If you're even a casual viewer of Doctor Who (which I freely admit, I am not. I am an obsessive one) and/or at all interested in the creative process in general or in specific as it relates to television, this book kicks Sontaran ass. Seriously, even if you're not into the show, it's might still be worthreading and this book might be a good reason to get familiar.
What you get in The Writer's Tale is what every interview with a writer and what every behind-the-scenes book completely fails to capture. What goes on in a writer's head. And while certainly every writer works a bit differently and you can never really get 100% in there, this books gets a far into Russell Davies creative head as you're likely to get into anyone's other than your own...with his randomness, spark, self-criticism and development. It's the best quantification of the unquantifible I've seen in a long while, if ever.
"It all exists in my head, but in this soup. It's like the ideas are fluctuating in thisgreat big quantum state of Maybe. The choices look easy when recounted later, but that's hindsight. When nothing is real and nothing is fixed, it can go anywhere. The Maybe is a hell of a place to live. As well as being the best place in the world."
There's a lot of good philosophy on writing and even when you get to the point where you start thinking about whether or not this could (or should) be taken as a book on how to write, Davies completely disabuses you of that notion while at the same time calling Charlie Kaufman on maybe be a little too uppity about himself and/or writing.
The book is essentially a series of emails between Davies and journalist Ben Cook over the course of the fourth season, from pre to post. In doing so you get a clear picture of how this showrunner conceived this particular year and, especially exciting for Doctor Who fans, is you get to see a lot of the false starts and the could-have-beens, both creatively (Mark Gatiss' Nazi episode, space dogs) and on the business side (Dennis Hopper was nearly in the "Voyage of the Damned"). As such, the book is best taken as a companion to the fourth season, but it's also a good reason to go and watch the fourth season if you haven't. It's be kind of a backwards way to come to perhaps the best show currently in production (maybe I overstate, maybe I don't, certainly the best adventure show...period), but whatever works.
What I also enjoy is that in doesn't stay on point. Davies jumps thoughts as one might do in an email, occasionally slipping into what he's really thinking (especially with regards to Donna becoming the fourth year companion) and also the two having brief off-topics (like discussing the Life on Mars finale). There's also tangential peeks into the goings on at Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures as well as some references to Davies past television experiences, what books he's reading and what he had for lunch. As I see it, it's all a part of the the creative whole. Everything shapes everything else.
As a chronicle of the fourth series, it also covers his deciding to step down, Moffat deciding to step up and some network politics and what-not. The only thing left out of the book was Tennant's decision to step down from the role, as that was still a secret for some while into the book's production and, I think, even a little bit after the publication date.
Also notable is the website for the book which features Davies' fourth series scripts, including "Midnight."There's a 42 page scene.
512 pages of school textbook sized harcover goodness. Go get it.
But first, I went to the Expo Sunday afternoon. I just didn't have time for it on the other days, though I would have liked to compete in the CS Open again. I had a great time with it last year. Emily's posted her entry for this year. Go check it. S'funny.
I was especially excited though because Aaron Sorkin was there, though it was in the capacity of interviewing his mentor William Goldman. Nothing against Goldman. Far from it. The guy's written some of the bestest movies ev-ar, but the fact is...he's at the Expo every year. Every. Year. I'd really have liked to see Goldman interviewing Sorkin. They could both tell their stories and stuff. Nonetheless, Goldman did manage to turn the tables on Sorkin a couple of times and get him to answer some questions, but Sorkin was determined to stay on course.
Also to Goldman's credit, to my memory, he repeated almost nothing from his interview (by Scott Frank) last year.
As to the thing about Mad Men and my writer's group...
One us took home the TV prize for the AAA Screenwriting Contest, which was presented at the Expo Awards Ceremony. Brian Rowe won with his Mad Men spec script, "White Collar" which I had the pleasure of reading in the group.
The later on, with the presentation of the Expo awards, my name was called for my own Mad Men spec, "Vostok." Which he also gave me notes on.
Not bad for a smoky Sunday.
And click here for Matthew Weiner's contribution to my writing a Mad Men spec.
Just realized I accepted a writing award on the same stage where Sorkin and Goldman stood an hour before. Gah.
Teleplay Semifinalists Grey's Anatomy - "Life's a Circus"- Tom Brady Friday Night Lights "Homecoming" - Hollie Overton House - "Redemption" - Elfi Martinez Mad Men - "Vostok" - Michael Patrick Sullivan
So I just put my most recent pilot, The Black House, through the writers group ringer a couple of times and see the last revision in sight...more or less, and I've turned my eye toward a new spec as I make those changes.
I just don't know what yet.
But some telling schedule changes are informing my choices.
First off, I was looking at trashing my existing Pushing Daisies in favor of a new, better one. But, things aren't looking great for the show, unless there's a dramatic uptick in ratings now that the election is over. If that's not the case, it's kinda irritating, because this really seems to be the year where underperforming shows (good or bad) are being given their back nine orders. Most of them, not as good as Daisies.
So that option is on hold.
I've had a Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles loosely outlined for a while, but them it was on the brink of cancellation. With the axe in sight and pundits, wags and other whatevers-that-say-stuff pronouncing the end within mere minutes, Fox gave it the rest of it's season. It kept the loose outline alive. Then it was recently announced that at midseason it would be moved to Fridays (with Dollhouse). Fridays. Where Fox shows go to die. Bad news for Dollhouse too. What isn't bad news for Dollhouse these days?
Life was something I kinda wanted to spec. I dig the show, but it barely scraped by the first season and it was scheduled for Fridays this year. Doom, right? But then they moved it to Wednesday. A vote of confidence I'd think. And now, it has its full season order. It's moved up to the number two spot in things I'm likely to spec.
What's number one? One that it's way too early to spec, but I just don't care that much.Life on Mars. It's been seeing some increase in the ratings. Might be some post-election surge there. But, you know, I never really thought it was well matched with Ugly Betty and Grey's. Now comes news that it'll be moved to Wednesdays after Lost. That sounds like a much better match and it seems to me to be a step in the right direction for everyone. And a Pushing Daisies/Lost/Life on Mars night would be the awesome sauce and the first time I watch ABC from wall-to-wall in...ever.
There's also Chuck, but I just don't know how readable that might be...but it'll would be fun to write. It's on the list.
Sorry Tom Waits, it's just not your song anymore. It's the song from The Wire. And now...it's mutating.
And the video was made for ten bucks. And the track sounds like it was probably made on Garageband or something. There's a complete thing for, lke, nothing. Knowhaimsayn?
Ye gawdz, but I DO love this book.
I was leafing through the paper yesterday and came across several...SEVERAL ads for 
As to the thing about 
I just don't know what yet.
