 Edition: | UK (hardback) | | Released: | September 2008
| | Publisher: | BBC Books | | ISBN: | 978-1-84607-571-1 | | Format: | hardback | | Owned: | | | Buy: |     |
Cover blurb: ‘It’s such a hard job. Writers never talk about how hard it is, out of the fear of being pretentious. “Try being a nurse or a teacher,” people say. No — try being a writer! Try sitting with every doubt and fear about yourself and everyone, all on your own, with no ending or help or conclusion... At the same time, writing can be the most wonderful job in the world. When I’m happy with a script, I’m happier than you could ever imagine. Delirious! What I mean is, writing is never easy.’ A unique look into the BBC’s most popular family drama, Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale is a year in the life of the hit television series, as told by the show’s Head Writer and Executive Producer. A candid and in-depth correspondence between Russell T Davies and journalist Benjamin Cook, the book explores in detail Russell’s work on Series Four, revealing how he plans the series and works with the show’s writers; where he gets his ideas for plot, character and scenes; how actors are cast and other creative decisions are made; and how he juggles the demands of Doctor Who with the increasingly successful Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures spin-offs. Russell’s scripts are discussed as they develop, and Russell and Benjamin’s wide-ranging discussions bring in experiences from previous series of Doctor Who as well as other shows Russell has written and created, including Queer as Folk, Bob & Rose, and The Second Coming. The reader is given total access to the show as it’s created, and the writing is everything you would expect from Russell T Davies: warm, witty, insightful, and honest. Fully illustrated with never-before-seen photos and artwork — including original drawings by Russell himself — The Writer’s Tale is a not only the ultimate Doctor Who book, but a celebration of great writing and great television. |