"Not my who" Topic

Been reading up on the new three part specials to air in November.

Russell T Davies

Neil Patrick Harris

Miriam Margalese

A man playing Rose??!!

I'm probably forgetting someone?

This does not Dr Who make.

NPH was good as "not a N" in Starship troopers. So credit there, if it is?

I love lord of the rings, but the elf got a super model, so I think that balances old beard.

There are people of different persuasions in most things I watch, I'm sure, but this number of main cast is more than coincidence.

If you don't know, you'll probably still not like it as its modern who. If you do, maybe it's for you after all?

But this isn't for me in any way.

Why can't they find some regular folk to do some regular Dr Who? Be inclusive of people who don't want to watch this junk made by an obvious intentional grouping of a certain demographic. There are plenty of late night slots available, leave prime and children's television time alone.

You're beating a dead horse.

The Doctor jumped the shark long ago.

Yep.

He didn't just jump the shark, he got eaten by it…

Despite all the complaining about the current iteration, the critics will still watch it… ;-)

I know.

But the smell is getting to me.

However, in one way, the BBC seems to realise there is a problem.

On screen having a female doctor was about as extreme as they could go, but alienated even more fans than the modern tat had done so far.

Now they have the 2005 show runner and 2006 doctor and his companions back.

This is obviously the BBC doing a sort of soft reset. Essentially ignoring the later doctors, at least in promo and media coverage.

Matt Smith and Christopher Ecclelson weren't quite as popular to the poor kiddies. The poor kiddies who are now around 30 with their own 10 year old kids.

None of this is accidental.

Plus its the 60th anniversary.

They are milking this for all its worth. The most popular reasonably adged team, and an anniversary.

Sadly, its still modern tat.

Paul McGann would have been better, ignoring the modern tat altogether. However he is not as well known to those fans with young kids. Better for Who, but not the BBC plan, unfortunately. Maybe next time.

I also wonder how far back the plan went.

Having a female doctor was an abysmal idea and another insult to the franchise. No problem with female time lords, bring back the Rani (if they haven't already??).

But this choice has made the idea of a black doctor seem completely fine, even though it breaks cannon.

Maybe that was the plan.

Now they can pretty well do as they like and less complaints, as at least it's not as bad as it was.

Excessive Gore and the gap of time of Rambo made it seem out of place in the franchise. Last blood comes along and Rambo seems much more like the trilogy after all.

Back to Who and who are picking the actors?

Are these all friends of RTD?

NPH is an American, isn't he? So it seems they go that far to get an actor, but why. The Elephant in the room?

Why not Rambo? Elephant? And price!

Someone has said, "you have to get actors like this".

Again, a show will usually have lots of different people in it.

But when there is such a theme, there is something going on.

The cast of Family Matters weren't coloured by accident. Though Steve Ercle was popular by accident, but that's a different story. One of my favorite shows as a kid.

Are they trying to "educate" kids?

I'd say that is probably more about the actual content of the show, but knowing the modern tat as little as I do, perhaps.

Are these actors on tough times? Doubt it, Miriam seems to get a lot of work.

My guess is RTD though it would be a wonderful idea.

I guess we will find out.

Not sure I understand all your issues – Miriam margolyes is a talented voice artist, and she is voicing a n alien character.

In what way is Neil Patrick Harris any worse than, say, Kenn Dodd or Roy Hudd or(horror of horrors) Hale and Pace? Nothing could be worse than Hale and Pace…..

David Tennant is presumably going to be some sort of regeneration "blip" – like Colin Baker taken to an extreme.

Not a lot to get quite so annoyed about IMHO…

Do some research.

Its not their acting skills I'm concerned with.

Its obvious there were likely no auditions where their parts are concerned. More ticking a box.

Its hit a point where "diversity" finally eats itself, as its not a very diverse celebrity cast.

I can only think the BBC has told RTD to sort the stink out, even though he was responsible in the first place. And he just asked everyone a party they all frequent, "hey do you want a job?"

It happens, but it at least looks sus. Perhaps he should get out more and meet a wider variety of people.

Or the BBC said, "fill her up with this demographic." Maybe they are only people still watching the show? So that may make sense.

I'd go the other way, "If they are not part of a 1950s television type family, send them packing." Though, it would be slim pickings these days, probably in the 50s too.

Can't win them all.

But we are not in the 1950's. And the demographic issues I think you are alluding to are not exactly confined to New Who.
Producers of any era will choose actors they know and have worked with or believe they can work with. That can result in a smaller pool but also some very solid results.
Colin Baker got the job because someone met him at a wedding.On a different tack, the series of TV comedies from Dads Army onwards by Perry and Croft keep featuring the same actors. Nothing new. They go with what they know.

The classic series stopped in 1989, very sad, but for several years it became a nostalgic comfort zone because no one could come along and mess it up. The 1996 TV movie didnt really change that
You could choose to ignore the many novels and comic strips if you didnt like them.

But as soon as there is a revival, then there are going to be new people, new ideas, and social changes. That's inevitable. Directions may be taken which you dont like

I like and dislike some elements in both old and new. Im not going to try to persuade anyone as to which bits are good or bad. As the viewer its up to you.

However if one is wedded to the classic series and nothing else, then there is great news on BBC iplayer
I think RTD has been pushing to get everything in there in one place- post 2005 stories have been up there for years, BUT NOW weve got ALL of it from 1963 onwards The classic series has never had a home on any streaming service.
It is Who Heaven. Everything is there, including the ones revived with modern animation. Obviously not episodes which are wholly lost. Isolated surviving episodes eg from The Dalek Masterplan are up there too

There are still some I never saw at the time and havent subsequently seen on video or DVD or things I have seen but not for decades. Im not one of those who has a huge DVD library. A lot of binge watching is in the offing. It could take years!

There is a downside Im afraid-if you're not in the UK you may not be able to access this as there appear to be no plans to replicate this on Disney.

I'm still confused – it's nothing to do with their acting skills so your problem is what exactly?

Because you seem to be saying "perfectly good actors have been cast for Dr Who and that's terrible… "

Which makes no sense at all.

Giving RTD the benefit of the doubt, he must know a lot of other actors.

Again, NPH is from America, not just a convenient friend from down the road.

Maybe I should be looking into other shows cast also. Particularly BBC.

Its suspicious to me.

I can't view it as coincidence.

Unless it's an area thing? Maybe thats the place they tend to live?

No, I'm unconvinced.

Has to be conspiracy.

Err … Captain Jack was American, nothing new in casting an American. Tegan was Australian for goodness sake. Miriam Margolyes is British of course.

Or is this about something else other than where people were born? Why not just say what is on your mind rather than being all cryptic about it…..

Speaking of Australians, if Alan Grant were around he'd tie a great big knot in it.

I won't even mention the shenanigans Crocodile Dundee would be getting up to.

"You will remember to wash your hands before you eat anything?"

So H Man is just upset because it's "those kind of people" right? Wow, talk about playing into the stereotypes of wargamers.

Unless it's an area thing? Maybe thats the place they tend to live?

So who are "they"?

"So H Man is just upset because it's "those kind of people" right?"

Not at all.

As I said above "those kind of people", as with most kinds of people, will be in the shows and films I watch.

Its the fact all but all of the main cast are from one group, that's what bugs me.

They are not playing themselves on tv, so whats the reason?

That's my question.

Apart from people being actors (dah), or of a particular race that's important to the show, like Family Matters, I can't think of a tv show having a main cast of actors from an A typical group.

There may be some precedent, I'm sure, and let us know, but it's very uncommon, and thus interesting.

Nph is male.

Miriam Margolyes is female.

Those are very different groups straight away.

In Dr Who nobody is really playing themselves are they? David Tennant is not really fron Gallifray – he is Scottish. He also only has one heart…he just acts a character with two hearts. This is actually quite common for actors – David Tennant is on stage next as Macbeth – and whilst he is Scottish he isn't in reality the king of Scotland. He acts that part.

"Nph is male.

Miriam Margolyes is female."

Yeah, keep going…

So, if they are not acting as their commonality, then why cast such a group?

Again that's my question.

Why Dr Who? That's another one.

Blimey – what are you talking about?

You don't like men or women to be in Dr Who,

you don't like actors who are either not British or alternatively are British.

You don't like people to write Dr Who Even if they have a 30 year association with the show.

Are you just saying you don't like Dr Who?

"Diversity" is not meant to exclude or minimize some sorts of people.

Maybe H Man is proposing AI actors for all roles in a roundabout way? That way they're not real people of various types with all of their baggage.

Maybe it has something to do with not being able to seperate the fiction from the real life?

""Diversity" is not meant to exclude or minimize some sorts of people."

Exactly.

Its just that they end up excluding almost everyone else, as in this case, a lot these days.

Diverse is… diverse, not the opposite.

Another idea is that no one wanted to touch Dr Who with a barge pole and RTD said he would come back if he could do whatever he wanted, or that was their offer to him.

He did seem very impressed when they did an eventual "reveal" of a character in the novel (or was it Comic?) series.

So he's not adverse to keeping such info from unsuspecting fans.

But that was on the page/screen.

This could be more disturbing.

To many for a coincidence for me.

I'm sure it's not to body snatchers level though.., I hope.

I don't know why the poor doctors been copping it. Most other BBC favs have appeared to have weathered the storm far better.

Silent Witness has been smacked around more than I would have preferred though. But at least in more diverse ways, if that makes it better.

Perhaps the shows for older viewers are being better treated? Midsomer murders, seems fine, last I watched and since it's big change years back.

Maybe I'm not watching enough, mostly sticking to shows from better days, heartbeat, for example.

I'm sure some of these arnt BBC, I just bundled British shows together.