CBBC wanted SJA gay character [UPDATE]

In the audio commentary for The Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of the Doctor - released on next month's DVD release of The Green Death: Special Edition - Russell T Davies states that one of the show's main characters, Sarah Jane's son Luke (played by Tommy Knight), was to have been gay should the show have continued. Speaking on the commentary, he reveals this information for the very first time with even some of the show's writers in the dark about the info. On the commentary for the story starring Matt Smith (The Eleventh Doctor) and Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Russell says:

"Tommy [Luke Smith] refers to his friend Sanjay. Now had we continued, Sanjay would have been Luke's boyfriend. Because children's BBC [CBBC] wanted to have - I've never said this in any interview anywhere - wanted us to have a gay character on children's BBC. Just a normal gay character."

"And so they said to us, 'Can you do that with [The] Sarah Jane [Adventures] and, I don't even think some of the writers on the show know this, because obviously we got taken off air sadly. Tommy [Knight, who played Luke Smith] wanted to come back into the show and we were going to approach him and say, 'Do you mind if he's gay and has a boyfriend?' So that was the plan, because of Steven Andrew [then Head of Drama and Acquisitions for CBBC] wanted it but it never came to pass. Isn't that sad? It's a shame."

Russell went to to reveal that a filmed line hinting at Luke's homosexuality was taken out of the Joe Lidster story, The Nightmare Man (review HERE); the former Who showrunner says:

"In the very last scene he says goodbye and Sarah Jane says, 'Have a lovely time at university. You'll grow up, you'll find a girlfriend,' and he says, 'Oh, could be a boyfriend!' And she goes, 'Well, as long as it's not alien, I don't care!' We ended up cutting it."*

Russell also talks about Matt Smith, stating the outgoing Doctor Who, is "amazing".

The Death of the Doctor audio commentary includes much more fascinating and hilarious insight into both The Sarah Jane Adventures and Doctor Who from Russell T Davies and Katy Manning. It is released on The Green Death: Special Edition DVD, out on August 5 (full details HERE).

The same DVD set also includes a documentary with stunning revelations on the show's return in the Noughties - read them HERE.

*UPDATE: Lovely writer Joe Lidster has been in touch to clarify the line was actually: "As long as it's not a Slitheen, I don't care!"

Read More

BBC wanted Tom Baker for RTD relaunch

Next month's DVD release of The Green Death: Special Edition includes another in the series of The Doctor Forever looking at the "wilderness years" of Doctor Who before its 2005 return. Titled The Unquiet Dead, the special feature includes interviews with former showrunner Russell T Davies and former Controller of Drama Commissioning at the BBC, Jane Tranter. They both discuss the story of Doctor Who and how they both brought it back to BBC One on Saturday nights. Below are some highlights from the fascinating documentary:

• Just before the Channel Four show Queer As Folk hit the screens in 1999, its writer Russell T Davies came to the attention of Mal Young (BBC Controller, Drama Serials 1997-2004). RTD remembers the first meeting:

"I remember, actually, someone in the room said, 'Why don't we bring Tom Baker back?' and we all said, 'Yes!' I was sitting there, going with anything, 'Yeah, that'd be great!'"

• Jane Tranter (pictured left) wanted to bring back Doctor Who with Judi Dench.

• After market research, BBC Worldwide decided there was: "great awareness of Doctor Who, but very little desire to see it"

• In 2001, the BBC wanted RTD to write a science-fiction version of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, but he turned them down saying, "If I'm going to do science-fiction with the BBC then I want to do Doctor Who."

• Co-producers of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) wanted to redub Christopher Eccleston (pictured right) with a Canadian actor, but Russell T Davies told them, "You're not doing that to our lead actor!"

• Michael Grade returned to the BBC in early 2004 and, as he had done before, wanted a Doctor Who-free schedule. Jane Tranter says, "The person who was completely opposed to bringing back Doctor Who was Michael Grade. He thought this was a really bad idea." On his return to the BBC as Director General, Mark Thompson also spoke to Jane Tranter about halting production on Doctor Who. The former BBC Head of Drama stated that he: "asked me if we could stop making it. 'Were we able to stop?' And I said' No!'"

The Doctor Forever: The Unquiet Dead includes much more fascinating recollections and revelations. It is released on The Green Death: Special Edition DVD, out on August 5 (full details HERE).

Read More

RTD regrets not asking Nick Briggs to write for Who

Featured on next month's "Special Edition" DVD release of The Visitation is a documentary looking at audio adventures, Doctor Forever – The Apocalypse Element. In the film former showrunner Russell T Davies laments that he didn't approach voice of the Daleks, Nicholas Briggs to pen a story for Doctor Who. Davies said:

"Looking back I think, to be honest, I always regret that we never asked Nick Briggs to write a Doctor Who script. He writes cracking Big Finish stories."

Big Finish are a company that produce exclusive Doctor Who audio adventures that feature past Doctors. Davies went on to talk about how their license for the show was unaffected by its return to television in 2005; the writer reveals:

"I swear to god, if Mal Young [Doctor Who Executive Producer at that time] had found out about Big Finish, he would have canceled them. He would have axed their license." Describing a meeting with BBC Worldwide when the topic of Big Finish and their license was broached, Davies said, "I remember leaning across the desk and went, 'That's fine. Mal, I'll take charge of that. You don't have to worry about it. It's fine, let's move on.' I literally stopped it being discussed."

The Visitation: Special Edition is released on May 13 in the UK - full details HERE.

Thanks to BBC Worldwide

Read More

Bernard Cribbins and Russell T Davies interview

Included in the player below is an interview between former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies and actor Bernard Cribbins (Wilf). Davies has written two stories for the CBeebies series Old Jack's Boat which stars Cribbins. The show also stars former companion Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones), watch an interview with her below and click on the images included for bigger versions.

Read More