As if the title didn't give it away - the new series has always been renewed, but Christopher Ecclestone has announced that he's not goign to come back. Read on for the news byte from outpostgallifrey.net:
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BBC News has confirmed rumors from earlier today that Christopher Eccleston has decided not to return to Doctor Who for a second series. Press Association, a news wire service, says "Actor Christopher Eccleston has quit as Doctor Who after just one series, it was announced tonight. The star, who has appeared in television drama Cracker and hit film, Shallow Grave, is worried about being typecast. He is also planning new projects and found filming the series gruelling. In a statement issued through the BBC, Eccleston said: ‘The audience's response for the new Doctor Who has been incredible and I am really proud to be part of it and I hope viewers continue to enjoy the series." Former pop star, Billie Piper, will return in the role of the Time Lord's assistant, Rose, in the next raft of shows. Meanwhile, the BBC confirmed it was in talks with actor David Tennant, the star of the drama Casanova, which is currently showing on BBC3, as a possible replacement for Eccleston. Earlier today, the BBC announced it had commissioned the second series." Outpost Gallifrey earlier reported that the Sun newspaper was leading tomorrow with a story entitled "Doctor Who Quits!" but that it was possibly speculation taken from the Jane Tranter comments earlier today; however, with the news flash on BBC News, and a statement from Eccleston, it now appears to be true. We will keep you posted on breaking news about this development.
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There had been scattered reports during the filming that Eccleston had been unhappy with the pressures of filming an intensive series (13 episodes is unusually long for a BBC television drama), and even some of the recent media interviews quoted him as being worried about typecasting. So, while this is a blow for the show, it's not a COMPLETE suprise. Most people, myself included, are basically shocked that he'd leave the show after so short a time.
Frankly, yeesh - this guy would never survive in Hollywood or Vancouver...
Mark
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
They're going to have to find a way of getting around that 12 regenreation rule sharpish at this rate...
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Bah! The Master managed to get at LEAST four extra bodies after his thirteenth incarnation, through various means. When the Doctor gets to that bridge, they'll almost certainly find a way around it. They probably won't even bring it up, Valeyard manifestations aside, until whoever picks up the 13th mantle has been at it for a while.
Mark
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Four? His thirteenth body was, presumably, Roger Delgado. That body degraded into the skull-faced version played by a couple different actors in "The Deadly Assassin" and "The Keeper of Traken" (still his thirteenth body, though). Then he stole Nyssa's father's body (that's one). He was a weird snake-thing in the movie, but I'd hardly count that as a "body". And then he stole that paramedic's body (that's two). So, where did you get four?
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
It depends a lot on who you ask, and which EU novels they've read.
The Delgado Master and the resultant living corpse are generally regarded as the thirteenth incarnation, though some try to conclude that one or both of the corpses in "The Deadly Assassin" and "Traken", being both a different costume and different actors both times, were the result of the Master trying to regenerate and failing (this presumably from fan speculation and I think one novel). Then, there's the Anthony Ainley incarnation we know so well; however, the Master as seen being exterminated by the Daleks (albeit partially concealed) at the beginning of the TV movie was much younger and thinner than the last time we saw him. The snake-thing is often counted as an incarnation (hence, depending on who you ask), and then of course there's Eric Roberts.
So, it's really up to the individual to judge just how many lives the Master has had. But most are satisfied just to conclude that the Master just really doesn't want to DIE die, and will do anything to keep on going.
Mark
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
The Fried-Egg look from The Deadly Assassin is my favorite.
Much later, he regenerates into Pizza The Hut.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
ONE SEASON!?! The show hasn't even really started yet!
Maybe they can get Paul McGann back!?! Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
All the Brits are starting to calm down now... While feeling betrayed, acceptance is starting to settle in, and "Who's Next?" will reign supreme once more within days.
They should have signed Eccleston to two years, minimum. Personally, I'm unsure what changing a series lead just as it's being established will do in British TV... I'm having flashbacks of "Earth: Final Conflict" here, though it's muted as the production team will be remaining stable. Whoever's next will hopefully have more staying power.
Mark
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Typecast? He's already bloody typecast, as a Northern Bloke.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Hmmm, how about... Sean Bean!?!
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Not likely - another example of a guy more used to movies than TV. Remember, the average season of TV drama in the UK is something like six epsiodes per year.. Doctor Who this year is the current record holder for the season, I believe.
Hehe... The outpostgallifrey forums have been shut down due to all the fighting... We've never done that for Trek, have we?
Mark
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Strangely though though that doesn't apply to shows like Casualty, which seem to be able to produce new shows all year long despite not being a soap.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
I saw some programme that featured Casualty the other night, it mentioned it had been running for 18 years and. . . I can't remember how many programmes, but I think it worked out at about 20 to 30 eps a year.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
Yes, but Casualty is crap.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Its crapness isn't the issue, but rather the fact it seems to be able to be on on an almost regular basis without being classed as a soap. Which it is, really.
Mind you, we sort-of like Holby City. If only because it's got Hugh Quarshie and Art Malik in it.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
I know neither of those names. And the use of "we" has made me feel lonely. I'm going to have a cry now.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
You be sure to let us all know how that turns out.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Hugh Quarshie was Sunda Kastagir, the third-last Immortal in the original "Highlander". He was also Captain whoever in "The Phantom Menace".
Mark
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Old guy:
New guy:
It's still tough to grasp that the new guy, whom we've barely seen for 45 minutes, is already going to be the old guy, probably within a year...
David Tennant is the guy the BBC are supposedly in negotiations with - he was apparently the backup guy after Eccleston. Now he'll probably get his chance... And if anyone else was like me in noticing how young they've been of late, I've researched how old each actor was when they took on the role:
William Hartnell - 56 Patrick Troughton - 46 Jon Pertwee - 51 Tom Baker - 40 Peter Davison - 30 Colin Baker - 43 Sylvester McCoy - 44 Paul McGann - 37 Christopher Eccleston - 41 (David Tennant) - 35
And for what it's worth, Peter Cushing was 52.
Mark
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Eddie Izzard!
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
Izzard will just want to go around putting Darleks on spikes.
my vote goes to Rowan Atkinson. That Dr Who bit he did for Comic Relief a few years back was classic.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
So what's the deal with the Peter Cushing films, again?
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
There was no deal with the Peter Cushing films. Ever again.
Atkinson had a fine Doctor - completely against type, as he played the Doctor as slmost completely straight laced and understated compared to Bean or any of the Blackadders. RTD seems to have it in for anyone who's played the role before, though... It'll be Tennant or someone else new.
"The End of the World" will be available tonight - and Eccles will have had as much time as McGann, our next milestone... One wonders how this announcement will affect the ratings.
Mark
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Rowana Atkinson would be interesting.
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
Rowana Atkinson? Is that like Rowan Atkinson in drag?
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
The new guy looks like Teegan....very 1980's feminine. Mabye the new Doctor is a big Depeche Mode fan...
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
LOL Rowana heheh.
Also, I couldn't have summed up that pic of that new guy any better Jason. Ugh.
Hmmm I wonder if they'd ever do a Teegan reappearance!?! Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
The second most rampant speculation on Doctor Who, after who the next Doctor will be, is whether anyone from previous series (Doctors, monsters, companions) will show up next.
The short answer is no - it's far to early to resort to stunt casting like that. Of the ten million people watching, the vast majority are not the hardcore fans who would understand or appreciate it. So as fun as it is, there's no real point...
Mark
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Well, if they were going to bring someone back, the obvious choice would be McGann. Although, with the right make-up, they could probably reasonably pull off Davison or McCoy. As far as companions go, I don't know what they all look like these days, but Nicola Bryant still looks surprisingly young. So, if they really wanted to do a "The Two Doctors" sort of episode, #5/Peri is probably their best shot. Though, only if Bryant has figured out how to do a proper American accent sometime since the '80s.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Not that people were focusing on her voice, anyway...
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