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4.51 AVERAGE
4.51 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
My favourite book.
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
I absolutely adored this book. First of all, as a look ‘behind the curtain’ into what it was like scripting and exec producing Doctor Who this really was invaluable — I had no idea how gruelling and stressful it was to showrun. Secondly, as an insight into RTD both as a person and professionally — for instance, I now have a list of shows to check out, the vast majority of which I had never heard of (the curse of being a millennial/zoomed cusp). Thirdly, for all the ruminations on why and how one writes; the drive behind it, the craft behind it, and what is or isn’t bullshit. I suspect if my personal philosophy on writing differed wildly from RTD’s I might have found these sections frustrating to sit through, but as our opinions largely seemed to align I found myself nodding along and thinking ‘Yes, exactly, that’s exactly what it feels like.’
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Borrowed this book from a friend, and read it aloud to my husband so we could both enjoy it. Really interesting and super fun to hear insights from the production and writing processes.
By far the best book about writing I have read. So inspiring and just brilliant.
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Gosh! What a mountain of a book! Took me like 4 months to read (commented that under a booktok tiktok and some probably-teenager was like "How? I'd read that in a week?" Piss off!!)
The first part was definitely better, more narrative like, the second felt like an extended epilogue in a way. it definitely got way slower but then later in part 2 it picked up speed again. It was just so fascinating to get a peak at Russel's mind, realize that he struggles with executive dysfunction just like the rest of us plebians. More than anything, this book made me think "ah fuck do I wanna eventually be the showrunner of Doctor who now?".
PS. I've actually been following Benjamin Cook online for nearly a decade now (and been watching doctor who for 12ish years) so it was funny that for most people he was just like "the reporter" while I've been a fan of both of them for my entire adult life and more
The first part was definitely better, more narrative like, the second felt like an extended epilogue in a way. it definitely got way slower but then later in part 2 it picked up speed again. It was just so fascinating to get a peak at Russel's mind, realize that he struggles with executive dysfunction just like the rest of us plebians. More than anything, this book made me think "ah fuck do I wanna eventually be the showrunner of Doctor who now?".
PS. I've actually been following Benjamin Cook online for nearly a decade now (and been watching doctor who for 12ish years) so it was funny that for most people he was just like "the reporter" while I've been a fan of both of them for my entire adult life and more
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Well, what an all-encompassing experience this book is. This edition is essentially 700 pages of email exchanges between Russell T Davies (ex- and now current showrunner of Doctor Who) and journalist Benjamin Cook between 2007 and 2009ish, where Davies is encouraged to open up about his process of writing his final episodes. As a fan of the show, I really admire his work, and this book confirms that he is indeed very probably an actual genius (those who have seen It’s a Sin may concur). On that level, it's very insightful into any creative process and weirdly inspirational.
I say 'weirdly' because this account really has some dark moments. Not only can you clearly see the real strain that writing this show had on Davies (hence, I imagine, why his new series will have 8 and not 13 episodes…) but you can also see how… difficult the man can be at times. It's quite clear that he didn't treat everyone with as much grace as he could have done, and thank goodness Cook managed to influence him out of some wild decisions. (The initial idea behind the book was that Cook would just ask questions, but as time goes on there is increasing influence from him).
And then, there are the racist jokes, sexist comments (from Cook, actually, not Davies) and general lechery. Yeah - not good. I think perhaps in the years since this publication, Davies has learned and grown in some of these respects, but to even suggest as a joke that a certain Agatha Christie title would make its way into an episode is way off. And, although a lot of execs at the time were doing worse things, it doesn't mean objectifying 'attractive' guest stars throughout is OK.
But as a way of documenting, this is first class. It doesn't edit (as far as I can tell) or spin the truth, it's literally just what happened, as it happened, no filters. There's a great moment where as he's writing an email for the book, Davies comes up with the reason David Tennant's Doctor dies, which is pretty cool to read. And despite what I outlined above, Davies also makes some really *good* points about other things, and some very wise decisions. As he's so outspoken, I think he will always divide people (that's what Who fans do anyway…). It doesn't excuse the bad stuff but it does outline how complicated one person can be, offer very interesting insights into the making of a show like this, and definitely make me excited to see what he comes out with next.
I absolutely loved this book. I wish that such a correspondence existed between every writer of my favorite shows and a reporter. Seeing behind the scenes of the writing of Doctor Who was truly delightful. RTD is a fascinating man, if not a little crazy. If you like Doctor Who, you must read this. If you don't like Doctor Who, you will have no idea what is going on.
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Russell Davies allows us to see some of the less than flattering things he thinks about himself and his work, without making you feel like he is suffering from some sort of inferiority complex. Benjamin Cook manages to ask questions without sounding like a reporter or a raving fanboy. This is not the book version of Doctor Who: True Hollywood Story. It does not give a huge amount of behind the scenes scoop, but focuses on Russell's headspace as he attempts to pull together 4 years of story telling without actually ending the story. Plus, there are adorable doodles illustrating some pages. My favorite may be Rose Tyler with her BFG. (And no, I don't mean a Friendly Giant.) Not ground breaking, but highly entertaining for me.