Just finished watching the Time Shift documentary of Russell T. Davies, and I've discovered that he's responsible for even more of my childhood viewing than I originally thought. Besides the peerless Dark Season serial (which I loved so much that my first submission to the BBC's drama department stole one character completely outright. Because you can never have enough blond-haired, evil guys in sunglasses. I was saving the lesbian dominatrixes for the second series, though), he also wrote for On The Waterfront (yes, he did the redubbed scripts for The Flashing Blade), Breakfast Serials, and something that I've suspected for years: he changed Why Don't You from a dull, Blue Peter-lite format into a show where children defeated the evil supercomputer in the basement using the power of Shake'n'Vac.
(Sometimes, I think I'm the only person who remembers that, so it was nice to see footage so I can prove it really happened)
(Plus! Queer as Folk! Which I suppose I should watch someday…)
And now, he's writing Doctor Who! And! IS THAT A UNIT STORY I SEE COMING OUR WAY?
*GLEEE*
Curse this stupid flat where I can't pick up Freeview. So was RTD responsible for Benjamin Rory Slade then? The mind boggles.
It might end up on the BBC4 on BBC2 segment in a few weeks, I guess (it's not full of terrific insights, mainly RTD saying "and then I did this, and then that", but lots of old clips, including Ms. Winslet's first flirtation with red hair in Dark Season). Andi Peters seemed a bit confused though; Dark Season/Century Falls were really the last gasp of the 6-part CBBC serial, before every series had to come back and run and run. I can see why they do this, but I do miss the old format (and not just because I'd love to write them).
Awww. (scroll down to the first comment) If only he had left an email address…
Oh, as if Andi Peters knows anything. I doubt he ever watched any of the programmes he introduced. Or commissioned, come to think of it.
I always forget that BBC4 on BBC2 slot. In fact, come to think of it, I'm missing the programme on Public Enemy as I type. Damn.
Hurrah for UNIT!
And remember! The password is always buffalo!