Topic: OT but Sci-Fi related : DOCTOR WHO: WILL THE NEW SERIES BE ANY GOOD?

[Pestalence]

http://www.titanmagazines.com/ukdreamwatch.html

DOCTOR WHO: WILL THE NEW SERIES BE ANY GOOD?
With Christopher Eccleston now cast as the ninth Doctor, dreamwatch wonders if the new series of Doctor Who can live up to the hype and fulfill viewers' expectations. Plus a panel of experts -- including Farscape creator Rockne S. O'Bannon, Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Sophie Aldred, and novelist Stephen Gallagher -- outline their hopes and fears for the show's return.

__________________________________

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/drwho/2003/09/26/7012.shtml


 Doctor Who News    26 September 2003
New Doctor Who TV series
   
 
 
 
Doctor Who is coming back to BBC One in 2005. It will be a new live-action series, written by Russell T Davies.

Late last night we received the following surprise official statement from BBC Publicity:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lorraine Heggessey, Controller of BBC One, has confirmed that all rights issues regarding Doctor Who have been resolved and has green-lit scripts from writer Russell T Davies.

The statement notes that it is far too early in the day to discuss possible storylines, characters, villains or who might play the Doctor. It also states that it is unlikely anything will be on screen for at least two years.

It will be a family show, but no details are available on when it will be scheduled.

Doctor Who will be produced by BBC Wales in conjunction with Mal Young, Controller of BBC Continuing Series. The executive producers will be Mal Young, Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner, Head of Drama BBC Wales. Russell T. Davies's writing credits include Bob and Rose, [bleep] as Folk, The Second Coming, Touching Evil (with Paul Abbott) and The Grand.

Mal Young says: "Doctor Who is a much-loved, truly iconic piece of television history. It's time to crank up the TARDIS and find out what lies in store for the Doctor. We're thrilled to have a writer of Russell's calibre to take us on this journey. However, we're at the very early stages of development and further details, including casting, will not be available for some time."

Award-winning writer Russell T. Davies says: "I grew up watching Doctor Who, hiding behind the sofa like so many others. Doctor Who is one of the BBC's most exciting and original characters. He's had a good rest and now it's time to bring him back!

"The new series will be fun, exciting, contemporary and scary. Although I'm only in the early stages of development, I'm aiming to write a full-blooded drama which embraces the Doctor Who heritage, at the same time as introducing the character to a modern audience."

A report in the Telegraph mentions that six episodes have been commissioned, but there is no information on this in the BBC statement.

A BBCi animated series starring Richard E Grant as the Doctor launches to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary. His adventures will keep you entertained while you're waiting for the new TV series to arrive.

____________________________________


http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/cult/news/drwho/2004/04/29/10802.shtml

Doctor Who | News | 29 April 2004

Christopher Eccleston
 
The new Doctor's first online interview.

We recently caught up with Christopher Eccleston, and discovered how he plans to make his incarnation of the Doctor appeal to modern audiences.

"[The previous Doctors] were a little bit - for a kid from a council estate - foppish," he told us. "I enjoyed the escapism of that, but there was a distance for me."

"I hope to a certain extent with my Doctor we can address that and attract kids who are very sophisticated in terms of what they're watching on video."

"If we can aim it at the social fabric of the country and the background they come from - the equivalent of the kid I was in the 70s from a council estate in Greater Manchester, City of Salford - that would be great."

Christopher also revealed that he intends to discuss the role with his predecessors. "I will make an effort to speak to Tom Baker and Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy. I will, I think almost out of manners, have a chat with them, hopefully have a pint with them."
 
 
____________________________________


Personally i miss the series.. Tom Baker was my favorite.. along with his generic computer dog, K-9, and his sidekick, Romona...

I am anxiously awaiting for this to start airing in the US...

[Windfox]

I just hope they have a TARDIS control room at least SIMILAR to the old one... the one in that Fox movie was more Victorian than Sci-Fi.  I miss the old bubble walls, and if they have to have something else, maybe they can make it displays like the walls they used in STTNG or something.

[FPF_TraceyG]

Quote:
I just hope they have a TARDIS control room at least SIMILAR to the old one... the one in that Fox movie was more Victorian than Sci-Fi.  I miss the old bubble walls, and if they have to have something else, maybe they can make it displays like the walls they used in STTNG or something.  

The Victorian looking control room was also used by Tom Baker, the 4th Doctor. They embellished it slightly for the movie though.

[Windfox]

Hmm.. wasn't that the one then that was ejected at some point?  I remember something about an auxillary control room being ejected... guess it got regrown then.  I don't mind if it's a backup then, as long as most of the time they use the main one.

[Holocat]

Like I have any serious expectations for a show I willingly stayed up to three am for, so I could giggle at the funny foam costumes and enviously dream of owning a Dalek.  

So long as they still have Daleks running around with the same cheezy voice and fire-extingusher-gun-thing, i'm perfectly happy.  

[feargusf]

Quote:
Like I have any serious expectations for a show I willingly stayed up to three am for, so I could giggle at the funny foam costumes and enviously dream of owning a Dalek.  

So long as they still have Daleks running around with the same cheezy voice and fire-extingusher-gun-thing, i'm perfectly happy.    

Oh, yeah! Them Daleks were real scary, at least until you found yourself a staircase.

Ex-ter-min-ate this!  

[Johanobesus]

I'm not optimistic (but then I'm never optimistic about anything).  If the photo on that one site is the new actor, he doesn't look right at all.  Also, the Doctor is supposed to be a little aristocratic, or at least eccentric.  If that's what the actor is talking about when he complains about the character being "foppish," then he probably is not right for the role.  Despite the story, I rather liked McGann.  With good writing, he might make a fine Doctor.  I think they should keep him.  Just as long as they don't adopt any elements from the Hollywood "bible" the folks at Fox came up with.  That series treatment was downright scary.  They should also abandon all that magical crap from the last few years of the series.  It's a shame they couldn't somehow have Davidson appear and pretend that the last couple of Doctors never happened.

And I don't remember Baker's console chamber having dead leaves blowing around.  
 

[Lepton1]

If that Doctor Who movie that came out a few years ago is any indication, I don't hold out alot of hope.  That movie was populist pseudo-Hollywood trash.

[Pestalence]

http://www.titanmagazines.com/ukdreamwatch.html

DOCTOR WHO: WILL THE NEW SERIES BE ANY GOOD?
With Christopher Eccleston now cast as the ninth Doctor, dreamwatch wonders if the new series of Doctor Who can live up to the hype and fulfill viewers' expectations. Plus a panel of experts -- including Farscape creator Rockne S. O'Bannon, Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Sophie Aldred, and novelist Stephen Gallagher -- outline their hopes and fears for the show's return.

__________________________________

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/drwho/2003/09/26/7012.shtml


 Doctor Who News    26 September 2003
New Doctor Who TV series
   
 
 
 
Doctor Who is coming back to BBC One in 2005. It will be a new live-action series, written by Russell T Davies.

Late last night we received the following surprise official statement from BBC Publicity:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lorraine Heggessey, Controller of BBC One, has confirmed that all rights issues regarding Doctor Who have been resolved and has green-lit scripts from writer Russell T Davies.

The statement notes that it is far too early in the day to discuss possible storylines, characters, villains or who might play the Doctor. It also states that it is unlikely anything will be on screen for at least two years.

It will be a family show, but no details are available on when it will be scheduled.

Doctor Who will be produced by BBC Wales in conjunction with Mal Young, Controller of BBC Continuing Series. The executive producers will be Mal Young, Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner, Head of Drama BBC Wales. Russell T. Davies's writing credits include Bob and Rose, [bleep] as Folk, The Second Coming, Touching Evil (with Paul Abbott) and The Grand.

Mal Young says: "Doctor Who is a much-loved, truly iconic piece of television history. It's time to crank up the TARDIS and find out what lies in store for the Doctor. We're thrilled to have a writer of Russell's calibre to take us on this journey. However, we're at the very early stages of development and further details, including casting, will not be available for some time."

Award-winning writer Russell T. Davies says: "I grew up watching Doctor Who, hiding behind the sofa like so many others. Doctor Who is one of the BBC's most exciting and original characters. He's had a good rest and now it's time to bring him back!

"The new series will be fun, exciting, contemporary and scary. Although I'm only in the early stages of development, I'm aiming to write a full-blooded drama which embraces the Doctor Who heritage, at the same time as introducing the character to a modern audience."

A report in the Telegraph mentions that six episodes have been commissioned, but there is no information on this in the BBC statement.

A BBCi animated series starring Richard E Grant as the Doctor launches to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary. His adventures will keep you entertained while you're waiting for the new TV series to arrive.

____________________________________


http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/cult/news/drwho/2004/04/29/10802.shtml

Doctor Who | News | 29 April 2004

Christopher Eccleston
 
The new Doctor's first online interview.

We recently caught up with Christopher Eccleston, and discovered how he plans to make his incarnation of the Doctor appeal to modern audiences.

"[The previous Doctors] were a little bit - for a kid from a council estate - foppish," he told us. "I enjoyed the escapism of that, but there was a distance for me."

"I hope to a certain extent with my Doctor we can address that and attract kids who are very sophisticated in terms of what they're watching on video."

"If we can aim it at the social fabric of the country and the background they come from - the equivalent of the kid I was in the 70s from a council estate in Greater Manchester, City of Salford - that would be great."

Christopher also revealed that he intends to discuss the role with his predecessors. "I will make an effort to speak to Tom Baker and Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy. I will, I think almost out of manners, have a chat with them, hopefully have a pint with them."
 
 
____________________________________


Personally i miss the series.. Tom Baker was my favorite.. along with his generic computer dog, K-9, and his sidekick, Romona...

I am anxiously awaiting for this to start airing in the US...

[Windfox]

I just hope they have a TARDIS control room at least SIMILAR to the old one... the one in that Fox movie was more Victorian than Sci-Fi.  I miss the old bubble walls, and if they have to have something else, maybe they can make it displays like the walls they used in STTNG or something.

[FPF_TraceyG]

Quote:
I just hope they have a TARDIS control room at least SIMILAR to the old one... the one in that Fox movie was more Victorian than Sci-Fi.  I miss the old bubble walls, and if they have to have something else, maybe they can make it displays like the walls they used in STTNG or something.  

The Victorian looking control room was also used by Tom Baker, the 4th Doctor. They embellished it slightly for the movie though.

[Windfox]

Hmm.. wasn't that the one then that was ejected at some point?  I remember something about an auxillary control room being ejected... guess it got regrown then.  I don't mind if it's a backup then, as long as most of the time they use the main one.

[Holocat]

Like I have any serious expectations for a show I willingly stayed up to three am for, so I could giggle at the funny foam costumes and enviously dream of owning a Dalek.  

So long as they still have Daleks running around with the same cheezy voice and fire-extingusher-gun-thing, i'm perfectly happy.  

[feargusf]

Quote:
Like I have any serious expectations for a show I willingly stayed up to three am for, so I could giggle at the funny foam costumes and enviously dream of owning a Dalek.  

So long as they still have Daleks running around with the same cheezy voice and fire-extingusher-gun-thing, i'm perfectly happy.    

Oh, yeah! Them Daleks were real scary, at least until you found yourself a staircase.

Ex-ter-min-ate this!  

[Johanobesus]

I'm not optimistic (but then I'm never optimistic about anything).  If the photo on that one site is the new actor, he doesn't look right at all.  Also, the Doctor is supposed to be a little aristocratic, or at least eccentric.  If that's what the actor is talking about when he complains about the character being "foppish," then he probably is not right for the role.  Despite the story, I rather liked McGann.  With good writing, he might make a fine Doctor.  I think they should keep him.  Just as long as they don't adopt any elements from the Hollywood "bible" the folks at Fox came up with.  That series treatment was downright scary.  They should also abandon all that magical crap from the last few years of the series.  It's a shame they couldn't somehow have Davidson appear and pretend that the last couple of Doctors never happened.

And I don't remember Baker's console chamber having dead leaves blowing around.  
 

[Lepton1]

If that Doctor Who movie that came out a few years ago is any indication, I don't hold out alot of hope.  That movie was populist pseudo-Hollywood trash.