Latest news with #ScottBryan
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘An audible gasp': Doctor Who fans shocked by Billie Piper return
Nearly two decades since she first appeared on Doctor Who, Billie Piper made a spectacular return to the show on Saturday night, in the latest season's finale, The Reality War. After just two series, Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor regenerated into a grinning Piper, who greeted viewers with a 'oh Hello!' in the episode's final scene. The 42-year-old is best known to Doctor Who fans for playing the Doctor's companion Rose Tyler for two seasons, alongside Christopher Eccleston, when the show was reintroduced to TV screens in 2005 after a 16-year break. Her return came as a genuine shock to fans, many of whom were impressed that the BBC had managed to avoid leaks. But it has also left them with questions – will Billie Piper play the Doctor in the show's next series? And will there be a next series at all? In February the BBC denied reports the show faced the axe – but said any decision wouldn't be made until the latest series had been broadcast. Its statement pointed out half of the 26 episodes agreed with Disney+ still had not aired. Twenty-one out of those 26 have now aired, leaving a five-episode spinoff starring Russell Tovey, the trailer for which aired after Saturday's finale. TV critic and Doctor Who fan Scott Bryan, 35, said the reintroduction of Piper to the show came at a pivotal time for Doctor Who, amid speculation about its future. 'I think it felt a bit like, towards the end of the episode, a pitch to Disney to say: 'Hi, please renew us, we've got Billie Piper'.' 'Of course we've not had any confirmation about whether the Disney deal will be renewed, but also when or if these episodes will be aired. Nothing has been confirmed regarding filming. It's a moment in TV that has raised more questions than answers, but that's how Doctor Who works.' Concerns have been raised about falling viewing figures, which have struggled to rally since Russell T Davies' return in 2023. Two episodes during this series, which aired in May, got less than 3 million viewers – the lowest since the modern era began airing in 2005. The coordinator of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, Tony Jordan, 66, from Staffordshire, said he was concerned about the show's future. 'Obviously if it had been a stellar success then they would have recommissioned it already,' he said. 'It is a concern that it is not going straight back into production but, to be fair, there have been times since it came back in 2005 where you've had a year-long break.' Whether Piper will play her old character Rose, the Doctor or another character is also unclear. The credits, which showed Gatwa and Jodie Whittaker as 'the Doctor' did not do the same for Piper. Eccleston, her former Doctor, told an event in the US in 2021 he backed the idea of his former assistant taking on the role. He said: 'I was saying to somebody today in the green room that Russell T Davies is coming back, right, and who's going to be his Doctor? I think it should be Billie Piper actually. Catherine Tate's great but, I think there's your Doctor.' Dan McLaughlin, 30, who was watching the finale with fellow fans at a cinema in Manchester when Piper appeared said: 'There was an audible gasp when she came on, definitely. There was maybe about two or three cheers, and someone behind me swore.' Bryan said: 'It was a real surprise. I think Billie Piper is fantastic, she was one of the reasons why the 2005 series landed so well and led to 20 years of a hugely successful show and a reboot. But a surprise nonetheless.' He added: 'I'm intrigued by what they decide to do with her, and the fact that there's mysteries around the fact that we don't know whether she's playing the Doctor, it's a bit open ended.' McLaughlin said he felt 'deflated' by Piper's appearance as it indicated a lack of new ideas behind the show. He said: 'Billie Piper's amazing and Rose was a wonderful character, but you want something new now, you want to be excited. I loved [David] Tennant in the 60th anniversary special, but bringing back characters loses its novelty if you just keep on bringing the old ones back all the time. It's lacking in original ideas.'
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'F*ck Off' – Brits React To News Of A UK Saturday Night Live
A UK version of Saturday Night Live (SNL), a show which has been a staple of American channel NBC since its launch in 1975, will air in 2026, broadcaster-to-be Sky says. The show, which has helped to propel the careers of big-name comedy forces like Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, and Norm Macdonald, will 'bring an all-British version of the show to UK audiences next year – all live from London on Saturday night!', CEO of Sky Studios Cecile Frot-Coutaz said. But fans don't feel that the UK adaptation will be quite up to the iconic standard of the venerated American original. 'I hope it feels distinctively British, as a lot of SNL humour doesn't translate,' TV critic Scott Bryan said. 'Also, as Richard Osman pointed out on Rest is Ents lately, locking in a cast for a while is hard as they will get offers elsewhere.' A few thoughts on this one.I hope it feels distinctively British, as a lot of SNL humour doesn't as Richard Osman pointed out on Rest is Ents lately, locking in a cast for a while is hard as they will get offers elsewhere. — Scott Bryan (@scottygb) April 10, 2025 Others speculated that the UK doesn't have the same tradition of improvised comedy, sometimes called improv, that's essential to the American show. I quite like SNL but agree with @restisents that UK doesn't really have a tradition of improv and sketch in the same way. That said, this could be a great opportunity to showcase the British improv community... as long as they do that and don't just cast already-famous standups — Jen Thornton (@jenthornton01) April 11, 2025 Others were more direct: 'having a good time coming up with reasons why this won't work. I'm up to fifty,' comedian Avery Edison said. actually having a good time coming up with reasons why this won't work. I'm up to fifty — Avery Edison (@aedison) April 10, 2025 Meanwhile on Reddit, a post shared to r/Fauxmoi led commenters to reply: 'UK TV is vastly different from the US, and I don't think format, nor the humour, would translate well.' 'Oh fuck off,' u/organic_soursop opined. 'Decades long, smug, painful, self-referential nonsense. Every time they share clips of sketches, they are just shiiiit. We'd have a main cast filled with Footlights alumni and Radio4 comedians and the latest wanker from Love Island presenting each week. 'Fuck off, no. It's doomed.' It's not actually the first time SNL has (indirectly) reached UK screens. Channel 4′s Saturday Live, which included Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, ran on the channel in the '80s and, while unaffiliated with the US show, many connected it to the NBC hit. It was resurrected in 1996 but did not stick around. Here's hoping the real thing goes a little better than some Brits expect... Saturday Night Live Comedian Kenan Thompson Breaks Silence On Country Singer's Abrupt Walk-Off 7 Stand-Out Moments From Lady Gaga's Jam-Packed Saturday Night Live Episode Aubrey Plaza Subtly Honours Late Husband Jeff Baena During Saturday Night Live Special
Buzz Feed
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
'F*ck Off' – Brits React To News Of A UK "Saturday Night Live"
A UK version o f Saturday Night Live (SNL), a show which has been a staple of American channel NBC since its launch in 1975, will air in 2026, broadcaster-to-be Sky says. The show, which has helped to propel the careers of big-name comedy forces like Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, and Norm Macdonald, will 'bring an all-British version of the show to UK audiences next year – all live from London on Saturday night!', CEO of Sky Studios Cecile Frot-Coutaz said. But fans don't feel that the UK adaptation will be quite up to the iconic standard of the venerated American original. 'I hope it feels distinctively British, as a lot of SNL humour doesn't translate,' TV critic Scott Bryan said. 'Also, as Richard Osman pointed out on Rest is Ents lately, locking in a cast for a while is hard as they will get offers elsewhere.' A few thoughts on this one. I hope it feels distinctively British, as a lot of SNL humour doesn't translate. Also, as Richard Osman pointed out on Rest is Ents lately, locking in a cast for a while is hard as they will get offers elsewhere. — Scott Bryan (@scottygb) April 10, 2025 Others speculated that the UK doesn't have the same tradition of improvised comedy, sometimes called improv, that's essential to the American show. I quite like SNL but agree with @restisents that UK doesn't really have a tradition of improv and sketch in the same way. That said, this could be a great opportunity to showcase the British improv community... as long as they do that and don't just cast already-famous standups — Jen Thornton (@jenthornton01) April 11, 2025 Others were more direct: 'having a good time coming up with reasons why this won't work. I'm up to fifty,' comedian Avery Edison said. actually having a good time coming up with reasons why this won't work. I'm up to fifty — Avery Edison (@aedison) April 10, 2025 Meanwhile on Reddit, a post shared to r/Fauxmoi led commenters to reply: 'UK TV is vastly different from the US, and I don't think format, nor the humour, would translate well.' 'Oh fuck off,' u/organic_soursop opined. 'Decades long, smug, painful, self-referential nonsense. Every time they share clips of sketches, they are just shiiiit. We'd have a main cast filled with Footlights alumni and Radio4 comedians and the latest wanker from Love Island presenting each week. 'Fuck off, no. It's doomed.'
BBC News
25-03-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Tributes to 'loving father' killed in Cannock crash
The family of a man who died in a crash in Staffordshire have described him as a "loving father, partner, brother, uncle and devoted Villa fan".Emergency services were called at about 16:00 GMT on Saturday to reports of a collision involving multiple vehicles including a grey MG and a grey Land Rover on Hednesford Road near driver of the MG, Scott Bryan, 41, died at the scene and a number of casualties were taken to hospital with minor injuries."Words can't describe the loss we feel saying farewell to you. You meant the world to us," his family said in a statement. "We wish we had one more chance to see you smile and laugh again just for a little while," they urged anybody with information about the incident to contact the Staffordshire force. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
