I had no idea the BBC's obsessive scepticism of Murdoch was so wide-ranging...

daylight | June 19, 12:23 CET

Nice little interview. Glad to read something different, rather than all the rehashed stuff interviews with him tend to be filled with.

And regarding that "fan" in the end...all I can say is "Why??" Unless she'd planned on getting it tattooed later, it'd fade/disappear after a shower.

I remember one fan pretending to faint at his feet at Motor City Buffy - he was not amused. I think it made him rather uncomfortable, actually.

I can't wait to see "Free Agents"! The previews that were linked here a while back looked hysterical, and I hope it lasts a couple of years.

ShadowQuest | June 19, 12:30 CET

I had no idea the BBC had an obsessive scepticism of Murdoch. Can't blame em really, he is a massive twat.

digupherbones | June 19, 14:49 CET

To be fair even in 2007 there was surprise at the level of online fan stuff when we started doing stuff to support the writers. I seem to remember there were a few "The fans did what?" reactions.

We think of online communities and fandom as natural now but when Buffy started, late nineties, the net was just reaching a critical mass and becoming vocal.

Re the BBC/Murdoch thing, I visited the BBC recently and what did they have on the tables in their reception? Copies of The Times, a Murdoch paper....

[ edited by zz9 on 2011-06-20 01:22 ]

zz9 | June 19, 16:20 CET

...and what did they have on the tables in their reception? Copies of The Times, a Murdoch paper....

...for visitors to burn. Possibly.

(presumably the BBC thought it was a ruse to get them to keep a show that no-one actually liked ? Which would matter why ? If people are watching - and by BBC2's standards they certainly were - then what's the diff ? Bit paranoid if true)

And ASH talking sense again. Keep considering giving 'Merlin' another chance. First few didn't impress though.

Saje | June 19, 22:21 CET

So can we assume Uther's not going to see Season 4 out?

Matt7325 | June 20, 06:14 CET

Matt7325 Well, I do recall a while ago reading an interview where Tony said that Uther is going to have to die eventually, because Arthur must become king.

ShadowQuest | June 20, 07:50 CET

Good lord, what actors have to go through with cray-cray or just rude fans. I like to think though, that's the exception, not the rule.

Tonya J | June 20, 07:53 CET

The Times is an establishment paper more than a Murdoch paper (indeed he's been careful not to interfere editorially since he acquired it). It was there before Murdoch was born, it'll be there long after he dies...

daylight | June 23, 17:59 CET

'Establishment' in the sense of mainly right of centre at least (small 'c' conservative, if not always the big 'C' variety). How much Murdoch interferes directly is somewhat contested (Harry Evans - editor of the Sunday Times just after Murdoch's acquisition - has mentioned pressure to emphasise (or not) certain stories for instance) but even if he does i'd imagine it's infrequent and more implicit than direct i.e. by hiring people of a similar perspective (and even then editors may know how he feels about many issues but the good ones will ignore it).

(according to Andrew Neil among others 'The Sun' is an entirely different matter BTW, at least in the 80s and 90s)

Saje | June 24, 01:05 CET

@Saje,

"'The Sun' is an entirely different matter..."

In the sense that it's almost entirely fictional? ;)

The Arcane | June 24, 16:04 CET

"Almost" ? ;)

Saje | June 25, 10:35 CET

It's the most factual of all the redtops... not that that's saying much.

daylight | June 29, 17:26 CET