11.35: P.S.
In which we go off-piste a little.
Broadcast: October 2012
Watched: January 2022
I can see why they cut it. It doesn’t fit anywhere. Structurally it’s too similar to Amy writing to the Doctor. Also, as with all the best Chibnall stuff, it’s simply copied wholesale from somewhere else (in this case, it’s basically a bit of Blink). As with all the worst it’s not really thought through (Brian told them to go with the Doctor, now he will never see them again; shouldn’t this be acknowledged in some way?).
But for some drawings and some music and Arthur Darvill reading some lines it’s incredibly affecting. It does provide some closure to the Melody plot that the proper stuff doesn’t.
Also it sort of establishes a new sort of Doctor Who marginalia, sort of half finished stuff that might still sort of count. It’s the thing that will lead to Doctor Who: L ockdown, and the funeral of Sarah Jane and Jodie Whitaker doing in-character bits in her wardrobe.
Mind you I only watched it because Steffan [Alun, Welsh comedian extraordinaire] bangs on about it didn’t I.
One of my main bugbears about Chibnall’s work is his habit of just copying ideas, but not really thinking *why* it worked in the first place, but weirdly this is the only example where he nearly, but not quite gets away with it, imo. Partly due to Darvill’s delivery, but mainly because Moffat nicked the idea himself from the end of Back To The Future II so he’s just as guilty here (which he also pinched from for the pre-credits of The Big Bang of course).
It’s Steffan’s world, we just live in it.