MOFFAT TO DEMATERIALIZE - NOT BEFORE TIME...

Hooray!  STEVEN MOFFAT's leaving DOCTOR WHO!

From penning some of the best episodes under RUSSELL T.

DAVIES' tenure, he went on to oversee (and write) some of the

most self-indulgent geek-fests the programme's ever been prone to.

My one reservation about his replacement, CHRIS CHIBNALL,

is that he's also a long-time Doctor Who fan, which means he may

likewise aim the programme at the anoraks, instead of a wider

audience like RTD did when it was revised in 2005.

I'm hoping that PETER CAPALDI stays with the show for

quite a bit longer.  He's been poorly-served by banal stories and

prattling dialogue, so it would be good to see what he's capable of

given some intelligent scripts, and plotlines which involve more than

merely running through claustrophobic corridors with doors open-

ing and closing behind and in front of either him or his companions.

What the programme needs is scripts of the quality of STAR

TREK's 'CITY On The EDGE Of FOREVER'.

It would also be a good idea to reintroduce some tension

between the Doctor and his companion(s), of the kind that ex-

isted between the first Doctor and his original fellow travellers.  I

found the familiarity of CLARA (and her predecessors), and the

running banter between her and the Doctor (like that of a comedy

double-act) extremely tedious.  The companion should always

harbour some doubt about the Doctor, and perhaps even

fear him a little.  We need that tension.

Remember when Clara slapped the Doctor?  Not only

would there've been a stushie had that happened in reverse,

it instantly robbed him of his authority and dignity - and all for

the sake of a cheap laugh.  (Sadly, violence by women against men

seems to be more acceptable on TV.  What a message to give out.)

He's a 1000 year-old time-traveller for goodness' sake - not a

naughty little brother.  The Doctor should be held in awe and

respect by the companions - with a fair serving of fear and

suspicion as well.  That's the way to go.

So hopefully Capaldi will stick around and do the Doc

the way he should be done.  Let's just hope he loses the sun-

glasses and the guitar 'though - these desperate attempts to be

'down wiv the kids' are simply ridiculous.  The show's played for

laughs far too often - it's well-past time it returned to being serious

drama.  And one thing I hope future writers will take on board is

that not every story has to be SF- orientated (apart from the

inclusion of the TARDIS, obviously - that's a given).

Here's a novel idea:  How about a straight action-adven-

ture or mystery tale set in the past?  Now that would make

for an interesting change of pace, and may even reverse

the declining viewing figures.

Okay, I've now strapped into the stocks,

and rotting fruit is available - fire away!

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