It’s probably gone inexplicably beneath most people’s radar, but last week’s Guardian Science Weekly Podcast (and podcast extra) feature interviews with John Barrowman (you know, Captain Jack in Doctor Who and Torchwood) as he’s led round CERN (the European centre for nuclear research) by Dr Brian Cox (Hannibal Lecktor. No, hang on, it’s another Brian Cox).
Just thought I’d let you know in case you missed it for some reason.
Time to induct two new members to the group of people elevated to God-like status: Douglas Camfield and Graeme Harper. They’re not especially well known names, except within a certain group of (charitably) TV aficionados or (less charitably) geeks. But they are two of the best directors Doctor Who and possibly British TV has ever seen.
Now it would be unfair to say that early Doctor Who didn’t have very good direction. Directed by Waris Hussein, the opening episode, An Unearthly Child, was a particularly splendid piece of work: whenever Anna and I talk about how flat some episodes have looked, I at least am thinking of An Unearthly Child as an example of how well lit and directed Doctor Who can be (Anna can tell you what she’s thinking about!).
Here below is the opening to the world’s longest running sci-fi series. Imagine it’s 1963. Kid’s TV has been Muffin the Mule and Bill and Ben. There are no synthesisers, special effects or anything else on television. Then this hits the scene at Saturday tea time. Just how severely blown away would you have been?
But post-Unearthly Child, it all went a bit flat. After all, we’re talking about a show that initially had to put out a new episode every week, all year round, with no budget, no time, no real ability to do re-takes if scenes messed up and technical issues aplenty. It’s a miracle the sets stayed up.
Douglas Camfield was one of the first to change that.
Anyone who thought Xena: Warrior Princess was in any way about female empowerment, think again – or at least send Universal Playback a rude message. Mud-wrestling glamour models to launch a DVD?
What happened to some of the former contestants of The Apprentice and Dragons’ Den [free registration required]
Well, boys and girls, I think we’ve learnt two things from this week’s episode of Doctor Who – The Shouty Years:
Graeme Harper’s finally remembered how to direct. He had it nailed during the 80s, seemed to forget last year, but has returned to stonking form this year
Chris Chibnall can write at least half a good script. Maybe not a whole one, but at least a half of one
It’s probably gone inexplicably beneath most people’s radar, but last week’s Guardian Science Weekly Podcast (and podcast extra) feature interviews with John Barrowman (you know, Captain Jack in Doctor Who and Torchwood) as he’s led round CERN (the European centre for nuclear research) by Dr Brian Cox (Hannibal Lecktor. No, hang on, it’s another Brian Cox).
