Did You Hear? is a weekly examination of headlines in the entertainment industry and a take on what they could mean for the future of the industry and (often), the little geeky bubble that we occupy!
Meet the Fourteenth Doctor
Last Sunday (an a-typical day for casting announcements), the BBC announced the casting of the 14th Doctor and it is none other than Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa has been cast as the Fourtheenth Doctor.
For anyone wondering there are tons of interviews where you can find how to pronounce his name and it’s “Shooty”.
The announcement was made post-BAFTA Awards ceremony and announced to the world via BBC’s official Twitter:
https://twitter.com/BBC/status/1523263945783525378
Gatwa was born in Rwanda and raised in Scotland, putting him in the company of David Tennant (10), and Peter Capaldi (12), of Scottish actors who have brought the famous Time Lord to life.
Gatwa stated he is:re
“deeply honored, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared.”
… to be stepping into the TARDIS.
Jodi Whittaker, who currently plays the Thirteenth Doctor, announced in 2013 she would be leaving the role after 3 seasons (or series if we’re using the proper English terminology). The three season tenure has been popularized since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005. Okay, that’s not strictly speaking true because it wasn’t until David Tenant that three seasons became the standard, but as a greedy fan I would love to see any of the actor stick around Doctor Who for a longer term. Perhaps with all the changes coming to Doctor Who since Bad Wolf acquired production rights my hopes will finally come to pass?
Christopher Walken Joins Dune 2
Continuing the joke of every actor in Hollywood being cast in the Dune movie franchise Variety reported yesterday that actor Christopher Waklen has been casti in the second installment in the new Dune franchise as The Padisha Emperor, Shaddam IV.
Earlier this year it was announced Florence Pugh and Austin Butler had been cast as Princess Irulan (Shaddam IV’s daughter), and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, respectively. With Walken now in place all the major players – save Leto II *insert double eye emoji here* – in the events of the first book who have not yet been seen on screen.
The Padisha Emperor of the Known Universe has an incredibly important scene cementing Paul’s power which I’m certain we will see brought to life in the second half of Dune.
Dune 2 has not yet begun production, but is eyeing an October 2023 release date.
103 Shows Canceled or Ending
Amidst all the good news for Whovians the world over has been heartbreak for television fans and entertainment employees across the industries. This season set a record for most shows canceled. While some audience members had snarky remarks to make about some shows meeting their end I think The Rings of Power scribe Gennifer Hutchison had the appropriate take:
Gennifer Hutchison on Twitter: “I’ve worked on shows that have been canceled and immediately lost my job (3 years in a row, right before Christmas!) and it sucks. I’m sorry to everyone going through that today. If a show you don’t like got canceled, at least 200 people lost their jobs, so… no need to gloat. / Twitter”
I’ve worked on shows that have been canceled and immediately lost my job (3 years in a row, right before Christmas!) and it sucks. I’m sorry to everyone going through that today. If a show you don’t like got canceled, at least 200 people lost their jobs, so… no need to gloat.
It was announced a couple weeks ago that Batwoman and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow had been canceled and it appears this was the start of a trend in television for the upcoming season.
Tragically for genre fans we have lost the following shows in the fray:
- Naomi (The CW)
- Charmed (The CW)
- Dynasty (The CW)
- Roswell, New Mexico (The CW)
- Magnum P.I. (CBS)
With Naomi getting the chop we’re seeing the first superhero show post-launch of the Arrowverse not run for multiple seasons.
Although, happily, Superman & Lois made it through the fray. 103 shows ending means a tremendous loss in the job market. Let’s celebrate what we are happy to see continuing rather than what is no longer with us.
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Ashley Victoria Robinson is a Canadian girl by day and Robin by night. She lives in Los Angeles now and stars as Ensign Williams in THE RED SHIRT DIARIES, co-hosts the GEEK HISTORY LESSON podcast and writes for Top Cow.