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timeagainreviews · 4 years

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Five-ish Possible Showrunners for Doctor Who

It’s nothing new that people are displeased with Chris Chibnall as showrunner for Doctor Who. Throughout his tenure, he’s consistently been the weakest link in the chains holding the show together. That being said, people weren’t very happy about Steven Moffat either, and I’m sure even Russel T Davies had his fair share of detractors. It seems that no matter who is in the role of showrunner, someone will always find something to complain about.

After last night’s episode, I’ve seen the usual wingeing about Chris Chibnall. People have been calling for his removal as showrunner. Personally, I feel like Chibnall has actually progressed as an artist since he first took the reins. Series twelve was a marked improvement upon series eleven. But all of this talk got me thinking about who might be better suited to for the job. What people would I like to see in the hot seat? Let me reiterate- this is not me calling for Chibnall’s removal from the show (kinda). This is simply a thought exercise. Feel free to comment your picks as well!

1. Edgar Wright

When devising this list, Edgar Wright was the first person I thought of for the job of showrunner. With such titles as "Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz," and "Scott Pilgrim vs The World," under his belt, it's easy to see why. Already established as a great British director, writer, and producer, he clearly has the chops to take the job. This is the man who was too weird for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and they once put out a movie about a talking raccoon with tree friend and love for heavy artillery.

My only reservation is whether or not he would actually take the job. It's not as though Mr Wright is in low demand. Would he be interested in taking what is most likely a pay cut while also working on the BBC's tight budget? If the Beeb could be smart enough to let the man have artistic freedom, we could easily end up with one of the best series of Doctor Who in years. Even if it only was just for one year.

2. Ben Wheatley & Amy Jump

This one may seem like a bit of an odd choice, but maybe not as odd as you would imagine. Coming from a more art film background, this husband/wife duo are more than capable of bringing the goods. Having both worked in film and animation I could see their skills put toward Doctor Who with great success. Neither one of them is a stranger to the process of writing, producing, or directing.

You may find them a bit of an odd choice as their black comedies like "Kill List," and "A Field in England," are anything but family-friendly. However, I might remind you that Wheatley himself has already directed two episodes of Doctor Who during the Capaldi era. Once again, it comes down to the basic question as to whether they would actually want the job. Had Wheatley never taken the job directing Doctor Who, I doubt I would have even considered them as a choice. But when you consider the dour sadfest that is "Broadchurch," suddenly they don't seem so strange.

3. Lawrence Miles

I know, I know. Lawrence Miles is easily one of the more controversial figures in the Doctor Who fandom. Outspoken and sometimes downright rude, he's burned his fair share of bridges. I myself have been at the receiving end of his snakiness via twitter. Even with all of these things factored in, I still want to see it happen. He's just that good of a writer. Also, this wouldn't be the first time a non-show writer has become showrunner. Remember Russell T Davies? Though I will concede that he did have a proven track record in television.

Listen, I get that this will never happen, but hear me out. When I first started getting into Doctor Who novels, I began with the Eighth Doctor Adventures. As with most book series, I began reading them in release order. I found some of the books to be fairly entertaining, and some were downright a chore to get through. And then I started reading "Alien Bodies." It was like a light suddenly went off in my head. This wasn't just good, it was brilliant. My enthusiasm for the entire series was given a jolt of energy.

He hadn't just written a good story, he gave the entire series some actual direction. Before "Alien Bodies," it felt as though most of the writers were still wishing they were writing the Virgin Media books. He even managed to breathe life into the companion Sam Jones, who I had found rather dull up until that point. His ability to write even the cheesiest of villains (such as the Krotons) in new and interesting ways was a breath of fresh air. He also introduced us to his Faction Paradox, which would go on to become its own cult favourite series of books. The fact is, the man had vision, and for that, he'll always be one of my favourite Doctor Who writers. If they were to hire him as showrunner, I would not complain.

4. Noah Hawley

Recently in an interview, writer Joe Hill recounted his brutal rejection letter from the BBC pertaining to his Doctor Who script submissions. Their response was basically "We would never hire an American, and if we did, it certainly wouldn't be you." Harsh. First off, that's a bit silly. Saying never to a group of writers based on their nationality is a bit myopic. Furthermore, the damn show was devised by a Canadian! I'm a firm believer of "the right person for the job." I am also of the belief that Noah Hawley could be that person.

Having produced both "Legion," and "Fargo," Hawley is a heavyweight in prestige television. Not only does he grant a degree of artistry to everything he touches, but he also adds a hint of surrealism. One of the things I've touched on in my reviews of the First Doctor era is just how surreal things can be at times. A British police box that travels through time is certainly not your run of the mill concept. Often times I think the showrunners forget just how weird Doctor Who actually is.

Hawley is also no stranger to the concept of science fiction, as Legion is actually a show based off of a Marvel comic book. It contains action, sci-fi, superhumans, strange prosthetics, and a healthy dose of surrealism. In this way, he elevates the source material while finding new and exciting ways to present it. If the BBC wanted to really put Doctor Who on the road toward BAFTA heaven, they would do well to consider someone like Noah Hawley.

5. One of the current writers

Out of all of my choices, this is the one I feel the least confident about. I say this because, well, I don't know much about their capabilities as producers. And when I say "their," I mostly mean Pete McTighe, Ed Hime, Vinay Patel and Joy Wilkinson. While there are plenty of good writers on the Doctor Who staff, these four have easily had the most stand out episodes in the last two series. McTighe is a massive Whovian geek who has shown his capability as a writer. Hime is a bit of a wild card with a penchant for the unusual. Patel has shown himself capable of writing strong drama and action. And Wilkinson, while having the least number of episodes under her belt, wrote what I consider one of the best episodes of series eleven.

Furthermore, it sticks with the convention of sticking to previous show writers as in the case of Moffat and Chibnall. As I said above, even RTD had a history with writing Doctor Who in the form of novels and audios. Having a person from the writer's room on set would be beneficial as they have already been steeped in the process. There's a pre-existing work relationship with not only the other writers but with the cast and crew as well. Out of all of the Doctor Who writers from the past few years, these four newcomers stand out among the rest. I would be intrigued by any one of them getting the job.

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writingforweirdlings · 7 years

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Wings

Summary: New wings? There’s more than meets the eyes.

AN: Italics is her doing her telepathy magic.

Chapter Three

“What are you-,” he looked to his wings and his eyes nearly left his head. “How did- you just- but how?”

“‘S not something I can do again,” I sighed and started swaying.

“Y/N!” I saw him run to me just as the darkness surrounded me.

I heard voices around me and opened my eyes. Squinting until I adjusted to the light.

I looked around seeing Kurt, Warren, Charles and Hank.

“Get a girl some water would ya?” I telepathically said to them all.

“Y/N!” Kurt jumped onto my bed.

“Slow down Blueberry,” I smiled.

“Here you go,” Hank handed me a cup of water.

I sat up and took the cup, drinking slowly.

“How are you feeling?” Charles asked.

“Tired. Drained.” I said between a sip.

“I shouldn’t have let you do it,” Warren finally spoke.

“You have your wings back,” I shrugged. “I wouldn’t change what I did.”

“You’ve been unconscious for a week!” he stood up from his spot.

“A week?” I furrowed my brows looking to Charles and Hank.

“You seem to have drained your energy when you gave Warren his wings back,” Hank told me. “Which is strange because you’ve never been this drained from using your blasts before,” he said more to himself.

“It wasn’t the same energy I use for my blasts,” I looked at my lap.

“What do you mean?” Hank questioned.

“I use my chi to power my blasts. What I used on Warren was… my aura,” I sighed. “Our mutation is not only present in our DNA but also in our aura, I can channel my aura and use it but I don’t do it often because it takes it’s toll on me.”

“Then why did you use it on me?” Warren gets closer to my bed.

“The mutant I met, the fortune teller, Lily,” I recounted our meeting.

Flashback to meeting Lily

My friend took me to see a fortune teller, “she’s the real deal Y/N!”

“Yeah okay,” I said disinterested.

We got to the little shop and Hana dragged me in.

“I was expecting you two,” the fortune teller said. “This way please.”

Hana ‘lightly’ shoved me in the direction of the fortune teller.

“Sit,” she gestured to a cushion on the floor. “Your a non believer.”

“Sorry I just don’t believe stuff so easily,” I looked around the place.

“No need to apologize,” she smiled. “Fury.”

I snapped my head back, “how did you know that?”

“I am like you,” her smile never faltered. “A mutant.”

I looked at her with wide eyes but nodded for her to go on.

“May you extend your wings,” she politely asked.

I warily removed my jacket, thankful I wore a backless shirt, and let my wings out.

“May I?” she stood gesturing to my wings.

I nodded and she placed both hands on my wings, her eyes turned white.

“A day will come when you must helped a fellow winged mutant,” she spoke as if in a daze. “ You must use your aura, your mutation, to give him something lost but something new as well.” Her eyes came back into focus.

“Is that day soon?” I asked.

“You’ll know when the moment arises,” she smiles.

End Flashback

“Something lost and something new,” Warren repeated. “What did she mean by that?”

“Do your wings feel any different?” I asked.

“He looked a bit uncomfortable when he first got them back,” Kurt put in. “He said they felt a little heavier than they normally would.”

“Thanks little boy blue,” Warren grumbled.

Kurt smiled in response.

“You might be onto something,” Charles had read my mind.

“Warren focus on your wings, think about them in their metallic form,” I instructed.

“What? Why would I do that?” confusion in his voice.

“Just do it,” I ordered.

“Fine,” he groaned.

He closed his eyes and a minute later his wings started to change. By the time he opened his eyes he had his metal wings again.

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#wings #warren worthington iii #warren worthington the third #warren worthington x reader #warren worthington #warren worthington imagine #mutant!reader #kurt wagner #kurt wagner x platonic!reader #Charles Xavier #hank mccoy #beast #professor x #nightcrawler

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