Review Doctor Who (2005)

johnnybear

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
Also I never reckoned Eccleston as Doctor material, although I prefer him to what they've got today, not that I've seen one second of it as you can guess!
JB
 
The Seeker

The Seeker

Member: Rank 6
johnnybear said:
Also I never reckoned Eccleston as Doctor material, although I prefer him to what they've got today, not that I've seen one second of it as you can guess!
JB
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I would have liked an actor who would have agreed to come back for The Day of the Doctor.
 
Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
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https://medium.com/@zmangareth/statement-on-bbc-books-and-transgenderism-dd7ad0c9231a


Statement on BBC Books and Transgenderism


Gareth Roberts

Jun 4 · 3 min read

This is what happened recently. I’m keeping it simple and factual to avoid any ambiguity.

I was commissioned by BBC Books to write a short story for an anthology of Dr Who stories. I’ve written several Dr Who episodes for tv and many Dr Who books, for BBC Books and for Virgin, the previous licence holder for Dr Who fiction.

I completed and submitted the work.

The publication of the book and its authors was not intended to be announced until early June, but some details, including my contribution, were leaked accidentally.

At this point a section of the Dr Who fandom agitated for my removal. Also, some of the other contributing authors to the book (I don’t know who) threatened to withdraw if I was involved. BBC Books immediately folded to these demands, and I was informed that although I would be paid my story would not be published, as they judged – wrongly, in my opinion – that a potential boycott would make the book ‘economically unviable’.










These tweets in September 2017 were cheerful vulgarity. Like every other reasonable person I deplore and condemn any violence, intimidation or discrimination against any person for their beliefs or for how they present themselves, or indeed any other reason.

When I was a kid in the 1980s and a member of the London Lesbian and Gay Teenage group we referred to ourselves and each other as queers, trannies and dykes. I note that one of these words is now somehow an official initial in the ever expanding lexicon LGBTQ, used now by the British royal family and the Conservative party. I find this irritating but I would never try to prevent people saying it with force or sanction. Freedom to offend is not an attack.

Some have urged me to make a full, obeisant apology. Even if I was inclined to, I don’t think it would have any effect at all – for example, Helen Lewis of The New Statesman is currently being monstered for the most careful, respectful piece on this issue. I’m not bothered very much by words though I’m bothered when they distress my friends and family. But then, that’s how intimidation works. That’s why intimidators intimidate. (And I know for a fact it would be much worse for a woman in this position.)

For the record this is my opinion on transgenderism and its ideology, with no humour or irony attached.

I’ve rejected restrictive cultural gender stereotypes for as long as I can remember. I consider them to be very often harmful and constricting, especially for girls and women. The culture I enjoy most and the artists I like most are people who laugh at, bend and play with these roles.

I don’t believe in gender identity. It is impossible for a person to change their biological sex. I don’t believe anybody is born in the wrong body.

I think it’s wrong to – write a falsehood into law; compel people by law to speak words they do not believe; rewrite the law to remove women’s biological sex-based rights and protections; reinforce gender stereotypes; medicalise children who don’t conform to gender stereotypes. That’s it.

I don’t believe my view should be protected either. People must be protected, ideas must never be. I would ask the writers who objected to my inclusion in the same book as them to reflect on that.

My opinions on transgenderism are neither extreme nor unusual. It would be interesting to know if BBC Books/Random House would be prepared to pull from publication writing by Sharron Davies, Graham Linehan, Linda Bellos, Robert Webb, Germaine Greer, Lionel Shriver, Julie Burchill or Martina Navratilova.


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Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-06-06/doctor-who-writer-gareth-roberts-dropped-over-transgender-tweets/


A spokesperson told RadioTimes.com: “Ebury Publishing will no longer feature Gareth Roberts’ work in the soon to be published Doctor Who: The Target Storybook.

“Comments made by the author on social media using offensive language about the transgender community have caused upset to Doctor Who fans and conflict with our values as a publisher.”
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While some writers, such as Julie Bindel came forward to defend Roberts, others have supported his dropping. Writing on Twitter, author Susie Day said she was a contributor towards the anthology who questioned Roberts’ involvement.

“I raised my concerns, and said if he was in, I was out,” she wrote. “BBC Books made their decision. I’m grateful they took the opportunity to demonstrate that transphobic views have no place in the Whoniverse, both in and outside the stories.”
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https://twitter.com/mssusieday/stat...reth-roberts-dropped-over-transgender-tweets/


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Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
“I raised my concerns, and said if he was in, I was out,” she wrote. “BBC Books made their decision. I’m grateful they took the opportunity to demonstrate that transphobic views have no place in the Whoniverse, both in and outside the stories.”
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Regardless of the rights or wrongs of this issue, I would love to have seen her face if BBC books had cheerfully and briskly said. "Well, goodbye then!" to her!", before they fled the room as she exploded with righteous indignation and more than a touch of pomposity.



I guess all of his novels, short stories and episodes will be erased from the canon now. never to be re-issued.


And, regardless of who is right and who is wrong, isn't all of this just a little scary?



Definition of unperson

: an individual who usually for political or ideological reasons is removed completely from recognition or consideration

In 1984, George Orwell created the concept of the unperson, someone who had been executed and of whose existence all records were erased.
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I wonder who, out of the New Who creatives, might be the next to fall if they fail to police their own thoughts and toe the line in
"the Whoniverse, both in and outside the stories"
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johnnybear

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
I don't understand any of this to be honest! What is he supposed to have said that antagonized someone? This cobblers about children being born without gender is the creation of a mind that is cooky! And anyone who believes we should be genderless is playing cricket with a knife in my book!
JB
 
Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
ant-mac said:
I would like to know why we never saw anything more from McGann.

Was he offered the chance to resume the role?

Was he interested? Was he not interested?

Exactly WTF happened?
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http://www.warpedfactor.com/2014/11/doctor-who-why-didnt-paul-mcgann-return.html


Speaking at a BFI celebration of the TV Movie in 2013, as part of a series of events marking the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, McGann said:
“I would [have returned) in 2005 if Russell T Davies had asked], definitely.”
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It seems Davies just wanted to make a fresh start with a new Doctor,
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DAVIES: “I don’t like the half-human thing. He certainly isn’t half-human, but it’s less interesting to say it simply doesn’t count. I always wanted to put in a line where someone says to the Doctor ‘Are you human?’ and the Doctor says ‘No’, but I was once in 1999. It was a 24 hour bunk. Part of the reason I never put that in was it was a bit too self-referential but also I thought I’m spoiling the TV Movie if I do that. In that time, like it or not, the Doctor was half human. Everything in that story says he was half human, so you can’t not count it. I don’t think we can ignore it.”But ignore it, & McGann, he did.
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Could it be that the inclusion of "the half-human thing" pushed Davies in a fresh direction? We can only speculate, but if that line wasn't included maybe McGann's phone might've rung. At least if it was only for a brief regeneration sequence - something it seems he would've liked to do. Here's his answer to a question on the subject, posed in 2009:
''Yeah, I felt a bit short-changed at that, I have to say. I’m a bit miffed, I have to tell you…Listen, Russell! (laughs) "
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Originally Davies had authorised Doctor Who Magazine to depict a straight change from Eight to Nine in the pages of The Flood, intended as the final comic story before the passing of the torch. Although as discussed here that never came to pass.
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For some time now there's been a constant cry from fans for a spin-off series starring McGann as the Eighth Doctor, including an online petition (here). Even the man himself put fingers to keyboard in support of it.

“I signed it! But keep it under your fez. Of course I would do it! Should anything like that ever happen again I can only assume it would happen like it did last year – there’d be a call saying ‘could you start on Monday?'. The thing is, I’m warmed up now. I could do it now. When we got to shoot The Night of the Doctor I was so glad for the audience. I got to keep my hand in, so to speak, because I felt like I knew what I was doing. The second I put the kit on I felt like the Doctor.”
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Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
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At least the NEW WHO creatives have been consistent.

Given two options: (A being Sensible and B being Dumb):


In this case......

A: Make a new show with an actor keen to play the role and stay with the show to make it a success.

B: Ignore that actor and instead make a new show with an actor who will quit after one season and refuse to ever be associated with the show again.



... we can always be confident that they will go with the dumb B option.

"Choose option B" must, presumably, be written into the Showrunner's Manifesto, on pain of death. :emoji_head_bandage:

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Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
johnnybear said:
This cobblers about children being born without gender is the creation of a mind that is cooky! And anyone who believes we should be genderless is playing cricket with a knife in my book!
JB
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Thank goodness you haven't got a short story commissioned for BBC books JB. The above statement would have just got it cancelled and you would never be allowed to write for DOCTOR WHO - or probably anyone - ever again. You would also be vilified in the media and your name shunned from now and forevermore in the halls of fandom and beyond. Because you have dared to voice a contrary opinion and exercised your freedom of speech.

I should also remind you that edgy humour is also banned these days, before you think of cracking a joke about... well, about anyone or anything at all. Ever again.

It also makes me wonder how many of the brilliant writers of CLASSIC WHO would be similarly shown the door, erased from the record and demonised in the press if they were trying to work on the show now.

I don't think Terry Nation would be looked on too kindly with all those female twisted ankles in his scripts for a start.

Mind you, I don't think the likes of Terry Nation and Robert Holmes would be dumb enough to go anywhere near that double-edged sword, Twitter, which always seems to crop up as the smoking gun of these assisted career suicides. :emoji_head_bandage:
 
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The Seeker

The Seeker

Member: Rank 6
Re: McGann – hindsight is 20/20. At least he wouldn't have bailed after a season and he would have appeared in the movie. But the whole show would have been completely different.
 
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