It's Official -- Doctor Who is to Return

[Dave]

Doctor Who is set to make a return to the BBC according to reports today in the London 'Evening Standard' and 'Daily Telegraph' newspapers, as well as BBC online news, 'Digital Spy' and AOL News.

The only problem that fans might have is that BBC say the new series will be written by Russell T Davies, creator of the Channel 4 drama 'Queer As Folk', the acclaimed ITV drama 'Second Coming', 'Bob and Rose' an ITV drama about a homosexual man falling for a straight woman, 'Touching Evil', and 'The Grand'.

When I read that list, the thing that struck me most was how they were all controversial in some way.

The television writer, describing his love of the programme, said: "I grew up watching Doctor Who and hiding behind the sofa like so many others." Everyone says that they hid behind the sofa -- I was too small to climb off it!

"Doctor Who is one of the BBC's most exciting and original characters. He's had a rest and now it's time to bring him back." He's had a rest...? He was made compulsory redundant.

"The new series will be fun, exciting, contemporary and scary."

"Although only in the early stages of development I'm aiming to write a full-blooded drama which embraces the Doctor Who heritage at the same time as introducing the character to a modern audience.'' It's this re-imaging thing again.

The revival will be produced by BBC Wales, whose head of drama Julie Gardner said: "It will be a thrill to work with him on such a landmark TV series.

"This is very early days and it is unlikely anything will be on screen for at least two years but it is very exciting and I can't wait to get started."

She praised Davies - who was brought up in Swansea but is now based in Manchester - as one of the "leading writers" to come out of Wales. That may well be true from this list:Top 10 cult Welsh fiction

BBC head of continuing series Mal Young, who is overseeing the project, said launching a new era of Doctor Who to a 21st century audience would be a challenge, but one to which the team were looking forward.

"Doctor Who is a much-loved, truly iconic piece of television history," he explained.

"It's time to crank up the Tardis and find out what lies in store for the Doctor, and we're thrilled to have a writer of Russell's calibre to take us on this journey."

"However, we're at the very early stages of development and further details, including casting, will not be available for some time." The 'Evening Standard' says that it is unlikely to be screened before 2005.

The BBC has said it is far too early to discuss possible storylines, characters, villains or who might play Doctor Who - and no budget has yet been set.

The BBC say that like previous series, the new one will be aimed at a family audience, but no details are available on when it will be scheduled or the number and length of episodes.

The newspapers go on to speculate on possible actors for the role, but it is simply the old rumours being retreaded, if the BBC statement is believed. There is speculation of a gay Doctor, simply because of two of Russel T Davies previous dramas concerned gay characters. The 'Telegraph' says that it will be shown on Saturday evenings, which the BBC statement clearly refutes. You can see how these internet rumours gather pace.

Still, it has to be good news.

 

[ray gower]

All break out in a chorus of 'Y be'd a Bedwar' and "Cymru am Byth".

There are a lot of surprises floating around here.

The biggest is BBC Wales taking up the challenge, it is just not their style, they are usually far more conservative in their English output (Welsh language programming does rattle cages). But that could be a good thing in limiting the re-imaging. If they could just limit it to stopping the sets wobbling and perhaps use slate quarries as well as the gravel quarry. (Wonder if I could get a job as an extra when they come to Llanberis?)

Thinking about it. Stopping the sets wobbling is about the only re-imaging they can do without going back to something they've done before. Doctor Who has been through every variant of style from deep to barely concealed farce.

A little controvosy will not be bad either. Certainly stir up more interest than most sci/fi. I'm fed up with politically correct 'so what' shows. Proof of whether Davies can really follow in the footsteps of Terry Nation will come in due course.

 

[obcooke]

Well, this is certainly good news.

As an American who came late to the phenomenon I don't have the deep cultural memories of those of you who were raised watching the series, but from the first episode I saw I was hooked.

As I remember each Doctor had their share of people who raised questions about whether an actor was a "proper" Doctor.

Someone once said that your favorite Doctor is probably the first one you saw. Mine was Peter Davison. My least favorite was Colin Baker, although I can appreciate what he was trying to do with the character, I don't like the idea of a harsh, biting Doctor.

People generally don't like change and I expect there to be a good bit of second-guessing no matter how they handle it.

I do think that Anthony Stewart Head (Buffy's Rupert Giles) would be an exceptional choice, but in all honesty I don't know British actors that haven't broken the International barrier and I'm sure there are many that would do a memorable job.

On the subject of injecting controversy into the series I can see several possibilities.

- I have always thought of The Doctor as an asexual being. Even though he looks humanoid, he is an alien species and therefore has no business messing with humans or any other species, despite what the producers of STAR TREK would have us believe. So I didn't approve of the FOX storyline that had The Doctor developing a romantic relationship with a human.

- Now it may be time for The Doctor to have a gay companion. I would have no problem with that.

- Hopefully, in "updating" the series they won't go overboard in sexual tension between the companions. It seems in every movie and TV show made that when men and women work closely together for any period of time that sex is inevitiable. The only way I could go along with that is if it were truly necessary to move the plot and not just included for tittilation or because of a lack of originality.

- What if The Doctor was regenerated as a woman and it turns out that Time Lords sometimes change sexual appearance when they change bodies. I don't recall the series ever saying that the sex of Time Lords was fixed.

- There's endless possibilites for controversy but those are the most obvious I can see right now.

I know it's a long way off and many development projects don't happen, especially it seems where The Doctor is concerned, but this is the best bit of news to look forward to since I heard that Joss Whedon's defunct TV series "Firefly" was being developed into a movie for next year.

HOOORRAAYY!!!!

 

[ray gower]

I wonder if they could change the sex of the Doctor now?

The first time the idea was floated there was a national outcry and not just by fans. It made headlines and leaders in the national press, it was the first time that the Mirror and the Guardian had agreed with each other since the death of Winston Churchill and questions were asked in the House.

But then we aren't like that now and it has been a long time since a new Doctor Who graced our screens.

 

[Tabitha]

Great news!

Changing the sex of the Doctor? I dunno, it makes me think of those rumours that float up everytime there is some Bond hype, that they might make Bond a woman.
Now there isn't really anything in the Doctor's character AFAIK that would suggest he is pre-disposed to be a man (apart from habit, I suppose), but there is something about having him regenerate as a woman that just seems gimmicky. I don't have anything against it, it just seems distasteful from the point of view of doing something controversial in order to pull in the extra viewers, or possibly reminiscent of programming (particularly American programming) at the other end of the spectrum that feels the need to include people of all sexes and races regardless of whether it has anything remotely to do with the story. So it is either cynical sensationalism, or cynical PC-ness, you pick.

Ok, rant over

I am all for a new and improved Doctor, and if they feel like revamping it, then really so what? Hasn't this happened in the past with each new series, or each new Doctor? This is one property that could actually have some re-imagining done that would be totally in keeping with the spirit of the show.
So long as they don't go denying the history of the character, then I can't see much of a problem.

Roll on all the casting rumours!

 

[ray gower]

The Radio Times has asked a number of former Doctors and sidekicks about a new Doctor Who series:

Colin Baker
"There is mileage in the old Time Lord yet! But a new production team will have to be strong enough to make a Doctor Who of the 21st century that will work in the context of what is possible now in terms of special effects, without losing the 'essence' of what the Doctor is really about.

"Good scripts, a fearless disregard for 'fan' quibbles and a desire to engage
a new audience with a new spin on the concept could ensure a future for the remaining regenerations - at least one of which should be a woman. How about Dawn French?

"Of the list featured in the Radio Times Online poll, my personal favourite would be Graham Crowden, though Ian Richardson would also be superb."

Sylvester McCoy
"I do think it should come back if people want it back. I think what happened was the people who were around the BBC then had lived with it for all those years and they were just bored with it and they wanted something else.

"But now these guys have gone and there's a whole generation taking over at the Beeb, and my suspicion is that they might look at it and think, 'Wow, this is exciting' and maybe it'll take another 30 years before they get bored with it again."

McCoy believes the Richard E Grant online animation is a good way of segueing back the show's reappearance in earnest. "It's a good audition piece for Richard. We can see what he's going to be like. When people asked me who I thought should be the next Doctor, I thought he should."

Wendy Padbury (companion Zoe Heriot)
"I was absolutely thrilled to hear it was coming back because I think everyone should have a Doctor to grow up with. We've got generations who have gone without.

"I started to feel a bit proprietorial about it, which is a ridiculous emotion to have, but my overriding emotion was that it should definitely come back to our TV screens - at 5:30pm on Saturday afternoons!"

Mary Tamm (Romana)
"I would love to see the return of Doctor Who, especially with a female Doctor - even perhaps yours truly?"

 

[obcooke]

Three weeks to go... or now on a PC near you

The Associated Press is reporting that Doctor Who is due to begin in three weeks. But some have obtained copies of the new show and are trading it on the Internet, using file-sharing programs, like BitTorrent.

It was also reported that the BBC intends to allow registered users to access the show from the BBC website using a system called iMP, but they must pay a fee. Intially the fee was to be US$230 - the same as a household pays for BBC broadcasts, but now consideration is being given to a smaller fee to create more interest in the BBC as a worldwide entertainment provider.

A spokesman for BBC Interactive said, "There's nothing concrete at the moment, but we're looking at how we could work it so that if overseas users wanted to see some of these programs, we could generate revenue as part of that.''

THREE WEEKS TO GO for you lucky stiffs across the pond. Who knows how long it will be before your poor American cousins and others worldwide get to share the goodies.

 

[Dave]

I've only read that one part/episode is out on the internet. Is there more? I don't think it is the first episode, so it is going to spoil watching it first. I'm sure they will all be out just as soon as they are broadcast over here.

The series looks good. They seem to have captured the original and just updated it. There are many pictures on the BBCs Cult TV Doctor Who website if you can't wait three weeks (or even longer.)

 

[Dave]

This is more on what Obcooke says. According to Reuters the "first episode" HAS been leaked...

from Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - The BBC is planning an ambitious distribution strategy that will let viewers watch its TV programs over the Internet, but found out this week that cutting-edge technology can cut both ways.

Especially when time-traveling doctors are involved.

The publicly funded broadcaster was forced into damage control mode when one of its most highly anticipated programs, the first new series of the revered sci-fi drama "Doctor Who" in 16 years, leaked out onto the Internet.

Thousands of fans, unwilling or unable to wait for the scheduled broadcast date in three weeks' time, downloaded the show using the popular file-trading software BitTorrent and other file-trading networks.

"It shows how much demand there is for 'Doctor Who,"' a BBC spokesman said, sounding a positive note. "Years later there is a huge audience desperate for the new series."

The UK downloads more pirated television than any other country, according to a recent study, especially U.S. shows like "24" and "Desperate Housewives" that are broadcast in Britain after a lag of several months.

Analysts estimate that BitTorrent, which is used to download both legitimate and illicit content, accounts for roughly a third of all Internet traffic. BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer network, meaning that users download from each other instead of from a single source.

The BBC's iMP relies on a similar peer-to-peer structure. Unlike BitTorrent, the BBC plans to lock up content sent over iMP so that it can control who uses the service.

The broadcaster had previously said it would limit iMP to those who pay the $230 annual license fee that is levied against all UK television households.

But Director General Mark Thompson said this week that the BBC was considering offering iMP to non-license fee payers for a fee, which would drastically broaden the BBC's global reach without relying on satellite and cable systems for distribution.

"One of the things the teams have been looking at is how to generate money back to the BBC," said a spokesman for BBC Interactive.

"There's nothing concrete at the moment, but we're looking at how we could work it so that if overseas users wanted to see some of these programs, we could generate revenue as part of that."

The BBC has already completed technical tests on iMP and plans to roll it out in a UK trial of about 4,500 householders later this year. An earlier project, the BBC Radio Player, has already proved a success, with listeners tuning in to 4.2 million hours online.

The BBC don't see too upset about the leak. I thought about that for a while, then I realised that they shouldn't be. They should be worried if it WASN'T LEAKED! It shows that they have a product that people want, and especially for overseas sales, are desperate to see. If no one wanted to watch it then they would be in some trouble.

 

[Dave]

It appears that I may have been right when I said that the BBC didn't seem that worried about the leak...

from TV Tome

New Dr. Who Leaked on Purpose?

The pilot episode of the BBC's highly anticipated new Doctor Who series may have been intentionally leaked onto file-sharing networks to generate buzz, a source who instructed the network on viral advertising told Wired News.

Earlier this month, the 45-minute premiere episode, entitled "Rose," showed up on BitTorrent. The appearance of the episode generated a flood of discussion in online forums, blogs and the mainstream media. As a result, interest in the show, which debuts March 26 on BBC One, has skyrocketed.

The new series stars Christopher Eccleston as the time-traveling doctor. The long-running sci-fi series began in 1963 but has been absent from TV screens since 1989, except for a one-off TV movie, which was widely panned.

To one advertising consultant, the leak is clear evidence the BBC is taking advantage of some recently learned lessons on the power of viral advertising it got from a collection of hired guns known as the Broadcast Assassins.

The Broadcast Assassins were a group of entertainment and technology veterans brought in last year by the BBC's entertainment group to "discuss the impact of new technologies on viewing/listening behavior," said Asa Bailey, a veteran advertising expert and member of the group. "We told them all about the how-tos, and how to do viral advertising," said Bailey, who is also founder of the Viral Advertising Association.

Bailey said the BBC asked the group how to use viral advertising to inform the public of its programming.

"I told them they should release things before their time, like what they've done with Doctor Who," he said. "Give out the first episode online, because it's going to be valuable. You've got that cool factor, and it's the whole, 'I've seen it before you have' kind of thing."

Bailey said the leak "is great, and it's the first time we've ever seen them do it, and so we're really impressed with them."

Bailey said although he didn't have definite knowledge the leak was official, the quality of the episode is highly suspicious. If it were an unofficial leak, it would likely be of poor quality, he said.

The BBC denied any part in the distribution of the episode.

"The leak of the first episode on the internet was not a publicity stunt," BBC spokeswoman Annie Frederick told Wired News in an e-mail. "It was a significant breach of copyright which is currently under investigation. The source of it appears to be connected to our co-production partner. We would urge viewers not to spoil their enjoyment and to wait for the finished version."

Frederick didn't say whether the leaked pilot is the final version. Although the episode is high quality, it may be a rough or incomplete cut.

The co-production partner, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, also denied involvement, and said it is conducting its own investigation.

"We believe it was one of our suppliers," said CBC spokeswoman Ruth-Ellen Soles, who wouldn't elaborate on the nature of the supplier. "And at the moment, the investigation isn't complete."

But to Broadcast Assassin Bailey, denials of leaking the "Rose" episode are disingenuous. "It's a classic," Bailey said. "The best viral advert they could have done for that program would be to release the first (episode). You couldn't have come up with a better viral advert than that."

According to a study by Envisional, which monitors internet traffic, the United Kingdom is the No. 1 country in the world when it comes to downloading TV content from the internet. The study suggested that U.K. residents account for 20 percent of all TV shows downloaded from the net.

Meanwhile, although the BBC denies any role in the leak, the broadcaster has for months said it plans to implement digital downloading through the internet as a significant part of its broadcast offerings. The network said it will soon release a media player that would allow viewers to watch TV content online.

In any case, buzz about the Doctor Who episode has certainly paid off, whether the BBC takes credit for it or not. Word about it has reached countless sites, and, more importantly, the episode seems largely well-received.

"It's nice to have it back, and I'm looking forward to watching it with my daughter when it airs on the BBC in a few weeks," said writer Warren Ellis on his blog.