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Title: Cancellation rumours (again)


jamiearmour - May 31, 2007 04:07 PM (GMT)
Well, it must be a slow news day. The Scum newspaper have dug up this old chestnut.

QUOTE
HIT show Doctor Who will be EXTERMINATED next year — after the fourth series.

Boss Russell T. Davies has decided to axe the BBC1 sci-fi drama and concentrate on other projects.

He and senior staff have hatched a plot to hand in a group resignation in summer 2008.

A source said: “The heavy workload — nine months of 16-hour days every year — has started to take its toll.

“It was decided the best thing for the show was go out at the top next year.”

Davies was behind the relaunch of Doctor Who in 2005 — 16 years after it was originally axed.

The series, starring David Tennant as the Time Lord, is watched by eight million every Saturday.


Ho hum. I'll believe it when I see it.

Credit (if any is due) to the SUN ONLINE

Dan Brown - May 31, 2007 07:38 PM (GMT)
QUOTE (jamiearmour @ May 31 2007, 04:07 PM)
Well, it must be a slow news day.  The Scum newspaper have dug up this old chestnut.

QUOTE
HIT show Doctor Who will be EXTERMINATED next year — after the fourth series.

Boss Russell T. Davies has decided to axe the BBC1 sci-fi drama and concentrate on other projects.

He and senior staff have hatched a plot to hand in a group resignation in summer 2008.

A source said: “The heavy workload — nine months of 16-hour days every year — has started to take its toll.

“It was decided the best thing for the show was go out at the top next year.”

Davies was behind the relaunch of Doctor Who in 2005 — 16 years after it was originally axed.

The series, starring David Tennant as the Time Lord, is watched by eight million every Saturday.


Ho hum. I'll believe it when I see it.

Credit (if any is due) to the SUN ONLINE

I doubt the BBC would let this impact the show at all, its a hit and if it continues to be so it will still be on our screens. They'll just have to replace Russell etc. And frankly its sometimes good for the show to change the producers and people behind the scenes around. For instance if the producers never changed we would have never got Phillip Hinchcliffe and the scary Tom Baker stories that Mary Whitehouse had a problem with. The Ark In Space, Pyramids Of Mars, Genesis of The Daleks etc. would have not been the same without his influence. And with some people complaining of recycled stories (42's resemblance to The Satan Pit) maybe a change wouldn't be so bad if they got the right people in.

So even if the story is true (which I doubt) the show is popular and a ratings success. If they all walked out (which is also very suspicious) they would be replaced quickly, I'm sure alot of talented people would be interested in working on the show and the BBC could had the reins over.

Unless we've got another Michael Grade figure at the BBC who is against Doctor Who (and the ratings and public demand would protect it from them surely) I don't see any cancellation of Doctor Who after a forth season if the ratings continue to be high. Even if the ratings drop a new fanbase has built again to save the show, which would go some way in forcing the BBC to revive it as they are a public service.

MPs, Children, Newspapers, Magazines and Fans etc. will come to save the show, to cancel it would be extremely unpopular.

Anyway the BBC are the only people who can actually CANCEL a show, Russell T Davies and his senior staff resigning would not cancel a show if the BBC wanted it to continue...to concur with you Jamie in ALOT of wording here...this is pish posh.

prophecy girl - July 17, 2007 09:25 AM (GMT)
QUOTE
Who Writer Addresses Rumors

Steven Moffat, who has written some of the most memorable episodes of the BBC's new Doctor Who, told SCI FI Wire that fans have no cause to worry that the rumored departure of executive producer Russell T. Davies at the end of the fourth season will mean the end of the franchise, but he did not deny the rumor.

"I know that there's tremendous anxiety among Doctor Who fans about the future of Doctor Who," Moffat said in an interview at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he was promoting his upcoming BBC America series, Jekyll. "Here's an answer that people should listen to. No broadcaster lets go of a show like Doctor Who. They'd have to be out of their f--king minds."

The new iteration of Doctor Who premiered in 2005 and just completed its third season in the United Kingdom. Each season has seen a major casting change, and the fourth one will be no exception. Catherine Tate has been announced as the Doctor's new companion, reprising the role of Donna Noble from last year's Christmas special, The Runaway Bride.

Moffat pointed out that Doctor Who has managed to remain popular despite these changes and that the show is bigger than any one person.

"If Doctor Who demonstrates anything—any simple truth about television—it's that everyone is dispensable," he said. "Doctor Who is probably there forever. It will probably outlive everyone on [fan Web site] Outpost Gallifrey. That's probably the truth. I'm not saying that it will run continuously for 20 years. They might give it a rest for a while, but I wouldn't imagine Doctor Who would rest for very long now. But Doctor Who is completely safe. It's not in great danger. It's been the center of British culture since Kennedy was shot. I mean, it's not going away. Look, they turned it to s--t and took it off for 15 years, and that didn't kill it. I mean, what's going to kill it now? Success?"

When asked if he might be the one to take over should Davies leave the show, Moffat appeared slightly uncomfortable. "Next question," he answered after a long pause. "There's a lot of things to think about there."


/sci fi wire




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