Summary
Doctor Who season 14 is continuing a tired RTD obsession with Earth-based stories, potentially holding the show back and limiting its potential.
The majority of season 14 will most likely take place on Earth, as indicated by the released images and the confirmed settings of Abbey Road, Regency period England, and contemporary Earth.
In a television industry where viewers are increasingly drawn to mainstream sci-fi and high-concept shows, dedicating a season to Earth may be seen as a regression and a missed opportunity to expand on the ambitious storytelling of the previous season, Flux.
Although Doctor Who season 14 is set to air in 2024, there is already concern that it will continue an exhausted obsession from Russell T Davies (RTD) that could hold the show back. When RTD returned in 2021, he brought back several production staff and elements from his earlier tenure as showrunner. This decision is understandable, as individuals like Phil Collinson and Murray Gold have extensive experience with Doctor Who. However, it does raise a suspicion that the show hasn't been as exciting since David Tennant's regeneration into Matt Smith.
In 2005, when RTD first revived Doctor Who, he rooted the series in a contemporary Earth setting and had the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose (Billie Piper) explore the planet's past, present, and future. While this approach initially sparked dissatisfaction among traditional fans due to the lack of alien worlds, it also ensured that the relaunch appealed to a wide audience. However, after 18 years, it seems that Davies still wants to avoid exploring alien worlds, which is seen as a step back and potentially detrimental to the future of Doctor Who.
Doctor Who Season 14 Is Teasing A LOT Of Stories On Earth
The plot details of Doctor Who season 14 are still a mystery, but the show's social media accounts have shared intriguing images giving a glimpse of what's to come. These images feature the Doctor and Ruby dressed in various period costumes, indicating that a significant portion of the season will take place on Earth. While alien landscapes may not yet be ready to be revealed on social media, the costumes of Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, along with the return of Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush, suggest that Earth will be the primary setting for a large part of the season. With eight episodes in total, it is confirmed that the Doctor and Ruby will visit Abbey Road in the 1960s, a stately home in Regency period England, and battle alien adversaries alongside Melanie Bush on contemporary Earth. This means that three out of the eight episodes will have Earth-based settings. Additionally, the return of UNIT and Ruby's introduction to the TARDIS further support the expectation that at least half of season 14 will be set on Earth. Moreover, there is a teaser from RTD that hints at part of an episode taking place in Roswell, New Mexico, which could further lean the balance towards an Earth-centric focus.
Why RTD Needs To Break His Earth-Based Doctor Who Obsession
During RTD's initial tenure on Doctor Who, it made sense to focus a significant portion of episodes on Earth in order to appeal to a wider audience. However, in 2023, television viewers have become much more accustomed to mainstream sci-fi due to the popularity of Marvel movies and Star Wars shows on Disney+. Moreover, shows like Rick and Morty have successfully blended comedy with complex science-fiction concepts, captivating audiences who previously may not have been interested.
Given this current landscape, a season of Doctor Who primarily centered around alien encounters on Earth seems outdated, especially after the ambitious Doctor Who: Flux. Flux ventured into various locations, including 21st-century Liverpool, a planet aptly named Time, an observation post situated between different realities, and even the Crimea. It was the most daring Doctor Who had felt in years. With the infusion of funding from the Bad Wolf co-production and distribution deals with Disney+, this presents a prime opportunity to further expand on the boldness displayed in Flux, rather than simply reverting back to the show's beginnings in 2005.
Doctor Who Has Already Showed How To Make Earth-Based Stories Better
Earth-based Doctor Who stories have proven to be captivating in multiple ways, exemplified by the Jon Pertwee era and the BBC books of the early 2000s. In this era, the Third Doctor faced exile on Earth as a punishment imposed by the Time Lords. This decision, made by the show's production team as a cost-saving measure, ultimately prevented the cancellation of Doctor Who during the early 1970s. The influence of the Third Doctor and his UNIT family is deeply ingrained in the Russell T Davies era, particularly during the Tenth Doctor's adventures with his recurring companion's family units.
However, the most intriguing approach to the Doctor's exile on Earth was introduced in Justin Richards' novel, The Burning, published in 2000. Within this novel, a fresh narrative arc emerges, where an amnesiac Eighth Doctor (portrayed by Paul McGann) finds himself stranded on Earth from 1890 to 2001. Without a functional TARDIS, the Doctor must rely solely on his intelligence and resourcefulness while becoming entangled in two World Wars and bearing witness to the emergence of the Nuclear Age. This approach invigorated the format of Doctor Who by stripping it down to its core ethos - the arrival of a mysterious outsider in a new town. Given the current trend towards serialized storytelling in the streaming age, a similar narrative arc would be exceptionally well-suited for Doctor Who.
If Doctor Who season 14 is simply about the Doctor and Ruby journeying through Earth's past, present, and future, it may be seen as RTD reliving his past successes. Additionally, it seems implausible that an alien with a time-traveling spaceship would continuously focus on Earth. Doctor Who thrives on change and should adapt with the evolving TV landscape. Although franchises like Star Trek are returning to episodic adventures of the week, it is disappointing to see Doctor Who potentially revert to a more simplistic formula of aliens invading Earth's timeline, especially after the ambition and scale of Flux.
