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Hello from out here on the Thames Delta. I have been letting everything slide and I need to get back on top of All The Things. Here’s what’s been happening in my office this week.

In this letter:

• Doctoring The Tardis

• The Chinese Way

• I Have Mail

• This Week In Grim

• LTD

THE WORLD SERVICE

DOCTORING THE TARDIS

So the news is out that Disney has ended their co-production deal with the BBC and Bad Wolf for DOCTOR WHO. The BBC has stated they intend to continue the show, with a Christmas 2026 special to be written by showrunner Russell T Davies, an announcement phrased in such a way that it casts doubt on the idea of him returning for another season. 

The producers rebranded the two seasons produced with Disney as seasons 1 and 2. They would have been seasons 14 and 15 of the “new” run, or seasons 40 and 41 if you count the original run. The rebrand was supposed to denote a jumping on point for new viewers, but there weren’t any. Those two series were mired in ancient WHO lore, failed to centre the Doctor, and were generally more interested in pop culture allusions than creating a solid basis. It’s said that much of the increased Disney-cash budget went on shooting in high resolution, which may explain why they only got two short seasons and an as yet unaired spin-off show out of the deal. There was much talk about building out the WHO canon into a Marvel Cinematic Universe space, a “WHOniverse,” that never came to pass, even though they had David Tennant as Retired Old Doctor all set up. 

This in the week that Paramount and Prime Video shed thousands of staff. Last year people in film and tv were saying “survive until 2025.” God knows what they’ll say about 2026. I know a producer who went into event planning because the contraction in the industry just isn’t stopping. 

High budget DOCTOR WHO was an interesting curiosity. I presume they get to keep the giant new TARDIS set that is bigger than my house. I naturally feel like a contracted budget would focus the attention more on inventive storytelling- that said, removing the need to shoot it in UHD or whatever the fuck it was would probably make the budgets make more sense anyway. And it’s not like Bad Wolf don’t know how to make the show look perfectly fine as is.

I’ve seen people assume Mark Gatiss is next in line to run the show - if you haven’t yet seen his not-quite-cosy period crime show BOOKISH, give it a look, by the way. Frankly, giving it to Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton would work too. There is a fixed idea that DOCTOR WHO must be a Saturday teatime show for all the family, but that idea comes from the days when there were teatimes and family Saturdays all gathered around the box together, and I think those days are long gone. 

(Those days also featured pretty female companions, sometimes in skimpy clothes, which was referred to by producers as “something for the dads,” if you’re wondering how long ago those days were)

And if you have any doubts that it’s still framed as a kid’s show, recall that the end of the first new season involved a giant canine god, a dog collar, a bungee cord and a whistle.

The last two seasons were, in many ways, backwards looking. The trappings were diverse, queer and culturally future-forward, but everything else was history and beholden to cultural antecedent and gimmick. Here’s the Bridgerton episode and the ffs Eurovision Song Contest episode. I mean, I get it, it’s a kid’s show at heart. But if the kids aren’t watching it, and it appears they’re not, then you have to question your first principles at some point. It doesn’t need to be R rated. But maybe it does need to be something new.

Anyway. I’m too old for DOCTOR WHO but it’s part of me so I keep an eye on it, and would hate to see it go away again.

All of which was just an excuse to play you this:

OPERATIONS

THE CHINESE WAY

My secret shame is that I love weird cheap Chinese tech and always have. There was a time where I’d torrent episodes of DEADWOOD to watch on a little Chinese video player while travelling. It’s always a bit odd, a bit cranky, a bit loose in time - elements of past and future jostling together in an ill-fitting case.

But. I wanted to try one of these mp3 players that are driven by SD cards - which meant I also needed SD cards, a card writer and a card case. All of which are sold for peanuts by various outlets. If I didn’t like them, I was only out a few quid. If I did, I could upgrade later.

(note also some cheap gel pens I like and a pendant I spotted)

I loaded Laura Cannell’s discography on to an SD card, stuck the card in the mp3 player, fiddled around with the player to get it to work (this stuff never works first time) and to get to grips with the user interface (some of you can remember WinAmp on Windows 3.1) and the weird earbuds (Chinese factories iterate on basic devices constantly and come up with hundreds of variations that seem to have been designed by a cheap AI, often ending up with the equivalent of a sweater with three sleeves). And holy crap I had forgotten just how plain and flat iPhone audio really is. Suddenly I have a portable soundstage again, with bass, warmth and detail.

My old Sony mp3 player is lovely but only has 20 GB on board with no expansion. I have three 128 GB SD cards for less than a fiver each to plug into this new player.

Now SD cards are too small to write on. So you never know that’s bloody on them! But I did buy a case to keep them in. Here’s my solution:

I have a roll of stickers laying around. So I cut one up, (badly) drew some lines, and made a map for the case. I’ll fill out the boxes and know what’s on each card. This is now the equivalent of the iPod trunk.

Happily disconnected, on the cheap, with small devices and space-saving objects.

A message from our supporters this week:

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ORBITAL

I HAVE MAIL

I got Riso art in the post this week from Dan Catt. Here’s how he made it. This is actually worth a read, because it’s an artist and maker incorporating AI into his workflow without giving anything important up. Dan isn’t stupid. He says:

Two things AI is very bad at;

1. Art

2. Facts

Three things AI is pretty good at;

1. Asking questions

2. Remembering things (with a little help)

3. Transcription

And I think that’s an excellent rule of thumb.

A year ago, me and some friends made an audio drama podcast called THE DEPARTMENT OF MIDNIGHT. This year, a band called Zero Lucks Given has made an album inspired by the show called THE ANOMALIST.

Your patience with electrickery may be tested by track one, so if squelchy noises aren’t your thing, go straight to track two and close your eyes. Amazing.

OPS

THIS WEEK IN GRIM

This week’s reading is AUTOCRACY INC by Anne Applebaum, which details how the world’s tyrants have formed a kind of dark web that insulates them against actions by liberal democracies, including the economic weapons derailed in CHOKEPOINTS. It’s grim reading - Applebaum is a coldly angry writer. There aren’t any laughs.  But the details are really interesting.

Loving the detail of it, hating all the horror stories - including the Chinse cyber influence op that caused a social media mob that led a Taiwanese diplomat to kill himself. It’s important reading, but not happy reading.

AUTOCRACY INC, Anne Applebaum (UK) (US)

GOT MORE TIME?

LTD

I keep a digital writer’s notebook and you’re invited to read over my shoulder.

Morning Computer: a few useful things first thing in my day

A care package from Zoharum Records

Notes on the film A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE

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And I’m off to see BUGONIA, because I need a rest. You get some rest too. See you next week.

W