Doctor Who Season 14 Repeats An Opening Titles Trick For The Second Time In 4 Episodes
SUMMARY
- “73 Yards” breaks tradition by omitting the Doctor Who title sequence, enhancing the episode’s unique storyline and tone.
- Doctor Who ‘s fourth-wall-breaking approach in season 14 extends to the altered title sequences, reflecting reality-altering themes.
- The absence of the flashy title sequence in “73 Yards” aligns with the Earth-bound, relatively grounded narrative of the episode.
Doctor Who has tweaked several parts of the show’s formula during the Disney era, with “73 Yards” doubling down on a recent change to the title sequence. It may seem like a small alternation, but making any kind of change to the iconic Doctor Who opening titles is often considered very carefully, as evidenced by the rarity of the occurrence. The change in question does not concern the overhauls that take place between eras, but rather the temporary updates that have been applied to the title during Russell T Davies’ second stint as Doctor Who showrunner.
Doctor Who‘s Disney era began when David Tennant returned for a trio of special episodes for the show’s 60th anniversary. As such, the first installment to introduce the current version of the opening titles came in “The Star Beast.” Since then, there have been two notable, separate changes to sequences that have introduced members of the Doctor Who season 14 cast. However, they’ve been made easier to spot due to falling just two episodes apart.
“73 Yards” Is The 2nd Doctor Who Season 14 Episode To Change The Title Sequence
Doctor Who season 14, episode 4, “73 Yards” has no title sequence
The first episode of Doctor Who season 14 to toy with the title sequence came in “The Devil’s Chord,” when Maestro’s performance blended with the show’s theme song in episode 2. However, “73 Yards” takes things one step further by completely omitting the show’s recognizable opening credits. Of course, all the episode’s key figures, such as its stars and writers, are still credited on-screen. The biggest difference is that Doctor Who‘s flashy delivery method of said information is absent.
Instead of being gradually introduced to the episode’s premise before the start of the first act, “73 Yards” plunges its audience into the story right away.
The result of the decision makes “73 Yards” feel more like a short film than an installment of an episodic sci-fi adventure show. Instead of being gradually introduced to the episode’s premise before the start of the first act, “73 Yards” plunges its audience into the story right away. As a result, the change is more disruptive to the more recognizable structure of a Doctor Who episode than the alteration made to the title sequence in “Devil’s Chord.”
Doctor Who’s Altered Title Sequences Fit Season 14’s Fourth Wall-Breaking Approach
Russell T Davies hasn’t been afraid of acknowledging the audience in Doctor Who season 14
Doctor Who season 14 has broken the fourth wall several times already, with Maestro joining in with the theme music in “The Devil’s Chord” serving as a prime example of this group of occurrences. While it’s not quite as strong an example, it could also be that the lack of an opening title sequence in “73 Yards” also fits the description of a fourth wall break. It’s clearly a conscious decision that’s been made for creative reasons, and it reflects the episode’s theme of reality being inexplicably altered.
The “fourth wall” is the conceptual barrier between a production’s performers and its audience. If a character is said to have broken the fourth wall, it means they’ve made some form of acknowledgment of the production being fictional.
It’s possible, if not likely, that Doctor Who‘s fourth wall breaks aren’t over yet. Along with characters speaking directly with the audience, there have been several other instances that suggest that certain Doctor Who figures are acutely aware they’re in a work of fiction. This Deadpool-like approach is new ground for Doctor Who, so there’s no telling where it will go and how much it will inform the narrative going forward. The title sequence changes may be coming thick and fast, or the alterations may become even more prevalent within the main show.
The Doctor Who Title Sequence Wouldn’t Have Fit The Tone Of “73 Yards”
The Doctor saving the day isn’t a part of this particular story
“73 Yards” has a unique tone in the extensive catalog of Doctor Who episodes. Instead of a thrilling chase across the universe, the Doctor-lite story is set entirely on Earth with the narrative populated by mysterious figures who are never fully elaborated upon. So, “73 Yards” isn’t the sci-fi adventure for which Doctor Who has become known, and while it’s certainly more at home among the new fantasy elements introduced of late, it also doesn’t quite fit into that category either. Therefore, including the vibrant, exciting Doctor Who title sequence would create expectations that “73 Yards” wouldn’t live up to.
There’s no denying that “73 Yards” is thoroughly compelling, but the energetic Doctor Who title sequence plants the seed of the Doctor rushing to the rescue. Seeing as the Doctor never experiences most of the events of the episode, it would be inaccurate to foreshadow any heroics on his behalf. Instead, Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday leads the story as she slowly comes up with a solution to her immediate and ultimate problems over the course of several decades. As far as Doctor Who goes, “73 Yards” is incredibly grounded, so the flashiness of the title sequence would have been misplaced.
