Audiovisual Representations of National Identity for Small Nations: Web 2.0, BBC Wales, S4C, ITV Wales, Welsh TV and Film, Modern Writers from Wales, Welsh-North American, Cymreig Culture, Scottish Films, British Films, Sinema Cymru, Celtic music and movies, UK Filmmakers, Irish TV and Film, Cymru. Celtic Folk Music, Welsh Hymnology and Poetry. Le Cinéma Québécois, le cinéma Bretagne et des autres pays Celtiques. Tutte le cose celtiche, britanniche, gaeliche, scozzese e gallese.
Showing posts with label Russell T. Davies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russell T. Davies. Show all posts
You may be aware of a BBC Trust project being conducted at CCI by Professor Steve Blandford, Professor Stephen Lacey, Dr. Ruth McElroy and Dr. Rebecca Williams on the topic of ‘Screening The Nation: Wales and Landmark Television'.
Torchwood BBCi Teaser
We are collecting questionnaire responses to representations of Wales, primarily in Doctor Who and Torchwood. We therefore invite anyone who is interested to complete an online questionnaire for the project which can be found at Questionaire English
If you prefer to respond in Welsh please visit Questionaire Welsh
We hope that some of you will be able to take part in this research and we look forward to reading some of your responses. We also encourage you to pass these links onto anyone else who might be interested.
Doctor Who Season 4 Trailer
Dr. Rebecca Williams
Research Assistant
Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries
Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Adoration of Beauty and the Grotesque, on the World Wide Web.
Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called William Blake Spirituality: Toward a Theory of Horoscopes, Tarot and Tomorrow's Tea Leaves, on the World Wide Web.
Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Courage 2 Create, on the World Wide Web.
Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Grace-filled Empty Spaces, on the World Wide Web.
BBC National Orchestra of Wales Records Soundtrack for Doctor Who at new home
Dyddiad Rhyddhau: 24 March 2009
Time Travelling Orchestra BBC National Orchestra of Wales is currently recording the soundtrack for BBC Wales' new episodes of Doctor Who.
The Orchestra's music will be heard adding drama to the filmed action of David Tennant and the programme's other stars later this year beginning with the first of four Doctor Who specials on air at Easter.
Some of the Orchestra players took time out during the session to do some time travelling of their own as Doctor Who's TARDIS made a timely stop in Cardiff Bay.
Doctor Who theme tune by Nigel Kennedy - BBC Proms 2008
The Orchestra are performing and recording the music at their new home and venue BBC Hoddinott Hall at Wales Millennium Centre where they moved in January.
The Orchestra are recording the soundtrack for the first time in their new facilities since they began performing the Doctor Who theme tune and soundtrack back in 2005.
Their new studio provides the perfect conditions for them to record, purpose built for their recordings for TV, BBC Radio 3 and for concert performance.
Director of BBC National Orchestra of Wales, David Murray said "We are thrilled that the Orchestra records the soundtrack for this special programme and is associated with excellent BBC Wales' series.
National Orchestra of Wales
As well as being tremendously exciting for the players and the Orchestra team, the opportunity to perform a different style of music helps to showcase the diversity of the Orchestra.
It is also particularly exciting to be recording a soundtrack in our new home for the first time since our move here in January with the excellent recording and performing facilities that BBC Hoddinott Hall offers to the Orchestra".
BBC National Orchestra of Wales received a Beacon Award for Excellence by the Arts Council of Wales in 2008.
Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC yn Recordio Trac Sain Doctor Who yn ei chartref newydd
Dyddiad Rhyddhau: 24 Mawrth 2009
David Tennant fel Dr Who
Ar hyn o bryd mae Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC yn Teithio drwy Amser yn recordio trac sain penodau newydd Doctor Who ar gyfer BBC Wales.
Clywir cerddoriaeth y Gerddorfa yn ychwanegu drama at anturiaethau ar ffilm David Tennant a sêr eraill y rhaglen yn ddiweddarach eleni gan gychwyn â'r gyntaf o bedair rhaglen Doctor Who arbennig ar yr awyr dros y Pasg.
Cymerodd rhai o chwaraewyr y Gerddorfa hoe fach yn ystod y sesiwn i deithio drwy amser eu hunain pan roddodd TARDIS Doctor Who dro amserol am Fae Caerdydd.
Mae'r Gerddorfa'n perfformio ac yn recordio'r gerddoriaeth yn ei chartref a'i hoedfan newydd, Neuadd Hoddinott y BBC yng Nghanolfan Mileniwm Cymru lle'r ymfudodd ym mis Ionawr.
Dyma'r tro cyntaf i'r Gerddorfa'n recordio'r trac sain yn ei chyfleusterau newydd ers iddi ddechrau perfformio arwyddgan a thrac sain Doctor Who dro'n ôl yn 2005.
Gallifrey - Doctor Who
Mae ei stiwdio newydd yn cynnig yr union amgylchiadau iddi recordio, wedi'i chodi i'r pwrpas ar gyfer ei recordiadau i'r teledu, BBC Radio 3 ac ar gyfer perfformio cyngherddau.
Meddai Cyfarwyddwr Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC, David Murray "Rydym wrth ein bodd mai'r Gerddorfa sy'n recordio trac sain y rhaglen arbennig yma a'i bod ynghlwm â'r gyfres ragorol ar BBC Wales.
Ar ben bod yn aruthrol o gyffrous i'r chwaraewyr a thîm y Gerddorfa, mae'r cyfle i berfformio gwahanol fath o gerddoriaeth yn helpu i roi stondin i amryw ddoniau'r Gerddorfa.
Mae hefyd yn arbennig o gyffrous cael recordio trac sain yn ein cartref newydd am y tro cyntaf ers i ni ymfudo yma ym mis Ionawr a chennym y cyfleusterau recordio a pherfformio rhagorol sydd gan Neuadd Hoddinott y BBC i'w cynnig i'r Gerddorfa."
Enillodd Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Cymreig y BBC Ddyfarniad Cwmni Disglair gan Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru yn 2008.
Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Adoration of Beauty and the Grotesque, on the World Wide Web.
Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called William Blake Spirituality: Toward a Theory of Horoscopes, Tarot and Tomorrow's Tea Leaves, on the World Wide Web.
Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Courage 2 Create, on the World Wide Web.
Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Grace-filled Empty Spaces, on the World Wide Web.
"I’ve learnt that you have to look past the sillier aspects of a Russell T.Davies Doctor Who story. Like, for example, at the very end of the Universe, countless billions of years in the future, you will find human beings as we know them today."
pgrehan also tells us that :
"Human beings driving 21st century trucks and firing 21st century weapons, just before they board their interstellar (can you still say that when there aren’t any stars left?) spacecraft. The explanation given for this is that human beings have somehow re-evolved into their favourite form, but this smacks of a lazy writer using technobabble to reduce science fiction to a branch of fantasy."
So we see that the writer 'pgrehan' (above) makes some good Sci-Fi Theory / critical points, but from an American perspective, Dr. Who has always reminded me of a broadcast British sci-fi style which smacks of intentionally low-budget retro-futurism.
Kubrick’s low-key approach to ‘Future Britain’ in Clockwork Orange (1971) is probably the best British example of intentional retro-Futurism, but Woody Allen also uses it to comic effect in Sleeper (1973).
In other words, not attempting to create futuristic verisimilitude, and settling for what you describe as ‘lazy’, is actually a self-reflective activity of the film’s author.
European filmmakers observed how Japanese Monster films played in the post 1960s U.S. television market, and resisted being pushed (by budgetary limits) into becoming a similar caricature of themselves.
To accomplish this, directors like Hitchcock opted for a minimalist understatement, which masked the relatively low-budget, low quality special FX of their productions, and The Birds (1963) is a good example.
Dr. Who on the other hand, has always been read as a ‘Jules Verne’-style retro-Futurism by American audiences, and that funky and clunky lack of attention to details has made the story more important than the FX and mise-en-scene.
Willy Wonka is the height of self-deprecating Victorian retro-Futurism, displayed in the first film (1971), but sort of parodied by Tim Burton in a gritty, timeless past/future Industrial reality in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
The current Dr. Who might be seen as derivative of Terry Gillam’s Brazil (1985), which trademarked funky Brit retro-future sci-fi for good.
So from our perspective, Russell is simply following an established tradition, and giving his larger U.S. audience what they expect of this brand of Brit Sci-fi.
Our North American readers who are fans of Dr. Who should be sure to check out the UK Sci-fi blog
"They are out and they are proud, and their success is key to British life. Among them are actors, authors and, yes, even business people too."
It's the UK Pink List 2007!
"1. (18) Russell T Davies, Screenwriter"
"They said Doctor Who could never be revived but Davies made it witty, sexy, slick and scary - and made Saturday evening telly compulsory again. He made his name with the ground-breaking Channel 4 drama Queer As Folk, but proof that the 44-year-old has taken over the mainstream came when he was named Industry Player of the Year at the Edinburgh International Television Festival. Populist and clever, this genius was the overwhelming choice of our panel."
"Doctor Who has won five awards at the Bafta Cymru awards in Cardiff. The hit TV series, made by BBC Wales, was shortlisted in 14 separate categories in the TV and film awards.
"It won the prizes for best drama series and best drama director, as well as awards for costume, make-up and photography direction.
"Producer Steve Robinson competed against himself with three nominations for best documentary - including Iolo Williams Flying with Kites, which won.
"Doctor Who's lead writer and executive producer Russell T Davies also won the Siân Phillips award for his outstanding contribution to network television.
"Christopher Eccleston, who starred in the first Doctor Who series to be produced for 16 years, and co-star Billie Piper were nominated in the best actor and actress categories.
"The series - now into its second run with the new Doctor David Tennant - has also been nominated as best drama in the Bafta awards, which will be held on 7 May in London.
""We are thrilled that the spectacular contribution made by Russell T Davies to television over the past few years has won him such a very special award,"" said BBC Wales head of English programmes Clare Hudson.
"As well as Doctor Who, Davies' writing credits include Casanova and Queer As Folk."
Officially labeled "Series 3" by the BBC, Doctor Who, Season 29 began airing (in Britain) with a 60-minute Christmas special on December 25, 2006. This was followed by a regular season of thirteen 43-minute episodes which began airing on the BBC on March 31st, 2007.
The SciFi Channel's Doctor Who site briefly stated that the American premier of the season will be in the summer of 2007. But, this statement was quickly taken down. So, it may not be official.
