Russell T Davies interview in the Guardian

[Captaindemotion]

Here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jun/26/interview-russell-t-davies

Some quotes

"It's [Torchwood] a brand new model," he says cheerfully. "Starz own the greater rights, but it has me there to make sure it doesn't become a prostituted version of the show – which nobody wanted anyway, but you've got to have somebody steering the train – and who knows if it will work?"
Central characters Captain Jack and Gwen remain, and some of the action still takes place in Wales – but in terms of actors, locations and effects, the show feels noticeably more American. Torchwood fans will already be used to Captain Jack's American twang, of course, which Davies hopes might provide "a window there, a kind of way through". But he admits it might be slightly odd. "I watched it sometimes myself and some – well a lot – of the scenes were just the Americans without a single English or Welsh note, and you think, how's that going to play out on BBC1?"

Davies moved to the US after handing over Doctor Who, which he revived to great acclaim, to Steven Moffat and his new doctor, Matt Smith ("Oh I love him. He's limitless, isn't he?").

However, at one point, he suggests this series of Torchwood may be his last. "In theory I could have handed it over to a bunch of strangers and said good luck to them – and if there was another series I might do that because I think there's only so long you can spend doing Torchwood."
And how long is that? Davies almost immediately backtracks. "I say that," he laughs, "I start the series and I think, I'm never doing this again." But then he relives his brilliantly theatrical response last weekend in Swansea, his hometown, when looking at an edit of the last episode of the show, which this series has lost a lot of its monsters in favour of a longer, more conceptual story arc.
"'It's so marvellous! It's so marvellous!'" he laughs again. "It's hugely exciting and I've got to do this again. I've got one more story that I can tell – just one more that has Gwen right at the centre of it – that would be fantastic. So I'm my own worst enemy."

I wonder whether he misses Doctor Who. "I don't, because I did it so often," he replies. "I don't miss anything. I don't miss Queer as Folk. Once you've done something, you just move on. You miss them, I love what I did. But that's not missing it, is it really?"
Davies, who wrote for ITV kids' drama Children's Ward, is thinking about another children's show. The Sarah Jane Adventures, the CBBC series he created, has ended after the death of Elisabeth Sladen.
"We loved her," Davies says of the actor, adding that the team couldn't bear to do any kind of spin-off that didn't have her in it: "It just wouldn't be comfortable." But the production team would like to create another show for children. "That's the best audience that you'll ever work for. Make a good kids' show and they'll remember it when they're 80."
There are Doctor Who fans who would doubtless agree.

 

[ClayinCA]

But the production team would like to create another show for children. "That's the best audience that you'll ever work for. Make a good kids' show and they'll remember it when they're 80."

Hmmm, interesting. I wonder if that means another Doctor Who kids' show, or just a kids' show in general? Either way, I'll miss Clyde and Rani.

 

[starsuperion]

interesting.. who knew Davies made the move accross to this side of the pond.. I suppose that was inevitable since he is working on Torchwood.. makes sense.

As for twangs, it seems odd to look at it from the other point of view, but you have to realise, most of the Americans that are watching Doctor Who, which isn't an American show, accept the British Twang which is well recieved..why not the other way? Wasn't Star Trek TNG well recieved in it's day, with the exception of Patrick Stewart.. it was mostly Americans and their accent..

 

[captcalhoun]

RTD made the move to America not long after finishing work on Who...

 

[Brendan Moody]

As for twangs, it seems odd to look at it from the other point of view, but you have to realise, most of the Americans that are watching Doctor Who, which isn't an American show, accept the British Twang which is well recieved..why not the other way? Wasn't Star Trek TNG well recieved in it's day, with the exception of Patrick Stewart.. it was mostly Americans and their accent..

I think the point he's making is that, UK or US, those accented shows don't usually end up on major networks in primetime, so the mass audience might not be able to compensate for it as well as niche viewers. I don't think it'll be a problem personally, but RTD is always hyper-vigilant about things that might distract or annoy viewers.

 

[Deckerd]

but RTD is always hyper-vigilant about things that might distract or annoy viewers.

I don't think he is. I think one of his objectives is to provoke. The way you phrased that makes him sound like he's aiming for the Shipping Forecast.

 

[Brendan Moody]

I don't think he is. I think one of his objectives is to provoke.

Under certain circumstances, sure. But accents, and other things he worries about in terms of losing the mainstream audience (excessive arc plotting, the one-year leap between "The Sound of Drums" and "Last of the Time Lords") aren't a question of being provocative.