The third episode of Doctor Who series 12, Orphan 55, has turned out to be a divisive one among fandom. Some of us love it, some of us loathe it – like marmite, but with added space adventures. The only thing we can all agree on is how iconic the line ‘BENNI!’ is. In order to cover all sides of the story, we present to you; Time Ladies Debate: Orphan 55!
ORPHAN 55? NOT FOR ME… says Kez
In some ways, Orphan 55 is the very essence of Doctor Who – a base siege, a chase, a threatening monster… but it never truly landed for me. The first scenes of the fam landing at the plush spacey spa were brilliant – the pace from Spyfall was still there, as was sustaining the brilliant wit from the leading characters. I was overjoyed at the mental imagery being conjured of Graham lounging with a cocktail, and them all taking a damn break after wrestling with a deep-space squid, well deserved.
As in the series opener, the fam were expertly split off from each other, primed for different versions of the adventure. But alas, were (literally) crammed together again for large parts of the story, a massively missed opportunity. Talk about three being a crowd – when you have a main cast of four, adding another seven (!) onto that means that frankly, we’re not going to have time to become emotionally invested in these guest characters. You could barely keep track of who was there, who had died and who was left behind. Something that really highlighted this for me was the use of sacrifice in this story – something that should hold such impact – a total stranger giving their life for the Doctor and their friends. But this was done four times in one story. When we don’t have time to become invested in these characters, we probably care little when they die, let alone when it becomes a ‘thing’ that happens.
This need for sacrifice feels like it’s there to create peaks in a story that fundamentally is a constant chase. A chase that, instead of thrilling, completely flatlines when they leave the building. After the pacey beginning, where was the push and pull from each side? When the Doctor looked into the mind of the Dregs, she could see the terrifying reality of who they were. But why did we not have the opportunity to learn about this further, to hear about what happened, and how to help them now? Leaving the planet with no resolution apart from ‘hoping it’s just one possible future’ felt like they were running away from the problem rather than facing what had been done. Climate change is a real terror, it’s not something we can run away from. It felt callous and abrupt to simply leave it there.
I admit that as someone who was completely transfixed by the end of Spyfall, I may have been a little disappointed by the drop in focus. But a story centred around such an important message? It could have been better.
ORPHAN 55? THE BEST OF SERIES 12 SO FAR… says Beth
Orphan 55 captures many aspects of my favourite parts of Doctor Who; Action. Adventure. Love. Danger. An important message. There are many layers and characters woven throughout the Tranquillity Spa – something I believe works well to establish the world we’re immersed in. Thanks to Ed Hime’s brilliant characterisation, everybody has a personality and a reason to root for them. Then there are the dregs, some of the scariest and well-designed Doctor Who creatures for a while. Not only do they look incredible, but the truth behind their existence is even more gruesome and hammers home the message of the tale. It’s great to see the Doctor teaching her friends too – even though she’s suffering. It’s particularly interesting to see the fam’s relationship changing out of mistrust and the Doctor’s sorrow, which ties in brilliantly to the storyline.
The truth of Orphan 55 is hidden inside a wrapper of capitalism and human fault – the planet is Earth’s future and the dregs are the human race, evolved and terrifying. This is the type of plot that Doctor Who was made for. In a similar vein to The Green Death, it educates and opens the mind to the climate crisis as well as providing fun and escapism on a Sunday night. There is a positive to come out of such an on the nose message. Because even though Doctor Who is an escape, a place to disappear away from the terrors of our world, it is also a reminder that we can be better and that we should be better – and that’s the most positive thing of all – that we still have hope. As the Doctor tells us at the end of the adventure; ‘Be the best of humanity.’ Hopefully, we won’t let her down.
After we discussed the story, we decided to put our differences aside and have a custard cream and a cup of tea. After all, Doctor Who is vast and complicated and beautiful – we won’t always love it or hate it!
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If you’ve always wanted to experience an adventure with the Doctor first hand, 2019 is the year for you! Escape Hunt and BBC studios have teamed up to bring us Worlds Collide: A live Doctor Who escape game, where you can become the Doctor’s new fam and save the world.
We recently tried out the exciting game before its opening in Bristol – so what did we think?
It’s best to experience the game for yourself to get the most out of it, so we’ve left out any surprises and spoilers for the adventure.
Storyline
The storyline is simple and original – The Doctor needs your help! After a quick briefing from the Time Lord herself, you are transported into the future to the offices of ChronosCorp HQ. Here, eccentric billionaire Alastair Montague’s efforts to develop commercial time travel have caused a tear in the fabric of space and time, which the Cybermen will use to attack Earth.
You then have 60 minutes to work out how to close the tear before the Cybermen break through, using only what remains of Montague, his prototype time engine and the extensive collection of time-related artefacts acquired over the course of his experiments. The fate of the universe rests in your hands – if you take too long the human race will be ‘upgraded’!
There is a nice mixture of time and space folded into the story, particularly as it is set in the future. 6 artefacts must be collected by completing puzzles and riddles, each one with a historical meaning. These elements mean that the adventure feels like proper Doctor Who, all timey-wimey and fun. The pay off if you complete the story is brilliant and will leave you wanting to travel the universe with the Doctor forever!
Fan Experience
This Doctor Who live game has been created in a similar vein to the Doctor Who Experience, but with a much more interactive nature. Inside you’re left almost entirely on your own to complete the mission, with a little hint here and there from the ‘Game Master’ via audio cues. Other than that, there are vague instructions in the form of videos, written documents and other props that create a true sense of reality. You don’t necessarily need to be a fan of the show to play either – there are subtle references here and there but the story and Cybermen are explained well. From a fan perspective though, the moments when you find a prop/reference are a real payoff.
Difficulty
The escape room can be a real test on your communication and team working skills, so make sure you REALLY LOVE the people you’re playing with. The game is a mixture of easy and not so easy tasks, but most of the difficulty comes from finding out what you need to do with a prop or section in the first place. Once you realise what it is for, it’s generally quite easy to complete a puzzle, but some take more time than others. There is nothing better than completing a task and getting one step closer to saving the world…we may or may not have done a few air jumps and screams of excitement. You’ll realise that your many years of watching the show may finally pay off when your brain connects the dots throughout the adventure!
Set/Effects
There is no danger of wobbly sets around here! The room is designed so realistically that you forget you’re underground in a game. Some of the set is sealed down and cannot move, but lots of it is moveable and interactive, meaning you can never entirely be sure if an object is of significance or not. As time goes on you will notice that some props will be more familiar than others. Because you’re in a set you never know what anything means, so it’s best to play about with the fantastic surroundings and see what happens or is relevant to any instructions you’ve been provided with.
There aren’t many special effects because the props and set do much of the talking, but the way objects interact has been brilliantly thought out and will surprise and excite the child inside of you when you get parts to work together. It really is like living an episode of Doctor Who, and you’ll never want it to end.
Mementos
There are a couple of lovely mementos that you can take away from your adventure with the Doctor; You’ll get a certificate for saving the Earth with your game time written on, and there are photo opportunities with specially made signs featuring captions such as ‘The Doctor’s number one team’ and ‘Space and time were on our side’. If you post your photos on Instagram using the special hashtag, the lovely Games Master will print out a polaroid version of it for you to keep so that you never forget your special day.
From January 16th, fans can battle through space and time at Escape Hunt Bristol as well as book tickets for the immersive adventure which will be arriving at other Escape Hunt locations on the following dates:
Whether you celebrate it or not, Christmas is a special holiday for many. It’s a time of rest and giving, for spending with family and loved ones… and for watching Doctor Who. Tradition is important during the festive period and Doctor Who on Christmas day has become just that for many families. Since The Doctor and Rose saved the Earth during Christmas 2005, we’ve been treated to a special festive episode every year.
Taking the prime time evening slot, families would sit down together filled with mince pies and turkey and enjoy an adventure through space and time. This year though, Doctor Who is embarking on a new tradition – the yearly special episode has been moved to New Year’s Day instead of Christmas.
Christmas can be difficult if you’ve lost someone. It can be difficult if you suffer with mental health struggles or family issues. Throughout all of my Christmases, and all of these difficulties, I’ve always been comforted by the Doctor Who Christmas special. It has been there to wrap its arms around me and tell me I’m not alone. It’s taken me on adventures and helped me escape when I’ve found the festive period hard.
No matter the contents of the story, the Christmas episodes are always based around one core theme: hope. This is exactly what I and many others need during the holidays, particularly on the big day itself. I spent Christmas day sick and alone, and I really could have done with that Doctor Who episode this year. Somehow I’ve been left feeling like my hope was taken away, or my only saviour around Christmas time had let me down. That is the importance of this show to me and many others.
The Doctor, the widow and the wardrobe (2011)
In times like this, it’s easy to get upset with how the show changes when it means so much to us, or when things differ from its traditional way. But Doctor Who has lasted for 55 years for a reason – it thrives on change. In the words of the Doctor, ‘If things didn’t end, nothing would ever get started.’
Despite my feelings, I am very excited for a brand new adventure with team TARDIS on New Year’s Day. What better way to begin a new year than with my favourite form of hope – Doctor Who! Christmas may have been hard without it, but January will be much easier with it.
Resolution airs New Years day
Am I upset with the lack of Who on Christmas day? Yes. But times change, and so must Who. We will begin 2019 with The Doctor and friends taking us on a brand new adventure. So begins a new tradition – New year, new Who.
What do you think of the move from Christmas day to New year’s day? Let us know @thetimeladies_
Now that The Tsuranga Conundrum has hit our screens, we’re officially half way through series 11 of Doctor Who. We’ve been from Sheffield 2018 to the 67th century – with spiders, spaceships and iconic historical moments in-between. Grab a cuppa and a custard cream as we delve into the beginning of the 13th Doctor’s debut series.
The 13th Doctor – Beth
The Doctor finds the outfit of her dreams in The Woman Who Fell To Earth.
The 13th Doctor is everything I’d hoped and dreamed that she would be. There was one thing I wanted from Jodie’s performance, and that was for her to feel like the same character I’ve loved for all this time. I wanted 13 to be Doctor-y, and Jodie absolutely hits the nail on the head. A few scenes at the beginning of the series felt slightly out of place to me, as Jodie didn’t seem to play the complicated language convincingly, but as the episodes go on she grasps it more and more. Her comedy and demeanour as the Doctor really feel spot on, and I miss her when the stories end each week. I can’t wait to find out where she’s going this series and to see Jodie play some more big, emotional moments! I’d love to see more character development and emphasis on what traits her Doctor will be remembered for – as well as more wonderful costume variants!
Companions – Kez
The Thirteenth Doctor and her friends
So, we have 3 companions in the TARDIS, aka a TEAM! Doesn’t this feel like a long time coming? Now there are more opinions, viewpoints and life experiences that add to every story. Having the age contrast between Graham and the others adds so much more depth and breaks the 2005+ rule of what a permanent companion is: aka an attractive young woman. Having lived a very different life to the others including surviving cancer, it’s given him such a unique view on what he wants the rest of his life to look like, especially without his wife Grace. This is mirrored in Ryan too. The thing I love about Tosin Cole’s performance is the very real bravado from a 19 year old, mixed with a beautiful vulnerability. Ryan’s arguably had alot of the focus so far this series, and I’m enjoying how he’s growing as a person, as he opens up more to Graham, Yaz and most importantly, life as he sees it. He’s already speaking to a disillusioned young male audience who I hope will continue to watch his journey. Yaz is our most under-developed companion, and I’ve been massively frustrated with the lack of who she is – it’s still hanging in the air 6 episodes in! However, with Demons of the Punjab brings more Yaz, and her relationship with her family and heritage. Before series 11 started I was most excited to see the dynamic between a female Doctor and companion, and this one is still developing. I feel like the Doctor has the best on-screen bond with Yaz so far – but is that just me watching two women together? I’m not sure. I’m absolutely loving seeing the three of them react to each other and the Doctor, but I’m not fully sure we know everything about them yet… so bring on the second part of the series.
Episode Quality – Beth
Team TARDIS in The Tsuranga Conundrum
Five episodes in, and the quality of series 11 is high. If we’re talking scripts though, the stories have been consistent in the way that they’re simple, fun Doctor Who plots. The characterisation has been outstanding, as has the acting from our main cast – propelling the episodes from average to brilliant. The general tone and look of the show this year means that this series has quickly become one of my favourites, and I’m thoroughly enjoying every minute of it. I don’t feel there is anything to dislike, but of course that all depends on what you like to get out of an episode of Doctor Who. There are off bits of course, such as awkward acting or non-resolutions to some plot points, but it’s hard to judge until the whole series has aired. Personally, I think these 5 episodes have been some of the highest quality Doctor Who ever, and I can’t wait to see where it is going!
Music – Kez
Hearing the music from the climax of The Woman Who Fell to Earth was a highlight
Segun Akinola’s music pulses and breathes throughout each story, like it’s a living part of the plot. This is so different from Murray Gold’s scores which were beautiful and reverent, but triggered emotion foremost, rather than reflecting the atmosphere of a story. Ambient and subtle in parts, the music from the first half of series 11 has raised the collective heart beat of the UK without us even realising that this is largely down to the score. As well as this, the use of contemporary music in both the promotion of the series and within, like Rise Up by Andra Day used at the end of Rosa blends easily, and makes it feel like Doctor Who has cooly been doing it for decades. What I’m looking forward to though, is that sweeping grandeur during a ‘I am the Doctor’ moment. We’ve had that feeling in the music a couple of times in series 11 but it hasn’t quite left me feeling awe-struck and teary eyed, which is really what I want in those moments (sorry). I can hear the music of each Doctor from 2005+ in my head, and I can’t quite figure out what the Thirteenth Doctor sounds like yet. This is completely a personal opinion since I enjoy openly weeping at Rose’s theme in Doomsday, but I hope we get that feeling again.
Special Effects – Beth
The new TARDIS interior stuns with its atmospheric lighting and smoky doorway…
The special effects this series have taken a massive step up from anything that’s come before, taking it into cinematic territory. There’s something so exciting about having such high standard effects on our little old show that is famous for its wobbly sets. A highlight is the wonderful new title sequence that stuns with its purple hues and liquidy textures. Arachnids in the UK gave the vortex a proper appearance as the TARDIS adventures through space and time and we see its true extent – every fan’s dream! the explosions and CGI work brilliantly together to create convincing moments and realistic scenes. I love how the creatures of the series stand up well, from the deadly Remnants in The Ghost Monument, to the giant spiders in Arachnids in the UK.
Storylines – Kez
Yaz with her family in Arachnids in the UK
The stories across series 11 so far have shown a staggering range of pace, location and character. I appreciate that immensely, and no two stories have felt the same, but in the same vein it doesn’t feel that neatly wrapped package of a series I quite want (yet). Of course Doctor Who is about throwing different stories at us, but Rosa felt like a different show to The Tsuranga Conundrum. This, again is a personal opinion and has had no effect on ratings so I’ll take that as me being a perfectionist! There have been some truly beautiful, ‘first in Doctor Who’ moments: watching the Doctor take an emotional step back in Rosa, and being vulnerable with her friends at the end of The Ghost Monument… but balanced with some familiarity: watching Yaz’s relationship with her family and as always, an awful lot of running. Something that’s new as an overall feel is how educational the show is. We’re having history and science lessons each week, with every story showing a strong moral compass and lessons learned. I’m not adverse to this – it’s quite in-your-face but maybe that’s a good thing? It’s only teaching children about being kind and encouraging learning which we can’t really complain about! Character wise, what I’m really hoping for in the second half of series 11 is for our guest cast to be more fleshed out. We need to have time to get to know who they are, so we can empathise with their story. My feel so far is that in each story there have been a few too many people, and that crowding makes each character less significant as a result. More time with these characters please! Chris Chibnall’s show running has so far brought Doctor Who to the forefront of British television, and the stories have brought literally millions of new watchers in. So welcome, new fans!
Monsters and Villains – Beth
The Pting captured the hearts of Doctor Who fans everywhere in The Tsuranga Conundrum.
We’ve had a whole host of exciting creatures and villains this series so far, and I think they’re all iconic. First up we had the deadly ‘Tim Shaw’ and his face full of teeth – terrifying! His appearance in The Woman Who Fell to Earth was perfect for a series opener and a brilliant first villain for the 13th Doctor to face. My favourite villain however has undoubtedly got to be the Pting from The Tsuranga Conundrum. The adorable creature is original, memorable and fun – something this series needed after the darker villains in Rosa and Arachnids in the UK. Both of those stories featured characters who were morally corrupt and putting others at risk with their close minded, selfish behaviours. They are written brilliantly, and I love that Doctor Who is dealing with bigger, deeper issues, but there’s nothing like a good old alien invasion. Looking forward, I have high hopes that there will be more original aliens and creatures to balance out the moral and educational storytelling that we’re seeing so often this series. Oh, and a Pting plush in time for Christmas please.
Highlights – Kez
The Doctor asks her friends if they’re ready to become team TARDIS in Arachnids in the UK
As mentioned already, there have been some truly special moments in this series. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that watching Rosa – the whole experience, was pretty amazing. To see Doctor Who tackle these big historical moments so relevant to people’s experiences today, felt really important. Equally, the way that Grace’s death has been handled has been a tough watch but so real. Graham and Ryan’s grief has been tangible throughout the series, and it just makes them more believable. Seeing their reactions when they officially join team TARDIS was so touching, and a real milestone for all their characters, including the Doctor. This time she knows what may happen, this time she makes sure they know, and they do. It was a pillar moment for the Doctor – really challenging the feelings of companions, knowing they may say no. The smaller moments which help define this era are absolute highlights for me: Yaz’s family chat about pakora, Know Me From by Stormzy being played to scare spiders away, Graham moaning about not having time to eat, tea at Yaz’s, the Pting… I could go on. Lastly, a highlight has to be just how amazing this series looks and sounds. Doctor Who has never been so current, and doesn’t feel out of place with shows we’re all watching which have double the budget.
Keep sharing your thoughts about series 11 with us over on Twitter – @thetimeladies_
The title sequence makes its triumphant return this week in The Ghost Monument. The elements which make up the sequence feel cinematic, as if we’re sat down in front of a high budget Doctor Who movie opener. The theme tune has been updated wonderfully, but not without a hint of the original 1963 track. Seeing the names of our cast members appear along with the brand new visuals is a real treat after getting to know their characters in The Woman Who Fell to Earth.
The Ghost Monument picks up exactly where we left off – with the gang floating perilously in space, about to face its vast doom. This feels beautifully reminiscent of 1960’s Doctor Who where most stories led into a continuous adventure.
The Doctor’s new friends miraculously survive their fate and end up on their first alien planet, where adventure awaits. Jodie Whittaker gets her chance to shine as the Doctor with Chris Chibnall’s witty writing and fun dialogue, getting to show Yasmin, Ryan and Graham the type of life that she leads for the first time. The setting and visuals are stunning, beautifully shot and give a real sense of scale to the location that it makes you feel they really popped into space to shoot the story and came back in time for tea.
The direction of each scene feels very different from what we’re used to in Doctor Who. Mark Tonderai brings the audience into the story effortlessly with each carefully thought out shot, blending the camera so closely with the characters, it’s as if they’re talking to you or vice versa. This can be beautiful but sometimes brings you out of the story with how it chops and changes. This direction coupled with Segun Akinola’s atmospheric soundtrack show that this series of Doctor Who really means business.
The guest cast prove that less can sometimes be more, especially with a well written story. The plot is simple enough, occasionally taking a dip into complicated dialogue but not without concepts that make it accessible for new viewers – as well as having that old school Doctor Who feel for long time fans.
The Doctor uses each opportunity of threat to teach and educate her friends, proving she is still the same character we’ve always loved. There is some lovely character development and plot threads that begin to weave throughout, leaving us with a whole host of potential story arcs and questions.
The real gem of this episode is in the last scenes. But you’ll have to tune in to see why…
Doctor Who – The Ghost Monument will be on BBC One at 6:55pm on Sunday 14th October.
‘All of this is new to me. New faces, new worlds, new times. So if I asked really, really nicely… would you be my new best friends?’
It’s the one we’ve all been waiting for… the series 11 trailer. Not a teaser, a full on footage-of-the-Doctor-running-around trailer.
So, what did we think? And what did we see in the trailer?
‘AH! AHH! OOOH!’ The Doctor greets us in a post regeneration haze, wearing her predecessors outfit and looking (more than) a bit shook. We think this is the first time she is present since falling out of the TARDIS, thoughts?
side note: this is kind of how we reacted when we first saw this trailer.
‘All of this is new to me…’
The Doctor utters, as Ryan gasps exasperatedly. #relatable
We love this shot, what is he looking for? It looks like it’s set in a classic Who industrial building, we do love a good factory or quarry.
Graham appears, looking slightly worse for wear as the Doctor continues… ‘New faces…’
Yas stares off dramatically into the distance, looking like an absolute queen while doing it.
What’s this? Is this the same place Yas was in the previous shot? A sunny, rocky landscape with a mysterious looking bit of tech in the foreground, some of which is on fire. Is it a crash? Is it a spaceship? ARE WE IN SPACE? AHHHH.
‘New worlds…’
And it certainly looks new, exciting and… sandy? Actually, if you pause at the right moment you’ll find that the Doctor and her friends are on a beach.
Maybe they’re just out for a whippy ice cream.
‘New times…’
Our TARDIS team are on the run! It was pointed out by Lizo Mzimba that the lettering on one of the buildings confirms it as being the motel where Martin Luther King was killed… so a clue for the story setting.
‘So if I asked really, really nicely…’
(POST REGEN ALERT!) Where is she? A cave? This doesn’t look like the UK?
Unless it’s a really dingy bar…
The Doctor is once again oohing and aaahing, clutching her head in pain. Girl, pls take some paracetamol.
A glimpse of Graham staring up at an unknown sight… with some mysterious gear and a patch near his eye hmmm mysterious. This looks as if it’s the same place as the ‘on fire crash’ scene earlier in the trailer.
‘Would you be my new best friends?’
The Doctor asks, and we get a wonderful shot of our new TARDIS team in a Pertwee-esque era pose. This shot further confirms the motel theory surrounding the Martin Luther King assassination.
And a new version of 13’s outfit… A PINK VARIANT!
The dramatic music continues as the Doctor gets her goggles on and begins firing up some sciency… wiency… stuff… We’re guessing the background isn’t the TARDIS. It looks like some sort of lab.
Ryan and Graham look pretty on edge. ARE U OKAY BOYS?
And a mysterious tunnel that looks like the inside of a spaceship. Or just a really fancy corridor. Either way, could it be more Doctor Who?!
When you’re waiting for your parcel… The Doctor peering through what appears to be a letterbox! There are lots of files behind her. We’re thinking an archive, or an office and she’s peeping in someone’s letter tray.
A beautiful landscape that looks like our adventurers have landed on the planes of Africa? A+ horse riding.
WHAT A SHOT! We don’t know if they’re on earth or another planet, but it looks BEAUTIFUL. We’ll take a holiday with that beach and those 3 suns.
We also spot Graham sporting some shades. Yas.
Ryan doing that thing when someone opens the curtain in the morning and the sun comes in. We wonder what’s blinding him? Is it Mandip Gill’s good looks?
He’s doing the shot so many Doctor Who companions have performed before him. Congrats, you’ve passed Tosin.
The Doctor and the sonic screwdriver IN ACTION. She looks SO DOCTORY.
Explosions + corridors + running + the Doctor = Peak Who.
This scene looks like a big reveal or cliffhanger, look at that light! Now if only we could see what they where looking at.
It’s also the first proper glimpse we get of a supporting cast. Can anyone identify the actors on the right?
Is it? What does it want? We can’t come to the phone right now, we’re busy crying over Jodie Whittaker.
‘Well, this is gonna be fun!’
announces the Doctor, and we couldn’t agree more. TAKE US WITH YOU NOW PLEASE.
Yes. Yes Doctor, we will be your new best friends. We want to travel to new times and worlds with you, meeting new faces. YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO ASK NICELY.
WHAT. A. TRAILER.
It has given us so much and yet held so much back – we still don’t know anything about series 11, but it gave us a great chance to finally see the gang in action. And more importantly, Jodie as the Doctor.
What were your favourite parts? Let us know by tweeting us @thetimeladies_ or emailing thetimeladies@yahoo.com
The next series of Doctor Who is (kind of) right around the corner with 6 months-ish to go! To maintain excitement levels in this quiet period, we’ve been thinking about what we hope for the 13th Doctor and the future of our favourite show. Read on to find out our 11 hopes for series 11…
Focus on diversity
As the casting for series 11 has revealed so far, the TARDIS team has gained lots of fresh faces on the show this year. We’re hoping representation is at the forefront of the show including people of all genders, ethnicities and sizes in stories! Something Doctor Who does best is keeping up with change in the world and being an advocate for people from minority backgrounds. Saying that, more work still needs to be done and we’re looking forward to seeing Chibnall’s take on this for his era of Who!
Historical Episodes
The past is a vast subject that can provide endless prospects for Doctor Who stories. Famous figure-heads, world changing wars and the history of the human race lies ahead for The Doctor and her friends! Since we’ve only been given a handful of historical adventures in the last few series, we’d love to see more stories that help shape our new companions and teach the audience about what led us to the society we’re in today. And what’s better than a TARDIS team in period costumes?! Bradley Walsh in Tudor attire? Big yes!
New Monsters and Villains
We’d love to see the 13th Doctor fend off new monsters and villains as she navigates through her new regeneration. The last few series have lacked any long-lasting iconic new monsters, so some creepy new creatures are just what’s needed to send us behind the sofa, and we honestly can’t wait to be scared – scare us damnit! Every Doctor has had an iconic villain and we’re excited to see what 13’s may be. Robots, aliens and villains galore, there’s a whole universe of baddies to defeat…
Space Stories
Visits to far-away worlds is what the Doctor does best, excitedly showing her TARDIS team the universe. There’s nothing we love more than stepping foot on a new world and discovering what hides in the shadows. Some of our favourite Who moments are on alien soil and we can’t wait to watch our new companions witness new worlds and see things through their eyes. Give us brand new planets, civilisations and cities to explore!
Educational episodes
Doctor Who was originally created to be an educational show and teach its young audience lessons about history, science and other very school-based subjects. Throughout the show’s history we’ve been taught life lessons, historical moments and scientific facts that have stayed with us. We’d love to see if the show can still teach the children who watch, and challenge the thoughts of adults who swear by it. From social and political behaviours to the way our planet works, Doctor Who is our classroom and The Doctor is our teacher.
Re-Brand
Series 11 is a complete overhaul for the brand of Doctor Who and we can’t wait to see its shiny new format. We hope it’s new, fresh, exciting and blows the television world apart. New Doctor, new TARDIS, new logo; we’ve already been treated to some elements of the re-brand and these teases made us drool in anticipation. We want to see more – more of her costume, new writers and directors, the show could go anywhere.
TARDIS team
As a family show, one of our favourite elements is the feeling of a team or family aboard the TARDIS. We know that Yasmin, Ryan and Graham are joining the Doctor for adventures, so are our dreams of having a full TARDIS coming true? Which characters will we relate to? Who will be our parental figures or our dream best friend? We can’t wait to find out!
Answers
Twice Upon a Time left us questioning just how The Doctor will survive that cliff-hanger. After regenerating from into the 13th Doctor, the TARDIS threw her overboard mid-flight leaving her falling down to Earth! Well, we presume it’s Earth. WE LITERALLY DO NOT KNOW. How will she get out of it? How does she meet her new companions? Where does that outfit come from? Damnit Chibnall, we want answers!
Equality/More Female Writers/Directors
There have been some amazing women working on Doctor Who in recent years, but unfortunately only a handful. With new Who only producing 3 female writers so far, it’s kind of not good enough?! We’re really hoping that the team recruit more women to bring the first female Doctor to life. They could even go as far as splitting the writing duties equally, and making sure people of different ethnicities and sexualities are included so we can get the most realistic and fair version of Doctor Who as possible.
Story Arcs
We love a good story arc! Threads sewn throughout the series that pay off in the finale is a traditional Doctor Who trope that works perfectly with its format. We want to spend every week analysing and creating theories about what’s to come. We’re loving all this mystery surrounding series 11 and really hope it continues into the show whilst on air so we can experience some truly jaw-dropping moments.
Fun
Recent Doctor Who has been an emotional rollercoaster to say the least. With saying goodbye to the 12th Doctor and Steven Moffat’s whimsical era, we’ve almost ran out of tears! We’re looking forward to hopefully having light, fun Doctor Who again after Steven’s darker, more complicated classic take. Of course, all eras of the show are different which just adds to our excitement about where this one will take us.
What are your hopes for series 11? Let us know by commenting below or tweeting us!
The Time Ladies 
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