A famed Texan once wrote for a Canadian troupe, “No changes are permanent, but change is.” The outset of Season 18 brought a veritable sea change in the look, feel, tone, and ultimate direction in the world of Doctor Who, all at the hands of a bold, outspoken young man who felt it was time to move the entire program forward.

That sounds a bit familiar, come to think of it. It’s a good thing he didn’t have Pangol’s tachyon replication generator.

It’s the dawn of both Season 18 and the John Nathan Turner era, and there are few things that we don’t see up-ended in the first story of ‘the new order’. Robots dogs out, intro and outro sequences updated, costumes changed, theme and incidental music changed, new effects processes used, and a noticeable impact on the lead actor’s input and energy. We discuss all the upheaval, the efficacy of a story that doesn’t quite feel like your usual David Fisher original, and the shape of things to come.

Who knows what lies around the next bend in the corridor from here…

NEWS:

• Conflicting news releases about the production schedule for Series 13″ the good and the bad
• Dame Diana Rigg passes
• Gallifrey One officially delayed to 2022
• The Sevateem are returning with another Fifth Doctor-themed album