Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: alex kingston, arthur darvill, bbc, doctor who, Karen Gillen, matt smith, neil gaiman, russell t davies, steven moffat
Doctor Who Series Six marked the pinnacle of the show’s modern era in terms of popularity, but it also signaled the start of its gradual decline.
The BBC has unveiled a captivating compilation video showcasing the finest moments from Series Six of Doctor Who. This season is often regarded as the messiest since the show’s revival in 2005, presenting an ideal opportunity for reevaluation. With Steven Moffat at the helm for his second season as showrunner, and with Matt Smith, Karen Gillen, and Arthur Darvill as the Eleventh Doctor and companions, the flaws of the show began to surface and the underlying cracks started to show.
Series 6 marked the emergence of Doctor Who as a global pop culture phenomenon. The collaboration with BBC America as a co-financier provided a boost in budget, allowing for on-location filming in the United States for the first time and granting Moffat the opportunity to craft stories set in America. The cast, Moffat included, were flown to the U.S. for promotional events with grand red carpet-style premieres in New York City, attended by hundreds of enthusiastic cosplaying fans. The Doctor’s encounter with The Silence in the White House was a memorable moment, although it was actually filmed in Cardiff with most of the American characters being portrayed by British actors.
This season represented the zenith of modern Doctor Who under Moffat’s leadership, perhaps bordering on excessiveness. The abundance of self-reflexive continuity bordering on fanfiction, the surplus of drama, and the plethora of high-concept Science Fiction ideas were evident. Surprisingly, there were several moments that faded from memory, overshadowed by the standout episodes like the one written by Neil Gaiman, where the TARDIS assumed a human form and conversed with the Doctor. This episode truly showcased the brilliance of Moffat’s storytelling combined with Gaiman’s recurring theme of romance and heartache.
Doctor Who: Excessive Brilliance
Moffat recently confessed that he often lacked a grand plan or overarching theme, causing him to fret over creating enough new stories to fulfill the episode count for each season. However, Series 6 demonstrated a surprising coherency in terms of its overall narrative arc, gradually unveiling its secrets during the latter half. The “excessive brilliance” of the season arose from the convoluted revelation of River Song’s (portrayed by Alex Kingston) true identity, the comical twist surrounding the eternal question of whether to kill Hitler, the cross-galaxy conspiracy against the Doctor, and the contrived plot device that allowed the Doctor to cheat death, which was arguably the most convoluted moment in Moffat’s entire career. The show was starting to become self-referential to the point of resembling Marvel Comics’ impenetrability. It became a bit too enamored with its own cleverness. Both the strengths and weaknesses of Doctor Who were on full display during this season, for better or worse. Unfortunately, this was also the season when the show transitioned from feeling perpetually fresh and surprising to something more commonplace, a quality that Russell T. Davies needs to revive when he brings the show back in the Fall.
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Basant Kasayap is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Bollywood to regional cinema, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
