'Anyone for a jelly baby ? ' - Doctor Who discussion thread.

Thunderpussy

As I said I only found this in one source, so it could be an urban myth. I thought
it was a bit of Fun " what if " So I do agree with you, but strange things do happen ;)

mtm

Brosnan was one of the names in contention for one of the American reboots of Who in the early/mid-Nineties of course.

MajorDSmythe

I didn't know that Brosnan was considered for Cmdr Maxil, but I have read somewhere else, that Brosnan's name was being thrown around in the 1990s for a reboot of the show. Now, I don't want to sound like I am bashing Brosnan, but based on what qualities was he considered? With Bond, it's obvious was he was thought of as the natural successor to Moore. But as the Doctor, lI don't think the Doctor is a role in his wheelhouse. If it had to be relaunched in the US, in the 1990s, with an american actor in the lead, I can think of a more suitable candidate than Brosnan. Jeff Goldblum. There's no doubt in my mind that Goldblum would have made a wonderful Doctor.

Thunderpussy

I agree the Dr needs a certain quirkiness about him, One of my Favourite
possible Drs was the late Richard Griffiths, Then again the role of the Doctor
is like Bond. In that it seems almost every actor has either been considered or
offered it ;)

QBranch

Goldblum would've been great. It's easy to see his Doctor being something like Tom Baker's.

mtm

MajorDSmythe wrote: »

I didn't know that Brosnan was considered for Cmdr Maxil, but I have read somewhere else, that Brosnan's name was being thrown around in the 1990s for a reboot of the show. Now, I don't want to sound like I am bashing Brosnan, but based on what qualities was he considered? With Bond, it's obvious was he was thought of as the natural successor to Moore. But as the Doctor, lI don't think the Doctor is a role in his wheelhouse. If it had to be relaunched in the US, in the 1990s, with an american actor in the lead, I can think of a more suitable candidate than Brosnan. Jeff Goldblum. There's no doubt in my mind that Goldblum would have made a wonderful Doctor.

I think a lot of the thinking was based around 80 Days Around the World:


I think it would have been a decent bit of casting: all the Doctor really needs to be is played by a good leading actor with a bit of charisma, which Brosnan certainly is, ideally who can do an English accent and play a bit of a quirk and comedy, and that sort of thing was entirely in Brosnan's wheelhouse. Remington Steel, despite looking like Bond, is probably played more like Doctor Who: he's a mysterious and funny best friend, and Brosnan is always happy to add a few quirks.
The American version of the Doctor was looking likely to be slightly more dashing and conventionally heroic than the British version (and that's kind of how the 8th Doctor ended up) so I think he would have been a perfectly fine choice.

MajorDSmythe

Thunderpussy wrote: »

I agree the Dr needs a certain quirkiness about him, One of my Favourite
possible Drs was the late Richard Griffiths, Then again the role of the Doctor
is like Bond. In that it seems almost every actor has either been considered or
offered it ;)

Ah, a brilliant choice. I think it was Pip & Jane Baker, that suggested him to replace Colin Baker. Had the show not been cancelled in 1989, Richard Griffiths would have been an inspired choice to follow McCoy. There are a few fan made series 28 title sequences with Griffiths as the Doctor.

QBranch wrote: »

Goldblum would've been great. It's easy to see his Doctor being something like Tom Baker's.

I imagine him being... well, Jeff Goldblum. I see him exiting the Tardis, and going off on a meandering tangent about the history of the Cybermen or Daleks.

mtm wrote: »

I think a lot of the thinking was based around 80 Days Around the World:


I think it would have been a decent bit of casting: all the Doctor really needs to be is played by a good leading actor with a bit of charisma, which Brosnan certainly is, ideally who can do an English accent and play a bit of a quirk and comedy, and that sort of thing was entirely in Brosnan's wheelhouse. Remington Steel, despite looking like Bond, is probably played more like Doctor Who: he's a mysterious and funny best friend, and Brosnan is always happy to add a few quirks.
The American version of the Doctor was looking likely to be slightly more dashing and conventionally heroic than the British version (and that's kind of how the 8th Doctor ended up) so I think he would have been a perfectly fine choice.

Based soley on looks, then I kind of agree. If the American reboot was more of a conventionally handsome hero. But beyond looks, I just don't see it in Brosnan. It either needs a strong enough actor to project the eccentricity like Troughton, or someone like McCoy, that might not be an actor in the same sense, but is naturally eccentric. Or better yet, going back to the post by @Thunderpussy, Richard Griffiths, who was a respected thesp/character actor, but was also eccentic.

From what I have seen of Remmington Steel, he does just come off as James Bond, minus the PPK. Which went a long way to setting him up as Moore's replacement.

mtm

MajorDSmythe wrote: »

Based soley on looks, then I kind of agree. If the American reboot was more of a conventionally handsome hero. But beyond looks, I just don't see it in Brosnan. It either needs a strong enough actor to project the eccentricity like Troughton, or someone like McCoy, that might not be an actor in the same sense, but is naturally eccentric. Or better yet, going back to the post by @Thunderpussy, Richard Griffiths, who was a respected thesp/character actor, but was also eccentic.

No not really: Davison, McGann, Pertwee, Tennant, Eccleston and indeed Troughton are all giving portrayals which aren't all that eccentric and are just good leading men with an occasional bit of business in the script. Brosnan could easily have given a performance alongside those. Look at him in Mars Attacks: he's loving giving a weird quirky comedy performance, and the Doctor wouldn't have even required him to go that far.

MajorDSmythe wrote: »

From what I have seen of Remmington Steel, he does just come off as James Bond, minus the PPK.

It's not though, it's much more in the vein of a Cary Grant screwball character. And that has all of the constituent elements of a performance as the Doctor.
Pretty much anyone can play Dr Who: you just have to be a lead actor.

Gerard

Good news for those who missed the Blu-Ray releases of season 12 and season 19 : they will be re-released in a cheaper version :





https://thedoctorwhocompanion.com/2021/03/24/missed-doctor-who-the-collection-sets-standard-blu-ray-releases-are-on-their-way/

I already have them on DVD, so I won't buy them. But I know a few of you will want to get their hands on them.

mtm

Thanks! I wish they'd stop putting them in enormous boxes though.

Gerard

Well, 6 to 8 discs, plus the brochure, that must take some space.

mtm

Sure, but my Bond blu ray set has 24 discs and it's only just a bit wider than one of these! :)

mtm

Here's a trailer for Chris Eccleston's return as the Doctor, 16 years to the day since his first episode aired:

MajorDSmythe

I have them on DVD, but given that McCoy is my favourite Doctor, and series 26 is my favourite series, the series 26 Blu Ray is tempting. :-?

SaintMark

MajorDSmythe wrote: »

I have them on DVD, but given that McCoy is my favourite Doctor, and series 26 is my favourite series, the series 26 Blu Ray is tempting. :-?

As I have very little of the McCoy Doctor on dvd I have spend the money to pr-order this McCoy season on bluray together with this Davison season. I am very happy with my Tonm Baker 12th and 14th season boxsets, am currently enjoying season 8 with Jon Pertwee

Matt007

We’ve been rewatching the revived series on I player. I stuck with the show on original transmission up till about capaldis first series. Just fell out of the habit. I loved tennant and smith though. Thought the latest one with Jodie is terrible. I don’t mind any of the casting choices it’s a kids show, but the writing and overall stories I watched were rubbish. Unegaging. Except the weird one set in Norway with the frog which I liked (intend to like the more surreal episodes, like the trippy dream guy in capaldis run)

Few things I noticed - I don’t rate ecclestone as an actor in this. He’s a bit playing to the gallery for me

David tennant overacts and shows his teeth a lot in the early series. Like a stage actor.

Matt smith is just excellent - perfect blend of quirkiness with intelligence

The 50th anniversary episode was absolutely outstanding. Probably the best ever after blink

Thunderpussy

Jon Pertwee's Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver was First used in... Thunderbirds?

mtm

I knew the body of the sonic was from the film but didn't realise the bullet bit at the top was from Thunderbirds too.

Thunderpussy

10 Origins Of Star Wars Props You Won't Believe
#3 has a Dr who Connection ;) "Bossk's Outfit"

Fire_and_Ice_Returns

mtm

Here's a weird clip for you: a conversation about the next series of Doctor Who, and one of the participants is Tom Cruise.

https://twitter.com/DoctorWho_BBCA/status/1382763152627027974

MajorDSmythe

I watched The Talons Of Weng-Chiang earlier. It's a shame that it is now considered to be a "problematic" story, as it is actually one of my favourite Tom Baker era stories, second only to Terror Of The Zygons. It's oozing with a gothic atmosphere, there's a definite Hammer Horror influence.

mtm

I must admit, although I do love the atmosphere of it, my attention always wandered over the six episodes and I think I've only got through it once.

Thunderpussy

I've seen it a few times and the remastered version has better special effects. As with
much of classic who, the budget couldn't match their imagination.

Gerard

Speaking of Who, Big Finish has received the Guinness world record for longest running science-fiction audioplay series for its monthly Doctor Who Adventures series : 275 audios from 1999 to 2021. Well done, guys !

MajorDSmythe

Gerard wrote: »

Speaking of Who, Big Finish has received the Guinness world record for longest running science-fiction audioplay series for its monthly Doctor Who Adventures series : 275 audios from 1999 to 2021. Well done, guys !

Which is ironic, considering the monthy range is no more.

mtm

Noel Clarke, Mickey in 2005-era Who, has been suspended by Bafta after a very-damning piece in The Guardian about his behaviour. It's very grim reading and sounds like pretty career-ending stuff.

Thunderpussy

Sad news, why do people think they can get away with this sort of thing.
( If true obviously )

mtm

Seems mad.
I know what you mean about 'if true', but I think once you've got 20 people on record coming forward, it's not looking good. It's a really impressive bit of journalism.

QBranch

Sounds like his behaviour was a bit wibbly wobbly.