Doctor Who exits, but there's still Billie Piper
While taking a break from something I'm working on for (hopefully) Monday, I had it forwarded onto me that Christopher Eccleston -- the actor currently playing the 9th Dr. Who -- already quit the damn show:
"The 41-year-old quit the show after just one series because he fears he will be typecast."
I know, I'm not as up on some things as I used to be, but this really does kinda suck from a viewer POV, as from the three episodes I've seen he's made one hell of a Doctor Who and the chemistry between the two leads really seemed to work. Looks like it kinda sucks for the BBC, too.
Like many of you I had the first episode passed onto me after it leaked, and it showed just how mediocre the show could turn out to be even if it still had some of the off-kilter charm. The second episode showed just how brilliant the show could be, and while the third episode felt 'comfortable' in terms of writing and acting, the guy had cemented himself as The Doctor in my head. And I have the beginnings of a mad Billie Piper crush.
Truth be told, the BBC is really putting out some of the best TV in the world right now. Hustle is a fun watch, Spooks is smart and engaging, and Wire in the Blood is downright extraordinary on so many levels.
Going back to The Doctor, three things I don't understand:
- How do you go into the lead of a very well known Sci-Fi TV show, knowing the long past history of these things, without someone mentioning that typecasting is exceedingly likely?
- Is typecasting so wrong in this situation? For some of the smaller roles where the characters are typecast, I can sorta feel their pain. It isn't like we see Worf or Data outside of Sci-Fi shows now... but it's not like we saw them much before that either.
When you're the lead though, it's like Keannu almost turning down the Matrix Trilogy. Yeah, he's Neo forever now, but he's made bank and it's not like he's got to worry about taking on crappy roles because he doesn't want to eat soup from a can. Once it hits syndication you're pretty comfortable for life... Although just mentioning "Mark Hamill" is prolly all the refute you'd need for this one.
- What the hell was the BBC thinking by only having a contract for one year which allowed this guy to walk? When you're planning these things, especially something which -- unless it bombs horribly in its initial run -- will hopefully go on for awhile, you make sure you have clauses that allows you to keep your lead.
Ah well, there's still Billie Piper.
Update: As David points out in the comments, all may not be as it seems regarding the departure. I'm starting to lose track of the public apologies the BBC is being forced to make. How annoying.
Posted by drunkenbatmanApril 10, 2005, at 11:46 AM
Comments (12)
Posted by: David Janes at April 10, 2005 12:27 PM
The BBC effed this up:
http://www.brandrepublic.com/bulletins/media/article/469186/bbc-forced-apologise-eccleston-doctor-exit-gaffe/
I've been a big fan of CE since the early 90's TV series "Cracker".
Posted by: andrew atkinson at April 10, 2005 12:47 PM
I really quite enjoyed the first show - I felt it was written as a parady of its former incarnations, with the plastic mannequins formally being the apex of the BBC's sfx rather than the subject of the show. Not that these were much better but I liked the in-joke. The portrayal of notions of the evils of consumer culture theme was fun, too, and seemed in keeping the with a general 60s-ish feel of the doctor who series.
However, it is a real shame about Eccleston because although I really enjoyed tom baker growing up I feel that this doctor is the best I remember. I can understand it from his viewpoint though. I first remember him from the two-parter 'the second coming' where he was really very good. And Billie Piper defintely wins the really-not-as-bad-as-I-thought-they-would-be award for 2005.
Posted by: love slave for billie piper at April 10, 2005 12:56 PM
Not knowing her from her UK Pop Star days I was very impressed by Billie Piper! Sttunning! How does such a face exist in nature?!?! Her cheek bones alone are the makings of dreams.
Posted by: Sudsy at April 10, 2005 05:30 PM
Maybe they weren't sure if the series was going to be popular enough to warrant a second season, so they only contracted him for one.
But still, of course you're going to get typecast if you walk into one of the most recognisable sci fi franchises in the world...this isn't a new show!
Posted by: dom at April 10, 2005 06:15 PM
you think the bbc is doing some good shows! you need to check out channel 4 mate (yes i'm british). quality drama.
i'm sort of understanding christopher eccelstons reasoning for the departure, i'm really enjoying him in the role but he could get sucked in. check out the original 'cracker' and 'our friend in the north' for some of his earlier work. he's a bloody great actor but the dr who series is an insitution - and we get a bit obsessed by our institutions.
and as for billie. twat pop star yes. actress? i'm sort of getting the faith (ok maybe not so much in dr yet, but nearly)if you can find it get hold of a bbc one off called 'bella and the boys' quality.
aaaaaaah billie please never sing again.
Posted by: athiope at April 10, 2005 06:22 PM
the rest of the world thinks bbc and channel 4 are one and the same now... it's all strange UK humour :^)
i like billie piper on the show because she is just a normal girl. has meat on her, not the rail thin supermodel typie
Posted by: Dale at April 11, 2005 04:11 AM
From the little I've read about this, CE told BBC up front that he was only going to do it for 1 year. It's amazing that the BBC had such little faith in the show, though I can understand why given the movie wasn't a great hit. But why even make one season if you think it's gonna flop? Strange.
I can also understanding CE worrying about being typecast. This has been a problem for the cast in earlier incarnations of the show, especially for the female members. Again, from what I've read, Dr Who's rep in the industry for causing typecasting is legendary.
Posted by: iGav at April 11, 2005 06:48 AM
A lot of the buzz about Ecclestone's departure revolves around the fact that Episode 13 is called the 'parting of the ways' and it seems it was only intended that he should do one season with a planned regeneration happening as the climactic hangover to the first season.
It's a good thing if people get attached to Ecclestone's Doctor because that means he has managed to inhabit the part and his being injured in such a way as to regenerate will mean something rather than it's a damp squib like so many of the regenerations were in the 80's when the show lost it's way and its audience
Posted by: solios at April 11, 2005 10:18 AM
The thing I don't get is how they let the scripts for the first two episodes out the door. Verily, they make my nads hide behind my tonsils. Gorgeous production values but it's coming off like it wants to be Blakes Guide To The Galaxy. Cognitive dissonance ahoy!
I hope it straightens out before the end of the season.
Posted by: macjim at April 17, 2005 05:23 PM
today's news is that Casanova is taking over.. an annoying leak that Eccleston was off, spoiling that surprise element, but all in the Doc 'Oo tradition
Posted by: paulie at May 25, 2005 10:27 AM
the whole thing about CE leaving is sad, but totally understandable. typecasting is a very sharp double-edged sword. we can only hope that that Tennant [sic] fellow will hold up his end of the chemistry, cause i have also got myself a heck of a crush on billie. i'd hate to see her go, and the show simply cannot be cancelled again. those of us in the younger generation have waited our whole lives for this.
I was made to watch "I am Sam," and I gotta say, my favorite part of the whole movie was seeing Brent Spiner as the Shoe Salesman. That made the movie for me. I'd watch it again, just for that part.
So, you want to avoid typecasting why exactly?