I can't exactly gauge it, since I was on stage for one and in the audience for the other, but the reception "Doctor Who" -- specifically, David Tennant, Russell T. Davies, director Euros Lyn and producer Julie Gardner -- received here on Comic-Con's final morning was nearly as loud and adoring as what "Chuck" got yesterday. Some panel highlights coming up after I remind you that "Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead" airs tonight on BBC America...Among the highlights:
• Moderator Robert Lloyd (a writer for the LA Times and an obvious fan of the series) asked Gardner to deal with the rumors of a movie right off the bat. "We are not making any announcement about a Doctor Who movie," she said. "I'm really sorry. I don't know where the rumor started. But what it's made us think is it might be a good idea to do at some point. Is this something that you want?" The crowd, predictably, roared its approval.
• They showed a teaser trailer for Tennant's farewell movie, featuring the return of several characters from earlier in the Davies/Tennant run (I won't spoil it, but it's easy to find out if you want) that looked tremendous. At the end of the panel, they showed a trailer for "Waters of Mars," the special that'll follow "Planet of the Dead." Looked like a big-budget version of the various Davies/Tennant episodes with The Doctor on a space station with some kind of monster on the loose.
• A fan asked Tennant (a lifelong "Doctor Who" fan) about his memories of when the first Doctor he knew was replaced, and whether he could understand what fans are feeling as they prepare for the transition from Tennant to Matt Smith. Tennant talked about how much he revered Tom Baker, then said, "And I never forgot him, or loved him any less, but then Peter Davison came along, and within three weeks, I thought he was the best. I think what makes the show go on forever." He suggested, to some inevitable skepticism from the room, that within a few weeks, they'd all think "Matt Smith's the greatest thing that's ever been, which he probably is... I think change is part of the show. I'm very very proud to have been part of the history, but I'm very proud that we're handing it over in good health and that it carries on!"
• And speaking of fandom, Tennant said one of his favorite personal moments from playing The Doctor came during a table read of "School Reunion," involving Elisabeth Sladen: "Suddenly, this voice from my childhood was calling me 'Doctor.' When the 8-year-old boy met the 35-year-old boy and was still being called The Doctor by Sarah Jane, that was quite special."
• Tennant's version of The Doctor will appear in an upcoming "Sarah Jane Adventures" episode called "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith."
• A fan asked about John Barrowman's claims that he's been stealing items from the set, and what any of the panelists might have taken home. They all clammed up, and then Gardner said, "I think John Barrowman just stole things off the set so he could be strip-searched on the way out."
• A fan asked whether River Song would be returning, and Gardner noted, "We are now happy viewers to season five. We don't know anything you don't know."
• Tennant was asked if he might return, as many previous Doctors have, for charity specials or other events. He thought about it and noted that the series' 50th anniversary would be in 2013, then immediately cautioned the room, "That's not me making an announcement. There's no plan. Don't Twitter that! That's not a thing! Yet!"
I'll have a separate, extremely brief, post up tonight about "Planet of the Dead," so don't talk about it here, and I'm interviewing Tennant in a couple of days when we're both at press tour. I'm open to suggested questions if they're good.
12 comments:
Sounds like a heavenly panel, Alan--thanks so much for sharing it with us.
Sigh. I didn't warmup to Tennant right away, but now that he's leaving I'm desolate.
A possible question for Tennant - are there any other established characters he'd be willing to put his stamp on? Not necessarily just in sci-fi, but in fantasy, horror, even in detective mysteries or historical fiction?
So, Alan, how nasty did the Ianto Fan Club get? I'm not RTD's work is beyond criticism (the second series of 'Queer as Folk' I'd rather forget), and 'Who' does have a fandom that could most politely be described as passionate. :) But am I the only person who thinks Catherine Tate is still owed a lot of apologies from the more feral fans who were trashing her from the moment her casting as Donna Noble was announced?
My first experience with Dr. Who was Eccleston and the revamped series. I was a bit disappointed to see him go, and I knew nothing of Tennant. But, boy, did he quickly inhabit that role. It is a disappointment to see him leave the role.
One question I might ask him is the difference he sees between British and American Dr. Who fans or the difference between longtime fans and those (like myself) who first began to watch the series with the latest revamp.
I'm curious how DT feels about roles he's now offered, and what goes into accepting a role at this point in his career. He's not afraid of iconic, having played Casanova, the Doctor, and Hamlet. What is at the heart of the next big challenge for man whose tackled these legendary characters? Does he yearn for an original role? I hate to say that, because his Doctor was original, but would creating a character known only to a production team be a welcome relief after recreating well known characters? Or does he enjoy the challenge that comes from reinventing characters with whom the public is familiar?
One question I might ask him is the difference he sees between British and American Dr. Who fans or the difference between longtime fans and those (like myself) who first began to watch the series with the latest revamp.
I don't know if its easily available in the US, but RTD wrote a book called 'The Writer's Tale' which is well worth a look. Interesting format -- basically a running e-mail dialogue between Davis and journalist Benjamin Cook over the writing/production/transmission of series four, that goes into everything. And Davis being Davis, he's eye-poppingly candid so this isn't just a load of bland PR.
But he goes into some detail about how, from the beginning, everyone was very conscious about the balancing act involved in reviving 'Who'. Yes, they wanted to have the old school fans (like RTD himself) on side. But at the same time, they had to make the show accessible to an audience of kids who weren't even alive when the show went on permanent hiatus back in 1989. Not to put too fine a point on it, nostalgic fanwank just wasn't going to cut it.
But am I the only person who thinks Catherine Tate is still owed a lot of apologies from the more feral fans who were trashing her from the moment her casting as Donna Noble was announced?
you are most certainly not. sadly, the feral fans are still out there, trashing her participation in the final eps. donna noble and tate's characterization of her were needed to counterbalance the hormonal overactivity of series 1-3.
@Craig,
In the Who panel, happily, there were only a few vocal Ianto fans but their manners were atrocious. I was appalled on RTD's behalf. It wasn't the Torchwood panel and intermittently yelling things about Ianto in the middle was just disrespectful to the panelists and the Who fans.
@Craig - Not to mention all of those who trashed Martha (and Freema Agyeman herself) for "daring" to replace Rose. Fortunately, many of the fans I know grew to LOVE Donna after a few episodes. Martha was a bit of a harder sell in my group of friends, but I really liked her. I'm glad that -- unlike my over-investment in other fandoms -- I never really developed that attachment to the characters and relationships in Doctor Who. Makes it easier to roll with the punches in a transitory show like this one.
That said, I get what Tennant's saying about how we'll all fall in love with Matt Smith after a few eps, but I'm skeptical. I know that's probably my own prejudices and ageism talking! It doesn't help, though, that his overall "look" in the initial publicity stills is so much like Tennant's. I have no idea how they'll manage to significantly differentiate him from Ten, but I've had faith in Moffatt since I was first tickled by "Coupling" years ago.
As an Atlanta resident, I go to Dragon*Con every year. Just noticed that Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto) is on the guest list. I hadn't planned to attend his panels, but now I'm tempted just to see how those go down.
(And thanks, Alan, for all the reports! Finally added you to my Twitter feed the other day, and I'm very glad I did!)
donna noble and tate's characterization of her were needed to counterbalance the hormonal overactivity of series 1-3.
NoraK: Indeed -- and while I mean no disrespect to Frema or Billie (or John Barrowman, come to that) it was refreshing having a companion with a bit of "Oy, spaceman!" attitude, and roughly zero interest in shagging The Doctor. I can get why people don't rate 'The Runaway Bride' as their favourite episode (a little bit of Donna in fishwife mode goes a very long way), but was anyone really expecting Donna to stay at the pitch through a whole series? Really?
In the Who panel, happily, there were only a few vocal Ianto fans but their manners were atrocious. I was appalled on RTD's behalf.
Perhaps its just me, but I suspect RTD has thicker hide than a Judoon -- you sure need it when you're stuck between the British tabloids
and the impossible to please sections of Who fandom. I think he's like Ron Moore where BSG is concerned -- you can't please everyone and if you start second-guessing yourself then you're in trouble. All you can do is your very best, and hope people get it.
Not to mention all of those who trashed Martha (and Freema Agyeman herself) for "daring" to replace Rose.
I've certain seen a few interviews where even Davis and Tennant's usually genial exteriors have cracked at the suggestion that Freema has hired out of a 'politically correct' desire to have a minority companion, or that she was 'fired' at the end of series three because of a racist backlash. How insulting and patronising is that to everyone involved?
It's actually nice to see Piper and Ageyman going on to have very successful post-Who careers, because that's not always been the case for companions.
I'm in the same boat as Anonymous, though I'll go even further and admit that I always hated Doctor Who. I found myself interested in the Eccleston revamp because the trailers I saw looked like they were produced on a real budget, and the new Doctor looked like someone cool, as opposed to just another British nerd. When Tennant took over, he reminded me of the older Doctors, and I only continued watching out of momentum. He eventually grew on me, however, because underneath that lighthearted, optimistic "charm" lay a serious intensity- Tennant's Doctor, while fun-loving, seemed capable of vengeance and wrath on a biblical scale.
My question is this: was that darkness something that intentionally came from the writers, or something he brought to character through his portrayal?
Having just recently worked with Patrick Stewart on Hamlet, perhaps you could ask him if they spoke about the fact that they have played iconic science fiction characters, and whether Stewart gave him any advise on how to deal with life after the job is over (or how to deal with the crazy fans).
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