Doctor Who, out of time: David Tennant's farewell interview with Russell T. Davies

Over at Boing Boing they have an interview with David Tennant and Russell T Davies and if you love Doctor Who, well, you'll love this...all 20 minutes of it. The interviewer is Richard Metzger of Dangerous Minds. Here is how Metzger described the interview:

This interview took place at an interesting moment in time for both men as they've only just left behind their respective starring roles in one of the biggest television successes in the world today. As difficult as that may sound, you can only imagine how much pressure is off them after four years of practically non-stop work. I think it shows in this interview, as they're both very relaxed and jovial. David had just come from Comic-Con where he was treated with fan adulation bordering on Beatlemania and Russell is starting a new phase of his life here in Los Angeles."

-- Geoff Boucher

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Daniel Radcliffe? David Tennant? Vote on the best star for 'The Hobbit'

Who doesn't love a good casting rumor? The whisper we keep hearing in recent days is that the name of the lead star in Guillermo del Toro's "The Hobbit" will be announced next week at Comic-Con International.

A few people also point out that David Tennant, one of the purported candidates for the role of Bilbo Baggins, just happens to be making his very first trip to the San Diego expo to promote "Doctor Who," a television series that he will soon be leaving behind. Peter Jackson, the producer of the two-film "Hobbit" series that begins its theater run in 2011, is also slated to appear this year, and, well you can see the dot-connecting possibilities. ...

I think Tennant would be exceptional in the role, but I'm even more enthused about the notion of seeing James McAvoy portray the itinerant Bilbo. The Scotsman has shown amazing versatility in roles in "Atonement," "The Last King of Scotland" and "Wanted," and, in the fantasy sector, there was McAvoy's memorable turn as Mr. Tumnus in "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

Daniel Radcliffe, who is now filming the final two "Harry Potter" films, has been mentioned, too, as has roly-poly funnyman Jack Black (that has to be a joke, right? We've seen that before..). Who do you think would be the best to visit the Shire? Vote below or use the comments section to post a name.

-- Geoff Boucher

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CREDIT: Daniel Radcliffe in 2008 photographed by Junko KimuraI/Getty Images.  

Doctor Who fights the past and looks for the future

No doubt about it, Doctor Who is a character who can stand the test of time -- but can he compete with his own past?

With more than 750 episodes aired, "Doctor Who" holds the record for the "longest running science fiction show," according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The first show aired the day after John F. Kennedy was shot in November 1963 and the character has never been more popular in his native England or America than in the past few years. But that's part of the problem now confronting the show -- David Tennant, the 10th actor to occupy the role of the eccentric time-traveler, has moved on and there are plenty of fans who are still grieving.

More than that, Tennant will be replaced by Matt Smith, a relatively unknown actor and, at age 26, the youngest star to ever be trusted with the TARDIS, the Doctor's quirky time machine which, to untrained eyes, might appear to merely be a 1950s-era British police phone box.

"My problem with the newest doctor coming on is that he looks too young," said Chuck Dietz, a 37-year-old school teacher from San Jose who recently made the 340-mile trip to Los Angeles to attend a Doctor Who fan convention called Gallifrey One (it's a reference to the Time Lord's home planet).

It was the 11th pilgrimage that Dietz has made to the convention and arrived with anxiety in his baggage this time. "I don’t think that it works if the role is too young," Dietz said. "In the classic series, that was the whole premise of the thing: the Doctor was an elderly man or a grandfather.”

'Doctor Who' at a discount -- David Tennant's bargain replacement

David Tennant became a household name in England -- and a rich man-- as the star of "Doctor Who," but his replacement has some work to do before he can say the same. The Telegraph reports that Matt Smith will be paid £200,000 per year (that about $287,000 U.S.) during a three-year contract, which is "a fraction of the sum" paid to Tennant. BBC officials would not discuss the 26-year-old actor's contract specifically, but the broadcasting agency did tell the Telegraph that, "All new deals are done with the economic climate in mind." Maybe the youngest "Who" star ever would have gotten a better deal if he hadn't confessed that he's never been a fan of the show.

-- Geoff Boucher     READ ALL 'DOCTOR WHO' COVERAGE AT HERO COMPLEX        Photo: BBC

Doctor Who, Mark Millar and 'Coraline' in Everyday Hero headlines

The confetti has been cleared away, the egg nog has gone bad and I'm back at work. Hope you enjoyed the holidays as much as I did and welcome to the first 2009 edition of Everyday Hero, your handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

THE (NEW) DOCTOR IS IN: Big news from across the Atlantic, where the TARDIS has a new owner. I'm still mourning the departure of David Tennant, the best Doctor Who of them all, but I suppose it's time to move on, especially now that his replacement has been named: "The BBC today announced that Matt Smith has been cast in the role of the Doctor in the iconic BBC series 'Doctor Who.' Smith will be the eleventh Time Lord and will take over from David Tennant who leaves the show at the end of 2009. He will be seen in the forthcoming fifth series that will be broadcast in 2010. ... Matt Smith said of his new role: 'I'm just so excited about the journey that is in front of me. It's a wonderful privilege and challenge that I hope I will thrive on. I feel proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to join a team of people that has worked so tirelessly to make the show so thrilling. David Tennant has made the role his own, brilliantly with grace, talent and persistent dedication. I hope to learn from the standards set by him. The challenge for me is to do justice to the show's illustrious past, my predecessors and most importantly to those who watch it. I really cannot wait.' Lead writer and Executive Producer Steven Moffat said, 'The Doctor is a very special part, and it takes a very special actor to play him. You need to be old and young at the same time, a boffin and an action hero, a cheeky schoolboy and the wise old man of the universe. As soon as Matt walked through the door and blew us away with a bold and brand new take on the Time Lord, we knew we had our man. 2010 is a long time away but rest assured the Eleventh Doctor is coming -- and the universe has never been so safe.'" [BBC]

GOODNIGHT, SWEET PRINCE: Meanwhile, the old Doctor has returned to the London stage after a painful holiday season of scar tissue and bed rest. Nosheen Iqbal has the story: "Four weeks after a prolapsed disc forced him off the stage, David Tennant has returned to play Hamlet for the final week of the Royal Shakespeare Company's sold-out production at the Novello theatre in London. The Doctor Who actor, who was confined to rest for most of December while recovering from back surgery, resumed his role on Saturday night. His performance won a standing ovation from a delighted audience, who had turned up expecting to see understudy Edward Bennett. Thousands of fans were left disappointed after Tennant's sudden departure from the show last month. Despite complaints, the RSC refused to offer refunds. Tickets for the West End run of Hamlet, which transferred from Stratford-upon-Avon, sold out within hours of going on sale in September. A cautious statement from the RSC said the company will assess Tennant's return on 'a day-by-day' basis. Theatregoers are advised to check the RSC website for updates throughout the week. The sold-out run at the Novello theatre is due to finish on 10 January." [The Guardian]

THE SICK SCOTSMAN: I had heard from several people that Mark Millar, one of the true shining stars on the comics scene today, had a nasty medical scare over the holidays, and now Scottish journalist Toby Mcdonald has details: "Mark Millar almost died after being pole-axed by his own medicine. The 39-year-old -- whose 'Wanted' series was turned into a blockbuster starring Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy -- lost more than a stone in weight in 10 days. Marvel comics writer Mark was raced to hospital after his temperature soared to 103 and he developed extreme flu-like symptoms. Mark, of Glasgow, said: 'I went off sick the first week of December and thought I had a heavy cold or flu. My temperature was a consistent 103F and I was awake all night shivering. After a week, it wasn't passing and my wife made me an appointment with the doc. He did tests and found my blood was wonky, my spleen was huge and my liver was acting weird -- all the symptoms of several very nasty things. I was sleeping 20 hours a day and have almost no memory of the whole episode.' Doctors finally discovered Mark was suffering a severe reaction to his medication for Crohn's, which causes agonising inflammation of the digestive tract. He said: 'They rushed me into hospital, kept me there for five days and did a million tests, which I slept through. I can barely remember being in hospital." [The Sunday Mail]...NOTE: A stone, by the way, equals 14 pounds, according to my handy pocket guide to British weights and measures.

CORALINE, BUTTONED UP: What movie is my 11-year-old daughter, Addison, most excited about in 2009? Well, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," without a doubt, but a fairly close second is "Coraline," which opens Feb. 6 and adapt Neil Gaiman's sweet and eerie tale of little girl who finds a mysterious door that takes her away from her boring life and right into a web of dark supernatural danger. Here's a video with some snippets from the film as well as some of the behind-the-scenes work going into the film by Henry Selick, who also directed the 1993 classic "The Nightmare Before Christmas." (Also, to read my three-part interview with Gaiman, click here.)

A GOTHAM GROOM AND THE MUTANT MOTHER: Film chameleon Gary Oldman has been a vampire, a wild-eyed wizard, a doomed punk icon and Batman's best friend, but those were just movie roles. You know what he is in real life? An optimist. How do I know? The 50-year-old actor just got married...for the fourth time. His new bride is 31-year-old musician Alexandra Edenborough. The Telegraph in the U.K. reports: "Oldman divorced from his third wife the former model Donya Fiorentino in 2001, after his previous marriages to Hollywood star Uma Thurman and English actress Lesley Manville broke down...the actor married Edenborough at a small ceremony last week. Rumours of their engagement had circulated since they attended the premiere of Brad Pitt's film 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' earlier in the month." In other life-event news, Rebecca Romijn, who looks deliriously good in blue skin in "The X-Men" films, is now a mom. People Magazine reports:  "Rebecca Romijn and husband Jerry O'Connell have welcomed healthy twin girls, People has confirmed. Dolly Rebecca Rose and Charlie Tamara Tulip were born Dec. 28. 'Mother, father and both girls are all home and doing well,' Romijn's rep Lewis Kay told People.  They are the first children for the 'Ugly Betty' actress, 36, and actor O'Connell, 34, who married at their Calabasas, Calif., ranch in 2007. The new mom, whose pregnancy cravings included lemonade and soy cream cheese, is planning a long maternity leave." Soy cream cheese and lemonade? She is a mutant.

ON THIS DATE: Actor George Reeves was born in Woolstock, Iowa, on this day 95 years ago. The actor (whose birth name was George Keefer Brewer) appeared in one of the great classics of cinema, "Gone with the Wind," but he is, of course, remembered most as the Man of Steel on "The Adventures of Superman" television series. The one-time amatuer boxer took the role with reservations in summer 1951, but he became a pop culture icon -- as well as frustrated symbol of Hollywood typecasting. Reeves died in summer 1959 of a gunshot wound that was ruled a suicide, but it remains a murky matter in minds of many and became the plot of the 2006 film "Hollywoodland." To honor his birth, let's all look up in the sky today and ponder the 21st century meanings of truth, justice and the American way. [If you'd like to see a bit of Reeves in caped action as well as the trailer for "Hollywoodland," you can find some video at the bottom of this post.]

'Preacher,' Samuel L. Jackson, 'Twilight' and Dr. Who in Everyday Hero headlines

Today's handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

Sam Mendes is finding religion, Garth Ennis-style. Mendes, the director of "The Road to Perdition," is again turning to comics for subject matter with the announcment that he will adapt the harrowing Ennis epic "Preacher" to the screen. Tatiana Siegel has the trades announcement story: "Sam Mendes will direct a bigscreen adaptation of the supernatural graphic novel 'Preacher' for Columbia Pictures.
Created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, graphic novel focuses on the preacher of a Texas town, who is struggling to get by and is driven only by his strong moral sense. When the city is decimated by an otherworldly force, he embarks on a journey across the country to take on the evil. Supernatural project is a departure for Mendes, who is best known for tackling suburban angst in such films as 'American Beauty' and the upcoming Leonardo DiCaprio-Kate Winslet starrer 'Revolutionary Road.'" [Variety]

Who's "Who"?: The great debate has already started about who should take over the TARDIS now that David Tennant has officially announced his upcoming retirement from the Doctor Who role. Aubry D'Arminio weighs in with a few suggestions, among them Jason O'Mara (left), who is absolutely great is "Life on Mars." "If I could cast my dream 11th Doctor, I’d go with either blondie Marc Warren ('Hustle,' 'State of Play') or scene-stealing Jason O’Mara (who currently rocks the U.S. 'Life on Mars'). I know, I know, Warren’s been on the show before, but that hasn’t stopped David Morrisey and John Simm from being named as possible successors to Tennant’s TARDIS throne. And if O'Mara’s up for a little work during his summer break from 'Mars' -- that’s if poor, underrated 'Mars' is even still around -- I’d love to hear his real Irish accent more often." [Bits and Bobs blog, Entertainment Weekly]

Dragon reborn: Samuel L. Jackson will be the bad guy again, this time in a remake of Berry Gordy's 1985 cult classic "The Last Dragon." Leslie Simmons has the trades announcement: "Jackson will play Sho'nuff, the Shogun of Harlem, a role played in the original by the late Julius Carry, whose spiel included asking ego-driven questions like 'Am I the baddest mofo lowdown around this town?' Each time his gang of thugs answered, 'Sho'nuff!' Davis Entertainment's John Davis and Gordy's son Kerry Gordy are producing. Penning the screenplay as well as producing is Dallas Jackson, who heads up the urban family label DJ Classicz with Davis. Wu-Tang Clan's RZA is co-producing. The updated plot will be along the same lines of the original, centering on young martial arts student Leroy Green in his quest through the streets of New York to achieve the highest level of martial arts accomplishment, known as the Last Dragon. Those who achieve the high ranking possess the Glow, making them the greatest fighter alive." [Hollywood Reporter]

A Super trilogy?: Mark Millar ("Wanted") is talking again about his hopes to give Superman the "Lord of the Rings" treatment. He told Dan Goodswen about his trilogy ambition ... including the final scene? Gee, Mark, thanks for spoiling it before you even make it. “It’s gonna be like Michael Corleone in the 'Godfather' films, the entire story from beginning to end, you see where he starts, how he becomes who he becomes, and where that takes him. 'The Dark Knight' showed you can take a comic book property and make a serious film, and I think the studios are ready to listen to bigger ideas now. ... I want to start on Krypton, a thousand years ago, and end with Superman alone on planet Earth, the last being left on the planet, as the yellow sun turns red and starts to supernova, and he loses his powers." [Empire]

To die for: The question every cast member of "Twilight" will be asked a million times: Did you read the books? Denise Martin put the question to Edi Gathegi, who portrays Laurent, and it turns out that he is waaay into the books. Maybe, um, even a little too much? You judge: "I've read them all. 'Breaking Dawn'? I finished that in two days. I have to tell you, every time I finished one of them, a little piece of me died. I’d become invested in that world. I really felt sad. After the fourth one, I was like, ‘What am I going to do with my life?'" [Entertainment News and Buzz blog, Los Angeles Times)

Credits: "Preacher" cover courtesy of Vertigo/DC Comics. Jason O'Mara photograph by Vivan Zink and courtesy of ABC. Samuel L. Jackson photo by Peter Kramer/Associated Press. Edi Gathegi photo from WireImage.
 

David Tennant quits 'Doctor Who'; is Russell Tovey the next Time Lord?

Truly sad news just came across the Atlantic. The BBC has an exclusive interview with video announcing that the 10th (and maybe the best) actor to play Doctor Who is moving on.

David Tennant is to stand down as Doctor Who, after becoming one of the most popular Time Lords in the history of the BBC science fiction show.

Tennant stepped into the Tardis in 2005, and will leave the role after four special episodes are broadcast next year. He made the announcement after winning the outstanding drama performance prize at the National Television Awards.

"When Doctor Who returns in 2010 it won't be with me," he said.

"Now don't make me cry," he added. "I love this part, and I love this show so much that if I don't take a deep breath and move on now I never will, and you'll be wheeling me out of the Tardis in my bath chair."

Three years was "about the right time" to play the role, he told the BBC in an exclusive interview.

"I think it's better to go when there's a chance that people might miss you, rather than to hang around and outstay your welcome," he said.

'Dr. Who' season finale

Everyone was disappointed that Russell T. Davies had to drop out of the "Dr. Who" panel down at Comic-Con International and none more than me -- I was moderating the panel and dreaded breaking the news to the audience. I was glad to get the gig, though; I adore the show's wit and wonder and I continue to marvel at this golden age of sci-fi television underway in England.

In the end, the panel was still a great success because of the two "Dr. Who" stalwarts who did attend, show veteran and new head writer Steven Moffat (who is one of the funniest people you will ever meet) and executive producer Julie Gardner (one of the most dynamic people you'll ever meet). They were just amazing. "Russell can't make it because I tied him to his chair," Gardner explained the night before the panel when we met up in the lobby of the bayside Sheraton resort. "He's busy writing and that's the way it needs to be. I hope the fans don't decide to rush the stage and kill us in anger." They didn't; it was a big hit.

There are two must-read pieces on "Dr. Who" in today's Los Angeles Times. One, written by Choire Sicha, is a run-down of the show's future. The other is a marvelous piece by television critic Robert Lloyd, who reveals himself to be an ardent admirer of David Tennant's Time Lord.

Joyous and dark, a kind of Peter Pan from space, he embodies both the wonder and the terror of the universe: Two things he says a lot and which define the parameters and perils of his world are, "That's impossible," when an impossible thing has just happened, and "I'm sorry," when something bad is about to. Lean, sharp-featured and fox-quick, David Tennant catches perfectly the character's mix of exuberance and anger -- it's no surprise that he's spending the summer playing that most famous of complicated heroes, Hamlet, at Stratford-upon-Avon.

I am perhaps not the toughest critic of this show. I am not bothered by its myriad of internal contradictions, accept the less good episodes as a break from the great ones, and am happy to go where it takes me. I like the way the series changes in tone and even visual style from episode to episode to reflect the subject and setting and, like the Doctor himself, swings from light to dark, from nonsense to satire to something like profundity.

It's a wonderful piece. Please do read the rest right here.

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo of David Tennant as Dr. Who, courtesy of BBC/Sci Fi Channel

 

Trekkies and 'Doctor Who' geeks can't bring memorabilia to RSC's 'Hamlet' production

Leave your Sharpies and 8x10 glossies at home, trekkies, because The Royal Shakespeare Company just released a statement regarding the production of "Hamlet" starring "Star Trek: The Next Generation’s" Patrick Stewart and "Doctor Who’s" David Tennant today, stating that fans will not be allowed to bring any Dr. Who or Star Trek memorabilia to be autographed.

"Due to the huge amount of interest in the RSC’s current production of Hamlet, only Royal Shakespeare Company or production related memorabilia will be signed by members of the company. It is very flattering that there is so much interest in this production, but the sheer volume of requests means that we need to set some limits which will be as fair as possible for everyone. We apologize if this causes any disappointment."

This news will no doubt break the hearts of trekkies and "Doctor Who" fans making it out to this year's performance of "Hamlet," but let's examine the facts. There is a time and a place to dress in your finest Starfleet uniforms; classical theater is not that time. I’m sure the performers would prefer fans to go and appreciate their new roles and enjoy Shakespeare, rather than just be there to see a character they’ve played in the past.

On the flip side, I am not entirely sure that RSC handled the heartbreak in the classiest of manners.

It is one thing to ban autograph requests entirely for logistical reasons. The same as it makes sense to limit autograph requests to 1 per person. Or if the actors themselves choose not to sign the memorabilia for whatever reason.

But the facts are, there's no real difference between autographing a play brochure or signing a Star Trek TNG Picard as Locutus action figure, so the statement is more insulting than it ever should have been. How about you just say you want to keep the focus on actors and get your action figures signed at San Diego's Comic-Con?