Ok, it's not actually Who, but have people been watching Years and Years on BBC1/will they be watching on HBO(I think)? People who've been on here for years will know I haven't always been RTD's biggest fan, but personally I found this brilliant, probably the best thing he's done outside of Children of Earth, a trifle simplistic and sledgehammery at times but any flaws are minor. Apparently he had the initial idea yonks ago, and clearly used it in part in Turn Left.
I missed it when it was on, didn't realise he wrote until after it finished. I am tempted now to watch on iPlayer.
It is also good to play the game of spot the reused character names. (And that is not a criticism). Emma Thompson played "Vivien Rook", who was also the journalist in The Sound of the Drums. It is a pity she hasn't turned up in Doctor Who yet as I enjoy her performances. She might even have made a good Doctor.
I think he mentioned that the idea came from Torchwood Children of Earth, mainly focusing on a single family as England slid into fascism. It is his best work. The family are all endearing and watching England and the rest of the Western world slowly become fascist in such a short period is chilling. Especially because comes off as plausible and just a continuation of events happening now.
The "hold your little finger and thumb to your mouth and ear" implant phone thing has always tickled me - sure, yes that's the "call me" symbol, but in practice any call longer than a minute and your hand is gonna cramp up. Hell, my arm gets tired holding a mobile to my ear on longer calls.
The other way around, actually: even then he had had this concept in the back of his mind for about 20 years, and wound up utilizing a version of it for Torchwood because they couldn’t come up with any other way to end Children of Earth. At the time he was ambivalent about “using [the idea] up” to resolve a sci-fi spin-off thriller.
Yes RTD does tread a fine line sometimes and that was a trifle silly. Doesn't she say that eventually she'll be able to do it without the hand? Oh yes, and one more thing. What is it about RTD and emotional scenes on beaches!
Years and Years was one of the best pieces of television I’ve seen in some time. It made me super anxious every time I watched it, but only because it was so convincing.
I went to see to RTD talk about his career last night and he was wonderfull. When he talked about years and years he said his husband died while they were making it which I hadn't realised and he was still having to hand in scripts whilst coping with that.
Whoa. I didn't know that. How awful. We've been watching it the last few nights and I find myself getting really involved.
He did say not to feel sorry for his husband he lived the life of a millionaire and wanted for nothing, but it must have very difficult for him.