I love both these shows, but they could definitely do with more Paul Magrs. Steven Moffat said that when he was making Doctor Who and inviting his other famous writer friends to do an episode, some said "Yes" many more said "Yes when I'm not busy" but only two writers gave a flat "Absolutely not. Never. No" One was his friend Jed Mecurio and the other was David Renwick. Apparently it's really not their thing, even if invited.
I loved Crown Court when I was a kid. And the theme tune... That episode of Invasion Earth would have been wonderful. Because that's what an alien invasion would come down to is the people, not the big shooty battles. It's why When the Wind Blows was so devastating.
Thanks for sharing those two fascinating stories, Paul! The Catch-22 of TV drama writing: we value individual voices, which is why to succeed you need to mechanically emulate the voice of the showrunner.
I love self revelatory videos. Thank you for sharing your life. We can all learn from one another by listening to and sharing our stories. It enriches my life.
As you were explaining the second story, I know I was riveted by the point of view of the two old women. I actually gasped when you explained the outcome and thought how dark and brilliant that was, and people would be talking about that episode for years. Oh well. Their loss!
I absolutely agree. I think that’s why the Terry Nation series Survivors was as effective as it was in the early episodes when the world falls apart. Although it’s a bit posh
sad to hear you didn't make it into the TV Show, but im very glad to hear they invited you. (never too late to late to send an email to RTD and ask if you can write a story for the upcoming seasons... with RTD's continuous comments of "a show by fans for fans" in DWM, it should fit) (also everything else in the video is interesting, I'm just commenting about DW because that's what I'm most interested in)
also RTD should've let you in even with the less TV-normal script smh. It'd be worth it; an unpopular or slightly "bad" episode is much better than boring monotony
Thanks for sharing Paul! Although I’d love to see your stories brought to life on the screen I wouldn’t want you to have to dilute your voice, they’d have to be authentically you!
I'm also someone who prefers the small scale stories. If a show or movie aims at doing something really big, then other creators appear to need to top it. I grew up with Pat Troughton as my Doctor, and that scale of storytelling suits me well. I reckon you're better off having failed to become a script monkey. You story idea of two old dears having conversation on the lav sounds very good to me. Reminded me of you Hammer Horror audio about the Spanish lady standing out from the other audios in that set because its told from a POV very different from other writers in the same project. Maybe you'll start a trend for water closet dramas?
So interesting listening to this video. Re. small intimate/vs Big Bangs and special effects - made me think of "Housewife, 49" by Victoria Wood - the tale of a very 'small life' in the big event of World War 2, yet saying so much about a whole swathe of society's experience and expectations, perhaps something from which the viewer could extrapolate many people's experiences. It sounds to me like your writing would absolutely flourish in radio drama with very little extra work. From your video, it sounds like the missing piece was someone taking you through the mechanics of visual storytelling for screenwriting, because they didn't have the time in the rush of TV production. (If you get some time, there's a fantastic book on this, "The Visual Story: Seeing the Structure of Film, TV, and New Media by Bruce Block, publ Focal Press. Worth it for the lists of recommended films to view for particular styling at end of each chapter). TV is a completely different medium, where wellwritten words play a small part, most of the telling is what is being shown/seen. TV aims for being able to turn the sound off and still glean half the story from what you see only. Then there's 25% or so from what the "background" music is hinting at - words have a little, focussed space onscreen.
Kurt Vonnegut now I have him in paperback ; good writer . Coronation Street my husband fitted the letterboxes and did the scores at that time on university challenge awarding himself points if he got it right and then quickly having to get rid of them . He made me laugh and now I always wonder if Mike ( that was his name) was behind the screen as I watched ten years younger than him on a telly. After hours ; there was fun with the Rainbow puppets I hear too ; with their own versions. Anyways . God that would have been a great Dr . Who episode. I remember an Adipose tissue one I think as you speak . All the fat people selected for their adipose tissue . Dang or was that something else . Anyways they lost a good one there both times ; I suspect. Mike again suspected that Christopher Isherwood had been curtailed and suspected either two books were being done by some committee . He loved Christopher Isherwoods work. It is a puzzle. Set the Burroughs virus on them in retrospect.
@@paulmagrs2474 Ah, taste! With all the Paul Magrs books, your shelves are looking a lot like mine. Oh! I did a comedy segment on the madness of Verdigris lately with some Who fans, if you get a moment it starts from 6:40! Some absolutely class reactions. czcams.com/video/_V0CsNbRx-8/video.html&ab_channel=DAVIS
Stoopid question but if you had a trip in the TARDIS would you pop back and convince yourself to Fulfill The Brief or are you pleased you remained true to your voice? I love a silly TARDIS question…😁
It's odd, because the first time I heard your name, it was a 4th Doctor serial, and I assumed your name was Marrs because that's how Tom Baker said it! Then I tracked it down, found out how to spell your name, and found those wonderful Brenda & Effie plays on I-Tunes. I just assumed you were a big deal in Dr Who circles! I'm ambivalent about the 8th Doctor. I hated the movie, but I used to get the Big Finish audio plays and Paul McGann was terrific as the 8th Doctor on those. I prefer the small scale as well. Dr Who has gone from "We must save these people!" to "We must save this planet!" to "All of time and all of space will be destroyed", and I care less and less.
I was thinking I too like small scale, I wasn't too happy with the idea that half the universe got destroyed because of fear of Doctor Who ("Flux"), better to mess around with Robin Hood or a dream machine with Argonauts!
No, that 'half the universe' stuff is absurd. Many things i liked about 'Flux' - but the unmade-bed aspects and the over-reaching cosmic bollocks weren't my favourite.
What is the the collective noun for Alexes? I'm suprised you haven't been approached for science fiction shows particularly NuWho. The Big Finish scripts are very visual at times despite the medium.
Great loss to TV Doctor Who not making extensive use of you - the show suffers from the showrunner system putting too many eggs in one basket, I reckon!
There’s a lot of tosh talked about out valuing the individual writer’s voice in all areas of publishing and production. What they mean is - only some voices, not all. That’s been my experience in thirty years as a writer.
I love both these shows, but they could definitely do with more Paul Magrs. Steven Moffat said that when he was making Doctor Who and inviting his other famous writer friends to do an episode, some said "Yes" many more said "Yes when I'm not busy" but only two writers gave a flat "Absolutely not. Never. No" One was his friend Jed Mecurio and the other was David Renwick. Apparently it's really not their thing, even if invited.
I loved Crown Court when I was a kid. And the theme tune... That episode of Invasion Earth would have been wonderful. Because that's what an alien invasion would come down to is the people, not the big shooty battles. It's why When the Wind Blows was so devastating.
yes, yes! exactly! and exactly how the pandemic played out, too. My instincts were right, i think!
Thanks for sharing those two fascinating stories, Paul! The Catch-22 of TV drama writing: we value individual voices, which is why to succeed you need to mechanically emulate the voice of the showrunner.
RTD took me aside and said that there are 'jobsworths' and 'prima donnas' and you were either one or the other.
Wonderful video, thank you Paul!
I love self revelatory videos. Thank you for sharing your life. We can all learn from one another by listening to and sharing our stories. It enriches my life.
thank you
As you were explaining the second story, I know I was riveted by the point of view of the two old women. I actually gasped when you explained the outcome and thought how dark and brilliant that was, and people would be talking about that episode for years. Oh well. Their loss!
thank you! you wouldn't believe how i've carried around the sense of failure from both these experiences - all these years!
I absolutely agree. I think that’s why the Terry Nation series Survivors was as effective as it was in the early episodes when the world falls apart. Although it’s a bit posh
Those early episodes are wonderful.
sad to hear you didn't make it into the TV Show, but im very glad to hear they invited you.
(never too late to late to send an email to RTD and ask if you can write a story for the upcoming seasons... with RTD's continuous comments of "a show by fans for fans" in DWM, it should fit)
(also everything else in the video is interesting, I'm just commenting about DW because that's what I'm most interested in)
also RTD should've let you in even with the less TV-normal script smh. It'd be worth it; an unpopular or slightly "bad" episode is much better than boring monotony
Thanks for sharing Paul! Although I’d love to see your stories brought to life on the screen I wouldn’t want you to have to dilute your voice, they’d have to be authentically you!
thank you, Andy! Your support is wonderful
I'm also someone who prefers the small scale stories. If a show or movie aims at doing something really big, then other creators appear to need to top it. I grew up with Pat Troughton as my Doctor, and that scale of storytelling suits me well. I reckon you're better off having failed to become a script monkey. You story idea of two old dears having conversation on the lav sounds very good to me. Reminded me of you Hammer Horror audio about the Spanish lady standing out from the other audios in that set because its told from a POV very different from other writers in the same project. Maybe you'll start a trend for water closet dramas?
yes - my career in the toilet! ;)
@@paulmagrs2474 flushed with success!
@@paulmagrs2474 flushed with pride, surely!
So interesting listening to this video. Re. small intimate/vs Big Bangs and special effects - made me think of "Housewife, 49" by Victoria Wood - the tale of a very 'small life' in the big event of World War 2, yet saying so much about a whole swathe of society's experience and expectations, perhaps something from which the viewer could extrapolate many people's experiences. It sounds to me like your writing would absolutely flourish in radio drama with very little extra work. From your video, it sounds like the missing piece was someone taking you through the mechanics of visual storytelling for screenwriting, because they didn't have the time in the rush of TV production. (If you get some time, there's a fantastic book on this, "The Visual Story: Seeing the Structure of Film, TV, and New Media by Bruce Block, publ Focal Press. Worth it for the lists of recommended films to view for particular styling at end of each chapter). TV is a completely different medium, where wellwritten words play a small part, most of the telling is what is being shown/seen. TV aims for being able to turn the sound off and still glean half the story from what you see only. Then there's 25% or so from what the "background" music is hinting at - words have a little, focussed space onscreen.
i think 'Housewife 49' is a lovely piece of tv.
@@paulmagrs2474 Victoria Wood - legendary ear for dialogue
@@heathergregg9975 When i was a kid i used to record her shows - and Alan Bennet's - on tape so i could listen to them again and again on my walkman!
God this is so interesting. do you have that two old ladies script lying about somewhere still? it sounds amazing haha
i must have, somewhere
Kurt Vonnegut now I have him in paperback ; good writer . Coronation Street my husband fitted the letterboxes and did the scores at that time on university challenge awarding himself points if he got it right and then quickly having to get rid of them . He made me laugh and now I always wonder if Mike ( that was his name) was behind the screen as I watched ten years younger than him on a telly. After hours ; there was fun with the Rainbow puppets I hear too ; with their own versions. Anyways . God that would have been a great Dr . Who episode. I remember an Adipose tissue one I think as you speak . All the fat people selected for their adipose tissue . Dang or was that something else . Anyways they lost a good one there both times ; I suspect. Mike again suspected that Christopher Isherwood had been curtailed and suspected either two books were being done by some committee . He loved Christopher Isherwoods work. It is a puzzle. Set the Burroughs virus on them in retrospect.
What's the black spine Marvel book in the back btw?
it's the 'Definitive Avengers' in the Marvel Platinum series
@@paulmagrs2474 Ah, taste! With all the Paul Magrs books, your shelves are looking a lot like mine.
Oh! I did a comedy segment on the madness of Verdigris lately with some Who fans, if you get a moment it starts from 6:40! Some absolutely class reactions.
czcams.com/video/_V0CsNbRx-8/video.html&ab_channel=DAVIS
Stoopid question but if you had a trip in the TARDIS would you pop back and convince yourself to Fulfill The Brief or are you pleased you remained true to your voice? I love a silly TARDIS question…😁
I would always sound like me.
It's odd, because the first time I heard your name, it was a 4th Doctor serial, and I assumed your name was Marrs because that's how Tom Baker said it! Then I tracked it down, found out how to spell your name, and found those wonderful Brenda & Effie plays on I-Tunes.
I just assumed you were a big deal in Dr Who circles!
I'm ambivalent about the 8th Doctor. I hated the movie, but I used to get the Big Finish audio plays and Paul McGann was terrific as the 8th Doctor on those.
I prefer the small scale as well. Dr Who has gone from "We must save these people!" to "We must save this planet!" to "All of time and all of space will be destroyed", and I care less and less.
I was thinking I too like small scale, I wasn't too happy with the idea that half the universe got destroyed because of fear of Doctor Who ("Flux"), better to mess around with Robin Hood or a dream machine with Argonauts!
No, that 'half the universe' stuff is absurd. Many things i liked about 'Flux' - but the unmade-bed aspects and the over-reaching cosmic bollocks weren't my favourite.
@@paulmagrs2474 Yes! Part of the delight of Doctor Who is that he/she is important but not that important. Rather a metaphor for Britain!
@@gladiator652004 that's a rather brilliant observation, i think.
Would that be Alex Moat the script supervisor for Invasion Earth?
no, i just googled him - and it was Alex Stewart.
What is the the collective noun for Alexes? I'm suprised you haven't been approached for science fiction shows particularly NuWho. The Big Finish scripts are very visual at times despite the medium.
@@Concreteowl No, they've not come knocking at my door.
Great loss to TV Doctor Who not making extensive use of you - the show suffers from the showrunner system putting too many eggs in one basket, I reckon!
thank you!
They still maintain this at the BBC writer's room, 'write like yourself'. Clearly it's not true! 😂
There’s a lot of tosh talked about out valuing the individual writer’s voice in all areas of publishing and production. What they mean is - only some voices, not all. That’s been my experience in thirty years as a writer.
@@paulmagrs2474 Yeah, I have tried and tried to dynamite my way in to their hallowed vaults but I think I'm not made of the right stuff.