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Post by kimalysong on Jun 23, 2017 22:58:27 GMT
What a lovely article. Thanks for posting it.
Anyways I learned about the early days of Big Finish not from a book but by sitting on a panel a few years ago with Gary Russell. I was kind of a BigFinish newb at that point and honestly had not realized just how involved Gary was early on. It was an enlightening and fascinating panel. One of the best I sat on.
I still say Gary practically introduced everyone :-)
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aztec
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Post by aztec on Jun 23, 2017 23:00:12 GMT
What a lovely article. Thanks for posting it. Anyways I learned about the early days of Big Finish not from a book but by sittIng a panel a few years ago with Gary Russell. I was kind of a BigFinish newb at that point and honestly had not realized just how involved Gary early on was. It was an enlightening and fascinating panel. One of the best I sat on. I still say Gary practically introduced everyone :-) I hope Gary Rusell is involved with the 20th Anniversary celebrations in some way (if he is able to of course).
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Post by Ela on Jun 23, 2017 23:04:28 GMT
Yeah, except that a wider audience wouldn't have read The Inside Story book. And some of us still haven't... I have it, but I haven't read it yet.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2017 23:08:31 GMT
The one that stays with me is, as I alluded to, Katy didn't want to return as Jo as the idea of not having Pertwee around was too raw for her.Obviously time healed those wounds but she played Iris, partially, because she didn't think she'd ever be able to play Jo again (which wouldn't have been too much of an issue given the CCs were years away) so Iris was as much her way of coming back to Who as anything. More gossip-wise, Paul Cornell telling Nick he wasn't good enough, or enough of a "name" to write the first BF audio always stays with me, Nick seemed reallyquite hurt by that even 4 years on when recalling the story for the book. For your McGann question, essentially BF had asked a few times and always been told by his agents (I don't know if it still was Janet by then, she was at the time of the TV Movie) that he wasn't interested in returning to the role. When he agreed to do two BBC short story audios, someone at BF managed to ask again an this time it was a yes, and Paul subsequently said he'd never actually been told about the offer or he would have signed up at day one. In retrospect it was good that Peter, Colin and Sylv got to establish themselves for 2 years as Paul would have overshadowed them somewhat. Makes me wonder if Pertwee or Troughton would have agreed to do a few BF were they still alive when they started... I can kinda see where Cornell was coming from, in that Briggs wasn't a 'fan name' for such a big endeavor, but he had audio experience from the fan audios they did and Cornell didn't, prose skills don't necessarily translate to writing for audio. I agree with you on the McGann point, it worked especially well for Colin as with the Evelyn stories and new persona he was the one breaking new ground, related to this...I'm actually glad Tom Baker joined BF so late, his popularity would have overwhelmed everything from the beginning, and I can't really picture his Doctor in many of the early BF releases... Pertwee would have absolutely done it. He did those awful BBC ones after all On Tom, he gets a few mentions in the book - while he was, of course, still saying no to BF back then, it seems the feeling was mutual by 2003/4. Gary didn't want him anyway after Tom's mocking of BF at cons, which has now been written off as a joke.misunderstanding but clearly wasn't or it wouldn't be in the book. Again..this is why that book is such an oddity.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2017 23:13:38 GMT
What a lovely article. Thanks for posting it. Anyways I learned about the early days of Big Finish not from a book but by sittIng a panel a few years ago with Gary Russell. I was kind of a BigFinish newb at that point and honestly had not realized just how involved Gary early on was. It was an enlightening and fascinating panel. One of the best I sat on. I still say Gary practically introduced everyone :-) I hope Gary Rusell is involved with the 20th Anniversary celebrations in some way (if he is able to of course). That'd be nice. His contributions can't be overstated. There's more variety in that first 50 releases than the 175 that have followed. So many stories we just wouldn't get nowadays. What the book shows is that he commissioned lots of stories that he didn't actually like but that he could see would be something fresh anyway. I seem to remember that was the case with The Forge arc.
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aztec
Chancellery Guard
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Post by aztec on Jun 23, 2017 23:17:42 GMT
I hope Gary Rusell is involved with the 20th Anniversary celebrations in some way (if he is able to of course). That'd be nice. His contributions can't be overstated. There's more variety in that first 50 releases than the 175 that have followed. So many stories we just wouldn't get nowadays. What the book shows is that he commissioned lots of stories that he didn't actually like but that he could see would be something fresh anyway. I seem to remember that was the case with The Forge arc. As glad as I am that Bf has become so successful and gained more exposure, it's a shame they are under closer scrutiny from the BBC than they were before the show came back, those first 50 audios certainly had a certain freshness, darkness and experimental nature that BF probably wouldn't be able to go these days. (Zagreus for instance is very flawed but so admirable in scope)..then again if the show hadn't come back in 2005 BF may well have tailed off and I'd have (more likely than not) never discovered Dr Who...
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Post by charlesuirdhein on Jun 24, 2017 2:51:03 GMT
Some of those 50 wouldn't get made now, and that is really down to more oversight on the BBC's part.
Gary Russell! I have the dvd box set of The Famous Five! He was one of my heroes when I was but a lad!
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Jun 24, 2017 3:56:38 GMT
Very nice piece and let me join the chorus of praise for The Inside Story. That it exists is kind of amazing. It is rare to get that kind of tell-all book. It is very much worth hunting down and is mandatory reading for lovers of all things Big Finish.
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Post by glutamodo on Jun 24, 2017 4:51:47 GMT
Yes, another thanks for posting, great article there.
When I finally bought the huge Benny CD bundle two years ago, it included that range's Inside Story, ever since reading it, I've been wanting to get the equivalent book for the early main range, and this discussion makes me want to even more so now.
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Post by omega on Jun 24, 2017 5:30:08 GMT
I'd get The Inside Story, but it's expensive enough as it is without factoring in postage, and that annoying per order charge.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2017 5:57:14 GMT
Makes me wonder if Pertwee or Troughton would have agreed to do a few BF were they still alive when they started... I can kinda see where Cornell was coming from, in that Briggs wasn't a 'fan name' for such a big endeavor, but he had audio experience from the fan audios they did and Cornell didn't, prose skills don't necessarily translate to writing for audio. I agree with you on the McGann point, it worked especially well for Colin as with the Evelyn stories and new persona he was the one breaking new ground, related to this...I'm actually glad Tom Baker joined BF so late, his popularity would have overwhelmed everything from the beginning, and I can't really picture his Doctor in many of the early BF releases... Pertwee would have absolutely done it. He did those awful BBC ones after all Judging from past history, I think he would've been a bit put out not to be invited when BF first started, bless him. Such a shame that he never got to see it, I think he'd be one of the loudest voices championing it.
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Post by Hieronymus on Jun 24, 2017 6:24:53 GMT
Pertwee would have absolutely done it. He did those awful BBC ones after all Most definitely. He wanted to be in the Airzone Solution, so they had to add a small part for him. He even did some fan productions. Pertwee was a consummate gentleman who was dedicated heart and soul to entertaining people. Everything that Kermit goes on about "making millions of people happy" in The Muppet Movie, except that Pertwee would be thrilled to give his all even if it was an audience of just one child.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2017 7:18:01 GMT
Some of those 50 wouldn't get made now, and that is really down to more oversight on the BBC's part. Definitely a part of the story but not all of it - Nick as producer and Alan as (the main) script editor have very, very different sensibilities than Gary did. The percentage of Who that is closer to straight sci-fi rather than, say, adventure, historical or genre bending under their stewardship is a lot higher than it was under Gary. Sure we may not get the more controversial titles now the Beeb manage the brand more tightly but I'm not sure we'd even get a Church & Crown or Ish now.
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Post by pawntake on Jun 24, 2017 7:56:50 GMT
" Due to the nature of Big Finish's agreement with the BBC, they cannot reveal sales figures, but it's safe to say they're very healthy"
Thats good to know!!
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Post by Timelord007 on Jun 24, 2017 8:05:04 GMT
Pertwee would've definitely been involved & reprised thr role of The Doctor, he'd have been in his element recording these audios & would've loved spending time in the green room with his fellow acting piers sharing anecdotes, such a shame he passed away three years before Big Finish debut.
I used to get very angry with Tom's attitude towards Big Finish & how he'd throw scripts in the bin that they sent him when trying to get him to sign up because Tom is now loving his Big Finish recordings & probably realises he's missed out on some wonderful stories had he given Big Finish a chance back then.
Still better late than never, i think Big Finish have produced some outstanding stories & pushed the series into some very interesting directions.
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Post by dalekbuster523finish on Jun 24, 2017 9:27:13 GMT
Nice article - interesting that Stephen Moffat wasn't the only stroppy blighter at that initial meeting, and the absence of Paul McGann not the only issue - but I'm not sure I count digitalspy as mainstream media.... Digital Spy is definitely mainstream. It's perhaps the most popular news site on the internet.
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Post by sherlock on Jun 24, 2017 9:46:08 GMT
Nice article - interesting that Stephen Moffat wasn't the only stroppy blighter at that initial meeting, and the absence of Paul McGann not the only issue - but I'm not sure I count digitalspy as mainstream media.... Digital Spy is definitely mainstream. It's perhaps the most popular news site on the internet. That's a hell of a claim. I agree it's more mainstream than the usual fan sites, but most popular news site on the internet?!
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Post by omega on Jun 24, 2017 10:23:30 GMT
Digital Spy is definitely mainstream. It's perhaps the most popular news site on the internet. That's a hell of a claim. I agree it's more mainstream than the usual fan sites, but most popular news site on the internet?! It's not a site I've been on very often. I can't even recall if I've looked at an article on there in the last couple of years. Nick Briggs could do an interview with Den of Geek and that would be just as mainstream. Even more mainstream would be IGN, or SFX Magazine.
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mbt66
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Post by mbt66 on Jun 24, 2017 10:45:26 GMT
Pertwee would've definitely been involved & reprised thr role of The Doctor, he'd have been in his element recording these audios & would've loved spending time in the green room with his fellow acting piers sharing anecdotes, such a shame he passed away three years before Big Finish debut. I used to get very angry with Tom's attitude towards Big Finish & how he'd throw scripts in the bin that they sent him when trying to get him to sign up because Tom is now loving his Big Finish recordings & probably realises he's missed out on some wonderful stories had he given Big Finish a chance back then. Still better late than never, i think Big Finish have produced some outstanding stories & pushed the series into some very interesting directions. I was fortunate to grow up with Tom as my doctor. Although I had left Doctor Who behind at the time I was disappointed that he didn't get involved with the Five Doctors. Then when I rediscovered my love for Doctor Who with Big Finish I found it sad that he treated their audios so flippantly and again did not what to be involved. But now he is back and so is my love for his Doctor.
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Post by omega on Jun 24, 2017 11:12:55 GMT
Pertwee would've definitely been involved & reprised thr role of The Doctor, he'd have been in his element recording these audios & would've loved spending time in the green room with his fellow acting piers sharing anecdotes, such a shame he passed away three years before Big Finish debut. I used to get very angry with Tom's attitude towards Big Finish & how he'd throw scripts in the bin that they sent him when trying to get him to sign up because Tom is now loving his Big Finish recordings & probably realises he's missed out on some wonderful stories had he given Big Finish a chance back then. Still better late than never, i think Big Finish have produced some outstanding stories & pushed the series into some very interesting directions. I was fortunate to grow up with Tom as my doctor. Although I had left Doctor Who behind at the time I was disappointed that he didn't get involved with the Five Doctors. Then when I rediscovered my love for Doctor Who with Big Finish I found it sad that he treated their audios so flippantly and again did not what to be involved. But now he is back and so is my love for his Doctor. Maybe Tom had heard of the concept, but not actually heard any of the stories. He's definitely having the time of his life doing the audios, if the interviews are anything to go by.
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