Scream of the Shalka (webcast): Difference between revisions

Scream of the Shalka (webcast) (edit)

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-'''Scream of the Shalka''' was a flash-animated serial based on ''[[Doctor Who]]'' with [[Richard E. Grant]] as the voice of the Doctor and animation by [[Cosgrove Hall]].
+'''Scream of the Shalka''' was a flash-animated serial based on ''[[Doctor Who]]'' with [[Richard E. Grant]] as the voice of [[Alternative Ninth Doctor|the Doctor]]. Its animation was produced by [[Cosgrove Hall]].
-It was produced to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of the series and was originally posted in six weekly parts from [[13th November]] to [[18th December]] [[2003]] on BBCi's ''Doctor Who'' [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/webcasts/shalka/ website]. Although it was intended to be an "official" continuation of the television series that had ended in [[1989]], the revival of the programme in [[2005]] relegated it, and the [[Richard E. Grant]]'s [[Alternative Ninth Doctor|version of the Ninth Doctor]], to non-[[canon]]ical status.
-The serial was written by [[Paul Cornell]], with Richard E. Grant providing the voice for the Ninth Doctor and [[Derek Jacobi]] as the voice of an android made in the image of The Doctor's old enemy, [[the Master]]. The Doctor's companion for this adventure, [[Alison Cheney]], was voiced by [[Sophie Okonedo]]. As a fan of ''Doctor Who'', [[David Tennant]], who had just happened to learn of the production, requested and got a cameo role in the production, making this the first of many ''Doctor Who''-related roles for the actor.
-Previous ''Doctor Who'' [[webcasts]] had had limited animation which was little more than a series of illustrations. This story was the first-ever officially licensed animated ''Doctor Who'' story.
 ==Synopsis==
-The [[TARDIS]] materialises in the village of Lannet in [[Lancashire]], disgorging an annoyed Doctor, who has apparently been transported here against his will. He discovers the village silent, its inhabitants all living in fear except for a barmaid, Alison Cheney. An alien race calling themselves the [[Shalka]] have taken up residence beneath Lannet in preparation for a wider invasion. Despite his initial reluctance, the Doctor finds himself having to save the world again, aided by Alison and an old enemy who has become an ally.
+The [[TARDIS]] materialises in the village of Lannet in [[Lancashire]], disgorging an annoyed Doctor, who has apparently been transported here against his will. He discovers the village silent, its inhabitants all living in fear except for a barmaid, [[Alison Cheney]]. An alien race calling themselves the [[Shalka]] have taken up residence beneath Lannet in preparation for a wider invasion. Despite his initial reluctance, the Doctor finds himself having to save the world again, aided by Alison and an [[the Master (Shalka Master)|old enemy]] who has become an ally.
 ==Production background==
-''Doctor Who'' had suspended production in [[1989]], and aside from charity specials, had only resurfaced as an American-funded [[Doctor Who: The TV Movie|television movie]] in [[1996]], which did not garner enough ratings to go to a regular series. When ''Shalka'' was announced in July, [[2003]] for planned broadcast in November, the possibility of ''Doctor Who'' returning to television screens still seemed remote and BBC Worldwide were continuing to shop around for another possible movie deal. As a result, BBCi announced, with BBC approval, that the Doctor appearing in ''Shalka'' would be the "official" Ninth Doctor. However, events rapidly overtook this.
+''Scream of the Shalka'' was produced to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of ''Doctor Who''. It was originally posted in six weekly parts from [[13th November]] to [[18th December]] [[2003]] on BBCi's ''Doctor Who'' [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/webcasts/shalka/ website]. Although it was intended to be an "official" continuation of the television series that had ended in [[1989]], the revival of the programme in [[2005]] relegated it, and the Richard E. Grant's Ninth Doctor to non-[[canon]]ical status.
+Previous ''Doctor Who'' [[webcasts]] had had limited animation which was little more than a series of illustrations. This story was the first-ever officially licensed animated ''Doctor Who'' story. ''Doctor Who'' had suspended production in [[1989]], and aside from charity specials, had only resurfaced as an American-funded [[Doctor Who: The TV Movie|television movie]] in [[1996]], which did not garner enough ratings to go to a regular series. When ''Shalka'' was announced in July, [[2003]] for planned broadcast in November, the possibility of ''Doctor Who'' returning to television screens still seemed remote and BBC Worldwide were continuing to shop around for another possible movie deal. As a result, BBCi announced, with BBC approval, that the Doctor appearing in ''Shalka'' would be the "official" Ninth Doctor. However, events rapidly overtook this.
 In September, [[Lorraine Heggessey]], the Controller of BBC One managed to persuade BBC Worldwide that as their plans for a ''Doctor Who'' film were nowhere near fruition, BBC television should be allowed to make a new series. A deal with [[Russell T. Davies]] to produce the new series was quickly struck, and on September 26, the BBC announced that ''Doctor Who'' would be returning to BBC One in [[2005]], produced by BBC Wales.
-As a result, the "official" nature of the ''Shalka'' web cast was in doubt from even before it was web cast. After the web cast, in February [[2004]], plans for sequels were indefinitely shelved. For a period, it was unclear if the new television Doctor would be the Ninth or Tenth Doctor, but this was ultimately settled in April [[2004]] when in an interview with ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'', Davies announced that the new television Doctor (played by [[Christopher Eccleston]]), would be the [[Ninth Doctor]], relegating the Richard E. Grant Doctor to unofficial status.
+As a result, the "official" nature of the ''Shalka'' web cast was in doubt from even before it was web cast. After the web cast, in February [[2004]], plans for sequels were indefinitely shelved. For a period, it was unclear if the new television Doctor would be the Ninth or Tenth Doctor, but this was ultimately settled in April [[2004]] when in an interview with ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'', Davies announced that the new television Doctor (played by [[Christopher Eccleston]]), would be ''the'' [[Ninth Doctor]], relegating the Richard E. Grant Doctor to unofficial status.
 Grant's incarnation of the [[Time Lord]] (often referred to as the "REG Doctor" or the "Shalka Doctor" by fans) has since appeared in an online short story, ''The Feast of the Stone'' by [[Cavan Scott]] and [[Mark Wright]], although no further stories seem planned.
-A novelisation of ''Shalka'' was written by Paul Cornell and published in [[2004]], the first novelisation of a ''Doctor Who'' serial (the [[Doctor Who: The TV Movie|1996 television movie]] notwithstanding) in nearly a decade (ISBN 0563486198), and the last so far.  As was the case with many of the novelisations of the classic series, ''Shalka'' was novelised by its own writer.
+A novelisation of ''Shalka'' was written by Paul Cornell and published in [[2004]], the first novelisation of a ''Doctor Who'' serial (the [[Doctor Who: The TV Movie|1996 television movie]] notwithstanding) in nearly a decade (ISBN 0563486198), and the last so far.  As was the case with many of the novelisations of the classic series, ''Shalka'' was novelised by its own writer with supplementary "making of" features.
-Although there has been no official announcement from the BBC, the British Board of Film Classification has cleared all six episodes of the serial for release on DVD, possibly in the spring of [[2006]].
+Although there has been no official announcement from the BBC, the British Board of Film Classification has cleared all six episodes of the serial for release on DVD.
 ==Trivia==
-*Appearing in a cameo role in the serial was actor and ''Doctor Who'' fan [[David Tennant]], who in April [[2005]] was announced as the [[Tenth Doctor]] in the television series proper. He was not originally cast in the production, but Tennant happened to be recording a radio play in a neighbouring studio, and when he discovered what was being recorded next door managed to convince the director to give him a small role.
+*Appearing in a cameo role in the serial was actor and ''Doctor Who'' fan [[David Tennant]], who in April [[2005]] was announced as the [[Tenth Doctor]] in the television series proper. He was not originally cast in the production, but Tennant happened to be recording a radio play in a neighbouring studio, and when he discovered what was being recorded next door managed to convince the director to give him a small role. Tennant would have several roles in ''Doctor Who'' productions by [[Big Finish]] (though not as the Doctor) before he was cast as the Doctor on television.
 ==External links==