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Dr. Who Series Star Quits
TinheadNed writes "The day after the BBC confirmed there will be a second Doctor Who series next year, as well as a Christmas special, new Dr Who actor Christopher Eccleston has revealed he will not continue in the role, for fears of being typecast. Billie Piper, who plays his assistant Rose, will probably continue in her role."
Now they'll have to come up with some sort of complicated plot device to explain why the Doctor looks different next season! ...oh, wait.
That green slime had it coming.
I never really understood the fear actors have of being typecast. If you are fit for the role, and the audience wants to see you in that role than why not stay with the character?
wiction.org
Yeah, how horrible to be typecast as one of the most beloved sci-fi icons! I mean, we see how much the previous doctors cried over that... (with the possible exception of Patrick Troughton - I get the impression that he went far enough into character that fan gatherings and the character/real life dichotomy produced were terribly difficult for him.)
You play one eccentric, British Time Lord, and central casting want you to play them all.
Unfortunately, I am not Wil Wheaton
I thought Eccleston made a very good Doctor Who - A great actor with just the right amount of humour. I didn't like *any* of the previous Doctors - excepting Tom Baker - to the point where I couldn't watch the show. Just when I start getting back into it, the guy leaves.
Chris Evans would agree, that's what happens when you spend too much time with Billie Piper!
You've got mail. Pattern baldness. - Crow
I watched Rose and really enjoyed it. He seemed to fit the role very well. Notice the trend of getting younger actors to play the Doctor for each iteration?
I recommend the show. Lovely! Completely ridiculous technofobia in a modern coating! The best of old and new! Great show, ill be watching.
Was there ever a female Doctor? That might be cool.
-- Who is the bigger fool? The fool or the fool who follows him? --
Eddie Izzard as the Doctor could be the best thing to happen to television ever.
If it ever happens though, I'm sure the BBC will go out of their way to cock it up in a typically British fashion; though the new series does give me some hope.
There are many thousands of actors who would jump at the chance to play Dr. Who. If you're afraid of being typecast, then you may well never act on anything of any real note again. I fear this may be the last we hear of this actor. But then, I don't pay too much attention to the entertainment scene, so for all I know he could already be noteworthy.
And it would somehow be ironic if he were already typecast...
Bloody stupid basing future plans on the results of the first show. This was hyped in the UK, watch the figures drop of for the second episode, or at least wait until the figures are in FFS.
he was unsuitable for the role. The Dr. should've been more like the one in the original series - a wisened older man. The trend toward trying to make things 'young n` c00l' has to stop.
from where he came from
They should give the part to Bill Bailey and let Joss Whedon write and direct.
... that he would have considered the typecasting possibility earlier ...
could it be that he could not agree with the Beeb as to how much he would be paid for a second season?
He had nothing to fear about a second season typecasting him. he was typecase at 17:05 last saturday when he poked his head around a door and said "hello, I'm the doctor"...
A friend of mine was in London on Saturday, when he came back in to work on Tuesday he said, "guess who I saw in london on Saturday?, Doctor Who", not Chris Eccleston, Dr Who... jobs already done...
I doubt he's afraid of being type cast. This is a negotiating tactic, plain and simple. Let it be known that you won't be around for a second run if you're not already contractually obligated to do so, and then they come at you with more money right out of the gate.
In other words, Christopher Eccleston is an idiot.
He can only make 12 regenerations (13 bodies)... the BBC must be slightly frustrated with having used this body for only the 1 series and burning yet another regeneration to do so.
;)
I guess they'll balance that with feeling smug that they pulled off the comeback.
Wonder what they'll do when they run out of them though?
Probably think of a complicated plot device to explain why it's suddenly possible to have any number of changes as revenue streams dictate
Gods know getting a chance to play a beloved character with a strong history and dedicated fandom is the last thing any actor wants.
I've not seen the leaked episode, but I've heard rave reviews. It seems this gentleman really fit the role, and it's a shame he's not continuing - unless this is an early and bad April Fool's joke
"The Sage treasures Unity and measures all things by it" - Lao Tzu
At this rate they are going to burn through all twelve of the Doctor's regenerations in another three months - then what will they do?
www.eFax.com are spammers
Ohh. We could have an entire series of Dr. Who when French, bus driving monkeys with a jam fixation try to take over the world. The head monkey could sound a bit like a bad impersonation of Sean Connory!
No, in all seriousness, Eddie would make a great Dr. I was surprised to see him in Oceans Twelve. He did a good job.
No, what's really dumb is that the BBC didn't sign him up for the first series with a contract that optioned him for other series if they wanted to carry on the run. All the cast of ST:TNG were signed up for one year with the option of a further six, all the cast of X-Men were signed up for one movie with the option of another one (although I bet the producers wish that had been another three or four now).
How hard is it to draw up a contract that says if we want you for another year or two then you're ours? Evidently too hard for the BBC Wales team responsible for the latest production.
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
Came early this year...
Task Mangler
I can't tell from the articles if he'll only be in the one episode, or if they've already shot more episodes from this season. But asking for a role and suddenly discovering that you're too good for it - that's frustrating from the perspective of all the folks out there who would love to play an iconic character like the Doctor.
Knowing that this series could re-emerge into a several series run why on earth would the BBC not have an option on this character for multiple years of the series. He is after all the NINTH Dr. Who dropped the ball, Auntie Beeb lives after all.
Use one of the previous doctors! It's reasonable enough. There's absolutely no reason why Rose couldn't end up Paul McGann, Richard E. Grant or Tom Baker.
None of the other doctors, mind you (shudder!).
I don't like trolls and mod against me if you like, but I'd prefer if you'd reply.
...make a prequel.
>Sorry, wrong species! Rose is human; Time Lords need to come from Gallifrey.
Knock her up then. I'd watch that.
Pregnant women are hot!
Have you considered that this would have made the contract more expensive, and they (BBC Wales) might not have been able to afford to make this series if they had done so?
There's nothing wrong with having an 'awfully British' doctor.
;-)
Besides, Richard E Grand seems to fit the bill perfectly just by his nature
Ripping an new rectum in the fabric of spacetime.
The official word from Russell Davies has always been that the processions was McCoy -> McGann -> Eccleston.
News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters? Like hell.
has got to be Doctor Madblood!!
GET FREE APPLE STUFF!
This was written a few years ago and in it, Nimoy acknowledges the opportunities the role of Spock has given him. Nimoy ends up concluding that Spock is part of him and is responsible for a large fraction of his later success.
myke
Mimetics Inc. Twitter
"New Dr Who actor Christopher Eccleston has revealed he will not continue in the role, for fears of being typecast. Billie Piper, who plays his assistant Rose, will probably continue in her role." ... for fear of not getting another one.
Dr Who actor Christopher Eccleston has revealed he will not continue in the role, for fears of being typecast.
Now everyone will just remember him as "that jerk who quit Dr. Who after one season because he was afraid of being typecast".
Look at his career. He didn't want to be the pretty boy on "21 Jump St" or anywhere else. He quit. Now, he's considered to be a well respected actor and is very successful. If he stayed on 21, I don't think he would be where he is now. Granted, I don't think every actor can do what Johnny did. Look at Denise Crosby(Tasha Yar) of ST:TNG. She quit because she didn't want to be type casted and she hasn't done much - I don't know if that's by choice or not though.
I'd say in my mind, the only actors typecast as Doctor Who are Pertwee and Tom Baker. I hear Troughton suffered for being typecast but he was way before my time. No idea how Hartnell was received and Richard Hurndal was at the end of his life when he played Doctor number 1.
Davison is more typecast as "nice guy" characters rather than the Doctor, Colin Baker should be forgetable and besides, he now looks nothing like he did in the 80s. McCoy will always be the goofy guy (kinda like Mr. Noodles on Elmo) but chasing a big orange pipecleaner in the kids art show Vision On. McGann with his prosthetics and fake hair is far enough from his real self that I don't think I look at him as the Doctor.
There are rabid fans of tv shows but I think it's a British thing and not so much so in the US. If he took on more roles in American films, he may avoid worldwide typecasting.
As far as other actors, Connery was James Bond. In my mind, he's more the Captain of the Red October or the Spanish peacock with a Scottish accent... etc. Walter Koenig was Pavel Chekov but shined as Al Bester and I think I'll have trouble seeing him as Chekov in the upcoming ST:NV episode.
"No, in all seriousness, Eddie would make a great Dr. I was surprised to see him in Oceans Twelve. He did a good job"
And then we shot him.
...not a moment to soon. For more disparaging criticism, see here.
I've watched the old episodes for years and its one of the few shows where i actually bother to watch the intro and credits.
Just so i'm not completely offtopic, I bet all it took was a few days of people walking around and whispering "its the doctor" to convince the man to drop the role.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
Ecclestone is scared of being typecast... as what? A bit of a weirdo?
I'm thinking... Shallow Grave, he played a bit of a weirdo... that TV series, what was it - second coming? - he played a bit of a weirdo... 28 days later, he played a bit of a weirdo. Now he's playing what has to be the ultimate weirdo.
If you ask me, he's already pretty much cast to type.
Don't you usually have to be recognized by the general public before it is even possible to be "typecast"?
Um, missed.
Run Eddie! Run! Bunch of flowers!
Well, someone had to do it sooner or later.
Now that was one cool show! But i really do not want a remake. Just leave me alone with my memories...
"Never trust a computer you can not throw out of a window..."
Bring back the baker man!
He was by far the best doctor who ever, no more of these pansy doc's... lets go old school
"Christopher Eccleston was never intended to go past the first series. Russell T Davies wants to do a regeneration thing as soon as possible, sees it as integral to the series. David Tennant is confirmed to appear in the Christmas Special. However, the BBC may do a bait and switch. Bill Nighy and Chiwetel Ejoifor are both up for the lead, appearing at the end of the Christmas Special, and then into the second series. The Eccleston leaving news and Tennant speculation has been deliberately revealed now as a spoiler to the Tony-Blair-on-Ant-And-Dec news. Expect a lot of this, the BBC are playing with the media in a way they rarely have before, with Doctor Who and the newspapers are willing to play along as they get excellent content, news, features and opinion column matter. Expect more as the Dalek episode approaches, and a lot more before the last two Dalek War episodes. The David Tennant goss will also help publicity for the BBC1 showing of Casanova, written by Russel T Davies, in which he is absolutely excellent and will wipe away unfortunate Blackpool memories. Four DVDs will be released for the first TV series, in May, June, July and August with a DVD box set of the series with lots of features in October."
Can see him now running away from the Daleks with a pint of beer in his hand.
Time gentlemen please!
javax.media.bbc.BadTypecastException: actor does not want to be typecast.
--Rob
Towards the Singularity.
As long as Billie's pipers are coming back, I'll be watching!
He's already typecast as a weird guy with big ears. He takes way out there roles and looks like a right smurf while doing them. Thats what we expect from him and he'll keep doing it.
I like muppets.
The BBC has interesting list of possible replacements for the next series here.
If they're going for consistency, David Thewlis is probably as close as they'll get to Christopher Eccleston, though he's perhaps not quite in the same league.
Shit man, then pick an actor who wouldn't have cost as much to hire. It's not as if a million RADA actors wouldn't have killed their own mothers for the part, is it?
And it's not as if it's the actor that defines the role, is it? Who knew Tom Baker before he got the part? Getting a known name was far from necessary.
Also, whatever happened to creative contracts? Give him a percentage of merchandising rights for x many years while he plays the part, etc. These things aren't exactly rocket science, are they?
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
Foolish Chris foolish. Now what producer will ever hire him for a long term project? Everyone will be afraid he will quit as soon as the show becomes popular. In a few years he may be commonly referred to as "Chris who???" Maybe he thinks he has a shot at a movie career. Actually wouldnt it be ironic if he got offered the ultimate typecasted role... James Bond. Would he turn that down?
Never saw Eccleston (Doctor) sticking with it - he's a much better actor than the role requires and the writing allows. A recent interview on BBC's Jonathan Ross show saw him looking rather bemused with the whole thing (and with the line of Dr Who dolls due to come out this Xmas) he's probably feeling embarrassed by the first ep.h ift/nigel-kneale.shtml) then please let them come forward and seize the day before Dr Who is cancelled once again. ...
The material given to him in the first ep. was p***-poor and the story quickly gravitated towards Billy Piper (Rose) which is one of the many pointers to the soap-like focus that the show will now suffer (after all, the target audience will be young ladies as it is for all drama-based TV shows these days -my sister felt sorry for the Doctor when he pleaded with Rose to come with him).
Of course even Eccleston wouldn't want to turn down a paying job but I don't expect the BBC even wanted him to continue in the role otherwise they would have tied him to another series already.
BBC Three (which has all the after-show shows here in the good old UK) transmitted the Dr Who Confidential show after the actual ep. on BBC 1 and the new production team kept banging on about their view of the essence of Dr Who, which boiled down to the Doctor character (but without the traditional dandy clothing - i.e. a time traveller that follows 21st century Earth fashions?), a Tardis (but only the exterior and the bigger-on-the-inside tricks have been kept the same), the space/time travelling (but the first episode was set in the now, and the next is supposed to be set at the end of time), and scary creatures (but the first episode had very unfrightening shop dummies). Nothing more! Ok, maybe I'm not sure what the essence of the original series was but I'm sure it was more about presenting new ideas and challenges to the viewer (e.g. what would we do if the earth was invaded by round tin-cans / human-like tin cans / big flies / etc) rather than wondering how long Eccleston will be able to reel of the names of lame galactic accords and stare meaningfully at Rose.
The BBC should have looked to the late-70s Quatermass series which resurrected an earlier BBC series with a challenging premise and story line, instead of the long list of Mal Young resurrected soap-dramas. If there is some one in BBC land who is more like Nigel Neale (Quatermass, The Stone Tape*) (http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/times
Then again, what do I know
* The Stone Tape is superb and highly recommended.
Because BBC America won't even show the new series (or the old one, for that matter), so a new doctor has already bitten the dust before I even got to see him.
Yeah, I could probably download them... but the cardinal rule is that anything new and desireable will get the MPAA/RIAA/BPAA? (What ARE the British Phonograph police called anyways) after me with legal documents printed on wet noodles.
The ledgend lives on. Carrot Juice.... Carrot Juice....!
From last weeks show, Eccleston was the only person who could act. He was well cast and like it or not hes already going to be type cast as soon as this series is over - he'll be back for more. Piper was abit crap, either that or the script but i guess the first show is allowed to suck a little.
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matt frewer as the doctor
:))
john de lancie as the master
let the flames begin
Rich Johnson (comic book rumor columnist) posted a message over at aintitcoolnews claiming that the plan all along has been to change doctors at the end of the first season as a way of introducing the concept to new viewers.
http://www.popularculturegaming.com -- my blog about the culture of videogame players
The downside: he could miss out on years of convention appearances and a steady stream of income.
But he's correct. He could very easily be type-cast. I appreciate a man who is willing to take a risk like this.
Except for ending slavery, the Nazis, communism, & securing American independence, war has never solved anything.
I was thinking particularly of his performance in the three-part mini-series '40', in which he played the straight role of a flamboyant advertising exec amazingly well.
In my opinion the more people that play the Doctor the better. Plus as we didn't get a re-generation scene for the introduction of Eccleston it could be assumed that he was nearing the end this particular "life", on the verge of re-generating when the series started.
I don't need a compass to tell me which way the wind shines.
Why not make it a woman? Like, say, Jenna Jameson.
I'd watch it then.
Eddie Izzard! That would be brilliant casting. At least it would be interesting to watch what he would do with the role. Probably be maniacal like Tom Baker.
I demand the finest wines in the universe! I want them here, and I want them now.
In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
There was a female Dr in a very nice Dr Who Parody
Hugh Grant also plays Dr Who, as do a few other people.
"Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
I would rather see some great cosmic disaster that forces the Dr. to retcon the whole universe (kinda like DC's 'Crisis on Infinite Earths').
They can then update the whole series and start over fresh.
But seriously.. afaik spock has only ever been played by nimoy and so he will always be identifed with that character.. whereas the good doctor has changed many times so nobody is really typecast as dr who..
well except for tom baker.. ;)
But even more seriously - any actor who fears being typecast I think is more concerned (perhaps with good reason) with his/her ability to pull off a roll convincingly.. so its really down to self-confidence and/or acting ability.
If William Shatner didn't get "typecast" then I don't think this guy has much to worry about; OTTOMH, Shatner has played a starship captain, a policeman, and a lawyer (and all THAT after he played a Hitler-type character...or did he actually play Hitler in a movie...? Aha! to the rescue!! Holy COW, his IMDB entry is HUGE...ok, I'm seriously OT now, but Eccleston has nothing to worry about.)
This space intentionally left (almost) blank.
#include "scifi_geek.h"
extern void * eccleston;
int dr_who () {
return 0;
}
"Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer." -Adolf Hitler
"We are one Nation, we are one People." -The One 'leader'
Is that when series 2 starts we find out Eccleston never really was the doctor when McGann shows up.
;-)
After all we've not seen McGann generate into Eccleston...
Thus saving one more precious generation
[)amien
In the "Trial of a Timelord" series (Colin Baker 6th Doctor), the Valyard was supposed to be the Doctor himself BEYOND his 13th regeneration. Sounds like the Doctor changed from a more liberal mindest to a conservative mindset and started thinking selfishly in his old age... ;P Of course, I could be wrong. but you'd never know it.
-"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
The best way to avoid type-casting is to have talent and show you have range as an actor. Quitting a show won't help. All that does is stick you back in the audition lines, and if you're NOT that good an actor, you might not get another lead role. What's worse? Career suicide or type-casting after a long career playing a key role?
I understand he's available. Think about it.
Come on, everyone knows that it was Kirk undercover in that TJ Hooker series.. he was probably looking for a whale to save or something.. ;)
--Mike--
Why not wait to see what the ratings are like next week? How many people can watch the 2nd episode with a straight face after seeing the first episode was about killer mannequins?
Or more precisely it was Prince Nabob, the Sunk-Mariner!
Anyone here read the Marvel parodies when they were kids? There were humorous characters like The Incredible Bulk, The Fanatic Four, Ironed Man etc.
In one of these stories I recall the Sunk Mariner being pursued by Spock's fans.
Too bad all my comics were lost decades ago...:+(
Back on the original topic, I believe that Nimoy's case is unique as it is his face. Even today many Vulcan characters'actors have been chosen for some of their tracts. In other words, the Spock character (and more generally most of the Vulcan characters) inherited Nimoy's tracts, not the other way around.
That may save him from being typecast, but now he won't get any jobs because he will be known for not committing to projects.
Don't blame me, I voted for Cthulhu.
First, if he was afraid of being typecast, why bother taking the role in the first place? Given the short attention span yet tendency to seize on things like a dog with a bone of the movie and television watching public, he has to know that people are already going to see 28 Days Later and then Doctor Who and think "WTF?!"
Second, forget Leonard Nimoy. You want a better example? Andrew "Josh" Koenig of Growing Pains. Sometimes quoted about not wanting to go to "Boner Conventions" in reference to his more recognizable father Walter "Chekov" Koenig, he left Growing Pains well before the end of the series and where is he now? Any actor should do so bad as to be typecast and actually have work instead of dropping out of sight behind the newer rising stars who are hungry for any role.
If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
All in all he would be a great choice.
Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
The Doctor could leave his Time Lord job and attempt to bring out a hit single... "Free Love on the Free Love Space/Time Continuum" anyone?
I reckon Ecclestone was holding out for more money and the BBC told him where to get off, much like they did with the Darlek thing.
Terry nation (owns the Darlek creative rights) kept pushing his price up convinced the BBC wouldn't want to do the show without the Darleks. They issued a story saying how they weren't going to do it and Mr Nations price came crashing down. How surprising. How very BBC.
I understand that there is the definite possibilty of being type cast if you play the Doctor who role. But if he feared being type cast why the heck did he take the job in the first place! Surely he should have realised thats what happen when your in a major T.V series!
Billie can typecast me anyday!!
Hmm. That didn't make any sense.
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Peter Davidson has done a lot of series for UK TV over the last 20 years. Tom Baker did have a rough patch for about 10 years after he left but now he's in Monarch of the Glen amongst other things and does loads of commercial voiceovers. John Pertwee had his own long running kids series about a scarecrow back in the 80s , forget its name.
My suggestion would be to create an interesting storyline and bring back Tom Baker. The man would slide straight back in.
He was in the day the best of Dr Who. Avoidance of things like living shop dummies will be required if it is to avoid being canned in future. I can survive ropey first episodes (ex B5 pilot) - but you have to get to a core 'good' part or die. That is evolution.
Would Tom Baker consider it ? I do not know or care. In terms of Julian Clarey or Eddie Izzard, should any such person become the doctor, I shall be watching something else.
The last thing is that they need to move to longer story arcs, and rather thicker work on the bad side. Son of Davros, More Darleks, Cybermen, and generally nasty realities. I'm already getting a horrid feeling as to the flimbsy, weak lines that may be fed ouy way. (cue cancelled series and multi year hybernation)
We`re all equal
But yes, it's amazing. It's a shame that Ron Grainer gets the only credit for it, because although he wrote the basic tune, Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop did the arrangement and recording, and so much of what we remember it for was down to her. A real unsung pioneer.
And the new version strikes a good balance between keeping all that made the original great (including several actual samples from it) and making it modern too. (Far better than that ghastly orchestral version from the TV movie...)
Back on topic, it's interesting to look at the circumstances of the different actors leaving the series. After 3 years, William Hartnell was suffering ill health, and so the first regeneration was forced on the programme. Patrick Troughton chose to leave after 3 years -- for fear of typecasting. Jon Pertwee left after 4.5 years (possible reasons include the BBC's unwillingness to raise his salary, and also much of the production team moving on). Tom Baker had the longest run at 7 years. (Maybe the typecasting argument was valid in his case -- it was a while before he was in demand again.) Peter Davison had been advised to leave after 3 years by Patrick Troughton; when the time came, he found himself regretting the decision, but it was too late to change his mind. Colin Baker was forced out by the Controller of BBC1 after only 2 years. And Sylvester McCoy had only 2 years in the role before the series was cancelled.
So, so far no-one's left voluntarily after less than 3 years. And out of the 4 actors did leave voluntarily, only the longest-serving one seemed to suffer from typecasting -- and although another two mentioned it as a reason for leaving, one later regretted it. And that was after being in the role for 3 times as long as Eccleston has so far...
Given the range of parts and exposure he's had so far, I very very much doubt Eccleston is in any immediate danger of suffering that way. But given the number of times he's used the past tense in interviews about the series, I suspect that it's more than just a negotiating tactic on his part... :-(
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Anyone who gets compared to Shatner has something to worry about.
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Oops, nope, I checked - you can get an NTSC VHS version from amazon.com; right on. Man, WHY is this not on DVD?! :(
Are you guys still talking about Eccleston? Jeez, let it go, quit living in the past.
Big Bubbles (no troubles) - what sucks, who sucks and you suck
It does look like the BBC have dropped the ball here on more than one level. Firstly yeah, when casting a part like The Doctor the contract should include multiple series if it proves popular[*].
Secondly, was it really necessary to confirm that the new series is in the planning before the second episode of this one has even aired?
Letting people know there's a new series before the current one finishes is a good thing, but confirming it this early seems a little bit overkill to me.
Finally they really dropped the ball by having it known that the lead actor isn't in the next series before we're even really into this one.
Surely something like this kind of announcement you leave until as late in the series as you can. All announcing it this early does is make it harder to want to get used to the current actor as you know there's be a new one next year. Not a great move, I think.
[*] Although it might simply have not occurred to them. In an interview I heard, it seems that neither Eccleston nor Watson had thought past this current series. If true, then this was possibly shortsighted on the planning front.
I guess the real problem here was that if no-one was sure that a second series was going to happen - or when it would happen - it'd be harder to get someone to commit to multiple series.
Tiggs
"120 chars should be enough for everyone..."
Two words: Adam West.
OK, two more: Burt Ward.
And two more: Leonard Nimoy.
And another pair: Roger Moore.
We could go on, and on. Shatner was lucky. Typecasting is a real problem for actors.
Billie and Chris Evans split up... you can see it in almost every shot of Billie and Chris Eccleston together... she's only got eyes for Eccleston... Evans never had a chance after Billie had been taken for a spin in the Tardis...
Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
Probably for the same reason "The Adventures of Mark Twain" is VHS only.
No budget for a DVD conversion.
"Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
Now I know how easy it is to criticize Mr. Eccleston for his choice, but leaving a popular TV series to pursue another career is a common thing for an actor to do. Just look at how successful David Caruso was after leaving NYPD Blue...
Um, what about Shelley Long after leaving Cheers... oh, crap...
In that case, it looks like Eccleston will be missing having a steady paycheck in a while...
Actually, Spock embedded his consciousness in Dr. McCoy just before he dies of radiation exposure near the end of "The Wrath of Khan". So your joke would be better if the imaginary title was "I am also Bones".
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
I think about the only thing I expected was to be entertained, actually.
But yes, when you put it like that; epic story-telling with both long and short story arcs, all twisty and complex, characters that evolve... even die.. in a maze of tactical action and political intrigue, yes, that'd be something I'd want in a long running sci-fi series in 2005.
Belief is the currency of delusion.
Hem.. I will say that this one is pretty, but is fearing Daleks. Pfew. Hem... The girl is heroicus or not aware of the danger ?
(Sorry my bad French) Je fais parler les Guignols de l'Info. Le pied, quoi.
We could go on, and on. Shatner was lucky. Typecasting is a real problem for actors.
Typecasting seems to be more of a problem for actors with minimal acting skills.
Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart, for example, could never be typecasted.
lord.
Little Britain's Andy should be the tenth Doctor:
"But do you remember? You said, 'We are not of this race. We are not of this earth. We are wanderers in the dimensions of space and time, cut off from our own planet and our own people by eons and universes that are far beyond the reaches of your most advanced sciences.' "
"Yeah I know"
But thats not Dr. Who. Dr. Who has always been about poking fun to technofobia, with utterly unrealistic science mishaps. "Live plastic" Brilliant! In a fast and action oriented way, though, with lots of brit humour which makes the satire eatable. At least for me.
What director wants him now, knowing he'll bail and ruin their sequel. No more major roles for that guy I guess.
What about Chris Barrie, Rimmer from Red Dwarf, Hillary (Butler) From Tomb Raider
There's a point near the end of the first episode of the new series where the Nestine Consciousness addresses the Doctor accusingly as "Time Lord!" -- it's quite noticable, as it's the only thing it says in English rather than random burbling.
Sounds like the Time Lords will be referenced somehow at least. IIRC in a magazine interview Eccleston also mentioned that the Doctor is so fond of the Tardis in part because it's the only thing left of his civilization.
DNA just wants to be free...
I swear, I just found it on the internet somewhere. Please don't tell anyone.
"I thought Eccleston made a very good Doctor Who"
We're gonna kick you out of the club if you call him Doctor 'Who' again.
"Derp de derp."
...Gilbert Gottfried
I hear old C. Ecclescake is not doing another series
..."
Nows the time for the beeb to grab the bull by the horn and change the Dr into a gypsie:
Replete with caravan for a tardis; "I got's rights
a sexy young assistant who's also his daugther
("You done good Rosie, come and sit on yer old pa's lap, there you go....")
"What brings you to Splurag 5 Dr ?"
"Be turnip 'arvest"
And of course after saving the underdogs, just as he is about to disappear the forces of law & order try to issue him with an eviction notice...
A more malevolent K9, super load bark 5" tall stinks etc
Look for Eccleston to star alongside David Caruso in a film this summer. They play a pair of delusional self-important actors that bumble around Hollywood in search of fame while people ask them "who are you"?
At least Eccleston can reply "Who? Exactly!"
Cheers.
Denise Crosby
Dr Who is unlikely to be syndicated for quite some time, and I find it unlikely that this is aimed specifically at UK readers.
This means that the majority of the readers this article is aimed at people who must be downloading it illegally.
This honestly isn't a troll, just something that struck me.
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roflmao if thats offtopic then I want whatever drugs the moderator is on.
Dont forget also though, before we run out of doctors there has to be an evil doctor, as shown us in Trial of a Time Lord. unless they use some kind of interesting way to explain around it.
The ideal doctor is an experienced character actor, not a star.
Don Warrington. Great voice, imagine him being sarcastic to a dalek, already done some Who IIRC.
I have to second that. He is a good actor with excellent personal presence, and he can bring out a sense of flair in his roles.
Christopher Eccleston, on the other hand, has no flair and no presence. Watching Rose made me feel like I was watching a sub-B-grade American action movie, complete with the wooden actor in the lead role.
Don Warrington is absolutely perfect for a Doctor, unlike the current incarnation.
--The Rizz
"A performer is nothing without an audience." --Henry Rollins
You don't understand the BBC. They're not about the money - they're publicly funded. They're not about the ratings.
They're (supposed) to be about the quality. It's not in their interest to hem an actor in with a contract. If you have someone contract locked in a role they don't want to play, they just won't play it well. CIP - Norton int he Italian Job.
He was great as Avon in Blakes 7 and he's also guest starred on Dr. Who at least two times in the past... If I rememeber correctly the first time as a UNIT soldier in either the second or third Doctors days and then again in a Tom Baker episode. But I bet he'd make a great Doctor Who.
I agree; and though Leonard Nimoy is actually QUITE good as an actor, he's apparently always felt more drawn to be behind the camera (and, for just one example, his work in/with The Voyage Home makes it one of the best -- if not the best -- of the ST films, IMHO of course...)
This space intentionally left (almost) blank.
The part of this story that I like the best is that Ladbroke's and all the other betting houses had to set odds "due to public demand"
The British will wager on literally anything, it seems. God bless them.
Isn't he already typecasted as "Crazy post-apocalyptic Army officer attempting to find sex slaves for troops with grim view on their future"?
-m
"Who put the bop in the bop shoo bop shoo bop?"
You know what I'm talkin' about!
Rowan Atkinson. Great in the non-canon Red Nose parody, and needs the work.
That ain't liver; that's beef kidney!
Patrick Stewart is extraordinary. I agree.
As for Brent Spiner... on one hand, his actual appearance is different enough to Data to help him (Michael Dorn would hardly be typecast also). On the other hand... what exactly has he done lately, other than Data (bit parts don't count)?
Anthony Stewart Head (Rupert Giles from Buffy) would make the best Dr Who.
Having been a fan since my tiny years I loved that Dr Who has finally made a comeback and made it strongly. I always had reservations about Christopher and this just reinforces them. Sure, his first episode was alright, but he was no Jon Pertwee or Tom Baker. God... even Colin Baker was better in some stories!
Bring on the Ripper!
... he feared that without the scintillating series guidance from Douglas Adams, he would *not* be typecast, and this regeneration of the series would suffer the same fate as "Enterprise" has, across the pond?
2 questions:
1. Why are they waiting until NEXT year to do the new show?
2. Why the hell did it take 8 months to produce 1 pilot episode? Jesus H Christ. Do brits know anything about television production?
Jesse
"Giles" from 'Buffy' is another Tom Baker waiting to happen and he comes pre-type-cast. Make it happen, BBC, make it happen!
Believe with me, my saplings.
And the stoned chief engineer from 'SpaceQuest', and the foreign taxi driver from 'Wings'
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Here is a little review I wrote about it - I'd like to know what anyone else thought of the actual series thus far - surprised Slashdot hasn't covered that angle of the show (or if they have, I missed it, lol - which is quite likely :) ):
***spoiler warning***
I really enjoyed it up to the part where the boyfriend gets swallowed up by the trash-can. They tried just a tad too hard to make this funny. Actually, the swallowing I can handle - but the burp? Come on - don't they expect that semi-science-savy folk would be watching? Why would the trash-can burp? It didn't eat and ingest him, it has no stomach with extra gas, etc., etc.
Later, when the shait hits the bloomin' fan, why just manikins? Why not all manner of plastic, even gum wrappers? How cool if anything plastic would have "turned" against humanity?
Earlier in the episode, while I was still liking it, they even joked about the silliness of taking over manikins, yet, at the end, it was manikins that tried to take over...
And, er, on that note: why? Why take over, and, er, take over what? Why shoot folks in shopping centers, and, why did all of those manikins come with guns? What was their plan - certainly if the military would have been called in, those slow moving and clumsy pieces of walking plastic would have been easy fodder...
Perhaps if the plastic-queen would have had more character, it could have saved the episode. Many Tom Baker episodes - the ones I remember the best - featured lots of talk and interaction with the bad-guys. Even if you didn't always feel for them, you understood their aims, the reason they were pissed, their goals, etc. At first, I really liked the pace, but by the time it was over, I missed the long and sometimes meandering 2 hour old-style...
The good: refreshing look for the TARDIS, a likable Doctor with much potential, a very cute associate, vastly better special effects
The bad: rushed-story line lacking depth, trying too hard and therefore failing to be funny
The main components - the Doctor, the TARDIS, and the associate are good - this series can work, if they try to make this a tad more into a semi-serious sci-fi show, and stay away from the Hercules sitcom-fantasy-style which they seem to have adopted. Judging from the preview of the next episode and the "last human" and her comments about plastic surgery, I don't have high-hopes at this point...
They should realize that ordinary non-scifi types will not appreciate their efforts to be funny at the expense of sci-fi - Dr. Who just isn't for "ordinary" folks, period, IMO. Their only hope is to appeal to their real target audience and make something they can be proud of.
dahlek (will you squirm when you are pecked
They should have stuck with Eddie Izzard. I also saw the pilot, and I kept putting Eddie in as the Doctor. He would have been brilliant.
Every other doctor did at least 3 years on TV, this guy can't make 1? Make sure the next Doctor is locked in please BBC.
as hinted when the 6th Doctor, Colin Baker, was put on trial by the time lords for most of his run.
Of course I could have that wrong, as I wasn't watching that religiously at the time.
Could we find out in the last regeneration of the Doctor, that he was the Master all along?
But...he forgot his memory....errr... I dunno.
>Anyone who gets compared to Shatner has
>something to worry about.
And how:
http://www.khaaan.com/
I have no idea what you just said.
Those who sacrifice security to condemn liberty deserve to repeat history or something. - Benjamin Santayana
Those who sacrifice security to condemn liberty deserve to repeat history or something. - Benjamin Santayana
You are all forgetting an incarnation of the Doctor. Michael Jayston played the Doctor in the Colin Baker "Trial" eposodes. Quote from the publicity at the time: "Can the Doctor defeat the evil incarnation of himself?"- 23/season23/parts13_14.htm
See: http://www.cuttingsarchive.org.uk/radiotim/cs-s21
Humm, going by wardrobe alone then I think the next doctor should be Danny John-Jules!
Well I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years doctor, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
The thing is, Adam West seems to have, in later years, grasped the Typcast bull by the horns and mastered it to his own advantage.
Either playing a classic TV hero type like Batman, or Playing himself and poking fun at playing a super hero.
Well I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years doctor, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
how about the ninth doctor facing a slow lingering death, where he tells rose all about his eighth life then we get paul back and do 6 years of him.
Just going by the trailers, it looked like the BBC had managed to remake Doctor Who into something more bizarre and stupider than the failed Fox pilot, apparently with the intent of appealing to a certain segment of the British population. And you're telling me that the star of the new series (nice fellow, but not a very promising Doctor) is already leaving? What a publicity coup for them!
Americans like myself used to prefer the BBC imports to anything else on television because they tended to be original and well-produced for the most part. For a while, it looked like American networks were looking at UK tv for inspiration. Sadly, however, it's becoming clear that the reverse is true. Even the Beeb productions that make it over here have followed American television down the toilet. No matter what side of the ocean you're on, get used to television that is formulaic, superficial, obsessed with sex, in-your-face, amateurish, and increasingly mindless.
I saw an interview with him where he said someone, room service or something, came to his hotel room. And he hadn't had anything to do, so he'd turned on the TV. And ST:tNG had been on... and the guy noticed it was him on TV.
Apparently they'd shot so many episodes of TNG that he couldn't remember what was going to happen, so it was still interesting.
But he said it must've been the most pathetic appearance ever, of this guy, alone, watching himself on TV.
He's awesome, and this is a moderately funny story : )
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Brent Spiner has done a fair bit - 50 movies only about 15 of which seem to be TNG.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000653/
The biggest box-office ones were probably:
Independence Day (head of Area 51 research)
Phenomenon (Dr. Bob Niedorf)
The Aviator (Robert Gross)
He hasn't managed to achieve major star power, but he's definitely still there in a variety of characters.
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I worked as an extra in that miserable movie shot in miserable weather (played a detective at various crime scenes).
First time we saw O'Neil, about five of us put our hands in our pants and he laughed about it.
He was by far the most pleasant of the lead actors and he spent quite some time with us grunts.
I asked him about typecasting and he said, it paid the bills, got him international recognition and some roles so he wasnt gonna bitch about it. He didnt encourage it and doesnt play along but if thats how people still saw him, he could live with it because there are millions of great actors out there who will never come close to having been on a hit show.
Nice fellow.
By the way, anyone who says that Angelina Jolie is gorgeous has not been within five feet of her.
She has stunning lips, not beautiful, just stunning like Mick Jagger's but there were a good dozen crew members on that set that were better looking that her.
Although, Hugo Weaving will always be Agent Smith to me. Even in Lord of the Rings, I expected him to say things like:
You must carry the ring to the fiery chasm from whence it came..... Mister Anderson.
Anyway, about Shatner- it doesn't help that nearly every sitcom ever made has had a spoof on Star Trek, with someone doing a humorous impression of Captain Kirk. His role is so popular, being typecast is inevitable.