Ummmm ... whatever happened to "The Watcher" ?

POSTED BY: Bomba
UPDATED: Friday, May 21, 2004 00:32
VIEWED: 5360
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BOMBA

Sunday, April 4, 2004 8:37 AM

Not sure if it was a rumour in the first place, but if its true I was disappointed to see Anthony Head wasnt signed on as the new Doctor Who. Anyhow, my sister has been reading the Bite Me book and told me that "The Watcher" series sounded like it was about to be given a green light, that the BBC were very keen on it. Could someone tell me what happened to it ? And why it got canned ? Thanks ...

INVISIBLEGREEN

Sunday, April 4, 2004 9:15 AM

First of all, it's called Ripper, not The Watcher. The Watcher was just a lame-ass name some tabloid came up with.

But Joss has placed this project on the sideline. When he got busy with Firefly, he had no time to work developing the show. This season, he's been busy with Angel and the Firefly movie.

The last mention of Ripper was from May 30, 2003, where Anthony Stewart Head mentioned in an interview that he hoped to make it in coming years, and that Joss was leaning towards a TV movie rather than a series. See here: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/5961877.htm

If you don't know, the contract Joss Whedon signed for Ripper was with the BBC, so it would be filmed (and take place) in England, and would first air on BBC (then hopefully be picked up by an American network). The contract was a pretty loose, non-binding argreement, by the way.

ETA: Currently ASH is busy doing theatre in London, so when the show happens is just a matter of scheduling, but seeing as how both ASH and JW are pretty busy, and no formal deals have been made, nithing is set in stone, and it could be a few years.

JOHNCLARK

Sunday, April 4, 2004 11:49 AM

From what I heard, the Beeb wanted to call it "The Watcher", and JW wanted to call it Ripper

Last I heard about the show was in April 03

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/buffy/2003/04/28/4091.shtml

"Apart from Angel, no spinoff [is] in the works right now," Joss Whedon told the Sci Fi Wire web site. "I think it's a very likely possibility, but there isn't anything happening right now. We all just kind of want to bask and relax."

As far as the status of Ripper goes, "I wanted to do something on the BBC," said Joss. "We talked about a two-hour pilot. We talked about some episodes. We talked about a two-hour movie. It's gone through a lot of things. But the one conclusion I've come to, if I do something, I'll do it not as a setup so much as a story about Giles.

"I realise that, like Angel, you can use it as a premise, perhaps, to build something about ghost stories, and that would be fine. What I'm interested in is the character that Tony plays, not some mystery he might solve. And that's sort of a paradigm shift in what I might do with it. But I'm still very invested in the Ripper story."

Shame really

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Experience has taught me that interest begets expectation, and expectation begets disappointment, so the key to avoiding disappointment is to avoid interest. A=B=C=A, or whatever

MRSKBORG

Sunday, April 4, 2004 2:53 PM

"Ripper" and the BBC - apparently they decided not to run with it due to production costs!!!

FARWALL

Sunday, May 9, 2004 11:33 PM

Well, you've all seen Dr Who and Red Dwarf, and maybe Neverwhere (the Neil Gaiman mini-series)? The BBC never, ever put any money into sci-fi or fantasy series. I think it's sad but given BBC production values (I know they do lavish costume dramas but anything alternative - just no) it would have been a big disapointment anyway.

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I have no faith but it's all that I want
to be loved and believe
in my soul.

MISGUIDED BY VOICES

Wednesday, May 12, 2004 10:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Farwall:
Well, you've all seen Dr Who and Red Dwarf, and maybe Neverwhere (the Neil Gaiman mini-series)? The BBC never, ever put any money into sci-fi or fantasy series. I think it's sad but given BBC production values (I know they do lavish costume dramas but anything alternative - just no) it would have been a big disapointment anyway.

To be fair, the new Doctor Who apparently has a very respectable budget (quoted as in the region of £1 million an episode). I am however slightly worried that they are shooting on location in Wales; suggests a return to quarries of the spaceways.

Still, if it works, they may re-look at Ripper/Watcher - its still there and was mentioned in the last few months, but clearly everyone is a little busy at the moment.

"I threw up on your bed"

FARWALL

Thursday, May 13, 2004 1:52 AM

I'll wait and see about the new Dr Who. Think I'm a bit young to be all that excited about the prospect of his return and £1m spent on the streets of Cardif isn't the most convincing factoid.

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I have no faith but it's all that I want
to be loved and believe
in my soul.

EMBERS

Friday, May 21, 2004 12:32 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bomba:
my sister has been reading the Bite Me book and told me that "The Watcher" series sounded like it was about to be given a green light, that the BBC were very keen on it. Could someone tell me what happened to it ? And why it got canned ? Thanks ...

Tony Head has mentioned it at several conventions,
he says that everytime he sees Joss they discuss how much they want to do it, and Tony thinks if anything comes of it, it would probably be a 'made for TV movie'...
So altho it isn't in production(or even pre-production) it isn't canned... Everyone still likes the idea.

I'm hoping it happens...sooner rather than later!