Ranking: Top 5 things Chibnall should do as showrunner

BBC

With our season 10 ranking list done, now it’s time to look to the future-ish. At the very least, let’s look down the line at what we want Chibnall to bring back or change about Doctor Who. While Chibnall isn’t a complete newcomer to the series, his style and perspective changes are promised to shake up the show.

But many people are already doubting what he has in mind with his choice of a female doctor, and some aren’t a fan of how he wrote the Torchwood story “Children of Earth”. It only depends on who you talk to.

So what are the best things for Chibnall to do, or to bring back, in order to shake up the Doctor Who world? We definitely have some ideas.

BBC

Bring Torchwood Back

This is on many fans minds as Chibnall played a large part in Torchwood, the exciting spinoff featuring John Barrowman. Torchwood had even more of a cult following than Doctor Who, thanks to its maturity and higher rating, it wasn’t likely just to be on BBC One. However, that hasn’t stopped fans from hoping that with Chibnall running the show, he’ll green-light Russell T. Davies show.

The love for Torchwood hasn’t died down in the least. Big Finish’s biggest announcement of the fall was the audio series that was supposed to take place as Torchwood Season Five. This only shows the popularity of Torchwood, except for the fact that many people would rather watch than listen to a story take place.

I get it! Audios take a little bit of time to get used to, they cost, and you can’t see John Barrowman’s face. There are definitely downfalls. However, the ability to hide behind the aging that has happened since Torchwood went off the air probably helps. However, any fan can argue that the Doctor clearly said that Jack would continue to age, even though he couldn’t die.

It seems like Barrowman’s up to the challenge too, despite his hands in many DC television pots. We just need someone to get it going.

Chibnall, that’s where you come in. (But is there really any Torchwood without Ianto?)

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Season-long story arcs

Knowing Chibnall from Broadchurch and Children of Earth is that he’s incredibly good at the long story arcs. Not the super long “pull something out that happened two seasons ago” that we’re used to seeing from Moffat, but arcs that connect throughout one set of episodes, and end in a nice bow.

No rushing, no making an alien arc for only two or three episodes. In my opinion, those days should be over. We’re in a new age of television, where not many shows, at least in America, are filled with one-offs. Many shows, even the more lighthearted ones, tend to follow a singular theme throughout the entire season.

Am I saying that the Doctor should find a dead child on the beach and work to figure out who killed him? No. But surely, in Chibnall’s supposed “Five Year Plan”, it includes separate storylines that come together at the end of one season. Not a zig-zag line storyline that we’ve become used to.

Of course, there’s good and bad in this. The so-called “zig-zag storyline” where there’s an underlying storyline but also a couple one offs may not be too bad. There is such a thing as comic relief, and in a show like Doctor Who, you’re going to need it. But if there’s one thing Chibnall should learn, it’s how to do a storyline.

BBC, Doctor Who Christmas Special

Not too much drama

With the shows under Chibnall’s belt, it seems that the showrunner has a knack for drama. And that’s good! A show like Doctor Who needs a healthy dose of drama, but a good balance of comedy and drama is what makes Doctor Who the show that it is.

This isn’t Broadchurch, people aren’t going to want the Doctor constantly brooding cut off from the world like DI Hardy. It needs to have a little bit of comedy. And, not that I don’t think Chibnall can do it, but he hasn’t exactly written the happiest bits of television lately.

It will definitely be a darker Doctor Who, I think that’s inevitable. But it’s important for Chibnall to remember that, at its base, it’s still a kids show. We can’t have every show be on the scale of Heaven Sent. Even if it seems redundant, sometimes those episodes that make no sense are good for comic relief.

If he can find a way to fit some kind of comic relief into these dramatic episodes without feeling obvious, we could have a point for a very successful new shakeup.

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New Sets of Companions

This isn’t quite as important — although, maybe to some viewers, it is! Think about the kinds of companions we have in the New Era. Young, female, good looking. Let’s shake it up, shall we? If the rumors are true about Bradley Walsh, then we’re on to a good start. However, rumors have died down into nothing regarding him as a companion.

So, what now? There haven’t been any other rumors regarding a companion. Two women in the TARDIS would most likely alienate the fandom even more. The best idea seems to be a group of companions. Go back to the idea of the Classic era when the Doctor would travel with at least two, sometimes as many as four (including K9).

This would be a welcome change to what has become expected in the New Doctor Who universe. Moffat tried with Rory and Amy. It’s time to take the next step. Bring aliens, animals, people, robots, anyone!

BBC

Make it your own, but use past reminders

Nothing will give make a fandom happier than if they get a reminder of a past Doctor. For me, this was always an incredibly important part of what showrunners should do. Doctor Who is one big television show of over fifty years. Don’t focus on making your own “era” to shake things up. The best thing to do is to use things that have already happened.

Chibs has already shaken up everything by giving us a female Doctor. It needs to be tied in with the 14 other actors that have come before her to tie her in. Mention other things that happened, and it will go a long way. Other adventures, other companions…probably the best tie-in Moffat ever did was between 11 and 12 when he had 11 call Clara.

It was unprecedented and completely wibbly wobbly, but it helped Clara understand, while simultaneously breaking our hearts.

Next: David Tennant is ginger!

These are only five of the many things Chibnall should do when he makes Doctor Who his own. This doesn’t include spin-offs, or how best to do a female Doctor, two of the most important aspects of being a showrunner What is the most important thing he can do to you?