Posted Jul 1st 2009 10:05AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, OpEd, Doctor Who, Celebrities, Reality-Free, British TV
With the premiere of
Torchwood: Children of Earth closing in at BBC America, John Barrowman is picking an unusual time to kick BBC executives in the pants.
The leading man and variety host told the British papers that he feels like the
BBC is punishing him and Torchwood by cutting the show down to a week-long, five-episode mini-series run.
Barrowman's timing is odd, as there were no reports of dissatisfaction before, during or after filming on the short run. Meanwhile, there's plenty of positive publicity buzzing around the new season, and there was no desperate need to get people interested via a complaint.
Continue reading Barrowman blasts BBC for Torchwood miniseries
Posted Jul 1st 2009 9:03AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: The Office, Celebrities, Reality-Free, British TV
The creator of the world's most popular sitcom franchise,
The Office, should be beyond the reach of critics anywhere. But, Ricky Gervais is preemptively telling reviewers to lay off his new movie,
The Invention of Lying.
The comedy Gervais co-wrote and directed with Matthew Robinson explores a world where no one has ever lied until a writer seizes the opportunity for personal gain.
Gervais doesn't want critics to expect too much. On his blog, he wrote, "Dear critics (everyone), when judging the film, please remember that it is a high concept, PG-13 romantic comedy. It's not
Schindler's List or
The Godfather."
Continue reading The Office's Ricky Gervais defends his Invention of Lying
Posted Jun 20th 2009 9:03AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: The Office, Celebrities, Reality-Free, British TV
Ricky Gervais of
The Office and
Extras fame is going to design a man purse -- but it's for a good cause.
The
U.K.'s Prostrate Cancer Charity (part of the Charity Aids Foundation) asked television stars and other celebrities to design a man's handbag for
The Manbag Company. Each unique design will be auctioned off to fight prostate cancer.
Of course, Gervais is a funny man and a cool, self-effacing celeb. But, it'll be interesting to see if even he can make something as inherently uncool as a man purse into swag a guy will want to spend money on -- cancer be damned.
Continue reading The Office's Gervais will design Manbag for charity
Posted Jun 19th 2009 10:02AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, OpEd, Doctor Who, Celebrities, Reality-Free, British TV, Comic-Con
Doctor Who's David Tennant (right) and
Who/Torchwood executive producer Russell T. Davies are headed to Comic-Con for the first time this year -- just in time for both of them to walk away from sci-fi's longest running TV series.
It should be a huge event, as fans of both
Doctor Who and
Torchwood will get their first chance to grill the people most directly responsible for the shows' development over the last few years.
Tennant, will appear alongside Davies, former
Who executive producer Julie Gardner and
Who/
Torchwood director Euros Lyn at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego on Sunday, July 26, 10-11:00 am PT.
Continue reading Doctor Who's Tennant and Davies Heading to Comic-Con
Posted Jun 18th 2009 1:02PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Celebrities, British TV, America's Got Talent
Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle could jump from her runner-up appearance on
Britain's Got Talent to perform on the colonial remake,
America's Got Talent.
According to producers, they'd love
Boyle to sing in front of millions of U.S. viewers. There's no word if they'd consider changing the name of the show to
America's Got Talented, Frumpy 48 Year Old Scottish Women Who Had a Nervous Breakdown after Almost Winning the Overseas Show We're Ripping Off.
The self-confessed virgin had rarely stepped foot outside her village in Scotland before taking a shot at fame on ITV. But, her breakout performance made her an online sensation.
Continue reading Susan Boyle could appear on America's Got Talent
Posted Jun 14th 2009 10:03AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Programming, TV on DVD, Reality-Free, British TV
Torchwood creator and executive producer Russell T. Davies told the British press Friday that the fourth season of the sci-fi show is ready and waiting, depending on how the show's third mini-season ("Children of Earth") performs.
During a screening of the third series' premiere episode ("Day One"), Davies said he knows where he wants to go in
Torchwood's next run. That's good news for fans, as there's every reason to expect that "Children of Earth" will do well both in the U.K. and in the U.S. -- where it out-rates the show that inspired it (
Doctor Who) on BBC America.
Davies, the former executive producer of
Who, also gave
Torchwood fans reason to rejoice when he said he'd be willing to keep knocking the show out for 10 years if the viewers stay tuned. No word if show stars like John Barrowman and Eve Myles would be willing to stay on board into their middle age.
Continue reading Davies says Torchwood's season four is ready to go
Posted Jun 12th 2009 12:00PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Celebrities, Reality-Free, British TV
According to Twitter, John Cleese is recovering from successful eye surgery in the U.K.
Following a procedure on his
left eye, Cleese handed his
Tweets over to a friend, Garry Scott-Irvine. That buddy is keeping fans updated on the
Monty Python and
Fawlty Towers legend's condition. Fans sent scores of well-wishes to
Cleese as he heals up in a British hospital.
The 69-year-old comedian is reportedly in good health otherwise and looking to head home later this week. His chosen method of communication is ironic when you consider Cleese sells a t-shirt on his site entitled: "
WTF is Twitter?"
Continue reading Cleese doesn't mention the war during eye surgery
Posted Jun 5th 2009 2:03PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Music and Variety, Celebrities, British TV
In the never-ending soap opera bubbling around Susan Boyle, there are now multiple reports that an incorrect phone number issued on fan-produced YouTube promotional videos might have helped do in the Scottish singer on
Britain's Got Talent.
Producers denied the whole mess Thursday, but reports say YouTube clips made by Boyle's suddenly erupting fan base showed the voting
phone numbers for her rivals. If Boyle fans called those numbers, she didn't receive the votes -- creating the possibility that she fell into second place behind the dance group Diversity by user error.
So, those fans are screaming McFoul and calling for everything from an investigation to a new vote. None of the above will happen, as producers already indicated the final result will stand.
Continue reading Incorrect YouTube posts cast shadow over Boyle's defeat
Posted Jun 1st 2009 8:23PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Celebrities, British TV
It's fair to say plans to transform Susan Boyle's overnight celebrity into a performing and recording career are on hold now that the singer is reportedly hospitalized for exhaustion following her runner-up finish on
Britain's Got Talent.
According to multiple British news
reports, Boyle suffered a severe anxiety attack after
her internationally viewed defeat on the show. Police were called to Boyle's hotel this weekend and assessed the 48-year-old Scottish contestant under the U.K.'s Mental Health Act. She was taken to an area clinic for treatment.
At first glance, this looks like a simple instance of "too much, too soon" for an individual thrust into the spotlight before she was really ready for the attention. But, the case is getting serious now that British authorities are planning to investigate
Britain's Got Talent's producers for allowing Boyle to perform in the show's finale when they allegedly knew she wasn't coping well.
Continue reading Susan Boyle treated for exhaustion after Talent defeat
Posted May 31st 2009 9:41AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Music and Variety, Celebrities, British TV
She dreamed a dream, but Susan Boyle's rags to riches attempt to win the top prize on
Britain's Got Talent came up just short this weekend.
Diversity, a dance troupe, edged out the Scot on the season's climactic episode. Her seemingly tragic and unjust end seems almost poetically concocted as Boyle sang "I Dream a Dream" for her final number on the show (the same song that stunned audiences the night she appeared on the scene).
But, Boyle was gracious in defeat, offering a nod to the young performers who beat her out: "They're very entertaining. Lads, I wish you all the best."
Her defeat comes after a week of controversy as Boyle allegedly laid into multiple reported victims with
expletive laced tirades. Her behavior offered the British tabloid press the perfect opportunity to claim she was cracking under the pressure and was out of her depth as a performer. No one will ever know for sure if that bad press cost her the crown.
Continue reading Boyle's bubble burst as she comes up short on Britain's Got Talent
Posted May 30th 2009 9:05AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: TV on the Bigscreen, OpEd, Doctor Who, Reality-Free, British TV
The rumors flow like wine. Once again, "news" has surfaced that
a Doctor Who movie is in the works. Supposedly this one has a bit more merit because the BBC has confirmed that one is in development, yet they don't link to a press release of any kind. Forgive me if I have some doubts.
If true, which Doctor is it? Will it be David Tennant or Matt Smith? And which showrunner is it? Russell T. Davies or Steven Moffat? Or is the answer none of the above?
There has been
a lot of recent developments in the
Doctor Who world. A movie is the next logical step.
If I had my druthers, the movie would be about the Time War (the Daleks being the obvious choice for the alien enemy of the movie). It would star Paul McGann and fill the gap between the 1996 television movie and the 2005 relaunch. The odds are so astronomically against as to be incalculable, but I can dream.
Posted May 29th 2009 2:02PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Doctor Who, Reality-Free, British TV
The new cast of 2010's next full season of the world's longest running sci-fi show is looking a lot like "Jim Henson's
Doctor Who Babies" with the announcement of the new companion for Matt Smith's 11th Doctor.
Twenty-one-year-old Karen Gillan will become the show's first "ginger" companion when the red-head steps into the Tardis for executive producer Steven Moffat next year. When standing alongside 26-year-old Smith, the pair could look disturbingly like a
Twilight book cover.
While it's not fair to say she got the part because she's Scottish, it couldn't hurt that her boss (Moffat) hails from the same part of the world. She studied acting at Telford College in Edinburgh and already has a short list of credits, including
Outcast (a film with
Jekyll star, James Nesbitt).
Continue reading Doctor Who gets younger, redder with new companion
Posted May 28th 2009 12:02PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Reality-Free, British TV
This has already been a big week for series announcements in the UK. There was a time when that would be a big "Who cares?" for American viewers. Why worry about shows they couldn't see anywhere near their first run air dates?
But with US networks importing Brit shows regularly in original and remade forms, it won't be long before these shows air on screens on both sides of the Atlantic.
Yesterday, the BBC announced the arrival of the
new thriller comedy Psychoville. Created by
League of Gentlemen stars Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton,
Psychoville brings together "a misguided midwife, a lovestruck telekinetic dwarf, a blind avaricious collector and a serial-killer-obsessed man-child," as each receives a mysterious card reading: "I know what you did..."
Suffice to say, if this new show shares even a little of the hyper-creative weirdness of
League of Gentlemen, you'll be entertained. But, you may need a couple of aspirin when you're done watching.
Continue reading Psychoville, Occupation lead the march of new series to BBC networks
Posted May 27th 2009 10:02AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Doctor Who, British TV
The success of
Doctor Who at the BBC opened up the doors to new sci-fi shows across the broadcaster's various networks. Now, a new BBC American co-production explores the difficult problems of being a teenage monster in today's society.
Being Human examines the lives of three 20-somethings and their secret double-lives as a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost.
Starring
Doctor Who guest stars Russell Tovey and Lenora Crichlow with Aidan Turner (
The Clinic), each episode features housemates trying to live normal lives, despite their bizarre secrets.
Continue reading Being Human revels in Brits being inhuman
Posted May 26th 2009 8:45PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Doctor Who, Celebrities, Reality-Free, British TV
It's not enough to have a
cameo appearance on
Tonight's The Night. Now, David Tennant is once again
reprising his role as everyone's favorite Time Lord in two episodes of the spin-off
The Sarah Jane Adventures.
He is also reprising the role for a
second animated adventure before the year is done.
I can tell he already misses the role. When they do some sort of multiple Doctors story in a future
Doctor Who, I'm sure with a minimum of coaxing (perhaps for a bag of crisps) he could be convinced to play the role again.
The third season of the series will broadcast in September, which would occur before the broadcast of Tennant's final bow and would well fit into the continuity of the series (loose as that continuity is).
As far as I'm concerned, Tennant is (to borrow a phrase from his predecessor) fantastic and couldn't appear as the Doctor enough times. I think he should have remained in the role for another couple of years, but that's just me.
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