Casino Royale came out on DVD recently and this presented the great opportunity to do a reboot special of watching both the highly acclaimed Hollywood blockbuster alongside one of the greatest Who reboots ever - Rose.
Both projects were a huge risk for the respective production teams but for very different
reasons. For the Bond team it meant changing the scope, tone and nature of the Bond franchise at a time when it was already exceedingly successful, complete with new actor in the main role. For the BBC the Doctor Who revival meant risking precious quids on a programme consigned (and rightly so) to the junk heap over 15 years previously. They'd tried before with the TV Movie in 1996 (see here) but this time they'd secured the brilliant scriptwriter Russell T Davies as Executive Producer and head writer and it's Mr RTD the BBC can thank for crafting the main ideas behind the reboot and for the script of that very first episode.
reasons. For the Bond team it meant changing the scope, tone and nature of the Bond franchise at a time when it was already exceedingly successful, complete with new actor in the main role. For the BBC the Doctor Who revival meant risking precious quids on a programme consigned (and rightly so) to the junk heap over 15 years previously. They'd tried before with the TV Movie in 1996 (see here) but this time they'd secured the brilliant scriptwriter Russell T Davies as Executive Producer and head writer and it's Mr RTD the BBC can thank for crafting the main ideas behind the reboot and for the script of that very first episode.Of course there are huge differences between a Bond film and a 45 minute Dr Who story. The
main storytelling difference in the examples here is that Rose brings the premise of the show to the fore by focusing on the soon to be companion and her interaction with what appears to be a complete nutcase. Contrast that to the TV Movie which tried to tell the audience the premise of the show built up over 26 years in a pre credits talk over by the most exciting man in show business.
main storytelling difference in the examples here is that Rose brings the premise of the show to the fore by focusing on the soon to be companion and her interaction with what appears to be a complete nutcase. Contrast that to the TV Movie which tried to tell the audience the premise of the show built up over 26 years in a pre credits talk over by the most exciting man in show business.Casino Royale took a very different approach by being one of the only Bond films to 
have character development for Bond himself. In the past it had been best to present the character of 007 as being consistent across movies but by going back to basics and showing the Bond that appears in the novel the audience is given a glimpse into how a blunt thug can gradually learn to be a suave secret agent.
have character development for Bond himself. In the past it had been best to present the character of 007 as being consistent across movies but by going back to basics and showing the Bond that appears in the novel the audience is given a glimpse into how a blunt thug can gradually learn to be a suave secret agent.Rose was brilliantly acted. Billie Piper showed more than great promise in this first episode and in Christopher Eccleston the audience were treated to a hard nosed Doctor, just going about his business and saving the World without fuss. It was a great performance and set up the following 12 weeks which would see the actor become one of the greatest Doctors ever. It's a crying shame he left the show so soon.
Russell T Davies added some lovely touches and it's nice to see that one of his greatest little 
tricks was there in the first episode. I'm referring to the way in which he can write a scene to provoke different reactions in the audience in quick succession. The scene in which The Doctor got strangled by the Auton arm in Rose's flat is a good example. At first you have the humour of the the attack on The Doctor but when it switches to Rose it suddenly becomes scary and these two reactions are paid off in the following scene where the characters talk about the Earth revolving. It's a fantastic pay off which RTD crafts to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.
tricks was there in the first episode. I'm referring to the way in which he can write a scene to provoke different reactions in the audience in quick succession. The scene in which The Doctor got strangled by the Auton arm in Rose's flat is a good example. At first you have the humour of the the attack on The Doctor but when it switches to Rose it suddenly becomes scary and these two reactions are paid off in the following scene where the characters talk about the Earth revolving. It's a fantastic pay off which RTD crafts to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.That scene about the earth revolving also involves a long chat and a long walk presented in just
one continuous shot. This is a good moment of clarity during an action packed episode. The Director, Keith Boak took flak from a lot of fans who haven't a clue about TV. Some fans can't distinguish good / bad direction from episodes they like / dislike which means they always like Graham Harper's direction because they like his stories. They dislike Keith Boak's direction because they dislike his episodes. It's a shame because he does a great job in Rose and adds some touches which give the episode a stylish and often cinematic feel.
one continuous shot. This is a good moment of clarity during an action packed episode. The Director, Keith Boak took flak from a lot of fans who haven't a clue about TV. Some fans can't distinguish good / bad direction from episodes they like / dislike which means they always like Graham Harper's direction because they like his stories. They dislike Keith Boak's direction because they dislike his episodes. It's a shame because he does a great job in Rose and adds some touches which give the episode a stylish and often cinematic feel.When it was announced that Doctor Who was coming back it seemed that the greatest difficulty for the production team would be to create a modern version of Who that the fans liked. For Casino Royale the production team ran the risk of alienating casual cinema goers at the expense of making a film the fans were already salivating over.
It seems that both crews got it right. The BBC now have a Who franchise that the fans can't shut
up about (does every fan really have to have a blog for Christ's sake!) and the Bond team have created a major hit with an essentially new version of their main character. This represents a line in the sand for both franchises. It marks out quality and standards on a level neither had before.
up about (does every fan really have to have a blog for Christ's sake!) and the Bond team have created a major hit with an essentially new version of their main character. This represents a line in the sand for both franchises. It marks out quality and standards on a level neither had before.Doctor Who and James Bond films started in the same era and their popularity and style have
often mirrored each other so it's nice to see them both riding high again. Rose was the perfect reboot and led to a number of years of success. I'd be surprised if Casino Royale doesn't mark out the same success for Bond.
often mirrored each other so it's nice to see them both riding high again. Rose was the perfect reboot and led to a number of years of success. I'd be surprised if Casino Royale doesn't mark out the same success for Bond.
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