The Gimmicky Cameos Are Back! (Minor Spoilers)

Discussion in 'Doctor Who' started by StCoop, Sep 13, 2012.

  1. StCoop

    StCoop Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2006
    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    So, "The Power Of Three" will see appearances from Alan Sugar, who'll be setting the contestants on "The Apprentice" the task of selling the mysterious Black Cubes that the episode revolves around and also Brian Cox (the sexy science nerd, not the actor who voiced an Ood) doing the old RTD classic BBC News clip routine.

    The more things change...
     
  2. Haggis and tatties

    Haggis and tatties Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2002
    Location:
    Glasgow
    Sound's great.......cant wait. :)
     
  3. Sci

    Sci Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2002
    Location:
    Montgomery County, State of Maryland
    The gimmicky cameos never went away. Sir Patrick Moore in "The Eleventh Hour." Bill Nighy in "Vincent and the Doctor." Meredith Vieira in "The Wedding of River Song." Etc.
     
  4. Lonemagpie

    Lonemagpie Writer Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2007
    Location:
    Yorkshire
    Nighy wasn't a gimmicky cameo, he was an actor playing a part.

    The others all stick though.
     
  5. Sci

    Sci Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2002
    Location:
    Montgomery County, State of Maryland
    I mean, yeah, he was playing a part, but there might as well have been a giant neon sign above him saying, "HEY, IT'S BILL NIGHY! ISN'T IT COOL WE GOT BILL NIGHY TO BE IN THIS EPISODE? BY THE WAY, DID YOU NOTICE THIS CHARACTER IS PLAYED BY BILL NIGHY?"
     
  6. Sindatur

    Sindatur The Gray Owl Wizard Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2011
    Location:
    Sacramento, CA
    Not sure what you're saying here. Sounds like you'e saying no one can give Bill Nighy, an actor, an acting job, without it being seen as a gimmick? So, where's he supposed to get acting gigs, if all acting gigs for Bill Nighy are a gimmick? Why isn't it a gimmick for every actor who is famous to be given an acting gig?
     
  7. Sci

    Sci Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2002
    Location:
    Montgomery County, State of Maryland
    No. I'm saying that that particular role was insubstantive and that the amount of attention the character received in spite of being quite two-dimensional is indicative that the character was designed to show-off a famous actor in the role.
     
  8. Captaindemotion

    Captaindemotion Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 26, 2001
    Location:
    Ireland
    ^It was a Richard Curtis-scripted episode. I'm pretty sure that it's one of the unbreakable laws of the universe (and a contractual obligation) that Nighy had to be in it.
     
  9. Sindatur

    Sindatur The Gray Owl Wizard Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2011
    Location:
    Sacramento, CA
    Ah, so famous actors aren't allowed to be offered roles unless it's a role comparable to Shakespearean?

    Perhaps he's a fan, and wanted any role just to be part of Doctor Who (Star Trek Movies have several of these cameos, where actors just wanted to be part of it, and weren't worried about the role, IE: CHristian Slater and Winona Rider played Spocks mom in the new movie for about 30 seconds, hardly a deep role).

    Perhaps he did it for a Grandchild/neice/nephew.

    Maybe he had 10 minutes available in between movie roles and thought it would be fun.....
     
  10. Sci

    Sci Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2002
    Location:
    Montgomery County, State of Maryland
    I never said that. Nor did I say that gimmicky cameos are a bad thing -- I like gimmicky cameos. What I did say was that the role Nighy played in "Vincent and the Doctor" was an insubstantial role designed to show off the fact that it was being played by a famous actor. That's all. That's not a bad thing, but it is a thing.
     
  11. Holdfast

    Holdfast Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2000
    Location:
    17 Cherry Tree Lane
    Forgive me while I quietly retch. :lol:

    Apprentice was good for one season (maybe two, maybe...) then it turned to garbage. Sugar is increasingly dislikeable to watch, having changed from being a rough & tumble rogue, to a tired haranguer trotting out stock phrases and mock anger.
     
  12. VDCNI

    VDCNI Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    May 26, 2009
    Location:
    London UK
    Or they had a small but crucial part and hired a big name, pretty standard practice in television.
     
  13. Sci

    Sci Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2002
    Location:
    Montgomery County, State of Maryland
    Sure. But it's still a gimmicky cameo. Which is fine -- I like them and think they should keep comin'. :bolian:
     
  14. VDCNI

    VDCNI Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    May 26, 2009
    Location:
    London UK
    Nope it certainly isn't. It's nothing like the other cases mentioned.
     
  15. Pindar

    Pindar Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2001
    Location:
    NCC - 1031
    That does sound fairly awful, hopefully it will be a minimal part of the episode, like when there was a big fuss about Babs appearing in the Queen Vic a few years ago.
     
  16. Captaindemotion

    Captaindemotion Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 26, 2001
    Location:
    Ireland
    I agree with VDCNI. Hiring a well-known professional actor who may admittedly be over-qualified for the size of the role he's playing, is not the same as hiring a non-actor celebrity to play themselves.
     
  17. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2001
    Location:
    Behind Enemy Lines
    And given the emotional nature of the part it probably helped to have a good actor in it, even if it was just for a few minutes.
     
  18. Cutter John

    Cutter John Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Thankfully some of us Americans have the advantage of never having heard of these people.

    In any case, its never been sonething that's bothered me. Even when they've done stunt casting in the past, they've generally made good use of their actors.
     
  19. Rosalind

    Rosalind TrekLit's Dr Rose Mod Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2005
    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    that is simply marvelous!!! :bolian:
     
  20. Candlelight

    Candlelight Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2000
    Location:
    New Zealand
    I had to google who both of these people were.