[Link] What Do Creators Owe Readers (or Media Consumers?)

Hint: It's not your head-canon

by Tony Sarrecchia

Let me get this out of the way early, because I can already feel the collective Internet squinting suspiciously in my direction: Creators owe you the best story they can tell.

That’s it. That’s the whole debt. Not the one you want to hear. Not the one that keeps your head-canon intact, or revives that beloved side character who died three spin-offs ago. Just the best story they’ve got in the tank at the moment, however wild, unexpected, or off-brand it may seem to longtime fans.

Let me explain before you start sharpening your lightsabers.

The Long and Wibbly-Wobbly Road

Let’s talk Doctor Who. It’s the storytelling equivalent of a ship of Theseus. Change a plank here, a personality there, swap one floppy-haired actor for another, and somehow, it’s still the TARDIS bumping its way through space and time. Since 1963, Doctor Who has been a cultural experiment in regeneration — not just of the Doctor, but of tone, pacing, themes, and audience expectations.

Classic Who fans might pine for the slower, more cerebral serials of the ’70s. Modern fans grew up with the kinetic, emotional chaos of the Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat eras. And now? The show’s spinning its next regeneration, with new/old showrunner Russell T Davies (again!) and a shiny new Doctor. Some fans rejoice. Others lament. All of them care deeply. (And yes, I have thoughts, but that’s a topic for another post).

But here’s the rub: Doctor Who is not a static object. It never was. It regenerates. That’s the whole point.

The show doesn’t owe you your favorite version forever. Ten and Rose? Done—-we are not coming back to it. What Doctor Who owes you a story worth telling, even if that means evolving past your preferences.

Read the full article: https://www.tonysarrecchia.com/p/what-do-creators-owe-readers-or-media