"Reboot" a Classic Story for New Who

[Caledfwlch]

If you were Showrunner, and decided that in every season you would reboot at least one of your fave classic stories, what would you choose, and if you can think of anything what would you change?

I think my first would be Remembrance of the Daleks - and if the BBC don't have a complete collection of copies of Ben Aaronovitch's Scripts and ideas, from first draft etc, then I would get the cash tin out, and give him a few quid for an outline of what he originally planned - I wouldn't be entirely against getting him to reboot the script himself, but afaik, he hasn't worked regularly as a script writer for a TV show since the mid 90's, apart from one episode of a show called Dark Knight in 2001, so he likely doesn't fit the criteria to write for DW.

I remember interviews with him in things like DWM years ago, where he said that originally, Remembrance was going to be much bigger, but it all had to be scrapped due to budget - there would have been grand battles, in the streets of London between the Imperials and Renegades, "Battle Platforms" floating down the streets pumping out massive firepower and so on.

I love Group Captain "Chunky" Gilmore and the "Intrusion Counter Measures Group" a retconned forerunner to UNIT, though rather than an international organisation, it was a Division of the Royal Air Force Regiment. I think Big Finish have done a little audio play series following the ICMG, but seeing them on TV again would be very cool.

I would also, perhaps in the same season reboot Daleks Invasion Earth - it's always a little jarring that even though its supposed to be 2150, both the TV and film version look like 60's London, and of course, even being faithful to the look of the TV original would require major CGI, as in 1963, London still had plenty of rubble, craters etc left over from World War 2, so may as well use the CGI and/or model sets to portray a shattered future London. I totally get that in terms of scenery the budget made it impossible to show a future London in 1963, but they could have given people future looking clothing, and weapons rather than scruffy early 60's working persons clothes, and WW2 Ordinance.

 

[MemoryTale]

I would pick any episode where the ambition for the monster design ran head first into the budget for the monster design, and came up short. My immediate thought would be The Krotons. I read somewhere they were supposed to be these cool floating crystalline aliens, and what we got was a box with a crystal lumped on top.

I'd also redo the Claws of Axos, simply because I thought the concept of Axos was so darned cool I'd like to see something like it again.

 

[Caledfwlch]

I would love to see a Tenth Planet reboot using this year's Cyber Mondasian costumes.

I suppose the 5 Doctors could be rebooted easily too - Eccleston of course won't do it, leaving us with Tennant, Smith, Capaldi, and bring in Dave Bradley as the 1st Doctor, job done - Tom Baker refused to be in the original 5 Doctors. thus the 4th Doctor spends the story frozen, so we only need 4 Doctors, despite the title. If up to me, the rebooted Cyber Mondasian costumes would be used, rather than the current standard issue Armoured Cybe, with all the flashing lights on them, they would look awesome looming in the fog!

In many ways, I could see Earthshock being rebooted, even if it didn't make entire sense. The Cybes are trying to destroy Earth, because it is hosting an intergalactic conference to form an alliance to fight the Cybes. Yet, the Soldiers we meet, members of Earth's Military don't even recognise the Cybermen, don't know what they are???

 

[MemoryTale]

I would love to see a Tenth Planet reboot using this year's Cyber Mondasian costumes.

I suppose the 5 Doctors could be rebooted easily too - Eccleston of course won't do it, leaving us with Tennant, Smith, Capaldi, and bring in Dave Bradley as the 1st Doctor, job done - Tom Baker refused to be in the original 5 Doctors. thus the 4th Doctor spends the story frozen, so we only need 4 Doctors, despite the title. If up to me, the rebooted Cyber Mondasian costumes would be used, rather than the current standard issue Armoured Cybe, with all the flashing lights on them, they would look awesome looming in the fog!

In many ways, I could see Earthshock being rebooted, even if it didn't make entire sense. The Cybes are trying to destroy Earth, because it is hosting an intergalactic conference to form an alliance to fight the Cybes. Yet, the Soldiers we meet, members of Earth's Military don't even recognise the Cybermen, don't know what they are???

Would you believe I never noticed that before? Mind you Earthshock always had the protection of rose tinted glasses for me.

I just thunk another thought - The Happiness Patrol. Rumour has it, it was originally supposed to be shot as a film noire. I know a lot of people don't like it because of the sledgehammer anti-Thatcherism, but I was too young to notice it since I came to Who after the cancellation.

Also Ghost Light, rewritten to actually make sense.

 

[Caledfwlch]

Would you believe I never noticed that before? Mind you Earthshock always had the protection of rose tinted glasses for me.

I just thunk another thought - The Happiness Patrol. Rumour has it, it was originally supposed to be shot as a film noire. I know a lot of people don't like it because of the sledgehammer anti-Thatcherism, but I was too young to notice it since I came to Who after the cancellation.

Also Ghost Light, rewritten to actually make sense.

I didn't know about the film noire stuff, but it would have looked amazing shot that style!!
I didn't think Patrol was all that sledgehammer - the only people I have ever heard complain about the political satire elements tended to be in love with their "Blessed Margaret" so where heavily biased

I reckon Patrol could work as a reboot, make it a more general and subtle satire on the (dreadful) state of British Politics/Politicians in general, rather than attacking a specific party or satire. I need to re-watch, as it's been a few years, but my memory suggests that in some ways, its more a prophetic look foreseeing Tony Blair, than attacking Thatcher!

That was the main handicap of the Who creative team in 1988/89, they had some wonderful ideas to satire or discuss issues such as racism, politics etc, but didn't trust their audience enough to pick up on sublety, so it could be a bit sledgehammer.

One aspect that New Who has not had much of a go at, sadly, is using different filming techniques and styles to tell a story, we have seen some different and interesting techniques at the script level, but it would be pretty cool, if they also tried new stuff such as doing Film Noire, and shooting it in that style, all dark and moody, even, if necessary in black and white. You don't always have to make the scenery look like an alien world, you can stick some interesting filters onto the camera lens, and come up with some cool footage.

 

[BAYLOR]

The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Better special effects and production values would be a good staring point. This one rebooted could be alot of fun to watch.

 

[Vince W]

Full Circle. Only so Adric can be left behind in E-Space.

 

[BAYLOR]

Full Circle. Only so Adric can be left behind in E-Space.

But I liked Adric.