Comments on: WHAT’S UP DOC? http://www.youdothatvoodoo.com/2010/01/01/whats-up-doc/ Thoughts on screenwriting and creativity from a UK based writer, trainer, and script editor Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:54:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Adrian Reynolds http://www.youdothatvoodoo.com/2010/01/01/whats-up-doc/comment-page-1/#comment-1198 Adrian Reynolds Sat, 02 Jan 2010 04:14:11 +0000 http://www.youdothatvoodoo.com/?p=1442#comment-1198 The comparisons with the Dalek two-parter are apt. One that worked brilliantly in the Dalek story was the soothsaying Dalek, who was crazy and spoke in fractured poetry. It was fantastic because it was so unexpected -- we're used to Daleks being coldly rational, and here's one that came across like Robyn Hitchcock. The same device used in The End of Time meant that the Gallifreyans had a cackling woman at the end of their table, scrawling omens on her sketch pad. It was resonant of any number of similarly prophetic characters as seen in adaptations of Greek drama onwards, through to Shakespeare's witches -- a fascinating archetype, poorly realised. The comparisons with the Dalek two-parter are apt. One that worked brilliantly in the Dalek story was the soothsaying Dalek, who was crazy and spoke in fractured poetry. It was fantastic because it was so unexpected — we’re used to Daleks being coldly rational, and here’s one that came across like Robyn Hitchcock. The same device used in The End of Time meant that the Gallifreyans had a cackling woman at the end of their table, scrawling omens on her sketch pad. It was resonant of any number of similarly prophetic characters as seen in adaptations of Greek drama onwards, through to Shakespeare’s witches — a fascinating archetype, poorly realised.

]]> By: Paul Watson http://www.youdothatvoodoo.com/2010/01/01/whats-up-doc/comment-page-1/#comment-1197 Paul Watson Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:42:54 +0000 http://www.youdothatvoodoo.com/?p=1442#comment-1197 Oh, where to start? The double-part "The End of Time" reminded me so much of the last Russell T. Davies double-parter (the one with Davros & the Daleks in it). And I think the failings (and the successes) were the same. To be unfair, I'm going to concentrate on the failings. In both stories, Part One was a fast-paced, well-structured, rollercoaster. Part One set up so many possibilities, so many plotlines. Part One had pace and promise. In both stories Part Two failed. I think the problem Russell T. Davies is that he just can't climax satisfactorily. (Please ignore the deliberate double entendre - it's a shallow device to make my point memorable.) Put another way, what Davies can do well is to deliver promise (Part One). What he can't do is deliver on that promise (Part Two). Like you, the eleven-year-old inside me did connect with the emotion in the second part of the recent story, but it failed the adult part of me. I'd already constructed in my head far more grandiose endings that would fulfil the promise of Part One - so much so that the nonchalant dismissal in Part Two of so many potential tantalising plotlines from Part One became a disappointment. Russell T. Davies deserves a huge amount of recognition and praise for bringing Dr Who back and making such a success of it. He's a good producer. But a great producer would have handed the writing of that last episode to someone else. Oh, where to start?

The double-part “The End of Time” reminded me so much of the last Russell T. Davies double-parter (the one with Davros & the Daleks in it). And I think the failings (and the successes) were the same. To be unfair, I’m going to concentrate on the failings.

In both stories, Part One was a fast-paced, well-structured, rollercoaster. Part One set up so many possibilities, so many plotlines. Part One had pace and promise.

In both stories Part Two failed.

I think the problem Russell T. Davies is that he just can’t climax satisfactorily. (Please ignore the deliberate double entendre – it’s a shallow device to make my point memorable.) Put another way, what Davies can do well is to deliver promise (Part One). What he can’t do is deliver on that promise (Part Two).

Like you, the eleven-year-old inside me did connect with the emotion in the second part of the recent story, but it failed the adult part of me. I’d already constructed in my head far more grandiose endings that would fulfil the promise of Part One – so much so that the nonchalant dismissal in Part Two of so many potential tantalising plotlines from Part One became a disappointment.

Russell T. Davies deserves a huge amount of recognition and praise for bringing Dr Who back and making such a success of it. He’s a good producer. But a great producer would have handed the writing of that last episode to someone else.

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