Thursday 21 January 2010

Ben Chatham on Big Finish Audio?

I have the pleasure of announcing that I will be submitting a Ben Chatham story to Big Finish.

10 comments:

Bernie Fishnotes said...

Well good for you! I wish you luck!

Although, isn't is a 5th Doctor and Nyssa story? Surely Chatham is a 10th-11th 'companion'?

Or are you prepared to compromise your concept to grab at the apple of fame?

Deep Space Luke said...

Good luck. You'll need it.

sparacus said...

I will use creative licence.

Youth of Australia said...

You mean ignore the clear instructions about no NuWho material?

You really are the worst teacher in the world, aren't you?

Of course, if they actually make it - unlikely given your steadfast refusal to stick to deadlines - this means your entire BC canon is stuffed.

But it won't happen, Spara. If you had any remote intelligence you would realize the 5th and Nyssa just had two trilogies - one in a quintessential English village, another with a whiny-self-hating blond wanker as a companion.

You have not done ANY research or work for this at all, have you?

sparacus said...

I have read and will follow the Big Finish rules. There are always ways to get round any canonicity issues.

Just think of how good people feel when the Big Finish Ben Chatham story arrives and they are unwrapping the disc.

Bernie Fishnotes said...

I have read and will follow the Big Finish rules. There are always ways to get round any canonicity issues.

Irrelevant. They want a 45 minute self contained story, with no continuity or references to anything else. Short of writing a scene at the end where the Doctor and Nyssa forget who Ben is (which you'd need to justify as a plot point) you've no way of "officially" making it work.

Plus you do realise you'll have no say in who gets cast. They might go for talent rather than looks...

Youth of Australia said...

I have read and will follow the Big Finish rules. There are always ways to get round any canonicity issues.
But you need to know what they are, Spara! You need to research! Saying "solving it in a later outline" might work on a forum, but in a pitch a gaping mistake (or an idea already done by them) could be the thing that gets your pitch instantly rejected.

For example, Thomas Brewster.

You are aware they just did a trilogy of stories about a young bissexual lad with dark personal issues who became a temporary companion?

Trying to make BC the new companion would DEFINITELY get your pitch rejected, as it has to be a stand alone one-parter.

And the fact the last three 5/Nyssa stories were set in eccentric English villages means your usual repertoire would be rejected just as quickly.

Just think of how good people feel when the Big Finish Ben Chatham story arrives and they are unwrapping the disc.
... OK.

1) Only a few people would know who Ben Chatham is
2) Your story is supposed to be the 5th Doctor and Nyssa. One of four episodic stories on two discs.
3) In the ridiculously unlikely event they used Ben Chatham, he wouldn't get on the cover. (Guests don't on these anthologies)
4) Around 90% of subscribers get their stories by downloads, so there'd be no "unwrapping"
5) But you said happiness was immature and always strive to make your work dark and depressing and socially relevent. If you achieve that, 100% of listeners would slit their wrists

And, seriously, have you given any thought to who plays Ben Chatham? They're not going to get Adam Rickitt. You understand this? It will not happen. Even if they choose your story and produce it with Ben Chatham, AR will NOT be in it. They are not going to helicopter a soap actor from New Zealand (WHO HATES DR WHO) to do ten minutes of audio.

So, I suggest as replacement BCs
- Jake "Son of Paul" McGann
- Jeremy James
- Nicholas Briggs
- Toby Longworth
- John Culshaw (doing an AR vocal impression)
- Chip Jamison (my personal choice, but they might not get him)

But who would YOU choose?

Youth of Australia said...

Actually, Bernie it's 25 minutes.

Not 45.

Anonymous said...

No chance, mate.

Bernie Fishnotes said...

Actually, Bernie it's 25 minutes.

Not 45.


I stand corrected. Lucky I'm not submitting anything then!

Still, gives even less time to do your usual brand of heroic procrastination and then clean up the continuity at the end.