With the new year comes many, many new DOCTOR WHO-related issues to discuss.  
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For example, we recently learned that current DW overlord Steven Moffat would be stepping down at the end of Series 10, to be replaced by Chris Chibnall.  

Chibnall has previously scripted episodes of the heinously under-amped, generally unremarkable, and often misguided DWverse spinoff TORCHWOOD.  He also created and scripted for BROADCHURCH, and wrote a few stories for Matt Smith era DW (The Power of Three, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, and the relatively forgettable The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood).  

I rather like both Power and Dinosaurs, but they felt safe and family friendly.  I hope this approach will not become standard MO on DOCTOR WHO.  There’s a propensity to identify this show as ‘a kid’s show’ - but I’m not at all convinced its has ever been as much, and folks who worked on it back in the day have openly indicated that there was never an official mandate to approach it as programming for children.  

Historically, DOCTOR WHO has been chock full o’ difficult and challenging ideas, often fueled by explorations of moral ambiguity.  A truth which Moffat has both embraced and expanded upon during his tenure, although some might argue his  results have varied.  At the end of the day, however, I’d much rather watch a show in which Moffat (or someone like him) swings for the fence and sometimes misses, than a show characterized largely by easier, middle-of the-road conceits.

In all fairness, I’m saying all this never having seen a single episode of BROADCHURCH (about which I’ve heard good things).  So, perhaps there’s a Chibnall Variation in existence which will bring a full and not always ‘safe and easy’ game to DOCTOR WHO?  My mind is open - it truly is.  I’m merely expressing some knee jerk, not entirely informed concerns about his appointment.  ‘THE CHIBNALL VARIATION’ sounds like an espionage thriller, by the way…
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We also recently learned that Season/Series 10 of DOCTOR WHO would not transmit until 2017 - although a Christmas Special (which may or may not introduce a new companion for the Doctor) is apparently in the works for 2016.  That’s a whole year without new DOCTOR WHO - a long, long wait which threatens to let too much air out of a balloon which is already leaking.  When viewership numbers are waning and great divisiveness surrounding the approach to/direction of a show prevails?  That’s not a time to disappear your product.  To jump the rails when momentum is diminishing doesn’t feel either logical or wise or constructive.  

The awkwardness of this wait would be mitigated considerably if BBC & Co. would move forward with the canonical web installments Moffat has previously discussed (a la the Paul McGann one-off Night of the Doctor, which was more or less shot in a day).

This would be a tremendously wise, cost-effective way to keep WHO on people’s radar, keep ‘the chatter’ going so to speak, and to expand upon a mythology many charge is being undernourished by too few episodes that are presented too far apart.  Alas, there’s been no further word on the such webisodes, so we’ve no choice but to believe  the nearly year long wait for new WHO material will be…just that. 

Adding more upheaval into the mix are numerous indications that current Doctor Peter Capaldi will also step down after Season/Series 10.   Feels like he’s only barely started, but three Seasons/Series and some Christmas Specials is more or less on par with the tenure of past Doctors.  This would, essentially, mean he and Moffat would  depart DOCTOR WHO at either essentially the same time, or exactly the same time.  Leaving room for a soft-reboot, much like what we say when Russell T. Davies handed the reins to Steven Moffat, at the same time David Tennant’s Doctor morphed into Matt Smith’s incarnation.  New showrunners. New actor.  And, very much a new style.  

Welcome to Geeklectica’s all-purpose megathread, which will remain active and can be used as a ‘base of operations’ as long as forum participants wish to utilize it.  More DW posts are on the way to Geeklectica in the coming days, so I can imagine discussions might ultimately migrate to those posts instead.  Which is completely fine, of course.  I merely thought having a point of continuance might make long-form discussions easier to follow and whatnot.  We’ll see how it works out.

Whether you’re new to the site, or a longtime participant in its forums, feel free to jump in, have fun, and speak your mind!   Just click the small 'COMMENTS' tab,  As always, keep an eye on this discussion thread for video embeds, image postings, wonderful thoughts, and link-outs to recent and/or cool WHO happenings (WHOpenings?)  I truly believe the discussions you’ll find here represent some of the finest DW conversation to be found on the Net…and I hope you’ll join us!


PLEASE NOTE: We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind.  

New Adventures Adaptations 8: All-Consuming Fire

Written By: Andy Lane, adapted by Guy Adams

Directed By: Scott Handcock 

Cast
Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor), Sophie Aldred (Ace), Lisa Bowerman (Bernice Summerfield), Nicholas Briggs (Sherlock Holmes), Richard Earl (Doctor John Watson), Hugh Fraser (Sherringford Holmes), Anthony May (Baron Maupertuis), Aaron Neil (Tir Ram), Samantha Béart (Mrs Prendersly/Azazoth), Michael Griffiths (Ambrose), Guy Adams (K'Tcar'ch).
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While two adaptations from the New Adventures came out at the same time, All Consuming Fire has more general interest with it than the other, Theater of War, because it is the fictional encounter between the Doctor, in his seventh Incarnation, with Sherlock Holmes. It also borrows much from H.P. Lovecraft,  giving it triple-geek status (while Theater of War is important for its place in the New Adventures, BF and Bernice Summerfield canons, and it has a few other points of interest, I give it an average rating for audio stories).

When dangerous books go missing at the Library of St. John the Beheaded, Sherlock Holmes and Watson find themselves in the middle of a power struggle which transcends the earth. But it will be awhile before they come to realize and accept this fact, despite strange events which defy explanation happening before their eyes (people being consumed by fire).

As they seek to find out what happened to the books, they encounter the Doctor (or, more to the point, the Doctor goes to them). Early on, he is a confusion to Holmes, who finds out his normal ability to deduce who and what people have been doing doesn’t work with the Doctor. He isn’t sure if he trusts the Doctor or not, but when the Doctor suggests he works with Watson to look down on some of the leads of the case, Holmes thinks it is the best way to keep track of the Doctor and also properly launch his investigation.

But things do not go smoothly. When one of the possible suspects has his body go up in flames—in front of the Doctor and Watson, it’s clear this is a rather unusual case. Watson, and Holmes, do not immediately accept the implications and try to find logical explanations for what happened. The Doctor, to be sure, agrees that the answer has to be logical, though the logical explanation for him transcends what Holmes and Watson are initially going to accept. 

It is only being followed by an alien, being attacked by a Rakshasa, and talking to Holmes’ eldest brother about Holmes’ father’s encounters in India (learning that the Doctor claimed to be there with their father), do Holmes and Watson begin to accept the truth.

Who or what was behind the theft of the mysterious books? What power is discussed in them? What is the goal and point of their mysterious foe, sending demonic creatures out to attack them? These are the initial questions the Doctor and Holmes have to answer – only to have to revise their understanding of the situation later, once they learn their foe is someone who is also being double-crossed by an alien entity on another planet.

Sherlock, it turns out, is quite capable of adapting to his new place in the universe, and to see the Doctor for the hero he is. Watson, on  the other hand, is rugged, quite capable of handing the situation and keeping up with his humor, but struggles more than Holmes to deal with the events as they unfold. But he finds himself in capable hands, first with the Doctor, and later with Bernice, so that his own inner strength is able to help him with the transition and to remain stable and sane (there is no Lovecraftian ending for Holmes or Watson here). 

Each episode of the story takes the story one step further, adding new details or changing what it is all about in the process. The first introduces the mystery which gets Holmes and the Doctor together. It points them to India, where the Doctor’s companion, Bernice is waiting for him (hiding out as a man). It is only near the end, when the Doctor, Bernice, Holmes and Watson go to another world (R'lyeh), chasing an English gentleman who wants to invade the alien landscape, do they also encounter a powered-up Ace, and also find out all that has been happening. 

The story mixes horror elements of the Lovecraftian mythos with Hindu imagery, albeit not as well as I would like (the Hindu side allows for adventures in India, but really warps the Hindu mythology for the sake of a plot device). Some of it is quite good, and reminds me of what I liked when I read the New Adventures: The Doctor taking on the Cthulhu mythos. 

All of this could be and should be riveting. And there is a lot of good here.

But alas, I didn’t feel anything for Nicholas Brigg’s Holmes. He seems too empty to me. Not enough excitement or emotion; far, far more subdued than I want for Sherlock. And the story, while full of good ideas, felt like it needed to be fleshed out a bit more. Instead of a four parter it should have been a six parter, allowing more interaction with Holmes and the Doctor.  But as it is, with one of the weakest representation of Holmes that I know of, the desired effect of the story falls flat. This is not to say the story is bad, but it is disappointing. Yes, I know Briggs now plays Holmes on Big Finish, but they should have tried to get someone else, someone famous who has played Holmes on the screen before, and let him have at it here (which would have attracted more attention to the role). I know, Cumberbatch probably would not have done it – but what about, I don’t know, Matt Frewer (this would also have a double interest as a way to exorcise the demons around the Max Headroom Incident)? This needed someone with more pizzaz for Holmes, especially if the story was played as straightforward as this.

Don’t get me wrong. This is still enjoyable, but it doesn’t satisfy in the way people want a Holmes/Doctor story to do. Holmes ability to deal with the new universe he has awakened to is good, but his general persona is where it is lacking. Ace, getting a short shift here, is not much of a problem, for this gives Bernice and Watson a good amount of time to work together and they do work together quite well. 


7/10. It could have been higher with a different Holmes.
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-- HornOrSilk 


PLEASE NOTE: We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind.
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