Any Doctor Who Fans? **UK AIR-DATE SPOILERS ABOUND**- Page 28
Any Doctor Who Fans? **UK AIR-DATE SPOILERS ABOUND**
#675Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/25/10 at 6:42am
^I should check that out.
Anyway, I read this interesting blog posting about "Rex Is Not Your Lawyer":
Rex Is Not You Lawyer Delay
"I'm sort of like a child genius without being a child or a genius."~Tim Rice-Oxley
Updated On: 1/25/10 at 06:42 AM
#676Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/25/10 at 11:18amThe EW article that blog refers to uses "DOA?" in it's title, and as a result there are 8 pages of "NOOOOOOO" and other similar comments. If NBC wanted any indication of what kind of audience they might get for Rex, they just have to look at that article's response list. It's to be hoped that it really is just a delay, and they aren't keeping DT hanging around for nothing. The speculation is that he's bowed out of Burke and Hare because of this show, but there really is no way to know for sure.
#677Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/25/10 at 5:27pm
Really, I would like to see David Tennant doing something, and something good. I hope that if this show did get made it would be good. Certainly, I'm quite interested.
And NBC does need more new shows, because their Spring line-up is mostly shows they already have. If "Rex Is Not Your Lawyer" were added to the fall season, the schedule might be a bit more interesting.
The impression I got from the whole "Burke and Hare" thing was that David dropped out because he didn't know whether he would be filming "Rex" or not. Which kind of sucks, if "Rex" doesn't get made.
"I'm sort of like a child genius without being a child or a genius."~Tim Rice-Oxley
#678Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/25/10 at 6:25pmThat was a bit of a bummer to read---it's so true that at this point NBC wouldn't know a good show if it bit them...I'm not saying Rex is good (of course we know it is) but David Tennant has such a following that TPTB at NBC don't even realize. I'm not worried about giving up any of the shows I like to watch anything new on NBC...
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
Plum
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/4/04
#679Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/25/10 at 9:44pm
If NBC wanted any indication of what kind of audience they might get for Rex, they just have to look at that article's response list.
A few thousand - or even a million - super-devoted David Tennant fans do not an audience make. Fact is, no one in the U.S. knows who he is. This isn't a show built on his star power. I'm not saying NBC was right or wrong to put a hold on the pilot - I'm just saying that that decision should be predicated on its quality, not on the presence of Tennant, because the latter just doesn't make that much of an audience-draw difference.
Being extra super devoted doesn't make the individual you into 10 ad-watching viewers. That's the sad lesson of a lot of shows I've seen cancelled.
#680Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/25/10 at 10:09pm
Although Doctor Who (and, by association, Tennant) does have a following in the U.S. Perhaps not a large audience (certainly not, say, Daniel Radcliffe large), but it's better than starting off with absolutely nothing, like a show might if their actor/actress was new and unknown to everyone (not just citizens of a certain country).
I've always wondered why they cast British actors for American parts, though. It seems like an odd thing to do. Mostly I'm thinking of Hugh Laurie in House.
At the very least, I would love to see the pilot just to see if it really is good. That wouldn't happen, but still. You never know. Could be great, could be horrible.
Even in Doctor Who, I've seen some horrible episodes. (Well, horrible in my opinion, anyway.)
"I'm sort of like a child genius without being a child or a genius."~Tim Rice-Oxley
Plum
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/4/04
#681Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/26/10 at 9:47am
Britcasting is done for a number of reasons:
1. Sometimes you want an unknown, because that person comes with no baggage. Americans didn't know who Hugh Laurie was, so they could instantly buy him as House rather than Bertie Wooster or Prince George.
2. The corollary of the above - it's hard to find American actors in their 30s-40s who have the charisma and talent to lead a TV show but haven't been fully "discovered" yet. Sometimes you'll get a Jon Hamm, but that's a rare occurrence and tough to accomplish. Expanding the search to other English-speaking countries is just a way of increasing your odds.
3. You can pay British people less because their salary standards are lower. Sad but true. Even a mediocre Hollywood salary is totally extravagant to someone used to working on a BBC scale.
Whether Tennant's following in the U.S. is negligible or merely tiny doesn't matter - if the pilot sucks, his presence isn't going to save it one way or another. And if it's good and ends up airing, the Who crowd won't be sweeping it into ratings popularity any more than lovers of Masterpiece Theater and Blackadder (quite a cult of their own, actually) made a great audience foundation for House.
Laurie's UK work may have gotten some people to tune in, but the overwhelmingly vast majority of viewers came to the show the way they come to any other show - because of FOX's ads during the MLB playoffs, because a friend said they liked it, because it started airing right after American Idol and they decided to leave the TV on. If Rex ever airs, it'll be the same. Tennant doesn't matter. Or at least his cult doesn't. His acting abilities and whether he's been well-cast are, of course, extremely relevant to the air-worthiness of the show.
And since none of us has seen pilot...again, it makes it impossible to really say if NBC is making the right call or not. You can say that it's a call that's personally disappointing to you, of course, but it seems silly to call it a bad business move given our total lack of relevant information.
#682Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/26/10 at 1:18pm
"And since none of us has seen pilot...again, it makes it impossible to really say if NBC is making the right call or not. You can say that it's a call that's personally disappointing to you, of course, but it seems silly to call it a bad business move given our total lack of relevant information."
A lot of the comments in the response to the EW article are in that vein, and it's bordering on the ridiculous. I did see some comments from a "focus group" (link below) in which they mention various things with writing and characters that members of that group felt needed to be addressed before it went any further. Will these changes help? Who knows. Hopefully we'll get a chance to find out.
Rex Focus Group comments
#683Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/26/10 at 1:58pmDon't forget Tennant was also in one of the Harry Potter movies. That carries a surprising amount of weight with a lot of people - not enough to make a hit, but enough to get a few more eyes on the show...
Hi, Shirley Temple Pudding.
#684Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/26/10 at 2:51pm
^Well, I'm a Harry Potter fan but I didn't know Tennant was in it until recently, when I saw him on Doctor Who. A lot of people don't look up the actors who play certain parts. And his part was pretty small.
The focus group comments sound generally positive, and I think if they worked on the areas that need improvement they could have a solid show. I can't say anything about lawyer shows, though, since I've never seen one.
"I'm sort of like a child genius without being a child or a genius."~Tim Rice-Oxley
#685Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/26/10 at 3:21pmI'm not saying people will know who he is from that, but it's a potential marketing ploy. There are an awful lot of HP fangroups out there - marketing directly to those WILL get some people watching. It's about as likely to hit the Dr. Who viewers.
Hi, Shirley Temple Pudding.
#686Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/26/10 at 6:10pm
It funny you say that about Hugh Laurie---I started watching House because of Jeeves & Wooster, Black Adder, and Fry and Laurie, Peter's Friends, Sense & Sensibility---you get the drift. I didn't see him in American movies until after House started! But you do have a great point with regards to the Hollywood pay scale vs BBC pay scale. And there are a lot of shows, past and present, that comment is valid for--Pushing Daisies and FlashForward come to mind immediately, though I'm sure there are others!
There are a lot of talented people in the cast---though referring to Jerry as a show killer is not truly accurate---Sliders did fairly well, all thing considered. Jeffrey Tambor and Jane Curtin are both quite fun to watch, so I still have hope that we may get to see Rex!
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
#687Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/30/10 at 12:13pm
More Rex news that gives a bit more detail to the show. (Which reminds me, strangely, of a version of House with lawyers.) Anyway:
First Look at Rex Script
"I'm sort of like a child genius without being a child or a genius."~Tim Rice-Oxley
#688Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/30/10 at 1:14pmAfter the EW article, this one is like a breath of fresh air. It sounds quite interesting. I sure hope NBC gives it a fair chance.
#689Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/30/10 at 1:53pmI know I've probably asked this somewhere in the thread, but I'm lazy. When does the next season start?
"They're eating her and then they're going to eat me. OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!" -Troll 2
#690Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/30/10 at 2:00pmNo word on exact dates for the new series either in the UK or here, only Spring 2010.
#691Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/30/10 at 5:33pm
Loved that article, GG---makes the show sound really interesting!
Got the Complete Specials yesterday, on the back it ays it has over 7 hours of Special Features---sitting doen to watch them now!
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
#692Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/30/10 at 7:15pm
I pre-ordered the specials. They should be in sometime later this week, but I can't wait to see the extra features.
I love the detail the article gives to the show, because so far there hasn't been much. It sounds like something I'd watch.
"I'm sort of like a child genius without being a child or a genius."~Tim Rice-Oxley
#693Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/30/10 at 10:25pmMagdalene, did you order yours from the UK or the US? Did you see the "forward" written by David Tennant? I've also pre-ordered the specials.
#694Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/31/10 at 6:24pm
Mine is U.S. As much as I'd like it, I don't have an all regions player---yet!
I came with the small booklet telling you each disc and what's on it---I have on the the deleted scenes with RTD introducing them right now. I'm really enjoying them---they appear "live" insead of taped, but you'll see what I mean!
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
Updated On: 1/31/10 at 06:24 PM
#695Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/31/10 at 6:58pmLoving Doctor Who at the Comic Con! Hoping David pops up at the NYCC this year!!!
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
#696Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/31/10 at 7:42pm
From where did you order your dvds? The release date is Tuesday; Amazon hasn't yet shipped anything out -- not as far as I know anyway.
Re the Comic Con -- did you see the part where David talks about gettin used to a new Doctor, and Euros Lyn describes the reaction Murray Gold had to the last 20 minutes?
#697Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 1/31/10 at 7:54pm
I switched from the comic con after John kissing David---I wanted to see the confidential! The confidential for End Of Time Pt. 2 is phenomenal!
I pmed you about my having the dvd...
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
#699Any Doctor Who Fans? *Spoilers*
Posted: 2/1/10 at 8:00am
"I know I've probably asked this somewhere in the thread, but I'm lazy. When does the next season start?"
But if you want some idle speculation, it'll hopefully be around 27th March / 3rd April (based on previous years and upcoming sporting events).
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