Steven Moffat, the big boss that runs Doctor Who, says that a big screen version of the popular UK series. Provided it doesn’t suck.
“It would be good to see it in the cinema so long as it is great and fantastic,” Moffat said. He did add, though, that he didn’t want the film to butt heads with the series.“I’m not against it … so long as it never gets in the way of the TV show. If it got in the way of the show that would be appalling,” Moffat said.
I was drawn into the cult following of DrWho when I was in my early 20s. The artsy college folk I was hanging out with were obsessed with it and its long history. As of 5 July 2008, 751 individual episodes, including one television movie of Doctor Who have been aired, so granted there is a fair bit of history of this quirky time lord travelling through time and space to have adventures on earth and beyond.
Oh yeah, and he does all this travlleing in a time machine called a Tardis (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space). Which looks like a 1960s British Policebox.
There are literally generations of DrWho fans out there who are aware of this long gestated history but still it has a cult following. More importantly in the UK it is considered a children’s show airing old eps on BBCKids, yet here the target demographic is young adult and up running on SciFi.
I think a feature film could do well provided it is in Canon with the show. Kind of like the first X-Files movie. There was still show after it, they just used the movie event as a big plot point. It’s the only way it could work. There is just too much history to try and “start over” in an adaptation on the big screen.
For those who don’t know, after the first Doctor, William Hartnell finished his fourth season he was replaced with Patrick Troughton and they explained that the change in appearance came on as he was reincarnated. A trait written into the script that said Time Lords were immortal and thus started a gimmick with the show. This also allowed them to keep this timeless man fresh often changing his personality. Currently there have been 10 Doctors, with the latest incarnation being played by David Tennant arguably the most popular doctor to date.
22 Comments, Comment or Ping
joonavar
Doctor Who used to be awesome in the old skool days…I remember those Darlicks, man they were gruesome (or that’s how it felt when you were 5). “Exterminate!!”
Not sure how a Dr Who movie would shape up though. Does this have as a big a fan base now as it used to? I thought it lost steam.
Aug 26th, 2008
Gordon Shumway
Last time this was attempted was in the nineties with Paul McGann, they tried to pander to America with a TV movie pilot in the hope that the series would be ressurected. I expect if they did a movie again they might lose some of the quirky flavour of the TV show
Aug 26th, 2008
brian
stephan morffat is one of the most talented writters around.
if he says a movie will be a good route for the series, i believe him.
the guys got seriously good ideas.
Especially episodes ‘blink’ and the ’silience in the liablry’
they will rock your world
Brian
Aug 26th, 2008
Rodney
@Joonavar… you mean DALEKS.. there were no Darlicks in Doctor Who.
And Doctor Who has a whole new fanbase with this new series. The current show is doing a number of “TV Movies” before returning to a full season again in 2010.
Just sayin.
Aug 26th, 2008
Kali
I started watching Doctor Who last March, and I love the new series. A Doctor Who movie would be great, but I agree that it’d have to be done well and not interfere with the series.
@Brian Blink and Silence in the Library (and Forest of the Dead) are incredible episodes. I also liked Human Nature and Family of Blood.
Aug 26th, 2008
Dave Lister
I think the Pertwee/Baker/Davison years were the best, not only because the actors, but also the old Hammer production team. The result was a great blend of horror and Sci-fi.. an Alienesque feel before Alien. I still love that old stuff, but when I watch the new series it really feels like a Kid show, Silly and poorly written. Along with the bad made for American Tv movie there also was a Peter Cushing movie where they thought it would be a good idea to use a different actor for the movie than the one that was currently acting in the series. Ohh one last thing I have seen rumours that Tennant may be thinking of moving on., anyone else hear that?
Aug 26th, 2008
Gordon Shumway
Oh yeah TV specials this year. The more I think about it, the Paul McGann one was a franchise starter, whereas this series is fully established, so it would not be as bad at that one. Ive heard speculation that Tennant may leave after this year, maybe they think a movie would be a good finale?
Aug 26th, 2008
Paul
This show gets over 9 million people glued to the screen and it got a recored AI of 91 which is the highest ever apparently ?
I love this show i always make sure that when i go out im back for when its on haha.
Aug 26th, 2008
Meli
I was introduced to Doctor Who when I was high school by my boyfriend though I didn’t keep up on it as I got older. When I started to watch Torchwood I also started to watch (and catch up) Doctor Who as there are characters and comments that crossover all the time. I suggested to the kiddo she give Doctor Who a go and she’s loves it. In fact she gets frustrated with me because I don’t watch the episodes on the DVR fast enough for her to talk about them with me. lol
I don’t know how well a movie would do…I know I’d go see it and I know a few others that would as well, of course who knows if we’d even get distribution of the movie here in the U.S….we’d probably have to wait for dvd or something…which isn’t a bad thing.
Aug 26th, 2008
Paul
The current Doctor Who is the closest I’ve come to calling a TV show my favorite show ever in a long time. Don’t know if I could say I love it more than ST:TNG, but that show SUCKED as a series of movies. Still, I’d love to see the Doctor on that size of a canvas. A huge blockbuster trilogy might also be a good carrot to keep Tennant around, plus we can’t have ENOUGH Capt. Jack Harkness! I hope those rumors about him being considered for Captain America are true, Barrowman would be beyond perfect for that part.
Aug 26th, 2008
Rodney
I am all progressive and shit, but there is NO WAY that the American viewing audience would want a gay scotsman to play the part of CAPTAIN AMERICA.
Aside from the fact that Cap is seriously buff, and this guy is pretty average slim.
Aug 26th, 2008
Iain "DDude" Dawson
Oh God, please don’t assume that everyone in the UK is entertained by a show that underperforms at almost every turn. Dr Who can be good, but not often.
However, Moffat is a God when it comes to bringing the best out of Who. Far better then Russel T “Cack-Handed-Exposition” Davis.
Aug 26th, 2008
Tavil
Iain im going to ignore your comment so that i don’t start a war.
This would be a dream come true. Ive wanted a real Doctor Who Motion Picture for years.
Id sit in line for that.
God i hope Tennant plays the Doctor in it.
I LOVE Doctor Who.
Aug 26th, 2008
nogods4herby
My favorite show of all time, I wouldl’ve to see a movie version, especially if Stephen Moffet writes it. He has written the best episodes for the new series (The Doctor Dances, Girl in the the Fire Place, Blink) and if you haven’t seen his incredible and creepy mini-series “Jeykll” yet, I highly recommend you find a way to see it.
Herby
P.S (Shameless Plug Coming) If you live in the Central Florida area and want to partake in some Doctor Who fun. check out “The Guardians of Gallifrey, a CF DW Fan club.
http://www.angelfire.com/space/ntime/
Aug 26th, 2008
joonavar
Rodney - I’m not a fan, that proves it. I just remember certain things from watching it in my childhood, not the SPELLING
Aug 26th, 2008
Shane the War Journalist
My father was always talking about Dr. Who when he was a kid( that whole “back in my day” thing). I loved the idea, and I love the series. David Tennant is great. I hope they don’t try to do an origin story, but just bring in a new girl(I know, going off canon!), and the general audience learns about the Doc through her. First meeting would probably go like this:
Jane(or whatever): Who are you?
Dr: I’m the Doctor.
Jane: Doctor who?
Dr: I rather like that! Dr. Who.
I think the screen needs some good scifi without it just being blood and gore(Jason X: need I say more?). We need an intelligetn script, a decently exciting story, a proper amount of knowledge of the Dr. without constituting an origin story, David Tennant, and perhaps cameos by previous “Who”s. With all that and a good driector, this could realy work, & I’m pushing for it.
Aug 26th, 2008
Mikey M
How about a time war movie???
Aug 26th, 2008
Rodney
that “Im the doctor”
“Doctor Who”
“yes”
thing happens about 15 times over the life of the series.
Just saying.
I would imagine if they do a feature film it would be more like XFiles and just be a huge DrWho event and the series follows after.
Aug 26th, 2008
Randy
(Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so) First it is considered bad form to abbreviate doctor. Second his mane is The Doctor, not Doctor Who, that is the show title.
Now that I got the nit picking out of my system, in an interview I heard on a BBC podcast Tennant said he would play the Doctor as long as they kept giving him contracts to sign. Being the Doctor was his childhood dream, so I don’t think He’s quiting after the next season.
Sep 21st, 2008
lorna
I think a Doctor Who mivie would be absolutly fantastic. Its just like two and a bit episodes put together really. like when they have ‘to be continued’.
I think i would raise viewers lots and, with the added bonus that DT is gorgous, I would definatly go out and buy it. As will many other girls’women.
Oct 18th, 2008
Lee Kelly
Anyone else remember when you couldn’t move the TARDIS because it contained space and time so was immeasurably heavy???? Or is that me making it up?
Later taters
Oct 22nd, 2008
Alex
I think a movie would be perfect. And I like the idea of it being a cinema movie not a TV movie like the 1996 one.
Who else is with me that there should be an episode with all 10 incarnations of the Doctor? That would be really cool.
I also think that the movie should have Billie Piper playing Rose Tyler. I miss her
Nov 15th, 2008
Reply to “Doctor Who Movie?”