Tuesday 31 March 2009

I'm Sorry. I'm So Sorry...

Actually, I'm not sorry at all to report that, as comes the end of March, so comes the end of the 'For Fun' spec challenge. I have completed an absolutely useless, totally unsaleable, but enormously enjoyable (in the making if not the reading) spec script for Doctor Who. And I rather like it.

I wrote it for David Tennant, with no companion, and 45 minutes long. I didn't go mad with Daleks and Cybermen, I didn't do a reboot, I didn't kill off the Brigadier. I just wrote an episode that I thought could nestle into mid-season next to one of Stephen Greenhorn's ones, with no returning characters or fanboy-ness. Well, alright there are a couple of fannish references if you look hard enough, but this again is not something out of whack with the current house style.

I have, as is the rules, exchanged the screenplay with the other members of the Script Challenge group. The mighty Stevyn Colgan has also written a Doctor Who script which I'm looking forward enormously to reading. Another writer has had a crack at a Primeval, and so I'm going to have to watch at least one episode of Primeval before I read that one, so I know who all the characters are! Well, it had to happen sooner or later. We'll all give feedback on each others work, as is the form, and then on to the next challenge. And after that, somehow, the script will end up being passed to Steven Moffat's inbox. He will read it, realise I'm a genius, get me to write four episodes for Series Six, I will be showered with riches and all the gold I can eat, people will dance in the street as I walk by, and...

...sorry, lost myself there. No, none of that will happen, alas. But I might publish the script online, if the feedback comes back reasonable. I can't usually do that as scripts are either intended to be sold, or under confidentiality agreements, but for this one: it doesn't matter.

4 comments:

David Lemon said...

Hi Stuart
Looking forward to reading it, and being the genre-hopper that 'Dr Who' is, I wouldn't be at all surprised if your ep contained the seeds of an original show too.

Stuart Perry said...

It's winging it's way to you as I type (well, probably much faster than I can type). Thanks David.

Mr Simon Allen... said...

Like the fact you've picked up on DT's catchphrase - it's become his "fantastic!" hasn't it?

David Lemon said...

Hi Stuart
Really enjoyed the script, Sir! It feels like new 'Who' without ever descending into parody and you've really captured David Tennant's Doctor.
A shame he'll be moving on soon, but hey, that's the show, right?