Vanhalen 0 Report post Posted March 20, 2004 Shallow Grave actor Christopher Eccleston has been named as the new Doctor Who to front the cult BBC sci-fi show when it returns next year. Eccleston, who starred alongside Nicole Kidman in the horror movie The Others, will be the ninth TV Time Lord to control the Tardis in a 13-part series. The 40-year-old has starred in Flesh and Blood, The Second Coming, and TV series Our Friends in the North. The BBC said the Salford-born actor would take "a fresh, modern approach". 'Edgy and eccentric' Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, said: "We are delighted to have cast an actor of such calibre in one of British television's most iconic roles. "It signals our intention to take Doctor Who into the 21st century, as well as retaining its core traditional values - to be surprising, edgy and eccentric." Executive producer and writer Russell T Davies said: "Christopher was our first choice. "His casting raises the bar for all of us. It's going to be a magnificent, epic, entertaining journey, and I can't wait to start." The hugely-popular Doctor Who show ran for 26 years from 1963 and the new series will be filmed in Cardiff later this year. He first came to public attention with his portrayal of Derek Bentley in the film, Let Him Have It before notching up a wealth of TV and movie credits. He was then snapped up by Hollywood and was cast in David Cronenberg's eXistenZ with Jude Law, and Gone in Sixty Seconds with Nicholas Cage. He trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted March 20, 2004 New and edgy? I hope it tanks. They used to play old episodes of Dr. Who really late on PBS here, and EVERYTHING, from the whacked out color schemes, to the inane structure of the Daleks, appealed to me greatly. I'd buy a dvd of old Dr. Who, but the "fresh, modern approach" phrase makes me think this is going to turn into a series like Sliders, Beastmaster, Highlander, and Hercules. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vanhalen 0 Report post Posted March 20, 2004 I dont know, theres been a lot of hype over here about it, and the BBC are putting in a stack of cash for it, much more then they would usually do for a drama, plus Doctor Who is part of the UK Childhood man, every kid had the shit scared out of them by Doctor Who when they were growing up, plus Russel Davis is a great writer, it may tank, but I dont think it will. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted March 20, 2004 Well, keep in mind I've only seen about two dozen episodes of a 26-year series, I just want the overall look and feel of the show to remain similar. The rest, like the writing and all doesn't concern me too much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WrestlingDeacon 0 Report post Posted March 20, 2004 Remember they tried this before when importing it to the states for Fox. It bombed mucho big time. Sylvester McCoy was even in it to pass the torch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted March 20, 2004 Anybody remember the Dr. Who tv movie that starred Eric Roberts from Fox? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
