Who Survives(?)

“Doctor Who” celebrates its forty-fifth anniversary today and there’s not a single programme on television to mark the occasion!

“The Bill” recently celebrated its twenty-fifth year, ITV slipping in a couple of special episodes just in the nick of time, before giving over most of its precious airspace to jungle idiocy. So, why can’t the BBC manage something similar, between dancing bouts, for its flagship science fiction series, especially now they claim it’s so popular once again? Too busy trying not to hurt the feelings of Jonathan Ross no doubt!

Ironically, the BBC are resurrecting Terry (Dalek creator) Nation’s post-apocalyptic “Survivors” tonight, based on his highly original novel and television series from the mid-Seventies. I don’t know whether I should be excited or give up the notion of ever seeing anything as remotely creative as television once was.

“Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)”, “Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons”, “Doctor Who” and now “Survivors”… what are the chances of the latter being as good, second time around, considering the quality of those other revivals when compared to their originals? The changes to the structure of the programme don’t bode well…

Two of the three lead characters of the original first season of “Survivors” are now a politically-correct shade of black while the endearingly brilliant Talfryn Thomas, as Tom Price, has morphed into Mr. chunky-hunky Max Beesley.

The new “Survivors” is brought to the Beeb by the same team who sold ITV “Primeval”. Fun as that was, the present undertaking needs to be grim.

It’ll be interesting to see how “Survivors” fares in the ratings up against the aforementioned, oh-so-popular, celebrity lunacy. I won’t hold my breath. Or, perhaps I should, given the nature of the epidemic! People want fun and what better way to have it than see people humiliated down under, credit crunching on bugs. Hopefully, “Survivors” will be intelligent, at the very least…

“Survivors” is the closest we’re going to get to “Doctor Who” (1963-89) tonight, to which I wish a very Happy Birthday!

Meet Kylie!

Name: Kylie Roman
Age: 22
Background: Ex-psychology student on gap year.

Reckless, fun, vulnerable, lonely, worldly-wise and pin-sharp, Kylie can outwit anyone. And, she loves to show that off. Her knowledge of psychology has given her a piercing insight into people’s defence mechanisms - she has an uncanny ability to see right through to the core of you. Her brutal honesty - about individuals and humanity - is unnerving. But she’s also a great, fearless, party girl. Some say Kylie’s brave. Others think she’s just crazy.

Redheaded Kylie brings some attitude to the “Spooks: Code 9” team and is a bit of a loose cannon, but given what she’s been through it’s hardly surprising, explains actress Georgia Moffett: “When the bomb went off, Kylie was close enough to witness the devastation. By being so close to the bomb, she got radiation sickness, so has a real sense that any day could be her last; she likes the idea of going out in a blaze of glory.”

It’s the need to make every second count that motivated Kylie to join MI5 in the first place: “Before the bomb, she couldn’t decide what she wanted to do in life,” says Georgia. “In joining MI5, she finally found her calling and reason to live - to protect her country.”

Playing this reckless character meant Georgia had plenty of action scenes and got to do many of her own stunts: “If the team have to go on a mission, Kylie is the first one there, with gun in hand. I got to do loads of running on roofs, jumping on cars and shooting; it was amazing.”

Georgia has carved a successful TV career, notching up lead roles in “The Bill”, in which she played Abigail Nixon, “Where the Heart Is” and “Bonkers”. Georgia was seen earlier this year in “Doctor Who”, as “The Doctor’s Daughter”, and also guest starred in “My Family”.

Telly Visions: Georgia Moffett

As I’m sure you’re all aware, Georgia Elizabeth Moffett is the daughter of the fifth actor to play the Doctor in “Doctor Who”, Peter Davison, and the actress who played Trillian in “The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy”, Sandra Dickinson. Georgia was born on Christmas Day, 1984, on the eve of her parents’ sixth wedding anniversary! After David Troughton, Private Moor in episode six of second Doctor adventure “The War Games” and King Peladon in Jon Pertwee/Ice Warrior escapade “The Curse of Peladon”, Miss Moffett is the second child of an actor who played the Doctor to have a speaking role in “Doctor Who”. She will be appearing in this weekend’s episode, in the pivotal part of Jenny. Her character is presumed to be none other than “The Doctor’s Daughter” - irony duly noted - and, no doubt, destined to become this year’s Sally Sparrow, in that she will be seen as the perfect companion who never was! Adding fuel to the fire, it’s rumoured she originally auditioned for the role of Rose Tyler!! But, then, every young actress under the sun seems to have applied for that particular job!!!

I expect it must prey on Georgia’s nerves, to a certain extent, being the offspring of other famous thespians, if her achievements are continually undermined and dismissed because of that very fact. She has already proved herself independent of her parents, certainly in the acting profession, in a returning role in ITV cop drama “The Bill”. Over a period of more than two years, from the end of 2002 to the beginning of 2005, Georgia played DS Samantha Nixon’s daughter, Abigail, on and off for a total of twenty-five episodes. “The Tripods” actress Lisa Maxwell played her mum so the science fiction connection, in a way, arrives full circle this weekend! Despite still only being twenty-three years old, last year Georgia worked with her real-life dad, playing Tanya, on his series “The Last Detective”, in an episode entitled “Once Upon a Time on the Westway”, in which Davison stars as DC “Dangerous” Davies! The young actress says Peter still hasn’t completely grasped that she’s actually in the same series he finished making nearly a quarter of a century ago! This Saturday, though, for one night only, well - apart from repeats, a different “Doctor” gets to be Georgia’s father!! But, is David Tennant really her dad?