Gaiman Eppy Titbit

[StCoop]

Neil Gaiman is in Russia at the moment and even there he couldn't escape questions about his Doctor Who episode but surprisingly has actually been a bit forthcoming about it. As assumed, his episode was originally going to be Episode 11 of the upcoming series but the money ran out* so it got bumped to Episode 2 or 3 of next year's series.

*Apparently his original script would have involved about six times (!) the average amount of CGI work and while it's been reduced since then there's still a lot more than usual in it.

 

[Demonland]

I love a good little titbit!

 

[Bacl]

Would have broke the BBC budget? They could have just asked fans for donations to raise the $38.50.

 

[23skidoo]

Budget issues aside, I can also see other method in the BBC's madness in delaying Gaiman's episode to next year. I mean, has there ever been a time in Doctor Who's 47-year history that fans and media have been discussing the show's next season before the current one has even begun broadcast? This is great advance publicity for next year and also served to illustrate the Beeb's confidence in Moffat and Smith to anyone who might be doubting. Wenger's announcement of Season 6 at the press launch was a foregone conclusion.

I'm not surprised a Gaiman episode would be CG-heavy. It'll probably be a longer-than-usual one, too. Not everything Gaiman touches turns to gold, but as arguably the biggest-name writer to ever work on Doctor Who for TV (Richard Curtis is big, but mainly in the UK; Gaiman has worldwide name recognition, and is perhaps second only to Alan Moore in current SF fandom circles) there's great potential for a landmark episode like Blink or Midnight.

Alex

 

[StCoop]

Not everything Gaiman touches turns to gold, but as arguably the biggest-name writer to ever work on Doctor Who for TV...

Only for SF fans. Out in the wider world that'd be Richard Curtis.

'Four Weddings' made nearly double what 'Stardust' or 'Coaline' did worldwide and that's not even taking into consideration the years of inflation between the films.

And hundreds of thousands of Gaiman books sold pales next to millions of viewers for Curtis' TV shows.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I'm not surprised a Gaiman episode would be CG-heavy. It'll probably be a longer-than-usual one, too.

I find it exceedingly unlikely that Gaiman's episode would be any longer than any other episode. I mean, why would it be? Gaiman's a professional. He knows Doctor Who runs about 45 minutes an episode, and he would write accordingly.

Not everything Gaiman touches turns to gold, but as arguably the biggest-name writer to ever work on Doctor Who for TV (Richard Curtis is big, but mainly in the UK; Gaiman has worldwide name recognition, and is perhaps second only to Alan Moore in current SF fandom circles)

Stcoop covers the fallacy here. Yes, Gaiman is a big fish in the small pond of SF-fandom, but in the bigger pond of television, he's a very small fish. "The Blackadder guy is writing an episode" is a bigger deal to UK television audiences than "Some guy that wrote comic books about sleeping is writing an episode" would be.

And I'm not saying this to denigrate Neil Gaiman in any way. To someone in fandom, Gaiman is a big deal. To the Not-We, he's just a guy.

 

[Starkers]

Ask my g/f who Neil Gaiman is and she'd probably look blankly, ask her who Richard Curtis is and she'd know right away. I expect it would be the same for most regular non-fans.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Gaiman has turned in his script for next season's episode.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I can't wait to see it.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

A picture of Gaiman, Moffat, and the script.

 

[Kibbin]

Now this, I am looking forward to.
I wonder if he's gonna let some details slip or just keep mum for as long as possible

 

[OmahaStar]

I just want to know if he's going to make a reference to Kosh in the script. Or name anybody Zoe.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I'd love to get my hands on that script...was trying to see if I could see what production number it was on the cover page but nope too small.

 

[Cutter John]

Boy, and here I thought it was just an internet rumor.

 

[Hoser]

Not everything Gaiman touches turns to gold, but as arguably the biggest-name writer to ever work on Doctor Who for TV

I guess it's arguably, although I thought Douglas Adams would be bigger (though arguably perhaps not at the time)

 

[Samurai8472]

Gaiman tweeting

http://twitpic.com/1peq82

In which Mr Moffat looks more cheerful and Mr Curtis more debonair. My fingers still cover the episode title.

 

[Sci]

I'm not surprised a Gaiman episode would be CG-heavy. It'll probably be a longer-than-usual one, too.

I find it exceedingly unlikely that Gaiman's episode would be any longer than any other episode. I mean, why would it be? Gaiman's a professional. He knows Doctor Who runs about 45 minutes an episode, and he would write accordingly.

Not everything Gaiman touches turns to gold, but as arguably the biggest-name writer to ever work on Doctor Who for TV (Richard Curtis is big, but mainly in the UK; Gaiman has worldwide name recognition, and is perhaps second only to Alan Moore in current SF fandom circles)

Stcoop covers the fallacy here. Yes, Gaiman is a big fish in the small pond of SF-fandom, but in the bigger pond of television, he's a very small fish. "The Blackadder guy is writing an episode" is a bigger deal to UK television audiences than "Some guy that wrote comic books about sleeping is writing an episode" would be.

And if you say, "The creator of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually is writing an episode of Doctor Who," that'll register with far more people than, "The creator of Coraline, Stardust, and Neverwhere."

 

[The]

For most every American, if either are recognizable at all, it would be the name Neil Gaiman. I've watched all his movies listed, but had no idea who Richard Curtis is. Gaiman, with his pseduo-goth eccentricities, is a media figure himself away from his works. Whereas, Richard Curtis? Complete unknown.

 

[Sci]

For most every American, if either are recognizable at all, it would be the name Neil Gaiman. I've watched all his movies listed, but had no idea who Richard Curtis is. Gaiman, with his pseduo-goth eccentricities, is a media figure himself away from his works. Whereas, Richard Curtis? Complete unknown.

Oh, c'mon. Who the hell has heard of Neil Gaiman outside of comic book and sci-fi circles? Maybe the people who read his recent children's book, but that's it.

 

[The]

^I would bet more than has heard of Richard Curtis...