A wink and a nod: Is there a coded message behind actor Christopher Eccleston’s explanation why he quit Doctor Who after just one season? He says he “didn’t enjoy the environment and the culture” of the show. And the media is just leaving it at that.

It sort of came out of nowhere, years later, in an interview with the U.K. magazine Radio Times. After a successful reinvention of the Doctor Who franchise in 2005, star Christopher Eccleston rather mysteriously bowed out at the end of the first season.

The official announcement cited a grueling production schedule and Eccleston’s fear of being typecast. The BBC later retracted its statement and admitted it hadn’t spoken to Eccleston before it was issued.

And that’s where things remained until Eccleston’s Radio Times interview this week in the run-up to his role in the upcoming BBC biopic Lennon Naked. He tells the magazine he left the successful series because, “I was open-minded but I decided after my experience on the first series that I didn't want to do any more. I didn't enjoy the environment and the culture that we, the cast and crew, had to work in.”

Eccleston doesn’t explain what he found so objectionable about the environment and the culture, just that he “wasn’t comfortable.” He continues, “I thought ‘If I stay in this job, I'm going to have to blind myself to certain things that I thought were wrong.' And I think it's more important to be your own man than be successful, so I left.”

The Code That Dare Not Speak Its Name 

The environment? Certain things? That were wrong? All these sound like code words for Something That Dare Not Speak Its Name. Especially when you consider that the “culture” was set by the show’s executive producer at the time, Russell T. Davies, notorious for his very gay Queer as Folk and for introducing the most overt gay references in the formerly staid Doctor Who franchise.

While it’s certainly troubling that Eccleston may have had some issues with appearing on a show that had him kissing another guy, it’s more troubling that this is topic is still Too Shameful to Discuss Openly. And not just by him. The narrative in the media is that Eccleston is “finally” revealing why he left the show.

Except he really hasn’t. All his vague terms are very “wink and a nod” in nature, and the media coverage is reciprocating by dutifully quoting him without really challenging what’s behind the quotes. Nobody — including the media — wants to simply say, Russell T. Davies made Doctor Who too gay for Christopher Eccleston.

If that’s not what you meant, Mr. Eccleston, perhaps you should clarify? That’s what Radio Times, the BBC and everyone else who’s covering the hell out of this story should be asking. But they haven’t. No one’s calling him to account for his comments and what lies behind them. And that’s a failure of the media, not just Christopher Eccleston.

Up to the Fans

And it’s amusing to see how willingly some scifi fans just accept all of this at face value. Take a look at the reader comments on SciFi Wire. One bends over backwards to avoid the gay issue completely:

Truthfully, it looks like he could not handle the pressure of being in such an iconic role. The fanbase for Doctor Who was immense, and after the absence from the screen for those years, he had a lot riding on his shoulders. Seems like it was that pressure that was the 'environment' he speaks of, and sorry he did not realize the depth of what he was undertaking when he took on the role, but that is life.

Not every one falls for the narrative, though. One commenter rightfully points out:

Why does the article say "we finally know the real reason"? No we don't. All we know is that he didn't like "the environment and the culture." That doesn't mean anything. Was he out in the rain too much? Was there too much singing between takes? Were there too many [Irish, gays, blacks, women, albinos] on set? All we really know is that he wasn't enjoying himself. Big news.

Another commenter, OldManInOhio, finally just says it out loud, thank God:

You guys are all dancing around the issue. I'll say it my way, and I'm sure the homosexual lobby will pounce on me for it:

Under Davies, Doctor Who — a children’s show — and the "more adult" Torchwood were both crammed full of homosexual "statements." We all know Davies is famous for his groundbreaking homosexual program [Queer as Folk]. Too bad he seemed to feel the need to keep pounding away at the same issue with Doctor Who and Torchwood.

That, my friends, I believe is what is meant by "I didn't enjoy the environment and the culture that we, the cast and crew, had to work in..." It's one thing to have certain sexual inclinations but to wear them on your sleeve, even if it may not be your own personal way, is wrong. I don't go around shouting at the top of my lungs in everyone's face that "I'm straight and PROUD of it." Sure, I'm heterosexual by nature but it doesn't take center stage in my life. Homosexuality took center stage in both Doctor Who and Torchwood under Davies. That's what the man is about. He's on a crusade to force that way of life into every living room he can reach.

As a musician ... I have lived and worked with many wonderful people who are homosexual. I have nothing against my friends because they are not in my face about it. I would be just as annoyed by someone who is heterosexual pushing his or her sexuality in my face.

Naturally, I find such thinking pretty homophobic — especially the some of my best friends are fags tone of it — but that’s not really the point. I’m glad this guy just says it. Even if we disagree — in fact, because we disagree — these things need to brought out into the light of day. We should be talking, arguing, working to resolve these issues, not sweeping it under the rug of a heterosexist media that satisfies itself with raising vague concerns but leaving it to readers’ comments to actually tackle the real issue. For shame.

Even though I find Eccleston’s apparent homophobia disturbing, at least he’s not lying about it, just saying enough about it to titillate the media while simultaneously shocking it enough to keep them from pursuing the matter further.

Let’s pursue the matter further, shall we?

— Carlos Pedraza

OM(Thunder)G! Over at i09, a newly released costume concept for The Mighty Thor puts the oh-so-Asgardly Chris Hemsworth (George Kirk in last year’s Star Trek) in the godly duds, sporting the hammer Mjolnir all powered up and ready to go.

VANCOUVER, B.C. — If you watched the latest episode of Fringe you know that the Alternate Earth in J.J. Abrams’ hit show is supposed to be more advanced than “our” Earth, but in my visit to Vancouver, British Columbia, I stumbled through a wormhole into that parallel universe and discovered its denizens have had to suffer from some questionable taste in movie sequels.

Fringe is shot in Vancouver, of course, and that city’s downtown streets often double for Boston and New York. The Empire Theater on Howe Street has been re-dressed to portray the show’s Alternate Earth, where Motorola Razrs were invented 30 years before they were in our world and the world has had to endure more sequels than even we have.

Here are some iPhone photos of posters for the movies advertised on the theater’s marquee.

Okay, this last one wasn't from Fringe but this Canadian product was definitely rockin' that parallel universe vibe.

The Hollywood Reporter noted today that Syfy’s Battlestar Galactica spinoff, the prequel drama Caprica, is rising in the ratings, but what does this portend given the show’s impending mid-season hiatus?

The Nielsen ratings for last Friday’s episode rose by 18 percent to 1.3 million viewers, THR reported. The show hasn’t seen numbers like that since its second week on the air a couple months ago.

It’s an impressive achievement for a serialized drama that typically loses viewers as it marches through its run, even if it is critically acclaimed.

Caprica has garnered that acclaim, and it features a fantastic cast. It has suffered from some uneven writing and pacing in its first several episodes but its fifth episode, “There is Another Sky,” (only viewable on Hulu for another four days!) introduced the rich virtual world of New Caprica City, which kicked the series into a higher creative gear.

Caprica’s midseason finale airs on Friday, so if the ratings rise holds true a lot more viewers will see the show off at a high point (one hopes), but it’s a shame that the hiatus may mean a loss of momentum just as those numbers have turned around.

If Syfy markets the show properly and takes advantage of the mid-season break to encourage new viewers to catch up on the previous episodes (I noted the network is doing a marathon of prior episodes leading up to Friday’s new episode), it can come back strong when new episodes resume later this year.

It’s encouraging to see Caprica capitalize on Galactica’s success without leaning too heavily on it — though I know a lot of people who hated Galactica’s God-reliant finale so much that they reflexively penalized Caprica by refusing to watch it.

I believe the generally good buzz about Caprica, combined with its darker, edgier scifi execution, may be drawing back some of the disenchanted. Time will tell.

— Carlos Pedraza

NBC Universal and Bigpoint announced a 3D browser-based massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) version of Battlestar Galactica, scheduled to launch this fall on Syfy.com.

Co-developed by gaming company Unity, NBC Universal and Bigpoint made the announcement at the 2010 Game Developers Conference.

“Battlestar Galactica is a supremely gameable intellectual property, with compelling character classes, a fantastic array of ships and weaponry, multiple worlds, and a dramatic storyline,” said Bill Kispert, VP & GM, Digital Platforms, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. “We are excited to work with Bigpoint - and our partners at Universal Cable Productions and Syfy - to bring an epic, accessible, and always on BSG experience to fans of the franchise and online gamers alike.”

Heiko Hubertz, CEO and founder of Bigpoint, added, “Battlestar Galactica has a huge and passionate fan base. We are proud to be able to publish such an internationally famous title as one of our online games. For the first time ever, we're relying completely on Unity in order to offer our users fantastic game graphics right in their browsers.”

Battlestar Galactica Online is the first game inspired by a blockbuster Hollywood franchise to be fully developed on Unity technology for MMOG audiences. This platform independent engine makes it possible to produce real-time 3D applications such as MMO games with exceptionally high quality graphics without having to download a client.

Players will be able to choose to play as Cylons or humans in a constant struggle to control the universe or just survive its perils. A blend of tactical space combat, exploration, and mission-based gameplay will provide a diverse experience.

The dramatic missions will define the game's overall storyline, enabling the player to delve into mysteries of the Battlestar universe. Battlestar Galactica Online will create a new standard for Web games, with beautiful 3D graphics and innovative game mechanics bringing a new level of game play to browser-based MMOG. Assets from the television production will be integrated into the game to deliver an even more authentic experience.

The game is being developed by Artplant, a Norwegian development studio specializing in 3D MMO games.

You can view a teaser splash page at Bigpoint’s Web site.

— Carlos Pedraza

Dragon*Con, North America’s largest fan-run SF convention, has hired a pro — actor Garrett Wang of Star Trek: Voyager — to lead its popular Star Trek track at this year’s event.

The con recently dispatched longtime TrekTrak director Eric Watts “with thanks” for his 17 years of service and promised attendees that “nothing has prepared you for what we have in store for this year’s ‘Trek Track.’”

Wang, best known for his role as Ensign Harry Kim in Star Trek: Voyager, accepted the position of Trek Track director. In his seven seasons on the popular series, Wang became a fan favorite as the clarinet-playing operations officer of the USS Voyager.

The Dragon*Con announcement called Wang “a science fiction fan as well as a Star Trek insider [who] will bring a fresh perspective to this year’s programming.”

I worked with him on the semi-pro production, Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, where he was very pleasant to work with. As the script supervisor, I spent a lot of time with him on set — a physically grueling experience where temperature went well over 100 degrees, even at night — and he was always professional and uncomplaining.

The track directors at Dragon*Con appear to be from the Atlanta area, where Dragon*Con is held every Labor Day weekend, so I’m guessing a lot of the grunt work (those directors work really hard, trust me) will be delegated.

The traditional Miss Klingon Empire beauty pageant is being replaced by the Miss Star Trek Universe competition. In addition, Dragon*Con has secured the following Trek guests for this year:

From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Avery Brooks (Captain Benjamin Sisko), Rene Auberjonois (Odo) and Armin Shimerman (Quark) will be in attendance. Jonathan Frakes (Commander Will Riker), Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi), and John DeLancie (the enigmatic Q) will represent Star Trek: The Next Generation. More Star Trek guests will be announced on the Dragon*Con website as appearances are confirmed.

Ticketing and other convention information can be found at www.dragoncon.org.

(Full disclosure: I’ve been a Dragon*Con and TrekTrak guest since 2005, and former director Eric Watts is a good friend of mine. I have been invited to return as a guest for 2010, as well.)

It will be interesting to see how Dragon*Con navigates this big change in their Trek Track’s managment.

— Carlos Pedraza

Why Peggy Noonan’s recent Wall Street Journal article casts about for a scapegoat to blame for what’s wrong with America and (shocker!) comes upon homosexual singer Adam Lambert.

Something's rotten in America, if you believe Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan. All the things that used to be right about the nation have been up-ended. By Adam Lambert.

Yes, that pesky homosexual has breached the tacit cultural compromise that Noonan, Ronald Reagan's former speechwriter, argues has kept the folks in the flyover states from rising up in revolt. Or maybe just revulsion.

At the heart of her argument is a recent poll that finds 55 percent of the public believe the country is on the "wrong track." Despite the fact we're in the worst economy since the Great Depression, Noonan believes this poll result must be about more than the economy.

And while 55 percent is not a figure we should be happy about, it doesn't compare to the 80 percent who thought that in April 2008 under George W. Bush's presidency, and that was before the bottom dropped out of the economy in fall 2008 during the presidential campaign.

To be fair, she admits the economy might have something to do with Americans' recent turn to pessimism:

The economy has always had an impact on the general American mood, and the [NBC-Wall Street Journal] poll offered data to buttress the reader's assumption that economic concerns are driving pessimism.

About 'Other Things'

But let's set that aside, she says, because:

Something tells me this isn't all about money. It's possible, and I can't help but think likely, that the poll is also about other things, and maybe even primarily about other things. ... Various polls [demonstrate] that those things may dwarf economic concerns. Americans are worried about the core and character of the American nation, and about our culture.

Never mind that Noonan doesn't specify what polls discuss those 'other things,' nor does she specify what those polls actually demonstrate. Instead, she opts for the vague worry about the "core and character" of America and its culture. What better springboard for an attack on what she calls "the cultural left" than a non-specific anxiety that has likely been present during every economic downturn?

Indeed, when we abandon what all the data indicates is the greatest proximate cause for Americans' worries, Noonan is left with a wide open field to cast about for whatever convenient straw man she cares to name. This time it's the cultural tyranny imposed on "real" Americans (in Sarah Palin's parlance) by the cultural left in the Big Cities — home, apparently, to all the fake Americans.

'We Don't Care What You Do in New York'

America, Noonan says, has always valued compromise among politics and culture:

One of the compromises we've made in the area of arts and entertainment is captured in the words "We don't care what you do in New York." That was said to me years ago by a social conservative who was explaining that he and his friends don't wish to impose their cultural sensibilities on a city that is uninterested in them, and that the city, in turn, shouldn't impose its cultural sensibilities on them. He was speaking metaphorically; "New York" meant "wherever the cultural left happily lives."

If you want garbage in your house, pay for it, Noonan says. That's what cable is for. But the networks belong to the people. Presumably, because the "whole family is watching," programming should be held to a higher standard, which means no homos — they'll infect the children!

And it's all about the children, isn't it? The Right constantly crows about how endangered children are by the euphemistic "cultural left," but their protection doesn't seem to extend far enough to support funding education to the degree where the United States can produce high school graduates on par with their peers in the rest of the developed world. Indeed, the scientific method is considered by the Right a direct threat to American children's very souls.

No, the real threat to America is embodied by a homosexual singer — Adam Lambert, the runner-up in the most recent American Idol. Noonan presumes that the American Music Awards broadcast has heretofore been nothing but clean family fun. Please. Rock artists are by their nature controversial, always pushing the envelope of acceptable behavior. Any parents of impressionable children who expect different from this show are fooling themselves; they should stick to the award programs on Nickelodeon. Noonan continues:

'Besieged by our Own Culture'

Increasingly people feel at the mercy of the Adam Lamberts, who of course view themselves, when criticized, as victims of prudery and closed-mindedness. America is not prudish or closed-minded, it is exhausted. It cannot be exaggerated, how much Americans feel besieged by the culture of their own country, and to what lengths they have to go to protect their children from it.

While I'm no fan of Adam Lambert's performance at the AMAs, I think it's a bit much to single him out as the emblem of America's malaise. It's a little too easy to point to the homosexual and say, "Keep it in New York!" And it's also easy to dismiss his attempt to portray his subsequent treatment as victimization but the reality is that there is a double-standard — women (oh, let's just pick Madonna as an example; she's been around for nearly three decades) have been able to get away with similarly shocking behavior, and yet the Republic has remained standing.

But in Obama's America, it is very important for conservatives to be able blame anyone who is not them for what's wrong. Noonan continues:

It's things like this, every bit as much as taxes and spending, that leave people feeling jarred and dismayed, and worried about the future of their country.

The thing is, Adam Lambert didn't just come out of nowhere to assault the senses of people outside New York. He's popular because — guess what? — a lot of people like him. American Idol isn't just watched by those cultural lefties; in fact, a lot of those folks disdain the show. To paraphrase Shakespeare, the fault lies not on our televisions but in ourselves.

So Adam Lambert did some coarse things on TV, and that's a sure sign the country is coarser than ever. Never mind that coarse is a bullet point on most rock stars' job descriptions.

Is America Coarser?

But this occasion provides Noonan an opportunity to wonder aloud, like many people past middle age who view the past oh-so-nostalgically, whether we are a less civil populace than we used to be:

I'd like to see a poll on this. Yes or no: Have we become a more vulgar country? Are we coarser than, say, 50 years ago? Do we talk more about sensitivity and treat others less sensitively? Do you think standards of public behavior are rising or falling? Is there something called the American Character, and do you think it has, the past half-century, improved or degenerated? If the latter, what are the implications of this? Do you sense, as you look around you, that each year we have less or more of the glue that holds a great nation together? Is there less courtesy in America now than when you were a child, or more? Bonus question: Is "Excuse me" a request or a command?

Let's be honest: America has always been a coarse country. We've had occasional spells of apparent politeness (like the 50s and early 60s) that many on the Right portray as The Way Things Used to Be in America but even then our nation roiled underneath that patina of civility with race-, gender- and class-based struggles. When everyone remains in his or her proper place, America is just the best country ever, isn't it?

Whenever America enters an era in which we wonder why we're in decline we tend to cast about for scapegoats. Adam Lambert is merely the latest. Shouldn't we instead focus on what would really put the nation on the right track? Shouldn't we poll for that instead? I suspect we'd find the answers would be things like education, health care, affordable housing, jobs, etc. — all the things obstructionist Republicans are unwilling to pay for. It's always easier to blame the gays.