Slashdot Mirror
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."
Well if you read the text you can see that it is not because of low ratings...
it doesn't sound like its poor support for the show, and from what I gather its quite popular there. It sounds more like the senior staff are just burnt out. I guess it would be up to the BBC and others involved in the show to decide if they want to try and go at it with different writers/producers/directors/etc. They've got lots of notice, so its not like they don't have time to mull over the options.
It is the Sun after all. But don't mind me, please resume panic.
I'd like to thank Russel a lot for his efforts: a lot of people like me was missing the Doctor.
But I'd also like to tell BBC that there could be other producers able to continue the job.
After all you can slash resources from some other (maybe more stupid) program.
In any case, may God save the Great Britain and the Little one.
Maybe Computers will never be as intelligent as Humans.
For sure they won't ever become so stupid. [VR-1988]
Nah, don't worry it'll be back. I've lost count of how many times that shows been pulled, revived and then cancelled again.
Mind you, there must be a limit that even a time lord can regenerate.
The monsters were scarier in the 1980s though - or was that because I was much younger?
FYI, a LOT of British series do this sort of thing (limited runs, going out on top voluntarily). Same thing happened with The Office, Ab Fab, etc. We Americans could learn a lot from these Brits (Lost and Heroes writers, I'm looking in your direction).
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
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, 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.
Signature v3.0, now with 42% less memory usage.
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.
The X-Files lasted 9 seasons/series of 20-30 episodes each. TNG, DS9 and Voyager lasted 7 years each with 20-30 episodes each. SG-1 lasted 10 seasons of 20-30 episodes as well.
Why in heavens name would they be burnt out with 3 seasons with only 13 episodes each? i'd understand your standard US TV show but a UK show that churns out that few episodes shouldnt be complaining.
I'm thinking the writers are just being honest that they cant write proper stories no more.
Well if you read the text...
You must be new here.
I never spellcheck and I freely admit it. Save your karma for more worthwhile "lol erorrs" replies
... bullshit on this. A popular show, in it's prime, that's currently raking in cash hands over fist for the BBC from various products and merchandising efforts, is going to be axed right in the middle of a massive wave of popularity? Yes, you might kill a popular show just as its popularity or quality is fading, give it a dignified death, whatever. But this makes no sense. Producers and writers can be replaced, refreshed, whatever. Combined with the fact this is the Sun reporting this, and ... well ... as I said, bullshit.
I wouldn't believe a word that rag says. It's the worst of the Murdoch rags. Even the people who work for it consider it pretty disreputable.
Here's an example... Tango produces a commercial where old lady puts pin into balloon and old lady pops. The Sun called up the "help the aged" charity and said "They're blowing up old people. do you think this is right?". Woman who hadn't seen it agreed that on the face of it it sounded bad. The Sun then ran a story about how Help the Aged wanted the ad banned.
They do not fact check unless not doing so will get them sued. Their source could be a teaboy for all we know.
What, someone at the Sun? The newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch? The Rupert Murdoch that owns Sky TV? And would like the BBC's TV licence abolished? Surely not.
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.
Rupert Murdoch
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/ | |
/ \
News International Sky One-----COMPETITOR--------BBC
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The Sun Various----LOWER RATINGS----Doctor Who
Do you see what's happening here?
How did I know that the tabloid Sun story would be on Slashdot, while the more level-headed, better-sourced Guardian piece would not?
9 2376,00.html
http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,20
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.