The above article is featured in the latest issue of Empire (June 2011) which is out now priced at £3.99.
Friday, 29 April 2011
Fright Night Empire Interview
The above article is featured in the latest issue of Empire (June 2011) which is out now priced at £3.99.
The Telegrah Preview The Gobetweenies
The Telegraph have previewed David's new Radio 4 comedy The Gobetweenies:
David Tennant plays Joe, father of ten year old Tom and teenage Lucy. He's no longer married to Mimi (Sarah Alexander.) She's on marriage 3 now but both parents try hard to keep the ties that, naturally, will bind them all at least until the two children have finished school. So there's lots of driving around, talking on mobile phones, picking up and bringing back, trying not to contradict each other. But it's all very wearing so Joe has a bright idea. Is is practical? This comedy by Marcella Evaristi shows every sign of being neatly drawn from life.
Episode 1 of The Gobetweenies will air on Friday 6th May 2011 at 11:30am
David Tennant plays Joe, father of ten year old Tom and teenage Lucy. He's no longer married to Mimi (Sarah Alexander.) She's on marriage 3 now but both parents try hard to keep the ties that, naturally, will bind them all at least until the two children have finished school. So there's lots of driving around, talking on mobile phones, picking up and bringing back, trying not to contradict each other. But it's all very wearing so Joe has a bright idea. Is is practical? This comedy by Marcella Evaristi shows every sign of being neatly drawn from life.
Episode 1 of The Gobetweenies will air on Friday 6th May 2011 at 11:30am
Guest Blogger: My David Tennant Sculpture
We're introducing a bit of a new feature to the blog section of the site with guest bloggers getting the chance to write an article.
Our first guest blogger is the artist George Mark:
Hi there folks I am a sculptor living and working in the West of Scotland I specialise in portrait sculpture and am commissioned to to do different pieces of work from all over, recent work has included a commission to sculpt the late John Smith http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/225768-scottish-labour-leader-to-unveil-statue-of-john-smith/ and last week along with the Arch Bishop Mario Conti handed over a bust of Pope Benedict to a local business man who won it at auction for £3500 http://local.stv.tv/coatbridge/news/15935-archbishop-praises-work-of-local-artist/My most enjoyable work is when I am free to sculpt my own favourite people, I have recently sculpted Micheal Buble, Bob Marley, Beyonce, Frank Sinatra, and of course David Tennant as Doctor Who! I am a big Doctor Who fan and can remember back to all the Doctors and cowering behind a cushion as a kid when the Daleks or Cybermen were trying to overcome the Doctor. Wasnt it sad when the Doctor disappeared off our screens a while back , but isnt it wonderful that the amazing David Tennant and the creativity of Russell T Davies has breathed new and exciting life back into the show, so much so I was moved to create this sculpture in clay and glaze which is 16 inches high and 12 inches wide with the Doctor staring into space and the sinister hand of the Cyberman reaching over his shoulder!! I get the feeling though the Doctor will prevail! This sculpture will probably go to one of the galleries representing my work and can be seen on the Fine Art America site http://fineartamerica.com/featured/doc-who-george-mark.html
Hi there folks I am a sculptor living and working in the West of Scotland I specialise in portrait sculpture and am commissioned to to do different pieces of work from all over, recent work has included a commission to sculpt the late John Smith http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/225768-scottish-labour-leader-to-unveil-statue-of-john-smith/ and last week along with the Arch Bishop Mario Conti handed over a bust of Pope Benedict to a local business man who won it at auction for £3500 http://local.stv.tv/coatbridge/news/15935-archbishop-praises-work-of-local-artist/My most enjoyable work is when I am free to sculpt my own favourite people, I have recently sculpted Micheal Buble, Bob Marley, Beyonce, Frank Sinatra, and of course David Tennant as Doctor Who! I am a big Doctor Who fan and can remember back to all the Doctors and cowering behind a cushion as a kid when the Daleks or Cybermen were trying to overcome the Doctor. Wasnt it sad when the Doctor disappeared off our screens a while back , but isnt it wonderful that the amazing David Tennant and the creativity of Russell T Davies has breathed new and exciting life back into the show, so much so I was moved to create this sculpture in clay and glaze which is 16 inches high and 12 inches wide with the Doctor staring into space and the sinister hand of the Cyberman reaching over his shoulder!! I get the feeling though the Doctor will prevail! This sculpture will probably go to one of the galleries representing my work and can be seen on the Fine Art America site http://fineartamerica.com/featured/doc-who-george-mark.html
Hope you like it guys!
Blog Review: Kafka The Musical
Kafka The Musical reviewed for David-Tennant.com by Jude Burke
It’s fair to say that, if I were hunting around for a subject for a musical, the life of Czech writer Franz Kafka, author of the disturbing ‘Metamorphosis’, probably wouldn’t be at the top of my list. Hopelessness, alienation and death at the age of 40 from TB don’t exactly fit with the glitz and glamourof musicals, after all. But that didn’t put off writer (and Dr Who composer) Murray Gold, who hassucceeded in creating an entertaining and touching – if somewhat confusing – drama from this most unlikelysubject matter.
‘Kafka: The Musical’ begins with Kafka (played by DT) waking up from uneasy dreams one morning to find, not that he has been transformed into a gigantic insect, but that his life has been turned into a musical.His father, keen to see Kafka do some real work andfinally earn a living, has convinced local showbiz producer Herr Grossman to work with Kafka on a new show.
But when he goes to Grossman’s offices, the mysterious producer isn’t there – in fact, Kafka never meets him. Nonetheless, the writer finds himself plunged into a world beyond his control, where he is to be the star of a show he has neither agreed to, nor seen the script for – a show about his own life. Complete with song and dance.
Confused? So was Kafka - so was I, in fact. And things got even more baffling. As rehearsals for the ‘show’ progress, the lines between art and life – or at least play and musical – become blurred. Scenes that appear to be part of Kafka’s life turn out to be in the musical. Characters from Kafka’s life crop up, but not necessarily in the role they originally played (FeliceBauer, the woman Kafka almost married, is the assistant stage manager, for example). Strange men turn up in Kafka’s dreams asking questions about Grossman – but are they really his dreams? And who is this Grossman? Why does Kafka never meet him? What does it all mean?
After about an hour or so of feeling thoroughlyperplexed, along comes a comma (you’ll have to listen to the play if you don’t know what I mean) and everything changes. Out of all this confusion comes a touching story of a man who, having lived in fear and self-doubt all his life, finally embraces love and life just as it nears its end. The question of where the musical ends and life begins no longer matters – it’s all life, Kafka’s life, with its inevitable sad conclusion.
It goes without saying that DT is excellent as Kafka, brilliantly conveying his changing emotions – from nervous and bewildered in the beginning, to his growing confidence and love towards the end. The final scenes with Dora, his true love, are particularlypoignant, as Kafka clings on to a life he has only recently come to love.
(And of course, this being a musical, DT also gets to sing a song or two. But don’t get too excited - while they were perfectly passable, I don’t think he should give up the day job just yet.)
While ‘Kafka: The Musical’ left me feeling a little too baffled to be able to say that I thought it was brilliant, it was definitely engaging – even moving, in places.There are certainly worse ways to spend an hour and a half than listening to it. And I would dearly love to know what was going through Murray Gold’s mind when he came up with the idea.
You can read Jude's review of United on her blog here.
It’s fair to say that, if I were hunting around for a subject for a musical, the life of Czech writer Franz Kafka, author of the disturbing ‘Metamorphosis’, probably wouldn’t be at the top of my list. Hopelessness, alienation and death at the age of 40 from TB don’t exactly fit with the glitz and glamourof musicals, after all. But that didn’t put off writer (and Dr Who composer) Murray Gold, who hassucceeded in creating an entertaining and touching – if somewhat confusing – drama from this most unlikelysubject matter.
‘Kafka: The Musical’ begins with Kafka (played by DT) waking up from uneasy dreams one morning to find, not that he has been transformed into a gigantic insect, but that his life has been turned into a musical.His father, keen to see Kafka do some real work andfinally earn a living, has convinced local showbiz producer Herr Grossman to work with Kafka on a new show.
But when he goes to Grossman’s offices, the mysterious producer isn’t there – in fact, Kafka never meets him. Nonetheless, the writer finds himself plunged into a world beyond his control, where he is to be the star of a show he has neither agreed to, nor seen the script for – a show about his own life. Complete with song and dance.
Confused? So was Kafka - so was I, in fact. And things got even more baffling. As rehearsals for the ‘show’ progress, the lines between art and life – or at least play and musical – become blurred. Scenes that appear to be part of Kafka’s life turn out to be in the musical. Characters from Kafka’s life crop up, but not necessarily in the role they originally played (FeliceBauer, the woman Kafka almost married, is the assistant stage manager, for example). Strange men turn up in Kafka’s dreams asking questions about Grossman – but are they really his dreams? And who is this Grossman? Why does Kafka never meet him? What does it all mean?
After about an hour or so of feeling thoroughlyperplexed, along comes a comma (you’ll have to listen to the play if you don’t know what I mean) and everything changes. Out of all this confusion comes a touching story of a man who, having lived in fear and self-doubt all his life, finally embraces love and life just as it nears its end. The question of where the musical ends and life begins no longer matters – it’s all life, Kafka’s life, with its inevitable sad conclusion.
It goes without saying that DT is excellent as Kafka, brilliantly conveying his changing emotions – from nervous and bewildered in the beginning, to his growing confidence and love towards the end. The final scenes with Dora, his true love, are particularlypoignant, as Kafka clings on to a life he has only recently come to love.
(And of course, this being a musical, DT also gets to sing a song or two. But don’t get too excited - while they were perfectly passable, I don’t think he should give up the day job just yet.)
While ‘Kafka: The Musical’ left me feeling a little too baffled to be able to say that I thought it was brilliant, it was definitely engaging – even moving, in places.There are certainly worse ways to spend an hour and a half than listening to it. And I would dearly love to know what was going through Murray Gold’s mind when he came up with the idea.
You can read Jude's review of United on her blog here.
Monday, 25 April 2011
BBC Four Twenty Twelve Marathon
BBC Four are to repeat all six episodes of Twenty Twelve, a mockumentary about the team organising the London Olympics, which featured David's vocal talents as the narrator on 8th May from 12:20am.
8th May
Episode 1 - 12:20am - BBC Four
Episode 2 - 12:50am - BBC Four
Episode 3 - 1:20am - BBC Four
Episode 4 - 1:50am - BBC Four
Episode 5 - 2:20am - BBC Four
Episode 6 - 2:50am - BBC Four
8th May
Episode 1 - 12:20am - BBC Four
Episode 2 - 12:50am - BBC Four
Episode 3 - 1:20am - BBC Four
Episode 4 - 1:50am - BBC Four
Episode 5 - 2:20am - BBC Four
Episode 6 - 2:50am - BBC Four
Munich air crash drama captivates 3.2m
A lavish new BBC drama about the aftermath of Manchester United's tragic Munich air disaster was seen by 3.2m on Sunday evening, the latest audience data has revealed.United, starring Jack O'Connell, David Tennant and Dougray Scott, averaged 2.89m (12.8%) for BBC Two between 9pm and 10.30pm, while 346k (1.5%) tuned in on the BBC HD channel.
Channel 4's The Hotel, a new docusoap from the makers of One Born Every Minute, continued with 1.39m (6.1%) in the 8pm hour, down 650k on the previous week's debut episode.
A further 219k (1.9%) watched the show on +1.On BBC One, Britain's Royal Weddings, a two-part mini-series presented by Sophie Raworth, concluded with 3.45m (14.6%) in the 9pm hour. It was preceded on the channel by Antiques Roadshow, which had 4.74m (20.7%).
However, detective drama Lewis once more owned primetime, pulling in 5.66m (24.2%) on ITV1 between 8pm and 10pm, along with 240k (1.1%) on ITV1+1. Countryfile grabbed 4.78m (25.1%) on BBC One in the 7pm hour, while The Cube boxed in 3.09m (18.8%) on ITV1 and 137k (0.6%) on timeshift.
BARB ratings data supplied by Attentional
Source: Digital Spy
United Screen Caps
We've added some screen caps from United to the gallery here. You can download them all as one file, share them on facebook etc all directly from the gallery.
Sunday, 24 April 2011
CBBC To Air The Wedding Of Sarah Jane Smith
CBBC will be showing David's episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures as part of it's 'Royal Wedding Day' special.It will air on Friday 29th April at 9am and on Monday 2nd May at 11:20am.
You can also catch up with Lis' return to Doctor Who in School Reunion which Watch will be airing tomorrow at 12:55pm.
Find out more about the episodes of Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures that David and Lis worked on together here:
School Reunion
The Stolen Earth
Journey's End
The End Of Time: Part Two
The Wedding Of Sarah Jane Smith
United: Filming the story of the Busby Babes and the Munich air crash - video
Barney Ronay visits the set of United, a BBC film telling the true story of Manchester United and the 1958 Munich air disaster in which 23 people died. Stars David Tennant, Dougray Scott and director James Strong talk about bringing one the most famous British football stories to the screen.
United will be broadcast at 9pm on Sunday 24 April on BBC2
Source: The Guardian.
The Telegraph's Critic's Choice: United
CRITIC’S CHOICE: United
BBC Two, 9.00pm
Dramas about sport are often disappointing affairs: lacking in proper detail, hammily acted, and with a deathly predictable narrative arc in which a troubled team overcomes the odds to win the cup/medal/race in a shower of ticker tape glory. Once in a while, though, a real contender comes along which manages to leave the clich̩s behind and capture the essence of a sport Рhard graft, beauty, tragedy and all. United, written by Chris Chibnall, is just such a film.
It tells the story of the young, seemingly unstoppable Manchester United team of the late 1950s – known as the “Busby Babes” after the club’s then manager, Matt Busby – eight of whom were killed in a horrific air crash in Munich in February 1958. This is hardly unfamiliar territory, but Chibnall has approached it from a brilliant new angle. His innovation is to frame the story around Bobby Charlton (Jack O’Connell), who made the first team in 1956, emerged from the crash alive, and returned to the trauma-stricken club less than a month later, where he helped them reach that year’s FA Cup Final.
Alongside O’Connell, David Tennant gives a sparkling performance as the club’s fatherly head coach, Jimmy Murphy. PN
Source: The Telegraph
BBC Two, 9.00pm
Dramas about sport are often disappointing affairs: lacking in proper detail, hammily acted, and with a deathly predictable narrative arc in which a troubled team overcomes the odds to win the cup/medal/race in a shower of ticker tape glory. Once in a while, though, a real contender comes along which manages to leave the clich̩s behind and capture the essence of a sport Рhard graft, beauty, tragedy and all. United, written by Chris Chibnall, is just such a film.
It tells the story of the young, seemingly unstoppable Manchester United team of the late 1950s – known as the “Busby Babes” after the club’s then manager, Matt Busby – eight of whom were killed in a horrific air crash in Munich in February 1958. This is hardly unfamiliar territory, but Chibnall has approached it from a brilliant new angle. His innovation is to frame the story around Bobby Charlton (Jack O’Connell), who made the first team in 1956, emerged from the crash alive, and returned to the trauma-stricken club less than a month later, where he helped them reach that year’s FA Cup Final.
Alongside O’Connell, David Tennant gives a sparkling performance as the club’s fatherly head coach, Jimmy Murphy. PN
Source: The Telegraph
United: BBC Press Office Interview
David talks to the BBC Press Office about his latest role:
What attracted you to United?
I've worked with James Strong (director) and Chris Chibnall (writer) several times before and James sent me the script. I knew it would be worth reading because it came from him. I'm not a football expert but I was completely bowled over by the incredible story and journey that Manchester United went on. I thought that if it had grabbed and moved me as much as that, then clearly the story must be universal, worth telling and something I wanted to be part of.
What is United about?
The film is about all sorts of things because what happened is so extraordinary. On a very basic level it's a true story but it also looks at the arbitrary nature of fate, the capriciousness of life and the triumph of the human spirit. The film deals with how we pull ourselves together after tragedy, because people cope with grief in so many different ways. We're telling an utterly compelling and dramatic story as it happened. As I started to research this, I realised there's a fair amount of quibbling over detail but the basic facts of the story are indisputable.
The film also follows the relationship between Jimmy and Bobby Charlton. You see him finding Bobby, nurturing and bringing him through. It was a hugely important relationship for both of them. Bobby Charlton said he learnt everything from Jimmy Murphy and credits his career to him.
We try to tell the story and honour it, because it's a story that should be told. It's extraordinary that this hasn't been dramatised before. There's never been a straightforward film or TV drama about this extraordinary dramatic story and it's long overdue.
How did you prepare for the role of Jimmy Murphy?
I'd never heard of Jimmy Murphy, which is shocking considering what he did. That's part of what I like about the fact we're telling this story. Matt Busby said that Jimmy was the most important signing he ever made at Manchester United but I didn't realise what Jimmy did after the crash. When you're playing a real person there's a balance between playing the person in the script and playing the person as he was in life. You have to be respectful and true to who that person was, but at the same time tell the story in the film. I tried to find out who Jimmy was and about the facts of his life but inevitably I can only filter that through who I am. Physically I'm not particularly like Jimmy; I'm a bit taller and slightly younger than he was at that time. Quite early on I had to accept what couldn't be changed and then move towards what could be achieved.
What was it like meeting Jimmy's family?
Jimmy's family were incredibly welcoming and helpful. From meeting them, I got a sense of this very driven, warm and humble man who was terribly dignified in the way he conducted himself. He was clearly a brilliant teacher and football was a life vocation for him. I think the two loves in his life were Manchester United and his family and he was hugely passionate and invested in them both. His family spoke with great warmth towards him and took huge pride in talking about what Jimmy did and achieved.
What are your impressions of Jimmy?
Jimmy shunned the limelight and was happier on the football pitch. He enjoyed training young people and finding the football stars of the future and was incredibly gifted at nurturing them. I think Jimmy found himself in a situation that he didn't crave; being manager and solely responsible for keeping the team going. He must have felt like he wanted to grieve but to fight the very human impulse to chuck it all in is hugely impressive. He met the challenge and not only did he keep the team going, but he made them extraordinarily successful against all the odds. Post the crash he got offered the most extraordinary jobs in world football, for huge sums of money, but chose not to take them. Instead, he stayed as the Assistant Manager until he retired.
What research did you do for the film?
I knew about the Munich air crash, because it's a huge part of history, but I didn't know the details so I started reading about it. We managed to get hold of lots of newsreel footage, which was compelling because it revealed the national feeling at the time. One of the hardest things to recapture is the sense of what it was like to live through that event. Inevitably you start finding the modern day equivalent; those moments when a news report comes through and the world feels different. It's inconceivable that a bunch of the nation's greatest, youngest, most dynamic and most celebrated sportsmen should all be wiped out in an instant on the brink of their potential being realised. It's one of those events that doesn't seem to have precedent; it seems totally unfair, random and ghastly.
How do you think Manchester United changed after the tragedy?
It's difficult to know because I wasn't around so all I can go on is written accounts of the time. I get the sense that what happened in Munich in 1958, how the team coped with it and how they came back from the brink, was possibly the beginning of Manchester United as the kind of world football team they are today. The way they conducted themselves and struggled back with such dignity and fight, has inspired an international love for the team and that is due in no small part to what Jimmy did.
Was it useful watching Tottenham Hotspur in training and meeting Harry Redknapp?
The way football is run now is completely different to how it was in 1958; they train very differently and the structure is different. I had to be careful not to take too much from the modern experience and assume it was like that back then. But the principles are still the same; getting out on the pitch and training, practising and working hard, and having a level of commitment are things which will always be true.
It was fantastic to see behind the scenes at Tottenham Hotspur but the resources they can employ are far beyond what Manchester United had back then. Manchester United weren't a particularly wealthy club, which seems absurd as they're a multi-million pound international business these days. Harry Redknapp saw the final game that the "Busby Babes" played in the UK. It was their penultimate game ever which was against Arsenal. It was interesting to talk to him and feel that link through history. He talked about being utterly inspired by this extraordinary young team that was unlike anything that had been seen before.
How did you find the filming process?
I've been very inspired by it and I just hope we do the story justice. Filming was very tight because we were making a drama with feature film ambition on a television budget. The ambition of the piece was met by everyone involved and it looks stunning. Ed Thomas (Production Designer) is such a talented man. Every time you walked onto a set, whether a real location that had been transformed or something that had been built, it just immaculately recreated the world of the Fifties. It was also lit and shot very beautifully by Chris Ross and James Strong's love and attention to detail for the subject is evident in every scene.
It feels very thrilling to be part of; there is a spark and something very special between all the guys who are playing the footballers. You get a real sense of the joy in them as a bunch of young actors who are all full of talent and bursting with potential. That is very easy to compare with a football team in the same place, with the world ahead of them. Of course it's also terribly shocking when you relate that to what happened in '58.
How did the adverse weather conditions affect filming?
It was a bit tricky because we only had four weeks to shoot, which didn't give a lot of wiggle room in the shooting schedule for the unseasonable downfall of snow in Newcastle last December. There were lots of people with shovels everywhere; shovelling snow wherever we went. It's a bit tricky when you're making a film about football which, inevitably, has to be shot outside now and again. There were a few scenes that had to hang over so we could find a patch of grass to shoot them on.
What was it like working with Dougray Scott?
Dougray got to do his own accent, so he had the advantage there! When he first turned up he did this voice which was exactly Matt Busby, it just came growling out of him. When you hear some of the footage from Matt Busby, you can tell he had a very distinctive and extraordinary timbre and Dougray got it down to a tee. I think he's a fantastic choice for the role and he's a huge football aficionado; he knows everything so was a great resource for any football trivia that needed clearing up.
What attracted you to United?
I've worked with James Strong (director) and Chris Chibnall (writer) several times before and James sent me the script. I knew it would be worth reading because it came from him. I'm not a football expert but I was completely bowled over by the incredible story and journey that Manchester United went on. I thought that if it had grabbed and moved me as much as that, then clearly the story must be universal, worth telling and something I wanted to be part of.
What is United about?
The film is about all sorts of things because what happened is so extraordinary. On a very basic level it's a true story but it also looks at the arbitrary nature of fate, the capriciousness of life and the triumph of the human spirit. The film deals with how we pull ourselves together after tragedy, because people cope with grief in so many different ways. We're telling an utterly compelling and dramatic story as it happened. As I started to research this, I realised there's a fair amount of quibbling over detail but the basic facts of the story are indisputable.
The film also follows the relationship between Jimmy and Bobby Charlton. You see him finding Bobby, nurturing and bringing him through. It was a hugely important relationship for both of them. Bobby Charlton said he learnt everything from Jimmy Murphy and credits his career to him.
We try to tell the story and honour it, because it's a story that should be told. It's extraordinary that this hasn't been dramatised before. There's never been a straightforward film or TV drama about this extraordinary dramatic story and it's long overdue.
How did you prepare for the role of Jimmy Murphy?
I'd never heard of Jimmy Murphy, which is shocking considering what he did. That's part of what I like about the fact we're telling this story. Matt Busby said that Jimmy was the most important signing he ever made at Manchester United but I didn't realise what Jimmy did after the crash. When you're playing a real person there's a balance between playing the person in the script and playing the person as he was in life. You have to be respectful and true to who that person was, but at the same time tell the story in the film. I tried to find out who Jimmy was and about the facts of his life but inevitably I can only filter that through who I am. Physically I'm not particularly like Jimmy; I'm a bit taller and slightly younger than he was at that time. Quite early on I had to accept what couldn't be changed and then move towards what could be achieved.
What was it like meeting Jimmy's family?
Jimmy's family were incredibly welcoming and helpful. From meeting them, I got a sense of this very driven, warm and humble man who was terribly dignified in the way he conducted himself. He was clearly a brilliant teacher and football was a life vocation for him. I think the two loves in his life were Manchester United and his family and he was hugely passionate and invested in them both. His family spoke with great warmth towards him and took huge pride in talking about what Jimmy did and achieved.
What are your impressions of Jimmy?
Jimmy shunned the limelight and was happier on the football pitch. He enjoyed training young people and finding the football stars of the future and was incredibly gifted at nurturing them. I think Jimmy found himself in a situation that he didn't crave; being manager and solely responsible for keeping the team going. He must have felt like he wanted to grieve but to fight the very human impulse to chuck it all in is hugely impressive. He met the challenge and not only did he keep the team going, but he made them extraordinarily successful against all the odds. Post the crash he got offered the most extraordinary jobs in world football, for huge sums of money, but chose not to take them. Instead, he stayed as the Assistant Manager until he retired.
What research did you do for the film?
I knew about the Munich air crash, because it's a huge part of history, but I didn't know the details so I started reading about it. We managed to get hold of lots of newsreel footage, which was compelling because it revealed the national feeling at the time. One of the hardest things to recapture is the sense of what it was like to live through that event. Inevitably you start finding the modern day equivalent; those moments when a news report comes through and the world feels different. It's inconceivable that a bunch of the nation's greatest, youngest, most dynamic and most celebrated sportsmen should all be wiped out in an instant on the brink of their potential being realised. It's one of those events that doesn't seem to have precedent; it seems totally unfair, random and ghastly.
How do you think Manchester United changed after the tragedy?
It's difficult to know because I wasn't around so all I can go on is written accounts of the time. I get the sense that what happened in Munich in 1958, how the team coped with it and how they came back from the brink, was possibly the beginning of Manchester United as the kind of world football team they are today. The way they conducted themselves and struggled back with such dignity and fight, has inspired an international love for the team and that is due in no small part to what Jimmy did.
Was it useful watching Tottenham Hotspur in training and meeting Harry Redknapp?
The way football is run now is completely different to how it was in 1958; they train very differently and the structure is different. I had to be careful not to take too much from the modern experience and assume it was like that back then. But the principles are still the same; getting out on the pitch and training, practising and working hard, and having a level of commitment are things which will always be true.
It was fantastic to see behind the scenes at Tottenham Hotspur but the resources they can employ are far beyond what Manchester United had back then. Manchester United weren't a particularly wealthy club, which seems absurd as they're a multi-million pound international business these days. Harry Redknapp saw the final game that the "Busby Babes" played in the UK. It was their penultimate game ever which was against Arsenal. It was interesting to talk to him and feel that link through history. He talked about being utterly inspired by this extraordinary young team that was unlike anything that had been seen before.
How did you find the filming process?
I've been very inspired by it and I just hope we do the story justice. Filming was very tight because we were making a drama with feature film ambition on a television budget. The ambition of the piece was met by everyone involved and it looks stunning. Ed Thomas (Production Designer) is such a talented man. Every time you walked onto a set, whether a real location that had been transformed or something that had been built, it just immaculately recreated the world of the Fifties. It was also lit and shot very beautifully by Chris Ross and James Strong's love and attention to detail for the subject is evident in every scene.
It feels very thrilling to be part of; there is a spark and something very special between all the guys who are playing the footballers. You get a real sense of the joy in them as a bunch of young actors who are all full of talent and bursting with potential. That is very easy to compare with a football team in the same place, with the world ahead of them. Of course it's also terribly shocking when you relate that to what happened in '58.
How did the adverse weather conditions affect filming?
It was a bit tricky because we only had four weeks to shoot, which didn't give a lot of wiggle room in the shooting schedule for the unseasonable downfall of snow in Newcastle last December. There were lots of people with shovels everywhere; shovelling snow wherever we went. It's a bit tricky when you're making a film about football which, inevitably, has to be shot outside now and again. There were a few scenes that had to hang over so we could find a patch of grass to shoot them on.
What was it like working with Dougray Scott?
Dougray got to do his own accent, so he had the advantage there! When he first turned up he did this voice which was exactly Matt Busby, it just came growling out of him. When you hear some of the footage from Matt Busby, you can tell he had a very distinctive and extraordinary timbre and Dougray got it down to a tee. I think he's a fantastic choice for the role and he's a huge football aficionado; he knows everything so was a great resource for any football trivia that needed clearing up.
United In The Press
David's new drama United airs on BBC Two tonight at 9pm, below are some articles from the recent TV listings magazines.
Source: TV & Satellite Week 23-29 April
Source: Radio Times 23-29 April
Source: TV & Satellite Week 23-29 April 
Source: Radio Times 23-29 April
David & Catherine On The Graham Norton Show
David and Catherine appeared on The Graham Norton Show on 15th April 2011 to chat about their new play Much Ado About Nothing.
Friday, 22 April 2011
The Gobetweenies
David will be starring in a brand new show, The Gobetweenies, on Radio 4 from next month.
The BBC Press Office says:
David Tennant and Sarah Alexander star as multi-married exes in a shared parenting comedy, written by Marcella Evaristi and directed by Marilyn Imrie.
The Gobetweenies is a candid look at contemporary family through the prism of two North London siblings, Lucy and Tom, as they schlep between their determinedly hands-on parents.
Joe can't take being a "once a fortnight" dad. Lucy is excited about exploring surrealism, Tom is obsessively counting sultanas and their mum, Mimi, is desperate for her third attempt at married life to get started. But the children's father, Joe, has come to a decision that will change all their lives.
David Tennant plays Joe, Sarah Alexander plays Mimi, Finlay Christie plays Tom, Phoebe Abbott plays Lucy and Stuart Milligan plays Harry.
Producer/Gordon Kennedy for Absolutely Productions
The Gobetweenies is a candid look at contemporary family through the prism of two North London siblings, Lucy and Tom, as they schlep between their determinedly hands-on parents.
Joe can't take being a "once a fortnight" dad. Lucy is excited about exploring surrealism, Tom is obsessively counting sultanas and their mum, Mimi, is desperate for her third attempt at married life to get started. But the children's father, Joe, has come to a decision that will change all their lives.
David Tennant plays Joe, Sarah Alexander plays Mimi, Finlay Christie plays Tom, Phoebe Abbott plays Lucy and Stuart Milligan plays Harry.
Producer/Gordon Kennedy for Absolutely Productions
The first episode will broadcast on Radio 4 on Friday 6th May at 11:30am
Site Updates
Apologies for the recent lack of updates. Unfortunately due to very sad personal reasons Sarah has been unable to work on the site and so I have decided to take over the helm until she is ready to return to the site. I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing her all the best and I really hope she's back soon as it's not the same without her!
As you can see we have a bit of a new look. I hope you all like it. It's 6 years since we started out and as DT turned 40 this month too we thought it warranted a spring clean!
I'll be updating the site with stuff we've missed over the next couple of weeks as well as keeping you up to date on all the latest news. We've also got a few new people who will be submitting news, reviews etc to the blog. If you'd like to help out with content maybe you're a great artist? Love writing? Whatever get in touch and let us know and you could be published on the blog :)
Don't forget to visit our Facebook and Twitter pages to keep up to date too!
Happy Easter!
Jack
As you can see we have a bit of a new look. I hope you all like it. It's 6 years since we started out and as DT turned 40 this month too we thought it warranted a spring clean!
I'll be updating the site with stuff we've missed over the next couple of weeks as well as keeping you up to date on all the latest news. We've also got a few new people who will be submitting news, reviews etc to the blog. If you'd like to help out with content maybe you're a great artist? Love writing? Whatever get in touch and let us know and you could be published on the blog :)
Don't forget to visit our Facebook and Twitter pages to keep up to date too!
Happy Easter!
Jack
Tribute To Lis Sladen
As you will no doubt have heard Elisabeth Sladen very sadly passed away on Tuesday morning. The BBC have announced that they will be showing a tribute to her on Saturday 23rd April at 6.45pm on CBBC. The Official Doctor Who site says:
"Elisabeth Sladen created one of Doctor Who's best loved and most enduring characters, Sarah Jane Smith. For over 35 years she brought the feisty, compassionate journalist to life, creating a figure that was adored by audiences of all ages - truly a heroine whose appeal had no boundaries.
This 15 minute programme is both a tribute and a celebration of Elisabeth Sladen. It brings together stories from friends and colleagues and draws on a rich archive of material to remind us of Sarah Jane's journey, from companion to the Third Doctor to the central character in CBBC's award-winning The Sarah Jane Adventures.
Produced by Gillane Seaborne and Brian Minchin, My Sarah Jane: A Tribute to Elisabeth Sladen is on CBBC on Saturday, at 6.45pm, straight after the end of The Impossible Astronaut."
David will feature on the show to discuss his memories of working alongside Lis during his time as the Doctor.
He says: "I just can't believe that Lis is gone. She seemed invincible. The same woman who enchanted my childhood, enchanted my time on Doctor Who and enchanted generations who have watched her and fallen in love with her – just like I did. I feel very honoured to have shared a TARDIS with Sarah Jane Smith, and I feel very lucky to have shared some time with Lis Sladen. She was extraordinary."
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