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Now that the episode has been (legally) viewed by both British and American audiences, Doctor Who producer Russell T. Davies has taken the time to explain just what was behind that last minute cameo from an unexpected but familiar face in the first episode. Unsurprisingly, said explanation suggests that Mr. Davies is entirely unfamiliar with the concept of "rumor" versus "fact".
In his regular column in the UK Doctor Who Magazine, Davies wrote about the surprise appearance of Rose at the end of season four's first episode:
When I wrote the very first draft of 'Partners In Crime' in September, I just got the devil in me. What if, I thought, what if we could transmit something, just once, that no one sees coming...? ...This is Donna's series, and if anyone had caught a rumour of Rose's return, there was a genuine danger that Catherine's launch could have been overshadowed. We owed it to her to carry this off successfully.
If anyone had "caught a rumour of Rose's return"? Dude, that was one of the few definitively known things about the new season months ahead of its launch; there were even photos of her on the set, as well as featuring in the official trailers. Doesn't that kind of thing make it more than a rumor?
'Dr Who' boss explains shock Rose cameo [Digital Spy]
Comments
Not to mention she appears in a throw away bit at the end of the first ep of the season. WTH?
i dont get it
I think he probably means that no one expected Rose to show up in the first episode. Which no one did, that was totally un-spoiled, and totally freaking awesome, and made me shout several Ten-style "what? what?! what?!?"s at my computer.
I'd hope RTD is only referring to the cameo in episode one, cos I really didn't see that coming.
The sad thing is it HAS overshadowed Donna to an extent. I know several people who just want 'to get to the Rose episodes' now. They just see Donna as filler.
@Lizzie24601: That was exactly my reaction...
And I loved be surprised by that...
@Lizzie24601: oh ok i get it now. thanks
@jermom: Ha actually I was explaining it for Graeme. I think the only thing RTD is guilty of here is perhaps somewhat vague language, but replace "Donna's series" with "Donna's first episode" and it makes perfect sense.
@Lizzie and @jermom:
That would certainly make a heck of a lot more sense.
I have never understood the BBC and by extension BBC America's rampant spoiling of themselves. Between the whole 9 departing announcement, them showing Rose in the official trailer for this seasons, and then things like I recall when BBC America started showing "Hex" they had a commercial during the first commercial break for the next episode of Hex and basically spoiled two major bits about one of the characters. Most content creators try to guard their secrets, BBC seems to be like we're going to spoil before anyone else can spoil.
@Jack: The BBC has that "you can't spoil our shows if we spoil them first"...
It is the new media extension of the "It was necessary to destroy the village in order to save it.." theory...
I, for one, was totally shocked. But then again I try to seriously avoid spoiler stuff for certain things.
They need to bring her back, and have her be an intergalactic call girl now that she has that experience.
My reaction upon seeing Rose: meh... gimmicky. Billie Piper's career hasn't panned out the way she thought it would after leaving the show.
Also, the more I read about RTD the more I am convinced that 90% of the time he is just talking to and writing for the little campy people that live in his head.
@IntoAshes: I booed at the screen when I saw Rose. I didn't like the way her character evolved in the second season and there are way too many people who are creepily over-invested in shipping the Doctor and Rose.
I was very fond of Rose, but if she's one of these morons (like McLean Stevenson, Wayne Rogers, Bitty Schram, etc.) that think they can do better on their own, then so be it.
That being said, I was totally unimpressed with Donna in the 4th season opener. I will keep an open mind, but I found her uninteresting AND unattractive, which is a bad combination. I can live with just one or the other...
Everyone on this site seems to love her, so again, I will keep an open mind.
@IntoAshes: Not to sound like a sad fanboy, but...
"Billie Piper's career hasn't panned out the way she thought it would after leaving the show."
How did she think it would go? Is getting the lead in a controversial TV series, playing the lead in TV movies based on Philip Pullman novels, and playing the lead in one of ITV's 2007 Jane Austen TV movies all just a consolation prize?
"Also, the more I read about RTD the more I am convinced that 90% of the time he is just talking to and writing for the little campy people that live in his head."
Really? Why? His show seems to be connecting with a lot of people who live outside of his head.
@Jack: Honestly, everyone who watches the shows already has seen them or knows the plot points by the time they are on BBCAmerica. Except Torchwood. So really, who cares? might be the logic BBCAmerica is working with.
I like Rose, she did a lot of fun and good things, but I'm really scared of people obsessed with Rose. I thought her ending was really well pulled off, and I'm really skeptical about her 'reappearance.'
Doctor Who is great because it goes through characters faster than Spooks. I really hope they don't keep bringing people back for lame one off cameos.
That said... bring on more martha...
@aspiringexpatriate:
I agree with everything you said.. especially the last part...
@Nicolars: I agree completely. She was with the Doctor; then they both had to move on. The End.
@Jack: They kind of HAD to show Rose in the trailer, because she'd been spotten on set months before. However, scuttlebutt said that she was showing up in Ep. 11, not 1!
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