The Fan Who Waited
A truly weeping angel, aka the resident artist in costume
I can’t watch, but I’m blinking — blinking away the tears. Stephen Moffat is retiring as show-runner for Doctor Who. There’ll be no new episodes in 2016. How’s a Whovian to survive? There are ways, though, to wait out the Time Lord’s return without too much weeping.
Say it ain’t so, Stephen. After all, everyone knows that Moffat lies. But I’m afraid he would pass the lie detector test this time. Moffat is passing on the heavy mantle of Doctor Who show runner to Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall.
According to Moffat, “It took a lot of gin and tonic to talk him into this.” Maybe — hopefully — Chibnall’s Time Lord will be worth the wait. But how’s a Whovian to survive until the 2016 Christmas special?
Here’s five ways to cope with The Doctor’s absence:
- There’s no better chance for those too young to know any but NuWho to go back to William Hartnell’s original Doctor and Coal Hill School, where it all started in 1963. Netflix, take notice. There’ll be a riot if you pull episodes now. Better yet, add the rest of the episodes that have been as skipped over as Tom Baker’s wardrobe selection.
- Enjoy every actor who put his inedible mark on the character of Doctor Who. It will make, in particular, Matt Smith’s portrayal of Number 11 all the more sensational. No other actor managed to embody every previous Doctor as did Smith, from his old eyes to his “flapping around,” as noted by John Hurt’s War Doctor.
- You’ll finally “get” so many references in the rebooted episodes, over fifty years worth, that escaped you before now. Seeing the origins of the Daleks and the first invasion of the Cybermen, to name a few, will make them even more delightfully chilling. And you’ll melt the next time Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart saves the world — again.
- Meet all the companions. You’ll find a few who’ll give Rose Tyler, the Ponds, and Clara Oswald a run for their money. What other companion besides Sarah Jane Smith and arguably Captain Jack were worthy of their spin-offs, “The Sarah Jane Chronicles” and “Torchwood? (Down, boy. You, too, K-9!)
- Immerse yourselves in the hundreds of stories with all your favorite Doctors and companions, including newly released radio episodes by John Hurt and the one-movie only but very popular eighth Doctor, Paul McGann. There are scores of books, comics, and radio dramas, including the ever-popular David Tennant and Catherine Tate. “Donna Noble has been saved!”
There’s more than enough new action to keep you from grieving too much for a year. Knit yourself a scarf if you must. Better yet, costume up and get to a Comic Con, where you can meet some of your favorite Doctors and companions themselves.
The burning question remains, though — what’s to become of Peter Capaldi? I haven’t had enough of his comic genius and those fierce eyebrows!