They say you never forget your first Doctor (at least that’s what we saw on a T-shirt at this year’s Comic-Con), and for whole new generation of Doctor Who fans, that means David Tennant’s tenth incarnation of the iconic Time Lord. Since taking over for Christopher Eccleston in 2005, Tennant has helped to expand the audience of the relaunched British science-fiction series well beyond the shores of the U.K. Tall, dark and slightly manic-depressive, the Tenth Doctor has inhabited the TARDIS for more than 40 episodes, but now his time is coming to an end.

Rather than filming a fourth season, the show’s producers decided to film a series of specials, beginning with The Next Doctor last Christmas (a cheeky misdirection based on the announcement of Tennant’s departure). Next came “Planet of the Dead,” which aired in April on the BBC and premieres on BBC America this week. The second half of this year will see the last of Tennant’s reign in two movies: “The Waters of Mars,” expected to debut around November, and the two-part Christmas special “The End of Time.”

Leaving the series along with Tennant are executive producer and showrunner Russell T. Davies and executive producer Julie Gardner, who was responsible for bringing Davies on board the project back when she was Head of Drama for BBC Wales. Gardner has since moved on to BBC Worldwide America, but she returned in a producing capacity for “The End of Time,” and was present on the set during much of the production of the emotional finale. The team leaves the show in the capable hands of new executive producer and showrunner Steven Moffat, who is responsible for writing some of the most popular and critically acclaimed episodes of the new series, and the young actor cast as the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith.

IGN had an opportunity to speak with Tennant, Gardner and director Euros Lyn (who helmed “The End of Time”) at this year’s Comic-Con the day before they were to take the stage in front of 4,000 fans. It was not only the first interview of the convention for Tennant, but his first fan convention full stop (as they say).

IGN: So, this is your first convention interview ever?

Tennant: It’s my first time at any event even remotely like this, yeah.

IGN: Did you get a chance to walk the floor?

Tennant: Not yet, but we just walked from the lift to here. We met the Predator. That was exciting. And a Stormtrooper.

Gardner: I love the Stormtrooper. I thought that was a really good outfit. It was really well made.

Tennant: And as we arrived yesterday we were greeted by somebody dressed as Scooby-Doo, which I thought summed up what I was expecting from the event.

IGN: Have you seen anyone dressed as the Doctor yet?

Lyn: I’ve seen a bunch of Captain Jacks.

Gardner: Have you?

Lyn: And Iantos with scars. [Laughter]

Gardner: Last year there was a group of friends who were the 10 Doctors and they sat in order of regeneration.

Tennant: Excellent. Good for them. We might get the Eleventh this year, if they’ve got another friend.

IGN: You have your Star Wars shirt on, so you fit right in.

Tennant: I do. I thought I should wear something relevant and appropriate, so I’ve got my Millennium Falcon on today.

Gardner: You’ve always got a good line of T-shirts.

You can read a lot more at the Source

When we finally sat opposite Doctor Who‘s Russell T. Davies at Comic Con, there was only one question we were burning to ask him: Why exactly is the blonde ingenue Rose Tyler the most special of all the Doctor’s companions?

This was part of a group interview with Davies and director Euros Lynn, where we were lucky enough to be able to ask some questions. Oh, and if you still haven’t watched the most recent Torchwood miniseries, A) You are wasting your life on vain pursuits, and B) There’s a spoiler for them below.

Why is Rose the most special?

So we had the impression, watching Davies’ era of Doctor Who, that he regarded Rose Tyler as the most important, or most special, of the Doctor’s companions. She’s come back a couple of times, she was referenced constantly in the season after she left, and she got to keep her own duplicate of David Tennant’s Doctor. So we asked Davies why Rose deserves to be so extraordinary. He replied:

“I don’t think she has been [treated as special]. I don’t think I feel any more special when I’m writing Rose than when I’m writing any of the others. I think there’s an iconography about Billie Piper. When the programme came back, it was the biggest advertised, most hyped-up programme in the world [and she was at the center of the imagery]. I’d never prefer her to Donna or Martha when writing her. But she was enormously popular and so — let’s be blunt — every time I brought her back, the ratings went up. It’s my job to make people come back to watch this. Sometimes people roll their eyes and go, “Oh, you’ve got another returning character.” [To which I respond] “Yeah, leave me alone with my millions, thank you very much.” So you know, it simply works. Plus we like Billie… So simply by dint of being her, she’s come back the most often. I think that was a very special chemistry between her and Chris and between her and David, and it’s very fondly remembered.”

Adds Euros Lynn: “In that first series, she was the Doctor’s equal, and equally as interesting as the Doctor, which was a revelation in the Doctor Who world.”

You can read more at the Source

Happy Birthday to The Medusa Cascade! One year ago today this site went live for the first time and since then it’s been a rollercoaster of a ride! From host changes to gallery malfunctions it seemed this site was never going to get off the ground. But now I feel the site has finally started to hit its stride!

With just one year under our belt, we have 16,976+ visits and 247,244 images in the gallery (with 314,776 views) with more things to come.

Thank you to everyone who has visited and helped The Medusa Cascade be the site it is today!

Russell T. Davies made his name in television as the writer and creator of the groundbreaking BBC series Queer As Folk, but by far his biggest success has been the revival of Doctor Who, the venerable British science-fiction show following the adventures of the peripatetic time-traveling alien known only as The Doctor. An institution in Britain and a cult success in the States, Doctor Who fell into relative obscurity after its 1989 cancellation, becoming (perhaps rightly) viewed with a certain embarrassment for its cheap production values and shoddy storytelling. Davies brought a new energy and a modern look and feel to the show, which has become a full-fledged hit for the BBC. After shepherding the program through five seasons, a change of lead actors (from Christopher Eccleston to David Tennant), and the spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, Davies recently announced that he would be leaving the show, handing over the reins to incoming producer Steven Moffat at the same time that The Doctor will regenerate again, with Tennant replaced by new actor Matt Smith. Davies will preside over four more Doctor Who specials through 2009. The next, Planet Of The Dead, premières on BBC America on July 26. Davies recently took a break from editing his Doctor Who finale to talk to The A.V. Club about endings, new beginnings, and the right way to bring a time traveler into the 21st century.

The A.V. Club: Before 2005, a Doctor Who revival wasn’t a sure thing; the show struggled in the ’80s before being cancelled, and the American attempt to revive it in 1996 was a bust. What qualities did you think the show would need in order to be successful?

Russell T. Davies: I think it simply needed to look like a show made in the year 2005. It should not look like a retro piece, a nostalgic reinvention. I sort of thought it should be “If the program had never gone off the air, what would it look like now?” Because I’d always loved it; I didn’t think there was any problem with the format. As an old fan of the show, I loved those things, and wasn’t setting out to change it. You just had to make it look like it was part of the modern world, and had to make it appeal to children again, because… It’s not quite the same in America, I know. But over here, there was a 46-year tradition of—not being a children’s show, but appealing to children constantly. I just had to keep all that intact, really. Trust the program and not wander off the brief.

AVC: Did you have other shows in mind as models for what you wanted to do?

RTD: Well, every well-written show, really. I mean, I loved what Joss Whedon did with Buffy The Vampire Slayer, obviously. Particularly, I love The West Wing. I loved all sorts of modern dramas in Britain, this drama called Shameless written by Paul Abbott that’s got a ferocious energy to it. To be honest, my own shows, too. I have a long history of inventing my own shows for British television. It’s the first time I’ve gone to someone else’s property and revived it. And I have to feel, whether it’s arrogant or not, that when the BBC came to me, they wanted me to write it like I write my shows, in the voice of the writer of Queer As Folk and The Second Coming and the other dramas I’ve done. So I had to have the nerve and the confidence to write it in my tone of voice. That was the important thing. And for once, it worked. [Laughs.] It doesn’t always.

You can read more at the Source

It’s safe to say David Tennant wasn’t prepared for what he was running into at Comic-Con International.

“I’ve never been to San Diego before, lets alone Comic-Con,” Tennant told me in the Scottish accent he hid while playing The Doctor for five years on the BBC’s crown jewel, Doctor Who. “The fan response here has been incredible — just walking to the elevator. I can’t imagine what’ll be like during the panel (Sunday).”

Tennant is attending Comic-Con with former Who show-runner and Torchwood creator Russell T. Davies to promote the final specials featuring Tennant in the lead role. And, with mere hours to go before Sunday morning’s Doctor Who panel (one of the major events of Comic-Con’s closing day), he insists that’s the only reason he’s there — besides meeting the fans.

“I’ve heard we’re supposed to announce a Doctor Who movie,” Tennant explained. “Or, I’m supposed to be playing The Hobbit. But we’re just here to promote the specials.”

It’s hard to tell when a good actor is pulling a fast one, but the world will know if there’s any major announcements pending soon. Meanwhile, I hunkered down to reminisce with Tennant over his time as The Doctor.

It’s said you’re that one in a million story of a fan who became the lead actor in his favorite show. Is that true?

I watched the show religiously as a kid. I thought every kid wanted to be The Doctor, because I certainly did. It really was a dream come true — especially when you consider only 11 men on the planet have had the opportunity (to play The Doctor).

So, was it difficult to walk away from Doctor Who?

Certainly. But when (Russell T. Davies) announced he was moving on, it was a clear jumping off point for me. I’m a huge fan of (new show-runner Steven Moffat) because he’s so talented. But, I always envisioned me playing the part for maybe three years before moving on, so the time was right.

That said, it would have been very easy for me to play that fifth season. But, I think the time was right. Now I get to be a fan again — a viewer who doesn’t know what’s coming next.

The rebooted Doctor Who is a huge international success. But it didn’t have to be. With the exception of one season with Christopher Eccleston, you’re the actor who’ll be credited with resurrecting the show. How does that feel?

I think that credit should go to Russell. He was the one who had the vision. I was just honored and thrilled to be a part of that.

How do you think it’ll feel to watch Doctor Who without being a part of it?

I don’t know. It’ll be strange, but I think once you’re The Doctor, you’ll always be The Doctor. Tom Baker just said he was returning to the role of at age 75, so who knows where I’ll be at that age. For now, I’m looking forward to today’s panel and meeting the fans.

Of course, Tennant has never seen a Comic-Con crowd. Without a Tardis to hide inside, he might need a shark cage.

Source

On Sunday, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized “Doctor Who” as the most successful sci-fi series. “It is too good a show to have just one record,” said Guinness editor in chief Craig Glenday.

Guinness granted the award on the basis of broadcast ratings, DVD sales, book sales and iTunes traffic. “It’s hard to quantify illegal downloads, but we included those as well,” Glenday said.

Longevity was another factor, since “Doctor Who” also holds the Guinness record for longest-running sci-fi TV series. A controversy broke out over that record in 2006, and “Stargate SG-1″ later received the record for longest-running consecutive sci-fi series after completing a 10-year run.

“I can hear Comic-Con war breaking out there,” said showrunner Russell T. Davies, who accepted the honor on behalf of “Dr Who” creator Verity Lambert.

“Doctor Who” premiered November 23, 1963. The one-hour “Dr. Who” special, “Planet of the Dead,” premieres July 26 on BBC America.

Source

The BBC has decided to renew Torchwood, the Doctor Who spinoff that stars John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, the head of a paranormal investigation unit.

During the Doctor Who panel at Comic-Con in San Diego, Davies confirmed that Torchwood has been picked up for a fourth season, although no other details were announced, including the number of episodes the fourth season will run, or what role Davies will play in the production.

“I can’t say much about the new season,” said Davies. “We haven’t had meetings yet.”

“We were astonished by the success of that last series,” said Davies about the 5-episode miniseries “Children of Earth” that just aired in North America.

But for the fans who were screaming that the character of Ianto should return, Davies was clear on that matter.

“[The show] will be back, but maybe the ones you want to be back won’t be back. If you’re dead, you’re dead.”

Source

An online campaign to see a character in the BBC television sci-fi drama Torchwood brought back to life has raised £1,800 for Children In Need.

Ianto Jones was killed by alien baddies the four-five-six in the third series, Children of Earth, screened this month.

But Ianto fans are refusing to accept his demise and have created a website calling for his return.

BBC Wales said: “It’s fantastic to see that Torchwood has obviously touched the emotions of so many people.”

The five-part series Torchwood: Children of Earth follows the Cardiff-based alien-chasing team as they battle for the future of the human race against the fiercest force they have encountered.

Actor Gareth David-Lloyd reprises his role as Ianto Jones but his character falls victim to the four-five-six in the fourth episode.

Fans of the show hope their campaign to have Ianto revived will be boosted by the show’s screening in America.

The website, SaveIantoJones, includes an option to donate to the BBC charity in honour of the character.

Campaigners say Ianto’s passing has left them “as sorrowful and hurt as any death of a person close to us”.

They add: “Though we, his devoted fans, still hope that he’ll come back (it’s still sci-fi, and in sci-fi, death can be reversed, can’t it?), we mourn him.

“In the series, he died saving the children of Earth; so it seems fitting to honor [sic] his memory by helping the Children in Need.”

Torchwood, a spin-off from Doctor Who, began life on BBC Three in 2006 – its highest audience during the first series was just under one million viewers.

Source

Fans of the British scifi show Torchwood found many things to love about the program: the immortal, cheeky and omnisexual Captain Jack Harkness as played by the irrepressible John Barrowman; the spunky Gwen Cooper and her hubby Rhys Williams; the sweet Toshiko and the randy Owen, not to mention a whole host of alien critters wreaking mayhem across the world.

But of all the things fans loved about the Doctor Who spin-off, one of the most surprising was how hard so many viewers fell for Ianto Jones, the buttoned up office administrator who turned out to be so much more than the unassuming office lackey we first thought he was — including becoming the lover of Captain Jack.

Unfortunately, as all Torchwood fans know too well, the organization has a high mortality rate and on Day 4 of the Children of Earth miniseries, Ianto Jones joined former colleagues Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato as casualties of Torchwood.

AfterElton.com recently caught up with Gareth David-Lloyd, the man who so memorably brought Ianto to life, to ask about his character’s fluid sexuality, his own relationship with John Barrowman and exactly what he was thinking as Ianto lay dying in Captain Jack’s arms.

AfterElton.com: What was your reaction upon learning what was going to happen to Ianto?
Gareth David-Lloyd: I knew well before I started filming. They said, “They’re going to need you for four of the five episodes.” So I kind of knew what was coming. I just wanted to get Ianto’s backstory, the reason for what makes him tick, his background, his family, where he’s from, what makes him the way he is. And that was accomplished, I think, in the first episodes.

AE: So you weren’t particularly disappointed that he was going to die?
GDL: Of course I was disappointed. I was unhappy to leave. I’ve been there for years and forged such good friendships, but it’s the work that’s most important, and the story and the characters, and as long as we got there for Ianto before it runs out, I was happy. If everyone keeps living forever it takes away from the danger of what Torchwood is, takes away the idea that everyone who works for Torchwood has a short life expectancy.

AE: What did John say to you the first time you talked about what would happen?
GDL: He never quite got it at first. He was like, “Why? Why? Why are we killing off Ianto?” John was wondering, like myself, and then he read the script and saw how it happened and what happens prior to it, and it just sort of made sense.

You can read more at the Source

Backlash shmacklash. That’s Torchwood creator Russell T. Davies’ reaction to the outcry over the shocking death of Gareth David-Lloyd’s much-loved Ianto in the BBC America miniseries Children of Earth. “It’s not a backlash really,” he scoffs. “It’s just a few people posting online.” Those few people may want to fasten their seat belts, ’cause the unapologetic Brit behind the original Queer as Folk also has some strong opinions about why Ianto had to die, what TV show pissed off fans should watch instead (hint: see headline above), and where Torchwood goes from here.

Question: Why’d you kill Ianto?
RUSSELL T. DAVIES: The threat to the world was just so great it simply would have been unlikely if everyone had survived. Torchwood is an adult show. We have killed off leading members of the cast before. Those have always been the stakes. Poor Ianto was defeated by a greater evil, I’m afraid.

Question: So this wasn’t something that resulted from Gareth wanting to leave?
DAVIES: No, it was my decision.

Question: What do you make of the fan backlash?
DAVIES: It’s not particularly a backlash. What’s actually happening is, well, nothing really to be honest. It’s a few people posting online and getting fans upset. Which is marvelous. It just goes to prove how much they love the character and the actor. People often say, ‘Fans have got their knives out!’ They haven’t got any knives. I haven’t been stabbed. Nothing’s happened. It’s simply a few people typing. I’m glad they’re typing because they’re that involved. But if you can’t handle drama you shouldn’t watch it. Find something else. Go look at poetry. Poetry’s wonderful.

Question: Can you confirm that Ianto is, in fact, dead?
DAVIES: I’m afraid so. He’s a wonderful actor. I’ve worked with him before. I’m a big fan of his and I [look forward to] watching his career prosper. But death is death in this case. It would devalue the entire plot if we brought him back.

Question: But it’s a risky thing to kill off such a popular character.
DAVIES: Absolutely. There’s a risk that some people won’t come back to watch now that Ianto’s gone. I thank them for watching the show and I recommend they go watch Supernatural, because those boys are beautiful. And don’t tell me they’re brothers. [Laughs] Not in my mind.

Question: One of my readers wondered if you were under pressure to de-gay Torchwood and that’s why you killed him off.
DAVIES: I think you can forget about people picking up gay rights as an issue. It’s rather like children picking up nursery blocks and waving them in the air but having no idea what it entails. We’re talking about issues in my entire life here, not just one small television program. If they did research they’d go and look at the history of gay and lesbian characters that I have put on screen. They should simply grow up, do some research, and stop riding on a bandwagon that they actually don’t know anything about.

Question: What was Gareth’s reaction when you told him you were killing Ianto?
DAVIES: Oh, he’s a lovely, professional man. He completely understood. He’d seen two major characters disappear the year before. It’s a job. It’s a very straightforward process. He loved filming that great big death scene.

Question: With half the cast dead, where does Torchwood go from here?
DAVIES: We don’t yet know about our fourth series, but I’m fairly confident [it will continue] in some shape or form. I will just sit down and invent new stories and characters. That’s what I’ve spent my entire life doing. It’s not difficult at all. I could write the first 10 scenes in an episode right now.

Question: Will Jack continue to be the centerpiece?
DAVIES: Oh, I would think so. I would hope so. He’s absolutely fundamental to Torchwood.

Question: Do you think you’ll stick to the miniseries format?
DAVIES: It’s hard to say. It’s been pretty successful. We were the number one show for five nights running [in the UK], which was amazing. Everything’s looking good, but it’s hard to say. We’re in a recession so no one gets easy money to make television. I like continuous story. I like doing new things. In many ways, Torchwood was designed as a digital weapon. It’s kind of multi-purpose, multi-adaptable, shape-shifting weapon that can become anything. I’m kind of excited what we’ll do next.

Question: What about a feature film?
DAVIES: Oh, God. Raising money for that would be harder than a television show. But anything is possible.

Question: Any hints about where the story will go next?
DAVIES: No, it’s literally too soon. I don’t know yet.

Source