A while ago I wrote a piece on Declan Burke's CAP wondering why many of the great icons of Englishness like Stephen Fry and Daniel Day Lewis really want to be Irish. I didn't actually come up with any answers but I suggested a retreat into the fictional realm to find icons of Englishness. After casting a Scot, an Australian, Roger Moore, a Welshman and an Irishman as James Bond they finally cast an Englishman (allbeit a Scouser) in the lead role. The majority of Robin Hoods - through no fault of their own - have had Trans Atlantic accents and now, apparently, even Dr. Who is doomed. First they hired a Scot (the excellent David Tennant) and the BBC reports today that silky voiced, follicly challenged, Ulsterman James Nesbitt is the odds on favourite to become the new Dr. Who. Everybody knows that Ireland's best actors come from County Antrim: Nesbitt, Branagh, Neeson, Rea etc. but is the Brando of Bushmills right for the part of Last of the Timelords? Dr. Who has had a regional accent before but I don't know if I want to hear the Doctor saying things like "Bout ya, big man, yon's a quare scowl on your bake," or "Don't get eggy with me love, I'm way too scunnered to save the world today," or even the immortal "The Tardis is f**king banjaxed and here come the bloody Daleks, tell ya, I am keeking ma whips, so I am." But maybe that's just me.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
First They Made Starbuck A Girl And Now This?
A while ago I wrote a piece on Declan Burke's CAP wondering why many of the great icons of Englishness like Stephen Fry and Daniel Day Lewis really want to be Irish. I didn't actually come up with any answers but I suggested a retreat into the fictional realm to find icons of Englishness. After casting a Scot, an Australian, Roger Moore, a Welshman and an Irishman as James Bond they finally cast an Englishman (allbeit a Scouser) in the lead role. The majority of Robin Hoods - through no fault of their own - have had Trans Atlantic accents and now, apparently, even Dr. Who is doomed. First they hired a Scot (the excellent David Tennant) and the BBC reports today that silky voiced, follicly challenged, Ulsterman James Nesbitt is the odds on favourite to become the new Dr. Who. Everybody knows that Ireland's best actors come from County Antrim: Nesbitt, Branagh, Neeson, Rea etc. but is the Brando of Bushmills right for the part of Last of the Timelords? Dr. Who has had a regional accent before but I don't know if I want to hear the Doctor saying things like "Bout ya, big man, yon's a quare scowl on your bake," or "Don't get eggy with me love, I'm way too scunnered to save the world today," or even the immortal "The Tardis is f**king banjaxed and here come the bloody Daleks, tell ya, I am keeking ma whips, so I am." But maybe that's just me.
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22 comments:
Rose: We're surrounded by Cybermen - unthinking, mindless killing machines.
The Doctor: Aye, love, it's just like Larne on a Saturday Night.
Who Who?
British TV sci-fi time traveller 1960's - present day.
Cries the lone voice in the wilderness: Nesbitt is perfect, way better than that overacting gurner with the poncey hair Tennant.
Michael
Gurner is such a great word.
Hes a great actor is Jimbo but I dont know I dont see him as Who. Mike I take it you didnt rush to see Tennant as Hamlet then?
Rick
Thanks for setting anon straight. I suppose there may be some people who dont get my cultural references. Perish the thought.
Larne, I can't imagine why my family ever left...
My wife has a pretty serious crush on a guy named Richard Armitage who was in Robin Hood and is now in Spooks - if he was Dr. Who we'd be watching it more often in my house.
Adrian - This might spoil the fun a little, and for that I'm sorry, but I heard on the radio today that Jimmy doesn't even like Dr Who. It's unlikely he'll consider the part. Hope you didn't put any money on it!
Cheers
gb
John
You gotta visit. If nothing else it will be good material, I promise.
Ger
He's denying everything? Clever disinformation strategy if you ask me. Dont get the fans all worked up just yet, let the info sink in. If they cant bring in Jimbo, why about Steven Rea? There's a dark intensity for you. And he can so sci fi. V for Vendetta anyone? Or if they really want to shake things up - bring back Tom Baker.
You seriously prefer the original Starbuck?
Actually no. Katee Sackhoff kicks ass in that role. In fact the new BSG rocks, its just a shame that almost no one watches it.
With all the rubbish..ahem quality challenged series we imported from the US and the UK we never got around Dr.Who.
I mean,seriously,Space 2001, Sapphire and Steel but not Doctor Who? I feel so deprived.
Re Nesbitt: full marks for the moustache.
My v-word,mystrad,is probably Swedish.
Adrian - Ah, hell, yeah. Stephen Rea would rock that role. Though you wouldn't be alone in calling for Mr Baker. I'm not really into it, but I know enough to vote for Rea or Baker.
Marco - The CSNI angle -- that's Nesbitt's Murphy's Law moustache. A character created by Colin Bateman especially for Jimmy.
Cheers
gb
Marco
That moustache has made Colin Bateman very rich. How rich? Well he's moved to the tax friendlier climes south of the border. Now just think if he'd given him a beard - JK Rowling money!
Sapphire and Steele - I never thought I would hear those words together again until the day I died. My God that show was terrible. David McCallum is still going strong though on US TV in Navy CSI or something like that. And this despite being shot in the back at the railway station in Germany trying to give Big X and Gordon Jackson a chance to get away.
Adrian, I remember once in a bookstore I looked up Larne in a travel book and it said, "There is no reason to visit Larne." I tried another book at it said, "Larne is no place to be stranded overnight."
It does seem like there might be good material in that.
My v-word is foriti, which may mean something to Marco.
I remember walking around Flint, Michigan in the early nineties thinking, "Well, at least it's not Larne."
A quick anecdote which I hope will convey a lot. A friend of mind was talking to a girl at a bar in Larne. In mid conversation she goes over to another girl, gives her the old Glasgow handshake full in the face, comes back and resumes the convo.
I can hardly wait to visit, a real homecoming...
John
I will say this, if you miss the last train its only a 13 mile walk to Carrickfergus.
Sorry, but a big NO from me for this actor as Dr Who. He doesn't actually act; he always is himself and irritating.
Other early reports suggested Patterson James as the favourite for the new Doc and he is a rather charismatic actor.
As for Richard Armitage, I'm with Mr McF. I did not see him in Robin Hood, but he cropped up in The Vicar of Dibley and I wondered what all the fuss was about. Until I saw him in Spooks. A good actor and a lovely voice. I am swooning!
Armitage was in Spooks? Thats where I know him from. Yes he's good! I agree with that.
Adrian, he's in the current series replacing Rupert Penry Jones who became the victim of a car bomb. Heroically of course, saving the lives of many by driving the car to a quiet City square - Finsbury Square, I believe - but he didn't get out in time. They do love explosives when they introduce new characters!
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