Dr. Who Series Star Quits 513
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."
Oh, no! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Oh, no! (Score:5, Interesting)
They might have to come up with a plot device quite soon though. No doubt an expert will correct me, but I thought the Doctor got twelve regenerations? Let's see, we've had...
Arguably, you could include another: Peter Cushing from the films (doubtful though, I'd put him down as a Hartnell'a'like).
So now we've got another series to go which needs another regeneration, that puts it up to eleven minimum and twelve potential (Peter Cushing). Better watch out for those Daleks, Doctor...
Cheers,
Ian
Re:Oh, no! (Score:3, Informative)
So no problem really...
Re:Oh, no! (Score:2, Funny)
"Precedent" - for fuck's sake!
Re:Oh, no! (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Oh, no! (Score:4, Informative)
12 regenerations, but William Hartnell doesn't count. He's the original Doctor, not a regeneration. Patrick Troughton was the first regeneration.
By the way, the films starring Peter Cushing definitely don't count.
When all other ideas are exhausted... (Score:4, Funny)
9th, not 10th (Score:4, Informative)
Re:9th, not 10th (Score:3, Interesting)
Skipping quickly over his authority to say that (the Beeb own the character, the Beeb accepted Richard E. Grant , but I digress..), why not have Richard E. Grant in for the next series then? He'd be good I think, and it would round the problem off.
Cheers,
Ian
Re:9th, not 10th (Score:4, Funny)
Too well known. They made that mistake with Peter Davidson. I was always expectim him to stick his hand up the monster's arse to diagnose why it wanted to take over the universe. 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.
Re:Don Warrington (Score:3, Funny)
SCRUBBERS! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Oh, no! (Score:2)
Either way, its 12 regenerations but there are ways around that, it seems the Time Lords are capable of taking away or granting regenerations as was the case with the Master. I doubt the good Doctor would go in on Body Snatching the way the Master did.
Ok... now I feel like a major nerd, thanks.
Re:Oh, no! (Score:3, Insightful)
so how many regenerations is James Bond allowed?
(Surely this whole regeneration whizz was only dreamed up because back in the 60s viewers were unused to lead characters being played by different actors. These days regeneration is rather more strained than simply dropping a new actor into the role. Maybe it's time to let that part of DW lore slip away quickly.)
Re:Oh, no! (Score:2)
A friend who's deeply in to the series has told me that the Valyard wasn't a regeneration, but was instead a facet of the Doctor's personality somewhere between his penultimate and final regenerations. So he's not a plot point problem anyway, though I do think they could make use of the character if they felt like it. An anti-Doctor teamed with the Master could make for some good episodes.
Cheers,
Ian
Actually... no. (Score:4, Interesting)
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.
Maximum number of regenerations (Score:3, Informative)
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
Re:Maximum number of regenerations (Score:4, Interesting)
No reason the son can't just be called "The Doctor" as well.
Re:Maximum number of regenerations (Score:3, Funny)
Robert Heinlien used the revelvant one for this case in "All You Zombies" -- "orphan girl meets boy, boy gets girl pregnant, boy runs off, girl gives baby up for adoption, girl turns out to be hermaphrodite whose womanly parts just happen to be ruined by the birth so has sex re-assignment surgery as a man, man joins the time patrol, man meets girl, man gets girl pregnant, man runs off, man time-jumps ahead nine months and
Re:Maximum number of regenerations (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah... but its a bit obvious though, init?!
Re:Maximum number of regenerations (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Maximum number of regenerations (Score:4, Informative)
It's a real shame though - After seeing the first episode, Christopher Eccleston seemed to be ready to match Tom Baker's mix of eccentricity, creativiy, and insanity (not forgetting that wild-eyed grin). The other doctors never seemed to have that edgy psychotic attitude, that would justify wanting to escape from the home world and travelling between random locations in space and time.
Re:Maximum number of regenerations (Score:5, Interesting)
I didn't really think the Master was portrayed very well in the movie - spitting at people just didn't seem very polite behaviour for an intergalactic supervillain.
Though, I did like the Tardis better in the movie [ed.ac.uk] than the new series [bbc.co.uk], but it's better than the old series. [drwhoexhibitions.co.uk], which obviously looked like a studio set. The movie set looks more "lived in" with all the bits of antique navigation gear, toolkit boxes and furniture.
It's informative to see the design storyboards for the tardis [bbc.co.uk]. The designers almost seemed to be heading for a Star Trek theme [bbc.co.uk], before heading towards a Star Wars look [bbc.co.uk], before looking more like a rusted neutrino detector [bbc.co.uk]. If that were a student flat, there'd be a lot more stuff everywhere (boxes, bookshelves, monitors, rugs). Not forgetting a large "mind the step" or "contents may have shifted during transit".
Typecast... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Typecast... (Score:2, Interesting)
However, he was more than happy to go to multiple US conventions. Makes you wonder why, eh?
Good for him (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Good for him (Score:2)
--
Unfortunately, I am not Wil Wheaton [slashdot.org].
Hmm... I wonder if we have any actors around here with television experience looking for work who could be the next doctor? I hear he gets to work with spiffy toys, and nobody will be telling him to shut up! :-)
Damn (Score:4, Interesting)
Chris Evans would agree, that's what happens when you spend too much time with Billie Piper!
Re:Damn (Score:2)
There's a whole bunch of starry-eyed geeks at this forum [billiepiper.org] who would disagree with that!
Personally, I rank her way up there with Romana 2 (Lalla Ward), Sarah Jane (Liz Sladen), and Leela (Louise Jameson).
And unlike them, she was allowed to ooze a bit of sexuality in this modern, the-Doctor-knows-about-sex version.
Haveing seen the pilot.. (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Haveing seen the pilot.. (Score:2, Informative)
I tried to watch it, but tuned out 10 minutes from the end of the show. I thought it was awful.
Having no prior experience with "The Doctor" I did watch the "The New Doctor Who Countdown"-programme which went through who had played all the previous doctors and what not. That didn't turn me off. Then some joker of a journalist(?) said "You can forget about Buffy now, the Doctor is alive!"
Yeah.. I'll forget about the wonderful Buffy for this... riiiight.
More like I wish I could forget Dr. Who. Mannequins
Promote Rose? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Promote Rose? (Score:2)
Was there ever a female Doctor?
Not yet, and I seem to recall some part of the mythos that means there won't be, but it's been several decades since I read the books/hid behind my sofa.
Promote Rose?
Sorry, wrong species! Rose is human; Time Lords need to come from Gallifrey.
Re:Promote Rose? (Score:2)
Well, you can't promote Rose to be the Doctor (they're two different beings!), but a friend (who I didn't even know was a fan of Dr. Who) told me Ace, my favorite Dr. Who assistant of all time (no, I'm not forgetting Romana), became the first human Time Lord in some of the novels and stuff. Rose could apparently become a Time Lord, but I'm not sure if that fits her character, having only seen her in one episode (in which she was pretty clueless about
Re:Promote Rose? (Score:5, Interesting)
Unless, of course, you mean have a DIFFERENT Doctor, who is female, in which case you could do the whole Highlander-the-series protege-dies-then-comes-back-to-life revelation, 'Rose, you're actually a Time Lord that was left on this planet as a baby etc. etc', perhaps the love child of the doctor and Rose's mother, and we could turn it into a space opera with Daleks.
Actually, this is starting to sound weird enough that it just might work. After all, they only have two Doctors left anyway. Personally, I'm hoping that when they get to their last Doctor, they make a feature film, hugely dramatic, the Doctor sacrifices himself and dies his final time to save the universe. Then at the end, the companion lays dying with the secondary character(s) around, then suddenly, we see the regeneration effect, and s/he changes into a new form.
'Rose..? Is that you?'
'Yes... But please, call me... Doctor.'
*Cue badass Dr Who theme*
Re:Promote Rose? (Score:4, Informative)
The thread is quite old now so I doubt many will see this but for more info on one of the key people involved in the creation of the badass Dr. theme tune have a look here.
Delia Derbyshire Website [delia-derbyshire.org]
Delia created the theme tune from Ron Grainer's original score. On first hearing it Grainer was tickled pink: "Did I really write this?" he asked. "Most of it," replied Derbyshire.
In an age when women were not "allowed" in recording studios she is pretty much responsible for one of the most recognised TV theme tunes ever.
Re:Promote Rose? (Score:3, Funny)
And if you promoted Rose, might as well just call the show Dr. Buffy, The Dalek Slayer.
Though why the Beeb isn't considering Anthony Stewart Head is beyond me, I think he would do a much better job than all the other candidates.
Dr. Wu
"I've never met Napoleon"
Fingers Crossed... (Score:2, Funny)
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.
Re:Fingers Crossed... (Score:2, Funny)
(I, for one, welcome our new time-travelling Boris Johnson [wikipedia.org] overlords!)
Re:Fingers Crossed... (Score:2, Funny)
In this case, the "for one" subclause is entirely appropriate, I feel.
Re:Fingers Crossed... (Score:2)
I think for that to happen, Dr. Who first has to be caught sniffing cocaine at some intergalactic whore-party.
Guess the chances are slim.
Re:Fingers Crossed Dressed... (Score:2)
And then we shot him.
You would have thunk... (Score:5, Interesting)
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 call B.S.! (Score:3, Insightful)
No, I call dumb thinking by someone at the BBC... (Score:2)
How hard is it to draw up a contract that says if we want you for another year or two then you're ours
Re:No, I call dumb thinking by someone at the BBC. (Score:4, Insightful)
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.
Re:No, I call dumb thinking by someone at the BBC. (Score:2)
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?
Re:I call B.S.! (Score:2)
Re:I call B.S.! (Score:2)
Also, a friend of a friend is writing an episode right now, and apparently extremely pissed off, cos now he is writing for a completely different character that he doesn't even know! So I doubt your theory, I'm afraid.
J.
Johnny Depp.... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Johnny Depp.... (Score:2)
Re:Johnny Depp.... (Score:2)
Christopher Eccleston (Score:3, Funny)
Bad idea - or April Fools? (Score:2)
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
Re:Bad idea - or April Fools? (Score:3, Insightful)
While typecasting can become problem, it really is only an issue for mediocre actors. The good ones will get parts, regardless of their history. Maybe he knows something about his own skill that we don't.
rather sudden change of mind (Score:2, Interesting)
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 wou
Re:rather sudden change of mind (Score:2)
ANd the BBC does not have him under contract? (Score:2, Insightful)
Paying the Piper (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Paying the Piper (Score:2, Interesting)
Good thinking (Score:5, Funny)
Now everyone will just remember him as "that jerk who quit Dr. Who after one season because he was afraid of being typecast".
Who actors typecast (Score:3, Interesting)
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.
Re:Who actors typecast (Score:3, Interesting)
I've no idea who Hurnal is. Pertwee was a bit typecast but Baker was only typecast as Baker, he seems to have generally played himself in everything he's been in. Troughton seems not to have had any trouble finding work (he was in the Om
he quit (Score:2)
Mostly Offtopic (Score:2, Interesting)
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.
Re:Mostly Offtopic (Score:2, Insightful)
really though, i find myself humming "ooooh-eeeeeh-oooooh" any time i see anything even remotely resembling a tardis.
Mostly on topic (Score:3, Interesting)
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
Ob Geek Joke (Score:5, Funny)
javax.media.bbc.BadTypecastException: actor does not want to be typecast.
--Rob
He's already.. (Score:2)
So very planned... (Score:3, Interesting)
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.
Re:So very planned... (Score:3, Interesting)
The point of the original series was to entertain by presenting history to young viewers in the context of a science-fiction program. Over the course of 27 seasons it wandered away from this concept considerably, but it was never intended to have a Moral Purpose after the fashion of Roddenberry's Star Trek.
We americans must not care (Score:2)
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.
all part of the plan? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:all part of the plan? (Score:3, Funny)
I'm sorry, I don't want to be offtopic but... Isn't that just one of the saddest job occupations that you've ever heard of?
I can just imagine him at his "newsdesk" (in his parents' basement) posting up newsflashes (cue Comic Book Guy voice):
"Attention. I have just received most horrible news. It appears that in the new Spiderman series, they have decided to colour his pants light blue in a spider-mesh pattern, instead of solid dark blue like
Typecast? Aw, come ON! (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Typecast? Aw, come ON! (Score:3, Funny)
Giles from Buffy (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:typecast (Score:5, Insightful)
The bottom line is that too many people see *Spock* (or in this case, the Doctor) after a while, and not Nimoy (or Eccelston).
Nimoy played Tave (sp?) in Fiddler on the Roof, and had a number of other successful roles in film and theatre, but how many people here (or anywhere) would know that?
But show anyone a picture of them, and they don't say "Nimoy!" they say "Spock!".
Yes, it can be a help to your career (as for Nimoy, he could play the one character forever and anywhere), but a lot of serious actors want to show that they have talent and depth, and being typecast largely prevents that.
Re:typecast (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:typecast (Score:2)
You mean the movie? no he did not [imdb.com]
Read "I am Spock" (Score:2)
myke
Re:typecast (Score:5, Funny)
For example, I really liked Jean-Luc Picard's role as Professor X in the X-men movies.
Re:typecast (Score:2)
Re:typecast (Score:4, Interesting)
The few times I've seen Leonard Nimoy in roles other than Spock I identified him as spock just as much because he acted like spock as because he looks like him. This leads me to believe he is probably not a very versatile actor.
There are plenty of examples of good actors that have moved beyond their roles in popular and long lived television series.
- the Hun
Re:typecast (Score:5, Funny)
Read "I Am Not Spock" by Leonard Nimoy sometime if you want to know the answer.
Read his later book "I Am Spock" and you'll find he's recanted a lot of his thinking on the matter.
Re:typecast (Score:2)
Re:typecast (Score:5, Funny)
Re:typecast (Score:3, Insightful)
that's the first slashdot post in ages that genuine made me laugh aout loud (and almost choke on my lunch). someone mod this up...
Re:typecast (Score:2)
But show anyone a picture of them, and they don't say "Nimoy!" they say "Spock!".
But didn't this stop bothering him after he attempted the Kolinahr?
Re:typecast (Score:2)
Re:typecast (Score:2)
Re:typecast (Score:4, Interesting)
I liken it to my fear that every perl script i ever write will be exactly the same. But I have to type it over again from scratch each time. What it amounts to is that doing the same thing day in and day out is boring.
It also has to do with once you are "typecast" the number of roles you are offered greatly diminishes, and if for some reason it becomes popular to not have this type of character in movies or tv shows your shit out of luck.
Re:typecast (Score:2, Interesting)
wg
Re:typecast (Score:4, Informative)
She was a talented actress and was up till she passed.
Re:typecast (Score:4, Funny)
Allthough he was in a serious role, I expected him any minute to sit down on that couch, put his hand in his trousers, and start bitching at his wife...
Damn typecasting.
Re:Bill Bailey and Joss Whedon (Score:3, Funny)
Buffy the Dalek Slayer? Your low UID is hereby revoked. Please turn it in as you leave the building.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Re:Bill Bailey and Joss Whedon (Score:3, Funny)
Dude, you've posted a picture of your CAT on your website. [bfelger.net]
Not only is your right to use the entire Internet revoked, but you're sentenced to be sent back in time to 1993 to sysop a GEnie chatroom discussion on Babylon 5.
Re:Bill Bailey and Joss Whedon (Score:2)
Re:Bill Bailey and Joss Whedon (Score:2)
I vot Richard E Grant. (Score:2)
Besides, Richard E Grand seems to fit the bill perfectly just by his nature