9. Create More Intriguing, Unconventional Races/Species
Whether it was the Catkind or the reinvention of the Silurians in the new series, or the Draconians or Ice Warriors from the original, there's nothing like the surprise that comes with races with their own internal societal structure and philosophies... and, of course, biologies. With the new series and the higher budget, there's less reason to just keep the aliens as "guys in suits" with a humanoid body-type, and if they're as intelligent or more intelligent than the humans, there's more potential within the adventures. There is admittedly some long tradition of anthropomorphizing traditional terrestrial forms in science fiction whether the creatures themselves are terrestrial or not but Doctor Who has always been good at going beyond that, whether the giant Tythonian Erato, the mutant Daleks, the admittedly ludicrous Alpha Centauri, and the inherently-protoplasmic Nestene Consciousness which can possess anything plastic. Even the Great Intelligence carries on the concept of a disembodied, telepathic mentality. If any show can come up with new races and new forms of sentience, it's Doctor Who. Certainly, there's the possibility for some contrast to make moral points, as well, for those who are fond of the types of morality play other science fiction has offered, and this provides an excellent way to do it.
Michael Marcus is a game designer, author, and mad scientist living in Hamtramck, Michigan; his current project list include a series of comic short-stories collectively called "One-Punch," a book on hypnosis and language called "The Prometheus Codex," a collaborative game project called "Art War," and a fun spy story called "The Adventures of Jack Uzi" at http://tinyurl.com/JackUziChannel (for those interested).
