Articles by Rob Buckley

About Rob Buckley
I’m Rob Buckley, a journalist who writes for UK media magazines that most people have never heard of although you might have heard me on the podcast Lockdown Land or Radio 5 Live’s Saturday Edition or Afternoon Edition. I’ve edited Dreamwatch, Sprocket and Cambridge Film Festival Daily; been technical editor for TV producers magazine Televisual; reviewed films for the short-lived newspaper Cambridge Insider; written features for the even shorter-lived newspaper Soho Independent; and was regularly sarcastic about television on the blink-and-you-missed-it “web site for urban hedonists” The Tribe. Since going freelance, I've contributed to the likes of Broadcast, Total Content + Media, Action TV, Off The Telly, Action Network, TV Scoop and The Custard TV.
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Last one: Sun says DT has committed to another series of Doctor Who

9 September 2006 Rob Buckley 6 Comments

David Tennant in an interesting hatI know, I know, I’m supposed to be on holiday, but…

Today’s issue of The Sun says that David Tennant has signed up for a third series of Doctor Who, asking for and getting the princely sum of £1 million for the series. However, it continues, that he absolutely won’t commit to another series after that.

Now, The Sun has been good in the past for insider info, although I suspect its accuracy varies according to the journalist writing each story – they’re a territorial lot at The Sun. But, how can this be, given that

  1. £1 million is what Eccles-cake got for the first series (allegedly) and the ratings have been better under DT than they were under CE;
  2. The fourth series hasn’t even been commissioned yet?

Were the Beeb waiting to see whether DT would sign on the dotted line before committing to another series? Surely, given Who‘s unique “let’s dump the star” capabilities, they wouldn’t have been that fussed.

Alternatively, maybe they thought they could keep DT’s asking price down if they didn’t commit themselves to another series. Theories on a postcard or stuck-down envelope to…

Off on me hols

8 September 2006 Rob Buckley Post a comment

I’m away on holiday next week – Swansea, in case you’re curious – so no blogging for me, unless I somehow fail to beat my workaholism. Hopefully, I’ll be back on September 18th. Until then, have fun and I hope you find some good tele to watch!

US TV

Review: ‘Til Death

8 September 2006 Rob Buckley 5 Comments

'Til Death

In the US: Fox, Thursdays 8/7c
In the UK: Not yet picked up. Paramount or Five will probably grab it though

Watching Everybody Loves Raymond is mandatory in our house. It’s not my choice. My wife feels sorry for Ray’s wife. So there you go.

In the deep misery that is the average episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, I find Brad Garrett to be the only beacon of light to keep me going.

ELR is over now, and Garrett has moved on to ‘Til Death, an average new comedy from Fox, this time featuring two wives with rubbish husbands.

I get the feeling a new mandatory show is looming on the horizon.

Continue reading “Review: ‘Til Death”

Russell T Davies will be staying on for another series of Doctor Who

8 September 2006 Rob Buckley 1 Comment

More larks from Doctor Who Magazine. This time, RTD confirms he – and everyone else on the production side – will be back for a fourth series, should it be commissioned. Oh, like there are going to be any problems getting that to happen:

“We’re planning for Series Four right now,” Executive Producer Russell T Davies tells Doctor Who Magazine, “as we’re waiting to be commissioned, and the signs are very good.”

“I will stay for Series Four,” he confirms. “I think we all will – Julie [Gardner, executive producer], Phil [Collinson, producer], and I would absolutely love to do it, so we’re waiting for the nod, and we’re fairly confident that it will come. The BBC is so supportive, and they’re delighted with the ratings – not just the ratings, cos they’re not that ratings-conscious, but also the profile, and the energy of the show. They love it.

”So yes, we’re making plans for Series Four. If we waited until they commissioned it, and I don’t know when that’ll be announced, we’d be behind already. Phil and I drove up to Manchester the other day, and we added together all of our ideas for Series Four in the space of that car journey… and we had nine episodes already! Of course, some of them will change, but it’s already gathering shape…!“

Apparently, there’s also going to be news about the eighth Doctor in the issue, on sale on Thursday. Ooh!