I do think that the first series of the new Who felt more like a science fiction television series – the stories depended far more on the characters and their motivations than on simply solutions to complex problems. What made “Dalek” and “Father’s Day” and “The Doctor Dances” so good was the the solutions to problems were either complex or carried emotional weight that was earned by the story and the characters, rather than just assumed. Maybe it was the fact that they had less money or that the series had to prove itself, but for whatever reason, the Eccleston episodes felt more complex, more mature than the Tennant ones.

I am totally in the camp of those who want Moffat to take over as head writer/executive producer when Davies leaves.

which in a sense is his right as an executive producer, but it’s unfortunate that he’s decided to take his role in that way.

Another Davies quote:

“I’m sorry to say this, all the science fiction producers making stuff in America, they are way too engaged with their fandom. They all need to step back.”

This is just *WRONG* on so many levels…

The powers that be spend the first episode setting up the End of the World, and spend the second episode ignoring the implicaitons of the End of the World.

I think that this is a product of RTD’s focus on character shtick. The global concerns raised previously are shoved into the background in order to give focus to personal interactions, reducing the global conflicts to background noise.

This can be a good way to tell a story, but not if it’s the only way. The audience gains an idea of where the characters are emotionally focused through where the director focuses the story, and what we end up with is the feeling that the Doctor isn’t really concerned with the End of the World, he’s more concerned with his latest flirtation/spat with the Current Companion.

This makes all the energy that Part One put into builiding up the conflict wasted effort. And, consequentially, all the investment the viewer put into that conflict is also wasted.

RTD admitted that the only scripts he doesn’t re-rewite are Stephen Moffats. It’s not by coincidence that his episodes are the best thusfar.