Doctor Who: 10 Dos And Don'ts Of Episode Writing

By James Alexander Allen /

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9. Don€™t Go Overboard With Large Monologues

OK, OK. He€™s the Doctor and the one thing he can do is talk. He€™s got five billion languages and we haven€™t got one way of stopping him. But that doesn€™t mean he has to overdo it. Every incarnation of the Doctor should have at least a couple of famous speeches under their belt. They can even have one or two every season and get away with it. But there should not be more than one grand speech in one episode. If my memory serves me correctly, €˜Evolution of the Daleks€™ featured a glorious burst of righteous anger every time somebody died! Similarly, €˜The Rings of Akhaten€™ recently featured an epic monologue from the Doctor, then one from Clara and then another one from the Doctor. Three monologues in ten minutes. With displays of the Doctor€™s power with words, less is always more. An overabundance of talking could turn a beautiful scene into an annoyance.