Summary
Doctor Whowill return for another season next year. Russell T Davies, its showrunner and executive producer, teased that fans can expect fourth wall breaks in the upcoming season.
Doctor Whohas a rich history of breaking the fourth wall. The iconic British series has even gained the reputation of featuring laughable special effects with serious undertones. Davies brought the series back in 2005 after a 16-year hiatus and delivered darker and hour-long stories, but left after four seasons. However, he returned as showrunner and EP inDoctor WhoSeason 14, starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor andMillie Gibson as his companion, Ruby Sunday. In the last season,Doctor Whorepeatedly broke the fourth wall, which was evident in nearly every episode.Davies teased that when they return for Season 15, they will continue to employ the breaking the fourth wall technique.
Davies spoke atDoctor Who’sSan Diego Comic-con panel and shared more details about his plans for the series. He announced that breaking the fourth wall will continue in the next seasons,Screen Rantreported. He said, “I think it’s part of the show going forward, to be honest. It’s breaking the fourth wall, the fact we all know that phrase means that it’s very well known. It’s a thing lots of things [are] doing, lots of shows [are] doing. And I like it, I think it’s fun. I think everything I’ve ever written is just one beat away from turning to the camera and going, ‘What do you think?'” Davies was right that breaking the fourth wall makes a program more fun and entertaining; even Marvel’s ultimate anti-hero,Deadpool, utilizes this technique.
Aside from breaking the fourth wall, Davies plans to add more music inDoctor WhoSeason 15. He is not transforming the series into a musical show but hints that one episode will be packed with songs. He teased, “I can promise you more music! I’m sure many of you are delighted to hear that. There’s more music… It’s not a musical, but there’s an episode that’s packed full of songs. I should say no more, I’ve given away too much.” Music plays an integral part in any show, includingDoctor Who.Itstheme song remains iconic and a mainstaydecades after it was released. TheDoctor Whotheme song first hit the airwaves in 1963 and reemerged when Davies picked up the show in 2005. It has since become part of pop culture, which is probably among the reasons Davies decided to also focus on music.
Breaking the fourth wallis a familiar element inDoctor Who, but Davies should also take caution when incorporating it into the series because too much of it won’t help. Featuring the technique once may be effective, but frequently doing it would give the series a different feel, like it was another show. It won’t helpDoctor Whoif the viewers would feel like they are watchingDeadpool. Yes, breaking the fourth wall is okay, but it should be minimal and not a core part of the series because when it happens too often, one starts to wonder if they really mean something.
Additionally, there are rumors thatDisney might axe the show after two seasonsdue to underwhelming ratings. EvenDoctor Whofans feel that the show has been different and is no longer happy with it. Many expressed their disappointment when they watched Season 14 because it didn’t feel faithful to the franchise. Some also said thatDoctor Whoofficially ended in Season 10. With many expressing their dissatisfaction with the show, Davies should be more cautious with regard to the program’s future.
