RTD: Doctor Who- The Writer's Tale

[Andrew Curnow]

When something doesn't work out the buck tends to stop with him

I think that's generally true. HST, there were a couple of occasions during the book where one of the directors (James Strong I think) had forgotten/ignored a note and was picked up on it. I'm a little surprised stuff like that stayed in, but it made for interesting reading.

I think Benjamin Cook was right about dropping the Cybermen from the end of Journey's End though!

[Rob McCow]

if he rewrote as many of the scripts as he appears to have done, then he should take a lot more blame for some of the weaker stories that we've had

Or alternatively, that some of the weaker stories haven't been even worse. The problem is that we simply won't ever know how much input he's had and what state the scripts were in before he had his input. At a guess, Rise of The Cybermen / Age of Steel is about 70% Russell and 30% Tom MacRae, but apart from a few nods on Confidential it's hard to justify that guess.

A lot of the criticism that the show has recieved has varied from slapdash to insane. I've seen a few good arguments pointing out flaws in the new series, but not many. Most of the criticism seems to be either complaning that it's not like the old series or that everybody is going to hate it and he'll get the show cancelled because he's done something that isn't to the viewer's particular taste. There's a lot of hysteria surrounding the show in general.

I think Russell's viewpoints are justified, if a little overbearing. Doctor Who is undoubtedly an enormous success, so why knock it? As Executive Producer, he can't say that anyone he's employed to work on the show is rubbish and he can't say that the show is rubbish.

There's at least one example in the book where he's expressed disappointment with an episode, specifially Voyage Of The Damned at the cinema press screening. Julie and Russell were both grimacing at how awful it looked on the big screen and hoping that it would be better recieved shrunk down to the right size in everybody's front rooms. It's a qualified piece of self-criticism, but it does show that he's not blindly accepting everything.

You can twist any way - You can say the show is rubbish because Russell is such a prick; You can say the show is great because Russell has an excellent grasp of writing for a mass audience; You can even say that Russell's input just about saves the show from being awful.

if only to see if we can get a true group of trusted DW writers who can fly a bit more on their own, like the Dicks-Holmes-Bob'n'Dave- Hulke posse of the past.

Ah, the good old days, where Doctor Who was produced by a gang of middle aged men in a smoky room, dreaming up ways of scaring children. Or you could twist it another way and say that Dicks was second-rate, Holmes a rip-off merchant, Bob 'n Dave a pair of LSD inspired piss-takers who would write unfilmable scripts and Hulke was a complete hack.

Don't worry - I actually think that they produced some excellent stories between them and they're far better than the above description!

But I don't think you can compare the old production team with the new one. Doctor Who 2005 is very much Russell's show and in general, I think he's as much right to be proud of it as Letts, Hinchcliffe, Turner et al have to be of their eras of Doctor Who.

[WhiteCrow]

But I don't think you can compare the old production team with the new one.

It's an interesting point, you dont tend to hear people comparing modern Corrie Street plots and productions against those of the 60s.

Had Doctor Who not taken it's hiatus in 1989, it would have probably evolved into something similar to the program it is today in format. The hiatus meant the change is dramatic, because television has changed and become sped up in that period.

I was watching the film Wargames yesterday - an excellent film. But looking at it, you realise the first hour is all set up for the film for relationships, that Matthew Broderick is a hacker, and here's how you hack a computer. If it were remade you know that bit would all be consensed and made a bit slicker and faster, cos storytelling has changed a bit.

[Andrew Curnow]

Rob makes some good points - I would also add, by all accounts Holmes did an awful lot of rewriting on the show over his time as script-editor, even to the extent where certain stories are so rewritten that he actually gets the credit (Ark in Space/Talons) or that the credit is a pseudonym rather than the original writer (Pyramids/Brain of Morbius). So I think this image of a show where authors turn in the scripts and with minimal rewriting in made into a TV show, is a bit of a rose-tinted vision of the classic series.

I think the one thing I've concluded over the past few years is that whatever else, RTD is by no means a lazy writer. For example, I hated New Earth, largely because with the reuse of Cassandra and the spiders, and the 'everybody lives' end and even the incidental music, it had a 'been there, done that' feel to it - but that's clearly been done deliberately so that new viewers can be sure it's the same show, despite the change of lead. So I think there always seems to be a very good reason behind everything - whether you agree with it or not, that's another matter.

My personal opinion is that the new series is still too new, for us to really compare it to the old one. Give it five, ten years and we'll laugh at the failings in the new shows rather than sneer at them, and will be probably more forgiving of its shortcomings, as well as more nostalgic towards its triumphant moments.

[Jon Masters]

Rob makes some good points - I would also add, by all accounts Holmes did an awful lot of rewriting on the show over his time as script-editor, even to the extent where certain stories are so rewritten that he actually gets the credit (Ark in Space/Talons) or that the credit is a pseudonym rather than the original writer (Pyramids/Brain of Morbius). So I think this image of a show where authors turn in the scripts and with minimal rewriting in made into a TV show, is a bit of a rose-tinted vision of the classic series.

Which is what I was trying to say in my post. However, on hearing about the old days you got (perhaps the false) impression that writers were given a lot of time to do rewrites themselves before such drastic steps were taken whereas with RTD it seems to be a given that he's going to have to rewrite a big chunk of the script for everyone (except interestingly the Moff who seems to get carte blanche)

I guess I just got a little tired of the 'I've only got two weeks to write a whole episode' thing. As a fellow procrastinator (you should see how very last minute some of my lesson plans are ) I know that last thing you should be doing is moaning about it, especially if you are effectively taking on extra work by re-doing everyone else's scripts as well. The sly digs about Paul Cornell and the fact that the Christmas special almost got written off were too.
If you can't trust people enough to do the work you've asked them to do then I can't see how you can grumble quite so much if you have to do it yourself.

Doctor Who 2005 is very much Russell's show and in general, I think he's as much right to be proud of it as Letts, Hinchcliffe, Turner et al have to be of their eras of Doctor Who.

And I'd agree - so long as at the same time he acknowledged that some criticism is valid, rather than dismissing it all as opinions of people who don't matter.

[Andrew Curnow]

One thing I found particularly interesting was the discussions over the end of Journey's End - specifically Rose ending up with the blue Doctor. IMHO I still don't think it really works, although it may well be an improvement on the original draft, and to be honest I think the problem boils down to the fact that the story didn't really need Rose in it at all. With hindsight maybe they'd have been better off leaving her out entirely, and using the reunion with Rose for one of the specials.

[Pip Madeley]

Interesting development:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-R...9411398&sr=1-8

When The Writer's Tale was published in autumn 2008, it was immediately embraced as a classic. For this extensively revised and updated paperback edition, Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook continue their candid and in-depth correspondence to take in work on the last of Russell's 2009 specials - and the end of David Tennant's era as The Doctor - while also looking back to the achievements of the first three seasons. With over 300 pages of all-new material, including new photos and original artwork, The Writer's Tale is a fitting tribute to Russell T Davies' phenomenal achievement in bringing Doctor Who back for a new generation of fans.

That's quite an update.

[SiHart]

Blimey! That's a bit unfair on those of us who bought it last year though. Can't we just buy a 300 page update on its own without the stuff we've already got?

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

21st January next year!! Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky, but I really hate knowing about stuff that far ahead - two or three months is more than enough for a book to be up on pre-order, and I got really annoyed last week about the Radio Times having a two page spread on filming of episodes of Who not due on air until next Spring!!!

Grr, grumble, etc, etc

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Sounds like it was a good job I didn't rush to buy this! I guess the extra stuff will revolve around his conclusion to his series involvement.

I keep hoping to give this a second go, as I wasn't wowed with the copy I borrowed from the library. I can't help feeling a little cynical about the reissue with extra stuff.

[Martin Curnow]

My copy is less than 12 months old and it's gonna be defunct and out of date. Blasty blast it!

[WhiteCrowNZ]

My copy is less than 12 months old and it's gonna be defunct and out of date. Blasty blast it!

But wasn't it always going to be? It was a snapshot into what went into making season 4, the in-depth decision making etc, but from what I read (again I never got my own copy) it didn't seem to go into much detail of seasons 1-3. Again one of my criticisms was RTD often going off on tangents talking about story arcs in Skins or Queer As Folk which I've not watched, so was a bit lost by.

My Dr Who program guide stayed up to date for years when I bought it in 1990 ... cos they stopped making it!

[Martin Curnow]

But wasn't it always going to be? It was a snapshot into what went into making season 4, the in-depth decision making etc, but from what I read (again I never got my own copy) it didn't seem to go into much detail of seasons 1-3. Again one of my criticisms was RTD often going off on tangents talking about story arcs in Skins or Queer As Folk which I've not watched, so was a bit lost by.

My Dr Who program guide stayed up to date for years when I bought it in 1990 ... cos they stopped making it!

Yes, I take your point. I guess I was more whinging that I'm going to want to buy the new book but will already have most of it.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Yes, I take your point. I guess I was more whinging that I'm going to want to buy the new book but will already have most of it.

You do wonder why bother just doing a small update? I get the feeling people will have bought the hardback, will still buy this. And as RTD is almost out the door, once the final David Tennant/Matt Smith story goes out there'll be one more update due.

You have to feel a bit jaded about it though, because you know they're doing this knowing some people will buy all versions of it.

[Si Hunt]

I have to say 300 pages is quite subtantial. It's not like they are bringing it out for the sake of it, all books eventually are re-issued in paperback so I guess with this it was a case of bring it out again and add nothing, keeping it out of date, or update it. Besides, the paperback will be cheaper than the hardback so you're not going to have to buy it ALL again - just like paying some of the price again, for some new material.

I think we'll ask for it for Christmas - will make a nice companion to the original version.

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

It's not out till January Si - I know you're currently experiencing a time difference, but not that much alas!

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Sounds like it will have stuff up to Matt Smith taking over, which makes sense. I have a birthday in January ...

[Si Hunt]

I often ask for things that arn't out yet Andrew - keeps the relatives on their toes!

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

It's coming...

For this new edition of Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale, Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook expand their in-depth discussion of the creative life of Doctor Who to cover Russell’s final year as Head Writer and Executive Producer of the show. Candid and witty insights abound throughout two years’ worth of correspondence, covering David Tennant's last episodes as the Doctor and the legacy that Russell and David leave behind as a new era of Doctor Who begins. This edition will also include new photos from behind the scenes of David Tennant’s final episodes.

[Jonno]

Too old, too Welsh and too bad!

[WhiteCrowNZ]

I can almost imagine it now ...

"OMG David has gone off to do Hamlet. He has decided he wants to be a "proper actor" now, no more running around corridors or harness work, so he's decided to call it a day and hang up his sonic screwdriver. Bloody marvellous!"

[SiHart]

Too old, too Welsh and too bad!

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

I picked up the new edition in Waterstones today. It was the only copy they had and was secreted rather apologetically behind a copy of 'Calling The Shots' by Graeme Harper (which is available for £1.99 in most cheapo bookstores).

SHOCK! It's a paperback!
SHOCK! The first book finishes halfway through!
SHOCK! It almost felt like value for money. Not quite, but almost.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Seeing as I never got around to buying the hardback, I might try and get a copy of it.

[Paul Monk]

SHOCK! The first book finishes halfway through!

So it doesn't contain the entire first book then?