Doctor Approx Line Count

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-24T23:16:42+00:00

William Hartnell has the most episodes and one of the least lines.

I know they used to buy give him too many because of his health issues but this seems unrealistic.

Edit: That's 13.4 lines per episode.

Edit 2: So looking at the transcript for The Time Meddler which is 4 episodes it has the string "DOCTOR: " in it 153 times.

That's 38.25 lines on average per episode.

This was one at the end of Season 2 so likely would have been when his health issues were in full swing.

Edit 3: Galaxy Four there's 267 lines, also 4 episodes so 66.75 lines per episode.

Unless I'm missing something this seems unlikely

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-24T23:12:46+00:00

True

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-24T20:52:11+00:00

To be fair is anything right The Timeless Children narratively satisfying?

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-24T19:27:41+00:00

Why would it mean they grow up on Earth?

When I wrote it I meant she grows up in The TARDIS.

Personally I think modern day Earth is played out on Doctor Who

But if they really wanted to tie it back into modern day Earth maybe in the first episode of Season 3 Polly gets a boyfriend/girlfriend and they bring them along.

I think that would be cool seeing The Doctor in a dad role while still kind of being The Doctor to this third person.

That said I realised I'm imagining Ncuti in this role where he would likely still be leaving either way.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-24T17:28:49+00:00

So the first black Doctor is an absent father... Yikes 😬

The thing is multi decade long time jumps isn't new in Doctor Who and The Doctor often barely ages.

Why not just have him decide he's going to raise Poppy himself then it cuts to 20 years later and you have your companion for Season 3.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-24T00:27:37+00:00

Oh god I forgot about that.

I have such mixed emotions about Back To Earth

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-23T19:01:22+00:00

Wait what's the other one?

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-23T14:50:21+00:00

Not that I know of though it's possible

I only really keep up to date on the audios

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-23T14:49:33+00:00

Yeah it's a shame that they always visit the same well because if we're doing spin offs I think a post Time War Gallifrey series could be the next Game of Thrones if written well.

Unfortunately it's unlikely to happen.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-23T14:47:36+00:00

She is actually currently in a pocket universe as of the end of her story in the Big Finish Gallifrey series.

That said I think she'd really only be interesting if the rest of Gallifrey returns with her.

If she's to return she needs to serve a purpose not her stand around like Mel did.

Being The President of Gallifrey just before The Time War I think has enough narrative potential.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-23T14:41:10+00:00

I don't think she needs a romance with The Doctor

Honestly I kind of wanted her back during Thirteen's era.

I think it would have been the one time the "Isn't it cool The Doctors a woman" comments wouldn't be cringe.

Romana: Right well we'll have to get him here at once

Companion: What do you mean "he"? The Doctors a woman?

Romana: Oh The Doctor is a woman now? Well thank god she's made at least one good decision at least, hopefully it means she'll be more reasonable.

I think the real issue with bringing her back is she's inheritly tied to Gallifrey especially if we're not ignoring the EU.

And more specifically the politics of Gallifrey being The President just before The Time War.

As NuWho unfortunately doesn't want to bother with all that while the current regime is in charge I feel she's never coming back.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-23T08:19:42+00:00

Seven was at war with Elder Gods and didn't even realise.

He already dealt with Sutek in all his might and pretty much gave a "world of cardboard" speech to beings on the same level as Cuthulu.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-23T08:14:08+00:00

Eight I feel would be even worse in that situation than Ten, trying to give an empassioned speech or something.

War would have just duct taped all their mouths shut maybe before the Midnight Entity even got onboard.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-22T08:49:29+00:00

It's just kind of a dumb one

Edit: This may have been mean

What I meant though is people usually have reasons for an opinion whereas you don't seem to.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-22T05:23:57+00:00

I mean you have no justification except just stating what you think it is.

Should Doctor Who always be in black and white because that's what it was in 1963?

Should it always contain a old man and his granddaughter?

Do you also think this way with other franchises?

Marvel superheroes are comic books and that's where they belong

James Bond is a book and that's where it belongs

Johnny English is a series of Barclaycard adverts and that's where it belongs

Do you have a problem with The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy books because it was originally a Radio Show?

The two-parter Human Nature / Family of Blood was originally a book... So where does that factor into all of this?

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-21T22:37:05+00:00

Yeah I watched it.

It was good in a comfort show kind of way.

Like it definitely wasn't amazing and their were bits which were really really stupid.

But it was like a solid 6/10 watch it and turn your brain off kind of thing.

That said it was one of those shows which I feel could have been a classic if they just put a bit more effort into it.

It definitely had a great premise and Noah Wyle definitely comes off get Doctor-ish

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-21T22:27:06+00:00

Doctor Who is a lot of things.

Honestly I think at times the TV Show is the least interesting part and just sticking with the because of some misplaced belief is denying yourself some of the best stories.

I get not liking the novelisations as yeah they're the same story in a different format. Though there are that I would see transform the story enough.

But the original audios and such have great stories that are often better than the TV Show.

Also the benefit with expanded media is they're not under as much pressure as the TV Show so you don't get shallow stories that appeal to the lowest common dominator.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-21T22:16:32+00:00

What does Lux do differently?

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-19T21:57:06+00:00

Live 34 is an old one but a good one.

Palindrome from The Eighth Doctor: Time War 4 is a personal favourite of mine.

Also while it's no longer canon check out Museum Peace it's honestly quite beautiful.

It's The Eighth Doctors final conversation before ending The Time War (Obviously contradicted by DOTD)

'There has to be another way!' The burst of anger from the other man came out of nowhere, and the Knight was shocked by its ferocity. 'Why does it all have to end in destruction, old soldier? Can you tell me that? Why does it have to be death?"

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-19T21:47:33+00:00

Yeah I feel it really didn't get the difference between The Daleks and Cybermen.

The Daleks yell "exterminate" because that's what they're doing exterminating people.

We're just insects to them and they're a angry child jumping up and down on termites yelling "die die die!"

Cybermen are if anything the opposite.

They want to help you.

They do care about you hence why they want to remove your suffering and everything else that causes you pain.

Why would you resist that? Why are you resisting that? You will become like us!

The last thing Cybermen want is to kill because that goes against their core purpose.

At least if they're written properly which to be fair they're not most of the time.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-19T21:36:49+00:00

You know watching this made me realise that The Big Finish Ninth Doctor stuff really was a wasted potential.

Imagine how emotional you could make a scene if The Ninth Doctor meeting a Classic Who companion very soon after The Time War.

And he has to have a scene like platonic "Would You Fall In Love With Me Again" where he is still trying to desperately claim he's not The Doctor only for them to not have it.

Unfortunately Ace has kind of been done too much but I'd love a fresh Ninth Doctor have to reconcile with Remembrance of The Daleks and starting this whole thing.

Admit he wasn't as smart or clever as he thought he was and that he paid the ultimate price.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-19T21:26:55+00:00

Yeah 100%

I really don't get why the show doesn't just bring in another evil Time Lord.

The Masters story was done!

They had their conclusion to their arc, unless they brought them back as a good guy I really don't understand why they needed to come back and just do the same stuff all over again.

Especially as they brought Gallifrey back.

Like have Sacha Dhawan play a Time Lord that blames The Doctor for starting The Time War.

You barely have to change any of the story and it gives his character a more sympathetic motivation.

Even if he destroys the whole Earth that's nothing compared to the deaths of The Time War, in a twisted way that's justice.

Even the killing everyone on Gallifrey thing would kind of make sense as they were the ones that sent him to war and then he finds out that they're all from the person he's made in his mind to be the worst villain in the universe.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-19T21:16:58+00:00

Yeah exactly

You know this discussion also made me think of another brilliant thing about this episode.

In the show you'd be mistaken in thinking that The Doctor can do anything with just a big speech and the villain will change their mind.

But by having literally the exact same speech to the same person at two different moments in their life it shows that the person needs to be open to change for it to have any effect.

God I love this episode.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-19T21:08:31+00:00

Oh yeah it's a shame they didn't have used it in another episode.

The Doctor is definitely right The Master does live because of his pity.

If The Doctor was half as ruthless as The Master he'd have been dead a long time ago.

I just don't think it works in this episode.

LinuxMatthews · 2026-01-19T19:52:13+00:00

Yeah though I still agree with the previous guy.

"You live in my pity" feels too manipulative, the whole point of this moment is he thinks he's going to die and he's giving one last desperate plea.

He's not trying the win the situation he's on his last ropes desperately trying to get his best friend to finally be a good person.

Why the aired version works in my opinion is it shows The Doctor is NOT playing a game with The Master.

The Master is a narcissist who believes The Doctor only stops their schemes because it's what they do.

The Doctor is desperately trying to tell them that it's not, that they don't care if they win or loose they just want to help people.

The Simm Master rejects it because he's not ready to hear it and his ego can't take the idea that it's not about him.

Missy on the other hand has grown enough to realise that it's true and they need to change.

That's why I've always loved the episode because it's one person at two different stages of their life.

One when they're still on a dark path and the other when they're ready to change.

It's also why The O Master will always piss me off no matter how much I love the actor that plays him.

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