2014 – A New Dawn (Part 1)
John Hussey begins his look back over the major news, rumours and developments of 2014.
News and Rumours
First Look at Filming
Filming for Series Eight began way back in January and the fans were exploding with excitement to catch a glimpse of Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor alongside Jenna Coleman. The massive buzz within the fandom’s minds almost couldn’t be contained as question after question whizzed by and demanded to be answered. The scary part back then was knowing Capaldi was so far from our screens and months and months of speculation was all we had to go on.
Uninterrupted
Moffat granted us with a nice piece of news which revealed that Series Eight and subsequent series would not be interrupted by a split that became the formula for Matt Smith’s later seasons. For the first time in three years fans could look forward to watching a whole series without a mid-series finale and break interfering with their enjoyment.
Into Darkness
The massive speculation throughout the year was that of the new series being darker, taking a more Classic route and that Capaldi’s Doctor wouldn’t resemble the last couple of incarnations who were accompanied with charm, fun and likeability. Twelve was said to be more alien, less caring and a non-flirting, non-cuddly Time Lord. Accompanied with this was a new darker tone that would make the show more serious, less friendly and predictable, along with the knowledge that there would be consequences for the characters. The dynamics between the Doctor and Clara would change dramatically to the point Clara would question her friend and wouldn’t see him as the same person anymore.
A Spin-Off for Eight?
Ever since Paul McGann’s return in 2013 minisode ‘The Night of the Doctor’ it has been the fan’s dream to have him back for more stories. Whether it be more minisodes, or an actual episode sparring against the Twelfth Doctor, the fans would like to see McGann get his fair share of screen time that he was cruelly deprived of it back in 1996. Another idea that fans have thought up is a new spin-off series featuring the Eighth Doctor. This would be great on two points, the first being it would fill the void of The Sarah Jane Adventures (RIP Elizabeth Sladen) and Torchwood (when will Barrowman return?) and the second and most obvious point in fulfilling McGann’s return and him finally gaining his own series.
I fear this will never happen but one can still hope. It was made all the more achievable after McGann himself signed a petition to make this idea happen. So who knows? I think Moffat will definitely do more minisodes at some point, but the question is when? At least we have McGann’s Big Finish stories to listen to which is developing nicely with the continuous development of Dark Eyes which has now reached Series Three with Series Four coming out next year.
River No More?
Since ‘The Name of the Doctor’ fandom has questioned whether or not we’ve seen the last of River Song. So far it would seem like there is no immediate future for the character. Moffat had given some vague answers throughout the year as to whether or not she would appear in Series Eight. More recently he had spoken about River and Captain Jack Harkness requiring the right story to validate a return and stated they shouldn’t be brought back just for the sake of it. With River speculating there was still a connection with Clara, along with her usual teaser ‘spoilers’, I assumed she would be returning, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see. If Smith has any say in the matter though Capaldi won’t be touching her after he jokingly came out and said that River was for his Doctor only.
Casting Speculation
Throughout the year there have been many actors/actresses who have come and declared their love for the show and interest in being a part of the Whoniverse. Martin Freeman, famous for playing John Watson in Sherlock and Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit trilogy, and former Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden added to the list. Even across the Atlantic movie stars Zoe Saldana (Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy), and most surprisingly Robert Downey Jr., (Mr T. Stark himself) both indicated their interest. Some of these actors I’d definitely love to see come onboard, with Downey Jr. being the one I’m most intrigued with.
Of course amongst these fine actors and actresses who wish to be a part of the show there’s always one who doesn’t. In this case we let Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes, Smaug and Khan) be the bah-humbug who declared he would never play the Doctor (although he’s happy to play Doctor Strange.)
Despite already been given a casting role in Series 8, Ben Miller declared he would love to one day play the Doctor. To that I say ‘hell-yes!’ if he’s given the chance because Miller is a fine actor who can be serious and comical all in one. It would be interesting to see what he did with the role.
Moffat’s Future
Another piece of speculation that has been pondered on throughout the year is what lies ahead for Steven Moffat. Many articles have all come to the same conclusion of Moffat saying he isn’t going anywhere. It at first seemed possible that the man might have been fatigued, especially after such a hard couple of years with Doctor Who’s 50th, concluding Matt Smith’s story and bringing back Sherlock for a third series. But the clever writer still persists he has more to give and insists his ideas aren’t yet faulting.
Lego Doctor Who
One of the more repeated pieces of news this year has been whether or not Lego will pursue adding Doctor Who to their brand. It’s an interesting idea and something one wonders hasn’t happened already. With a name and fan-base like the show has it would be silly of BBC Worldwide and Lego not to go for such a financial deal. It would undoubtedly do good business and would also give many fans want they want and that is to build their own Doctor, companion and TARDIS and have adventures with blocks.
Pertwee’s Appreciation
Sean Pertwee, son of Jon Pertwee, announced that his father was very fond of Peter Capaldi and his work as an actor. This was a nice sentiment to Capaldi and it was nice to see the Third Doctor giving encouragement to his far future successor from beyond the grave.
Smith Keen for a Return
Ever since Matt Smith left the role he has been keen to come back, most likely due to the fact that part of him regretted leaving. He even admitted he was jealous of Capaldi due to being told what Moffat had planned. Smith keeps expressing his interest in returning for a multi-Doctor story whenever one next comes round.
Another New Companion?
During the filming for ‘Kill the Moon’ another named cast seat was spotted and this lead to fans believing that there was to be another companion joining the TARDIS. With Danny Pink being one of these new thought companions, the arrival of a younger companion (said to be a pupil at Coal Hill School), brought the idea of the return of the original format: an older Doctor, two teachers and a student. As it turned out this wasn’t quite the case and Courtney Woods was a small reoccurring character who soon became absent from the series after her first and only major role within the episode.
Two-Part Finale
For the first time in three years the fandom could enjoy the idea of having a two-part finale. This was an exciting thought to many as they could relax in the knowledge that the series’ conclusion wouldn’t be rushed, with some feeling that the last two finales ‘The Wedding of River Song’ and ‘The Name of the Doctor’ were. Not only could they enjoy this thought but they could also enjoy the fact that the second half of the story would be 60-minutes long, granting the finale plenty of space to tell a well rounded, non-rushed narrative.
The Six(ish) Doctor Reboot
Peter Davison gave hints earlier on in the year as to working on a supposed sequel to last year’s The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot which he wrote and directed for the 50th Anniversary. It would be interesting to see what he could do with his little spoof through another project but it all depends on the story and what occasion the spoof is revolved around.
Jackson Story Still in the Works
There have been more reports that Peter Jackson will one day come along and direct an episode of Doctor Who. Even Moffat teases that one day it will happen. Considering Jackson is a massive fan of the show and him and Moffat have regular chats it’s only a question of time and a Dalek being handed over before the award-winning director takes the show over to New Zealand to do something grand. Perhaps with The Hobbit trilogy coming to a close he’ll now have the time to work on Doctor Who?
Understanding the Accent
One of the lower points of the year was reports of viewers complaining early on about Capaldi’s Scottish accent and the fact when he spoke fast some found it hard to understand what he was saying. This was a bit of an insult to Capaldi especially when some declared that he should adopt an English accent to please the minority. As the majority would say, we love his accent and it fits his Doctor and the characteristics that are portrayed. It is a fitting change for the character at the beginning of his new chapter within the mythology.
Will the Doctor and Clara Return Next Year?
It has been a worry in the latter half of the year as to whether the stars of the show would actually be returning for Series Nine. Even Capaldi didn’t confirm his involvement which was a massive worry considering he had just joined the show to play his dream job. At the back of fans minds they knew deep down he would be returning but there was that little bit of doubt saying, “It happened with Eccleston.” Luckily Capaldi was quickly confirmed for ‘Last Christmas’ and later Series Nine.
Coleman, on the other hand, was more worrying as the companion could come and go more frequently, and with her uneasy relationship with the Twelfth Doctor it seemed that Clara might not be around for much longer. Their goodbye at the end of ‘Death in Heaven’ put more salt into the wound and the debate of whether or not she would be leaving in ‘Last Christmas’ in newspaper reports added to the tension. In the end it was discovered they were both returning next year. Due to Coleman having real chemistry working alongside Capaldi, she must’ve changed her mind and decided to stay, if you believe the rumours. It was understandable and believable as Coleman had just got used to working with Matt Smith and to have that taken away and be placed with someone new she may have worried as to whether the new relationship would work. Clearly any doubts she may have had were swept away by Capaldi’s charm and wonderful nature as an actor and as a person. Even he was glad to see her stay onboard, complimenting her on her acting skills.
10th Anniversary Special
One of the bigger questions of the year has been what is going on for the 10th Anniversary of the New Series in 2015? There have been some saying there should be a multi-Doctor story with Paul McGann or Matt Smith coming back to play alongside Capaldi. Others want there to be lots of call-backs to Series One. The most anticipated suggestion is having Christopher Eccleston return to the role for a special episode after his absence from the 50th Anniversary. It could be possible. Perhaps Moffat persuaded him to come back for 2015 when he was having negotiations with him about ‘The Day of the Doctor’? But with Moffat claiming there are no big anniversary plans after the 50th I guess we’ll have to wait and see what 2015 brings us…
Join us for part 2 soon.
