Billie Piper: Quitter, not trooper.

y42
writes, According to the Mirror, Billie
Piper has stunned TV bosses by quitting her role as
Rose Tyler, the Doctor’s sidekick. She will be in
series2, but not 3.
The last time I heard, the
BBC hadn’t commented on this. The rumour has been out
a few days, but I was hoping to get official
confirmation or denial before posting. (If you’ll
recall, a similar rumour came out just after they
switched Doctors. Of course, it could also be that
they talked her out of it that time, but not this
time.)

10 replies on “Billie Piper: Quitter, not trooper.”

    • Re: Or, Like The Doctor….

      Or, They Just Don’t Want To Spoil A Surprise Plot Twist.

      Possibly. The last rumour I heard was that she didn’t want to be typecast, but the BBC refused to say anything, presumably still trying to negotiate for her to stay. They are probably worried about her leaving, because if she goes their entire original cast has to go with her – no point having Jackie and Mickey if Rose isn’t in it anymore.

      Also, given what sort of praise she’s been getting for her acting ability, and popping up in things like Much Ado About Nothing (in which she was very good), she’s probably thinking of doing something rather more serious, or perhaps hoping to break into feature films. Career-wise, leaving Doctor Who would be a good idea for her I would think.

      • Re: Or, Like The Doctor….

        perhaps hoping to break into feature films. Career-wise, leaving Doctor Who would be a good idea for her

        Pop idol :=- award-winning TV :=- silver screen.
        Yeah, that makes sense. She’s reaching for the stars ;- )

        Betcha Rose will choose to leave the Doctor and they’ll leave the door open for cameos.

  1. The Dr. Who format
    The format of Doctor Who has always allowed for a rotating cast even by your major characters. It is one of the things that has helped the show last as long as it has. You have to admit that by the last season of TNG Frakes and Stewart were just phoning it in.

    I just introduced a co-worker to the 2005 series and he and his son are hooked. He’d never seen the original episodes (lovely american TV rotting the brain).

    I told him that this was the one and only show that embraced a major character leaving the show and used it as an oprotunity to inject new life in to the show.

    NOW ON THE OTHRE HAND

    Usually we had a few years with each doctor and character before they decided to leave so it is odd to see them leave so quickly. But with higher visable actors to begin with they are more likely to be interested in other projects rather than lesser known actors who are in it for the paycheck.

    • Re: Hey…

      Didn’t she put out a CD back around ’99 or ’00?

      Yeah, several actually. Go hit up Amazon and search for her name in “Popular Music”. (I think it’s just one full-length CD and a few singles, not sure.) “Day & Night” was a nice dance-pop tune, if you’re into that sort of thing.

    • Re: Hey…

      Didn’t she put out a CD back around ’99 or ’00?

      She’s one of the youngest people ever to have a number one single in the UK, at age 15. That’s where her initial fame came from. I remember hating her music when I was at school, although not being surprised by it; since she is roughly the same age as me, she naturally appealed to many bits of the then-contemporary culture that my geeky self rejected.

      Intially, though, she was studying acting. After a few hits, she gave up the music business and went back to it, emerging after a few years to start winning awards. I’m so glad she changed careers.

      • he he

        Her fame seems to be mostly a Brit thing, though. She had so little profile in Canada that one local paper did a bit on the new Doctor Who just before it started that referred to “Billie” as a “he.”

        • Re: he he

          Her fame seems to be mostly a Brit thing, though. She had so little profile in Canada that one local paper did a bit on the new Doctor Who just before it started that referred to “Billie” as a “he.”

          Yes, well, she was never a singer who was going to make it internationally.

  2. Leave her alone…
    Yeesh, she’s staying in Doctor Who for almost 3 years, which is as long as
    William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Sylvester McCoy, Peter Davison, and longer
    than Colin Baker did – and at least as long as a ton of other companions.

    What’s the big deal, why are people coming down so hard on her?

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