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5 Ways Doctor Who Can Make it to its 60th Anniversary

By Joel Getter

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Doctor Who recently passed its most impressive milestone yet, its 50th anniversary. Although showrunner Steven Moffat claims the show will continue for at least another five years, many Whovians are nervous that this may not be the case. Recent news that there may not be a proper season in 2016 has many fans up in arms. Combined with heavy criticism regarding the direction Moffat has taken with the show, some are calling for his resignation.

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I admit that I’ve had mixed feelings about the “Moff” and what he has done with the program. I found some of his creative decisions to be quite brilliant, while others had me praying at my bedside that he would get the sack. Can Doctor Who make it to its 60th anniversary? Thanks to the books, comics, and of course, Big Finish, we can all rest assured of the Doctor’s immortality. However, what we want more than anything is for there to be continued television adventures. If we have any hope of making it to that next milestone story (“The Thirteen Doctors” — hey, I can dream can’t I?), then some changes need to be made and they need to happen quickly.

Doctor Who is a unique program due to its long history. There are the new fans that have come on since the show returned to television and the ones that have been with Doctor Who since the days of bad CGI and rubber monsters. One of the reasons it continues to be so successful is that it keeps changing, making it fresh and exciting. Change is an essential ingredient that has kept the good Doctor traveling through time and space. Moffat himself has stated that change is an essential ingredient to the program.

Related: Doctor Who Debate: Should Steven Moffat Stay or Go?

Change has kept Doctor Who on our tellies for over five decades. While the basic concept must stay the same, the show has to continue to evolve with the times. Not only do the leading actors and actresses change, but so do producers who each bring a unique take on how the show looks. Although Steven Moffat brought strong changes to Doctor Who, he has to remember to keep finding ways to not only regenerate the Doctor, but the show as well.

Here are five suggestions I have for our dear Mr. Moffat to keep the show going strong:

Next: 5. Stop Making Every Season a Fairy Tale

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(Credit: BBC)

5. Stop Making Every Season a Fairy Tale

Moffat’s inaugural season as showrunner brought a completely new look and feel to Doctor Who. His first season became a modern-day fairy tale, which was very different from the era of his predecessor Russell T. Davies. Combined with a splendid performance from Matt Smith, a new life was breathed into the show. The season wrapped up with a nice fairy tale ending for Amelia Pond.

Then the fairy tale continued. And continued. And continued. Matt Smith’s era featured several dark fairy tale motifs: the Girl Who Waited, the Last Centurion, the magical kiss that stopped time. I could go on and on. Matt Smith’s entire era as the Doctor was basically a fairy tale story.

Related: Steven Moffat Knows Some Fans Hate Him

When it was announced that Peter Capaldi was to play the Doctor, I thought that this would be a fantastic opportunity for the show itself to regenerate back into some hard science-fiction. It definitely appeared as though the show was returning to its roots with an older actor playing the Doctor and a much darker tone. Unfortunately, the fairy tale motif continued with that awful episode with the trees, shortly followed by an appearance from Santa Claus!

Personally, I don’t have a problem with fantasy. I grew up with it and still read and watch a significant amount myself. However, it has gotten to the point where it feels out of place right now in the universe of Doctor Who. It seems as though magic has replaced the science-fiction elements that were the show’s foundation. Enough is enough. Doctor Who is first and foremost a science-fiction program!

Next: 4. Bring Some Gender Equality to the TARDIS

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(Credit: BBC)

4. Bring Some Gender Equality to the TARDIS

Since Doctor Who returned in 2005, there has been a very significant change in its fandom. Hip young women are now watching it. Long gone are those days of adult male nerds watching the good Doctor with their mothers. Well, that’s probably still true, but there has definitely been a spike in female viewership. Thanks to the efforts of David Tennant and Matt Smith, the good Doctor has become a modern day sex symbol. Peter Capaldi is an older actor, and I mean no disrespect to his outstanding performance, but I think having a young male companion back in the TARDIS could be a great way to help ensure the young female fans stick around.

This is not an outrageous idea, as the tradition of having a young male companion goes back to the very beginning. William Hartnell‘s Doctor traveled with several male companions who handled a lot of the action. Jamie McCrimmon is viewed as one of the most legendary companions of all time, as he was with the Second Doctor throughout most of his incarnation.

Related: It’s Time for a Male Companion on Doctor Who

The new series has had its share of fantastic male companions, but with the exception of Rory Williams, none of them were around for that long. Don’t get me wrong, I get that there will always be certain consistent elements to the show. The Doctor will always have a female companion by his side. However, I think the show needs to continue to show its love for its female viewers. Bring in a male companion.

Rumor has it that this role might be filled this season with the return of Rigsy. I hope this is true, and if not, then Steven Moffat needs to give the Doctor a new male companion. The TARDIS needs another Captain Jack or Rory Williams. At this point, I would even settle for another Mickey Smith.

Next: 3. Don't Forget About Us Old Whovians

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3. Don’t Forget About Us Old Whovians

There are two camps when it comes to Doctor Who: the ones who remember the glory days of foppish hats, plastic monsters, and bad CGI, and the new fans that came on board with the revitalized show. Classic series Whovians would love to see some old faces return for an episode or two.

It would be a tragedy not to have Ian Chesterton return for a moment. Considering how much work William Russell has done for Big Finish, to not include him in a television episode is completely criminal. I don’t think that occasionally bringing back an old friend is a bad thing. ‘School Reunion’ was a great episode with the return of Sarah Jane and K9, showing that old friends can return in big ways. Bring back Romana now that Gallifrey has been restored. What the hell happened to Ace, I mean what really happened? Steven Moffat wants to keep things fresh, and I totally get that. Yes, the Doctor is “the man who leaves.” However, that doesn’t mean he can’t visit an old friend once in a while… but just the old favorites, eh?

While I’m on the subject of returning faces, am I the only one out there that would like to see just one more proper appearance from Eighth Doctor Paul McGann? ‘The Night of the Doctor‘ was a huge success, and there’s something to be said about that, considering it was under seven-minutes long. McGann has definitely had his lion’s share of “episodes” in recent years with his outstanding work for Big Finish. Sadly, it’s not enough. I get that bringing back past Doctors cannot be the norm; otherwise, it wouldn’t be special when it does happen. However, we deserve one proper episode-length adventure with Paul McGann, whether it be a “Two Doctors” style mashup, or even flashback scenes with his Doctor. Can you imagine an episode that had both Capaldi and McGann?

Related: Rumor Control: Are David Tennant and Paul McGann in the Series 9 Finale?

It would be nice to see this older and more melancholy Eighth Doctor who is watching the universe get torn apart by the Time War. Big Finish has done an outstanding job of fleshing out the Eighth Doctor, and it would be a huge benefit to both the television series and Big Finish to allow McGann to give one more visual performance, especially as he is very willing.

Next: 2. Take a Lesson from Russell T. Davies

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Rose and her Doctor clone seal it with a kiss in the episode ‘Journey’s End.’ (Credit: BBC)

2. Take a Lesson from Russell T. Davies

Russell T. Davies always gave us explosive endings to each of his seasons as showrunner. They were epic and action-packed, but he still managed to tug at our heartstrings, too. I still get chills seeing the hundreds of Daleks preparing for war at the end of ‘Bad Wolf.’ David Tennant’s first series closed with an epic meeting between the two top monsters of the show: Daleks vs. Cybermen. Each series-ender for Mr. Davies felt like an action film while still bringing incredible heart to the program. I feel like Mr. Moffat tries to give us season closures that are more focused on the main characters. Unfortunately, Moffat struggled, at least in his early seasons, with bringing that emotional depth.

Related: Doctor Who Debate: Team Rose or Team Amy?

I’ll admit he has improved substantially, but Davies managed to tug at our heartstrings while still delivering some epic and intense finales. I didn’t care for ‘The Wedding of River Song,’ which led to (again, my opinion) a bit of a cop out regarding that season’s lingering mystery. I hated ‘The Name of the Doctor,’ but it was more of just a setup to lead into the anniversary special anyway. Mr. Moffat proved he can do epic with ‘The Day of the Doctor.’ I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this upcoming season gives us something that is a feast for all of our senses.

For a grand action-packed story with strong drama, watch ‘The Stolen Earth‘ and ‘Journey’s End.’ This epic two-parter stretched the limits on special effects, while delivering the saddest exit of a companion ever. These episodes worked wonderfully on several levels, proving you can do extraordinary action while still delivering huge emotional impact. Actually, take any of the season finales that Davies did. They continue to stand up very well.

Next: 1. Stop Making Us Wait an Eternity Between Seasons

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(Credit: BBC)

1. Stop Making Us Wait for an Eternity Between Seasons

There is a rumor going around that we will not have a full season of Doctor Who in 2016 due to Steven Moffat’s commitment to Sherlock. After waiting patiently for these upcoming episodes, our loyalty will be rewarded with an even longer wait.

Related: Do 2016 Rumors Mean an End for Steven Moffat?

For the past few seasons, we have had to wait longer and longer between seasons. If this rumor turns out to be fact, then Mr. Moffat needs to seriously consider stepping down. There are plenty of great writers for the show who could easily take the reigns. Yes, I understand that Mr. Moffat is a busy man, but we are talking about the golden cow of the BBC. Both Mr. Moffat and his predecesor Russell T. Davies have talked about how longer waiting times can keep the interest levels high. I sincerely disagree.

While absence makes the heart grow fonder, too much absence leads to a disinterested heart. If there truly isn’t going to be a new season for 2016, then how about going forth with a big-budget movie, or a slightly shorter season? Personally, I would love to just see a new showrunner. One of the ways Doctor Who has stayed fresh is that it periodically changes its executive producer. Bring in someone that can give the show a fresh look and make a consistent number of episodes each year. American television shows never skip a year. You lose fans this way.

These are merely some suggestion from a long-time Whovian who has stuck with the show during its highs and lows. The truly great thing about Doctor Who is that it has stuck with the same premise for half a century but continues to grow and evolve with the times. A little change is never a bad thing.

Next: Doctor Who: The Trial of a Time Lord REVISITED (Parts 1 - 4)

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