posted
Tennant has not confirmed the rumour, and the BBC has flatly denied it. The fourth series has not been officially commissioned yet, though you can bet everyone's working to make that happen.
Doctor Who has what is often called the world's most gruelling filming schedule. They take NINE MONTHS to film fourteen one-hour episodes; most North American shows do twice that amount in less time. The reasons behind this are many, but besides the large amounts of effects work and location shooting, the British unions severely limit the number of hours you can work a week in the film industry. The Trekkian standard of 16-hour days and cranking an episode out every six or seven days doesn't exist... I recall a convention where Marina Sirtis was astonished to learn an average episode of Absolutely Fabulous that a friend of hers was shooting took two months to rehearse and three weeks to film.
The tradeoff here of course is quality, and shows such as Doctor Who really speak for themselves. In any case though, it's nearly impossible for a lead actor to do any substatial roles in other productions when you've got one going already. Tennant will have to balance being the Doctor and ONLY the Doctor for several years, against the decisions of doing career-defining lead movie roles while he's still in his thirties. Movies also tend to pay a hell of a lot more for less time spent working, which will doubtless be a factor as well. That said, I still hope he stays for a couple more years. He's well known for saying that this is his dream role and the reason he became an actor in the first place; time will tell if he'll want to stay now that he's done it, and done it so well.
posted
Preferred this to "Christmas Invasion" but that's not saying much. Did anyone catch what that tank commander said before opening fire on the spaceship? "By order of someone or other?"
posted
"By order of Mr. Saxon". They've been subtle about it, but this is apparently the new Prime Minister following Harriet Jones. They mentioned him a couple times in print or posters here and there - if you look at the present-day dance hall in episode 12 of Torchwood, you'll see "VOTE SAXON" posters everywhere.
quote:Originally posted by Mark Nguyen: They've been subtle about it, but this is apparently the new Prime Minister following Harriet Jones.
I hope not...seems such a boring concept to have him be Prime Minister. You'd have thought if he was working for the state that he could at least have stolen some of the tech left behind when Torchwood-One fell...after all, they're not using it! But instead he gets a tank. It would be far more interesting if he were some lunatic who tried to get elected but was too insane...some kind of nut case in charge of a "Homo Sapiens Only Party", who's fallen into being the galactic equivalent of the BNP. Could make a point about how stupid bigoted people are then...but it doesn't seem to be Doctor Who's style to do social commentary.
Registered: Jul 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Mark Nguyen: Could we get that last post in English, for those of us who... uh, aren't English?
All I'm saying is that instead of just making him a boring old Prime Minister, they could play on all the alien attacks Britain has seen over the years by making him a character that firmly believes that Britain needs to make a stand against the alien threat. Play the character off as being a highly offensive figure that occupies the lunatic fringe amongst the bodies that know of aliens, an equivalent of the British National Party (a neo-Nazi group) in galactic relations. I'm sure there would be sections of the political community that would respond with fear and hatred if presented by the kind of attacks and threats that seem to come every week in the Doctor Who universe, and there could be potential there to pass commentary on the recent rise in support for fascist organisations in the world and how disgusting it is that certain section of society are basically cretins...although social commentary has not historically been a major avenue for the series. Possibly be best leaving Torchwood to do that.
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
So, his name is mentioned all of once, and shows up on a poster the same number of time, and you've already formulated a detailed opinion about the character, and everything they've done wrong with him? Despite their not having done anything with him?
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by TSN: So, his name is mentioned all of once, and shows up on a poster the same number of time, and you've already formulated a detailed opinion about the character, and everything they've done wrong with him? Despite their not having done anything with him?
Sounds like a true TREK fan!
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
quote:Originally posted by TSN: So, his name is mentioned all of once, and shows up on a poster the same number of time, and you've already formulated a detailed opinion about the character, and everything they've done wrong with him? Despite their not having done anything with him?
I was commenting on POTENTIAL PLOTLINES. I fail to see why it is so difficult for people to get to grips with the concept that it's possible to actually, shock horror, have an thought about something that isn't "oooo, it's wonderful...I think I'll go have a wank over how great that is". The day people stop thinking about where there could be potential is the day the creativity becomes stunted, and that's the day you get depressingly repetitive plots and your series is canceled. We're human beings, not mindless drones...and we're supposedly able to form an opinion over where we'd take a plot and speculate. That doesn't mean what TPTB eventually comes out with will be bad, it just means that I feel there's more potential there than just putting in the next Prime Minister and am speculating on where things could go. Maybe that potential will be picked up on, maybe not...that remains to be seen.
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
The name Saxon, for me, immediately brings up certain associations. I've not been following any spoilers regarding upcoming s3 episodes, so I don't know if there's anything involving a rightwing British government in there.
It may all come to nothing, be a red herring. . . But the nature of the namedrops is weird.
"VOTE SAXON?" The only people who'll vote for him are the inhabitants of his own constituency - unless by some huge coincidence he is a Cardiff MP (and therefore more than likely Welsh, and not the sort of person you'd expect to lead a nationalistic British political party); the only "VOTE BLAIR" signs I ever saw had "GET BROWN" after them, and were by a different party.
"Open fire, by order of Mr. Saxon?" Er, no, you're in charge of the tank detachment, they'll open fire by your order, and that's not something you'll be questioned on by the men under your command since you've obviously been despatched onto the streets with a full ammunition load in response to an alien threat.
quote:Mr. Saxon is a name that has now been referenced twice in the series, first being mentioned in the 2006 season episode Love & Monsters, where it appeared in a headline on a copy of The Daily Telegraph being read by the Abzorbaloff, in which it is stated that he leads polls for a general election.
It is then heard in The Runaway Bride, when the tank commander who opens fire on the Empress of the Racnoss' ship says he has orders from "Mr. Saxon". The nature of how the name has been slipped in to these episodes can be compared to the how previous 'arc words' were referenced. It was confirmed on the commentary track for Love & Monsters on the series 2 DVD boxset that 'Mr. Saxon' will be the story arc for the upcoming 2007 series.
Additionally, the Captain Jack Harkness episode of Torchwood features the words 'VOTE SAXON' on a poster on the door of the derelict dance hall. Like the Love & Monsters reference, the poster is political in nature and references an election.
Tate... rubbish. Gobby, common and obnoxious.... and it appears not well suited to a wedding dress as she looked fat (arn't wedding dresses meant to do the opposite?!") However that all said, the part was written for her and it worked well with the story.... in a way.
The Doc... ohhh... love the darkness. Tardis chase.... that was so much fun. Chrimbo tree.... funny first time round, very predictable the second time. The Racnoss (?) - well acted for the most part and the make up was superb (love the eyes blinking)
Was it plausable... well, not really. But that was half the fun....
One thing I did not like however was yet ANOTHER Torchwood reference.... please stop.... PLEASE....
Anyhow..... off to majorly beat Torchwood to death in my next post.
7/10 Funny, interesting and brightened up my Chrimbo.... plus I loved next seasons spoilers
posted
Oh, yes, as has been pointed out elsewhere. . .
Mister Saxon = Master No. Six
. . . Which he would be, if you discount non-canon portrayals (Jonathan Pryce, various radio plays) and the near-extra who played him for a few seconds in the 1996 TV film.
posted
Now why did you have to say that and get my hopes up? When it turns out to be something about torchwood, I'm gonna be so angry.
-------------------- I have plenty of experience in biology. I bought a Tamagotchi in 1998... And... it's still alive.
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
I don't think it's Torchwood-related. But we can be sure that the Master will appear eventually - after all, we've had Autons, Daleks, Cybermen, former Companions, and K-9 - and we're also sure that sooner or later (maybe this season) we'll find out that there are other Timelords/Gallifreyans surviving.
Which works better dramatically - the Doctor first learning the Master is alive, and form then daring to hope that others of his race might be too; or, re-discovering others of his race, but not then considering that maybe that means that less-desirables like the Master are alive too?
On a slightly related note, my housemate once played cricket against Anthony Ainley (I think it was his team against the MCC 93rds or something), and bowled him for a duck.
Perhaps he should have tried his hypnosis!
-------------------- I have plenty of experience in biology. I bought a Tamagotchi in 1998... And... it's still alive.
Registered: Apr 2005
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