I got this link from another board I visit and I'm not sure if it's been brought up here yet. I know it's pretty much all speculation at this point and don't get my hopes up, but this would be awesome if it happened. link
Well, he left over behind the scenes politics and disliking RTD's cheesy OTT writing so it's possible he could be back now those elements have gone but... I can't see it. I think he's moved on entirely.
I'm skeptical but cautiously hopeful. Only time will tell. What is just as interesting is the claim that the first three Doctors will be represented in the special through "studio trickery" and all of the remaining Classic Doctors are "keen" to return.
I'm starting to fear my fellow Whovians are getting their hopes up WAY too high, and whatever Moffat and the BBC come up with this fall isn't gonna clear the bar. Ironic as this may sound, throwing everything AND the kitchen sink at the screen was a lot easier in 1983 than it is now.
Fairly well known among Who fans. He was also heard yelling at Keith Boak that "I have to act it, but at least I don't have to watch this shit!" He's on record as praising the Moffat 2-parter he did a bunch of times but uh... that's it as far as his episodes go. As long as we get Sylvester McCoy back for the anniversary, I'll be happy. If it's JUST Tennant then I'll be pretty pissed.
I heard he took the gig after reading the scripts for Keith Boak's episodes. Was it like when he did G.I. Joe and now Thor 2? Unless you mean the way RTD wanted them to be directed. Ruining decent scripts. And I guess that direction went more into the scripts too in later series. Any chance for more quotes like that?
Only other quotes we have are Eccleston slamming the producers as the reason he quit the show. Though RTD still peddles the line that Eccleston was always meant to leave at the end of Series 1. Which just isn't how TV works at all.
Hearsay. What he said that you can actually source is this: "I left because of politics. I did not see eye to eye with them. I didn't agree with the way things were being run. I didn't like the culture that had grown up around the series. So I left, I felt, over a principle." The bit about "disliking RTD's cheesy OTT writing" is a fabrication.
Still, I hope we at least get the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors back for the 50th. Having McGann back in particular would be such vindication for those fans who kept the dream alive. And please, no River Song or Rose.
That's possible, but they really need to do something like this or it's just going to seem like a lack of effort to many of us. It's a Who tradition to bring back as many older Doctor's as possible for these anniversaries. Personally, I'd be totally fine if not all Classic Doctors returned, but the they do need to be represented. Mr Awe
I wonder if Aliens of London/World War Three was less dull if the script was realized in a more naturalistic manner. Every time I've tried watching it, it was a bit painful, even though it shouldn't be. Rose wasn't like that at all. I don't think having moved on entirely, like he quickly was, prevents randomly coming back once when asked nicely, not thinking about it too much before or after.
On the contrary, it was because of RTD's writing that Eccleston took the role to begin with. True, behind the scenes politics played a part in why Eccleston left, and it has been rumoured that Eccleston's opinion of RTD has changed since being on the show, never has Eccleston had a problem with the scripts. Indeed, he has singled out Moffat's two-parter as his favourite of the year, but I don't believe he has ever publically spoken negatively about any of the episodes in his run. Still, I'll be very surprised if Eccleston does show up. I'm pretty sure the Ninth Doctor will be trapped in the vortex.
There is also a reasonably well sourced story that at some point during shooting of the Dalek/Father's Day block he remarked to RTD: "Why aren't all the scripts as good as this?" Which was a bit tactless as RTD had written all but one of the scripts he'd done up till then, and didn't help the atmosphere between them.
With just a 60 minute special planned for the entire 2013 year yeah i'd prepare to tell people to lower their expectations a little
Harsh but very true. Wish Rob Shearman came back to write more episodes. I actually much prefer Jubilee to Dalek, great as Dalek is. I think Aliens of London isn't too bad, albeit showcasing RTD's soap opera fetish, media obsession and reset button laziness too much. I'd say it's the best first 2-parter of a series in his era. I'd definitely take it over the Cybermen, Dalek and Sontaran 2-parters.