The WIDWWA Magazine - Issue 12

WIDWWANEWS

WIDWWAVIEWS

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gallifreyanguardian PAGE 6

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MERCHANDISE RELEASES PAGE 9

PAGE 10 IN CONVERSATION WITH

MATT MOIR PAGE 14

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THE RENWICK ERA PAGE 30

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Looking Back At...

Doctor Who: Genesis PAGE 34

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OCTOBER 2022

THE CENTENARY EPISODE

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elcome back to the WIDWWA Magazine. Now, as you'll see on the next page, the format is slightly different this month and will continue to be going forward. I'm proud to say that WIDWWA can evolve and change based on fan criticism and we've done just that. Hopefully, this will make the whole experience a lot more manageable for everyone.

Now this month is the one many of you have been waiting for... it's finally time for WIDWWA's BBC Centenary Special, or more accurately... the Centenary Episode, as this isn't actually a special, but an extended episode of the main series! It's also called the Restoration, something many of you have been agonising about for a year-and-a-half now, and finally in this issue, you'll be put out of your misery.

Will you be disappointed?

Maybe... maybe not? You're Doctor Who fans so it is to be expected after all.

Before anyone asks, yes

there is one glaring plot hole in The Restoration. I am very aware of it and it was in fact totally intentional. Inspired by some of the work of Chris Chibnall in our universe, this episode adds it's own spout of TARDIS confusion... well things can't be perfect can they? Jane Espenson has to mess up somewhere!

We've also got a contribution once again from Jack Murray-Bell, who takes a

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look at Doctor Who: Genesis, and a new fan-submitted contribution from Connor Parsonage talking about the Renwick Era. If you'd like to submit an article, please do so to widwwa1989@ gmail.com, and maybe it'll be in here this time next month!

So please enjoy this issue and don't forget to feedback using the WIDWWA Views form on widwwa.co.uk!

WIDWWA

WIDWWANEWS ALL THE REAL-WORLD NEWS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE WIDWWA SERIES

UPCOMING

WIDWWA RELEASE TRAILERS!

CHANGES A

s you might have seen on either the WIDWWA Discord or on the DDWF YouTube Channel, it's been announced that the format of the WIDWWA Magazine is changing slightly. This is due to both a number of people expressing the view that the WIDWWA Magazine/Podcast were just too long, to consume in one chunk, and because we memorably fell into issues with Issuu's 50-page limit, last month.

The solution we now have means the release of two different Magazines a month.

The first is this Magazine, which comes at the end of the month, as usual, and features everything you'd normally expect, apart from the WIDWWA Rewind feature. That's because the WIDWWA Rewind will be released as it's own separate Magazine issue, two-to-three weeks later, in the middle of the following month. So expect to read Rewind to 1991 in a few weeks instead of today!

As far as the podcast goes, things are being split up a little further. The main episode of the podcast will stay mostly the same, except there will be no WIDWWA Rewind, as that'll be it's own separate podcast, a few weeks later,

like the Magazine, and additionally, all lengthy in-depth features will be taken out of the main podcast episode and released over the following few days as their own WIDWWA Podcast Bonus episodes. This will allow the Podcast to be a lot easier to listen to, avoiding runtimes of over 2-hours as we had last month.

As a result, to make it very clear what's in each issue of this magazine, a white banner has been added to the bottom of each issue to describe exactly what period of time it covers, in-universe.

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hile the trailer for Doctor Who: The New Renegade Season 3 would've come out (in-universe) on 3 October, and the teaser "coming soon" trailer for the remainder of Doctor Who Season 56 would've aired following The Restoration on 23 October, you'll have to wait a little bit longer to see these trailers.

The trailers will be released, in the ususal WIDWWA style, containing text describing what is being shown on screen, in the days following the release of the Rewind to 1991 Magazine. This is so that enough time has passed for the fandom to process both issues of the Magazine, before looking ahead to the future.

So look forward to these two trailers later on in May!

NEW WIKI

ADMIN

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he WIDWWA Wiki has a new Wiki Admin!

Well technically it's an old one, as former Wiki Admin, Robert Morrison has returned to that role. He now has the majority oversight over everything on the wiki. Any questions relating to it, please direct them toward him.

Previously, the role was undertaken in an acting capacity

by Benjamin Windibank.

WIDWWA

WIDWWAVIEWS Your Views on Everything Happening in the World of WIDWWA

STAR VIEW Robert Morrison widwwa.co.uk With the conclusion of Adventures: Series 4. I have to say that while some episodes such as "Murder on the Dancefloor", "Victory of the Sontarans" and "The First Adventure". I have to say that I think it was a mistake to divide up Series 3 and 4 and I

Joseph widwwa.co.uk Last night, I had a fascinating dream that someone in the WIDWWA community had made a full AI-generated version of Blood and Iron. I was watching a computer-generated Sylvester McCoy, Julia Sawalha and John Banks performing in an AI production that looked and felt exactly like a real Doctor Who episode would have done in 1990. Whilst this may be a bit far-fetched for today’s technology (for now at least), it’s got me thinking about applications that AI could have in WIDWWA that would transform the face of the project. For example, it could be used to create episode stills and behind-the-scenes photos that just aren’t possible with the current Photoshop-style approach.

I mean, Ben’s already using AI voice clones to have AI versions of himself, Matt, Sylvester McCoy and Richard Griffiths narrate the WIDWWA podcast, so why not take it a step further? I’d be interested to hear what Ben and

am happy that it is being rectified with Series 5 airing all 20 episodes in one block.

I also wish to add on that, as a canon weirdo, I do not understand how the Doctor was able to be shrunken by the Master's tissue compressor and survive it. I know Adventures is a show mainly at kids and I can see the appeal of seeing a small Doctor running around messing with the Daleks and the Master. But I wished they made this happen

within a canonical reason.

Also, compared to other finales of recent. "The Abomination" feels underwhelming compared to the likes of "The Godless Universe", "The Fall of Mondas", "Kämpa för Tiden" or even "Journey into the Unknown". I hope that Phil Ford and the writers room for Adventures can make a u-turn going forward and make Series 5 it's best as it can be.

his team think of this.

That's a very nice dream, however, there's still a tonne of work to go in order to get AI up to the quality that would be needed to achieve the things you are suggesting. Even the AI voice-overs are far from perfect, and would not be fit for use in a dramatic context.

enjoying WIDWWA in a slightly more managable format going forward.

Chelle widwwa.co.uk I just wanted to express my admiration for Blood and Iron. I had never really considered this story actually being good but I really enjoyed it. Season 27 got off to a rocky start but the end was very good indeed. Well done, Andrew Cartmel!

John widwwa.co.uk I've just seen your YouTube video about the new format for the Magazine and Podcast. I am a big fan of this approach and I thank you for listening to my criticisms last month. I look forward to

Thomas Email I think that you should make the Seventeenth Doctor Imelda Staunton. It is a shame that you passed her up for the role in the past and I think that you should go and use her now. It would be a real shame not to.

Jack Email Will you be doing an article on Doctor Who's relationship with the BBC to celebrate the BBC Centenary this month?

While I did consider this, Jack, I decided against it as much of this sort of thing, in the real world, has been covered far better than I can do it and in the WIDWWA Universe, that sort of info is still to come in WIDWWA Rewind! We do a lot of deep dives into BBC History, so look forward to that!

TO SUBMIT A WIDWWA VIEW TO THIS PAGE VISIT WIDWWA.CO.UK AND USE THE WIDWWA VIEWS FORM OR EMAIL WIDWWA1989@GMAIL.COM WITH YOUR WIDWWA VIEW ATTATCHED.

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gallifreyanguardian Mysteriet Doktorn to Return for Final Season

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VT have announced that Doctor Who's Swedish adaptation, Mysteriet Doktorn, will be returning in March 2023 for its third and final season.

The series will star Moa Gammel, Hans Mosesson and Sofia Helin, running, once again, for a 10-episode season. Hans Ros- inal documentaries to celebrate in her new position at NBCUnienfeldt will also continue in post the occasion and the television versal. broadcast of all seven Doctor A successor is likely to be anas Showrunner.

The decision to end the show Who movies and a repeat of The nounced before the new year, perhaps at ODWC? came about because SVT de- Restoration. cided that it's characters and The 60th Anniversary is still WIDWWA storylines had run their course a year away, so many of these and that things have ended per- plans can change, over the next fectly naturally with Season 3. 12 months.

They have also stated that the WIDWWA decision has nothing to do with Doctor Who now being easily accesible on streaming plaforms in Sweden, and is instead to do with the show ending on a high, complete with no need for further stories. aggy Chan, Doctor WIDWWA Who's Executive Supervisor of Distribution, will be moving on from the franchise in the new year.

She has been offered a job that she couldn't refuse at NBCUniversal as their head of Global Advertising.

Prior to this, she had spent 15 years working at the BBC, beharlotte Moore, the BBC's coming a heavy-weight in BBC Chief Content Officer, has Studios, before Mal Young hired revealed the BBC's formative her to help him "save Doctor pland for the 60th Anniversa- Who" in Summer 2020. ry Celebrations. Codenamed Mal Young has shown dissa"Doctor Who 60", the celebra- pointment at Chan's decision tions include a number of orig- to leave but has wished her well

Maggy Chan to leave Doctor Who Franchise

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BBC Boss Reveals Formative Plans for 60th Anniversary

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READ EVERY ISSUE OF THE WIDWWA MAGAZINE AND THE WIDWWA NEWSLETTER ON ISSUU AVALIABLE to order in print at widwwa.co.uk

WHAT IF DOCTOR WHO WASN'T AXED? THE MAGAZINE - THE PODCAST all episodes avaliable to listen to on the ddwf youtube channel as well as wherever you get your podcasts

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he Official Doctor Who Convention returns for its tenth edition on 25 November 2022. This year it travels to Sydney, for the second time, following the Sydney 2015 edition, however the convention finds itself at an all-new venue, this time, the

International Convention Centre! Like previous two years, the entire convention will be live-streamed on the Official Doctor Who YouTube Channel, starting at 9am in Sydney (1am in the UK/6pm in the US) and concluding at 8pm in Sydney (12pm in the UK/5am in

the US). Due to the timezones differences, obviously, many big announcements will take place in the middle of the night for British and American fans.

However, the whole convention livestreams will be available on demand, afterward.

WIDWWA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

09:00 Australia Welcomes The Doctor

09:00 Samantha Bond

09:00 Anthony Head

10:00 Griffiths' Girls

10:00 Janet Fielding & Sarah Sutton

10:00 Jane Espenson 11:00 The Three Doctors

11:00 Looking Back at Panopticon

11:00 The Early Years

13:00 Paramount+ Showcase with Mal Young

13:00 Doctor Who: The New Renegade

13:00 Doctor Who with David Renwick

15:00 Foreign Adaptations

15:00 The Restoration

16:00 Doctor Who: Adventures

16:00 Doctor Who: The Time Meddlers

15:00 Doctor Who 60: 60th Anniversary Movie & Celebrations

17:00 The Davison Years 18:00 Ronald D. Moore 19:00 Looking Back at The Daleks' Master Plan

17:00 Jason Isaacs 18:00 Toys & Collectibles 19:00 Ace Bhatti PAGE 8

17:00 Doctor Who: Remastered 18:00 Christopher H. Bidmead & Eric Saward 19:00 Closing Ceremony

MERCHANDISE RELEASES MERCHANDISE RELEASED IN THE WIDWWA UNIVERSE DURING OCTOBER

1 OCT

COMIC STRIPS

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itiless war machines committed to universal conquest, the Daleks have terrified and enthralled Doctor Who fans for generations.

Collected together for the first time, Panini Comics proudly presents the first volume of Dalek stories taken from Doctor Who Magazine's 40 years of award-winning comic strip.

This book is the first in a two-part collection of Doctor Who Magazine Comic Strips, featuring the Daleks, from over the years. Inside it features the stories: The Return of the Daleks, Abslom Daak... Dalek Killer, Star Tigers, Doctor Who and the Dogs of Doom, Nemesis of the Daleks & Metamorphosis.

6 OCT

BBC AUDIO

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BC Audio continue their monthly releases with Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden & The Code of Flesh, both read by Dan Starkey.

The difference, here, compared to previously releases is that The Code of Flesh is an original audiobook release, by BBC Audio, featuring the Fourteenth Doctor. It's set in 1890s Cardiff and was written by Andrew Lane. While not the first BBC Audio original release, this was the first release since early 2022. Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden was, by contrast, just an audio book reading of the Target novelisation by Terrance Dicks.

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omb of the Cybermen sure they don’t proves to be one of the put Cybermen most faithfully adapted stories technology to bad in Through Time And Space so use. The elements far, as thanks to the two part related to Victoria, length and the quality pacing including Doctor’s of the source material, almost famous talk about no cuts needed to be made. In his family, are fact, something was added; dropped due to some archive footage from the being completeCold Front episode Invasion, to ly irrelevant for illustrate Cyber-Controller’s re- Pola; instead, she cap. The character of Toberman contemplates, is kept, now revealed by his on Toberman’s ‘employers’ to be human-Tyer- example, how an hybrid, but Pola sees it as hard it can be sometimes to no excuse for his treatment help an individual. Of course, and almost erupts at them, she ultimately fails to do so, as before the Doktor calms the Toberman sacrifices himself, situation down and points out and comes back to present day to her that this won’t help him, in bitter mood. as they’re outnumbered – for Emma is then revealed to now, best they can do is keep an have spent the entire story eye on these people and make helping to distribute the cure

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or the replacement Mnich story, Szafrański went outside the box and decided to adapt Cold Front episode, Timeless. And so, Doktor and Emma team up with Irena to try and neutralize Mnich, going from 1914 to the VIIth century to 70 C.E. Due to unavailability

on one of the planets hit by Dalek plague from last episode.

Doktor goes back and forth between companions, picking up Pola whenever she’s available and spending the rest of time with Emma, but Pola is not aware of that.

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of necessary resources, XVIIth ish perspective on these events century and the beginning of and the story can focus on ruAfrican slave trade is replaced mifications for larger history. In with the court of Justinian II of the end, Mnich is successfully Byzantium and the beginning of captured and handed to Irena, Slavic slave trade, but Mnich’s while Doktor discusses their silly plan remains unchanged. experiences with Emma, who Thanks to absence of Pola, seems rather unfazed by the there’s no need to bring up Pol- fate of Pompeii; sure, it’s a tragPAGE 10

edy, but it’s a natural disaster, Doktor loses her they just happen sometimes… temper and exThis is where Pola sees them. claims that that’s very interesting, Pola spent the episode because this is observing the ordinary life in exactly what she Warsaw, wondering how to recognize the person who needs thought Pola is her help – we got several short when they first glimpses of that throughout the met. This does it; Pola turns back episode. Clearly something is and walks away in bothering her and she waited for The Doktor to talk about it tears, telling the with her – only to find her with Doktor to leave her alone.

Emma, of all people. A pretty bad argument erupts, regarding As the night comes, she still who The Doktor is allowed to see, who treats who as a toy and walks through Warsaw, thinkEmma’s moral values. When ing about The Doktor’s last words, when something hits Pola calls Emma “a brat with her head from the back. Cut no compassion or humility”,

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to black and the laugh – Rafał Rutkowski’s laugh, Mara’s laugh.

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e start with cold open bringing Doktor and Emma to empty handed, and looking for of someone making a grim cosmic fortress, where help against The Mara, arrives their way through Manussa, Pola, or rather The Mara, is at Deva Loca. with some people trying to stop using the Great Crystal to forge There, they find out that the them, but tremble in fear right a starfleet, capable of conquer- only one who can really cast after. The figure forces the royal ing the entire galaxy. The Mara The Mara out of Pola is… Pola, family to hand over The Great laughs off the Doktor’s attempt with her own willpower. But Crystal and is then revealed to to subdue her the same way her mind is now asleep, and be Pola, who laughs menacing- they did in Cave of the Snakes someone needs to embark ly. Cut to credits. and explains that as long as on telepathic journey to find Emma wakes up aboard the fear and hate will exist, they’ll it and wake it up. With the TARDIS in cold sweat. As later be there to feed on them. When help of Kinda, Doktor finds in console room the Doktor Pola was at her weakest, some Pola’s mind, but can’t reach tries to get to the bottom of silly brute tried to take advan- it – The Mara prepared for her bad mood, they get the call tage of that… and it was just the that and used Pola’s feelings from Krystian, who informs opportunity the Mara needed. of betrayal to create a mental them that Pola’s gone missing. They took over and saved Pola’s wall, locking out everyone that She didn’t come back home skin, now in return Pola helps Pola can trust. This means that after last episode and was last them to terrorize the whole uni- only Emma can enter, since seen in… Jednostka’s HQ, verse. The Doktor is helpless to Pola can’t trust her and thus which she stole the teleporter stop it – last time he managed The Mara doesn’t see her as a from after being let inside by to do that because Pola trusted threat. After some convincing trustful Sergeant Wichura. The him, now she doesn’t. The TAR- from the Doktor, including a TARDIS tracks Pola down, DIS crew is forced to escape, brief retrospective on Pola’s PAGE 11

not be an “enemy to the cause”.

And that’s because she has no compassion – she doesn’t fight for Aarchnaughts or the oppressed, but to satisfy her own ambition, to be the one that brings “justice”. Emma growth through the Legato, series, Emma agrees to help. saviour of the Through the second act, we universe – see Emma making her way who cares at through Land of Dreams and what cost.

Nightmares with force and How many hiding – mostly with hiding, as lives she encounters several villains will be from past TT&S episodes and broken, weird imagery. Eventually, she families finds Pola inside a cage, but torn locked from the inside. Pola apart refuses to leave, thinking that by her Emma is just another one of hollow her nightmares. This leads to crusade? the tough conversation between Pola companions, as Emma wants to almost know what’s Pola’s issue with lost her her, to which Pola projects out family, her of her mind (which one can do cousin, but in this realm) what she saw on does Emma Rosadyne – Emma scolding have any and belittling an Aarchnaught idea how it worker just trying to do their feels? job. Emma doesn’t see the Surprisingproblem – he wasn’t willing ly, Emma to stand up for his own rights does. alongside them, clearly he She needed a cold shower. Pola projects explodes – that’s her excuse for her own bullying?! This guy was proba- nightmare; bly just doing what he thought six year old was best to protect his family, her being rebut it didn’t occur to Emma for strained, while a second that someone can see her mother things differently than her and and sister are PAGE 12

dragged away onto a spaceWhile this mellows Pola up ship. Her mother made her and makes her admit that father look bad or something, perhaps she was too harsh on and so the court banished her. Emma, she still refuses to get They split the children like a out of the cage; she’s a monster, property; Emma for the father, she just ruins everyone’s life: Gaja for the mother. Cause Antodus’s, Toberman’s, Dokthat was “fair”. Maybe Emma tor’s, and now she also brought doesn’t have compassion, but The Mara back. The world’s she knows how it feels to be better off without her. Emma stripped of agency, treated as states that The Doktor doesn’t someone’s personal benefit. believe that and gives Pola the which lets her get the upper And she will not rest until no letter from her, which projects hand. She summons a circle of one in the universe has to know the flashback of Pola pleading mirrors, which banishes Mara that feeling. Oh, and what the Doktor for help in The Zy- back to the world of nightmares happened to her family? Her gons – the moment he saw that – where Kinda will once again mother soon after was reported there’s more to her than meets keep her in check. Then she dead; Gaja disappeared without the eye, and she kept confirm- undoes the fortress and, with a trace. Neither she nor her ing that ever since. Pola is com- Doktor’s help, throws The Great father managed to locate her, forted by this and finally leaves Crystal into supernova, so it can never threaten anyone again. and their connections encom- the cage – in real world, this After this experience, Doktor pass the whole Human Empire. results in Pola’s body rejecting and Pola make their amends, But Emma knows that Gaja’s The Mara, who materializes alive somewhere; that’s why she separately in the form of Rafał and Pola gives Emma her blesswanted to go with The Doktor. Rutkowski. The two fight over ing to travel with the Doktor – but not with her, she’s not She hopes to find her sister, The Great Crystal, with Pola something that is missing in calling for and getting telepath- there yet.

WIDWWA her life. ic help from all her friends,

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octor Who provides slimmed down opportunity to do anyto 45 minutes thing, and Tomasz Szafrański by cutting some wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t subplots and untake advantage of that. Thus, necessary Zenla/ in this little pet project of Chris content, his, he tries his hand at noir as this time the crime thriller by adapting The Doktor has only Phantom Doctor. The episode’s one companion in colour, but still provides at his disposal. plenty of play with tropes, as Aside from that, Doktor and Emma take the the story sticks roles of detectives in post-war rather close to its UK – in accordance with TVN’s source material. guidelines to go beyond Poland. WIDWWA The story however has been PAGE 13

DOCTOR WHO'S LONG ANTICIPATED BBC CENTENARY EPISODE HAS ARRIVED!

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he Restoration was the seventh episode of Season 56, the second serial of the season, and acted as Doctor Who’s way of celebrating 100 Years of the BBC and was a 90-minute feature length episode. It was also Jane Espenson’s send-off for Doctor Who, as while she still had a year to go as Executive Supervisor of Television, this was the end of the road for her creative influence, having penned this story. The BBC wanted something big and

that’s what Jane Espenson gave allowed director Rachel Talalay them. She managed to team up to utilise the Eleventh Doctor’s three Doctors, a bunch of pop- TARDIS set which stood at CBS ular companions, and bring in Stages Canada. Due to the fact the Cybermen and Time Lords. that the Fourteenth Doctor’s She knew that, on a TV budget, TARDIS had been drastically there was hardly anything big- altered by the team at Doctor ger that could be done.

Who Weekly, for their set, Production wise, most of the having been fitted with LED episode was shot in Canada at screens etc, Talalay decided CBS Stages Canada, during the to recreate the Fourteenth second block of The Daleks’ Doctor’s TARDIS on the AR Master Plan. This allowed for Wall, with the original console much of the scenes to be shot prop being shipped over and on the AR Wall adding to the placed in the middle. Shooting scope of the episode. It also on the Sixteenth Doctor’s set PAGE 14

happened at a later date at BBC returned for this episode, after of Samantha Bond and Anthony Scotland.

Bear McCreary composed The Head’s names being added in Ruth Barret, who comDaleks’ Master Plan. The title after Ace Bhatti’s. posed the score for the last sequence remained the same as WIDWWA few seasons of Doctor Who, Season 55, with the exception

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he Fourteenth Doctor checks his watch wakes up, with a gasp, in and says out loud the midst of snow. She breathes that he seems to in and out and looks around have travelled confused. She checks her body several centuries and she’s that it’s normal, into the future she’s just wearing her normal rather than have clothes… she pauses and checks regenerated. He her head… just her hair. She be- gets up and begins gins walking through the snow walking toward the and in the distance she sees citadel, continuing the TARDIS. Her TARDIS. She to speak to himself, takes out her key and steps in- speculating that a side. She walks over to the con- freak time anomaly sole and begins to set a course, saved his life, at the Daleks?” but then a flash of memory… last moment, and took him out The Doctor gulps before telling her dying, her turning into a of the Master’s reach. He then Sally that it’s a long story. Sally Cyberman. She stumbles as it gets to the entrance of the Cita- says something about him “not comes back to her. She then del, where Andark stands… The being the Doctor” before she is looks at her reflection and is so Doctor compliments Andark hung up on and the Doctor sets confused. Decisively, she hits on lasting so long without the TARDIS into flight. several control panels, in rapid regenerating, but Andark just The TARDIS lands in front succession, and takes a look at blankly tells him that someof Sally and Pete, standing on several readings on the moni- thing has gone very wrong with 41st Century Earth, looking tors. She then says: “Something the universe and both of them incredibly confused. The door grave has happened to the should be dead. of the TARDIS swings open and universe…”

The Sixteenth Doctor stares Sally takes a step back, saying Andark stands on a platform into the central column in his “you’re not the Doctor”. Pete overlooking the Citadel on TARDIS. He looks into it with a explains to her that he thinks Gallifrey. The whole planet still look of absolute rage. He stares the Doctor has regenerated but glows blue with ascension, but and stares as flashbacks to that he didn’t know “she” could it’s full of both Time Lords and Sara Kingdom’s death, and the become a “he”. The Doctor Vex, having been revived by the Restoration taking place, are makes a joke about it to which Restoration. Andark takes out reflected in the column. He is Sally is, again, unimpressed. a pair of high-tech binoculars then suddenly snapped out of it She says that he’s nothing like and sees in the distance… a when the TARDIS phone rings. the Doctor and asks how he body. The body of the Eleventh He looks confused and remarks can be the same person when Doctor. that no-one has rung that his personality isn’t even the The Eleventh Doctor wakes phone in a long time. He then same. The Doctor puts his up, like the Fourteenth did, answers it to hear the voice hands on her shoulders, looks with a gasp. He looks around, of Sally Brennen, who says: into her eyes, and tells her that sees Ascended Gallifrey and “Doctor, where are you? What’s he’s really the Doctor and she he’s entirely confused… He happened to the Master and the has to trust him. Sally looks at PAGE 15

out into the middle of a protest On Gallifrey, the Eleventh Doctor and Andark meet in the with a device that she’s cobbled Lord President’s office. Andark together. She looks at it as him and then after a pause says briefs him on the overall situa- readings come in and continues “Okay”. They then enter the tion and the events of Panopti- moving around the street. One TARDIS and Pete comments con that led to Gallifrey becom- person hassles her and tells that the Doctor has redecorat- ing ascended. The Doctor asks her that they don’t want “her ed and that he doesn’t like it. who’s the primary authority on kind” there but the Doctor uses The Doctor then changes the Gallifrey now. Andark explains humour to get him to back off subject and gives the two of before continuing with what that their ancestors opened them a brief overview of the she was doing. diplomatic relations with the Restoration. Sally and Pete are Vex, a few hundred years ago, Back in the abandoned house, both horrified and shocked as but that they’re far away from Lou speaks to the others, now they begin to remember their and they hold no official power all dressed in 41st Century deaths, they begin to remember on the planet. Then Andark clothing. She tells them that living through it and then they says that unless there are any she knows someone who can fix remember the feeling of being protests from other resurrected this, a man named the Doctor. restored. They’re both very Presidents, the Worshipful and She says that they just need to adamant that it’s unnatural Ancient Law of Gallifrey clearly find him. They ask Lou if he’ll and it shouldn’t be. The Doctor states that the honour of Lord really be able to help and she then points to the scanner as it President falls back to him, says that she’d trust him with flickers to a protest on Earth… the Doctor. The Doctor then her life… and in fact, she did. he tells them that they’re not looks at Andark and says that One of them says that she died the only ones who think that. though and Lou awkwardly he has just one order to begin In the midst of the protest, with… and that is to find Sandra jokes that “everyone is allowed which sees placards reading an off day”... people look Armstrong.

“No Zombies” and “The Dead A figure stands in a crowded confused before Lou adds “I’m Should Stay Dead” etc…, Lou refugee camp on Bellons… she from the year 2000, it’s our Madison, dressed in 16th Cen- slowly pulls down the hood on sense of humour”. tury clothing, stumbles through the rags she’s wearing… It's The Eleventh Doctor enters the street. Some of the protes- Sandra Armstrong. She slowly his TARDIS, wearing his Doctor tors hassle her, some even spit, walks through the camp before Who: The New Renegade as she tries to make her way approaching a makeshift food costume, having changed into to a backstreet for safety. She it, between scenes. He punches stall. She asks for “whatever’s then comes to an abandoned in some coordinates and then the cheapest '' and is handed house and enters. Inside the dematerialises the TARDIS. a bowl of gruel. She begins to house are a group of about a eat it, as she thinks about her On Bellons, the Cybermen dozen people, all dressed in death, and flashbacks to it… invade the planet and begin to different period Earth clothing. Then out of nowhere, a sonic convert hundreds of BellonLou tells them that it’s as bad boom, as a spaceship enters the sions into Cybermen. They soon as they thought and if they’re take hold of a large building atmosphere. A Cybership. not careful, they are going to In orbit of Bellons there’s and convert it into a Cyber become dead once again, very a fleet of Cyberships. In the Factory. Inside the refugee soon. One of them asks if it’s camp, Sandra hides from the mothership, the Cyber-Coneven possible for them to die Cybermen, as they convert troller sits on a huge throne. and Lou says that it very much He proclaims that the Cybereveryone in sight. Sandra then is, as she’s just seen one of the men will take advantage of the turns around… to be faced with restored stoned to death in the opportunity to rid the universe a Cybermen. The Cybermen protest. They all look terrified of pain and now that everyone tries to grab her to insert Cyberand Lou tells them that it’s best has been restored, they will mites into her skin, but Sandra that they get out of their clothes make sure they stay that way… dodges it’s hand and then tells and into something more 41st forever! the Cyberman to wait, and that Century, otherwise they’re not The Fourteenth Doctor’s TAR- he should scan her first. The going to survive.

DIS lands on Earth. She steps Cyberman does so and says that PAGE 16

it detects Artron Energy and “sorry Sandra, you’ll have to that she will be taken to the Cy- wait” and then materialises the ber Controller. Sandra breathes TARDIS on the Cyber Mothand the parties that are taking a sigh of relief as the Cyberman ership. He steps out into an grabs her and loads her onto a empty corridor, before hiding, advantage of the situation…

In the control room of the shuttle. when a group of Cybermen Inside the Sixteenth Doctor’s march toward him… and then, Cybership, the Cyber-Controller confronts Sandra. He asks for TARDIS, he continues to speak to his surprise, he sees that the whereabouts of the Doctor to Pete and Sally. The Doctor they’re transporting a prisonand she says that she’d happily tells them that he thinks the key er… Sandra Armstrong. tell them, if she knew, but she to solving everything is in the On Gallifrey, the Sixteenth information they already have. Doctor’s TARDIS materialises. has absolutely no clue. She tells He explains what he knows and The Doctor, Sally and Pete step the Cyber-Controller that he abandoned her. She monorecounts the events of Journey out to see Andark waiting for logues about what happened into the Unknown. Pete then them. Andark remarks that to her in The Movie and The tells him that if he saw himself it’s curious that the TARDIS Confrontation of the Wicked, on Gallifrey, then that’s the shields weren’t raised, apobvious place to go. The Doctor proaching Gallifrey. The Doctor before standing tall and saying that she’ll now lived, as he agrees but tells them that it’ll thanks Andark for reminding take a lot of courage for him to him, saying that he hasn’t been always has, as a Bellonsion and go back there. Sally puts her there for a long time and forgot. “no tin robot is gonna tell me hand on his shoulder and tells Andark begins to tell the Doctor otherwise”, before she jumps and grabs onto a control hatch him that they’re with him every about what he knows but the step of the way.

Doctor stops him and explains on the ceiling, swinging across the room and knocking the The protest on Earth contin- that he knows everything…

Cyber-Controller’s head, clean ues as the Fourteenth Doctor because he was the one who and, separately, Lou move caused the Restoration. Andark off, with her feet.

The Eleventh Doctor then enthrough the crowd. However, tells the Doctor to be quiet, in ters the room at that moment, it begins becoming violent as case anyone hears, and sugapplauding and moves in to the protestors turn into rioters. gests they take it to his office. hug Sandra. Sandra pushes Suddenly, the Doctor is grabbed The Doctor is confused and him away telling him that she by one of them and the rioters says that he doesn’t have one begin to attack her. However, anymore… before Andark says meant every word that she said.

The Doctor tries to explain that Lou and the others interject “technically you still do” and and manage to grab the Doctor we cut to the Lord President’s she “had” to die, and it was out of his hands, but Sandra can’t and bring her to safety. Once office. believe that he’s trying to justify out of the way, the Doctor turns Outside the office, Sally and to thank her rescuers and sees Pete wait in the lobby, as they killing her… twice. The Doctor tells her that they’ve all been Lou. She’s shocked and says hear the muffled, but raised, “Lou Madison. Oh dear, sweet voices of the Doctor and Andark restored, including him, and Lou”. Lou is confused but then speaking. Sally and Pete briefly they’re all now alive, for good. it clicks with her. She says that speak about what they’ve gone Sandra tells the Doctor that he only one person ever called her through and their thoughts on can hide behind “good luck” if “Dear, sweet Lou” and then this new Doctor. They also joke he wants but it doesn’t change what he did. She tells him to smiles and says “It’s you Docabout Gallifrey being nothing tor. Somehow it’s you”. They like they expected the Doctor’s go and that she can handle the Cybermen herself. The Doctor then hug and the Doctor and home planet to be. says no but Sandra insists and Lou share the information that Inside, the Doctor argues says that she doesn’t want him they understand so far. with Andark about his role in The Eleventh Doctor’s TARD- causing the Restoration. They there.

The Sixteenth Doctor and IS lands in the orbit of Bellons. both agree it has to be reversed Andark continue to discuss He turns on the scanner and but they don’t know how. matters and Andark mentions sees the fleet of Cyberships Andark then tells the Doctor that his previous selves were around the planet. He mutters of the suffering it’s causing PAGE 17

The Sixteenth Doctor’s TARD- Doctor is knocked back by an IS lands on Earth at night. The invisible force and receives the streets are vibrant and bustling, same vision from the Sixteenth resurrected by the Restoration full to the brim with people, Doctor telling him “I need your too and that one of his past ver- everywhere. Sally makes a help. Find me.”. The Intendant sions was on Gallifrey, not long comment about there being tells the Eleventh Doctor not before he arrived. The Doctor so many people, the streets to go, banging his fist firmly on wonders whether it’s worth will never fall silent again. The the console. The Doctor replies rounding up the “restored” “make me” before the Intendant Doctor says that one of his versions of his past selves violently flicks his eyes. past selves is within a mile of and wonders how many there The Fourteenth Doctor puts where they are, right now, and are. Andark explains that the they need to find them. The on her coat and tells Lou that Restoration has only affected Sixteenth Doctor tells Sally and she’s got a date… with herself. the timestream before the year Pete to stay in the TARDIS as Lou looks unimpressed but po4000, so any incarnation that it’s safer for them there. litely laughs, and then tells the regenerated after that date or Doctor to be careful, and that The Fourteenth Doctor in the Time Vortex, won’t have sits alone in an abandoned rioters are still targeting people been restored. The Doctor says building with Lou. They talk dressed anachronistically. that there’s a good chance that and reminisce about old times.

Inside the Sixteenth Doctor’s nine of his previous selves have The Doctor tries to tell her TARDIS, Sally and Pete sit been restored and says that around looking bored. They how sorry she was for what it’d be a good idea to get hold happened… but Lou says that reminisce about their time of them. Andark asks why he she understands and says together and talk about how wants to do that. The Doctor there was nothing she could’ve different the Doctor now is. looks toward Andark, almost on done. Lou goes onto say that After a moment of silence, the verge of tears, and gulps.

Sally admits to Pete that she it’s only been a day for her The Doctor and Andark exit since it happened, whereas the knows they’re going to die… the Doctor’s office. Sally and Doctor has had years to think again. Pete solemnly says the Pete ask what’s happening about it and blame herself. The same and that he’s fairly sure and the Doctor tells them that Doctor and Lou hug before the the Doctor is going to have to they’re headed back to Earth.

Doctor is struck back onto the reverse everything, and that’ll The Eleventh Doctor walks floor, by a giant invisible force. mean the both of them being back to the TARDIS and enters She screams out as a vision dead, before they both hug. it. He looks solemn. He slowly appears in her head… it’s the The Sixteenth Doctor runs makes his way to the console, Sixteenth Doctor saying “I need down a street at night, and before swinging his fist in the your help. Find me.”. Lou asks then we cut to the Eleventh and air and smashing the central what’s wrong and the Doctor Fourteenth Doctors doing the column as he screams out in says that they’ve got company. same on other streets, before pain. He falls back to the floor, they all intersect at a crossroads The Intendant speaks to as the glass falls onto him and the Eleventh Doctor, in his and run past each other. They looks up to the ceiling. He then TARDIS, taunting him about all then slowly move backward hears a voice… the voice of the Sandra. The Doctor tells him toward the crossroad looking at Intendant, who says that the to shut it and the Intendant each other shocked. They evenRestoration has only led to mis- just continually laughs. The tually culminate in a circle as ery. The Doctor gets up from Intendant says that he only ex- the Sixteenth Doctor says “Well, the floor and turns to see him, ists because of the Restoration, I guess we should all help each standing by the console, eating but it’s the Restoration that is other out, then”. The Eleventh an apple. The Doctor asks tearing the universe apart, as Doctor, rudely, says that was who he is and the Intendant what the mental barrage was we speak. He says that he did replies that he’s the man who his best to stop it but now he’s for, so yes, they should. The tried (and failed) to stop the just happy to sit back and watch Fourteenth Doctor explains that Restoration… and that was all the chaos. The Doctor asks she’s here with Lou Madison because of the Doctor, before why he’s even there, but before and that “the restored” are all in taking a bite. the Intendant can answer, the incredible danger. The Eleventh PAGE 18

Doctor tells the other two that Doctors look on through the the Cybermen are taking advan- TARDIS scanner, shocked at tage of everything and they’ve what just happened. They can’t got Sandra Armstrong. The understand why the Cybership extended the oxygen bubble, Sixteenth Doctor says that they has left Bellons. The Eleventh but it won’t hold for long, so she needs to get onboard. He need to act fast to reverse all of Doctor tells the Sixteenth to asks the Eleventh to go down this or unimaginable suffering follow it and he says that he’s with her, to keep an eye on her, will continue. trying, as the TARDIS also Inside the Sixteenth Doctor’s enters the time vortex, chasing and he’s a little resistant but agrees… jumping off onto the TARDIS, Sally and Pete are after the Cybership. ship too. The Fourteenth jokes startled when the doors open to On Earth, Sally and Pete that he’s now going through a reveal the Sixteenth, Fourarrived at the abandoned teenth and Eleventh Doctors, house. They soon meet Lou and midlife crisis but Eleven has no entering the console room. explain who they are. They then patience for the banter. They Pete lights up when he sees the explain to her that they’re fairly soon find an airlock and board the ship, meanwhile the SixFourteenth Doctor and runs confident the Doctor plans to teenth Doctor closes the doors straight over to her and hugs reverse the Restoration and if and keeps the TARDIS flying her. She smiles deeply as Pete they want to stop that… then tells her how much he’s missed they need to make a compelling close to the Cybership.

On the Cybership, the Elevher. The Fourteenth Doctor case. tells Pete that sadly, they’re The TARDIS chases after the enth and Fourteenth Doctors going now to face the Cybermen Cybership in the Vortex, as the look around. Meanwhile, once again but that she wants Fourteenth Doctor says there’s Sandra continues to fiddle with the main control panel. She him and Sally to go and look af- only one way to get into that ter Lou, and the other restored ship… and that’s to do it man- has eyes on the entire ship and peoples on Earth, as they’re all ually. The others look confused can see where all the Cybermen are. She then sees the Doctors in danger. Pete and Sally agree but the Fourteenth Doctor and leave the TARDIS. The smiles and pulls the door open arriving and angrily diverts a group of Cybermen to intercept Sixteenth Doctor then asks the and jumps out. The Eleventh Fourteenth if she did that beDoctor grabs her hand, just in them. The two Doctors see the Cybermen approaching and cause she was protecting them time, and asks what’s gotten and the Fourteenth nods saying into her. The Fourteenth Doctor quickly run away, but as they enter another corridor, they are that she’s sure Pete would do grabs onto the edge of the something “incredibly stupid”, TARDIS exterior and then tries cornered by the Cybermen and captured. likely out of revenge, if he saw to explain that they’ve got to The Sixteenth Doctor notices the Cybermen again. jump onto the hull of the ship Sandra continues to run and find an airlock, so they can a faint transmission in the TARDIS. He inquisitively raises through the Cybership, as a enter the ship. The Eleventh group of Cybermen chase after Doctor tells her that they have an eyebrow as he investigates.

The Eleventh and Fourteenth her. The TARDIS materialises to get a lot closer for that to Doctors are brought to the in space, looking over at the actually look. The Sixteenth Cyberleader. The Fourteenth ship, as the Sixteenth Doctor Doctor pilots the TARDIS says that they’re unable to land further toward the Cybership, Doctor asks where Sandra on it, and that some sort of as the Fourteenth swings about, Armstrong is and the Cyberanti-materialisation defence hanging on the ledge, laughing leader says that he was about to has been initiated. Inside the and yelling “If only Erin could ask her the same question. The Eleventh Doctor then points to Cybership, Sandra comes to see me now…”. The Eleventh a large machine behind them a large control panel, which Doctor coldly rolls his eyes and says that it looks very shows the TARDIS hovering in embarrassment and says outside. She’s visibly angry that that he must be going through interesting and asks what it is. The Cyberleader refuses to the Doctor’s back. She then a midlife crisis. Finally, the punches some buttons on the TARDIS gets close enough and answer to which the Eleventh control panel and the Cybership the Fourteenth Doctor jumps. Doctor says that makes him all the more curious. He goes enters the Time Vortex. The The Sixteenth says that he’s PAGE 19

The Intendant, posing as the whether this is the best way to Eleventh Doctor, continues to get the Doctor to hear them. confront the Cybermen with The Sixteenth Doctor demaonto say that it looks like a terialises his TARDIS out of the the Fourteenth Doctor. He mutli-dimensional exotronic manages to grab hold of the Eleventh Doctor’s, as the Elevdisplacement engine to him enth Doctor takes control of his mutli-dimensional exotronic and asks the Fourteenth Doctor displacement engine, while the own TARDIS. They commuif she agrees. She takes a look, Fourteenth Doctor distracts nicate via a video link on their completely ignoring the army of them, and he uses it to remove scanners, as they discuss what Cybermen surrounding them, all Cybermen from the ship and to do. They decide, very quickly, and says that she believes it has move them into the vacuum of to go and rescue the Fourteenth the ability to entirely isolate a space. The Fourteenth Doctor Doctor and Sandra from the group of individuals and relo- mentions that such action Intendant. cate them. The Eleventh Doctor was a bit harsh but Eleven The two TARDISes arrive on looks toward the Cyberleader, tells her that she’s gone soft, the Cybership, in front of the smiling warmly, working it out before he says they need to Fourteenth Doctor, Sandra and laughs, clapping his hands find Sandra. However, at that and the Intendant. The two and saying that this machine moment, Sandra appears, of Doctors step out and are is going to transport all of the initially shocked by the lack of her own accord, and she says restored directly into the Cyber that she’s disgusted with the Cybermen before focusing their Factories. The Cyberleader Doctor for wanting to kill all the attention on the Intendant. shouts out telling the others to restored. The Eleventh Doctor The Sixteenth Doctor is furious grab him, to which the Doctor asks Sandra what she actually with him, telling him that he continues dancing around thought he learnt his lesson wants… Why is she still here? the machine saying that he’s What does she want to achieve? and this matter was solved, but absolutely right. The FourSandra just says that she wants the Intendant spits in his face teenth Doctor then leans on a chance to live. Just a chance. and says that was before the the machine and says that this The Eleventh Doctor says that Doctor went and caused it! The machine could hold the key to she doesn’t deserve a chance.

Doctor says that according to reversing all the damage. The him the Restoration was always Both Fourteen and Sandra Cyberleader grabs hold of the look at him confused… Sandra inevitable. The Intendant Fourteenth, attempting to crush raises an eyebrow, backs away, points to the mutli-dimensional her, and says that the Restora- and then tells the Doctor that exotronic displacement engine tion will last forever and every- she knew he was harsh, but not and just says they need to use one shall become like them. it to get rid of the restored… heartless. Fourteen also comMeanwhile, Sandra watches ments that this isn’t the Doctor. and it’s the thing he’s been on in the control room. She The Eleventh Doctor chuckles searching eternity for to nullify mutters that the Doctor is and says “got me” before mor- the Restoration’s effects. Howplanning to kill her again and ever, before he even finishes his phing into the Intendant. bemoans that he even attemptsentence, he vanishes. Sandra Sally turns on a projector, ed to apologise. then says “oops” as she takes in the abandoned house, as The Sixteenth Doctor mateit projects a Powerpoint onto her hand of the machine and rialises the TARDIS inside the the wall. She then presents a smiles. The Eleventh Doctor Eleventh Doctor’s TARDIS. He presentation to the others about tells her that was very naughty takes out a device and follows a why they should be allowed but he’s glad she did it. He then faint signal, which gets strong- to remain alive and possible turns to the others and asks if er, as he walks deeper into the solutions to the issue. Lou looks they can please work something TARDIS. Eventually, he comes entirely confused before Pete out… maybe a compromise. He to a cupboard, where he finds mouths “she’s a school teacher” says that surely they can’t just the Eleventh Doctor inside, before Lou looks at him, nods, go with the Intendant’s plan of tied up with rope. He unties and says that she understands. committing mass genocide. The him and the Eleventh Doctor After Sally finishes, Lou politely Sixteenth Doctor is pretty adamutters out that the Intendant claps and says that those are mant that there isn’t any other is impersonating him. way and the Fourteenth says all good points but wonders PAGE 20

that she agrees with Eleven’s it. The shouts out “The Restoperspective but that they don’t ration” over and over again in have any other choice. Sandra pain. speaks up telling the two of The three Doctors’ TARDISes of all 9 restored Doctors to relocate those affected most by them that they’ve lost sight of arrive on Earth, in the abanwho they are… They are the doned house. They all step out the effects of the Restoration, whether original or restored, to Doctor. They save people. She and meet with Sally, Pete and pleads “Save me”.

Lou. Sally tells the Doctors that entirely unoccupied planets…

The Doctors say “Contact” and she has a presentation to show They all agree this is the best they appear together in a vision. them but Pete interjects to say solution but they also say that They appear in the Panopticon, that it can wait. The Sixteenth it’s not perfect as many might with all three dressed in Time Doctor introduces Sandra to the not want to relocate… and they Lord robes. They enter to see it others and Sandra is overjoyed can’t force them to. Sandra agrees saying they can’t do anfull of Time Lords, conducting to meet Lou, telling her that ything by force. The Sixteenth the business of government. she met the Doctor, just after Doctor almost shouts saying The Eleventh Doctor begins to she died, so the Doctor spoke ask the other two if they can about her a lot. They both laugh that they have no other choice. justify killing every single one at the absurdity of the sentence The Fourteenth Doctor rips up of them. The Sixteenth Doctor before the Fourteenth says that the mindmap, to Sally’s horror, and says that yes they do. The tells him of his experiences they’ve got business to attend with the Intendant and how he to. The Sixteenth says that he’s others look confused. She begins by saying “the mutli-disaw the Restoration as a fate taken the mutli-dimensional worse than death, and tried exotronic displacement engine mensional exotronic displacement engine” to which Eleven to destroy the entire universe on board his TARDIS but quickly snaps “No”, but she to prevent it, but the Eleventh it’s only to be used in case of asks him to hear her out. She Doctor says that the Restorano alternative. The Eleventh says that it’s not the best option tion is “life”. He says that, yes Doctor reiterates that it’s not but what they can do with the it has its problems, and yes it’s to be used under any circumunnatural, and should never stance. Sixteen says it has to be engine is relocate every single have happened, but in the here a last resort. Eleven shouts back restored individual to another and now it’s life and that there questioning why Sixteen asked realm, a parallel universe, or even multiple parallel universes are practicalities that need to for his help, to which Fourbe fundamentally sorted, but teen buts in saying “our help”, where they can live in peace… surely the lives of trillions out- before Eleven says that it’s the almost like… heaven. Sandra says that this is still involunweighs mere practicalities. The same thing. Sixteen tries to Sixteenth and Fourteenth Doc- calm them down and says that tary and there is no opt out. tors look around, at every single they’ve got some of the bright- Fourteen says that it’s a quick Time Lord, living and breathest minds in the universe in this solution and it’ll be far more effective than the other option. ing. The Eleventh Doctor says, room and a woman (pointing The Eleventh Doctor looks at “It’s not merely a Restoration to Sally) who knows her way Sandra and says that he can’t but a second chance for all…” A around a good mind map, so flash of Katarina dying appears, he’s sure they can come up with lose her to a parallel universe, but Fourteen reminds him that before similar shots of Adric, something.

Katie, Henrick, Bernice, Lizzie, In a montage, the group come both of them are restored to, so they’d be together. Sixteen says Chris, Gemma and Zenla dying up with a bunch of different appear, as the three Doctors ideas, and Sally arranges them that the engine isn’t capable of cry… The Sixteenth Doctor then into a colourful mind map. Sally creating dimensional planes, just moving matter to them. pauses before replying “Okay. then talks the group through Let’s do this your way…” the ideas. She explains that they Fourteen nods and says that On Gallifrey, on top of a have the option to leave things they need that technology from mountain, the Intendant as they are and let overpopula- Gallifrey. Eleven shouts at crawls, hurt and weak. He sees tion, prejudice and disease run Sixteen asking if he’s really conthe Citadel in the distance but rampant… or they have the op- sidering this. Sixteen says it’s doesn’t have the energy to make tion to use the combined force the only real practical option PAGE 21

and no one will be harmed.

The three TARDISes land on a mountainside on Gallifrey as the Doctors step out and Sixteen explains that Andark won’t like the plan. Fourteen says that getting this technology out of the Vaults of Rassilon is a one-in-a-million shot, to which Eleven winks at her and asks if she’d have it any other way.

Sixteen smiles and says they better get a move on, as they head toward the Citadel.

The Intendant crawls into the Vaults of Rassilon, in extreme pain, to see Andark standing there at the door. Andark just laughs and says if the possible future of the Time Lord race has come to this, maybe it’s best that things went the way that they did. He then takes out a staser and stuns the Intendant. The Doctors then arrive at the Vault and moan as they see Andark. Andark asks the Sixteenth if he’s found a way to undo the Restoration and they tell him their plan.

Andark says that he doesn’t like it, at all, but that he serves, and always has served, at the will of stars, together in the TARDIS, the Lord President, as he stands sonic boom is heard. Slowly, smiling and laughing together. aside and allows them to enter. people, all over the universe, Sally and Pete sit alone 0n a The Eleventh Doctor quips “so begin to fade away. Beautifulpark bench, smiling but sad. It much for one-in-a-million shot ly and slowly. This includes the Eleventh and Fourteenth soon becomes clear, why they're then”, before the other two Doctors. Additionally, footage sad, as we see Annie, Sally's chuckle. of the First, Third, Fourth, wife, alone in her kitchen, in the They enter and walk past Seventh, Ninth, Tenth and main universe, apart from her. a bunch of old props before coming to what they need. The Fifteenth Doctors fading away A woman then arrives at the plays. park bench to meet Sally and Fourteenth Doctor takes out The Sixteenth Doctor stands Pete, it's Val Fletcher - Pete's her mobile phone and rings alone. Just him alone. Alone in wife. Pete smiles and Sally Pete. She asks him if they’re brightens up seeing the two of ready. Pete, inside the Sixteenth this universe. He walks out of the vault onto Gallifrey to see them.

Doctor’s TARDIS with the the whole planet empty.

The Sixteenth Doctor sits in engine, says yes and then the In another universe, somehis TARDIS. Alone.

Sixteenth Doctor activates the machine, and on the other end, where else, the Eleventh Doctor WIDWWA Pete does the same and a huge and Sandra fly out into the PAGE 22

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IN CONVERSATION WITH

MATT MOIR THE CONCLUSION OF AN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH FORMER CO-WRITER MATT MOIR

BEN: So, onto the David Suchet era. Is there anything from that time that really sticks out to you creatively?

MATT: I do remember thinking “Why haven’t we brought back Davros yet?”, I was really surprised he’d been off screen for so long by this point.

BEN: I think the idea was that, after Ben Aaronovitch left, they retired the character of Davros. He’d been in every Dalek story since Genesis, so there was definitely a feeling, after about 20 years non-stop, that

it was time to have the Daleks without Davros for a bit… and then they just sort of forgot to bring him back until 2010.

MATT: We brought back the Toymaker because… Gary Russell.

BEN: Yes because we had that three-parter that stretched over the Series Finale, Christmas Special and Series Opener.

MATT: It was a weird threeparter because it was moreso a two-parter, with a Christmas Special in the middle that did tie-in…

PAGE 24

BEN: Like with the original Daleks’ Master Plan and The Feast of Steven.

MATT: True.

BEN: I wanted a big guest star… old woman… Julie Walters, who was playing Cushing-Universe Susan.

MATT: I think that all happened because of your fondness for those films, but it also made sense with a creative team of Gary Russell & Robert Shearman.

BEN: Well I was never fond of the Steven Moffat expla-

nation of those films being of the Doctor. I thought that meets the Holodeck, really. in-universe films in the actual engineering a situation where MATT: Yeah.

Doctor Who universe, after Ian the Doctor was on his last life, BEN: So all this time, and Barbara apparently sold so you could specifically do something else is going on… their story to a film studio, so THAT story, but then solve it Panopticon.

I wanted a way to canonise with a little bit of fairy dust MATT: Yes. those films but make it proper coming down from the sky, was BEN: You were involved (sensible) canon. such an absolute joke. I wanted heavily during all of that, so MATT: So we went with the something better. I could see perhaps you could talk us obvious choice… a Toymaker that had a huge potential to be through how you dealt with created alternate universe. the entire arc that the 50th was that creatively.

BEN: Which Peter Cushing structured around and I knew it MATT: It was certainly himself had suggested in the could work really well. interesting. I feel moreso that 1960s. He said that his movies MATT: I think, if we just Panopticon was where you could’ve been an alternate go back to Season 48, one of thrived, because Panopticon version of events created by the the most significant things I was moreso having to come up Toymaker, so we’re stealing contributed was the idea for the with new things and I wasn’t as ideas from the best.

Gaians. good at doing that.

MATT: Isn’t this also how BEN: Who fast became a very BEN: Your strengths were you’ve explained the alternate popular villain. We did an epic very much finding ideas that language versions? three-hour story with them. existed, largely from the BEN: Yes, the foreign adaptaMATT: It was basically expanded media world, and tions are all in the “Toymaker’s fan-service but with a plot that then bringing them together to Realm”. wasn’t fuelled by the fan sercreate something new.

MATT: Which allows things vice, which feels like something MATT: Yeah! to all be canon, but also not Rob Shearman would actually BEN: Whereas I was off really. On the subject, then, I do. That’s what Jubilee is. The thinking in the heads of people also suggested to pull in the plot is very much not about the and trying to work out what Nightmare Man from The Daleks but about the effects of they would’ve done in different Sarah Jane Adventures, which the pop culture interpretation positions. Even now when I sit just worked… but I think our of the Nazis and how that could down to write WIDWWA and version was a lot closer to Zellin apply to the Daleks.

I look in the mirror and I go from Can You Hear Me?, which BEN: Lets talk about… 48G. “Right I am Ronald D. Moore”, came several years after.

MATT: Yes! I was thinking or “I am Jane Espenson” etc.

BEN: Well we were already about this earlier. 48 Gary RusMATT: … Yeah I couldn’t using Joseph Lidster and we sell. The Gary Russell Episode. do that. So with the ideas of knew that he had an idea for a It was the fan-service episode. certain characters and certain monster that thematically fit Gary Russell loves fan-service writers… those were more the with the themes of that threeto a ridiculous amount. So we stuff that I was good at, I think. parter. So it was a no-brainer to gave him, in his last season, an There were also some ideas, combine the ideas. episode written, directed and such as the Vex, which was very MATT: Season 48 was the produced entirely by him, just much an idea that I came up sorta fan-service,”round of consisting of nothing but fan with. I remember very clearly applause” season as it slot into service. I wanted it to be the the name, itself, just coming place as “the last season” of this most Gary Russell thing ever to me. team and the last one before to exist. So I came up with the BEN: I wanted a name where an unprecedented broadcast idea of doing a better version the plural and the singular was break. of The Name’s Shakespeare, the same.

BEN: As far as I remember, William Shakespeare, except MATT: And I came up with the reason the whole Endinstead of it being a clip show, Vex and it sounded good. So game-Genesis break thing and the cast went into the stories the idea for them was because the Doctor dying happened was and interacted with them. Also I wanted to tie it in with one of because I was really annoyed it has an actual plot. my first ideas and we came up at the ending of The Time BEN: Well it was Doctor Who with them being Time Lords PAGE 25

IN CONVERSATION WITH

MATT MOIR

up with the idea of Article Six. It was basically me trying to "Because you bring back the thing from The wanted to just from an alternate universe War Games of the complete kill Francis and where the Vardan idea went timeline erasion. well, and although that wasn’t BEN: Which is completely it was my idea to revealed to much later, that canon, as it did happen in The say, hang-on, was initially right there at their War Games, both in the WIDwe can use this creation. It’s a very niche idea WWA timeline and the real but it was very… timeline. We just remembered opportunity BEN: Paul Cornell and Marc it existed, brought it into the Plat… modern day and gave it a name. and keep Francis MATT: And Gary Russell too. So when, Matthew, last week, alive" But bringing in the Vardans The Power of the Doctor aired, not only made sense from a I was a tad confused when the evilness that the Time Lords are capable of. creative point of view but also Master claimed that forced BEN: I’m right in thinking from a lore point of view too. I regeneration was the Time that whole story came from also came up with the idea of Lord’s most severe punishyou. the Council of Six… ment, considering that in The MATT: Yes it did. That came BEN: I don’t think we had War Games, we see (what we’d from me. Sorry Fassile stans. I a Council of Six originally call) Article Six, and then the also think I came up with the though. I think we had only the Doctor’s forced regeneration Francis regeneration too. character of Ale and then, afpunishment is shown to be a terward, we created the council more lenient sentence, as an act BEN: Well we knew that we’d have a female Doctor coming and retroactively made him a of mercy, in comparison. member.

MATT: Yeah, the Time Lords up, so we wanted to do an, MATT: I’m not sure. I don’t have done a lot worse to people in-universe, test-run, like they did with Missy. remember that. than forced regeneration.

MATT: Because you wanted BEN: Ale was created for Imagine if Fassile only got one to just kill Francis and it was Leftover: End of Days remem- of those. ber?

BEN: He wasn’t a Time Lord my idea to say, hang-on, we MATT: I know that we called though, so they would’ve had to can use this opportunity and keep Francis alive. I had the him Ale because we thought it make him a Time Lord to give feeling Francis would’ve been was funny… and the casting of him that punishment… a fan-favourite character, so it Brian Blessed entirely came out MATT: Yeah, true. I guess of the character’s name. I can’t Article Six was the only option just made sense.

BEN: And it’s a good job too, remember who played everyone for him then. In The Power of but I definitely remember the Doctor, though, the Master because Frances went onto be one of the most important charAbdul Salis, for the meme value does say to the Doctor, just acters over the next few years. because we couldn’t have a beforehand, that she’s going If they’d died in Panopticon member of the council without to be erased and she’s going Series 4, then I really have no “Kel from the Council”. to get the Time Lord’s worst idea how that would’ve changed BEN: We did come very very punishment… so it is really things, but likely quite a bit. close to calling him Kel but I very strange that it isn’t some MATT: It makes sense decided that it was just too un- form of Article Six, given that it realistic so that’s why we went seems to set up for exactly that. because if you’ve got a fan favourite character, you give with Ostmuz instead.

BEN: So when Fassile was MATT: Kel sounds more Article Sixed, that was a pretty them more stuff to do.

BEN: So, let’s move forward a inline with a name like Ale big moment, deciding to kill little bit then… When we come though. him off. to the end of Panopticon, where BEN: True but I think it MATT: Yes, but it made are you at? would’ve just been us going sense to do that and it made MATT: I remember Leela too far. sense to do it in that way to was killed off at some point.

MATT: I think I also came remind people of the sheer BEN: Yes, but that was PAGE 26

toward the beginning. I did just er than when we announced BEN: Yeah well the story of ask about the end… the name of Endgame, if you the Eleventh Doctor’s era was MATT: We still had Karen that he was almost too good to remember…

Gillan.

MATT: Yes, I think we be President. Everything kept BEN: But she was killed at falling apart because he was too announced Doctor Who: the end of Series 6.

Endgame, then less than a week nice, too good and too innoMATT: We had David later… cent. It was all a commentary, Tennant, still there, though. Al- really, on the reason bad people BEN: I think it could’ve even though he wasn’t always the top end up in office, because they’re been a couple of days later… billed character, he was always the ones who can survive it.

MATT: But very soon after, the main character, really.

Marvel announced Avengers: MATT: The system deBEN: Yeah, Will was always Endgame… And our reaction stroyed Eleven. the protagonist. was one of immense anger.

BEN: So, emotionally, from MATT: It makes sense why BEN: All the comments were a creative point of view, where Connie was a thing. were you at by the end of Pan- talking about it when the video BEN: Well it was the Rogue’s opticon? came out… BUT it did get a Masterplan. bunch more traffic, because MATT: Honestly, very MATT: And that made sense drained. It was the majority of people were searching for Endto do because the Rogue is a what we were doing, for a long game and found the video. rogue. He’s not an out-and-out time. Genesis did happen after MATT: We kept just having villain but he isn’t always a one-word title and I’m lowkey and I think I was the one who good guy. was really pushing the general annoyed that now you’re doing multi-word titles and I aesthetic of Genesis. You had for Vengeance that "He’s completely the general idea of doing as a remember I wanted “Doctor Who: The Zagreus style casting… amoral but he Ancient Lore” and you said no BEN: Not as a Zagreus style has the best story but the casting idea, yeah. to keep in with the format.

BEN: Well, it’s a different It was the only way I thought intentions, series of films really. The first it was possible to include five are separate to the Joseph always. The everyone in 2013. I mean we could’ve done something more films. So onto Season 49… this Master on the The Power of the Doctor-esque, is the last season where you other hand is especially in the opening where were properly a co-writer on.

MATT: Yes, although I had a amoral but David Suchet appears, but I significant involvement in the think it makes more sense stoalways with the ry-wise to do it the way we did. early episodes of Season 50 and worst intentions." MATT: It completely I think you were still keeping worked… recasting the entirety me in the loop into Season 51.

BEN: He’s completely amoral of Shoreditch.

BEN: Let’s start with The but he has the best intentions, BEN: Yes, Tom Baker played Darnley Conspiracy… always. The Master on the oth- “Old Codger”, remember.

MATT: I wrote that entirely. er hand is amoral but always MATT: Perfect! But honestly, You then rewrote most of it, with the worst intentions. The the whole idea of Doctor because you didn’t like it.

Rogue didn’t want the Doctor BEN: Now, now, the story Who: Genesis made the most to die so he did some very and plot was entirely you. The thematic sense to do. Having messed up stuff to counter that. the general aesthetic of using quality of the actual text was MATT: Because he’s The just poor, so I rewrote that aselements from the First DocRogue and that makes sense to tor’s era to tie the whole thing pect of it. The plot was exactly do. That’s why he was elected back to the start, back to 1963, the same as your version.

President… because he was a MATT: I knew I wanted it to was something I thought was corrupt imperfect individual. be a pure historical. It had to really important. I think I did The gooder-than-good Doctor be really. As much as I love The also come up with the name was not a good President but Time Meddler, it killed pure Genesis too. the Rogue was. historicals and I hate it for that.

BEN: It went a bit smoothPAGE 27

IN CONVERSATION WITH

MATT MOIR However, in Season 49, there were a lot of decisions that I tried to make that just didn’t really work out well and as a result, you weren’t taking them on board, because you didn’t think they were very good. It made a very good season, as a result, but it was really demoralising to have ideas constantly rejected. What you had in mind for the season was very alien to what I had in mind. But I do think what you were doing was the right approach for a Ronald D. Moore-led season.

BEN: I think with Season 50, you saw a lot of the overall planning for it but you weren’t contributing a lot to the writing at all. Adjoa Andoh’s casting was the final thing that you were really properly involved in. I think I suggested it but it was a joint decision.

MATT: Yes, I remember.

I wasn’t actively wanting to contribute ideas and work on the planning during this time, so, without any actual conversation taking place, you just stepped in and did more

inception, then the real-out-of- the bill and Gaia didn’t. The universe story is very similar.

Elysium was far more realistic We had two ideas… Gaia from the perspective of the and the 1257 - which as the Paramount Deal, well, the CBS Elysium. Essentially they were co-production at the time, both the same show, with the whereas Gaia made a lot more same characters, except one sense if it were in the real-uniwas set on Gaian Earth and verse and was just the BBC. It the other was set on the planet was also produced with Netflix the Time Lord fleet eventually remember. They wanted a stansettled on. But the idea was dalone show, but had ties into that they were pretty much the Doctor Who to get a pre-existsame show, so we could already ing fanbase onboard. begin developing it, while we MATT: I remember, before were undecided on the setting. the decision was made, that we The reason we were undecided developed a lot of those initial on the setting was because you Elysium Season 1 ideas set on wanted Gaia and I didn’t.

Gaia, so I assumed Gaia was MATT: Yeah… and it was going to win. I guess the charabout deciding what was the acter of Calem might’ve been most realistic. my final legacy then, as she was BEN: And I thought that it entirely created by me. was more likely for Ronald D. BEN: Yes. I remember.

Moore and Jane Espenson to Although, Calem was going to have chosen the 1257 idea. be an alien on Gaia but that MATT: I think I was just sick was changed to work with the of Panopticon and that world.

Elysium’s concept.

It was a chapter that I wanted MATT: So, anyway, I was closed and thinking back on it, I unhappy with it and I refused genuinely think that the Gaians to work on The Elysium. I just were popular enough to have didn’t want to do it. I had no a show and the execs would’ve enthusiasm to do something chosen Gaia. The Elysium was that was a continuation of Panvery much it’s own unconnect- opticon. I was happy that story ed thing and Gaia would’ve tied was over and working on those

"I think I was just sick of Panopticon and that world.

It was a chapter that I wanted closed" work, while I didn’t really do far more into the main show… anything. There wasn’t a time so I think they would’ve gone when I left WIDWWA, I just for Gaia. I stand by that. sort of faded out of working on BEN: The whole idea of The it. The one thing I did take an Elysium was that they wanted interest in was the casting of a to launch a whole new show, new Doctor, though. I think you with a whole new world, that have to put this all into context, was very loosely connected to so we do need to speak about Doctor Who… that basically The Elysium. wasn’t a Doctor Who spinoff, BEN: Originally, we were but just a new sci-fi fantasy going to do a spinoff, and if show for CBS, in order to people are aware of the in-uni- rival the success of Game verse story of the Elysium’s of Thrones. The Elysium fit PAGE 28

7 seasons was already too much for me. I was burnt out.

BEN: I wasn’t used to working on my own, so with your permission, I asked Tadeusz Cisłak to come on board and co-write it with me, and that went very well.

MATT: I remember wanting it to fail. I will admit that. After a while, I did stop following it.

I remember some people really hating it and I remember being happy that was the case.

your logic in making those deci- feel like this too sometimes,

sions, you explained it to me at you just fall in and love with "within days of time, and I understood, but ideas, and some ideas you just you deciding not the I was just fed up with it. I guess can’t force yourself to be pasto work on the I had just had enough. sionate about something.

Elysium, I left the BEN: So, what are your over- BEN: I think, just personall reflections on your time at ality wise, I’m a lot more of a Whoniversals, WIDWWA? “sticker” than you. Unless I’m and I do think us MATT: I feel like WIDWWA properly being made miserable, not socialising in was definitely something I had even sometimes when I am a passion for… and then I just properly miserable, to be fair, the same circles, didn’t. When I was finishing I tend to stick at things, for up with WIDWWA was around better or for worse. That just did have a big the time that you left the comes down to my personality. effect."

Whoniversals too.

I really do throw myself into

BEN: It was unconnected…

BEN: I think there were three but within days of you deciding big mistakes we made with The Elysium. The first was the not to work on the Elysium, I left the Whoniversals, and I do way it was originally released which were very long full plots. think us not socialising in the same circles, to the same extent Secondly, was the fact that we as before, did have a big effect. didn’t put a lot of fan service in. This was because it was far You’re right. more realistic but it didn’t work MATT: That did produce a with our audience. In-universe, bit of a wedge, yeah. I guess some things, creatively, I just the point of the show wasn’t fall in and out of love with. It to be separate because it was just always happens with me. geared to a non-Doctor Who I have good ideas and then I fan audience, but out-of-universe and we were making it for get fed up of them and I don’t WIDWWA fans… so there was always follow through. Maybe I just can’t always commit longa huge audience problem for term. I think it was more about what we were delivering content wise. WIDWWA fans want- me than about WIDWWA, ed Doctor Who, in-universe the really, but things in WIDWWA audience was far more diverse. didn’t help me through that. I Finally, when we did release it think as creatives, and you’ll in videos, the first season was " I think it was very much a quick rush-job to whittle the season down, and more about wasn’t the most cohesive viewme than about ing, because it wasn’t intended WIDWWA, really, to be experienced that way.

MATT: It felt like the Elysibut things in um was very much overtaking WIDWWA didn’t your creative headspace and the direction of what you felt help me through like Ronald D. Moore would’ve that. I think done were both somewhat as creatives, jarring to me. It was necessarily jarring in the sense as unrealissometimes you tic but jarring in the sense that just fall in and it made be disillusioned with love with ideas" working on the series. Like I get PAGE 29

things and WIDWWA would not still be going now if that wasn’t the case.

MATT: The thing is… I wouldn’t want to leave something incomplete, but I do have a history of doing that, a lot. It’s not out of any fault of my own but it’s because things aren’t necessarily creatively rewarding… and I need things to creatively reward me. I sometimes feel cursed with this kind of thing. Often I just decide not to finish projects for that reason.

BEN: So that’s our journey.

WIDWWA continued on and continues on to this day.

MATT: Not me with, of course.

BEN: But we’re still friends.

MATT: Not as close as we used to be but we do talk regularly and right now we are literally in the same room just having a chat and this evening we are going out socialising together.

BEN: Anyway, it’s been very nice meeting you and speaking to you… and it’s been great being in conversation with each other!

Thank you to Matt Moir for giving his time to speak to me. The interview took place on 28 October 2022 in London.

WIDWWA

I

t’s no secret that, apart from Doctor Who, one of my most passionate interests is the Eurovision Song Contest.

If you’re a member of the WIDWWA Discord Server, you’ll be well aware that the “off-topic” ESC channel is, by far, the most active on the server. If you’ve been following the DDWF YouTube channel for a long time, you’ll perhaps remember my “Boom Banga-Bang” video, featuring Lulu’s 1969 winning ESC entry, and shots of Daleks blowing up, to celebrate the beginning of Eurovision 2018. That contest was in Lisbon, Portugal, this contest, however, is in Liverpool, United Kingdom and is PAGE 30

being produced by the BBC, as host broadcaster, following the United Kingdom’s 2nd place finish in 2022… and it is just a couple of weeks away. So to celebrate those milestones, let’s take a look back at Doctor Who’s relationship with the Eurovision Song Contest in the WIDWWA Universe and look ahead to May 2023, to see if Doctor Who perhaps gets in on the action!

F

*

irst of all, let’s run through the basics.

Doctor Who aired on the same evenings as the Eurovision Song Contest 1964-1975, earlier in the evening, as part of the BBC’s Saturday Night line-up but it wouldn’t be until 1996 that Doctor Who aired on the same evening as the Eurovision Song Contest again. For Oslo 1996, it was Revenge of the Master, Part Four that aired prior to the contest beginning but interestingly, when the next clash happened,

short sketch about a possible Zygon invasion.

When it came to Doctor Who’s expansion into foreign adaptation, the Dutch producers of Dokter Wie decided to adapt The Food of Love as Ruimte Songfestival, giving their own unique Dutch take on the adventure.

It was broadly the same but with the BBC captialised on both aired earlier in the evening of much of the ESC references programmes airing the same Baku 2012 and Ascension aired geared toward Dutch Eurovinight. It was 1998 and the BBC, earlier in the evening of Malmö sion Culture. Upon the Netherthemselves, were hosting the 2013, but neither received any lands winning Eurovision 2019, contest in Birmingham. Doctor special treatment. only 6 months after broadcast, Who was airing the conclusion Despite all this, probably the there were plans, made by to Season 34, The Web of Time, most significant moment in the NPO, for the Dokter, played by Part Four, the same night. The relationship between Doctor Wendy van Dijk, to appear in BBC used the opportunity to Who and the Eurovision Song some form at Eurovision 2020 bill the evening as a “British Contest came in 2014 with the in Rotterdam, but these were Institution Night”, incorporat- broadcast of the Season 49 abandoned following Euroviing scenes of Michael French episode, The Food of Love. The sion 2020’s cancellation due meeting Terry Wogan in the episode was produced in colto the COVID-19 pandemic trailers leading up to the event. laboration with the European and the sketch wasn’t seen as The series then again aired Broadcasting Union, who run a priority when the contest earlier in the evenings of the the Eurovision Song Contest, took place in Rotterdam, the broadcast of the Eurovision and saw the Fourteenth Doctor following year.

Song Contest 2000, 2001 and and Erin having an adventure That brings us to 2023 and 2003, but no tie-in promotion- at the Intergalactic Song Conwith the contest in the UK, for al material was produced. It test in 3256, which is consistthe first time since 1998, where wasn’t until 2010 that the fran- ently referred to as an evolution Doctor Who did get (slightly) chise ran into the contest again, of the Eurovision Song Contest. involved, will Doctor Who get when Panopticon’s Maybe It’s The episode is a love letter to involved again? Well, you’ll Imaginary aired on the same the contest, featured a whole have to wait until we actually evening as Oslo 2010. In fact, bunch of references to it, get to May 2023 for full details, the BBC cottoned onto the fact included a cameo from British but I can reveal that, yes, Docthat the theme for that contest commentator, Graham Norton, tor Who does get into the Eurowas “Share the Moment” and and featured Erin singing the vision Spirit, alongside a roster that the subject matter of the UK’s 1967 winner, Puppet on of many other BBC properties, Panopticon episode was fairly a String, during the climax. in more than just one manner. similar, so trailers advertisThe episode was so successful You’ll have to stay tuned to find ing the episode used the ESC that the EBU invited Samantha out more, but until then I suggest branding, almost parodying Bond and Montserrat Lombard you tune into BBC One on the it as “Share the Moment on to appear, in character, as the 9th, 11th and 13th May for the Gallifrey”, to tie into the conDoctor and Erin, live-on-stage 67th Eurovision Song Contest! test airing afterward. Useful at the Eurovision Song Contest WIDWWA Occupations and Deceptions 2015 in Vienna, to appear in a PAGE 31

THE RENWICK ERA CONNOR PARSONAGE TAKES A LOOK BACK AT HIS FAVOURITE EA

I

t would be very easy for me to point out the most obvious elements that are favoured from the Renwick era, but there are those moments not really talked about and moments that I myself favour more than others.

Season 35 is (of course) full of brilliant stories like Blink and Damaged Goods, but one of my favourite stories in Season 35 is ‘The Robots of Time’, this story is an unseen gem in a few cases as the Doctor and Sammy as it shows the Kingdom of Azorath falling to machines, this story shows the danger of something happening like that in the future and Michael French is absolutely brilliant and Laurie Holden plays Sammy perfectly.

In my opinion French under Renwick is like Tennant under Davies in our timeline, it works perfectly and French proves himself as The Doctor under

Renwick, whilst Garwood’s last two series with French are good, he hasn’t really nailed the part of the Doctor yet but with Renwick he does that.

Season 35 overall is on-point and has in my opinion Nine’s best story ‘Damaged Goods’ but Season 36 is a series of a few missed opportunities, ‘Never Mind the Rogue’ is one of those stories it acts as a good story to introduce the Rogue but the story in itself is a bit like Heaven Sent and Hell Bent, it sounds good on paper but it dosen’t work well as a TV story maybe because it’s written by Nicholas Meyer, this is his first Who story and it shows it here in this story. ‘Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust’ is a story thats brilliant but could be better, Katie’s back from the dead and introduces the Mitahi but the story feels like there’s a lot missing and it’s not necessarily PAGE 32

the same problem with Never Mind the Rogue but it’s just the way it’s made it onto screen.

Season 37 introduces two of my favourite characters ever in WIDWWA in ‘The Puppet Master’, casting Gillian Kearney as Lou Madison and introducing Murray Melvin as the Master is one of those ‘Genius Moments’ from Renwick, Lou is a once in an era companion and in my opinion Nine’s best, Janet and Sammy are ok but I always felt there was something missing with both of them, Janet is an interesting concept and so is Sammy but I always felt there could’ve been something more done with the both of them.

Renwick casting Melvin as the Master is again genius, I love how dark and mysterious he is and i see what Melvin is trying to do as he said at ODWC 2021 he tried to be the opposite of French’s Doctor and that’s

what I love about Melvin’s Master.

As such we see more brilliant aspects in French’s final stories as the Doctor such as Fallout and the Chimes of Midnight, however Season 38 signals the end of an era as Holden, Kearney, Virtue and Moffat all leave as Richard E. Grant is introduced and story which shows he can be a brilliant Doctor is ‘Metamorphosis’, now it may sound obvious but that story shows both how good Russell T Davies is as a writer and Richard E. Grant is as an actor and as the Doctor.

Season 39 is a season that freshen things up with a fan-favourite companion which is also one of those ‘genius moments’ and introduces RTD as script editor, a story which I love in this season is ‘MoneyPuzzle’ it’s an underrated gem and is my favourite Tenth Doctor WIDWWA story as it shows both the effects of hyperinflation and shows what happens when you blurt out information about in the future in the past.

Unfortunately this season shows that Renwick’s era is coming to end (The Name’s Shakespeare, William Shakespeare) and that the writing’s on the wall for Renwick’s era and I think at this point Renwick realises that’s the case even if he hasn’t left because of that.

Season 40 therefore feels like an attempt to be ‘Out There’ as a season and a celebration of Doctor Who. That season has two stories in particular which are two final television moments of brilliance from Renwick as showrunner ‘Horrors of War’ and ‘Spare Parts’, Robert Shearman and Marc Platt craft two stories that are simply impossible to dislike

as we see a regeneration for the Sixth Doctor (finally) and the genesis of the Cybermen (again, finally).

But of course the movie is possibly one of Renwick’s best moments, the movie itself is a good concept but it’s not really one of my favoured stories like it used to, mainly because someone, either Renwick or someone, thought it would be ok to kill the Brigadier in the way they did and just how much the story has to fit it in over 2 hour 15 minute runtime, not gonna lie it feels more of PAGE 33

a TV story and then of course we’ve got ‘Until the World Ends’ which is ok but could be done better and his 2023 special.

Overall the Renwick era is a mixed bag in some people’s eyes but for me it’s when Doctor Who was on-point in the WIDWWA universe, the only two other eras like this are Seasons 41-43 and Seasons 47-48.

Renwick’s era is a hidden gem and a secret masterpiece which I absolutely love.

WIDWWA

Looking Back At...

Doctor Who: Genesis

Jack Murray-Bell looks respectively, from an in-universe perspective, at Doctor Who’s FIFTH Movie from 2013

H

ello and welcome to the next instalment of my Doctor Who movie reviews. This time, we'll be taking a look at the 50th anniversary movie: Doctor Who: Genesis Let's start with the opening credits: I love the use of the cloister bell on the first half of the credits, and although it's simplistic, I do like the fade-ins for the Genesis logo with the green background and the particals floating about.

As far as the plot is concerned, it gets off to a great start with a nice cameo from Thirteen, seeing Fourteen being born, as well as the flashbacks and scenes with Caitrin Ryan and Omega, but after the Doctor arrives in 1963, the movie's plot goes really downhill. The plot ends up being quite dull, as Fourteen wanders around London trying to get a sample of the First Doctor's DNA, all the while, the Master just watches the Doctor and misses every opportunity to just kill her, and the climax is mostly a shot-shot remake of episode 1 of An Unearthly Child. I did like the final fight between the Doctor and the Master.

My next big problem with the plot is that it just doesn’t feel like a proper anniversary movie. The concept of the Doctor having to go back in time is amazing for an anniversary movie, as we could have seen the Doctor needing to go back through her timestream and help her previous incarnations

in a past off screen adventure, while the Master tries to secretly interfere, but all we get is stuff relating to An Unearthly Child with previous actors not even playing their characters.

Also, there weren’t that many returning characters.

And that leads me to my next big criticism: this film's production was very ageist when it came to returning actors.

So, the reason that this isn't a multi-Doctor story is that they felt the actors looked too old, which is indeed true, but Robert Shearman or somebody could have at least come up with a weird timey-wimey reason for why the Doctors and companions look older. The Five Doctors and The Lords of Time did it. And as for why Two, Three and Eight aren't there, they could've said something like, somebody's erased them or something like that.

The same can also be said for the companions.

David Bradley was done dirty as the First Doctor. Instead of allowing him to do his own interpretation of the First Doctor, the production team decided to basically replace him with a sometimes uncanny CGI Hartnell with a completely different voice. I'm one of the few who will happily defend Richard Hurndall as the First Doctor in The Five Doctors: he felt like the First Doctor while still bringing his own take on the character. I'll be very surprised if Bradley agrees to come back for the 60th.

PAGE 34

So, the Master's ultimate goal is to prevent the First Doctor from leaving the junkyard with Susan, Ian and Barbara in order to ruin the Doctor's life.

Okay, outside of this being the most petty motive the Master has ever had, his methods to prevent this completely fall apart before he even gets the chance to cause proper damage, especially after the Doctor conveniently has enough time to run all the way back to Coal Hill School so that she can defuse the bomb.

Thankfully, there are some bright spots to this movie: Patrick Stewart is great as Omega; I like Caitrin Ryan; the actors they chose for Ian, Barbara and Susan do a great job and I really like the flashbacks. Also, I liked Anthony Hopkins as Cerell, the old hermit, who the Third Doctor spoke of in The Time Monster. I also liked Jason Issacs as the Master.

Martin Campbell does an amazing job as director once again, and Murray Gold's score is brilliant as ever; I especially liked the modern remix of the Doctor Who theme.

Overall: this for me is where the movie franchise started going downhill with a mostly dull story and a poor attempt at celebrating 50 years of Who. Join me next time when I look at what I once called the Batman & Robin of the DW movie franchise: Until the World Ends WIDWWA

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