New Dr. Who Episodes?

[Murgos]

Actor Christopher Eccleston has quit as Doctor Who after just one episode of the new series has been screened, the BBC has confirmed.
Eccleston, whose first appearance as the ninth Time Lord attracted around 10 million viewers, feared being typecast.

Am I the only one who just read that as:

"Oh crap!  This show might actually be successful and I might actually be good at it.  I had better get the hell out of here before I become a success!"

Or is it just that I haven't had my first cup of coffee yet?

[eldaec]

Becuase the BBC somehow manages to get away with calling a story about who it is going to cast in its own damn shows a news story, there is a link here on who is being considered to replace Ecclestone.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4396295.stm

imo it should either be Richard E Grant, or someone old. It will actually be that twerp off of Casanova ofc. Who is neither. Obviously.

[SirBruce]

Am I the only one who just read that as:

"Oh crap!  This show might actually be successful and I might actually be good at it.  I had better get the hell out of here before I become a success!"

Or is it just that I haven't had my first cup of coffee yet?

I suspect he was worrying about getting stuck in the role.  If you're an actor and you get successful doing a particular TV series character, you basically aren't going to be doing ANYTHING else for the next X years.  This is great when you're a young starving actor just looking for a steady paycheck and some name recognition, but if you're an established actor looking for a broad range of challenging roles, you might find yourself quite unhappy.  Moreover, there is the risk of being typecast to the point that, even once you leave the role, it's hard to get a job doing anything else.  Look how many bad comedied Robin Williams endured after Mork & Mindy before Hollywood figured out how to write for him, and how many more it took before he got to play, for example, a bad guy.

Bruce

[HaemishM]

I think most writers would give their left nut (or reproductive organ of your choice) to be "typecast" into something successful enough to get a regular paycheck. I'd also wager that they feel actors worried about typecasting are great, strutting ponces who need to take their over-sized paycheck and shut the fuck up muchly.

[Paelos]

I think most writers would give their left nut (or reproductive organ of your choice) to be "typecast" into something successful enough to get a regular paycheck. I'd also wager that they feel actors worried about typecasting are great, strutting ponces who need to take their over-sized paycheck and shut the fuck up muchly.

Along with pro athletes who make the "league minimum."

[HaemishM]

I think most writers would give their left nut (or reproductive organ of your choice) to be "typecast" into something successful enough to get a regular paycheck. I'd also wager that they feel actors worried about typecasting are great, strutting ponces who need to take their over-sized paycheck and shut the fuck up muchly.

Along with pro athletes who make the "league minimum."

RAGE.

[Ironwood]

Well, fuck.

For those of you who have not yet pirated it (and Schild, you should really lock and delete threads that call for this type of shite), it was a fantastic debut and a real return to form for Doctor Who.

And then I come here, home of all that is shit, and you fuckers depress me with this.  He quit.  Already.

Fuck sake.

I'm now going back to my holiday and leaving you fuckers to it.  Hey, here's an idea - why not discuss a handheld computer no-one cares about.


Fuckers.

[Paelos]

There's nothing sadder than a pissy Euro is there? About a TV show I mean.

[Shockeye]

Unfortunately SciFi channel in the US passed on the show so the only way us Yankees can get the show is to download it.

[SirBruce]

I have a FOAF who has the first episode on DVD, but I'm still hoping to get direct links from someone.

Bruce

[Bunk]

Well, for any of you near the Canadian border, CBC is available via antenna :)

[Ironwood]

There's nothing sadder than a pissy Euro is there? About a TV show I mean.

Yeah, you're probably right.  Dawn greets me the next day and I've showered and eaten and composed myself.


Fuckers.


You have to understand what Doctor Who means over here.  It's ingrained as part of the Great British Culture, I'm afraid, and so many of us who lived 'behind the sofa' watching for countless years (bear in mind I'm 30 - I've seen a fair few episodes), this project was just going to bomb horribly.  There was no way it could be good, there was no way it could succeed and Billie Piper can do nothing but suck Orange Dick.

And yet, there it came and it was really, really, really good.  And, who knew, Billie could actually act.  Eccleston was a fantastic Doctor and I could see him doing it for as long as he liked, with full fan approval.

And then, the bombshell.

Did I over-react ?  Perhaps.  But it's still a little sad that something we thought was going to bomb flew so beautifully out of the nest and soared up in to the clouds....into a jet engine.

Fuck.

To Put it to some of you - Imagine they suddenly announced tomorrow that NO-MORE games would be released for the PSP.  Yeah, like that.  Or, imagine Blizzard just flat out stated - we're not patching again, sorry.

I really, really mean it - you guys have to understand the whole Doctor Who UK thing.  It's not even that it's a fanbase, or a 'sad convention' thing;  it's part of the culture.  It was either that or get involved in Miner's Strikes or the CND.

[Bunk]

You'll get through it man, with time.  Hell, I survived the hockey lockout - now if you want to talk about something ingrained in to a country's culture...

[Johny Cee]

Well, for any of you near the Canadian border, CBC is available via antenna :)

Eh?  What's that?  Time and channel please.

Living just south of the border from Montreal has it's benefits....  The Canadian networks come on basic cable.

The other mainly being the amazing hockey coverage. How can anyone actually watch the American coverage? 

[HaemishM]

The other mainly being the amazing hockey coverage. How can anyone actually watch the American coverage? 

Because it's all some of us have got, man. And right now, we've got fuckall.

GODDAMN COCKSUCKING CROTCH PHEASANTS.

Ahem. Forgive the derail, I'm still bitter.

[Paelos]

I like Barry Melrose. John Buchigross kinda sucks. Darren Pang reminds me of a yard gnome. Vern Lundquist has been doing the NCAA tourney coverage in the meantime I've noticed.

I miss the days when I lived in Dallas and could hear Ralph Strangis and Darrel Ray do the coverage of the Stars.

[HaemishM]

Do not mock the Buccigross. He is freaking hilarious, especially the column he writes on ESPN. I dig him because he's not like any other sportscaster, and just throws weird shit out at you. Plus, he busts his ass just about every year to make sure his kid has a backyard ice rink to skate in. That's a man what loves him some hockey.

Pang is a yard gnome. Somehow, he was an NHL goalie. Go figger.

[Paelos]

He's not terrible, he just kinda sucks in my view. I don't find his brand of weird amusing I guess. Melrose I like because of the suits and the mullet.

Phear the Melrose mullet!

[Bunk]

The new series debuts in Canada on April 5th, 8pm on CBC. for he who asked.

Melrose is one of the few I don't mind on American coverage. JD is quite good too for NY.

None of you has heard a proper hockey play by play until you've heard Jim Hughson cover the Canucks for Sportsnet.

[raydeen]

Well, to comiserate (sp?) with Ironwood, I'm very P.O.'d that the new series tanked this quickly because it was directly responcible for the cancellation of the original series here in the states. The BBC requested that the American PBS affilates drop their contracts for the original series so as not to conflict with the possible syndication of the new series. And in my area the show had *just* started over from the beginning. I was able to get the first 12 episodes (sort've-the local PBS station managed to get them out of order) on tape before they were pulled and replaced with Red Dwarf. Now I love Lister and Rimmer as much as the next guy but Red Dwarf no es mas macho por Doctor Who. (probably not the correct translation-I'm trying to remember the lyrics to Laurie Anderson's 'Smoke Rings'). Royally pissed I am. And I can't even watch the G.D. new series.

[Johny Cee]

The new series debuts in Canada on April 5th, 8pm on CBC. for he who asked.

Melrose is one of the few I don't mind on American coverage. JD is quite good too for NY.

None of you has heard a proper hockey play by play until you've heard Jim Hughson cover the Canucks for Sportsnet.

Honestly,  I'm not a huge hockey fan.  The Canadian coverage makes it enjoyable for even a casual viewer.  Not to mention Don Cherry and Ron McClean (bah, that is his name right?). 

[Ironwood]

Well, thank the lord it turned into a hockey thread....

 :-D

Second Episode Aired - really good once again with great performances from both leads.  Which is just salt in the fucking wound, really.

I guess no-one gives a shit about spoilers, but it would appear that all the other timelords are now dead.   Good, is all I can say.  With the exception of the Master, the 'Dirk Gently' character and possibly the Time Meddler and the War Games fellow, the other time lords were all wankers.

Anyhoo....

[SirBruce]

Just to be clear, the new series isn't cancelled; they are just getting a new Doctor.

Bruce

[eldaec]

I guess no-one gives a shit about spoilers, but it would appear that all the other timelords are now dead.   Good, is all I can say.  With the exception of the Master, the 'Dirk Gently' character and possibly the Time Meddler and the War Games fellow, the other time lords were all wankers.

huh?

I'm pretty sure the war and destruction of Gallifrey (I refuse to google for its correct spelling) was always the back story, and the Doctor was always the last 'time lord' (the existence of the Master and a few other incidental time travellers was "they aren't time lords - they are just guys with time machines").

[Ironwood]

Er, you're not correct.

There were a hell of a lot of Peter Davidson and Tom Baker Episodes SET on Gallifrey.  Without exception, they sucked.

Also, Troughton was exiled by the Time Lords Council.

I mean, I suppose if you take an 'eternity' view on the matter then, yes, the planet and all the people are dead.

My head hurts now....

And thanks for the clarifcation Bruce, I knew that it was continuing with a new Doctor already, but others might have been confused.

[eldaec]

Hmmm, I'm sure I'd heard the weepy destruction story somewhere before.

Back on the subject of Ecclestone leaving, he damn well better agree to come back for at least one episode to do the death and regeneration sequence. In fact, that ought to be written into the contract of all future Doctors.

Whomever it is next, lazy ass Doctor Whos who can't be arsed to die properly and just slink off between series' are not acceptable.

[SirBruce]

Actually I think the Tom Baker episodes involving Gallifrey are some of the best.

Also, Colin Baker had a whole "Trial of the Time Lord" season set there.

Bruce

[Ironwood]

The worrying thing about this 'come back and do the regeneration sequence' is that it's written in stone that regenerations are finite :  as long as the Beeb keeps fucking up the contracts for the actors, they could burn through the Docs regenerations in no time....

 

[HaemishM]

I liked the Tom Baker Gallifrey episodes as well. Teela (Leela?) was my favorite Who buddy, because of pretty obvious reasons.

[Ironwood]

Ok, ok - Slighty difference of opinion then.  I'll just say they weren't to my tastes and leave it at that.  (Though Leela and Tom were my favourites too.  Though if you're talking about sheer sex appeal, Nicola Bryant owns all.)

I have just purchased the 'Day of the Triffids' DVD that has just been released by the Beeb.  I am looking forward to tonight when I will realise that my childhood was more fun and scary when I was a child....

[SirBruce]

The worrying thing about this 'come back and do the regeneration sequence' is that it's written in stone that regenerations are finite :  as long as the Beeb keeps fucking up the contracts for the actors, they could burn through the Docs regenerations in no time....

This is true, but there are many possible outs.  The Time Lords on Gallifrey implied that they had the power to give The Master a new set of regenerations; also The Master himself had several schemes for surviving beyond his 13th body.  Given this and the width and breadth of time and space to work with, there are lots of plots one could construct to give The Doctor additional lives.

Even if you didn't want to do that, you could go other directions.  You could show episodes of a "young" Doctor #1, before he looked so old.  You could do "lost episodes" using a pre-existing Doctor.  You could claim Patrick Troughton's "forced" regeneration into Jon Pertwee really doesn't count.  There are a lot of possibilities.

Bruce

[SirBruce]

I liked the Tom Baker Gallifrey episodes as well. Teela (Leela?) was my favorite Who buddy, because of pretty obvious reasons.

I met Louise Jameson at TARDISCON in 1984, I think.  Stunning woman.  Somewhere there is a picture of me with her sitting on top of a(large) remote-controlled K-9, but alas, I lost my copy long ago.

Bruce

[eldaec]

The BBC apologised yesterday to Ecclestone for attributing the remarks mentioned above about typecasting and gruelling film schedules.

Turns out Ecclestone had told the BBC months previously he'd only be doing one series and that he would want to 'seek new challenges'.

Given the variety of roles Ecclestone has played previously, and given how easily he has always been able to find work, I find to hard to be surprised that he doesn't want to do the same thing for years on end. Why would he?

"Oh crap!  This show might actually be successful and I might actually be good at it.  I had better get the hell out of here before I become a success!"

Hardly. I think he considers himself to be quite successful enough - list below doesn't include an armful of stage credits...

"Doctor Who" (2005) TV Series .... The Doctor
The Second Coming (2003) (TV) .... Stephen Baxter
28 Days Later... (2002) .... Major Henry West
... aka 28 Days Later (UK: closing credits title)
... aka 28 jours plus tard (France)
... aka 29 Days Later (USA: longer version)
Flesh and Blood (2002) (TV) .... Joe Broughton
Revengers Tragedy (2002) .... Vindici
The King and Us (2002) (TV) .... Anthony
... aka Waiting for the Whistle: The King and Us (UK: series title)
I Am Dina (2002) .... Leo Zhukovsky
... aka Jeg er Dina (Denmark) (Norway)
... aka Dina (France)
... aka Dina - Meine Geschichte (Germany)
... aka Ich bin Dina (Germany)
... aka Jag är Dina (Sweden)
24 Hour Party People (2002) .... Boethius
... aka 24 Hour Party People (France)
... aka Twenty Four Hour Party People (UK: DVD title)
Sunday (2002/I) (TV) .... Gen. Ford
Othello (2002) (TV) .... Ben Jago
This Little Piggy (2001) .... Cabbie
Strumpet (2001) .... Strayman
The Others (2001) .... Charles Stewart
... aka Autres, Les (France)
... aka Otros, Los (Spain)
The Invisible Circus (2001) .... Wolf
Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) .... Raymond Vincent Calitri
The Tyre (2000) .... Salesman
Wilderness Men (2000) (TV) .... Alexander Von Humboldt
With or Without You (1999) .... Vincent Boyd
Heart (1999) .... Gary Ellis
eXistenZ (1999) .... Seminar Leader
... aka eXistenZ (France)
Elizabeth (1998) .... Duke of Norfolk
... aka Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen (closing credits title)
A Price Above Rubies (1998) .... Sender Horowitz
Hillsborough (1996) (TV) .... Trevor Hicks
... aka Inquest
Jude (1996) .... Jude Fawley
"Our Friends in the North" (1996) (mini) TV Series .... Nicky Hutchinson
Hearts and Minds (1995) (TV) .... Drew Mackenzie
Shallow Grave (1994) .... David Stephens
"Cracker" (1993) TV Series .... DCI David Bilborough (1993-1994)
Anchoress (1993) .... Priest
Business with Friends (1992) (TV) .... Angel Morris
Death and the Compass (1992) .... Alonso Zunz
... aka Muerte y la brújula, La (Mexico)
Friday on My Mind (1992) (TV) .... Sean Maddox
Rachel's Dream (1992) (TV) .... Man in Dream
Let Him Have It (1991) .... Derek Bentley
... aka Âge de vivre, L' (France)
Blood Rights (1990) (TV) .... Dick

[Ironwood]

also The Master himself had several schemes for surviving beyond his 13th body. 

EEEEVIL Ones..... I don't see that one working.  Heh.

Your point is taken - I wasn't being 100% serious anyway - after all, regenerations were just a plot device in the first place.

To those of you who like Wyndham - Get the Triffids DVD.  It's actually every bit as good as I remember.  Scared the wife, and that's alright with me.

[SirBruce]

Okay, so I saw the first three episodes last night.

The first one was pretty cool; good yet simple plot and nice special effects.  They do a good job of re-introducing the Doctor to the audience for first-time viewers, so they understand a bit about who he is and what the TARDIS is and so on.  The second episode, while I felt didn't hang together quite as well, is nevertheless one of the most innovative and interesting concepts Dr. Who has had in a while.  The special effects continue to be good, the dialog is improved, and it had some GREAT aliens.  The third episode was typical, traditional Dr. Who fare, although again with much better special effects and production values than we are used to.

The new Doctor is probably my favorite since Tom Baker.  He's about 1/3 Jon Pertwee (#3) -- he's "action-man", not afraid to get his hands dirty, blow up a few things, and use his gadgets to accomplish his task.  Another 1/3 is really William Hartnell (#1) in a way, although Colin Baker (#6) had this as well -- he's quite full of himself and rather dismissive of humans.  He's a bit troubled and somewhat antisocial, but there appear to be real reasons for this, instead of being just a general character trait

The rest of his character is pretty unique, although you see some glimpses of Tom and Colin Baker in it, especially in his wit.  More interestingly, this is the first doctor who (in-character) actually appears to have a bit of sex appeal.  It makes for some great moments in camera, mainly because it isn't something we've seen before.  The other interesting aspect is a noticeable pragmatic, perhaps even amoral, streak; he'll do the "right" thing if he can, but otherwise he'll just do what he can and not worry about the repercussions.

I won't go into spoilers, but something big has happened in the universe and with the Time Lords, and this might actually be a unifying story arc, and it has clearly affected The Doctor.  It's not clear what all of it means, yet.  At one point, The Doctor says the time stream is "in flux", and this suggests that it may be possible that anything we see may ultimately not actually have "happened" in the Dr. Who universe.  In fact, since we don't have a regeneration scene (although he does allude to a recent regeneration), this series could theoretically take place after the Doctor's 12 regeneration, or even before his "first" (there's nothing in stone that says Hartnell was indeed the Doctor's first body).

Bruce