6 FAINT PRAISE
Former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies picked up a lifetime achievement award at the festival - and gave a revealing interview that touched on the subject of Jodie Whittaker (below) being cast as the first female Doctor. "We did a very good job in 2005, but it was a different world back then," Davies said. "What [new showrunner] Chris Chibnall is brilliantly doing is making me and Steven Moffat look old-fashioned."
Many praised his honesty - but did Davies mean what he said? "I don't regret [not casting a female Doctor) at all because, let's be honest, you have to be self-deprecating with these remarks. It's how you play the game. I am very very proud of everything I made on Doctor Who. But would I have recast anyone I cast? Absolutely not."
8 FACTS AND FANTASY
The BBC announced a new three-part factual drama, The Barking Murders. Written by Jeff Pope and Neil McKay - the men behind The Moorside (about Shannon Matthews) and Appropriate Adult (about Fred West) - The Barking Murders will air next year and shed light on the killing of four men by Stephen Port.
The announcement jarred slightly with comments by BBC head of drama Piers Wenger, who called for more upbeat dramas on the Beeb. "I think there is an awful lot of very dark drama across all channels and I would love to see some more inspiring stories," he said. "So I would love a Sunday-night show that examines heroism and what it means to be a hero."
Still, we have Doctor Who to look forward to and Wenger said that new Time Lord Jodie Whitaker, "has a clear sense of the point of having a female doctor and what she wants to do with that role."
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