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[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of The Next Doctor (Part 27)

Excerpt from the Radio Times:

David Tennant on David Morrisey "It's a real thrill to work with him again," says David Tennant of David Morrissey, with whom he previously starred in BBC1 drama Blackpool in 2004. Morrissey, Dervla Kirwan, and Velile Tshabalala, who plays Morrissey's companion, Rosita, came in for the special at the end of the grueling nine-month series-four shoot. "There was, I suppose, a danger we'd all be exhausted by the Christmas special," says Tennant. "But to have David, Dervla, and Velile come in with so much energy, always being funny and bright and up for anything, I think it spurred us on. We all got on very well."

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Additional parts of this set are in the #whoBtsNext tag. The full episode list is [ here ]

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of The Next Doctor (Part 25)

Excerpt from DWM 455's "Fact or Fiction"

The mystery of a 'next' Doctor tied in with the fact that David Tennant's successor had yet to be revealed. Was this intentional? Russell T. Davies: "The whole idea became part of David's departure, but that's not where it started. It was simply an idea. I was sitting in a taxi one day, heading towards Upper Boat, probably a couple of years before, and suddenly had this image of the Doctor landing somewhere - anywhere, this could have fitted into any story - and then someone runs up to him saying 'Hello! I'm the Doctor!' Cue titles! The idea just sat there for a while, ticking away, until Christmas became the perfect opportunity. The theme then snowballed - the non-regeneration cliffhanger at the end of The Stolen Earth (2008) created a sort of fever for the next incarnation, much to our surprise. I remember, I wasn't sure about The Next Doctor as a title for a while, because I thought it might push ordinary viewers away - not realizing that ordinary viewers were keying into that idea on a huge scale. Even the ratings took us by surprise. It was just the right time for the right idea, and you can rarely plan that. It just happens. If you're lucky!"

Additional parts of this set are in the #whoBtsNext tag. The full episode list is [ here ]

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of The Next Doctor (Part 26)

From Russell T. Davis' article previewing the episode for the Radio Times:

When we last saw the Doctor, he was travelling through time and space in his rickety blue box all alone. His companions had found better lives for themselves -- except for Donna. Oh, poor Donna Noble, with her memory wiped of all her adventures. I can't help thinking of her this Christmas. No doubt she's sitting with the girls in the pub, wearing tinsel, moaning about the credit crunch and wolf-whistling at the barman, not knowing that she once saved the entire universe. The production team at BBC Wales thinks it's a genuine honour to be given a Christmas episode every year. We're proud of Doctor Who's status as family viewing, and this is the one time of year when you can guarantee that people will gather en masse around the TV. (Though I've been known to throw walnuts at my nieces to stop them talking during transmission. Consider this a warning, girls.) For this annual episode, all the production departments stretch themselves to the limit to give every single viewer a visual extravaganza. We usually film within Wales, but this year saw the cast and crew venturing to Gloucester, which offered us huge Victorian marketplaces, and cobbled alleyways in which monsters might lurk. All covered by our trusty, festive snow machine. Mind you, I suspect that the shoot was a bit livelier than most period dramas, with explosions and chases and screaming hordes fleeing from disaster!

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...with huge thanks to everyone who shared set photos

Additional parts of this set are in the #whoBtsNext tag. The full episode list is [ here ]

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of The Next Doctor (Part 23)

From a Benjamin Cook's interview with David Morrisey for the Radio Times:

In Cyber HQ, the Cyberleader is in a bit of a pickle. His arm keeps falling off. (Well, part of his arm.) Not so scary now, eh? "He's a decomposing Cyber Controller," quips David Tennant. "Hang on. No, he's a Cyberleader, isn't he? Easy mistake to make." "Call yourself the Doctor?" David Morrissey tuts in mock disgust. Would Morrissey consider a return to Doctor Who? "Oh yeah. Definitely. I love it. I've had a great time." As speculation gathers pace about who'll take over from Tennant, Morrissey is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the bookies' favourite. "If they asked me back," he says, with a twinkle in his eye, "I'd jump at it. I think it's a great character, and I've loved every minute."

Additional parts of this set are in the #whoBtsNext tag. The full episode list is [ here ]

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of The Next Doctor (Part 22)

Russell T. Davies, as interviewed by Paul Connolly for The Daily Mail:

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Doctor Who. You get a lot of other dramas: fantasy, period, the whole lot - and many of them are very good - but they tend to be a little pious, a bit solemn.

Doctor Who just has a great sense of enjoyment. And that's down to David Tennant, really, at the heart of the show.

And so an awful lot of preparation and hard work goes into making the Doctor Who Christmas Special. It's made with love and passion. 

We plan a couple of years ahead, so, when I start writing, I've usually been thinking about the plot for a while. And I always write with the 100 Best Christmas Songs CD playing to get me in the right mood. 

The strange thing is that Christmas never really ends for the Doctor Who cast and crew. I began writing this special last January - and I'm about to start writing the next one. We started shooting back in April, and we were still working on it until earlier this month.

We're definitely coming to the end of an era, with myself and David Tennant leaving after the next series. David's leaving for the same reason as me - because he's knackered! But we also have this sort of wanderlust that makes you want to go and try new things, and, much as I love Doctor Who, it's never going to have a real emotional intensity. It's time to move on. 

Except, I think that if you're a real fan, you don't really think of it like that. You just wait for the next Doctor to come along, spend ten minutes hating him and then he does something funny and you fall in love with him. 

It's just that sort of show. It's the best part in the world and there's some lucky actor out there - and I'm not sure they'll choose a new Doctor before Christmas, but they might - who is going to get the best Christmas present in the world.

Link to [ Part One ] of the Next Doctor series of BTS posts (or click the #whoBtsNext link)

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of The Next Doctor (Part 21)

Excerpts from the podcast commentary with Julie Gardner (executive producer) & Russell T. Davies (writer/showrunner):

[ Talking about the scene where Mrs. Hardigan has the Cybermen slaughter everyone at the graveyard ]

RTD:  A Christmas Day slaughter. How marvelous

JG: How much do you think that is governed by the mood you're in while you're writing?

RTD: I think hugely

JG: Because that's a bit more adult, isn't it?

RTD: Yeah, but then I think my mood comes from what sort of story it is, because you're actually telling a story about a mental fugue, a fugue state, and that's something that I've always wanted to write about.  It's a genuine mental condition, quite a rare condition, and quite a debated condition, actually, but to a certain extent it does exist and it's a fascinating thing to write about.  Once that's the keynote, then actually you're in quite a serious area.  He's in that state because his wife was murdered and he thinks his son is dead, so his mind has literally just run away.  So once you're there you're not going to throw Slitheen in, are you? You know?

JG: No

RTD:  Or you're not going to do a Gridlock with talking cats. So it is my mood, and also I think a more serious mood is the mood that comes after 15 episodes [they had filmed 15 episodes in a row - from Voyage of the Damned straight through to The Next Doctor before taking a production break]

JG: Absolutely

RTD: ...and what I mean is it's more energy and more exhausting to be lighter.  Because the courage that you need - to put gags in, to put funnier creatures in, whether that's the Moxx of Balhoon or Bannakaffalatta or Slitheens or something - it's actually a bigger, deeper breath you have to take, and more energy [...]  Oh, I remember I had chicken pox as well. 

JG: You were so ill when you were doing this

RTD:  I had chicken pox when I was writing this, and then it became bronchitis, all of which is making it sound marvelous - but funnily enough I'd actually already chosen this story

Link to [ Part One ] of the Next Doctor series of BTS posts (or click the #whoBtsNext link)

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of The Next Doctor (Part 20)

Excerpts from the podcast commentary with Julie Gardner (executive producer) & Russell T. Davies (writer/showrunner)

[ Discussing the scene at the end with Jackson and the Doctor having a conversation outside the TARDIS] 

RTD: We did have to edit around quite a bit here, because marvelously, in the background there, there are extras walking around going, "I'm still very injured from the Cyberman's foot"  [laughs]

JG: Yes, while we're enjoying this, they're staggering out there

RTD:  There are couples walking past supporting each other, and a man staggering, then he sits down, and then he walks back the other way - and we had to edit the entire thing around the injured extras, who were only doing what we told them to do, which was, "Look like you've been attacked by a Cyber King," but it's sort of distracting from the romance of the moment. [laughs]  Oh, it were funny. It were right funny... Oh, look the Doctor's sad.  David Tennant we love you

JG: We love you so much and we miss you today on this sofa [David was supposed to join them on the commentary, but he was sick]

RTD: Yes we do, seriously, and Merry Christmas, David

JG: Merry Christmas - to the two Davids!

RTD: Yes!

Thank you to everyone who shared set photos!

Other The Next Doctor parts available [one] [two] [three] [four] [five] [six] [seven] [eight] [nine] [ten] [eleven] [twelve] [thirteen] [fourteen] [fifteen] [sixteen] [seventeen] [eighteen] [nineteen] (or click the #whoBtsNext tag)

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of The Next Doctor (Part 19)

Excerpt from David Bailey’s article in DWM #403

“Velile [Tshabalala - who plays Rosita] was a real find,” Russell T. Davies [showrunner/writer] says.  “Everyone bangs on about our guest casting, but people forget how good [casting director] Andy Pryor is at finding new, exciting talent. And she’s got a tricky role - she ends up being companion to both Doctors, which isn’t easy. But she seemed to have a ball, from beginning to end. And she does end up running an awful lot, as every companion should!”

Rosita enters the fray as the other Doctor’s companion, but soon finds herself hoisting up her frilly petticoats to run after both him and the Tenth Doctor. As if all this physical exercise wasn’t enough, Velile had to cope with nerves as she met her new co-stars.

“You can imagine how intimidated I felt to talk on to the set and there’s David Tennant - who’s a massive star - and there’s David Morrissey in front of me, too!” she laughs. “Spending all day with two gorgeous men, it’s been horrible! No, I’m joking. It’s been lovely. And David Morrissey has done such a fantastic job, I think he’ll be really popular. 

Thank you to everyone who shared set photos!

Other The Next Doctor parts available [one] [two] [three] [four] [five] [six] [seven] [eight] [nine] [ten] [eleven] [twelve] [thirteen] [fourteen] [fifteen] [sixteen] [seventeen] [eighteen] (or click the #whoBtsNext tag)