# If I ran Doctor Who ... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 7, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077 "2013-04-07T15:14:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/1 "2013-04-07T15:14:33Z")
Changes I would make if I were in charge: **1. The Sonic Screwdriver Gets Broken** – He’s done without it before. He can do so again. No more magic wand to wave around to solve problems. Instead The Doctor must be clever. **2. The Companion Does Not Have a Mysterious Secret** – He or she is a just a plucky soul who’s up for adventure. **3. The Companion Does Not Have a “Thing” for The Doctor** – They’re friends who enjoy traveling together. There’s not a hint of romance or flirting between them. **4. The Doctor Shuts the Hell Up About Being The Doctor** – No more comments about how old he is, or how many hearts he has, or how he kicks everyone’s ass. No more “Doctor who?” jokes. **5. The Time Lords Are Back** – The Daleks were resurrected from the Time War, the Time Lords can be as well. The Doctor needs stuffy authority figures to rebel against, and you don’t get more stuffy than the Time Lords. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/2 "2013-04-07T15:51:34Z")
I couldn’t agree more. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/3 "2013-04-07T16:40:55Z")
The singing or texting or whatever of large groups magically makes all well is done. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/4 "2013-04-07T17:34:23Z")
I’d like o see a companion who is either A) not from Earth, or at least B) not from the early 21st century. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/5 "2013-04-07T17:40:03Z")
The people making the show need to make a decision. Are they making a comedy, a drama, or an action thriller? And once they decided on a genre, they need to stick to it and not switch genres from episode to episode. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/6 "2013-04-07T17:46:51Z")
He solves the problem by being clever, but not annoyingly clever, and not by using ‘heart’, or ‘love’, or ‘courage’, or any other Ozian attribute. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/7 "2013-04-07T17:51:34Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The people making the show need to make a decision. Are they making a comedy, a drama, or an action thriller? And once they decided on a genre, they need to stick to it and not switch genres from episode to episode. Also, no more of this time travel nonsense! ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/8 "2013-04-07T18:28:21Z")
I concur on every point. I also think they should remove the Doctor’s nigh-omniscience. _Ha! I reprogrammed your robots and building defenses in thirty seconds, aren’t I impressive!_ And bring back Romana, dangit. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/9 "2013-04-07T18:35:54Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The people making the show need to make a decision. Are they making a comedy, a drama, or an action thriller? And once they decided on a genre, they need to stick to it and not switch genres from episode to episode. Yeah! No more fumbling along, doing what they’ve been doing (rather successfully) for the past fifty years. Nope, they should choose one and just stick with it, like Serling did with _The Twilight Zone._ Or like _Star Trek._ Or like you had in any one issue of _Analog._ :rolleyes: ETA: Or we could just accept the fact that [del]science[/del] fiction is great because it can contain one or all of those types. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/10 "2013-04-07T19:33:10Z")
Not every episode should be about things with weird heads intent on destroying Earth. How about just a good Scoobie style mystery to uncover? Or travel back in time to some time that didn’t have buildings that look like they’re from within a few miles of Cardiff. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/11 "2013-04-07T20:31:23Z")
Yeah, that is kind of a thing. Like Amy says on BBT, “For someone who has a machine that can travel anywhere in time and space, Doctor Who sure does have a thing for modern-day London.” ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/12 "2013-04-07T20:37:23Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Yeah! No more fumbling along, doing what they’ve been doing (rather successfully) for the past fifty years. Nope, they should choose one and just stick with it, like Serling did with _The Twilight Zone._ Or like _Star Trek._ Or like you had in any one issue of _Analog._ :rolleyes: > > ETA: Or we could just accept the fact that [del]science[/del] fiction is great because it can contain one or all of those types. This. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/13 "2013-04-07T20:55:31Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Yeah! No more fumbling along, doing what they’ve been doing (rather successfully) for the past fifty years. Nope, they should choose one and just stick with it, like Serling did with _The Twilight Zone._ Or like _Star Trek._ Or like you had in any one issue of _Analog._ :rolleyes: > > ETA: Or we could just accept the fact that [del]science[/del] fiction is great because it can contain one or all of those types. This thread appears to be about things we think would improve the show. Not shout outs about how every single episode is the best episode of the series. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/14 "2013-04-07T21:11:29Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Yeah, that is kind of a thing. Like Amy says on BBT, “For someone who has a machine that can travel anywhere in time and space, Doctor Who sure does have a thing for modern-day London.” Yup. First Tennant episode he went to the death of earth and hung out with a flat evil skin woman. ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/15 "2013-04-07T21:12:21Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > I couldn’t agree more. Thirded. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/16 "2013-04-07T21:14:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > This thread appears to be about things we think would improve the show. Not shout outs about how every single episode is the best episode of the series. Your suggestion for improvement was not popular. I am definitely on-board the “no more romantic entanglements with Companions” train, though. One of the reasons I liked Donna so much as a Companion was that there wasn’t even a hint of that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/17 "2013-04-07T21:21:23Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > One of the reasons I liked Donna so much as a Companion was that there wasn’t even a hint of that sort of thing. Doctor: “I just want a mate.” Donna: “You just want TO MATE!!!” ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/18 "2013-04-07T21:34:31Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I am definitely on-board the “no more romantic entanglements with Companions” train, though. One of the reasons I liked Donna so much as a Companion was that there wasn’t even a hint of that sort of thing. Yes. It was more relaxing with no sexual chemistry. ETA: Oh, and the sonic has to go! ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/19 "2013-04-07T22:17:00Z")
I’d like to see an older actor play the Doctor. Someone like Alan Rickman. Maybe Sean Bean. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077/20 "2013-04-07T22:32:29Z")
Leela? Adric? Nyssa? (Damn did I have a thing for her.) K-9? I think a strange, goopy non-hominid companion would be interesting (and not a shape-shifter or Thermian type that can take on human form). Or maybe a tame dalek, now that would be interesting. But yes, the sonic screwdriver is being used way too much. In the latest episode (Rings of Akhaten), he seemed to be almost wielding it like a weapon, which is just wrong for the Doctor. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-ran-doctor-who/655077.md?page=2)