So there's been a big announcement today, and Who's been scheduled up till 2010!

So here's what's happening:


Season 4 goes ahead according to schedule, with Donna and Martha, and David is sticking around till the end.

Then after that, we get our christmas special of course, but then, instead of a regular season, we will get instead three specials throughout the year. (with David Tennant.)

We return to our regular scheduled season the year after that. No word on if David Tennant will stick around for it.



My initial thoughts are, what an odd move. If you don't have a regular season, you don't have the tv presence, you don't have the advertising, you don't have the same merchandising opportunities. I can only assume that the beeb wants this show to be a long-term keeper, and wants to give it a quick rest to refocus, regroup, redirect, etc. Plus if David will be leaving in 2009, it might be nice to revamp the show again for a new doctor.


HOWEVER.


RTD is writing all three specials. I'm not looking forward to this. I dislike his writing more and more as the show goes on. RTD is not a science fiction writer, and I desperately want the show to be more science fiction. Are we going to have more of his bullshit drama, gimmicky monsters, and christian undertones? Fucking boring.

Also, a tachyontv comment sums up a concern of mine:

"It has been said that Kylie Minogue will be sort of a one-show companion; is this to be the wave of the future? Three specials, so three young British/American/Australian actresses get to take a shot at being a 60-minute cipher? Whoopee. Maybe they'll get Madonna, who will reveal she's always secretly been a Doctor Who fan. The potential for character development is amazing!"

I've no doubt that that's exactly what we'll get for the three specials; three new famous faces to run around, and possibly pop up in a later season where they're not wanted.



I don't know. On one hand, I think I kind of like the idea of the beeb pacing the show a bit. It shows they have long-term plans for it.

.... or, it could be the beginning of the end. Colin had a hiatus as well, and the show was cancelled three years later.

And I don't trust RTD to do anything good with three specials. Goddamn, why couldn't someone else write for it? Why dooes it seem like Stephen Moffat is the one on the damned show who understands what sci fi is?





Well it'll be interesting anyways. I'm terribly disappointed though to find out that RTD is still hanging on.