journal.novachild.com: Eccleston Quits DW after just 1 Season

Eccleston Quits DW after just 1 Season
3/31/2005

What a fucking wanker. I had respect for him up until this. What a slap in the face to everyone who's been waiting for this.

Of course, it may work out for the best. But I can't see how this WON'T affect ratings. I mean, who wants to get caught up in a character story when we know he won't be there next time round?

TV work is too hard? Aw. Poor baby. Come to America, where we have 22 episodes a season. Then complain.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Thursday, March 31, 2005,

4 Comments:

At 8:16 PM, Martin said...: You are obviously completely ignorant of Dr. Who, and its history, as also demonstrated by your powerful command of the english language. Eccleston, on the other hand, may be a true follower of the traditional Dr. Who, and also the books that prompted the original series. As a now, very old 35 year old, I grew up on Dr. Who. Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, and even some reruns of the older Dr.'s, William Hartnell etc etc.

Dr. Who was always a childrens show, but it was also appealing to adults. As I got older, I realised why. The scripts were very cleverly written. Sure, the special effects were aged by modern comparisons, and seem campy now. At the time, however, it was deemed to be fairly realistic. It wasn;t the effects that made the show, but the storylines, and the excellent acting by actors like Baker. They made the threats to civlisation appear real. As a viewer, you always felt the underlying threat of things happening. Also, the multi part oddesys. The Daleks and Cybermen, for instance, always had 3-4 show or longer storylines, to allow for plot development.

All this went to garbage with the advent of Peter Davidson and Sylvester McCoy. Dr. Who became a laughing stock. It was no longer aimed at semi-intelligent teenagers and adults, but kids of the 5- yr old ilk. The storylines became silly, threats weren't politically correct, and the Dr.'s became so campy they could have been a lead on "Queer Eye".

With the new Dr. Who came new hope. Eccleston was a serious actor. The script team looked fairly serious, and the FX were promised to be current. I suspect Eccleston was not fully aware that the BBC planned to make yet another soft PC series aimed at the TeleTubbies agegroup. Like the rest of us die-hard Baker fans, he was probably mortified at the drivel that is being produced yet again.

Ratings are high. No surprise. Most of us have waited 16 years for this. We watch, in the hope that things will get better. No chance. This last episode was the nail in the coffin. They took the most sinister of Dr.Who's enemies, the Daleks, and made them into a weepy, politically correct, nightmare. Scary? Sure, but only in just how much television drama has been "exterminated" by the wave of political correct idiots in the last 20 years.
At 8:50 PM, novachild said...: Martin,

You obviously haven't bothered to read my newer post basically defending Eccleston's decision. At the time that I posted this, we were being told by the BBC that he quit for these specific reasons. Now that we know this isn't true, my initial response is no longer of any value. We were misinformed.

And no, I'm not completely ignorant of Doctor Who. I have been the founder and Organizer for the Tulsa Dr. Who Viewing Society for six straight years. I could hardly be ignorant of the show and achieve this. I also own every episode, including the reconstructions, and roughly 1/3 of the Big Finish audios. I also own all but 4 of the Virgin novels and all of the BBC novels up to Interference Book 2. Much of my life has been steeped in Doctor Who, which isn't something I'm proud or ashamed of. It's just what I do.

I appreciate you commenting on my journal (where I'm allowed a kneejerk reaction every now and then - because, well, it's my journal). But do yourself a favor before you judge me so harshly next time. Read the updates.
At 9:44 PM, novachild said...: To respond to your post more specifically:

"As a now, very old 35 year old, I grew up on Dr. Who"

I did too (you are only 4 years older than me, btw). I've seen every episode, many of them three or four times or more. I wrote my own 60-page fanfic, even, which you will never get to read because it's lousy and relies on too much fanwank and continuity and doesn't really hold up as a story.

"Dr. Who was always a childrens show, but it was also appealing to adults."

I actually disagree with this statement, even though it's one that is constantly repeated in the general media reports. It began as a children's show, then morphed into a teenager's show, then they tried to shove it back into the children's show category. Which didn't work (think: Season 24). Then the books and the audios took it to a wholly young adult direction. Then this series popped up, which is aimed at everybody (fart jokes for the kids, sexual innuendos for the adults).

"All this went to garbage with the advent of Peter Davidson and Sylvester McCoy. Dr. Who became a laughing stock. It was no longer aimed at semi-intelligent teenagers and adults, but kids of the 5- yr old ilk."

Are we watching the same series? Have you watched any of the Hartnell Era? The first season was designed for kids 7-12. It wasn't until several years in that they started writing mature scripts that adults could find complex enough to really enjoy (though it was still a lot of fun).

And there are actually a few eps from the Colin Baker era that I wouldn't show to a kid under 14. they are baselessly violent, and the body count is fairly high (as in the new series). I don't think your argument really holds ground.

"It wasn;t the effects that made the show, but the storylines, and the excellent acting by actors like Baker."

Which one? There were two Bakers. I'm assuming you are referring to Tom Baker, most people's favorite Doctor (teeth and curls). In reality, Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee were far superior actors, perhaps not always in DW though, because they were never given a second take. And that always makes good actors look bad. Hartnell and Troughton were both classically trained (not sure about Pertwee), whereas Tom Baker was practically a ditch digger at the time he earned the role. Granted, I enjoy TomDoc as well in his 7-year reign, but I believe they all have merit.

And yes, the effects were always dodgy, even compared to other British series like UFO and Space: 1999. But that's what made it so much fun.

"The Daleks and Cybermen, for instance, always had 3-4 show or longer storylines, to allow for plot development."

Nearly every Doctor Who story was 4 parts. Surely a fan of your knowledge should know this simple fact.

"With the new Dr. Who came new hope. Eccleston was a serious actor. The script team looked fairly serious, and the FX were promised to be current."

I have watched everything Eccleston has been in (that is available domestically on DVD, save Othello). I was well aware of his caliber when he signed up for the role. I have also been a fan of Russell T. Davies for several years and I think he is a wonderful writer. I've enjoyed the new eps so far, save one or two that were just laughably bad. But I'm used to hit and miss in a first season show (which is basically what this is).

The effects are good for the money. It's still a low budget series compared to what Americans expect. CGI isn't cheap, and some of the poor shading is a result of budget constraints. But that shouldn't deter a fan of the series. Would you rather have the wobbly sets back?

"I suspect Eccleston was not fully aware that the BBC planned to make yet another soft PC series aimed at the TeleTubbies agegroup. Like the rest of us die-hard Baker fans, he was probably mortified at the drivel that is being produced yet again."

Drivel? Are we watching the same show? I adored The End of the World. It was probably the most enjoyable episode since, well, Caves of Androzani. And Dalek - I thought it was the best Dalek story since Genesis of the Daleks. Granted, I've read nearly everything that Rob Shearman has written, as he is an aquaintance of a friend of mind and authored possibly the best ever DW audio, Chimes of Midnight. So I might be a little biased.

"Die hard Baker Fans." I translate this as:

American who loved what he saw on PBS but never really had the chance or gumption to appreciate the other 16 seasons of the show and doesn't really know that much about the series as a whole. Come on, if you were a fan of DOCTOR WHO, you would surely know that things have been MUCH worse than even the worst new episode.

"Ratings are high. No surprise. Most of us have waited 16 years for this."

Most of us. Have you waited that long? Considering your lack of knowledge regarding average episode counts per story and your low opinion of later Doctors, it's a wonder you bothered to notice.

"We watch, in the hope that things will get better. No chance."

Are we watching the same show? Have you SEEN Dalek? I know a few fans have trouble with the story, but most of us knew what to expect when they said a "reworking of Jubilee." Watch it again. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but I can't watch that episode and even comprehend how a fan of the series would be disappointed. It was effing brilliant.

But to each their own.

"This last episode was the nail in the coffin."

Wow. If you are that quick to judge, then you probably never got past Season 1 of Babylon 5. Or Star Trek: TNG. Or most everything else, for that matter. Season 1 of any show is most always trial and error, and you have to expect that if you're a seasoned TV watcher.

"They took the most sinister of Dr.Who's enemies, the Daleks, and made them into a weepy, politically correct, nightmare."

What's so PC about a dalek that was 'polluted' by human DNA? And what's wrong with being meticulous about storytelling? Why does it always have to be guns-a-blazing?

"Scary? Sure, but only in just how much television drama has been "exterminated" by the wave of political correct idiots in the last 20 years."

What's all this bollocks about PC? Doctor Who was always the voice of a higher set of ethics, and if anything in DW is NOT PC, then it was Dalek. Here we have a Doctor who is bloodthirsty. He wants the last Dalek to DIE, no matter what, because it's the thing he fears the most. How PC is that? You must have fallen asleep through that one.

If you are referring to the use of allegory, that's nothing new. DW has been doing it for decades.

"You are obviously completely ignorant of Dr. Who, and its history, as also demonstrated by your powerful command of the english language."

Since my blog isn't about grammar or punctuation, I am not always meticulous with my posts. Still, there are only a couple of grammatical mistakes (and neither of them would have seen a grade reduction in a College Composition class for journaling). If it were being written as a serious essay, I would have gotten rid of them.

I hope that helps you to sleep better at night.

If you are looking for journalism, go somewhere else (try http://www.rotten.com). If you think somehow I should meet your expectations, whatever they may be, you are delusional and probably need to get off the right hand a bit and find yourself a girlfriend.

Key words: MY JOURNAL. I write what I want, how I want. I don't know why I am compelled to keep a journal, but I do. I enjoy intelligent comments, and I even enjoy the trolls as long as they don't persist too long. You've taken a single post and used it to vent your own frustrations. Which would have been fine if you didn't pass yourself off as a sarcastic, judgmental, all-knowing wanker.

I don't know you, you don't know me. If you want to be nit-picky, then please do it in a gleeful way. Otherwise, just fucking go away.

If this were a messageboard or a public forum, I probably would soften my responses and try to be more gentle and compassionate. But you come to MY journal on MY web site that I pay for to post your little sarcastic gripe about how ignorant I am of the one TV show I love above all others without reading my follow-up posts, then you reveal a true lack of knowledge about the show you are trying to defend and damn all within the same post.

You deserve no mercy from this fan, to say the least.
At 10:18 AM, Anonymous said...: Bruce
What happen to the Dr Who Viewing Society? the Link is dead