Russell T Davies And The Lure Of America
So what are you up to in LA? Can you talk about it?
“I’m going to be slightly vague, just because of the nature of these things. It’s working for Worldwide, for Worldwide to become a studio out there. It’s payback time, I think. Worldwide and the BBC have supported us so well that it’s really in their interest then to get stuff into American studios. They’ve got a huge hit out there with Dancing With The Stars, which is Strictly Come Dancing. That’s just the start of their ambitions. They want dramas, they want everything. So I’m out there developing stuff for them with Julie and Jane Tranter. You know what it’s like with development, it can take five years to get something made…”
Are they dramas based on existing properties?
“I wouldn’t do that, but that’s part of the push. Everyone knows that Gavin And Stacey is being reformatted out there. In the papers the other day they mentioned Butterflies! And a fully Americanised version of Holby. But I wouldn’t be interested in reinventing a show like that. I like developing new stuff. It could be co-productions with the BBC. And also with money haemhorraging everywhere, it’s the future anyway, you pay half and we’ll pay half. Everyone gets budgets for half-price. So you get proper co-productions. But getting the BBC – not Worldwide – to liaise with an American studio is like VHS and Betamax! And I know who Betamax is… It’s really going to be interesting and fascinating. But if anyone’s in a position to do that it’s me and Jane and Julie because we know the BBC backwards. We know all its strengths and weaknesses, and we know Worldwide, because we’ve worked with them so often on Doctor Who. I’m not saying we’ll succeed, but we’ll have a good try. It’s just an adventure. It’s simply that Doctor Who is so massive and so brilliant and to be blunt, I could go and get a six-parter for ITV tomorrow, and I will one day, but that’s what I was doing before. I thought ‘Why go backwards?’ Why not take all the stuff you’ve learned on this show about marketing and branding - and actually there’s no other show in Britain to do that on, there simply isn’t, there’s nothing that big, and never will be. So simply a chance to do that. And then in a few years I will be dying to do a six-parter for ITV, and I will come back and do that. There’s no way I’m moving out there permanently. It’s too f**king hot!”
How do you find it personally? People always say that it’s a vacuum over there for British people creatively.
“No, it’s not. People are just snotty about it. Telly people are clever, telly people over there are dead sharp… I could talk about this forever. It’s fascinating to watch this stuff. It’s a completely different thing to watch it on transmission than it is to watch box sets. I love Flash Forward, it’s a great show, it’s going out at 10 o’clock on Five over here… last episode, lovely great big strong lesbian story in there, lovely upfront relationship. Fascinating, in America – that’s going out at 8 o’clock at night. If you ask people over here they say, ‘Oh, there are no gay stories over here,’ but there are masses of them, and they’re transmitted at 8 o’clock. We just survive culturally by imagining that we’re better than America in our oppression, and actually it’s so misconceived. I’m watching the cop shows and the crime shows, and I’m years from making any definite conclusions, and maybe any definite conclusions will be nonsense, but I can absolutely tell right now that at the top level, their best writing is no better than our best writing. But what is fascinating is that at the bottom level, their worst writing is far better than our worst writing. It’s more structured, it’s more clean, they know what they’re doing. So a piece of rubbish on American TV is much better made than a piece of rubbish on British TV.”
Do you think that’s due to the system? The writing room and all that?
“It’s not just the room. It’s simply that it’s a proper job out there. Writers in this country are still slightly embarrassed about saying ‘I’m a writer, it’s part-time, it’s a hobby…’ And even when they’re working very hard, Frank Cottrell-Boyce said this, the writers actually want to go home to the pub, and home to the attic. And in America they want to be on set making the show. It’s literally a different approach to it.It’s a more professional approach, a more real approach. It’s less mystical, and more hard work. And that’s a very American ethos, hard work. And of course it has its faults. I’m absolutely not saying that it’s a perfect system. I’ve discovered the faults in it as well as the strengths. But it’s amazing just to see how everything is designed to succeed. Which doesn’t mean that it does succeed – things could fall apart, and it’s always an imprecise science, but that’s not true of British programmes. A lot of them can apologetically slide on air with a bit of a shrug saying ‘Oh well, we tried’. And I love that hype. That stuff is expensive and it’s designed to be seen.”
The scythe falls very quickly, though.
“Yes, it does. I’m just getting used to that transmission pattern. Supernatural will have been on for five weeks and now it’s having a break! What? How stupid is that? And then you watch the other channel not having a break and stealing all their viewers! It amazes me. Let’s have a great night on ABC, let’s show Flash Forward on a Thursday night, Friday night – all repeated! Can you imagine that on BBC One? We’re showing Thursday night again! British telly would never do that. We’d have new programmes on. And yet, when you’re sitting there, you get used to it. You’re sitting there on the Thursday thinking, ‘Oh, I could watch it tomorrow!’ It’s amazing how quickly you get used to these different rhythms.
"One area in which I think our television is better is the horrific hour between 7 and 8, which is their entertainment shows, because it’s such a showbiz culture. There’s an hour of Entertainment Tonight and a ruthless, vicious showbiz show called The Insider, which is vile and yet vastly watchable. And you think, 'Actually, I’m glad we make Emmerdale in this country.' Because that’s actually a nobler pursuit than making these shows! But it’s fascinating to watch. It’s not as simple as transplanting that culture into our culture. People in this country always say, ‘Oh, you should bring the writer’s room over here…’ Well, you could never afford it, don’t even talk rubbish, it’s never going to happen. It does happen on certain sitcoms and they’re rubbish. When we do it over here we get students in to do it – I’m glad that they can do it on air, but it doesn’t raise the standard of writing at all. I had dinner with Jane Espenson, and they have misconceptions about American television as well. You’d be surprised at how many writers there are dying to come here. To them, to write six hours is a joy – no, we don’t have to do 22 hours, we can do really small, authored pieces.
"And it’s interesting, because someone like Jane Espenson, if she was British, by this stage in her career she would have had seven or eight authored shows of her own, with her own titles, and yet, brilliantly, the great misconception, and I do love her for saying this, she says, ‘Oh, I do envy that system, where you get six hours of television. It must be so nice to start production with all your six scripts sitting there!’ Well, hold on a minute – you’re lucky if you’ve got two sitting there when you start! She was amazed to realise that it was the same kick-bollock scramble over here that it was over there. Some things don’t change. It’s probably only of interest to me in the end, affecting the way that I write, and I can’t see that changing… I certainly have to deliver more treatments and more structured breakdowns and things like that, which I’m lucky enough to get away with not doing in this country. But I can do that. I’m not worried about that.”
How long will you be over there?
“A few years. I’ll always come back in the end. It’s good timing, because everything is collapsing. It’s a recession in America right now, but a recession in American television is still 50 times the size of what’s happening here. They’re all complaining, saying that there’s no work, but if you look at the output you think there’s masses of work, it’s enormous. There’s a lot of ambition out there as well. It’s hard, because I don’t know to what extent I’d ever get a network show out there. It’s a bit disingenuous to think I’m going out there as a complete novice because the American version of Queer As Folk ran on Showtime for five years. That still opens doors. And they’ve heard of Doctor Who and Torchwood, of course. It’s really interesting. I can’t tell where it’s heading, but I’m really glad that I’m doing it.”
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Russell T Davies on “The End Of Time"
So what’s the tone of The End Of Time? How doomy can you be on Christmas Day?
Russell T Davies: “It’s unusual. It’s got that kind of ‘Logopolis’ air to it, and I always liked that, because he knew from episode one that something doom-laden and sinister was on its way.”
With the Cloister Bell…?
“Yeah, the Cloister Bell, and the Watcher watching him… It’s got a little bit of that atmosphere to it. Whereas “Planet Of The Spiders” you didn’t know until everything went tits-up at the end of that last episode! ‘Oh dear, I’m going to regenerate!’ This has got that funereal air of ‘Logopolis’ – but it’s not just funereal. You’re talking about five or six scenes.”
You’re bringing back the Master. There’s such a good dynamic between John Simm and David. Did you want to build on that?
“I think one of the only problems with ‘Last Of The Time Lords’ is that they didn’t have much material together. It’s really, really hard to put the Doctor and the Master in a scene together, unless you start writing nonsense, like they say, ‘Ha ha, let’s team up to save the universe!’ And then the Master double-crosses him behind his back… There are rubbish ways of bringing them together. But really, to put the Doctor in a room with a mass murderer is really difficult, because he’s not going to let him go. And he’s not going to forgive him, he’s not going to let him loose onto other people. So if you treat it as real then you really can’t have them together for long, because either one of them would do something about it. The Master would kill the Doctor or the Doctor would stop the Master.
“But I’ve found ways around it. They have much more screen time together this time. But there’s a limit to it. You can’t have great long scenes of them having a chat together, because they are absolute opposites. And I had no idea that John Simm is such a genre fan! I didn’t realise this the first time I worked with him, but you can sit and have a half-hour conversation with him about Superman and The X-Men. He loves all that sort of stuff.”
So what kind of beats did you want to hit in this final story?
“In a way you want to hit every beat. You want to have really funny moments. In the opening scene the Doctor comes up with one of those rattling, fast Doctor speeches, where every other word is a punchline, and David delivers it at top speed. And there’s one of the cheekiest jokes in the world in there. So it’s your last chance to do that. It’s a rattlingly funny scene. He gets scenes with June Whitfield where I’d be hooting with laughter. So a lot of that’s played to the hilt. I always thought Bernard Cribbins was like discovering a great secret, because he’s so brilliant, he’s so loved by people, you think ‘Why isn’t this man on the screen all the time?’ And to put those two together… because the Doctor and Wilf actually had very little to do with each other in series four. They had some funny scenes together, but not much. So to put those two together, to have an 80 year-old man talking to a 900 year-old man, and talking about the end of their lives basically… It’s like a showreel. You want David’s funniest moments, you want his most emotional moments, and as ever you’re always looking for scenes that the Doctor hasn’t done before, to push him into new areas. There are a lot of those in this.”
And pushing David as well.
“Yes… well, he doesn’t need to be pushed, he excels in those areas, but it’s finding stuff that make him feel like it’s a different day at work. Waving the sonic about and opening doors is not going to be a different day at work. Give him a challenge. Make him take a deep breath and think, ‘Wow, big day at work today…’ And then the camera crew does the same and the director does the same and everyone says ‘This is important.’
“But you know, it’s the death episodes, they’ve got that built into them. It’s the weirdest game to play with the public: everyone knows it’s happening, everyone knows it’s on its way, no one quite knows how, no one knows how they’ll feel at the end of it… it’s brilliant, a really rare opportunity to do that. I hope we haven’t worn it thin! Sometimes you think there must be people thinking ‘Is he still there? Hasn’t he gone yet?’”
Russell T Davies: “It’s unusual. It’s got that kind of ‘Logopolis’ air to it, and I always liked that, because he knew from episode one that something doom-laden and sinister was on its way.”
With the Cloister Bell…?
“Yeah, the Cloister Bell, and the Watcher watching him… It’s got a little bit of that atmosphere to it. Whereas “Planet Of The Spiders” you didn’t know until everything went tits-up at the end of that last episode! ‘Oh dear, I’m going to regenerate!’ This has got that funereal air of ‘Logopolis’ – but it’s not just funereal. You’re talking about five or six scenes.”
You’re bringing back the Master. There’s such a good dynamic between John Simm and David. Did you want to build on that?
“I think one of the only problems with ‘Last Of The Time Lords’ is that they didn’t have much material together. It’s really, really hard to put the Doctor and the Master in a scene together, unless you start writing nonsense, like they say, ‘Ha ha, let’s team up to save the universe!’ And then the Master double-crosses him behind his back… There are rubbish ways of bringing them together. But really, to put the Doctor in a room with a mass murderer is really difficult, because he’s not going to let him go. And he’s not going to forgive him, he’s not going to let him loose onto other people. So if you treat it as real then you really can’t have them together for long, because either one of them would do something about it. The Master would kill the Doctor or the Doctor would stop the Master.
“But I’ve found ways around it. They have much more screen time together this time. But there’s a limit to it. You can’t have great long scenes of them having a chat together, because they are absolute opposites. And I had no idea that John Simm is such a genre fan! I didn’t realise this the first time I worked with him, but you can sit and have a half-hour conversation with him about Superman and The X-Men. He loves all that sort of stuff.”
So what kind of beats did you want to hit in this final story?
“In a way you want to hit every beat. You want to have really funny moments. In the opening scene the Doctor comes up with one of those rattling, fast Doctor speeches, where every other word is a punchline, and David delivers it at top speed. And there’s one of the cheekiest jokes in the world in there. So it’s your last chance to do that. It’s a rattlingly funny scene. He gets scenes with June Whitfield where I’d be hooting with laughter. So a lot of that’s played to the hilt. I always thought Bernard Cribbins was like discovering a great secret, because he’s so brilliant, he’s so loved by people, you think ‘Why isn’t this man on the screen all the time?’ And to put those two together… because the Doctor and Wilf actually had very little to do with each other in series four. They had some funny scenes together, but not much. So to put those two together, to have an 80 year-old man talking to a 900 year-old man, and talking about the end of their lives basically… It’s like a showreel. You want David’s funniest moments, you want his most emotional moments, and as ever you’re always looking for scenes that the Doctor hasn’t done before, to push him into new areas. There are a lot of those in this.”
And pushing David as well.
“Yes… well, he doesn’t need to be pushed, he excels in those areas, but it’s finding stuff that make him feel like it’s a different day at work. Waving the sonic about and opening doors is not going to be a different day at work. Give him a challenge. Make him take a deep breath and think, ‘Wow, big day at work today…’ And then the camera crew does the same and the director does the same and everyone says ‘This is important.’
“But you know, it’s the death episodes, they’ve got that built into them. It’s the weirdest game to play with the public: everyone knows it’s happening, everyone knows it’s on its way, no one quite knows how, no one knows how they’ll feel at the end of it… it’s brilliant, a really rare opportunity to do that. I hope we haven’t worn it thin! Sometimes you think there must be people thinking ‘Is he still there? Hasn’t he gone yet?’”
David Tennant talks Doctor Who
The last Doctor Who specials starring David Tenant as the doctor are airing in America around Christmas*. We got to sit in on what might be the last time Tenant talks about upcoming Dr. Who projects in a press conference with the Television Critics Association. Of course, he’s sure to be analyzing fanboy questions for the rest of his career.
Q: What was your experience with the fans at Comic-Con?
David Tennant: I wanted to crowd dive, but they were all sitting down. It was a bit disappointing for me. I figured that was probably the only opportunity in my life I'm going to get to do it. It was great. I mean, it was great fun. It was such an extraordinary experience.
Q: How will the remaining episodes lead up to a new doctor replacing you?
David Tennant: I think this doctor likes being this doctor. He's raging against the dying of the light and I think that's kind of the beat that we play, don't we? That's the story. He knows that the sands of time are running out. He's been told, and the bell is tolling for him, and he doesn't want to go quietly. So I think that's how we play that.
Q: Is this bittersweet for you?
David Tennant: It's so many things, actually. It's very exciting, but it's also very sad. It's thrilling to be handing over the show in such good health actually. It feels that we're all leaving together. Well, Euros might go back one day but we've all sort of come on this journey together, and it feels like we're coming to the end of something very special. So it's a whole mixture of emotions, actually, and probably until they actually transmit, I won't quite know how it feels. I don't think any of us really will because we're still sort of clinging on in there until the shows go out.
Q: So what’s next? How do you follow this up?
David Tennant: Long term, I don't really know. In the immediate future, I've just done a television version of Hamlet and I'm doing a film called St. Trinian’s 2. I don't know after that.
Q: At Comic-Con you famously kissed John Barrowman good-bye, so are we going to get anything like that?
David Tennant: Come up here… The moment was right. You know, it just felt appropriate at the time and you know you'll get a headline in The Sun back home as soon as you do that. So it was worth it for that.
Q: The doctor had pretty steady companions for a few series, and then for the specials the doctor's been solo with new companions. How's it been shooting these specials? How has that changed the dynamic on the set for you?
David Tennant: Well, it's been slightly different in each one. In the first one, we had Michelle Ryan who, for all intents and purposes, was the companion, and she's fantastic. Although she was a very distinct character, she's kind of in the mold of the traditional beautiful woman, sort of feisty. But in the next special, the closer thing we have to a companion is Lindsay Duncan, who is an older woman, which is not something the show has done before. She probably thinks she's more in charge than the doctor is. In many ways, she is, actually. So that's a different dynamic and then coming into that final two-part story. Although Catherine Tate is back and Donna is a big part of that story, really, the companion is Bernard Cribbins, the first time the doctor has had an 80-year-old man as his sidekick, really. So it's been great to get to play these different facets of the character, I suppose. And the doctor himself is also slightly on the run from himself and on the run from the inevitable. So he's trying not to get too close to anyone. So it's important that there's a kind of revolving door of confidence for him. But getting to see Bernard Cribbins as well in that final story is so brilliant and moving, and he's just such a great actor that that was a great finish to the story for me. What you get is these wonderful scenes of these two old men. The doctor is a lot older than Wilf, and yet the two of them get to sit down and discuss life in a way that we've never seen the doctor be able to do before. So it's just a way of reinventing the wheel, I suppose, with this character who has been around since 1963, and yet we are still managing to find a new aspect of him, I think.
Q: Since it is sci-fi and we have seen previous regenerations come back, would you ever come back even just for a cameo?
David Tennant: I'll wait for the correct opportunity, but I've got the costume hanging up in my wardrobe. As long as I can keep my waistline and still fit into the trousers, never say never.
Q: Why leave now when it's so big?
David Tennant: I think sometimes you have to sort of take a deep breath and make a difficult decision, and I like the fact that I stand a chance of leaving an audience and myself wanting more rather than people asking when I'm leaving. I never had a definite stepping-off point, but when Russell [T. Davies] and Julie [Gardner] were moving on, it seemed like the obvious time. It seemed like a natural end for all of us, really.
Q: When you signed on to do Doctor Who, did you know what you were going to do with the role?
David Tennant: I sort of responded to what was in the script. I tried not to sit down and work out a list of self-conscious quirks because I think it can become sort of cloyingly quirky in the wrong way. I think idiosyncrasies are better born than imposed. So I tried acting not to think not much about it until the first script arrived, and then I just responded to what Russell had written. And then working with directors like Euros, we just sort of bumbled through it, really.
Q: Who is your favorite Doctor Who as a fan growing up?
David Tennant: Tom Baker and Peter Davison were the two that I grew up with. So I think there is something about, like, a chick hatching from an egg. I think that's kind of who you imprint on it, who you see first. So I guess I'd say them, but I like them all.
Q: What is the tone of the last two specials?
David Tennant: I think Planet of the Dead that has just screened was probably the last hurrah for the tenth doctor in terms of the [being] untroubled. I mean, he was in mortal danger, but he was loving it. Really, from The Waters of Mars and heading into that final story, the sword of Damocles is dangling, I think, and that informs everything that goes on. It all pans out as well, doesn't it? Whereas The Waters of Mars, it all takes place in a very small location in Doctor Who terms. Then that final story, it becomes epic, almost like a fairytale. You have that kind of scale to it.
Q: What was your experience with the fans at Comic-Con?
David Tennant: I wanted to crowd dive, but they were all sitting down. It was a bit disappointing for me. I figured that was probably the only opportunity in my life I'm going to get to do it. It was great. I mean, it was great fun. It was such an extraordinary experience.
Q: How will the remaining episodes lead up to a new doctor replacing you?
David Tennant: I think this doctor likes being this doctor. He's raging against the dying of the light and I think that's kind of the beat that we play, don't we? That's the story. He knows that the sands of time are running out. He's been told, and the bell is tolling for him, and he doesn't want to go quietly. So I think that's how we play that.
Q: Is this bittersweet for you?
David Tennant: It's so many things, actually. It's very exciting, but it's also very sad. It's thrilling to be handing over the show in such good health actually. It feels that we're all leaving together. Well, Euros might go back one day but we've all sort of come on this journey together, and it feels like we're coming to the end of something very special. So it's a whole mixture of emotions, actually, and probably until they actually transmit, I won't quite know how it feels. I don't think any of us really will because we're still sort of clinging on in there until the shows go out.
Q: So what’s next? How do you follow this up?
David Tennant: Long term, I don't really know. In the immediate future, I've just done a television version of Hamlet and I'm doing a film called St. Trinian’s 2. I don't know after that.
Q: At Comic-Con you famously kissed John Barrowman good-bye, so are we going to get anything like that?
David Tennant: Come up here… The moment was right. You know, it just felt appropriate at the time and you know you'll get a headline in The Sun back home as soon as you do that. So it was worth it for that.
Q: The doctor had pretty steady companions for a few series, and then for the specials the doctor's been solo with new companions. How's it been shooting these specials? How has that changed the dynamic on the set for you?
David Tennant: Well, it's been slightly different in each one. In the first one, we had Michelle Ryan who, for all intents and purposes, was the companion, and she's fantastic. Although she was a very distinct character, she's kind of in the mold of the traditional beautiful woman, sort of feisty. But in the next special, the closer thing we have to a companion is Lindsay Duncan, who is an older woman, which is not something the show has done before. She probably thinks she's more in charge than the doctor is. In many ways, she is, actually. So that's a different dynamic and then coming into that final two-part story. Although Catherine Tate is back and Donna is a big part of that story, really, the companion is Bernard Cribbins, the first time the doctor has had an 80-year-old man as his sidekick, really. So it's been great to get to play these different facets of the character, I suppose. And the doctor himself is also slightly on the run from himself and on the run from the inevitable. So he's trying not to get too close to anyone. So it's important that there's a kind of revolving door of confidence for him. But getting to see Bernard Cribbins as well in that final story is so brilliant and moving, and he's just such a great actor that that was a great finish to the story for me. What you get is these wonderful scenes of these two old men. The doctor is a lot older than Wilf, and yet the two of them get to sit down and discuss life in a way that we've never seen the doctor be able to do before. So it's just a way of reinventing the wheel, I suppose, with this character who has been around since 1963, and yet we are still managing to find a new aspect of him, I think.
Q: Since it is sci-fi and we have seen previous regenerations come back, would you ever come back even just for a cameo?
David Tennant: I'll wait for the correct opportunity, but I've got the costume hanging up in my wardrobe. As long as I can keep my waistline and still fit into the trousers, never say never.
Q: Why leave now when it's so big?
David Tennant: I think sometimes you have to sort of take a deep breath and make a difficult decision, and I like the fact that I stand a chance of leaving an audience and myself wanting more rather than people asking when I'm leaving. I never had a definite stepping-off point, but when Russell [T. Davies] and Julie [Gardner] were moving on, it seemed like the obvious time. It seemed like a natural end for all of us, really.
Q: When you signed on to do Doctor Who, did you know what you were going to do with the role?
David Tennant: I sort of responded to what was in the script. I tried not to sit down and work out a list of self-conscious quirks because I think it can become sort of cloyingly quirky in the wrong way. I think idiosyncrasies are better born than imposed. So I tried acting not to think not much about it until the first script arrived, and then I just responded to what Russell had written. And then working with directors like Euros, we just sort of bumbled through it, really.
Q: Who is your favorite Doctor Who as a fan growing up?
David Tennant: Tom Baker and Peter Davison were the two that I grew up with. So I think there is something about, like, a chick hatching from an egg. I think that's kind of who you imprint on it, who you see first. So I guess I'd say them, but I like them all.
Q: What is the tone of the last two specials?
David Tennant: I think Planet of the Dead that has just screened was probably the last hurrah for the tenth doctor in terms of the [being] untroubled. I mean, he was in mortal danger, but he was loving it. Really, from The Waters of Mars and heading into that final story, the sword of Damocles is dangling, I think, and that informs everything that goes on. It all pans out as well, doesn't it? Whereas The Waters of Mars, it all takes place in a very small location in Doctor Who terms. Then that final story, it becomes epic, almost like a fairytale. You have that kind of scale to it.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
BBC confirms 'Doctor Who' scheduling
David Tennant's final two episodes of Doctor Who will air on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the BBC has confirmed.
Provisional schedules for the Christmas period will see 'The End Of Time, Part One' air from 7.30pm to 8.30pm on BBC One on Christmas Day, sandwiched between episodes of EastEnders.
'The End Of Time, Part Two', in which Tennant's Doctor will regenerate into a new incarnation played by Matt Smith, will air on New Year's Day. The hour-long episode will go out at 7.30pm, again sandwiched between episodes of EastEnders and also ahead of the last ever episode of Gavin & Stacey.
Provisional schedules for the Christmas period will see 'The End Of Time, Part One' air from 7.30pm to 8.30pm on BBC One on Christmas Day, sandwiched between episodes of EastEnders.
'The End Of Time, Part Two', in which Tennant's Doctor will regenerate into a new incarnation played by Matt Smith, will air on New Year's Day. The hour-long episode will go out at 7.30pm, again sandwiched between episodes of EastEnders and also ahead of the last ever episode of Gavin & Stacey.
Eccleston to play Lennon
Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston is to play Beatles star John Lennon in a new play commissioned by BBC Four, with Torchwood star Naoko Mori playing Yoko Ono.Lennon Naked is a 90-minute film charting Lennon's life over the period 1967-1971, as he transforms from "Beatle John" to enduring and enigmatic icon. Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning says: "Securing Christopher Eccleston to play John Lennon is further testament to the calibre of drama on BBC Four. The Women We Loved season currently on air is attracting record audiences and the channel is steadily building a reputation for portraying some of this country's best loved icons."Richard Klein, Controller, BBC Four, says: "BBC Four is the place where dramas look to explore that space between artists' public works and private lives, shedding light on the artistic process while offering intelligent entertainment."Lennon Naked is currently filming in London. The 90-minute drama is written by Robert Jones (The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Party Animals) and will be broadcast in 2010. Full details from the BBC Press Office.
Gadget on Display
Gadget The Robot has gone on display at the Doctor Who Exhibition in Coventry in the West Midlands.
The exhibition, which has an extended run until January, now features the Robot along with other props and costumes from The Waters of Mars including The Water Zombie and the costume of Captain Adelaide Brooks.
Visitors to the exhibition at Coventry Transport Museum, can also see Bessie, the Third Doctor's yellow roadster car and Jon Pertwee's costume.
Chief executive of the museum, Gary Hall, said: "The Doctor Who exhibition has been a big hit, with visitors coming again and again to see the exhibition. Getting new props for Christmas provides our visitors with a fantastic opportunity to visit the exhibition during Christmas holidays. We would urge people not to miss out on seeing the fantastic new props and costumes and posing next to Bessie for a photograph."
Note that although there is a charge to see the Doctor Who Exhibition, entry to the general museum is free. Visitors can see Bessie for nothing.
The exhibition, which has an extended run until January, now features the Robot along with other props and costumes from The Waters of Mars including The Water Zombie and the costume of Captain Adelaide Brooks.
Visitors to the exhibition at Coventry Transport Museum, can also see Bessie, the Third Doctor's yellow roadster car and Jon Pertwee's costume.
Chief executive of the museum, Gary Hall, said: "The Doctor Who exhibition has been a big hit, with visitors coming again and again to see the exhibition. Getting new props for Christmas provides our visitors with a fantastic opportunity to visit the exhibition during Christmas holidays. We would urge people not to miss out on seeing the fantastic new props and costumes and posing next to Bessie for a photograph."
Note that although there is a charge to see the Doctor Who Exhibition, entry to the general museum is free. Visitors can see Bessie for nothing.
Tennant and Davies on Radio 2
The BBC Press Office has released details of the forthcoming radio programme "Who on Who?", to be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday the 29th of December at 5pm. The one-hour programme will feature David Tennant interviewing Russell T Davies about his career and the success of the Doctor Who revival, just days before the broadcast of the pair's final regular work on the programme.
Collinson joins Corrie
ITV Studios has confirmed that Phil Collinson is to join Coronation Street as the show’s new Producer, taking over in the summer of 2010.
Collinson was Producer for Doctor Who from the start of its return to production in2004 until the end of Series Four. He was one of the main creative forces behind the return, working closely with Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner.
After leaving the series he moved to Manchester as BBC Head of Drama for the region. In his book "The Writer's Tale", Russell T Davies comments that he believes the BBC offered him the Manchester job to prevent losing him to Coronation Street earlier. He will join Coronation Street next March, and after a suitable handover period will take over from current producer Kim Crowther in the Summer.
Speaking of his new role, Collinson said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Corrie, the nation’s favourite street and a show I’ve been a huge fan of all my life . It goes without saying that it’s a tremendous honour to be entrusted with building on Coronation Street’s success and creating the must-see storylines for 2010 and beyond. Kim will be a tough act to follow but I will be working with one of the best teams in the business and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”
Collinson was Producer for Doctor Who from the start of its return to production in2004 until the end of Series Four. He was one of the main creative forces behind the return, working closely with Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner.
After leaving the series he moved to Manchester as BBC Head of Drama for the region. In his book "The Writer's Tale", Russell T Davies comments that he believes the BBC offered him the Manchester job to prevent losing him to Coronation Street earlier. He will join Coronation Street next March, and after a suitable handover period will take over from current producer Kim Crowther in the Summer.
Speaking of his new role, Collinson said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Corrie, the nation’s favourite street and a show I’ve been a huge fan of all my life . It goes without saying that it’s a tremendous honour to be entrusted with building on Coronation Street’s success and creating the must-see storylines for 2010 and beyond. Kim will be a tough act to follow but I will be working with one of the best teams in the business and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Rob Shearman interview
Rob Shearman interview: his brand new book, writing Doctor Who and resurrecting the Daleks
Doctor Who: Just Who Did Martha Marry?
Just a tiny thing. But enough to inspire Doctor Who fanfic writers the world over. I understand from well-connected-fan-chatter combined with a little birdie at BBC America that in the end-of-year Doctor Who specials, and yes I am eeking this out a bit so that there are no spoilers for the front page of Bleeding Cool, I’ve got in enough trouble for that before and I really don’t want to be threatened by a sharpened sonic screwdriver again… okay is that it? I think that’s it. Okay. Where were we?
Oh yes. Anyway, in Torchwood, we were told that Martha Jones was on her honeymoon. And most people presumed that she was hitched to Tom Milligan, the nurse from Last Of The Time Lords. Well, in the end of year Christmas Doctor Who specials I understand that we will learn that somewhere, somewhen, Martha Jones married… no not Nurse Tom, sorry people, but…
Mickey Smith, Rose Tyler’s ex.
Is this the first time one Doctor Who companion has officially got together with another (in series canon)? Yes, I think it is. There had been some chatter about this kind of thing back in the summer, but a lot of it was dismissed. Well, now it seems that bells are going to chime.
I can see that, I mean who else can you share stories about Daleks on those long winter nights?
The last time we saw her in Doctor Who was with Captain Jack, with Mickey racing to catch up with them. At the time Martha was intended to appear in the next Torchwood series, but the actress Freema Agyeman’s decision to jump to Law & Order: UK with ex-Torchwood producer Chris Chibnall scuppered that, with some series resulting rewrites (we got the joyous wonder of Children of Earth as a result though, so hey, no worries there)
source
Oh yes. Anyway, in Torchwood, we were told that Martha Jones was on her honeymoon. And most people presumed that she was hitched to Tom Milligan, the nurse from Last Of The Time Lords. Well, in the end of year Christmas Doctor Who specials I understand that we will learn that somewhere, somewhen, Martha Jones married… no not Nurse Tom, sorry people, but…
Mickey Smith, Rose Tyler’s ex.
Is this the first time one Doctor Who companion has officially got together with another (in series canon)? Yes, I think it is. There had been some chatter about this kind of thing back in the summer, but a lot of it was dismissed. Well, now it seems that bells are going to chime.
I can see that, I mean who else can you share stories about Daleks on those long winter nights?
The last time we saw her in Doctor Who was with Captain Jack, with Mickey racing to catch up with them. At the time Martha was intended to appear in the next Torchwood series, but the actress Freema Agyeman’s decision to jump to Law & Order: UK with ex-Torchwood producer Chris Chibnall scuppered that, with some series resulting rewrites (we got the joyous wonder of Children of Earth as a result though, so hey, no worries there)
source
Monday, November 23, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Radio 4 documentary to focus on Shada
A forthcoming BBC Radio 4 documentary is to examine what led to the cancellation of Shada - the six-part Fourth Doctor story originally intended to end Doctor Who's 17th season.Shelved takes a look at three TV programmes that were made in 1979 but which never aired because of socio-political, industrial or cultural problems.
The three comprise a particularly violent episode of ITV show The Professionals, the last episode of BBC series Secret Army, and Shada.
Interviewers for the Shada segment are Tom Baker, director Pennant Roberts and Jeremy Bentham - the Doctor Who historian, author, former associate editor of Doctor Who Magazine and co-founder of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society.
The story, which was never completed at the time because of a BBC strike, would have been broadcast in January and February 1980.The 30-minute documentary is scheduled to be broadcast on Saturday, December 12 at 10.30am, and it is understood it will make a key revelation relating to Doctor Who through documentation unearthed by producer/presenter Shaun Ley. Recording of the documentary took place at the BBC's Westminster studio on Thursday, November 5.
Incoming Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner tried to remount Shada, but those attempts failed and production was formally abandoned in June 1980. In 1992, the recorded footage was released on video with linking narration by Tom Baker completing the story. It was subsequently reworked as an audio play by Big Finish Productions, featuring the Eighth Doctor and with Paul McGann in the lead role. This version was webcast on BBCi in 2003 and broadcast on digital radio station BBC7 in December 2005, with a repeat the following year. The webcast is currently available to listen to on the official Doctor Who website (may only be available within the UK).
The three comprise a particularly violent episode of ITV show The Professionals, the last episode of BBC series Secret Army, and Shada.
Interviewers for the Shada segment are Tom Baker, director Pennant Roberts and Jeremy Bentham - the Doctor Who historian, author, former associate editor of Doctor Who Magazine and co-founder of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society.
The story, which was never completed at the time because of a BBC strike, would have been broadcast in January and February 1980.The 30-minute documentary is scheduled to be broadcast on Saturday, December 12 at 10.30am, and it is understood it will make a key revelation relating to Doctor Who through documentation unearthed by producer/presenter Shaun Ley. Recording of the documentary took place at the BBC's Westminster studio on Thursday, November 5.
Incoming Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner tried to remount Shada, but those attempts failed and production was formally abandoned in June 1980. In 1992, the recorded footage was released on video with linking narration by Tom Baker completing the story. It was subsequently reworked as an audio play by Big Finish Productions, featuring the Eighth Doctor and with Paul McGann in the lead role. This version was webcast on BBCi in 2003 and broadcast on digital radio station BBC7 in December 2005, with a repeat the following year. The webcast is currently available to listen to on the official Doctor Who website (may only be available within the UK).
WoM commentary available
The Commentary track for The Waters of Mars aired last night/early this morning on BBC Radio 7 and can heard on the BBC iPlayer for the next 6 days HERE.
Classic Series on YouTube
BBC Worldwide have released a number of Classic Series episodes onto their YouTube Channel.Stories uploaded so far are
1st Doctor - The Edge of Destruction
2nd Doctor - The Krotons
3rd Doctor - Carnival of Monsters
5th Doctor - The Caves of Androzani Although originally blocked in the UK these episodes can now be viewed globally. Viewers in the UK can also view classic episodes on MSN Video, which is currently showing The Web Planet, The Tomb of the Cyberman and Planet of the Spiders, and BlinkBox which is also showing Tomb of the Cybermen and The Krotons.
1st Doctor - The Edge of Destruction
2nd Doctor - The Krotons
3rd Doctor - Carnival of Monsters
5th Doctor - The Caves of Androzani Although originally blocked in the UK these episodes can now be viewed globally. Viewers in the UK can also view classic episodes on MSN Video, which is currently showing The Web Planet, The Tomb of the Cyberman and Planet of the Spiders, and BlinkBox which is also showing Tomb of the Cybermen and The Krotons.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Richard Curtis Spoils His Episode...
Talking to Shortlist magazine, Richard Curtis has ended weeks of speculation regarding the identity of the historical figure appearing in his upcoming episode in Matt Smith's first season as the Doctor.
"I've got Van Gogh stabbing a monster," he told the magazine, going on to say that said monster is yellow. Van Gogh joins the already confirmed Churchill from the Dalek episode to the roll call for Steven Moffat's first season in charge. Thanks to Blogtor Who for the tip-off.
"I've got Van Gogh stabbing a monster," he told the magazine, going on to say that said monster is yellow. Van Gogh joins the already confirmed Churchill from the Dalek episode to the roll call for Steven Moffat's first season in charge. Thanks to Blogtor Who for the tip-off.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Moorcock to write an original Who novel
Moorcock's Miscellany (Michael Moorcock) has Looks like it's official, I'll be doing a new Dr Who novel (not a tie-in) for appearance, I understand, by next Christmas. Still have to have talks etc. with producers and publishers but we should be signing shortly. Should be fun.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Sarah Jane Adventures: series finale pictures!
Click on the pic for rest of the pics and original article
As The Sarah Jane Adventures draws to a close, here’s a boatload of pictures of the final two-parter, The Gift…
It's been a good year to be a Doctor Who spin-off. Torchwood: Children Of Earth finally realised the promise of a proper, grown-up sci-fi show aimed at an older audience but based in the same world as Who, while The Sarah Jane Adventures has continued to excel, also featuring David Tennant's last filmed scenes as the Doctor.
Next week, the third series of The Sarah Jane Adventures draws to a close, with some familiar-looking faces from Raxacoricofallapatorian making an appearance. But are these the Slitheen of old? Or is there something a little different this time?
The episodes will be shown on 19th and 20th of November, and we've got - courtesy of the BBC - a gallery of images from the final two-parter.
As The Sarah Jane Adventures draws to a close, here’s a boatload of pictures of the final two-parter, The Gift…It's been a good year to be a Doctor Who spin-off. Torchwood: Children Of Earth finally realised the promise of a proper, grown-up sci-fi show aimed at an older audience but based in the same world as Who, while The Sarah Jane Adventures has continued to excel, also featuring David Tennant's last filmed scenes as the Doctor.
Next week, the third series of The Sarah Jane Adventures draws to a close, with some familiar-looking faces from Raxacoricofallapatorian making an appearance. But are these the Slitheen of old? Or is there something a little different this time?
The episodes will be shown on 19th and 20th of November, and we've got - courtesy of the BBC - a gallery of images from the final two-parter.
Doctor Who star David Tennant pretended to be timelord as kid
Doctor Who star David Tennant spent his childhood pretending to be the famous timelord, his sister has revealed.
David, 38, will leave his role as the Doctor this year and he is currently filming his final scenes before new Doctor Matt Smith takes over.
His sister Karen said that he was a "geeky" boy but knew he wanted to be an actor.
She said: "He was a gorgeous little boy… running about, playing Doctor Who. It has been a life-long love of his, Doctor Who.
"He told everyone who was prepared to listen, from a very young age, that he wanted to be an actor."
Karen also hinted that her brother may be in line for a Hollywood role following his run as the timelord.
She said: "David likes to keep things very close to his chest until they're absolutely cut and dried. But it will be bigger and better things."
source: Splash News
Chris D'Oyly John
Former Production Unit Manager Christopher D'Oyly John has died.D'Oyly John worked on many stories from the classic era of Doctor Who. He was an Assistant Floor Manager on the William Hartnell story The Ark, before working as Production Assistant on several Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee stories.As Production Unit Manager, he worked on six Tom Baker stories working with producer Philip Hinchcliffe on some of the most-loved stories in the series history, including The Robots of Death and The Talons of Weng-Chiang.His work outside of Doctor Who included The Bill, Poldark, House of Elliot and EastEnders.He died peacefully at his home in Eastbourne on 21st October.
Hollywood star joins cast list for Tennant's swansong
Writing in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, Russell T Davies confirms that the preview of the Christmas special, to be shown on this year's Children in Need programme, will not be the pre-titles sequence, but rather a specially packaged clip from the story. This is because the pre-titles sequence from the story is too plot-heavy to work as a standalone preview.The title of David Tennant's penultimate episode has still not been revealed, but according to Davies it will be six words long, the longest title yet. Final casting for the final episodes took place as late as October, when what is described as a "wonderful and distinguished" Hollywood actor provided the voice for one of the aliens in the story. The voice will be used in the trail for the Christmas episodes which will air directly after The Waters of Mars.
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In the run up to the UK showing of The Waters of Mars, David Tennant has been co-hosting the breakfast programme on Absolute Radio. To celebrate the fact, the station mocked up a TARDIS façade for the front of the station. In the first programme Tennant announced that he is to auction off his own bed live, which is in is own words "a nasty old bed that's seen some action." All proceeds of the auction will be going to Children in Need. Tennant will be with the programme for the rest of the week, and a podcast of the first programme can be heard via the Absolute Radio website, along with a photo gallery and a video diary.
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In the run up to the UK showing of The Waters of Mars, David Tennant has been co-hosting the breakfast programme on Absolute Radio. To celebrate the fact, the station mocked up a TARDIS façade for the front of the station. In the first programme Tennant announced that he is to auction off his own bed live, which is in is own words "a nasty old bed that's seen some action." All proceeds of the auction will be going to Children in Need. Tennant will be with the programme for the rest of the week, and a podcast of the first programme can be heard via the Absolute Radio website, along with a photo gallery and a video diary.
RTD says Torchwood not dead yet
If you watched Torchwood's last season, the Children of Earth miniseries, it felt a lot like the end of the whole thing.
Well, that may not be the case, TV Guide reported (mild spoilers ahead):
Torchwood might not have concluded its run at the end of the thrilling miniseries Children of Earth after all—Ianto's tragic death not withstanding. The new year could bring some "very good news" for fans of the sexy sci-fi series, creator Russell T. Davies tells TV Guide Magazine.
"The recession has hit British television, but fingers crossed, it will be a go. We expect things to start to move in January. We've got great ideas for the show. I think there's a further lease on life for many years to come, but certainly for a [fourth season]," Davies says.
Well, that may not be the case, TV Guide reported (mild spoilers ahead):
Torchwood might not have concluded its run at the end of the thrilling miniseries Children of Earth after all—Ianto's tragic death not withstanding. The new year could bring some "very good news" for fans of the sexy sci-fi series, creator Russell T. Davies tells TV Guide Magazine.
"The recession has hit British television, but fingers crossed, it will be a go. We expect things to start to move in January. We've got great ideas for the show. I think there's a further lease on life for many years to come, but certainly for a [fourth season]," Davies says.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Timothy Bateson (1926-2009)
The Guardian newspaper in the UK has published an obituary for actor Timothy Bateson, who died in September at the age of 83. Bateson enjoyed an acting career stretching from the 1940s to the present decade, and in 1955 appeared in the first London production of the play "Waiting for Godot". He appeared in Doctor Who only once, in the 1978 serial The Ribos Operation, where he portrayed Binro the Heretic. In this role he took part in the scene where Binro explains that be believes there are other planets and other stars; this is frequently regarded as one of the most memorable scenes from Doctor Who, most recently acclaimed as such in Doctor Who Magazine's "200 Golden Moments" special edition. The serial, along with the others in the 1978 "Key to Time" series, is due to be re-released on DVD next week, following its previous limited edition issue.
Waters of Mars - Confirmed Canadian Date
The Waters of Mars will come to Canadian Television on Saturday 19th December when it premiers on SPACE at 9pm ET. This is the same date the special will be shown in the US on BBC America.The final two specials are expected to be shown over the Christmas holiday.The Waters of Mars is now scheduled in most of the English speaking world with premiers confirmed in Australia, Canada and the United States, all less than 6 weeks after the special has premièred in the United Kingdom.
Ambassadors DVD Commentary
Speaking at the Missing in Action convention, the actor Nicholas Courtney reported that he has just recorded a commentary for the seventh season story The Ambassadors of Death, alongside other members of cast and crew including Terrance Dicks, Peter Halliday and Derek Ware.It should be remembered that commentaries are often recorded way in advance of DVD release (years in some cases!), so this is no indication that the story is currently scheduled to appear in the shops soon!
Chicks dig timelords
Two-minute Time Lord has 2MTL 78: Tara O'Shea on "Chicks Dig Time Lords", in the last of my interviews from Hurricane Who, Tara O'Shea and I have a wide-ranging conversation about female Doctor Who fandom on two different continents
Alan Chuntz has died at the age of 81
The Doctor Who News Page has Alan Chuntz 1927-2009, the actor and stuntman Alan Chuntz has died at the age of 81. Chuntz appeared in at least 15 stories from the classic series. He was a member of HAVOC, the team that provided much of the stunt work for the programme. He played Omega's champion in The Three Doctors and had a rare speaking role as the Chauffeur in The Seeds of Doom.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Tennant to play a lawyer on NBC comedy
Scottish actor David Tennant is moving out of the cosy confines of the Tardis time machine and into U.S. television comedy.
Tennant, the lead actor in BBC's Dr. Who, is to play a Chicago lawyer who coaches his clients to represent themselves in court in the new NBC sitcom Rex Is Not Your Lawyer.
The comic role hast Tennant playing a lawyer so prone to panic attacks he cannot be relied on in the courtroom.
Tennant has played Dr. Who in the sci-fi series for the past five years but announced he would leave the show last year.
"I think it's better to go when there's a chance that people might miss you, rather than to hang around and outstay your welcome," he said.
Tennant is known in Britain for roles in TV dramas such as Blackpool and Casanova, and he also starred in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He played Hamlet with the Royal Shakespeare Company earlier this year.
The U.S. comedy is to be directed by David Semel, who worked on episodes of House and Heroes.
Tennant, the lead actor in BBC's Dr. Who, is to play a Chicago lawyer who coaches his clients to represent themselves in court in the new NBC sitcom Rex Is Not Your Lawyer.
The comic role hast Tennant playing a lawyer so prone to panic attacks he cannot be relied on in the courtroom.
Tennant has played Dr. Who in the sci-fi series for the past five years but announced he would leave the show last year.
"I think it's better to go when there's a chance that people might miss you, rather than to hang around and outstay your welcome," he said.
Tennant is known in Britain for roles in TV dramas such as Blackpool and Casanova, and he also starred in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He played Hamlet with the Royal Shakespeare Company earlier this year.
The U.S. comedy is to be directed by David Semel, who worked on episodes of House and Heroes.
First Dreamland clip
I really don't like the jimmy neutron animation going on here. I would have thought something closer to an amine would be the way to go.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Jon Pertwee on the couch
Three gets psychoanalysed about his persecution complex: he believes that the Cybermen are following him...
Ten 'Waters of Mars' teasers
1. The first line of the episode: "Hello mum. Susie says hello!" Do not underestimate its relevance!
2. The Doctor (and TARDIS) land on Mars on November 21, 2059. There he happens upon Bowie Base One, the first human colony on the red planet.
3. Heading up the base is Captain Adelaide Brooke (Lindsay Duncan), recognised by The Doctor as the pioneer of humanity's colonisation of space. "The woman with starlight in her soul," he calls her.
4. Odd-Doctor behaviour part one: The Doctor instantly realises he needs to leave. "Whatever has started here, I can't see it to the end," he tells them. "I can't."
5. ... but he doesn't leave, because before too long the dreaded 'water' starts to play a part. We won't spoil exactly how it plays a part, but the previously-released preview clip offers a strong hint.
6. There are references to two season four stories, as well as the recent Easter special. There's even a (new) flashback scene to one of the aforementioned.
7. "It's taken me all these years to realise *** **** ** **** *** **** - and they **** **** **."
8. An Ood makes an appearance. Last word is key.
9. Did you know, the human body is 60% water?
10. Odd-Doctor behaviour part two: Towards the very end of the episode, there's a scene that sees The Doctor say things that will utterly shock you. And more than that, the way he says things will shock you too.
2. The Doctor (and TARDIS) land on Mars on November 21, 2059. There he happens upon Bowie Base One, the first human colony on the red planet.
3. Heading up the base is Captain Adelaide Brooke (Lindsay Duncan), recognised by The Doctor as the pioneer of humanity's colonisation of space. "The woman with starlight in her soul," he calls her.
4. Odd-Doctor behaviour part one: The Doctor instantly realises he needs to leave. "Whatever has started here, I can't see it to the end," he tells them. "I can't."
5. ... but he doesn't leave, because before too long the dreaded 'water' starts to play a part. We won't spoil exactly how it plays a part, but the previously-released preview clip offers a strong hint.
6. There are references to two season four stories, as well as the recent Easter special. There's even a (new) flashback scene to one of the aforementioned.
7. "It's taken me all these years to realise *** **** ** **** *** **** - and they **** **** **."
8. An Ood makes an appearance. Last word is key.
9. Did you know, the human body is 60% water?
10. Odd-Doctor behaviour part two: Towards the very end of the episode, there's a scene that sees The Doctor say things that will utterly shock you. And more than that, the way he says things will shock you too.
'Doctor Who' press conference
How does this special compare to the others?
David: "It tells a different sort of story, I think, and it's a long time into the episode before The Doctor takes control. That's what's unnerving about it - it's not the standard structure. We expect The Doctor to take control earlier - we expect The Doctor to know how he's going to do it and how he's going to win through and he doesn't. Even though he wins in the end it's a bitter sweet victory. People die. That's part of the story we have to tell to go where we're going."
Do you think 'Waters of Mars' can still be viewed by children? It's very dark in places.
Russell: "Oh yes, absolutely. Have you read a Harry Potter book?"
David: "Or seen a Harry Potter film?"
And we start to see the end of The Tenth Doctor's journey here, don't we?
David: "Well I think this gives you a bit of a hint - the fact that The Ood have come to summon the Doctor and the fact that the Doctor now knows incontrovertibly that he's running from his own demise and at the very end he says: 'No, I'm not going - I'm going to rage against the dying of the light' which hints at the final story I suppose.!
Russell: "He's alone and lost again. All these things are coming to an end."
Do you feel like you've wrapped it up satisfactorily for yourself then?
Russell: "Oh, magnificently!"
David: "Yeah - I think we tell a big end-of-an-era story and at the same time handing it on, which is important. This show has been going a long time before we showed up and no doubt will carry on into the far distant future. We tell a big old farewell story and then hand it over in rude health."
Russell: "It's nice knowing that you're coming to an end so far in advance because we had a chance to do everything - there's nothing we forgot. We see the Ood summon the Doctor in Children in Need and you get the first scene of the Doctor arriving on the planet of the Ood. It's actually hilarious - I think that scene is so funny!"
Did either of you keep any souvenirs from the set?
David: "You're really not allowed! People think you just walk away with a pocket full of stuff but the licence fee is very well protected - as it should be. I did get a little gift box at the end of stuff they didn't need anymore."
Russell: "I've got an orb from 'The End of the World' - mind you I paid a thousand quid for it at auction! I was very drunk and thought I'd bought something else but the the next day I ended up with a little orb - that was good, I was very popular."
There are pictures leaking from the filming of the new Doctor Who series. How do you feel when you see them?
David: "It's weird. I remember before it happened thinking we would probably start seeing snaps of them on street corners and wearing anoraks or having cups of tea between takes. I was nervous about how I would feel about that - I'm thrilled that it's carrying on and I know that everyone who's there is a great choice - but of course you feel a little bit proprietorial. I'm cheered because I've just been really excited to see that it's going on and I'm teased by what I'm seeing. I just can't wait to see it. I remember what it felt like as well, to be where Matt is now. It's really exciting to see someone else starting out on that journey."
Russell: "It's funny because when you're inside the programme you see those things and go: 'Oh, it's spoiled, it's ruined', but outside you go 'How exciting!'"
Russell, are you considering writing or putting together a pitch for an American version of Doctor Who?
Russell: "Absolutely not. Upon my dead mother's life! But no, absolutely not. I bet you a hundred quid that I'm not."
So what are you up to?
Russell: "Developing things but new things. I'm not going to tell you what they are because they'll probably never exist. There's a recession out there [in America] as well. We'll see."
David: "I'll do it - I can do the acting. That was a joke - don't print it!"
Do you feel that you've explored every avenue and possibility that you wanted to in the series?
Russell: "I think when I started I never imagined it could go so far - like to do episodes with Peter Kay or statues of angels that can move - you never would have thought it would go that far. So I'm more than happy - vindicated actually - that all these things worked."
David: "I got to do so many more things than I ever imagined I would, just playing the part itself, let alone working with all the incredible actors. All the things I got to do - hanging off things and being blown up and wearing make-up of myself as a nine million year old man - all these things that I never dreamed of. I didn't have a checklist, thinking 'when am I going to get to ride a unicycle? It's just not fair!' It was just an incredible, continually surprising, trip and I wouldn't have had it any other way."
We know some of the companions are returning for your final episodes - are you able to confirm which ones?
David: "You saw Catherine Tate as Donna and Bernard Cribbins as well. John Simm as the Master - not really a companion but part of the gang..."
Russell: "Jacqueline King who plays Donna's mother, Sylvia Noble. The Master's wife you saw in that as well - Alexandra Moen - playing Lucy Saxon. The Ood. A new Ood too."
Recently Elisabeth Sladen said she was worried about how you were going to cope with not being the Doctor and that you might end up in rehab!
David: "If I end up in rehab I will phone The Daily Star immediately and make sure you're outside to watch. You'll be first on my list of calls! It's not looking that likely at the moment but never say never."
Russell: "She's still in that drunk tank, Lis!"
What was the last day like?
David: "My last day was actually on The Sarah Jane Adventures which is on this afternoon. The last line I said as the Doctor is halfway through the episode tonight: 'You two - with me. Spit spot!' They were the last words I uttered in the suit! I guess it was robbed of any epic quality really but that was probably best because it was very emotional saying cheerio. Filming the very final scenes was very sad. There are lots of scenes in the final story that are very sad and were very sad to play. If one of them had coincided with the actual final day I'dve been a puddle. I was a bit of a puddle as it was but I kept a stiff upper lip."
And what was in the souvenir box - perhaps a sonic screwdriver?
David: "I do have my own sonic screwdriver, yes! I've put it in a secure location because I suddenly got worried my house might get burgled and I'd lose it so I've locked it up somewhere!"
Which episodes or specials have you been most proud of?
David: "We always get asked this and it's hard to pick favourites - it feels so unfair!"
Russell: "There are really no episodes we don't like - also if you leave an episode out it's like you're insulting all the friends and colleagues you've worked with on that episode. It's really weird."
David: "And I haven't seen the last two yet so I can't comment."
Russell: "They will be up there, definitely."
Is the blue suit something you can't ever wear again now?
David: "The only thing, there's a certain brand of footwear - other versions of similar things are very much available - that I used to wear a lot and I don't any more! They were my shoes to start with - four years ago it was my own battered pair that we began with and I feel like that's a special thing now. Maybe I'll get over it but yeah."
David: "It tells a different sort of story, I think, and it's a long time into the episode before The Doctor takes control. That's what's unnerving about it - it's not the standard structure. We expect The Doctor to take control earlier - we expect The Doctor to know how he's going to do it and how he's going to win through and he doesn't. Even though he wins in the end it's a bitter sweet victory. People die. That's part of the story we have to tell to go where we're going."
Do you think 'Waters of Mars' can still be viewed by children? It's very dark in places.
Russell: "Oh yes, absolutely. Have you read a Harry Potter book?"
David: "Or seen a Harry Potter film?"
And we start to see the end of The Tenth Doctor's journey here, don't we?
David: "Well I think this gives you a bit of a hint - the fact that The Ood have come to summon the Doctor and the fact that the Doctor now knows incontrovertibly that he's running from his own demise and at the very end he says: 'No, I'm not going - I'm going to rage against the dying of the light' which hints at the final story I suppose.!
Russell: "He's alone and lost again. All these things are coming to an end."
Do you feel like you've wrapped it up satisfactorily for yourself then?
Russell: "Oh, magnificently!"
David: "Yeah - I think we tell a big end-of-an-era story and at the same time handing it on, which is important. This show has been going a long time before we showed up and no doubt will carry on into the far distant future. We tell a big old farewell story and then hand it over in rude health."
Russell: "It's nice knowing that you're coming to an end so far in advance because we had a chance to do everything - there's nothing we forgot. We see the Ood summon the Doctor in Children in Need and you get the first scene of the Doctor arriving on the planet of the Ood. It's actually hilarious - I think that scene is so funny!"
Did either of you keep any souvenirs from the set?
David: "You're really not allowed! People think you just walk away with a pocket full of stuff but the licence fee is very well protected - as it should be. I did get a little gift box at the end of stuff they didn't need anymore."
Russell: "I've got an orb from 'The End of the World' - mind you I paid a thousand quid for it at auction! I was very drunk and thought I'd bought something else but the the next day I ended up with a little orb - that was good, I was very popular."
There are pictures leaking from the filming of the new Doctor Who series. How do you feel when you see them?
David: "It's weird. I remember before it happened thinking we would probably start seeing snaps of them on street corners and wearing anoraks or having cups of tea between takes. I was nervous about how I would feel about that - I'm thrilled that it's carrying on and I know that everyone who's there is a great choice - but of course you feel a little bit proprietorial. I'm cheered because I've just been really excited to see that it's going on and I'm teased by what I'm seeing. I just can't wait to see it. I remember what it felt like as well, to be where Matt is now. It's really exciting to see someone else starting out on that journey."
Russell: "It's funny because when you're inside the programme you see those things and go: 'Oh, it's spoiled, it's ruined', but outside you go 'How exciting!'"
Russell, are you considering writing or putting together a pitch for an American version of Doctor Who?
Russell: "Absolutely not. Upon my dead mother's life! But no, absolutely not. I bet you a hundred quid that I'm not."
So what are you up to?
Russell: "Developing things but new things. I'm not going to tell you what they are because they'll probably never exist. There's a recession out there [in America] as well. We'll see."
David: "I'll do it - I can do the acting. That was a joke - don't print it!"
Do you feel that you've explored every avenue and possibility that you wanted to in the series?
Russell: "I think when I started I never imagined it could go so far - like to do episodes with Peter Kay or statues of angels that can move - you never would have thought it would go that far. So I'm more than happy - vindicated actually - that all these things worked."
David: "I got to do so many more things than I ever imagined I would, just playing the part itself, let alone working with all the incredible actors. All the things I got to do - hanging off things and being blown up and wearing make-up of myself as a nine million year old man - all these things that I never dreamed of. I didn't have a checklist, thinking 'when am I going to get to ride a unicycle? It's just not fair!' It was just an incredible, continually surprising, trip and I wouldn't have had it any other way."
We know some of the companions are returning for your final episodes - are you able to confirm which ones?
David: "You saw Catherine Tate as Donna and Bernard Cribbins as well. John Simm as the Master - not really a companion but part of the gang..."
Russell: "Jacqueline King who plays Donna's mother, Sylvia Noble. The Master's wife you saw in that as well - Alexandra Moen - playing Lucy Saxon. The Ood. A new Ood too."
Recently Elisabeth Sladen said she was worried about how you were going to cope with not being the Doctor and that you might end up in rehab!
David: "If I end up in rehab I will phone The Daily Star immediately and make sure you're outside to watch. You'll be first on my list of calls! It's not looking that likely at the moment but never say never."
Russell: "She's still in that drunk tank, Lis!"
What was the last day like?
David: "My last day was actually on The Sarah Jane Adventures which is on this afternoon. The last line I said as the Doctor is halfway through the episode tonight: 'You two - with me. Spit spot!' They were the last words I uttered in the suit! I guess it was robbed of any epic quality really but that was probably best because it was very emotional saying cheerio. Filming the very final scenes was very sad. There are lots of scenes in the final story that are very sad and were very sad to play. If one of them had coincided with the actual final day I'dve been a puddle. I was a bit of a puddle as it was but I kept a stiff upper lip."
And what was in the souvenir box - perhaps a sonic screwdriver?
David: "I do have my own sonic screwdriver, yes! I've put it in a secure location because I suddenly got worried my house might get burgled and I'd lose it so I've locked it up somewhere!"
Which episodes or specials have you been most proud of?
David: "We always get asked this and it's hard to pick favourites - it feels so unfair!"
Russell: "There are really no episodes we don't like - also if you leave an episode out it's like you're insulting all the friends and colleagues you've worked with on that episode. It's really weird."
David: "And I haven't seen the last two yet so I can't comment."
Russell: "They will be up there, definitely."
Is the blue suit something you can't ever wear again now?
David: "The only thing, there's a certain brand of footwear - other versions of similar things are very much available - that I used to wear a lot and I don't any more! They were my shoes to start with - four years ago it was my own battered pair that we began with and I feel like that's a special thing now. Maybe I'll get over it but yeah."
SJA news
CBBC Newsround has a short article on David Tennant appearing on The Sarah Jane Adventures, CLICK HERE for more details.
Sarah Jane TV reports Elisabeth Sladen and Russell T Davies appeared on BBC Breakfast yesterday to discuss The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith and The Waters of Mars, plus reports Elisabeth Sladen will appear on The Wright Stuff today, CLICK HERE for more details.
Sarah Jane TV reports Elisabeth Sladen and Russell T Davies appeared on BBC Breakfast yesterday to discuss The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith and The Waters of Mars, plus reports Elisabeth Sladen will appear on The Wright Stuff today, CLICK HERE for more details.
New Who airdate rumor
The Doctor Who News Page reports The Waters of Mars will be broadcast on Sunday 15th November at 7:00pm according to an interview with David Tennant on GMTV. Awaiting confirmation from the BBC Press Office.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
New filming clip of new monster
New film clip of filming with a better glimpse of the monster nicccce
thank you andy lawrence very much
update much better view i really like the head
thank you andy lawrence very much
update much better view i really like the head
The new Tardis interior revealed??
Click the link to see glimpses of a new monster and the tardis interior 21st October 2009 Matt Smith Llanwonno Church
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Interviews Galore
How Dr Who star Elisabeth Sladen has rolled back the years in The Sarah Jane Adventures
A Time Lady named Romanadvoratrelundar
The London Evening Standard has an interview with Noel Clarke, CLICK HERE for the article.
Five TV interviews John Barrowman on acting in drag, CLICK HERE for the video.
The Flick Filosopher has a short interview with Carey Mulligan on playing Sally Sparrow in Blink, CLICK HERE for the article
Finally SFX Magazine has a "lost" interview with Jon Pertwee from 1986, CLICK HERE for the article
A Time Lady named Romanadvoratrelundar
The London Evening Standard has an interview with Noel Clarke, CLICK HERE for the article.
Five TV interviews John Barrowman on acting in drag, CLICK HERE for the video.
The Flick Filosopher has a short interview with Carey Mulligan on playing Sally Sparrow in Blink, CLICK HERE for the article
Finally SFX Magazine has a "lost" interview with Jon Pertwee from 1986, CLICK HERE for the article
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Tom Baker: How I felt about being Doctor Who
Tom Baker: How I felt about being Doctor Who
When I got the call about being chosen to be the fourth Doctor Who in 1974, I was an out-of-work actor getting by as a labourer on a building site. I'd caught a glimpse of the show, but I was just happy to have a regular payslip.
I had big shoes to fill because Jon Pertwee had been a stupendous success, and there probably was apprehension at the studio about whether I was up to the job. But after 15 minutes on the set, I had the crew falling about laughing, so I knew I'd be okay.
As long as I kept within the BBC guidelines, I could play the doctor the way I am in real life - a slightly anxious and defensive eccentric.
The children loved me and I loved being their hero. Two of my greatest fans, David Walliams and Matt Lucas, ironically now employ me as the little Britain narrator.
During my time as Doctor Who, I never watched any of my own shows because it made me feel uneasy and dissatisfied with my performance. Instead, I listened to the opinions of the fans as a barometer of how I was doing.
It was an honour to be Doctor Who and I couldn't risk being tarred by some of my loudmouth friends, so I distanced myself from them.
It sounds terribly po-faced, given what some celebrities get up to now, but I had too much respect for the Doctor Who dynasty. It's like being Santa, you can't let people down.
On my birthday, it would be amazing to see these legions of small children waiting outside the studio, chorusing, 'Good morning Doctor Who and Happy Birthday.'
The American fans hailed me as a Messiah. I remember one event, in the Hyatt Regency at Chicago airport. I only had an hour and a half before I was due to check in for my flight, yet there were hundreds of fans (mostly women) still waiting to meet me. I had to work my way down the queue of 700-odd women, kissing them all.
To my alarm, some of them took this as an invitation to get fruity! even today, at 75, I can't walk around my local supermarket without women hitting on me.
These days, I like nothing better than doing the ironing with my wife, Sue, nearby, in my cottage in Sussex.
Meeting Sue was another fringe benefit of being Doctor Who, as she was one of the assistant editors.
When I got the call about being chosen to be the fourth Doctor Who in 1974, I was an out-of-work actor getting by as a labourer on a building site. I'd caught a glimpse of the show, but I was just happy to have a regular payslip.
I had big shoes to fill because Jon Pertwee had been a stupendous success, and there probably was apprehension at the studio about whether I was up to the job. But after 15 minutes on the set, I had the crew falling about laughing, so I knew I'd be okay.
As long as I kept within the BBC guidelines, I could play the doctor the way I am in real life - a slightly anxious and defensive eccentric.
The children loved me and I loved being their hero. Two of my greatest fans, David Walliams and Matt Lucas, ironically now employ me as the little Britain narrator.
During my time as Doctor Who, I never watched any of my own shows because it made me feel uneasy and dissatisfied with my performance. Instead, I listened to the opinions of the fans as a barometer of how I was doing.
It was an honour to be Doctor Who and I couldn't risk being tarred by some of my loudmouth friends, so I distanced myself from them.
It sounds terribly po-faced, given what some celebrities get up to now, but I had too much respect for the Doctor Who dynasty. It's like being Santa, you can't let people down.
On my birthday, it would be amazing to see these legions of small children waiting outside the studio, chorusing, 'Good morning Doctor Who and Happy Birthday.'
The American fans hailed me as a Messiah. I remember one event, in the Hyatt Regency at Chicago airport. I only had an hour and a half before I was due to check in for my flight, yet there were hundreds of fans (mostly women) still waiting to meet me. I had to work my way down the queue of 700-odd women, kissing them all.
To my alarm, some of them took this as an invitation to get fruity! even today, at 75, I can't walk around my local supermarket without women hitting on me.
These days, I like nothing better than doing the ironing with my wife, Sue, nearby, in my cottage in Sussex.
Meeting Sue was another fringe benefit of being Doctor Who, as she was one of the assistant editors.
More filming pics
Life, Doctor Who and Combom has more photos from Series Five filming, CLICK HERE to view.
SJTV has info on Series Two boxset
Sarah Jane TV has a sneak peak at the Series Two DVD extras, including the news that the Red Nose Day special From Raxacoricofallapato rius With Love will be included, CLICK HERE for more details.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Barry Letts has passed at age 84
Sad news from The Doctor Who News Page. Former Doctor Who producer and director Barry Letts has died at the age of eighty-four, CLICK HERE for more details.
SJTV has an interview with Lis Sladen
Sarah Jane TV has an interview with Elisabeth Sladen, CLICK HERE for the article.
Sarah Jane comic but only for the UK :(
ASarah Jane Adventures comic has launched on the SJA website, CLICK HERE for more details and HERE for the comic which unfortunately is only available to view in the UK.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Sir Ian McKellen and former Doctor Who team up for mockumentary
Sir Ian McKellen will star alongside a former Doctor Who in a one-off mockumentary set in a fictitious run-down drama school, the Clapham Academy of Creative Arts.
McKellen will play his fictitious brother Murray, who runs the academy, which is known by its acronym CACA. Joining him in the academy's faculty will be Sylvester McCoy, who played the seventh Doctor Who and Jonathan Hyde, from The Mummy.
The Academy will be produced by DLT Entertainment, producer of My Family and As Times Goes By, and 2act Productions. Humphrey Barclay, former controller of drama at London Weekend Television, will produce the comedy.
Barclay and John Bartlett from My Family will produce the programme, which was created and directed by Peter Hinton. The producers hope to turn the one-off into a series.
McKellen will play his fictitious brother Murray, who runs the academy, which is known by its acronym CACA. Joining him in the academy's faculty will be Sylvester McCoy, who played the seventh Doctor Who and Jonathan Hyde, from The Mummy.
The Academy will be produced by DLT Entertainment, producer of My Family and As Times Goes By, and 2act Productions. Humphrey Barclay, former controller of drama at London Weekend Television, will produce the comedy.
Barclay and John Bartlett from My Family will produce the programme, which was created and directed by Peter Hinton. The producers hope to turn the one-off into a series.
The Last Voyage Exclusive Audio
BBC Audio recently confirmed that they will be a releasing another exclusive Doctor Who audio early next year. The audio adventure which features The Tenth Doctor is entitled The Last Voyage, and will be the sixth new series Doctor Who story to be published exclusively as an audiobook. The synopsis for the audio has now been revealed, and can be read below:
An exclusive audio story featuring the 10th Doctor, as played by David Tennant in the hit BBC TV series. The TARDIS materialises on board the maiden voyage of a pioneering space cruiser, travelling from Earth to the planet Eternity. The Doctor hasn’t been exploring for long when nearly all of the passengers disappear, leaving a panic-stricken few behind. As if that wasn’t enough, something awful awaits them all on Eternity.
Doctor Who: The Last Voyage will join Pest Control, The Forever Trap, The Nemonite Invasion, The Rising Night and The Day of the Troll, on the shelves of retailers across the United Kingdom and Ireland, on January the seventh 2010
An exclusive audio story featuring the 10th Doctor, as played by David Tennant in the hit BBC TV series. The TARDIS materialises on board the maiden voyage of a pioneering space cruiser, travelling from Earth to the planet Eternity. The Doctor hasn’t been exploring for long when nearly all of the passengers disappear, leaving a panic-stricken few behind. As if that wasn’t enough, something awful awaits them all on Eternity.
Doctor Who: The Last Voyage will join Pest Control, The Forever Trap, The Nemonite Invasion, The Rising Night and The Day of the Troll, on the shelves of retailers across the United Kingdom and Ireland, on January the seventh 2010
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Video of Matt Smith and Karen Gillen in a scene
Filming video of Matt Smith and Karen Gillen filming a sequence from episode 1 of the new series.
Im really not liking the looks of this so far.....
Im really not liking the looks of this so far.....
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Doctor Who star gives up hope of reunion
Paul McGann, the former Doctor Who star, says he has given up hope of taking part in a rumoured reunion of actors who have played the Time Lord.
He said he had no expectations of ever returning to the role and claimed he has had no contact with the BBC since he left the set of a one-off TV movie in 1996 in which he made his only appearance.
There have been reports that the past Who actors were being rounded up for a Children In need special, but McGann doubted he would ever return to the role.
The actor, who has never watched David Tennant as the Doctor, said: ''It's highly unlikely, because since I walked off that set in 1996, no one's ever called me, I've never met these people, I've never been down to Cardiff and met what's his face, Russell T Davies (who masterminded Doctor Who's revival).
''So no, maybe haven't they got my number. There's always rumours, it's nice to stoke the fire. I'm always hearing them.''
McGann also revealed he was sick of fans coming up and quoting famous lines to him from cult comedy Withnail And I in which he starred.
The movie starred Richard E. Grant as Withnail and McGann as ''I'', two out-of-work actors who embark on a chaotic holiday to the Lake District, and is famed for its sharp dialogue.
More than 20 years after the film's release, McGann said he did not mind talking about the film, but he had grown tired of hearing about ''thumbs going weird'', ''the finest wines available to humanity'' and ''going on holiday by mistake''.
''Withnail gets a little bit tiresome when people start playing the scenes out,'' he said.
''Grant was saying everyone remembers the lines, people are always coming up and quoting whole scenes, and saying: 'What about that bit where you...'''
McGann is starring in a new ITV drama, Collision, about a group of people who have never met, but whose lives change forever after they are all involved in a major road accident.
He said he had no expectations of ever returning to the role and claimed he has had no contact with the BBC since he left the set of a one-off TV movie in 1996 in which he made his only appearance.
There have been reports that the past Who actors were being rounded up for a Children In need special, but McGann doubted he would ever return to the role.
The actor, who has never watched David Tennant as the Doctor, said: ''It's highly unlikely, because since I walked off that set in 1996, no one's ever called me, I've never met these people, I've never been down to Cardiff and met what's his face, Russell T Davies (who masterminded Doctor Who's revival).
''So no, maybe haven't they got my number. There's always rumours, it's nice to stoke the fire. I'm always hearing them.''
McGann also revealed he was sick of fans coming up and quoting famous lines to him from cult comedy Withnail And I in which he starred.
The movie starred Richard E. Grant as Withnail and McGann as ''I'', two out-of-work actors who embark on a chaotic holiday to the Lake District, and is famed for its sharp dialogue.
More than 20 years after the film's release, McGann said he did not mind talking about the film, but he had grown tired of hearing about ''thumbs going weird'', ''the finest wines available to humanity'' and ''going on holiday by mistake''.
''Withnail gets a little bit tiresome when people start playing the scenes out,'' he said.
''Grant was saying everyone remembers the lines, people are always coming up and quoting whole scenes, and saying: 'What about that bit where you...'''
McGann is starring in a new ITV drama, Collision, about a group of people who have never met, but whose lives change forever after they are all involved in a major road accident.
A Who York Evening with Louise Jameson
Louise Jmeson will be in New York on my birrrrrthday { :( i wanna go }
A Who York Evening with Louise Jameson
A Who York Evening with Louise Jameson
More filming details and pics at Combom
Life, Doctor Who and Combom has the latest update on filming of Series Five, CLICK HERE for more details.
SJA synopsis for Part one and two
The BBC Press Office synopsis for The Sarah Jane Adventures The Mad Woman In The Attic
Part one:
Investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith, one-time companion to The Doctor, embarks on a new two-part story, written by Joseph Lidster.
Rani investigates strange rumours about a demon living in a funfair at the seaside. What she finds there, however, is far more alarming than that and she makes a decision that affects not only her future, but also the futures of all those she cares about...
Far in the future, in 2059, an old Rani remembers the day when her whole life went wrong. As her younger self investigates mysterious disappearances at an abandoned funfair, she sets into motion a chain of events which unleash the terrible powers of the alien Eve.
Part two:
Rani investigates strange rumours about a demon living in a funfair at the seaside, in the second episode of this two-part drama following the adventures of journalist Sarah Jane Smith. What Rani finds there is far more alarming and she makes a decision that affects not only her future, but also the futures of all those she cares about...
Alien Eve's powers grow out of control, with everyone caught in her sinister and endless games. As the echoes of an ancient war threaten the modern world, the danger extends all the way to the year 2059. If Rani fails to change her own destiny, then everyone is doomed.
Part one:
Investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith, one-time companion to The Doctor, embarks on a new two-part story, written by Joseph Lidster.
Rani investigates strange rumours about a demon living in a funfair at the seaside. What she finds there, however, is far more alarming than that and she makes a decision that affects not only her future, but also the futures of all those she cares about...
Far in the future, in 2059, an old Rani remembers the day when her whole life went wrong. As her younger self investigates mysterious disappearances at an abandoned funfair, she sets into motion a chain of events which unleash the terrible powers of the alien Eve.
Part two:
Rani investigates strange rumours about a demon living in a funfair at the seaside, in the second episode of this two-part drama following the adventures of journalist Sarah Jane Smith. What Rani finds there is far more alarming and she makes a decision that affects not only her future, but also the futures of all those she cares about...
Alien Eve's powers grow out of control, with everyone caught in her sinister and endless games. As the echoes of an ancient war threaten the modern world, the danger extends all the way to the year 2059. If Rani fails to change her own destiny, then everyone is doomed.
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