As far back as David Tennant's first season as The Doctor, there was still something about that first season with Eccleston that continued to strike a deeper chord for me. Some of it was certainly about Eccleston's portrayal that captured the sense of an alien whose take on human values was as profound as it was slightly different from ours, but ultimately I think it came down to the scripting, especially that of head-writer Russell T. Davies. Though Davies continued to write (and foster the writing of) some excellent episodes, there was a sense of urgency to the first season that they never quite recaptured.
In those first 13 episodes, the production team, especially Davies and his group of fans-turned-professional writers, seemed eager to prove that the television icon of their youth could still appeal to a wide audience in the 21st century. As Davies observed in the liner notes for the DVD release, "it was really the thought of creating something new, and getting new viewers, young viewers, which drove on that team."
The good news, as the BBC's decision to commission additional seasons almost immediately after the premiere indicates, was that they succeeded well beyond expectations. On the flip-side, as the team had to transition from a go-for-broke exercise in defying expectations to an ongoing franchise, some of that initial verve seemed to dissipate.
Again, that's not to say that they didn't deliver some great stories. The short list of highlights includes...
School Reunion
The Girl in the Fireplace
Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
Gridlock
Human Nature/The Family of Blood
Utopia/The Sound of Drums/(most of) Last of the Time Lords
Planet of the Ood
Midnight
It's just that those subsequent seasons lacked the same dramatic spark and by the end of David Tennant's and Russell T. Davies' run (and much of Steven Moffat's and Matt Smith's tenure so far), the production team seemed to feel like all they needed to do was come up with an earthshaking premise, usually involving the return of old friends and/or enemies, and didn't have to worry about the story. While there continued to be great dramatic character moments, like the Doctor's heartbreaking goodbye to Donna in Journey's End and virtually every scene between the Doctor and Bernard Cribbins as Donna's grandfather Wilfred, those sparks of excellence seemed increasingly at odds with ever more frustrating plot-lines.
Of course, none of that matters watching The Parting of the Ways. Seeing it again, I remember how exciting it was to have the show I'd loved so much back and in so many ways better than ever, with Christopher Eccleston's Doctor being exactly the hero I wanted. Several year's later, I still wonder sometimes why he didn't push the lever and wipe out the Daleks. Then again, by this point we knew that pushing the button was what his previous incarnation had done during the Time War, and if the 2005 iteration of Doctor Who was about anything it was a story of taking the best of the past and moving on with it. As the show gets closer to its 50th anniversary, I continue to hope that the current production team will take a second look at those stories and find a way to recapture that spirit and give the current Doctor stories worthy of his abilities.
It's just that those subsequent seasons lacked the same dramatic spark and by the end of David Tennant's and Russell T. Davies' run (and much of Steven Moffat's and Matt Smith's tenure so far), the production team seemed to feel like all they needed to do was come up with an earthshaking premise, usually involving the return of old friends and/or enemies, and didn't have to worry about the story. While there continued to be great dramatic character moments, like the Doctor's heartbreaking goodbye to Donna in Journey's End and virtually every scene between the Doctor and Bernard Cribbins as Donna's grandfather Wilfred, those sparks of excellence seemed increasingly at odds with ever more frustrating plot-lines.
Of course, none of that matters watching The Parting of the Ways. Seeing it again, I remember how exciting it was to have the show I'd loved so much back and in so many ways better than ever, with Christopher Eccleston's Doctor being exactly the hero I wanted. Several year's later, I still wonder sometimes why he didn't push the lever and wipe out the Daleks. Then again, by this point we knew that pushing the button was what his previous incarnation had done during the Time War, and if the 2005 iteration of Doctor Who was about anything it was a story of taking the best of the past and moving on with it. As the show gets closer to its 50th anniversary, I continue to hope that the current production team will take a second look at those stories and find a way to recapture that spirit and give the current Doctor stories worthy of his abilities.
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