Well, well, well ...
If you're a bit of a Science Fiction and Fantasy pundit -- much like I consider myself to be -- then you've no doubt not only heard the news of Doctor Who's cancellation but also been inundated with folks asking what you think of it. At least, that's what I'm dealing with this morning, as I've received several email requests wondering what my opinion of this breaking news is; and rather than spend an inordinate amount of time writing several responses and/or copying and pasting them for inquiring minds let me put up a few quick thoughts in this space.
For the record: it is my understanding that Doctor Who has not, in fact, been cancelled.
Now, I'm reading the same thing each and every one of you are; and I do understand that perhaps this announcement has rather quickly morphed into that rumor game of long ago. Person A starts a rumor, Person B picks it up, Person C changes it a bit for posterity, Person D wants his/her own spin on it, Person E couldn't care less so he/she alters the context a bit to make it a bit more salacious, etc., etc., etc. This tends to be the norm as it applies to 'news scoops,' and it's easy to see how what was released in the press has found legs elsewhere, albeit in slightly different shape.
So far as I've been able to ascertain, it's only the customary Doctor Who holiday special that's been cancelled. That's all. Well ... that and the fact that showrunner Russell T. Davies and the production company Bad Wolf have parted ways. That is what I believe has been stated as fact; and -- being humans -- I understand perfectly well that each of us is entitled to read into that what we may. Such is life; and I firmly believe that's what's taking place across the Information Superhighway this morning.
Of course, one can go about making any number of assumptions based on the reportage. Yes, perhaps the BBC was unhappy with the show's ratings; but knowing what little I know of that august organization I suspect they had no qualms with the stories -- or what served as stories -- through the Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa tenures were like. Nor do I think that the BBC had any problem with RTD's and Gatwa's kinda/sorta mean-spirited attacks on the show's critics many of us were forced to watch unfold. Think what you may, but -- ahem -- spitting in the eye of someone who was simply trying to offer up some honest, reflective, and constructive commentary is never a good look; but -- the web being what it is -- context rarely matters when stars and creators are more attached to perception than they are reality.
Ultimately, none of this truly matters in the scheme of things.
Throughout entertainment history, shows -- including Doctor Who -- have experienced creative, commercial, and cultural highs and lows. Frankly, there's ample room for some truly investigative analysis on how societal changes across franchises like Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who may have impacted the show (and/or vice versa); and I applaud any genius who's willing to put in the time and effort to offer up such a work. Many of us enjoy examining entertainment -- indeed, just look at what a cottage industry YouTube.com has become with pop culture experts doing what they do with each subsequent entry; and this will likely be the case for decades if not centuries ahead. Opinions differ as much as they matter, and who among us doesn't like sounding off on the latest craze? We're human, and it shows. As we change, so does our programming.
Still, there are fundamental reasons that we're drawn over and over and over again to a few select properties, like the aforementioned Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. As much as it might be familiarity or nostalgia, I've often argued that these three enterprises -- unlike many others -- haven't had to seriously invest greatly in the long-form storytelling so many franchises embrace these days. Yes, there may be core mythology elements to each; but the point is the vast, vast, vast majority of these IPs remain centered on stand-alone stories. These individual tales often are tied closely to some central moral -- something code of conduct we likely support but rarely talk about -- and it's the journey to see that moral properly elucidated that makes the destination worthwhile. Granted -- as I've said -- this isn't always the case -- and, yet, here these projects are -- decades into their respective lives -- and that same narrative formula remains part of their cores.
This is why I've always often stated that there will always be a market for good stories but not necessarily good storytelling. Good stories bring us together: good storytelling is the technique by which these stories are told. We can like the storytelling elements -- the performances, the direction, the effects, the sets, etc. -- even if the story itself winds up being uninspired or derivative. But we'll always return to good stories. Always. Personally, I think we're living at a time wherein many who are telling these stories have confused the two -- stories and storytelling -- and that's been a huge, huge, huge detriment to the entertainment industry. You can have one without the other; but you can't have good stories without good stories.
It's easy to conclude that Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, and Doctor Who are now reaping the sad benefits of investing in storytelling as opposed to good stories. You can't blow through, say, $100 million that allegedly the Walt Disney Company invested in Doctor Who and only find cause to celebrate the storytelling. When the stories don't resonate with viewers -- when they don't bring us back again and again and again -- then there will be little return on that investment. Essentially, that's what's been learned in this process -- one big damn expensive lesson -- while you and I could've told them this going in.
This isn't superhero fatigue. This isn't one of the unintended consequences of COVID still hindering a studio's ability to give audiences what they want. This isn't even a rejection of Hollywood's cursed insistence on "fixing everything in post" with endless CGI-laden sequences that mean little to nothing to the casual watcher. Spectacles will always be spectacles ... even if no one shows up to watch them. (Hello, The Mandalorian And Grogu!) When what's missing is a good story, it's been my experience that watchers can smell that stink a mile away; and they've grown smart by learning what to avoid. Doctor Who has just jumped into that well along with a growing number of IPs which may or may not recover.
Regardless, Doctor Who is far from dead. It has the same potential it had -- if not more -- when it was created back in the early 60's. What it needs is for someone who both understands what that is and demonstrates an innate ability to spin good yarns -- to craft good stories -- for audiences hungry to celebrate them once more.
-- EZ
If you're a bit of a Science Fiction and Fantasy pundit -- much like I consider myself to be -- then you've no doubt not only heard the news of Doctor Who's cancellation but also been inundated with folks asking what you think of it. At least, that's what I'm dealing with this morning, as I've received several email requests wondering what my opinion of this breaking news is; and rather than spend an inordinate amount of time writing several responses and/or copying and pasting them for inquiring minds let me put up a few quick thoughts in this space.
For the record: it is my understanding that Doctor Who has not, in fact, been cancelled.
Now, I'm reading the same thing each and every one of you are; and I do understand that perhaps this announcement has rather quickly morphed into that rumor game of long ago. Person A starts a rumor, Person B picks it up, Person C changes it a bit for posterity, Person D wants his/her own spin on it, Person E couldn't care less so he/she alters the context a bit to make it a bit more salacious, etc., etc., etc. This tends to be the norm as it applies to 'news scoops,' and it's easy to see how what was released in the press has found legs elsewhere, albeit in slightly different shape.
So far as I've been able to ascertain, it's only the customary Doctor Who holiday special that's been cancelled. That's all. Well ... that and the fact that showrunner Russell T. Davies and the production company Bad Wolf have parted ways. That is what I believe has been stated as fact; and -- being humans -- I understand perfectly well that each of us is entitled to read into that what we may. Such is life; and I firmly believe that's what's taking place across the Information Superhighway this morning.
Of course, one can go about making any number of assumptions based on the reportage. Yes, perhaps the BBC was unhappy with the show's ratings; but knowing what little I know of that august organization I suspect they had no qualms with the stories -- or what served as stories -- through the Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa tenures were like. Nor do I think that the BBC had any problem with RTD's and Gatwa's kinda/sorta mean-spirited attacks on the show's critics many of us were forced to watch unfold. Think what you may, but -- ahem -- spitting in the eye of someone who was simply trying to offer up some honest, reflective, and constructive commentary is never a good look; but -- the web being what it is -- context rarely matters when stars and creators are more attached to perception than they are reality.
Ultimately, none of this truly matters in the scheme of things.
Throughout entertainment history, shows -- including Doctor Who -- have experienced creative, commercial, and cultural highs and lows. Frankly, there's ample room for some truly investigative analysis on how societal changes across franchises like Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who may have impacted the show (and/or vice versa); and I applaud any genius who's willing to put in the time and effort to offer up such a work. Many of us enjoy examining entertainment -- indeed, just look at what a cottage industry YouTube.com has become with pop culture experts doing what they do with each subsequent entry; and this will likely be the case for decades if not centuries ahead. Opinions differ as much as they matter, and who among us doesn't like sounding off on the latest craze? We're human, and it shows. As we change, so does our programming.
Still, there are fundamental reasons that we're drawn over and over and over again to a few select properties, like the aforementioned Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. As much as it might be familiarity or nostalgia, I've often argued that these three enterprises -- unlike many others -- haven't had to seriously invest greatly in the long-form storytelling so many franchises embrace these days. Yes, there may be core mythology elements to each; but the point is the vast, vast, vast majority of these IPs remain centered on stand-alone stories. These individual tales often are tied closely to some central moral -- something code of conduct we likely support but rarely talk about -- and it's the journey to see that moral properly elucidated that makes the destination worthwhile. Granted -- as I've said -- this isn't always the case -- and, yet, here these projects are -- decades into their respective lives -- and that same narrative formula remains part of their cores.
This is why I've always often stated that there will always be a market for good stories but not necessarily good storytelling. Good stories bring us together: good storytelling is the technique by which these stories are told. We can like the storytelling elements -- the performances, the direction, the effects, the sets, etc. -- even if the story itself winds up being uninspired or derivative. But we'll always return to good stories. Always. Personally, I think we're living at a time wherein many who are telling these stories have confused the two -- stories and storytelling -- and that's been a huge, huge, huge detriment to the entertainment industry. You can have one without the other; but you can't have good stories without good stories.
It's easy to conclude that Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, and Doctor Who are now reaping the sad benefits of investing in storytelling as opposed to good stories. You can't blow through, say, $100 million that allegedly the Walt Disney Company invested in Doctor Who and only find cause to celebrate the storytelling. When the stories don't resonate with viewers -- when they don't bring us back again and again and again -- then there will be little return on that investment. Essentially, that's what's been learned in this process -- one big damn expensive lesson -- while you and I could've told them this going in.
This isn't superhero fatigue. This isn't one of the unintended consequences of COVID still hindering a studio's ability to give audiences what they want. This isn't even a rejection of Hollywood's cursed insistence on "fixing everything in post" with endless CGI-laden sequences that mean little to nothing to the casual watcher. Spectacles will always be spectacles ... even if no one shows up to watch them. (Hello, The Mandalorian And Grogu!) When what's missing is a good story, it's been my experience that watchers can smell that stink a mile away; and they've grown smart by learning what to avoid. Doctor Who has just jumped into that well along with a growing number of IPs which may or may not recover.
Regardless, Doctor Who is far from dead. It has the same potential it had -- if not more -- when it was created back in the early 60's. What it needs is for someone who both understands what that is and demonstrates an innate ability to spin good yarns -- to craft good stories -- for audiences hungry to celebrate them once more.
-- EZ
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