How Doctor Who Journalism Works

[daibhidc]

Example 1

1. A BBC spokesperson, asked about the now-traditional Doctor Who Children In Need scene says that "It's a pretty ambitious idea and it's still being finalised. Everything is being kept under wraps but Doctor Who fans are in for a big treat."

2. The Daily Steffigraf decides that this means all the surviving Doctors are to be reunited.

3. Other news services repeat what they read in the Steffigraf.

4. The BBC announces that they actually meant a preview of the Christmas special.


Example 2

1. David Tennant appears on Breakfast TV, and is asked about his successor. He replies that literally anyone could be the next Doctor, that's what's so wonderful about the part.

2. The presenter jokingly asks if Billie Piper could be the Doctor. Tennant jokingly replies that she's a bit busy with motherhood at the moment, but you never know.

3. Half the country's papers report this as fact, or at least as implying he knows more than he's letting on. (The other half seized on Tennant's earlier claim that "the campaign starts here for Wee Jimmy Krankie". But at least they recognised this was a joke.)

Comments

[sloopjonb.livejournal.com]

Fandabidozi.

I haven't heard your opinion on Who's Next yet. Me, I think Paterson Joseph would be oretty good. What says't thou?

[daibhid-c.livejournal.com]

The Marquis de Carabas? Yes, indeed. (He previously appeared in "Bad Wolf" as the guy who won Weakest Link, but then, Colin Baker was a Gallifreyan security guard.)

Apparently he's the favourite of some online bookie at 3-1. That's better than David Morrissey at 5-1, and Morrissey's playing a character who calls himself "Doctor" in a Christmas Special called "The Next Doctor"[1]. Then again, John Simm is 8-1, which is just silly[2].

I understand RTD's published e-mails suggest he was interested in getting the vampire from Being Human. Which I haven't seen, so I can't comment on that.

[1]It occured to me this might be significant, but then I decided that I don't expect RTD to do what I expect.

[2]Although ... if Romana can regenerate to resemble Princess Astra, who sacrificed herself for the good of the galaxy, maybe a Doctor who's guilt-ridden over the Master's death might decide...

[sloopjonb.livejournal.com]

I think the Morrissey character is a wannabe. It's been established that the Doctor has an in-universe fandom, a wannabe imposter is the logical next step. (Like the four guys who successfully impersonated the Beatles in the US, and only got rumbled when they did a gig the same night as the real ones did the Ed Sullivan Show).

We've had an F1 champion, and a US President. The galaxy is ready for a black Doctor. (But not for Jimmy Nesbitt .... "Lots of planets have a Norn Iron!")

[daibhid-c.livejournal.com]

The wannabe idea's already been done in the audios ("The One Doctor", with Chris Biggins as the fake). Then again, the series has lifted ideas from the audios before ("Spare Parts" becomes "Age of Steel"; "Jubilee" becomes "Dalek"), so that doesn't rule it out.

whonextd?

[(Anonymous)]

I think I should be the next Doctor.TTYL!