written by Martin on Mar 31, 2005
Apologies if I’m pushing the Doctor Who theme this week, but news emerged today that Christopher Eccleston has announced he is quiting the Doctor Who role after filming just one series.
The first episode of the new series netted over 10million viewers on Saturday night, but Eccleston has announced that he won’t be reprising the role for a second series, which was announced as a new commission by the BBC yesterday.
Actors are already being touted for the role, including the little-known Casanova star David Tennant.
Undoubtedly, in a wave of relieved publicity, the BBC will announce that they have persuaded Eccleston to remain in the role for at least one more series – or better still, perhaps someone of the calibre of Richard E Grant will step in and become the tenth Doctor.
written by Martin on Mar 30, 2005
Apparently, there are some 237 ‘Tardis’-style police boxes dotted around the UK, although most are not recognisable as the time-travelling spaceship used by the Doctor in Doctor Who.
In fact, the only significantly intact ones are in Glasgow, Scotland.
Remarkably, the Metropolitan Police Authority in London no longer own the copyright to the design of the original police box.
Following a six year patent case, which ended in 2002, the UK patent office ruled that the public are more likely to associate the famous boxes with the BBC television series Doctor Who than they are with the police, and the BBC now own the rights to the design.
written by Martin on Mar 28, 2005
Paul Hester, former drummer with Split Enz and Crowded House, has been found dead in a park in Melbourne.
written by Martin on Mar 27, 2005
Roachfiend has developed an extension for Firefox that links in to the BugMeNot database.
It works in a very simple way; when you find yourself on a website that requires a compulsory registration login to view content, such as The Guardian or The New York Times, simply right click the page and choose “BugMeNot” – it queries the database, posts the relevant login information – and you’re in.
written by Martin on Mar 21, 2005
written by Martin on Mar 20, 2005
Damien Love previews the new series of Doctor Who for the Sunday Herald.
“Doctor Who, you may have heard, is back. And, after all the hype, the first thing to say is – it’s good.“
He’s not wrong – and it’s interesting to note his observation about the first episode being leaked onto the internet a few weeks ago;
“When that bootleg of the first episode appeared online a few weeks ago, some speculated the source of the leak was the BBC itself, unleashing a viral campaign to stir up anticipation, as well as a frisson of illicit chic. If so, the gamble worked, but buried within the strategy seemed to be something else: an implicit reminder that, last time Dr Who was on television – I mean 1989, when Sylvester McCoy’s curious stint ended (it seems a shame to drag up the telemovie Paul McGann was lumbered with) – nobody had even heard of the internet.“
And lastly:
“In only five Saturdays’ time, we’re going to see a Dalek!“
The first programme airs on BBC ONE this forthcoming Saturday (26 March).
written by Martin on Mar 19, 2005
written by Martin on Mar 19, 2005
‘Think Bad, not different.
