Doctor Who To Be Axed, Again

twofish writes "According to UK tabloid The Sun, hit BBC sci-fi program Doctor Who will reportedly end next year after its fourth season. Producer Russell T. Davies has decided to bring the hit sci-fi show to a close — to 'go out at the top' — so he can concentrate on other projects, according to the article. Davies and other senior staff are feeling the strain of the heavy workload imposed by the show, nine months a year of 16-hour days, and plan to resign en-masse in 2008. Davies, a long-time fan of Doctor Who, relaunched the series in 2005, 16 years after the original series was axed." Update: 05/31 16:36 GMT by KD : Reader palewook points out that the UK Guardian sets this story straight: "But there isn't any way it would be axed even if [Davies] left. He loves the show and he does feel that maybe it would benefit from some new blood."

Re:Can you keep a good Time Lord down?

[MemoryDragon]

Well if you read the text you can see that it is not because of low ratings...

That's dumb

[jollyreaper]

I give the man props for helping to bring the show back but he has, on average, written the dullest of the episodes in the new series. The beauty of the Dr. Who format is that it is designed to be timeless and exist far beyond the mortal limits of the humans involved. The only constant in the cast is the Doctor and he can "regenerate" every time the actor wants to move on to other things. The production staff should be equally replaceable. Want to move on? No problem! Take a sabbatical? No problem! A show like this should be able to run almost indefinitely, like, well, the previous series. :) I do hope they change their minds.

Re:Can you keep a good Time Lord down?

[gigne]

At least the news came from a reputable news source... wait, thats not right. The sun is possible the worst of tabloid news. I would wait and see if this is confirmed from a news source that is less obsessed with celebrity and made up bs.

Just reading the unofficial fan page [gallifreyone.com], I noticed this: (about half way down)

"The BBC has given an official statement to FreemaAgyeman.com, calling the Sun's story "absolute rubbish"."
So, a bucket of salt needs to be taken with this.

The Sun

[Stevecrox]

This is coming from The Sun, one of the nations gossip 'newspapers'. Doctor Who is made by the BBC, considering how this latest series of Doctor Who has talked to BBC first I find it slightly suspicous, I mean the qoutes not even from Davies:

A source said: "The heavy workload -- nine months of 16-hour days every year -- has started to take its toll. It was decided the best thing for the show was go out at the top next year."

I'm betting this is anouther in a long line of Sun articles designed to sell newspapers which is based on gossip, when the BBC says there will be no more Doctor Who I'll believe them. As it standard Doctor Who is the BBC's most popular show so even if Davies were to quit I doubt they would axe the show.

Re:bummer.

[tumutbound]

The monsters were scarier in the 1980s though - or was that because I was much younger?

The monsters were much, much scarier in the 1960's - or is that because I'm older?

Re:They're plain lazy louts

[Paulrothrock]

Maybe it's because the quality of the new Dr. Who is so much better than the vast majority of TNG, DS9, Voyager or the X Files.

Hasn't started sucking?

[TheFlyingWonka]

I take it you missed the Heroes season finale? Horrible.

Look for the grain of truth...

[brown-eyed slug]

The truth of the matter is that Russell T Davies has stated publicly for quite a while that he won't stay on forever - he has previously said he wouldn't be in the Executive Producer role after 2010. Another truth is that he has no control over what the BBC choose to do with the show after he leaves. Quite an important truth is that Doctor Who is one of the BBC's most important programmes - regularly top of the ratings (after soaps) and a merchandising gold mine. The Sun is not a reliable source for stories like this as they will take a germ of a story and run it in whatever direction suits them. Anyone concerned that the fourth season will be the last should stop worrying.

The weight of the show, on one pair of shoulders

[Opportunist]

The shows you mention all share a very important trait: Many main characters. It's easy for Patrick Steward to take a week off by writing him to some peace talk conference on a planet without skipping the week. Hey, it could be made into a plot device.

Not possible in Dr. Who. What's Dr. Who without Dr. Who? Dr. ... who?

Re:Contract Renegotiations

[Dogtanian]

Hmm, call me cynical, but do we think that RTD's contract with the BBC may be up for renewal, and he's trying to scare them into upping his rate?

Hmm, call me cynical, but The Sun has a track record for putting out stories like this based on half-truths, rumour and/or downright fabrication.

Could be true, could be bollocks, but as long as it gets some page views or shifts a few more papers, I doubt they give a toss. Looks like they succeeded.

Guardian: RTD may leave, but show NOT canceled

[Artifice_Eternity]

How did I know that the tabloid Sun story would be on Slashdot, while the more level-headed, better-sourced Guardian piece would not?

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,209 2376,00.html [guardian.co.uk]

The BBC has insisted that the future of Doctor Who's executive producer, Russell T Davies, "has not yet been decided" in spite of reports today that he will quit the hit show after the next series.

A BBC drama spokeswoman said that Mr Davies has signed up to oversee this year's Doctor Who Christmas special and 2008's fourth series.

However, she added that his involvement with Doctor Who after that has not been confirmed.

"Discussions have not begun so we cannot say if Russell will be involved or not," she said.

A senior BBC Wales drama source told MediaGuardian.co.uk that Mr Davies may be preparing to leave the show.

"Russell has always said that he wouldn't be with the show forever and he has made no secret that the hours are quite exhausting," the insider said.

"But there isn't any way it would be axed even if he left. He loves the show and he does feel that maybe it would benefit from some new blood."

Today's Sun claimed that the show will be axed after the fourth series because of the decision by Mr Davies to quit as executive producer.

The Sun reported that Mr Davies and "senior staff have hatched a plot to hand in a group resignation in summer 2008 and that the show will end after series four".

It quoted a "source" who said that Mr Davies had become fed up over an exhausting workload of 16-hour days nine months a year.

Mr Davies has been the creative driving force behind the Doctor Who revival, which has been a resounding critical and ratings success, and his departure would be a blow for the BBC.

As executive producer he has taken on a "show runner" role, overseeing all creative aspects of the drama and in particular leading the team of Doctor Who writers, as well as scripting individual episodes himself.

The showrunner role is common on long running US TV drama and comedy series, but not often seen in the UK.

However, if Mr Davies does leave Doctor Who, the BBC will want to keep such a popular show going by bringing in a new executive producer to take over his creative responsibilities.

Re:They're plain lazy louts

[Anspen]

... And all of those show had dreadfull seasons (apart from often having bad/filler episode in the *good* seasons). A couple in the case of TNG & DS9, about 5 for X-files and I don't think there ever was a good season for Voyager.