*Catherine Tregenna (Torchwood)

*Gareth Roberts (Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Adventures)

There's also some other contenders, like Greg Brenman (An Inspector Calls, The Honourable Woman) who make excellent drama, but who I'm not sure are interested
in "Doctor Who".

I stand by my comment that the BBC had plenty of other realistic options for DW producer. And it isn't "empty complaining" to be worried about what will happen to our
favourite program now the man behind "Cyberwoman" has been handed the reins. We have been seeing Chibnall's work as a writer and producer of telefantasy for many
years-he's not some unknown quantity.
I would've LOOOVVEEDD if Gareth Roberts came on but he writes more fun light-hearted RTDish adventures and characters and it seems most people on this forum don't like that style.
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Old 01-02-2016, 12:45
doctor blue box
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Interesting-even Chibnall himself admits "42’s not a brilliant script":

http://www.starburstmagazine.com/fea...who-and-beyond
I think 42 is a fine episode, and that maybe he's being a little self depreciating. Nothing wrong with that though. Better than having a huge ego. Plus with all the stuff he says about Russell changing the brief at the last minute, and himself having to write it in a short period of time, and coming of the back of just having written some Torchwood episodes, I think it's pretty impressive that the script is of the quality that it is.

Surprised no one has picked up on the fact that the interviewer asks 'you seem to prefer doing something for a year or two years then moving on' to which Chibnall basically seems to agree that he likes variety and being able to do different things.

Suggests his 'era' may well not be as long as that of RTD or Moffat.
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Old 02-02-2016, 20:50
Lady of Traken
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Surprised no one has picked up on the fact that the interviewer asks 'you seem to prefer doing something for a year or two years then moving on' to which Chibnall basically seems to agree that he likes variety and being able to do different things.

Suggests his 'era' may well not be as long as that of RTD or Moffat.
I hope Chris doesn't get itchy feet after three years or work on more than one programme at a time !

As nothing is confirmed beyond 2020 for Doctor Who at the moment and the BBC Green Paper is proposing future different models of funding I hope he stays as long as possible because a successful show runner will hopefully keep the programme racking in money and the BBC may be less inclined to 'rest' the show.


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