Alright, who’s next?
We’ve been conditioned over the years to expect certain things from a full season of Doctor Who: a mix of light-hearted adventures, a few scares, and some emotional upheaval; a titular character who encompasses both staggering intelligence and dumbfounding eccentricity; a roster of ne’er-do-well characters and outright villains both familiar and unfamiliar to keep us either on the edge of our seats, or behind the couch entirely.
Take that last point of familiarity for a moment — the recurring adversary. We’ve had Daleks on the baddie radar for virtually as long as the show has aired. The Master has fascinated (messed with) us for nearly as long. Cybermen, Ice Warriors, Sontarans and Silurians have made returns to the screen in varying frequency, and critical success. You might even lump the Time Lords in there as well, for all their self-centered manipulations and machinations. But what if we lock them all away, and start fresh for a while? Is there a risk that a wholly new set of villains might in any way impact the continued success of the show?
This week, we process the statements by Chibnall and the BBC Worldwide informing us that Series 11 will have an entirely new roster of villains and dangers to be faced, and that the time-tested ranks of Daleks, Cybermen, Missy and the like will not be seen for some time. Does this have any discernible impact on the projected success of the season? Is this really such an original or unorthodox measure? And who, or what, might we see squaring off against the Doctor and friends instead?
We also officially welcome Charles to the GPR staff, and hope he doesn’t mind the permanent stains in the coffee mugs, or that one squeaky chair over in the corner of the studio. Sorry, newbie!
EXTRA: Now that we’ve processed the Sunday broadcast day for Series 11, what about the actual airtime, both in the UK and abroad?
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