Upcoming Changes to Doctor Who Due to BBC Budget Cuts
By Leah Tedesco
With the BBC continuously making major budget cuts, many shows have had to find ways to save money. Doctor Who is no exception.
The biggest Doctor Who news of the day is that of the new robotic companion NADINE. It is projected that having her in place of a live actor will save the show a lot of money. But it seems that, under the recent BBC budget cuts, this change alone will not be enough. It has recently been announced that Steven Moffat and the other producers of the show have come up with a few more ways to tighten their belts.
The most significant change to be made will be regarding special effects and sets. The program will make a return to the techniques of classic Doctor Who, a time when sets wobbled, green screens were obvious, and larvae guns were just people crawling around with shells strapped to their backs.
More from Doctor Who
- Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who Christmas special is a “complete reinvention”
- Ncuti Gatwa is “so nervous” to take on Doctor Who role
- The Doctor and Donna are better than ever in “Wild Blue Yonder”
- Take the Black: House of the Dragon season 2 trailer hints, the Fallout show, and more
- Jodie Whittaker didn’t pick up on any of the hate for her version of the Doctor
This change was inspired by the low tech methods still in use on the program, about which some of the actors have recently spoken. At a San Diego Comic-Con panel last year, Peter Capaldi mentioned his having to fight a rubber spider. Peter Davison, Sylvester McCoy, Alex Kingston, and Matt Smith also discussed the matter during an appearance at Salt Lake Comic Con’s FanX 2016. Davison gave his approval of the continued tradition of “blind panic” in the production of the show. Counting on how there seems to be a general nostalgic affection for such methods amongst actors and fans alike, the production team have decided that marketing for Series Ten will focus on an homage to days gone by. It is unclear at this point if this great reliance on vintage methods will be continued through future series.
Other budget friendly changes will include splicing in large amounts of footage from old episodes, having entire episodes set in the studio parking lot, and craft services only serving fish fingers and custard and Jammie Dodgers.
(Article continues below the next post link.)
What do you think of the upcoming changes to Doctor Who? Are they fantastic, or for April Fools?