Slashdot Mirror
BBC Apologizes To Who Star
An anonymous reader writes "SciFi Wire is reporting that 'The BBC, which earlier reported that Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston was leaving the show after the first season, issued an unusual apology to the actor for mischaracterizing his reasons for departing...the network broke an agreement with Eccleston not to reveal that he had planned to film just one season of the hit show all along.'" We covered the announcement of his resignation late last month.
or does anyone else find it odd that he only planned on being in one season...
"The BBC regrets not speaking to Christopher before it responded to the press questions on Wednesday 30 March," the BBC's head of drama and commissioning, Jane Tranter, said in a statement. "The BBC further regrets that it falsely attributed a statement to Christopher and apologizes to him."
Good apology for the BBC. Now, I'd reckon that this is out of fear of a libel case being filed against the BBC. Eccleson should be rightly miffed that the BBC would slag his good name, which of course lead to great consternation and comment on Slashdot.
I guess he just pissed off the BBC management and they gave the green light on a report that just happened to jump the gun.
"There's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all."
- Bob Dylan
When will a station finally pick the show up in the United States??? It's showing in Australia, the UK, Canada, and Italy to record ratings. Someone needs to wake up the execs that be and get this show on the air before we look like complete morons.
Far, far better to apologize when you're wrong, than to ignore (and if that doesn't work, deny) that there was ever an issue.
Too often these days big media are guilty of going the ignore/deny route. That the BBC at least attempts to rectify incidents of bad reporting puts them heads and shoulders above most others, because let's face it, no media outlet is always correct, especially where biases may affect the reporting.
The only problem will be when they have the twelfth regeneration and reach the limit
Well, it wouldn't be the first sci-fi series to shoot the canon all to hell, so to speak.
It's a shame he is leaving after one season. As I grew up I never had any intrest in Dr. Who, it always seemed to drag on and be boring when I watched it (so did episode 3 of the new series to a point though..). But the new Dr. Who intrests me, the humour is very... classic so to speak. Rather then the "heres a few black people or a daughter living with her player father" crap we see every week in and out, Dr. Who is infact funny when it's ment to be. You don't sit there going "hey go on make a joke!" but when you do get a joke it's most the time at least slightly amusing. I'll probably follow the full series through and see how much I like/dislike the new Dr. as to what I do next season, but right now Christopher is carrying the series.
Billie Piper is "okay" but her tone just ruins it for me, she sounds like she needs to be pregnant and have several kids just to get a free house and some extra (free) money from the government. Now theres no problem with sounding like that in modern stuff, but when you're traveling time and no one notices you've got a weird voice somethings up... ep 3 did... minorly cover this issue, but again very minorly..
Where it really stands out is how Christopher plays the Doctor. He bounces and bounds and generally seems to rather enjoy traveling time, saving the Earth and quite frankly having a bit of a giggle while he's at it. I've not seen him in anything else and don't really desire to, but as the doctor he's perfect.
Hopefully the BBC can get him to do a few more seasons. Everyone saying "he's using it as a stepping stone", the other way could be he's trying to revive Dr. who so it will open up sci fi again beyond "star gate and enterprise" on channel 4 every bloody weekend. While he may "waste" a regeneration he's still managed to win over thousands of fans new and old, maybe even some hated enemies of the show.
So like him or not, or his actions. He deserves all the respect he gets for being a magnificent actor in his current rule and reviving not only Dr. Who, but decent comedy which isn't a parody or steriotyped.
I like muppets.
"Does anyone care about this? This is not news."
A major news site apologizing for being wrong doesn't surprise you?
"Derp de derp."
The Press should take the available facts and report. So yes, if the news outlet reports from available facts, they will have a difficult time finding reason to apologize.
On the other hand, if you tend to take a stance and build your case with items that make your case, it will eventually cause you trouble.
This isn't something found in one particular media outlet, all media outlets have to be on guard and keep this from occuring. Just seems that some media outlets have had particular trouble with the problem in the recent past.
Brandon Petersen
At this point your asking yourself why am I getting off target. The thing is the the actors playing Ophra have now numbered over 8 and that's threatening the number of people who have played the Doctor. The BBC is trying disparately to regain the title of most actors playing one role in an ongoing series.
They need to add three more doctors to keep up.
Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
Well, it has been on the air two or three times longer than other "hit" shows...
Do you want to think that one through again ?
I mean, Paul McGann's abortive attempt at the Doctor just stank.
And not to mention the dumb idea of trying to give Daleks legs.
If you want good TV - keep it away from American TV exec's - they are the kiss of death for all good SciFi
Naughty BBC for apologising when they get something wrong, what a shocking example to set for the children.
Chernobyl 'not a wildlife haven' - BBC News
He was good as the doctor in the 1996 movie. The story just sucked.
GJC
Gregory Casamento
## Chief Maintainer for GNUstep
Fox News makes "improper reporting" hour after hour, day after day, and they never apologize.
Yes, but then they a huge ammount of articles a day. Regional, National and International. I would even dare to say 1000s of articles a day. So your bound to get mistakes.
Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game
...is that the new series of Dr Who is a return to proper Saturday night family entertainment. You know when the whole family sit and watch something together. (My six year old sits on my lap and peeks over my arm at the scary bits - makes me all nostalgic).
Oh and actually on the main story - Christopher Ecclestone is well known in the UK, and *he* asked the head writer for the part. That he didn't run to two series is a pity but since it took 8 months and the second series wasn't actually confirmed until after the first episode went out understandable. He is committed to a Christmas special so that's when to expect the next regeneration.
Anyway, it's back, they'll have trouble getting rid of it a second time and the new Chairman of the Governors has been strangely quiet;-)
Boring Old Fart (40, married, 3 kids...er no...make that 49, married, 3 grown up kids...it's been a long time)