RussellT.Davies-related stories
Posted Aug 31st 2009 10:03AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Programming, Animation, Doctor Who, Reality-Free
Before
Doctor Who fans say good bye to David Tennant in the BBC's final three specials of 2009, they'll get a little extra colorful bonus Tennant from the Beeb's Red Button service and the
Who website.
Doctor Who: "Dreamland" is the show's first venture into "3D" CG animation, and that makes for a stylistic representation of the Tennant's tall, skinny Time Lord. Writer Phil Ford (a veteran of both live action
Who and
Torchwood) takes the The Doctor to a diner in Roswell, New Mexico where all manner of alien shenanigans are going on.
American fans won't get to see the six-part series in its first run, as they're blocked out of video feeds on the BBC's websites. If only there were other websites that showed online video (illegally) posted by fans. Oh, well.
Continue reading Tennant's Doctor Who hangs on in Dreamland
Posted Aug 28th 2009 10:03AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Doctor Who, Celebrities, Reality-Free
Outgoing
Doctor Who producer Russell T. Davies and outgoing
Doctor Who star David Tennant gave a 20-minute exit interview on
Boing Boing Video (via YouTube). The entire video appears after the jump if you're feeling too lazy to click the link.
The interview took place around the San Diego Comic Con and is being done as a promotion for the next
Doctor Who special,
The Waters of Mars. There are a few spoilers (they do reveal the Master's appearance in the final episodes later this year, but that's pretty common knowledge at this point), but there is a sense of the feelings from the dynamic duo as they leave the franchise.
Continue reading David Tennant and RTD give an exit interview
Posted Aug 21st 2009 3:02PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Doctor Who, Reality-Free, British TV
With 2010 edging closer and the Russell T. Davies era of
Doctor Who coming to an end, the BBC is in the midst of revamping the show's website.
With 2009 offering only a few
Who specials and turning the series into a sporadic event until it returns full-time in 2010, the BBC has time to revamp the show's image and identity online.
The effectiveness of their efforts so far are debatable as they seem to be looking backward more than forward to the new Matt Smith/11th Doctor era.
For example, the re-engineered
Doctor Who website added a blog by Davies in which he discusses the new David Tennant-voiced, 10th Doctor CGI cartoon,
Dreamland.
Continue reading BBC almost revamps Doctor Who website for new era
Posted Aug 8th 2009 1:00PM by Nick Zaino
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Programming, OpEd, Reality-Free
A couple of weeks removed from the American showing of
Torchwood: Children of Earth, the mini-series that served as the
Dr. Who spinoff's third season, I am still thinking about what a season four would look like. I've been a fan of the show since the first series, and I have liked the
Torchwood team and admired the writing.
But the ending of
Children of Earth complicated things. At the end of season two, two major characters died, then COE killed off another. The immortal, normally untouchable Captain Jack Harkness had been compromised to the point where he had to leave the planet, and Gwen was pregnant and happily married. So what would a fourth season even look like?
I would hate to see
Torchwood: Baby Boomer, with Gwen balancing the baby with fighting aliens, and all the clichés that come with the balancing-a-job-and-motherhood plots from movies and television past. But then, series creator and writer Russell T. Davies has done a fantastic job of avoiding the predictable, so I'd be willing to take that leap of faith to see what he comes up with. And Davies is already on record as saying that Captain Jack is "
fundamental to Torchwood."
Continue reading Do you want a Torchwood Season Four? A few fans speak...
Posted Jul 30th 2009 4:31PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Doctor Who, TCA Press Tour, Reality-Free, British TV, Comic-Con
Reports flooded out of Comic Con International that a fourth season of
Torchwood was all but a lock based on its spectacular ratings on both sides of the Atlantic.
That would make sense when you consider the third mini-season ("Children of Earth") pulled in north of 6 milllion viewers a night in the U.K. and is now BBC America's all-time highest rated show. Why wouldn't the BBC want to bring it back?
But, in an informal discussion in Los Angeles Wednesday, Russell T. Davies told me the fourth season has not been officially approved, despite previous reports.
Continue reading Not so fast: Davies says Torchwood's fourth season on hold
Posted Jul 27th 2009 9:33AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Doctor Who, Reality-Free, Comic-Con
A
Torchwood panel headlined by Russell T. Davies and John Barrowman was the last big event of Comic-Con International this year. While it didn't pack any huge revelations, it did come with good news for fans. The show will return for a full season in 2010.
The BBC decided to make the show's third season, "Children of Earth," into a week-long miniseries event. It was a huge ratings success in the U.K. and fared well on BBC American in the U.S. So, the Beeb is giving it a longer run.
Continue reading Torchwood approved for full fourth season - Comic-Con Report
Posted Jul 26th 2009 10:33AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Doctor Who, Celebrities, Reality-Free, Comic-Con
It's safe to say David Tennant wasn't prepared for what he was running into at Comic-Con International.
"I've never been to San Diego before, lets alone Comic-Con," Tennant told me in the Scottish accent he hid while playing The Doctor for five years on the BBC's crown jewel,
Doctor Who. "The fan response here has been incredible -- just walking to the elevator. I can't imagine what'll be like during the panel (Sunday)."
Tennant is attending Comic-Con with former
Who show-runner and
Torchwood creator Russell T. Davies to promote the final specials featuring Tennant in the lead role. And, with mere hours to go before Sunday morning's
Doctor Who panel (one of the major events of Comic-Con's closing day), he insists that's the only reason he's there -- besides meeting the fans.
"I've heard we're supposed to announce a
Doctor Who movie," Tennant explained. "Or, I'm supposed to be playing
The Hobbit. But we're just here to promote the specials."
Continue reading David Tennant: The TV Squad Interview - Comic-Con Report
Posted Jun 19th 2009 10:02AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, OpEd, Doctor Who, Celebrities, Reality-Free, British TV, Comic-Con
Doctor Who's David Tennant (right) and
Who/Torchwood executive producer Russell T. Davies are headed to Comic-Con for the first time this year -- just in time for both of them to walk away from sci-fi's longest running TV series.
It should be a huge event, as fans of both
Doctor Who and
Torchwood will get their first chance to grill the people most directly responsible for the shows' development over the last few years.
Tennant, will appear alongside Davies, former
Who executive producer Julie Gardner and
Who/
Torchwood director Euros Lyn at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego on Sunday, July 26, 10-11:00 am PT.
Continue reading Doctor Who's Tennant and Davies Heading to Comic-Con
Posted Jun 14th 2009 10:03AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Programming, TV on DVD, Reality-Free, British TV
Torchwood creator and executive producer Russell T. Davies told the British press Friday that the fourth season of the sci-fi show is ready and waiting, depending on how the show's third mini-season ("Children of Earth") performs.
During a screening of the third series' premiere episode ("Day One"), Davies said he knows where he wants to go in
Torchwood's next run. That's good news for fans, as there's every reason to expect that "Children of Earth" will do well both in the U.K. and in the U.S. -- where it out-rates the show that inspired it (
Doctor Who) on BBC America.
Davies, the former executive producer of
Who, also gave
Torchwood fans reason to rejoice when he said he'd be willing to keep knocking the show out for 10 years if the viewers stay tuned. No word if show stars like John Barrowman and Eve Myles would be willing to stay on board into their middle age.
Continue reading Davies says Torchwood's season four is ready to go
Posted May 30th 2009 9:05AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: TV on the Bigscreen, OpEd, Doctor Who, Reality-Free, British TV
The rumors flow like wine. Once again, "news" has surfaced that
a Doctor Who movie is in the works. Supposedly this one has a bit more merit because the BBC has confirmed that one is in development, yet they don't link to a press release of any kind. Forgive me if I have some doubts.
If true, which Doctor is it? Will it be David Tennant or Matt Smith? And which showrunner is it? Russell T. Davies or Steven Moffat? Or is the answer none of the above?
There has been
a lot of recent developments in the
Doctor Who world. A movie is the next logical step.
If I had my druthers, the movie would be about the Time War (the Daleks being the obvious choice for the alien enemy of the movie). It would star Paul McGann and fill the gap between the 1996 television movie and the 2005 relaunch. The odds are so astronomically against as to be incalculable, but I can dream.
Posted May 15th 2009 4:29PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Doctor Who, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free
This piece of news is from
The Sun newspaper in England, so as always when I relay information from that particular source, take it with a grain of salt. With that in mind,
The Sun is reporting that ex-Bond Timothy Dalton is
in talks to appear as a villain in one or more of David Tennant's remaining
Doctor Who specials.
While obviously Dalton would not play the main villain of the piece (that role has already been cast by a returning arch-nemesis), he's exactly the sort that Russell T. Davies would have play an evil businessman. I suspect that is the plan.
I'd be more impressed with they had gotten Roger Moore or Sean Connery to play a role in
Who, but I think that would be pushing it.
For you Dalton fans (and I just loved him in the 80's
Flash Gordon movie), it's just one more reason to tune in to the specials when they are broadcast later this year. Damn you, Sci Fi and/or BBCA for not broadcasting these specials in the U.S.!
Posted Apr 13th 2009 2:01PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Doctor Who, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
Despite living in the U.S., I was able to catch the BBC Easter Special for
Doctor Who titled "Planet of the Dead". My thoughts on it are as follows:
It wasn't the best special broadcast thus far (I enjoyed the 2008 Christmas special more), but it was on par with the better episodes of the show. The Doctor seems to fight two general categories of alien menaces: intentional threats or forces of nature (or the first taking advantage of the second). This was one of those "forces of nature" enemies (and I'm not referring to the fly-headed creatures seen in the previews).
Continue reading Thoughts on the Doctor Who Easter special
Posted Oct 29th 2008 8:45PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Doctor Who, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free
You don't get much more official than an announcement from the BBC.
David Tennant will be leaving the lead role in Doctor Who at the end of the 2009 specials.
It kind of makes sense. That's when the changeover from Russell T. Davies to Steven Moffat takes place. If one was going to leave the show, that would be the time. Still, Tennant was utterly amazing in the role. Even when the episode was crap, his youthful enthusiasm made the character always a pleasure to watch. His love for the role and the character always shone through. It's probably best for him to leave while the fans are wanting more and he hasn't worn out his welcome.
There is an upside to this. While in his tenure as the Doctor, Mr. Tennant wasn't permitted by BBC to attend any conventions. Perhaps now we'll be able to catch him at one, if he isn't busy with moving on in his career.
Who should play the next Doctor? I vote for Paul McGann. Discuss.
Posted Sep 17th 2008 11:06AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Doctor Who, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free
The
Times of the UK has a couple of articles about departing
Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies.
The first is about his upcoming book, in which he writes about the trials and tribulations of returning the Time Lord to television.
The second is about some tidbits from his run and his choice for the eleventh Doctor.
Of course, since Davies is departing he probably has little say in who will play the eleventh Who. Having never seen
Wonder Boys, I couldn't tell you if Russell Tovey would be a good choice for the eleventh Doctor. I feel it's time to shake up the formula and have a woman play the role. But that's just me.
Why did Davies even try to get J.K. Rowling to write for the show? She must be way out of his budget. If she wrote for television, she'd probably want to create something that she would own. Having her appear as a character seems feasable since she's already done so for
The Simpsons.
Both articles are pretty interesting. If you're a fan, check them out.
Posted Aug 1st 2008 10:00PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Doctor Who, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S04E13) The latest season of
Doctor Who gets resolved with a story that seems rushed, confusing and filled with self-love on the part of showrunner Russell T. Davies. But that doesn't necessarily mean it was bad.
To begin, the CGI and special effects are quite possibly the best ever seen on the show. Despite being in charge of the specials that will be airing next year, it seems that this episode was treated as the last that Davies will ever run. As a result, he wrapped up most every storyline he could think of going back to the first season.
Continue reading Doctor Who: Journey's End (season finale)
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