Attn: Steven Moffat. You should pay me to write these.
So, Cy asked me a while back what I would do if I were the head writer for Doctor Who. Both of our responses were unsurprisingly bringing back the Master.
However, I started thinking about what I would write for an actual episode. And I don't mean the ideal episode where money doesn't matter and you can have all the special effects you want. I'm talking realistic episodes that could basically work within whatever constraints the season might have.
I have two ideas. First, which I'm sure will shock everyone, is an episode dealing with the Master. However, this episode would not need to cast an actor as the Master and would, in fact, only require the Doctor and his companions. For the sake of this argument, let us assume for now that it would be Amy and Rory.
Of course, this brings in a whole different set of challenges, since working with a limited cast cuts severely on the amount of characters they can interact with/get plot from. It would be interesting to attempt to pull off, though, you have to admit that.
The basis of the episode would be the TARDIS materializing into one of the Master's traps. The ultimate trap, that the Master prepared as their final chessboard. As far as money goes, the majority of it would go into sets, since there would be lots of traps and tricks for the TARDIS team to fall into/get out of. I'm sort of thinking Indiana Jones-eque sort of temple, all with written clues for the Doctor to taunt him (because the Master does so love to taunt). And, of course, the Doctor would be so terrible clever and reverse the polarity somehow to save the day. Yeah, so I haven't exactly fleshed this bit out yet, but since this can go many different ways and I'm lazy, I haven't come up with exact details yet.
I have come up with various reactions for Eleven upon finding clues. His first reaction to finding out the Master is behind the traps, to explaining to Amy and Rory who the Master is, to finally starting to enjoy the puzzles and Rory wondering if the Doctor should really be complimenting the Master when their lives are in danger. I want to play with the hope of finding another living Time Lord, even if it is a slightly deranged one. I especially want to play on the Doctor's mixed feelings of it being the Master, who is both friend and enemy. And I want a scene like in Alone in the Dark where Amy comforts the Doctor because I simply adore her taking up the mantle as the Doctor's best friend.
The big reveal is that the Master has abandoned the trap. Basically, he could never get the device he was creating to take over the recall on the Doctor's TARDIS to work. Disheartened, but unwilling to give up, the Master set up the letters in case the Doctor happened to stumble across his trap anyway, with signals to alert the Master should this happen. Naturally, all the letters will be written in Delgado Master voice, because really, I do love him. I imagine this would be something the Master returned to frequently to update the traps throughout his regenerations, but the notes would still be Delgado Master. Then the Doctor realizes that the Master is still dead/behind the time lock and there is general angst to make Mem happy.
Hey, I never said it would be a happy episode. XD
Anyway, that's sort of the bare bones of the idea. I think it would be an interesting one to actually develop, so Attn: Steven Moffat. Pay me to write this. No, really. I could use the cash.
Idea #2 is an historical episode. Which would actually require a lot of research on my part because it's no where near my era of expertise. I should probably fob this idea off on someone else. In terms of sets and money, this would probably be a bit more expensive. It would be a lot of outside sets, which means having to deal with natural lighting and weather. Also, it requires finding a place to film that looks vaguely like Virginia's coast.
Truthfully, I really haven't done anything with this idea other than to have the idea, so I haven't got a plot, as of yet. I can see it going two different ways, one happy ending and one angsty (I'm all in favor of the angsty one, but at the same time I think a lot of Eleven episodes need to lighten up recently, so I'd be game for the happy ending). But let's face it. Who has done Atlantis twice now, to my knowledge. Forget the fantasy forgotten island. Give us the real Lost Colony. Roanoke Colony has always intrigued me, to be honest. I'd totally be down for blaming it all on aliens. It's just the sort of thing you know the Doctor would be curious about. He wants to know and so do we! As far as I know, Roanoke hasn't been done in Who before.
In terms of audience, it shows us Americans that you like us. I don't imagine it's something that gets taught in any great depth over the pond, after all. Also, it allows you to cast British actors, since the colonists were all still British. Best of both worlds without bad American accents!
*just looked it up* Apparently, they have done Roanoke before in a first Doctor novel that actually sounds rather intriguing. Hm. I shall have to see if I have it. Plus, it has Christopher Marlowe in it and he apparently flirts with Steven. I'll get back to you on that. Still, they should totally do it canon-wise.
However, I started thinking about what I would write for an actual episode. And I don't mean the ideal episode where money doesn't matter and you can have all the special effects you want. I'm talking realistic episodes that could basically work within whatever constraints the season might have.
I have two ideas. First, which I'm sure will shock everyone, is an episode dealing with the Master. However, this episode would not need to cast an actor as the Master and would, in fact, only require the Doctor and his companions. For the sake of this argument, let us assume for now that it would be Amy and Rory.
Of course, this brings in a whole different set of challenges, since working with a limited cast cuts severely on the amount of characters they can interact with/get plot from. It would be interesting to attempt to pull off, though, you have to admit that.
The basis of the episode would be the TARDIS materializing into one of the Master's traps. The ultimate trap, that the Master prepared as their final chessboard. As far as money goes, the majority of it would go into sets, since there would be lots of traps and tricks for the TARDIS team to fall into/get out of. I'm sort of thinking Indiana Jones-eque sort of temple, all with written clues for the Doctor to taunt him (because the Master does so love to taunt). And, of course, the Doctor would be so terrible clever and reverse the polarity somehow to save the day. Yeah, so I haven't exactly fleshed this bit out yet, but since this can go many different ways and I'm lazy, I haven't come up with exact details yet.
I have come up with various reactions for Eleven upon finding clues. His first reaction to finding out the Master is behind the traps, to explaining to Amy and Rory who the Master is, to finally starting to enjoy the puzzles and Rory wondering if the Doctor should really be complimenting the Master when their lives are in danger. I want to play with the hope of finding another living Time Lord, even if it is a slightly deranged one. I especially want to play on the Doctor's mixed feelings of it being the Master, who is both friend and enemy. And I want a scene like in Alone in the Dark where Amy comforts the Doctor because I simply adore her taking up the mantle as the Doctor's best friend.
The big reveal is that the Master has abandoned the trap. Basically, he could never get the device he was creating to take over the recall on the Doctor's TARDIS to work. Disheartened, but unwilling to give up, the Master set up the letters in case the Doctor happened to stumble across his trap anyway, with signals to alert the Master should this happen. Naturally, all the letters will be written in Delgado Master voice, because really, I do love him. I imagine this would be something the Master returned to frequently to update the traps throughout his regenerations, but the notes would still be Delgado Master. Then the Doctor realizes that the Master is still dead/behind the time lock and there is general angst to make Mem happy.
Hey, I never said it would be a happy episode. XD
Anyway, that's sort of the bare bones of the idea. I think it would be an interesting one to actually develop, so Attn: Steven Moffat. Pay me to write this. No, really. I could use the cash.
Idea #2 is an historical episode. Which would actually require a lot of research on my part because it's no where near my era of expertise. I should probably fob this idea off on someone else. In terms of sets and money, this would probably be a bit more expensive. It would be a lot of outside sets, which means having to deal with natural lighting and weather. Also, it requires finding a place to film that looks vaguely like Virginia's coast.
Truthfully, I really haven't done anything with this idea other than to have the idea, so I haven't got a plot, as of yet. I can see it going two different ways, one happy ending and one angsty (I'm all in favor of the angsty one, but at the same time I think a lot of Eleven episodes need to lighten up recently, so I'd be game for the happy ending). But let's face it. Who has done Atlantis twice now, to my knowledge. Forget the fantasy forgotten island. Give us the real Lost Colony. Roanoke Colony has always intrigued me, to be honest. I'd totally be down for blaming it all on aliens. It's just the sort of thing you know the Doctor would be curious about. He wants to know and so do we! As far as I know, Roanoke hasn't been done in Who before.
In terms of audience, it shows us Americans that you like us. I don't imagine it's something that gets taught in any great depth over the pond, after all. Also, it allows you to cast British actors, since the colonists were all still British. Best of both worlds without bad American accents!
*just looked it up* Apparently, they have done Roanoke before in a first Doctor novel that actually sounds rather intriguing. Hm. I shall have to see if I have it. Plus, it has Christopher Marlowe in it and he apparently flirts with Steven. I'll get back to you on that. Still, they should totally do it canon-wise.