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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3535588.stm

Daleks back to fight Doctor Who


The evil reputation of the Daleks has endured
Doctor Who's arch enemies the Daleks are coming back to the series after a lengthy dispute between the BBC and the creator's estate was finally settled.
The estate of sci-fi writer Terry Nation had originally blocked their return to the classic BBC One show.

But the BBC said an agreement had been reached ensuring that the Daleks - voted the most evil Doctor Who villains of all time - would be back.

Doctor Who returns to TV in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role.


"I am absolutely delighted that the Terry Nation estate and the BBC have been able to reach agreement on terms for the use of the Daleks in the new Doctor Who series," said Tim Hancock, agent for the Terry Nation estate.

"We look forward to working closely with the production team in the forthcoming months."

Control


Mr Nation was a prolific TV and film writer before his death in 1997, creating Blake's 7 and Survivors and writing for The Avengers and Hancock.

There have been protracted negotiations between the BBC and the estate since it was announced Doctor Who was coming back 14 years after it was axed.

These talks eventually broke down, with the BBC saying that no agreement could be reached over editorial control and that producers had already created another villain.

Terry Nation's estate accused the BBC of trying to "ruin the brand of the Daleks" by trying to wrestle control of the image.
William Hartnell was the first doctor to battle the daleks

But fans are thrilled the two sides have settled their differences.

"We are absolutely delighted that the daleks will be back," said Antony Wainer, spokesman for the Doctor Who Appreciation Society (DWAS).

"Doctor Who without daleks would be like Morecambe without Wise or Wimbledon without strawberries."

Although the society is enthusiastic about the daleks, it is also looking forward to the series moving on.

"As much as we like the Cybermen and other characters, we want them to create new baddies and new stories.

"As long as the premise is the same, with Doctor Who as a Time Lord who can regenerate, it can change. Beyond that central character it has been completely different over the years," added Mr Wainer.


The series, written by Russell T Davies for BBC Wales, will see former pop star Billie Piper take the role of the doctor's sidekick Rose Tyler


is this old news for you guys? I hadnt heard it during my holiday, in fact ROY and I discussed that we bet the family would eventually HAVE to settle!

Yeah, I had read about it already. And, Grimm and thedoctor and I had been discussing the same thing you and ROY had. I knew, sooner or later, the "Estate" (READ: Money-hungry) would have to come to their senses. If they didn't release control, the series would move on anyway. This would cause negative feelings towards the Daleks and Terry Nations "Estate" from the fans, since they refused to allow the usage of the baddies. And, of course, it would put a dent in their profit.

The only real recourse, profit-wise, was to turn control over. "Ruin the brand of the Daleks"? Bah. The only thing this new series could do would IMPROVE the Daleks. As is, their about as threatening as a trashcan with a bad attitude.

What do you think of Eccleston and the "leather jacket" outfit, Franty?

I aint to keen on the leather jacket....but a grimmer doc can work...as long as he aint packing heat!

No more props for 'darker' Doctor


Eccleston is known for gritty acting roles
BBC News Online asks Doctor Who experts whether Christopher Eccleston will shine as the latest incarnation.
The surprise choice of Eccleston as the ninth Doctor has been widely hailed by fans and critics.

They say Eccleston is an accomplished, serious actor who will bring a gravitas to the 40-year-old role and make it relevant for the age we live in.

Enthusiasts think he may portray a darker character than many of the previous doctors, who were often quirky, offbeat and replete with props.

There was Tom Baker with his knitted scarf; Patrick Troughton's Beatle haircut; Sylvester McCoy's umbrella with the question mark-shaped handle...


Eccleston has gained a film acting pedigree
Antony Wainer, spokesman for the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, said there was nothing in Eccleston's casting to suggest a return to the novelties of past timelords.

"We are going to have to wait and see, but I think the velvet jacket and coats and gloves are a thing of the past," he said.

"Eccleston doesn't necessarily play eccentric characters and roles in the same way as a Sylvester McCoy.

"I think we will have a more serious-minded character, more reflective and inward-looking, slightly edgy and slightly dangerous with a menacing edge to him."

Boyd Hilton, TV editor of Heat magazine, agreed that Eccleston probably signalled an end to the "cheesier" aspects of the Doctor's past.


Eccleston will bring a touch of menace to the role, some fans believe
"I think it's quite exciting," said Mr Hilton. "He's one of the best actors of our time, and rather than going for a colourful character actor as they've done in the past, they've gone for a brilliant actor.

"Bill Nighy, who had been tipped for the role, would have been brilliant, but a slightly more comical figure. I think with Eccleston it shows they are clearly going for quality over anything else."

Salford-born Eccleston, 40, who trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, has starred in films such as Shallow Grave, The Others and Let Him Have It.

Mr Hilton said his character would be written by some of the best TV writers, led by executive producer Russell T Davies.

Eccleston's selection suggested a sizeable budget and high quality scripts, he said.

The Doctor Who Appreciation Society's Antony Wainer said he expected Eccleston to bring a new dimension to the part.


Eccleston will become the ninth Doctor Who
"Over 40 years every Doctor has brought something different to the role," he said.

"Doctor Who has reflected the cultural events of the time, and as time moves on the action fits the moment. New storylines are affected by what is going on.

"It's about the quality of the writing and the audience expectation, and things that just catch on."

Mr Wainer said it was difficult to single out any of the previous eight Doctors as being "better" than any other, although fans had their personal favourites.

"The first one you grew up with was always the best," he said.

"Colin Baker - once low down the list - is now highly thought of, while Sylvester McCoy has dipped. These things are reassessed and re-evaluated all the time."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3557021.stm

Dont diss McCoy!!!

Doctor Who actor wants 'emotion'


Christopher Eccleston will become the ninth Doctor Who
Actor Christopher Eccleston, who has been chosen to play the new Doctor Who, has said he wants the Time Lord to show more "feelings and emotions".
Eccleston, 40, told Doctor Who Magazine he wanted the show to move away from "spooky escapism".

The actor said he wanted to give the role "weight and ambiguity".

The new series of the veteran sci-fi show will be screened next year, and is being written by Queer as Folk writer Russell T Davies.

Doctor Who, originally played by William Hartnell, began in 1963. Seven actors played the doctor before the show was axed in 1989.

Eccleston, who made his name is shows such as Cracker and Our Friends in the North, said he had been influenced by the doctor's second incarnation, played by Patrick Troughton.

'Melancholy'

He said he had found Troughton's performance "compelling and a little bit frightening".

He said he wanted to move the role away from his "foppish image and find a more modern hero". The actor said he wanted to concentrate more on the part's "melancholy side".


The actor said the Daleks were "vulnerable" villains

The actor also told the magazine that he had been offered the role of the doctor for a movie eight years ago but had turned it down because he thought it might typecast him.

Paul McGann, one of the stars of the cult film Withnail and I, played the eighth incarnation for the 1996 film.

He told the magazine one of his most important memories of the show as a child was when viewers saw what was inside the casing of the doctor's arch-enemies, the Daleks.

"This great, cold steel instrument of destruction, all that casing, all that armour, is actually to protect this very vulnerable, strange, frightened creature," he said.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3668997.stm

link also has responses to this news

What's a "Doctor Who"? And what's a "Dalek"? And isn't that the guy from 28 Days Later?

indeed

I wanna see Simon Pegg play the Doc! Just for a spoof at least!

Id like to see him as Sil.

The female alien from Species?!

Is that sentient poop?

I don't know two shits (HA!) about Doc Who 'cept the Doctor himself and the Daleks.

Yup its where South Park got the idea for Mr Hanky.

I hope they don't play up the vulnerablity of the Daleks too much. If I remember correctly those dalek brains looked like pieces of snot but they were still capable of strangling a man to death.

Good stuff, Frantalicious!

TK, 'Doctor Who' (in case you are seriously asking, and for anyone who doesn't understand the show's concept) is a series about an ancient, enigmatic time traveller. A renegade, on the run from his own people, the Time Lord known only as 'The Doctor' is a mystery unto himself. His name, agenda, and true origins remain unknown, even after 40 years of the franchise. But, in a cool 'Oooh...what's he really up to'-way. Not in a 'Who is Wolverine?'-way. The Doctor never carries weapons, preferring to use his wits to outthink any situation. And, with an IQ of, like, 2,007, he very well can. The original McGuyver, if you will.

Anyway, his mode of transportation through time/space is a time machine that he stole from his home planet. Seems, though, that the one he stole was actually up for repair. So, in essence, he's cruising in the time machine equivalent of the Millenium Falcon (a piece of crap that, when handled right, is your 'baby'). It's called 'TARDIS' (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space). Also seems these TARDIS machines have three very definite, and quite neat abilities.

One, as mentioned, it can take you to any point in time and/or space that you desire (assuming you can get it to work correctly....not so easy, as it always seems to take The Doctor exactly where he doesn't want to go). Second, the interior is created with 'folded dimensions'. In other words, it's bigger on the inside than the outside. Take your time with that one. Third, it has a program called the 'Chameleon Circuit'. This allows the exterior to change shape to blend in with its surroundings. Thus, if you landed in a forest, it would take the shape of a tree. And so on, and so forth. However, since The Doctor's TARDIS is, quite simply, an antiquated piece of crap, its Chameleon Circuit fried on his first trip to 1960's England (the pilot episode in '63). It took the shape of an old British Police Box, and has never changed since. Thus, the trademarked look of the ship and the identified signature icon of the series.

The final key to what makes this series unique is what is called 'regeneration'. Seems his species have a natural ability that, when near death, can reconfigure the body into an alternate pattern. Thus, curing any life-threatening problem. The side-affect is, it completely alters the physical aspects of the body, and jiggles the gray matter a bit.To that end, a Time Lord can only do this 12 times. Then, it really is death. The Doctor has regenerated 8 times thus far (counting this new guy coming for the 2005 series), allowing 9 different actors to interpret the role. Like James Bond, except they actually explain why he's a different actor. This little nuance of the series is really why it's had such a long life. Plus, it adds the distinction that, with every episode, the main character can die. So, unlike when Picard or Superman face a deadly situation, The Doctor can actually lose and get killed. It's a cool device, adding a unique tension to the stories.

The Doctor's, so far, are as follows:


(William Hartnell)


(Patrick Troughton)


(Jon Pertwee)


(Tom Baker)


(Peter Davison)


(Colin Baker)


(Sylvester McCoy)


(Paul McGann)

And, the new 2005-series guy...


(Chris Eccleston)

Also, it doesn't hurt that he travels with women like this...








So, that's Doctor Who: A Brief Glance. There will be a test at the end of this thread....

I dont mind the Doctor using a weapon occassionally, he has proven to be quite the swordsman as well. I dont want him to be like a time travelling Van Helsing simply blowing away all his enemies however.

Did the Fifth Doctor use a gun on the Cyberman? I thought he mostly rubbed the gold in the chest. It was on one of the stow-away Cyberman on the TARDIS and I thought the weapons were rendered ineffective.
Adric died crashing in a space ship travelling bacward through time with a buncha Cybermen.

The Fifth Doctor did use a gun on Davros, which pissed off Tegan causing her to leave him.

Tom Baker! That's the Doc I watched as a kid! I remember only a snippet of an episode with him and a robotic dog-thing running away from some Daleks. I used to watch that and Red Dwarf, which came on right after. As a kid though, I thought it was one show, like the Star Wars films were one film. I was only 7...

Tom Baker was the best.

Red Dwarf is the BEST!

Dark Star is the BEST!

I was....I was just trying to start a wave................HITCH HIKERS!!

THis is all very new to me. At least I've seen Red Dwarf before...

Well, that's why I listed all that info and those pics. So that you could learn something new, my brother-cousin.

And, trust me, if you liked Red Dwarf, you'd laugh yourself silly watching Tom Baker as The Doctor. He's brilliantly hilarious....

Shaun of the Dead.

Unfortunately, this is the best picture I could get of Peter Davidson at Dragon*Con. Assholes kept getting in the way of my best shots.

with Marilyn Manson?

I've heard of Spaced but haven't seen it. Shaun of the Dead doesn't come out until Sept. 24. I saw it in July for its first American screening. Fuckin' hilarious! And I got some free swag!

Oh. OK. I was gonna send you some of the free stuff I got like a special movie ticket, one-sheets and T-shirt, but nevermind! You're getting the UK DVD!