How About… A Full-Time TARDIS Crew?

Guest contributor Holly Illis entertains the idea of a regular TARDIS crew joining the Doctor.

The other week I was talking with someone about the possibility of a female Doctor, and this got us onto the topic of what we would change about the show if we could, and we realised that there are so many major changes that could be made that people don’t really think about, because the obvious one is a gender swap. I suggested (and my friend was against this, but I maintain it’s an ok idea – I hope to explain why) that the Doctor not just travel with one or two companions, but a whole crew.

I Know, This Actually Happened Once…

(…And the resulting story wasn’t exactly fantastic.)

Actually, I love The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End, but that’s beside the point. In the past, I don’t think the Doctor has travelled for a long period of time with more than three companions. That’s the way it started, and that’s the way it stuck, much like him being white and male. But if we’re discussing the possibility of this changing, why not be open to the possibility of more people on the TARDIS?

The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End had its problems, but I don’t think any of these stemmed from the ensemble cast. Yeah, people don’t like the Rose return, but that’s about her character. The riffing off each other, (Mickey and Jack, the Doctor and Jackie) was funny, and clever and in some places, very sweet. The Doctor and Sarah Jane for instance. There were so many relationships bubbling away at the surface that could have been explored if that kind of set up was permanent.

Look at Mickey and Martha. I don’t think for a second that their eventual match-up was in any way racist, but it did feel forced nonetheless. Like, these two characters deserve some happiness now; let’s match ‘em up! I can see how it would work, but I would’ve liked to see that develop on screen.

It has so much potential, so many advantages… and one small problem…

Doctor Who

Doctor who. This show is about him, I get that. Would a whole crew undermine him a little bit? (This is the part where I use this article as an excuse to list other films and TV shows I love.)

That was my friend’s problem with it, but I don’t think it would. A perfect example of this is Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Named after Buffy, who is undeniably throughout the entire 7 series, the lead character, the show also manages to include at least three or four friends at a time (they come and go with various out-stories, but there’s always three or four), her Watcher, her friends and some vampire or another. And it never, ever feels crowded. The format, for me, is perfect; every character has a secret, a desire, a relationship, an ulterior motive, whatever, so there’s endless things to explore. Also the banter is hilarious. But at the same time it’s all about Buffy. I don’t know how they do it, but it is.

There are so many other examples I could draw on (Firefly, Guardians Of The Galaxy, and so on) but there’s not much point if you haven’t seen them. Put it this way: you must all surely have other shows that you love, and I bet some (not all of them) have ensemble casts as well. And even if they don’t, and even if you didn’t like The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End, remember 11, Amy, Rory, River and Canton in series 6? Weren’t they great? What about 12, Clara and the Paternoster Gang in Deep Breath? All funny and intelligent (with the exception of Strax), bouncing off each other and making things more interesting – and yet still undeniably about the Doctor.

You’ve Had The Advantages…

… I am struggling to think of any disadvantages, so you’ll have to come up with your own in the comments I’m afraid. Well, there is one thing. I still want the show to be about the Doctor first and foremost, and it could be, if an ensemble cast was written by someone who was able to handle all the different voices and stories and secrets, but still make it about him. If it wasn’t handled well, it could turn into something more like, I don’t know, The Avengers. A fantastic film, but I don’t think there was one main character – which works in that context, because there isn’t supposed to be. But in Doctor Who, not so great.

Conclusion

Mark McCullough’s recent article on the story of the week format possibly dying was fascinating for me, because all of my favourite TV shows (Breaking Bad not included!) follow that format, and it only occurred to me after reading his article that all of them are relatively old. So what can be done? I don’t think changing the entire format is necessary to make the show more serialized – a story of the week is still a charming, clever idea that has started to make Doctor Who unique, and I think it should absolutely stay that way.

I think, all the audience really needs in terms of serialization is a story, any story, that they can follow throughout a series. That doesn’t have to be plot-driven, it can be character driven and work just as well, if not better. This is where the crew idea comes in again. A whole ensemble cast means relationships and secrets that just aren’t possible on Doctor Who at the moment, and maybe further down the line, even those unexpected deaths of major characters that Game Of Thrones in particular is so well known for!

I don’t want the story of the week format to change, and I don’t think it has to. Look at Buffy. Look at Firefly and Angel and Sherlock and the first series of Agents Of SHIELD. All Doctor Who needs is a few more characters and suddenly a whole world of stories will open up that haven’t been able in its 51 years so far.