I like the idea of Doctor Who: Stranded as I mentioned when the news broke, and after further thought I can explain why. It’s a combination of interesting ideas and some challenges.

I go into more detail below…

Stranded – some observations

My thoughts cover:

• No TARDIS
• Torchwood
• The Thirteenth Doctor.

No TARDIS

It this a redo of the Divergent Universe? No time travel (we assume) breaks the Doctor’s dynamic a lot. Perhaps River will pop by to mix things up? It’s a possible repeat of earlier Eighth Doctor ideas. It also reminds me of an idea I heard from the wilderness years. I gather some writers were keen to have an Eighth Doctor with no memory, stuck in Victorian England, slowly piecing his identity together.

Torchwood

Sergeant Andy is an interesting idea but it does rather bind Torchwood to the eighth Doctor and by implication classic, pre-Time War Doctor Who. I realise in my the whole modern Who / Torchwood thing is only post Time War and history has been retouched by later Doctors. In Pertwee’s time I only imagine UNIT (and maybe Counter Measures, perhaps the Forge) and it’s only after the time war Torchwood gets added over the top.

It makes sense in my twisted mind!

The Thirteenth Doctor

If it’s 2020 then the Thirteenth Doctor is on Earth. Yes, she’s in Sheffield but the BBC would have given permission for the overlap. If the Eighth Doctor, Helen and Liv are in London, how will they ignore series 12? I look forward to many blog posts on the topic!