Why A Doctor Who Movie Is A Good Idea

Guest contributor Sam White on why he is in favour of a dedicated big screen movie.

With former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies recently showing interest in writing a dedicated Doctor Who movie, I began to wonder whether such a move would benefit the franchise or jeopardize it. I admit to being against the idea initially but the more I thought about it the more I became inclined towards supporting it and so here I would like to present certain key reasons to you all as to why I think it’s a great idea. So let’s get started.

Note: I am not considering Deep Breath and The Day of the Doctor as movies here because essentially they were regular (special) episodes that were also shown in cinemas in the UK and certain other selected parts of the world. The idea of a movie I refer to here involves a worldwide release, a decent budget and runtime.

Increase Popularity Worldwide

Doctor Who is already extremely popular in certain countries like United Kingdom (Of Course), United States, Canada and Australia but there are still parts of the world where people haven’t even heard of it. With popular franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek winning hearts worldwide I think there is a lot of potential for a franchise like Doctor Who which has just as much history to fall back upon. The reason franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek do so well outside of the United States is because people are more aware of them, be it through media, television, or the internet and though in the past few years Doctor Who has also gained a substantial amount of popularity, it is still widely unknown in parts of the world like Asia, Africa and South America.

As someone who is not from any of the above mentioned countries where Doctor Who is already popular and is still a big Doctor Who enthusiast nonetheless, I believe that if people were just more aware about Doctor Who then it would garner just as much popularity if not more than similar such widely known Sci-fi franchises and what better way to publicize than a movie. The movie if successful will make people around the globe curious about this magnificent show’s history and consequently cultivate new fans worldwide, strongly cementing the franchise in the eyes of the worldwide audience.

Storytelling not constrained by TV limitations

Doctor Who in its 51 year old history has given birth to a plethora of stories of all possible genres be it drama, pure sci-fi, horror and even comedy. Yes we have had them all but there are sometimes when I feel that a certain story could have worked better if it hadn’t been constrained by factors such as time and money. Sometimes the scope and scale of a story are too big to properly capture in a 45-minute TV show. Books and audios do help but I still believe that certain stories would have made for a brilliant motion picture. Wouldn’t you want to see the Daleks do some real damage than just hear about it? Wouldn’t a movie be appropriate to provide that scale and intensity that you have always wanted from a Cybermen story?

I remember reading “Touched by an Angel” and thinking to myself that it would have made for a great movie. Another possibility is adaptation of the old favorites. I haven’t seen all of the classic era (particularly the stories of the First and the Second Doctor) but from what I have seen I can say that the stories back then were just as imaginative and other-worldly as they are now. Now wouldn’t it be great to see some of them adapted into movies? I for one would love to see a movie version of Genesis of the Daleks and Vengeance on Varos.

Better Platform

Another idea is to introduce every new Doctor with a cinematic movie but the condition here is that it should be a proper movie in terms of scale and publicity. Not only will this make the movie canon with respect to the show but also provide a better platform for the new Doctor (and maybe a new companion) to prove their mettle. Plus such a move would also open doors for past characters to return. Just a month earlier Steven Moffat commented on the return of Captain Jack Harkness and River Song, saying that he would be totally up for it provided that there is to be a proper story and occasion. Now I believe a movie is exactly such an occasion and is most definitely not routine. And this goes for all of the past characters whether they were companions, villains or even Doctors (Remember how fantastic it was to see Tom Baker in The Day of the Doctor).

Benefit the Show

A big concern here is that such a move could prove detrimental to the TV show, which I think is definitely a possibility, but on the flip side if executed properly such a move can also prove to be beneficial for the TV show. People complain about how the show is losing viewership and is on the verge of cancellation. Now I am not saying they are right, but think about it – if the movie turns out to be successful both critically and commercially then not only will it strengthen the show in terms of popularity but also provide a firm financial standpoint for the franchise in general, a factor which would definitely prove favorable for the show. Shows like The Flash, Gotham, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D are a good example of this and the reason they exist is because movies like The Dark Knight, Man of Steel and Avengers worked.

Of course it is easier said than done. Such a move would require a lot of effort and thought and if handled carelessly could indeed affect the show and the franchise negatively which is why I think Russell T Davies is perfect for this job (maybe Steven Moffat can join in as well). Not only is he aware of the intricacies involved in telling a proper Doctor Who story but he also aware of the current ethos of the show which is why his experience and knowledge can indeed help steer this ship toward success.