Laryngitis. Or is that only for robot dogs?
News Big Finish recast 12th Doctor.
- Thread starter Turtletrekker
- Start date
Laryngitis. Or is that only for robot dogs?
The Chronicles releases started off as narrated audiobooks like the Short Trips, albeit with a “guest voice” for a major secondary character in each story. But the second volume for the Eleventh Doctor was stealthily revealed as a full-cast release with Dudman playing the Doctor, and this latest announcement is about the second volume for the Twelfth Doctor doing the same thing. I suspect if Eccleston hadn’t had his change of heart we’d be seeing a full-cast second volume of the Ninth Doctor Chronicles as well. There may still be a bit of narration in the Chronicles going forward, but any pretense that they’re not recasting the Doctors is gone.
Ah, thank you for clarifying that for me.
The recasting makes more sense now within the context of the Doctor Chronicles. I'm guessing (and hoping) that the recasting is limited to just that particular series and not for any of the other series beyond it.
The recasting makes more sense now within the context of the Doctor Chronicles. I'm guessing (and hoping) that the recasting is limited to just that particular series and not for any of the other series beyond it.
In some cases, I can understand recasting. I mean, it seems wasteful to have Tom Baker in your toolbox, but not be able to have the Fourth Doctor do stories with Sarah Jane or Harry or the Brigadier.
For me, the entire appeal, and I mean the entire appeal, of these stories is that they're performed by the original actors, even if it's just a companion. I mean, as good as they occasionally are, the Big Finish writing team isn't what I fork over my hard-earned money for. If I have to pay for an impressionist, I'd much rather find some of the fan productions on YouTube. There is a guy who does a spot on Patrick Troughton that I'm a fan of who's Second Doctor audios are a lot of fun to listen to.
For me, the entire appeal, and I mean the entire appeal, of these stories is that they're performed by the original actors, even if it's just a companion. I mean, as good as they occasionally are, the Big Finish writing team isn't what I fork over my hard-earned money for. If I have to pay for an impressionist, I'd much rather find some of the fan productions on YouTube. There is a guy who does a spot on Patrick Troughton that I'm a fan of who's Second Doctor audios are a lot of fun to listen to.
Several years ago, BBC Radio 4 did a series of Rumpole radio plays. Obviously, Leo McKern was no longer around to play "the Old Bailey hack," and Timothy West played the barrister. He was quite good. Then the series shifted over to a "young Rumpole" format with Benedict Cumberbatch playing the younger version of West's Rumpole. Honestly, Cumberbatch's Rumpole wasn't that good; he never sounded engaged and was rather lacking in charm. Cumberbatch became too busy (or expensive) to continue as Rumpole in these audio dramas, and he was replaced by Julian Rhind-Tutt, who didn't even attempt to match Cumberbatch's performance. The rest of the cast remained the same, and the final episode linked Rhind-Tutt's Rumpole to West's Rumpole. (The final episode also suggested strongly that Rumpole fathered Phyllida's children, not her husband Claude Erskine-Brown. I had to go back and listen to that part three times with a slack-jawed shock.) The radio Rumpoles are all the same person, even though the actors are different. I have my preferences (Rhind-Tutt, then West, then Cumberbatch), but I can suspend my disbelief and see... err, hear that they're all meant to be a single person.
Rumpole is a role. Actors take on roles that have been created by other actors all the time. If no one else but the originator of a role can't portray the character, then Hamlet, Richard III, etc. would have died out four hundred years ago when Richard Burbage died. The Doctor, whatever their incarnation, is likewise a role. I understand Big Finish's desire to cast impressionists, though I'd rather they cast actors who could bring something of themselves to the role and carve out their own space. Anson Mount and Bruce Greenwood didn't do Jeffrey Hunter impressions when they took on the role of Christopher Pike. James Arness' Matt Dillon isn't the same as William Conrad's. John Dehner's Paladin isn't exactly Richard Boone's. Ian McKellen and John Huston don't portray Gandalf in the same way. Jacob Dudman should have the same freedom to find something uniquely his in his performance as the twelfth Doctor.
I don't disagree with any of that. After all, I'm on my third Spock. I was simply speaking to my own personal preferences in regards to Big Finish. BF releases a lot of content. A lot more than my budget could possibly cover. And it is the star power in these productions that appeals to my budget.
Given the increasing ages of the original series cast and the lack of interest on the part of most of the new series cast, recasts are going to end up the rule rather than the exception.* Dudman's Matt Smith is spot on, so it's a shame they didn't cast a wider net for someone who could do a better Capaldi.
*That and straight-up audiobooks rather than audio dramas which they seem to be doing a lot more of.
*That and straight-up audiobooks rather than audio dramas which they seem to be doing a lot more of.
It's disappointing that it is recast. I had thought that since Capaldi was a fan of Doctor Who that he'd be down for doing audios or something more. Obviously Big Finish reached out to Capaldi and he said no or at least no for the foreseeable future which is why they went ahead and recast him. Unfortunately audio adventures with recast Doctors just don't hold any appeal for me.
He's been asked about it several times when promoting "The Suicide Squad" and has been pretty definite that he's no interest in coming back either on audio or even for the 60th anniversary on television.
That's a real shame.
One of things he said that struck me was that he didn't like having to be The Doctor all the time. You can't have a bad day in public or be caught swearing because a kid might see you and get upset.
Might be important to note Dudman's Eleventh Doctor made a surprise uncredited appearance in the monthly range.
I feel like both Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi will join BF at some point. Capaldi earlier than Smith,
Until then, and even though I slightly prefer 11 over 12, I am more OK with a Matt Smith recasting than I am with a Peter Capaldi one. But my issue is mostly with the idea of having to pay for a sound-alike anyway.
Until then, and even though I slightly prefer 11 over 12, I am more OK with a Matt Smith recasting than I am with a Peter Capaldi one. But my issue is mostly with the idea of having to pay for a sound-alike anyway.
Latest Big Finish newsletter contained a 15 minute excerpt of the second episode of the upcoming full-cast Eleventh Doctor set.
Yeah... Dudman really can't act. His impression of the Eleventh Doctor is fine but it's impossible to get tricked into thinking this is the same actor as on TV because his performance is so unenergetic and flat.
I really wish that for the Twelfth Doctor they just cast somebody who either sounded like The Doctor or could act because Dudman can't do either.
Yeah... Dudman really can't act. His impression of the Eleventh Doctor is fine but it's impossible to get tricked into thinking this is the same actor as on TV because his performance is so unenergetic and flat.
I really wish that for the Twelfth Doctor they just cast somebody who either sounded like The Doctor or could act because Dudman can't do either.
He's doing quite well for himself for someone who "can't act".
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7834192/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Now "can't do a convincing Capaldi" I agree with you on.
I mean that's not exactly a shining CV.
If you've watched a clip of him in any of those roles you'll probably come to the conclusion many others have, which is that he hurry up realising that the only role he'll ever thrive in is generic young British conservative in a sitcom.
Even when he isn't doing an impression of somebody he just has the range of an acorn.
If you've watched a clip of him in any of those roles you'll probably come to the conclusion many others have, which is that he hurry up realising that the only role he'll ever thrive in is generic young British conservative in a sitcom.
Even when he isn't doing an impression of somebody he just has the range of an acorn.
Dudman's twenty-three. Four television series in the last three years. That's a better than decent body of work for a twenty-three year-old actor.
As for his eleventh and twelfth Doctors, as Dudman gets more comfortable and practiced with his impression, he'll be better able to project a performance through the impression.
Never hurt Keanu Reeves.
Similar threads
