Christian Cawley's Blog, page 77
August 12, 2015
The Man Who Would Be King: Russell T Davies
Donald Twain is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Russell T Davies is the UK’s greatest living TV dramatist and lest we forget, the man who rescued Doctor Who from the dark, shallow TV grave it had been tipped into by an unsentimental and embarrassed BBC in 1989.
Some of us old ones remember a time before he worked exclusively on Doctor Who. A time when a new Russell T Davies drama was prime time event television. Queer as Folk, The Second Coming, Bob and Rose, Casanova. Event television from a TV god.
And what did this TV god crave the most, and arguably put his career on hiatus to resurrect? Doctor Who. Yes, think about that a little longer. Aside from the just released Cucumber, Russell won’t have worked on anything that has seen the light of day and hasn’t been a part of the Whoniverse for 12 years. I personally regret that hugely, but nonetheless, it’s a fact. I also wonder what would have happened if the US TV movies with Tennant and Piper, planned for post Series 4 but pulled in favour of a soft Moffatt reboot had transpired? He’d still be showrunner today, one of the fascinating ‘what ifs’ of NuWho.
But Russell’s already done it, I hear you cry? And my answer is that’s true. And yet, he’s never really left the building either for any great length of time with Torchwood on hiatus (not cancelled) ready to return any time and Sarah Jane only really cancelled due to the untimely death of Lis Sladen. He’s never stopped being involved really and loves the show passionately. A return, for me is not only desirable but the one of the more obvious conclusion.
Consider this naysayers. Doctor Who is one of the most complex shows made in Britain, nay Europe. It’s a monster of an undertaking with a complex history, brutal shooting schedule and complex budget which demands 13 motion pictures a year on the budget that never covers it. We demand much as fans and yet we take this all for granted that by magic, it will happen every year. And that’s all down to the genius of Russell.
The dim and distant 2005 was a very different place in the TV landscape. It’s a whole strata of rock now gone. There was nothing like this on TV and hadn’t been for a long time. We’d gone by turns, cosy and kitchen sink. Doctor Who was considered career suicide in the industry, and indeed many commentators urged Russell to do something, anything else when the announcement was made. Thankfully he ignored them.
He also ignored many of the fans, thankfully. The Doctor’s an asexual, lonely God went the cry. No hanky panky in the TARDIS they said. Cobblers, said Russell. His Doctor was a more rounded emotional character. Actions had consequences, desire was at the heart of the action and an emotional truth shared the billing with plot and character. Dialogue, seemingly effortless convinced us of the Doctor and the shop girl. He, showing off hiding the pain, her growing as a person but occasionally petulant. It’s no surprise to me that nobody has ever supplanted Rose in the affections of the public. Real characters in unreal situations with the Doctor as the last candle in the dark. That’s my boiled-down-to-the-essence, manifesto for Who and that was also Russell’s gift to us all.
It probably sounds like I’m gushing, and perhaps I am. But Russell remains television royalty and even if anyone else had been at the helm in 2005, I honestly believe it wouldn’t have made it this far.
So, if Russell; the man who used to be king, is to become the king of all he surveys once more, how does that come about? Well for starters, you can argue that his involvement with Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood only really ends three years ago, so it’s not a stretch to add Who back into the mix for this huge talent. I’m also going to declare a selfish interest here too. I love Russell T Davies’ drama. He’s a voice like no other on our television and I want new drama from him, dammit. But I want him back on Who too. Of course, television is an elastic format and I’m convinced it could work in lots of ways.
In particularly, I’m very attracted to the idea of Russell returning full time for a year, retooling and setting his team up before taking a back seat like a mini Sydney Newman of Who with a radical new firebrand showrunner (say Howard Overman from Misfits, or even Brian Elsley of RTD’s much admired Skins, off the top of my head) as co-Producer. Alternatively, it could open up a series of guest seasons from the usual suspects of Mark Gatiss, Toby Whithouse, Anthony Horowitz or even someone from the US like Ronald D Moore, leaving Russell to carve out whatever role he fancied while keeping a watchful eye over things. He could contribute a few scripts, shape the season and act as brand guardian, while also overseeing a radical reinvention of the series and delivering other drama output. It’s got to be appealing to the BBC too with the ultimate safe pair of hands (albeit infused with a radical, and an undeniably ‘now’ quality) at the helm long term steering the ship with a firm hand. It also makes the succession question much easier in the future and gives us a continually refreshed show. This, my friends is what is usually termed as a win-win.
Douglas Adams used to famously say that the most you can change Doctor Who is 15% a year before the audience reacts negatively. He’s right and change must terrify a colossus like BBC. That’s why Russell coming back for me in a different guise is THE answer. The BBC, fans, viewing public and drama connoisseurs; we could literally have our cake and eat it.
Perhaps, though we should leave the final word to Russell himself on the role of the showrunner and, as is often overlooked in these fun little debates which are akin to television fantasy football, exactly why it matters.
Russell attended an “In conversation” event with Jeanette Winterson back in February 2014 at Manchester’s Cornerhouse, and I took the opportunity to ask him whether the position of showrunner had been central to his deal to bring back Doctor Who in 2005. His reply was fascinating.
“It was central, yes. I mean I was already an executive producer on things I was making, things like the Second Coming. My involvement was always there. I was particularly keen on it with Doctor Who. It’s a show that can be ruined by a hat, Doctor Who. The wrong hat, someone in a silly hat. People can have spent all the time in the world on a great script, cast a great actor. Lesley Sharp, if she’s in a silly hat, you’re f**ked. So literally, that’s the thing about science fiction. It’s much more ornate, much more visual, more glossy. And all those visuals can go wrong. I also think television should be run like that anyway. I was especially wary, as it was a tricky technical thing, and an in-house production as opposed to an outside production. It was very dinosaur-ey, full of red tape and ‘that’s not the way we do things here’. So it was absolutely of paramount importance that I wouldn’t get undermined. That I would get my say. It’s a powerplay, if you like. It was needed on a show like that. It still is needed now”.
Russell T Davies. The man who never stopped being King.
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New Doctor Who Series 9 Trailer Released 7pm Tonight
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Tonight, dear reader, is when everything changes: Doctor Who Series 9’s next trailer is set to be released at 7pm tonight, and we’ll be hanging onto the rollercoaster that is a whole new adventures for Twelfth Doctor and Clara – and us!
We’re releasing a new trailer at http://t.co/0IePnbV64n tonight at 7pm.
And it’s awesome.
#DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/MwT4quhrAQ
— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) August 12, 2015
At present it’s not 100% sure if this is an online-only trailer or one that will also go out on BBC One, but if it does and you’re away from your TV, you’ll probably be able to catch up on your smartphone.
It’s really coming, folks – we’re just four and a bit weeks away!
The post New Doctor Who Series 9 Trailer Released 7pm Tonight appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
August 11, 2015
Titan Comics’ Doctor Who: Four Doctors #1 Reviewed!
Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
The first year of stories from Titan Comics has been leading to this: a Summer Event which seemingly sees the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Doctors deal with the consequences of something the War Doctor got up to.
It’s a thrilling concept, especially as Peter Capaldi’s incarnation hasn’t interacted with his previous selves at all yet. Even more exciting, it’s written by Paul Cornell (Father’s Day; Human Nature/ The Family of Blood). We’re promised something big. And the trouble is that, with very few exceptions, a hyped-up story is often a bit disappointing. The Day of the Doctor is an exception.
Has this story delivered what it promised to be? Or is it missing that special something? I’m not sure.
Don’t get me wrong: it’s got loads of great ideas, and seeing the Doctors together is special. But it’s hard to judge from one 20-odd-page comic. This debut issue will likely read better once the complete story is available: we need some more context to fully enjoy this part.
We start off on Marinus. Yes, Marinus! How great is that?! I love what Cornell has done with the place; more than that, I like what he’s done with the Voord as well.
It’s not the only hark back to Hartnell (that sounds like a TV show). The Twelfth Doctor also grabs at his lapels – before being scorned by the Tenth Doctor. Obviously, this is also a knowing wink at that awful Doctor Who Live announcement, the highlight of which was, indeed, Capaldi echoing the First Doctor.
In fact, this story gets pretty ‘meta’ at one point. There’s always some degree of this self-indulgence when the Doctor meets himself, but it can be quite divisive. Personally, that’s why I think Sherlock Series 3 split fandom. Here, I don’t like the Twelfth Doctor admitting that this is all becoming a “Multi-Doctor Event.” It just feels wrong and breaks me out of that world I’m trying to lose myself in.
On the whole, the Doctors are written well, especially Doctors Ten and Eleven. Twelve is a bit too angry, and I don’t fully buy into his arrogance. Sure, he has these tendencies on-screen, but I think it needs toning down. I also don’t like him “vaguely recognising” the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. Maybe it’s a bluff. The Eleventh Doctor promised he wouldn’t forget one line of his being, yet here he is, relatively new to the TARDIS, and he can’t properly recall his previous two incarnations?
Ten and Twelve really don’t get on (and I like the former’s denial that a further incarnation can exist). The Eleventh Doctor’s actions are arguably the most Doctor-y; very understated too.
Clara, meanwhile, is on-the-ball; very well realised. Her reaction to the Eleventh Doctor isn’t how I expected it to be, but that’s my only real complaint where she’s concerned.
I was also sceptical of them using companions created by Titan, ie. Gabby Gonzalez accompanying the Tenth, and Alice Obiefune with the Eleventh. Yet they work beautifully, at least from the few pages we get with them together. It’ll be interesting to see how the optimistic Gabby and the perpetual-downer Alice work together later on. (I’m not criticising either: to the contrary, they’re neat creations.)
The actual situation that draws them all together appears one-part chance, two-parts a grand scheme with time working against them. That should make things interesting. It’s a surprisingly static story so far, but the cliffhanger – ! Fantastic. Oh, I’ll definitely be picking up issue 2.
What does issue 2 hold? No idea. But the Time War is sure to have something to do with it. Returning to Marinus for the moment, one reason the Voord are perfect here is their redesign by artist, Neil Edwards (Herc; Spider-Man 2099). I met him a few years ago, and he’s a really nice guy, so I’m pleased he’s got the chance to draw the Doctor. Well, Doctors. His time with Marvel shows: interesting direction, clean-cut depictions, and pleasing layouts. It’s more realistic than, say, the Eleventh Doctor’s ongoing series, and that is certainly a good thing!
If you liked Brian Williamson’s work on The Twelfth Doctor comics, you’ll like this.
The greatest thing about this prelude scene on the acid desert of Marinus is a brief exploration of the wider consequences of the Time War, particularly what happens to the new timelines created due to the conflict of the Time Lords win. The War Doctor says he’ll act as or of intermediary, but anyone who’s read Engines of War will know that relations between him and his own species are decidedly rocky.
It’s superbly intriguing territory and gives this series great promise. Yes, that’s exactly it. This issue has an abundance of promise.
Doctor Who: Four Doctors #1 is out now, priced $3.99.
The post Titan Comics’ Doctor Who: Four Doctors #1 Reviewed! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Sherlock and Who Writer Mark Gatiss Tells BBC to “Grow a pair of bollocks”
Katie Gribble is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
The BBC needs to “grow a pair of bollocks” and fight back if it’s going to continue to produce content. This is the opinion of Doctor Who script writer and actor, Mark Gatiss. Whilst promoting the new series of Who Do You Think You Are?, which will return to BBC 1 on Thursday 13th August at 9pm, Gatiss urged the BBC to fight back against its critics or face its end which would inevitably lead to a downturn in broadcasting standards across the board.
Earlier this month, BBC director general Tony Hall defended the corporation’s recent output, insisting that it still fulfils its public service remit as stated in the Royal Charter which enables the corporation to broadcast. There has been a great deal of pressure in regards to the BBC fulfilling their remit because this Charter runs out and is due for renewal at the end of 2016. Lord Hall said: “I believe the BBC should continue to make programmes for everyone. A BBC that doesn’t inform, educate and entertain is not the BBC the public know and love.”
The BBC’s main purpose and its aim have been reaffirmed since Tony Hall’s announcement by Sherlock and Doctor Who showrunner, Steven Moffat who defended the corporation’s ideals, stating that: “You could look at [the BBC’s] philosophy, you could look at the fact that somehow from the work of those early pioneers it became a beacon of quality – not just for Britain, but for the entire world.”
Both Moffat and Gatiss are firm believers in the BBC’s work with Gatiss explaining that:
“I say it at every opportunity – I’m proud to beat the drum…The BBC is obviously not perfect. It has the same problems it’s had since its formation. It’s a ramshackle, many-headed beast…It’s frustrating to work for, it’s infuriating to work for. But it’s also wonderful to work for – and to appreciate as a viewer. We would be massively impoverished without it. We are better for the BBC – we are a better country for it…Everywhere else you go in the world, people respect and love the idea of it…You don’t earn that kind of kudos easily. What you do easily is chuck it away – and we should be so, so careful at this point not to chuck it away.”
Mark Gatiss’ episode of Who Do You Think You Are? will air in October 2015 on BBC1.
The post Sherlock and Who Writer Mark Gatiss Tells BBC to “Grow a pair of bollocks” appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Series 8 Script Analysis: Into the Dalek
Richard Forbes is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Richard Forbes continues his study of Series 8’s leaked post-production scripts. Past articles from this five part series include:
Series 8 Script Analysis: Deep Breath
Reading the post-production script for Into the Dalek can be likened to its titular plot: with each passage, slugline and cut to black, we enter deeper into the story’s inner workings, past the antibodies and down the feeding tubes into the belly of the beast. This is Into the Dalek or should I say, Into Into the Dalek. Erm, scratch that. That’s rubbish.
Into the Dalek
I still remember when I first saw Into the Dalek advertised during its early publicity shots. One of the first images of the episode that I saw struck me as very intriguing; the Doctor stood in a stoic pose, holding out his hand to a Dalek. It felt familiar, it felt larger than life and symbolic like the Creation of Adam, Michelangelo’s great work – the creator breathing life into his creation. Images and publicity can have a profound effect on your perception of an episode, hence why I mention it here because this image in particular was my first sense of what Into the Dalek might be like: deep, philosophical, a compelling moral dialogue on good and evil, life and liberty – a moral rebirth, perhaps? What’s fascinating is if I were to simply gloss over the screenplay in its entirety I’d probably say that my first impression was right. Indeed, I suspect, although I hate assuming I know the author’s thoughts and intentions, that Into the Dalek was always meant to carry such moral weight and challenge its characters to consider what it means to be good. Whether there is such a thing? And just what a good soul entails?
In the place of good philosophy and storytelling, however, I find only cheap allusions to philosophy in Into the Dalek, like the naming of the story’s ship, ‘Aristotle’, mixed in along with the story’s technobabble, loud confrontations, digital matte compositions, moody banter and explosions. What makes Into the Dalek such a hard screenplay to review is that despite its promises of philosophical inquiry, there’s more quips and sirens to overview than conversations and intrigue. We were promised gelato but received vanilla ice cream. Yay ice cream, I suppose.
Nothing wrong with ice cream, but one can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of disappointment at the blandness of Into the Dalek. It feels almost as though its writers were being too cautious and in doing so they’ve provided us with an episode that is full of thought in terms of its action, the cleverness of its banter and its allusions, but light on the heart and soul that propels an episode – that fundamental glue to a story that reminds us that at the center of any story lies an idea so compelling that it excited the author to launch into writing it. I don’t get that sense here. I’m not sure what to be excited about. I’m not sure what compelling, unique questions are being asked with Into the Dalek. When Rusty looks into the Doctor’s soul he saw hatred. When I look into this episode’s soul, I can barely find a pulse.
It’s hard to say who is primarily responsible for this story – the title page on the post-production script says Phil Ford exclusively while later Steven Moffat gave himself co-credit; it appears then that the co-credit was a late decision. Perhaps a reflection of how much editing occurred, then? Or alternatively, the showrunner may have given himself co-credit because he may have written a number of scenes which centered around Danny, a new character for Series 8 which Into the Dalek introduced. These scenes with Danny, which take place at Coal Hill School, are staggered throughout the first half of the episode which helps to shape its unusual, non-linear format – precipitated, first with the Doctor and Clara being separated for the beginning of the episode and second with Danny reflecting on his past conversations with Clara. Staggering the beginning of the episode with flashbacks and flashforwards has the effect of drawing from the flow of the narrative in fact it feels forced here and not necessarily used in a way that contributes to the episode’s overall story. Because when thinks about it, Doctor Who is, oddly enough for a show about time travel, typically told in a linear fashion: the TARDIS lands in some far off land (oddly reminiscent of Cardiff) and a new adventure begins. Whereas with Into the Dalek there’s a spot of ten minutes at the beginning of the episode that does little to add to the central adventure. One use of the flashforward which does work, however, is one of the first scenes with Danny when Clara meets him and asks him out:
They stand there, regarding each other over a gulf of misunderstanding.
DANNY
Anyway. I erm. I’ve left some stuff in my classroom...see you.
CLARA
Yes. See you.
He starts to go.
CLARA
(CONT’D)
Are you going to the thing? Tonight, the leaving thing, for Cathy?
On Danny –
DANNY
Um –
CUT TO:
10:08:24 INT. COAL HILL SCHOOL. DANNY’S CLASSROOM – FLASHFORWARD – DAY
The classroom now empty. It’s a few minutes later – DANNY in his coat, is alone, despairing at himself, at how wrongly he played that.
DANNY
Yes! I wasn’t going, but I am now, because you are going to be there, and suddenly it seems like the best idea ever.
CUT TO:
10:08:40 INT. COAL HILL SCHOOL. STAFF ROOM – DAY
Back to the previous moment.
DANNY
No, I’m not.
CLARA
Oh, Okay. Nevermind.
DANNY
Good night.
Danny heading for the door.
CLARA
Change your mind.
Danny, turning, almost startled.
DANNY
Excuse me?
CLARA
I’m going, I’ll give you a lift. Why not?
On Danny:
DANNY (OS)
Actually, now that you mention it...
CUT TO:
10:08:54 INT. COAL HILL SCHOOL. DANNY’S CLASSROOM – FLASHFORWARD – DAY
DANNY still in agonised reflection.
DANNY
...seems like the best plan ever, thank you
Here the use of a flashforward feels like a novel device for storytelling. Danny has made a mistake, several mistakes and the best way to show such mistakes for what they are, mistakes, may just be to do as Into the Dalek has and show, not the mistake as it happens (at least not at first) but the response – that face of regret which the screenplay so accurately describes. Otherwise a mistake may not be obvious; for example a casual observer to Danny Pink’s cold, serious delivery may not have picked up on the fact that Danny was probably screaming internally as he said ‘No, I’m not’ – especially when Danny is a new character, who isn’t necessarily earmarked as Clara’s love interest (although he totally was) and the question that Clara asks is harmless and casual enough. The flashforwards here build up the comedy, the internal conflict that Danny is facing and ultimately sells the scene. It’s also important to note how the screenplay chose in technical terms to announce a flashforward; I’ve seen several methods before, but using the scene heading like Into the Dalek does is a discreet method which doesn’t draw from the flow of the script although for other purposes, ‘flashforward’ might not be descriptive enough. A more precise indication of time might be necessary in those cases. Here though this script keeps things simple and again, like the Deep Breath script, expresses time in term of moments – a simple ‘back to the previous moment’ is all that is needed.
The next use of a ‘flash’ is far less successful in my opinion. Essentially it’s a flashback which caps off the terrific meeting between the Doctor and Clara and serves as the audience’s vehicle for learning what it is the Doctor has in store for Clara without us having to listen to the Doctor actually list off this week’s adventure.
The Doctor slamming the levers, like he’s reluctant to answer. Then:
On his face, haunted.
THE DOCTOR
Into darkness.
CUT TO:
10:11:35 INT. ARISTOTLE. NANO-SCALE SURGICAL LAB – FLASHBACK – NIGHT
Back with THE DOCTOR; the BATTERED DALEK. MORGAN and JOURNEY look on – the exact moment we left.
BATTERED DALEK
Doc-tor....
THE DOCTOR
How do you know who I am?
MORGAN
He doesn’t. We promised him medical assistance.
BATTERED DALEK
Are you my doctor?
JOURNEY
We found it floating in space.
MORGAN
We thought it was deactivated. So we tried to disassemble it.
THE DOCTOR
You didn’t realize there was a living creature inside.
JOURNEY
Not ’til it started screaming.
BATTERED DALEK
Help me.
THE DOCTOR
Why would I do that? Why would any living creature ever help you?
BATTERED DALEK
Daleks will die.
THE DOCTOR
Die all you like, not my problem.
BATTERED DALEK
Daleks must be destroyed.
THE DOCTOR
Daleks must be de- ... what did you say?
BATTERED DALEK
All Daleks must die. I will destroy the Daleks. Destroy the Daleks! DESTROY THE DALEKS!!
CUT TO:
10:12:31 INT. TARDIS – DAY
CLARA stares at THE DOCTOR. He’s slamming the controls, they’re in flight.
Certainly as the old adage goes, showing is better than telling; the intent of this flashback is good: to show what it is that has the Doctor catching Clara up to speed instead of telling us indirectly with a dull conservation, ‘so I meant this Dalek and get this, you’re never going to believe this, it’s frightfully moral, yeah I know, groovy, right!?’ This flashback however makes me question the entire set-up of Into the Dalek having the two mains have to play catch-up distracts from a good story. Into the Dalek’s problem is that its main narrative is so inoffensive however that the scenes which detract from its story are the most interesting of the lot: Clara and Danny’s flirting feels fresh and fun, the Doctor’s tough questions for Clara suggests a man still unsure of himself and Missy’s cameo? A breezy intermissions from the tough, doom and gloom of Into the Dalek for some tea.
There’s the sound of gunfire from below. And then a terrible scream from Gretchen.
FADE TO WHITE:
10:34:08 INT. TEA ROOM – DAY
FADE IN
Close on GRETCHEN’s eyes, screwed tight shut, like she’s in agony.
Then a puzzled frown. Something’s wrong! Nothing’s happening, everything’s quiet.
Still in her combat gear, she’s now sitting in a tea room, at a window over-looking a beautiful city (it could be any one) and a spectacular sunset.
There’s a woman in the next chair – MISSY – and she’s pouring some tea for them both.
MISSY
Hello. I’m Missy. Welcome to heaven. Would you like some tea?
CUT TO:
This departure from the action is made with a simple ‘Fade In’ as a transition. The gentle fade is accentuated in the screenplay with the calmness it articulates (‘nothing’s happening, everything’s quiet) and the mystery, the ‘what!?’ factor it raises – teasing audiences with a ‘tight’ reveal that first shows only Gretchen’s eyes before the bigger reveal. This scene plays out on paper just as it does on screen; its obvious quirkiness and the element of surprise is all there. Now, we had seen Missy before, although who is was still unknown; Gretchen, however, was first introduced in Into the Dalek and killed almost immediately as she was named:
GRETCHEN
(Turns her gaze on the Doctor)
One question then. Is this worth it.
THE DOCTOR
If I can turn one Dalek, I can turn all of them. I can save the future.
Gretchen: moment of decision.
GRETCHEN
Gretchen Alison Carlisle. Do something good and name it after me.
He goes to her, takes her hands for a moment.
THE DOCTOR
I will do something amazing – I promise.
And that’s all she gets. He turns and he goes.
GRETCHEN
Damn well better.
And Gretchen fires upwards – the grappler flying, carrying the carbonite rope.
I have to admit I love how the screenplay describes the Doctor’s interest, or lack of interest in Gretchen’s offer to sacrifice her life – it’s all kind of a ‘take it or leave it’ affair. Sadly, Gretchen was devoted about as much interest from the story’s writers as the Doctor shows. A typical red shirt, really. Receiving a bit more attention from the writers (but not much) is Journey Blue, Into the Dalek’s heroine, or shall we say blue shirt? Bah. Nonetheless, Journey is introduced to us in the screenplay with but a brief introduction on the first page.
10:00:04 INT. JOURNEY’S WASP – NIGHT
JOURNEY BLUE, early 20s, at the controls. Desperate, but clinging to her training – around her panels are burning, ALARMS howling, the cockpit lit by RED EMERGENCY LIGHT. Beside her, bloodied, burned and barely alive – her brother, KAI.
Determined, young, fit. There’s not much there to add, sadly. Journey Blue largely exists to help the Doctor and Clara; she flies past the stages of grief as she loses friends and family, left, right and centre, only pausing on her grief enough to test the Doctor’s patience and show us how relentlessly unsympathetic this new Doctor could be (or pretend not to be, rather?). I think audiences were supposed to admire Journey Blue’s toughness. We’re supposed to admire the cynical, no-nonsense attitudes of characters like Journey Blue or Kill the Moon’s Lundvik, right? I’m not so sure I do; in some ways, I found Journey’s cool, tough approach to death made me uneasy about her characterization – more grating as a personality than endearing. With a scene like the following, Clara asks a simple, friendly question and Journey’s aggressive response is supposed to show her tough exterior, presumably, but points for me towards a hollow interior.
CLARA
I just met a soldier called Pink.
JOURNEY
Lucky fella.
CLARA
Lucky?
JOURNEY
From the way you smile.
A beat on Clara – again?
CLARA
So er, who makes you smile? Or is no-one up to the job?
JOURNEY
My brother. But he burned to death a couple of hours ago, so he’s really letting me down today. Excuse me!
She moves away, briskly. GRETCHEN gives her arm a squeeze as she goes.
In many ways, I found that Journey Blue’s attitude undermined her believability as a character – it also felt inconsistent with the death of Ross resulting in more resistance from her than the death of her own brother; her scorn towards the Doctor’s nonchalance towards their death is well noted.
JOURNEY
Is Ross here?
THE DOCTOR
Top layer, if you want to say a few words.
And Journey, explodes! Grabs the Doctor, slams him against the wall.
JOURNEY
A man has just died, you will not talk like that.
THE DOCTOR
A lot of people have died, everything in here is dead, and do you know why that’s good?
JOURNEY
There is nothing good about that!!
THE DOCTOR
Nothing is alive in here – so logically this has to be the weakest spot in the Dalek’s internal security. Nobody guards the dead.
On Journey, registering that. The Doctor, pushing past her now.
THE DOCTOR
(CONT’D)
Mortuaries and larders – always the easiest to break out of. Oh, I’ve lived a life! Tell Uncle Stupid we’re in. Arr..
He’s waded over to the far wall – there’s a huge BOLT in the wall.
THE DOCTOR
(CONT’D)
Bolt hole!!
He sonics. And it starts to turn.
Journey glowers after him – finds herself on the receiving end of a sympathetic stare from Clara.
Her characterization here, blowing up on the Doctor, makes me question whether Journey Blue as a character simply serves a purpose for Into the Dalek as a foil to the Doctor’s lack of compassion, yet confusingly Journey’s role as a foil only extends for as long as the Doctor is in the room, after that she’s just as hard-nosed as the rest of the crew in the episode.
One character who I did enjoy, however, was the episode’s titular Dalek, Rusty. Check out how the screenplay introduced him to us:
BATTERED DALEK (OS)
Doctor?
Its voice trembles through every surface. It’s not quite the Dalek voice we know. Somehow more organic, and yet recognizable. And there’s a LIGHTING EFFECT with every word.
The Doctor: snapping out of it.
Described here in the script only as a ‘BATTERED DALEK’, Rusty is the episode’s patient and oddly enough, its setting too.
Nick Briggs did a superb job at realizing the image that this script suggests – that warm, cleaner yet recognizable feel is captured here to perfection with Into the Dalek and reminds me of similar performances he’s given in 2005’s Dalek and The Stolen Earth’s Dalek Caan, where, free from their metal cage, the Dalek’s voice has been more organic in nature than ever.
Of course Into the Dalek also introduced us to Series 8’s Danny Pink, as discussed earlier; it’s fascinating to see just how little this screenplay works towards describing him – no doubt giving the casting department quite a lot of freedom to pursue different options with Clara’s newest boytoy.
We hear feet stamping to attention. Panning down to:
DANNY PINK. Late twenties, a strapping big lad, handsome.
DANNY
(CONT’D)
Look at you lot! I have never seen such a miserable bunch! What are you – children??
Young, handsome, big. Not much to go by, is it eh? In the screenplay’s defense, it does make some notes later on for Danny which does give us some insight into various aspects of his personality.
For example, the screenplay shows Danny is orderly…
FLEMING
Okay. Have you ever killed anyone who wasn’t a soldier?
Danny is clearing stuff from his desk, putting things in order (as he always does) but this question causes for him to freeze momentarily. Just sort of stop.
Not surprising perhaps for a veteran, someone used to order and regimented, routine life. But the screenplay also suggests that Danny is very serious.
CLARA
What, teaching them how to shoot people?
She means it lightly, but Danny, being Danny, takes it seriously.
His eyes flick briefly to the Guardian newspaper she has rolled up in her hand.
DANNY
There’s a bit more to modern soldiering than just shooting people. I like to think there’s a moral dimension.
CLARA
What you shoot people and cry about it afterwards?
Got to love how the screenplay even describes which newspaper Clara reads; of course, it’s got to be the Guardian – labour supporting schoolteacher, no surprise there – but it made me wonder if perhaps there was a political dimension to the scene which I missed while watching it on screen with Danny using Clara’s newspaper to size Clara’s political leanings up before launching into his own spirited defense of contemporary military values. Just in general, I felt as though these kinds of notes gave me a better insight into what Moffat’s intentions were for Danny. For example, the screenplay suggests Danny is just serious, but here and in Listen and other episodes while watching his performance onscreen, I was more under the impression that Danny was moody, swinging quickly to anger, with a chip on his shoulder and an almost manipulative approach to quelling his natural mistrust of Clara and others.
Honestly when most fans think of Into the Dalek though, they probably think:
CUT TO:
10:26:44 INT. ARISTOTLE. NANO-SCALE SURGICAL LAB – NIGHT
Explosion in the lab!
CUT TO:
And they wouldn’t be far off. Quite a number of scenes from the screenplay followed that kind of high octave, pyro-heavy action to a tee. But with a science fiction thriller comes new worlds, new environments – alien hospitals, Dalek interiors – which have to be depicted in the screenplay through only a few words. These locations thus pose a major challenge to writers who have to consider what, say a Dalek memory bank might look like. Beyond simple scene headings, Into the Dalek gives us some very creative descriptions for its exotic alien locales.
CLARA (OS)
Oh my God.
10:17:14 A jaw-dropping sight, like standing on the ledge of an impossibly tall building looking down on an alien city of lights and cables and circuits and mechanics built into the walls of a cylindrical chasm that falls away, and is lost to sight in tendrils of vapour far below...
THE DOCTOR (OS)
Behold, the belly of the beast.
Here, for example, the main characters have first entered into the Dalek, finding themselves in a canyon of electronics filled with vapour. Personally to me, the description sounds like the backstage of a rock concert: wires and towering amps, buzzing electronics and clouds of dry ice. But the key here is describing these unworldly environments with a familiar point of reference, but with enough embellishment to capture the sublime, extraordinary world that Doctor Who is taking you to this week.
Sometimes this real world point of reference might be an analogy.
10:35:10 INT. DALEK. DALEK MUTANT CRADLE – NIGHT
THE DOCTOR squeezes between PIPES and fights his way between a MASS OF TUBING like a man breaking through a forest to finally find himself on a ledge and –
Looking into the huge eye of the DALEK MUTANT.
THE DOCTOR
Rusty! Well, here we are. Eye to eye!
Or a clever cultural reference…
10:36:24 INT. DALEK. INSIDE CORTEX VAULT / CRANIAL LEDGE – NIGHT
It’s cramped, thick cables everywhere, as CLARA climbs into a claustrophobic tunnel – the size of the traditional Die Hard air duct, it’s the reverse of the light bars visible on the cranial ledge.
CLARA
I’m in the cortex!
I guess a ‘Yippie-Kai-Yay’ is in order? Following this trend, another staple of science fiction, slo-mo, also made an appearance in the screenplay if you were wondering.
10:16:11 INT. DALEK. VISUAL CORTEX TUNNEL – NIGHT
THE DOCTOR and CLARA have emerged through the lens into the visual cortex tunnel – progressing in slo-mo and the cortex bends and distorts their image.
DISSOLVE TO:
10:16:38 INT. DALEK. VISUAL CORTEX TUNNEL – NIGHT
CLARA (OS)
That was weird.
THE DOCTOR (OS)
You’ve seen nothing yet.
THE DOCTOR and CLARA lead the PARTY along the low and cramped tunnel – lights pulse in waves along its length.
The screenplay is describing that wonderful shot of Clara and the Doctor as they entered through the Dalek stalk, caught in a kind of alien fluid. The decision to make the scene in slo-mo is an inspired and helps to add to the wonder and intrigue of entering into a Dalek for the first time. Whatever your expectations are of what the inside of a Dalek might look like, watery-gravity-defying corridors probably weren’t what you were expecting – and exceeding expectations is always a good thing. God knows an hour of the Doctor and Clara stuck in what looked like an abandoned Cardiff hospital wouldn’t have impressed me as a setting (looking at you, The Invasion of Time).
The writer’s bag of tricks continues with the episode’s pivotal confrontation between the Doctor and Rusty – a confrontation which in many ways is more of an intervention between a physician and his patient.
10:36:35 INT. DALEK. DALEK MUTANT CRADLE – NIGHT
And behind the Doctor – as if projected onto a cinema screen: a MONTAGE – planets exploding, victims being exterminated.
THE DOCTOR
Oh, look – your memories! I’m about to give some back to you.
The use of a montage in this scene reminds me of classic Kubrick science fiction like A Clockwork Orange; zooming through dramatic images that give us insight into the mind of a Dalek. Experiences of birth, life and murder. Other scenes showed what the insides of a Dalek’s stomach might look like, but this scene might be as close as we’ll ever get to seeing what the mind of a Dalek is like. The way that the screenplay notes a montage appears is also, like the flashforwards and flashbacks, a very simple way to request a montage in a script – at least more casual than I’m familiar with. Usually scripts I’ve seen in the past will detail the images and scenes within a montage more thoroughly and formally, while this script, I think gives the director more flexibility to fill the segment with whatever dramatic images they might find appropriate for this particular montage.
As for my favourite scene with regards to Into the Dalek, I’m drawn towards a small scene between Clara and the Doctor; as the Doctor has given up hope, Clara begins to talk the Doctor into calming down and thinking through the problem rationally – giving him that spark of inspiration to solve the episode’s pivotal problem: Rusty and his ugly genetic inheritance of hatred.
CLARA
One question!
On CLARA: she’s taking command of the room.
JOURNEY (OS)
No time.
CLARA
Why did we come here today? What was the point?(Rounds on the DOCTOR) You thought there was a good Dalek. What difference would one good Dalek make?
THE DOCTOR
All the difference in the universe – but it’s impossible.
CLARA
Is that a fact? Is that really what we learned today? Think about it – is that what we learned???
It’s a sublime moment where Clara shines as a companion in a subtle way; you see the schoolteacher in Clara – where it might have been hard to imagine the girl from The Day of the Doctor being the ‘cool’ motorbike-riding teacher of Coal Hill School – now you might have had an easier time envisioning ‘Ms. Oswald’ at the front of the class asking in a pointed manner just what it is that the class had learned. Her Socratic method pays off here with the Last of the Time Lords; he eventually does comes around, putting the pieces together with a deeper, proper diagnosis for the situation. I love how when she takes ‘control of the room’ as the screenplay notes, the camera direction focuses towards her too; she becomes the hero’s grounding, the moral authority and does all of this, not with a lecture but a series of indirect questions which poke our beloved hero along to finding what it is he was too blind to see.
Steven Moffat recently spoke on Clara and the Doctor’s relationship in Series 9, describing a future scene in Series 9’s ‘Episode 5’ as a short scene where Clara talks to a visibly upset Doctor and convinces him that there is hope – according to him it sums up their relationship and I couldn’t agree more, especially when I thought of this scene from Into the Dalek, which from the sounds of things is a similar kind of scene. Clara here talks the Doctor from emotional defeat to a remarkable turnaround.
Unfortunately, most of Into the Dalek is not about these kind of quieter, dynamic scenes; most of Into the Dalek features more ‘clever’ back and forth banter. Take for example when the Doctor and Colonel Blue first meet.
THE DOCTOR
Dry your eyes, Journey Blue – crying is for civilians. It’s how we communicate with you lot.
He strides out. Journey follows, bemused.
JOURNEY exiting the TARDIS, joining THE DOCTOR – they’re in a huge hangar bay with Wasps; other craft bearing MEDICAL INSIGNIA.
Journey, exiting, taking it in.
JOURNEY
It’s smaller on the outside.
THE DOCTOR
Yeah – it’s a bit more exciting when you go the other way. (Looking around) This isn’t a battleship. Medical insignia – it’s a hospital.
MORGAN
We don’t need hospitals now.
They turn to see:
Big doors have rolled open – standing just inside, a tall tough man in his fifties – COLONEL MORGAN BLUE, flanked by armed SOLDIERS.
MORGAN
(CONT’D)
The Daleks don’t leave any wounded. And we don’t take any prisoners.
Instantly, the soldiers surround the Doctor, levelling their rifles at him.
THE DOCTOR
I saved your little friend here, if that’s in any way relevant to mention.
JOURNEY
That’s true, sir. He did.
Morgan turns to look at the Doctor – appraising, cold.
MORGAN
Thank you.
THE DOCTOR
You’re welcome. I wish I could’ve done more.
MORGAN
Then you should have.
THE DOCTOR
Okay –
MORGAN
But...you did saved Journey and for that I am personally grateful.
THE DOCTOR
Well –
MORGAN
However, the security on this base is absolute, so we’re still going to kill you.
THE DOCTOR
Oh, it’s a roller coaster with you, isn’t it?
MORGAN
(Steps back from the Doctor)
Shoot him, bag him and throw him outside.
Guns raised, the Doctor slammed against the wall.
Certainly the banter is clever – there’s some great lines there. ‘It’s how we communicate with you lot,’ in my mind invokes every New York Times front page with a picture of crying civilians. ‘Then you should have,’ is totally unexpected and barking mad with snark. ‘We’re still going to have to kill you,’ is a gas and ‘it’s a rollercoaster with you,’ would be a knee-slapper if it wasn’t reused from The Time of the Doctor just as the ‘smaller on the outside’ gag was reused from The Snowmen but the idea that the TARDIS is more interesting from the outside in, as opposed to the inside out was entertaining.
Although at its heart, I can’t help but feel as though the banter lacks an emotional center – why are they all nearly biting each other’s heads off with snark the moment they see each other? Is it simply distrust of another? For the Doctor, a prejudice against soldiers. For Colonel Blue, a wartime distrust of outsiders. Perhaps, but it all feels a bit much, too fast and worse, neither the prejudice nor the mistrust is really ever resolved, it’s just an excuse to have the characters interact unsympathetically to another.
However, the screenplay does suggest that prejudice may be a central theme of Into the Dalek; as with many production notes, the screenplay gives a few insights into why the Doctor resists the idea of a ‘good Dalek’:
BATTERED DALEK (OS)
Exterminate! Exterminate!
On the Doctor – frowning, what does she mean? He’s slow – centuries of prejudice getting in the way.
Earlier, Clara explicitly accused the Doctor of prejudice, too.
CLARA
A good Dalek?
THE DOCTOR
There’s no such thing.
CLARA
That’s a bit inflexible, not like you. I’d almost say prejudiced.
The Doctor looks up at her, a flash of anger – those blazing eyes –
– then seems to consciously control himself. Suppress the anger.
THE DOCTOR
... Do I pay you? I should give you a raise.
Perhaps then, Into the Dalek might be thought as a companion piece to Deep Breath. Deep Breath considers the prejudices of society while Into the Dalek considers the prejudice of the Doctor – hardened and convinced after centuries of watching Daleks kill innocents, the Doctor resists the idea of a good Dalek and is blinded by his own hatred of them. Either way though, I found Into the Dalek, while a fun screenplay to look through, not nearly as compelling as a screenplay as Deep Breath. Into the Dalek is clever but intellectually shallow. All of the wit is there but none of the charm. Not every episode needs to be deep and philosophical but what action we received with Into the Dalek was littered with clichés and not nearly as fun as it could be without its needless moodiness.
The post Series 8 Script Analysis: Into the Dalek appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Planet of the Rani Trailer PLUS The Last Adventure Available Early
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Coming from Big Finish in October is the return of Siobhan Redmond as the Rani in Doctor Who: Planet of the Rani. Written by Marc Platt, the Sixth Doctor and Constance Clarke (Colin Baker and Miranda Raison) stumble upon the Rani in the Teccaurora Penitentiary
Miasimia Goria was a quiet planet, an ancient world of bucolic tranquillity… until the Rani arrived with ideas of her own.
She planned to create a race of new gods… gods that she could keep on her leash, but those plans went horribly wrong.
Now, she languishes in the high security of Teccaurora Penitentiary, consigned there by her arch enemy and old student colleague, the Doctor.
But the Rani, always resourceful, ever calculating, knows things about the Doctor’s past that he would rather forget. She wants revenge, even if it takes a hundred years… and then she has other unfinished business.
The ruins of Miasimia Goria await…
Meanwhile you might already be aware that September’s planned release The Last Adventure is already available to Big Finish subscribers. But while the Sixth Doctor is about to regenerate (at last) rest assured that his adventures in the Big Finish Whoniverse will continue…
The post Planet of the Rani Trailer PLUS The Last Adventure Available Early appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Planet of the Rani Trailer PLUS The Last Adventure Available Now
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Coming from Big Finish in October is the return of Siobhan Redmond as the Rani in Doctor Who: Planet of the Rani. Written by Marc Platt, the Sixth Doctor and Constance Clarke (Colin Baker and Miranda Raison) stumble upon the Rani in the Teccaurora Penitentiary
Miasimia Goria was a quiet planet, an ancient world of bucolic tranquillity… until the Rani arrived with ideas of her own.
She planned to create a race of new gods… gods that she could keep on her leash, but those plans went horribly wrong.
Now, she languishes in the high security of Teccaurora Penitentiary, consigned there by her arch enemy and old student colleague, the Doctor.
But the Rani, always resourceful, ever calculating, knows things about the Doctor’s past that he would rather forget. She wants revenge, even if it takes a hundred years… and then she has other unfinished business.
The ruins of Miasimia Goria await…
Meanwhile you might already be aware that September’s planned release The Last Adventure is already available to Big Finish subscribers. But while the Sixth Doctor is about to regenerate (at last) rest assured that his adventures in the Big Finish Whoniverse will continue…
The post Planet of the Rani Trailer PLUS The Last Adventure Available Now appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
August 10, 2015
BBC Releases Sneak Peeks at Doctor Who Series 9
Josh Maxton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
If you want to go into Doctor Who Series 9 knowing absolutely nothing at all and have it all be a surprise and you even consider sneak peeks and behind the scenes pictures as spoilers, please stop reading this article.
This is the last warning if you don’t even want to see behind the scenes snaps (yet again, if you wanted to not even see those, why on earth would you have clicked on the article?).
Doctor Who returns this September 19th, but you don’t have to wait til then to get some sneak peeks of the Doctor’s new adventures. In addition to watching the thrilling, outstanding, fantastic, awesome (how many adjectives can I throw in here until it becomes grammatically incorrect?) trailer for the ninth series, you can saunter on over to Doctor Who‘s Instagram page, where you’ll find this beaut…
A photo posted by Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) on Aug 10, 2015 at 2:35am PDT
Watch out for the Zygons. Over on Twitter, the BBC has highlighted some stunning behind the scenes snaps.
For sneak peeks of the new series and exclusive behind the scene pics, visit http://t.co/bTfrEf93cO #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/H8RAvzSHo8
— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) August 8, 2015
In related news, the Doctor Who team also released a list of 50 reasons why they are excited for the new series.
Why are YOU excited for the new series? Let us know in the comments!
The post BBC Releases Sneak Peeks at Doctor Who Series 9 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
The Valeyard Judges the Doctor’s Comic Adventures
The Valeyard is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Well this is just getting ridiculous.
The Eighth Doctor is getting his own comic book series now? Really?
I can appreciate that they need to run a series with what they perceive to be the current incarnation and I’m aware that there will always be enough fan-girl interest to make it worthwhile doing a sandshoe themed line. I may not like it, or him, but I can appreciate the financial sense in doing so.
I was less than thrilled to discover that the floppy haired version of me was getting a line as well, but consoled myself that at least the overly ginger whiney one wasn’t going to be appearing. One takes their consolations where they can.
Then I was completely taken aback to discover that they were going to chronicle some of my leather bound phase as well, but upon reading the synopsis and noting the appearance of a certain former Time Agent I realised that was Barrowman’s fault. It’s astonishing how often this turns out to be the case.
However I began to grow weary when news reached Kasterborous Towers that my short bearded self was going to turn up in a crossover type event. Even now I’m unsure what vexed me more, the idea of a 90s style crossover or that a Doctor with considerably less screen time than me was getting a shot at comic stardom. Thankfully Cawley calmed me down by explaining that Paul Cornell would be scribing this particular event. I’ve always had a soft spot for Mr Cornell and his writings, so am willing to overlook this occurrence.
This time.
But movie boy is a step too far. That makes three Doctors (Eight, War and Nine) with less screen time than myself with a comic and quite frankly the 90s throwback had enough comic time back in his DWM days.
No, enough is enough. It’s well beyond time that I had my own comic book. As much as I enjoyed my seventh incarnation I will be extremely upset if he gets a comic reprise before I can make my debut.
Can’t you just picture it?
“Join the Valeyard on his quest through Time and Space as he seeks vengeance on his oldest enemy; himself. Joined by sassy (they’re all sassy these days – Ed) new female companion from a contemporary city yearning to escape her boring yada yada yada…”
And wouldn’t I look striking in a Alice X Zhang style cover? Really I don’t see why this isn’t happening already.
I will be most unhappy if the rumours of a Frobisher ongoing series prove to be true…
The post The Valeyard Judges the Doctor’s Comic Adventures appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Big Doctor Who Series 9 SPOILER Rumour
Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
A most unexpected rumour has surfaced, ruminating on the cliffhanger for Series 9’s penultimate episode. This is your last chance. This article is a potential spoiler explosion. Nothing is confirmed. We’d be surprised if it were before late November. So…
HERE BE SPOILERS, SWEETIE!
Ready?
Doctor Who Series 9 Penultimate Cliffhanger
It’s said that Paul McGann will return as the Eighth Doctor towards the end of Doctor Who Series 9.
Speculation began when Russell T Davies and David Tennant were spotted in Cardiff, and then further fuel was added when Reece Shearsmith was cast for Mark Gatiss’ episode 10, the actor having previously played Patrick Troughton in An Adventure in Space and Time (although playing the Second Doctor now seems unlikely) Steven Moffat has previously said that the cliffhanger leading into the finale will be a shock, and Peter Capaldi has also added that there’s some exploration of regeneration. WarpedFactor reckons:
“Allegedly what you won’t see coming is a de-generation scene. A flashback through previous Doctors. One can presumably guess that the majority of it would be done with quick cuts via CGI, but we have been told that it will included extended stop-offs at certain Doctors.”
And yes, one might just be Paul McGann!
We last saw his Doctor giving away his life in 2013’s The Night of the Doctor, and fans are clamoring for more from him. Everyone at K Towers wants to see the Eighth Doctor back, and indeed, in the past, I’ve thought about how some sort of ‘de-generation’ scene could work – but as for if this will happen… Well, who knows? Who… knows?
If the Withnail & I actor does show up again, he’s said to have already filmed his scene(s) – not that he’s giving any hints, of course. In fact, he’s pretty quiet on Twitter, except his humourous musings.
— Paul McGann (@pauljmcgann) October 24, 2014
Moffat has proven that there’s life in the Eighth Doctor yet (despite, y’know, regenerating into John Hurt), and that the showrunner is open to his return.
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But are you? Does this come too soon after the extravagances of The Day of the Doctor? Or is it actually a perfect time, with some fans wanting a bit of exciting nostalgia back in our Who? Let us know below!
The post Big Doctor Who Series 9 SPOILER Rumour appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
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