I hear you're a pest now, Noel Clarke?

[BritishHobo]

Is this the first we've heard of there being an official complaint about Barrowman's "tomfoolery", and that he was reprimanded by Julie Gardner? He mentions the whole radio controversy as being a wake-up call for him, and that following his apology in 2008, he learned from his 'mistakes' and stopped doing it. It would be interesting to know when the Torchwood incident occurred. Assuming it was series 1 or 2, that means it was at least a year before the apology for the radio incident.

[Gurke and Hare]

Noel needs new lawyers part 3:

They said if Jenna had reported such behaviour to an assistant director at the BBC, Clarke would have been spoken to or reprimanded. They said Clarke was not aware of any complaint in relation to his alleged behaviour being made against him at any time. They added it "beggars belief" that the corporation would have allowed Clarke to behave in the way that is alleged.

Yeah, because your client isn't on tape talking about the guy who was allowed to wander round the set with his cock out, is he?

[Endicott]

(Disclaimer: spurious guesswork)

Tennant had already been the star of the show for a year before Barrowman returned. Perhaps a culture had been established in that time that precluded Barrowman from being as 'exuberant' as he had on Series 1, when everyone was new.

Nevertheless, he clearly felt relaxed enough over on the Torchwood set.

This is very true. It's also possible (more guesswork) that the woman who made the comment about Tennant reining things in, had never met Eccleston. She might not have worked on S1 for all we know. She's described as 'a runner and driver on the early seasons of the revived Doctor Who'. That's not very specific.

[JamesTC]

Eccleston was suffering through mental health issues at the time and seems to be a bit of an introverted chap in general. He definitely seemed to hate the culture of the production but was in no place personally to tackle it himself.

[bgmnts]

Really don't get a bad impression from Eccleston at all, or Tennant. They seem like decent lads.

[Thomas]

To distinguish further (and still spuriously) between the Doctor Who and Torchwood sets - Freema Agyeman worked with Barrowman on both, in early 2007 on the former and late 2007 on the latter.

It was apparently only on arriving at Torchwood that she was surprised to find that Barrowman's cock was a regular:

Speaking to thelondonpaper, the Martha Jones actress revealed: "The Torchwood cast are fab but they are all barking. They'll just be standing around and someone will break into song and someone else will take the next line."

However, the former Doctor Who star was particularly shocked by one cast member's bizarre habit of exposing a certain appendage: "John [Barrowman] will walk about with his chap hanging out, having conversations with people... everyone would just be talking to him normally and it would only be the new people, such as myself, that would be freaked out."

https://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/a90017/agyeman-stunned-by-barrowmans-quotchapquot/

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Eccleston seems game to make fun of himself in Rhys Thomas' stuff, so he can't be that sour.

Yeah, he definitely has a dry, deadpan sense of humour. A sense of humour entirely at odds with Barrowman's idea of knockabout tomfoolery. Eccleston takes his work seriously, which is commendable. That doesn't mean he's humourless, just that he'd rather get the job done to the best of his abilities without being distracted by some attention-seeking pest with his cock hanging out. Seems entirely reasonable to me.

Anyway, I agree that this doesn't reflect well on the bosses at that time. They were happy to joke about Barrowman's 'shenanigans' as if it was all just a bit of bawdy fun. "Oh that's just John, it's what he does!"

But I suspect Thomas is correct with regards to the working environment being a bit different when Barrowman returned to the show during Tennant's second season. Gardener reprimanding him following complaints about his behaviour probably gave him pause for thought, i.e. "Shit, I might lose my job over this. Better keep the old chap under wraps for a bit."

For what it's worth, I've also heard from people who've worked with him that Tennant is a lovely fella. A pro. He doesn't strike me as the sort of person who'd take kindly to Barrowman fucking about and making people feel uncomfortable. Then again, he did sing that song...

I dunno. But I do like the thought of Moffat not asking Barrowman back because he didn't want a flasher on his set. I hope that's true. 

[Norton Canes]

Then again, he did sing that song...

That was when RTD was on the way out, though, so hopefully if anything he was actually just rubbing his nose in it a bit (so to speak)

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

That was when RTD was on the way out, though, so hopefully if anything he was actually just rubbing his nose in it a bit (so to speak)

Possibly, yes. Although it still comes across as A Bit of a Giggle. But this is all speculation, I know.

[druss]

Really don't get a bad impression from Eccleston at all, or Tennant. They seem like decent lads.

Saville seemed like a good chap as well. I guess you just never know.

[imitationleather]

Saville seemed like a good chap as well.

Errr...

[bgmnts]

Saville seemed like a good chap as well. I guess you just never know.

Lol what? Wasnt him being an absolute wrong'un an open secret?

[Huxleys Babkins]

Errr... Eee... Errr-Eee-Errr-Eee-Errr-Eee-Errr-Eee-Errr-Eee-Errr, 'Ow's about that then?

[JamesTC]

David Tennant isn't even his real name. What else is he hiding?

[frajer]

Yeah, he definitely has a dry, deadpan sense of humour. A sense of humour entirely at odds with Barrowman's idea of knockabout tomfoolery. Eccleston takes his work seriously, which is commendable. That doesn't mean he's humourless, just that he'd rather get the job done to the best of his abilities without being distracted by some attention-seeking pest with his cock hanging out. Seems entirely reasonable to me.

From what I've seen and heard of Eccleston in interviews etc. I've always presumed he takes the work so seriously that some of his colleagues take it as a sign he needs to lighten up.

When it's discussed, I always recall the League of Gentlemen commentary where they mention one of the reasons Eccleston was keen to work with them was to show he could do comedy. One of the League (Shearsmith?) puts on a perfect Eccleston voice and deadpans: "Everyone thinks I'm a miserable bastard."

Anyway now I've trotted that out - fuck off, Noel Clarke.

[druss]

Lol what? Wasnt him being an absolute wrong'un an open secret?

Errr...

Clearly my sarcasm missed the mark. Usually a good rule of thumb to never take any of my posts seriously. Probably best not to read them at all in all honesty.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

No one ever thought that about Savile, even while he was alive and ostensibly just A Great British Eccentric. He was always regarded as a vaguely unsettling oddball. You never heard anyone say, "That Jimmy Savile always comes across as a really decent bloke." If you wanted to say something nice about him it would be a sort of grudging, "Well he does a lot of work for charity."

Not that I despised Savile at the time, he was just this weird pop culture fixture who you couldn't get a handle on, but he was never held in much affection.

Anyway, we digress...

EDIT:

Clearly my sarcasm missed the mark. Usually a good rule of thumb to never take any of my posts seriously. Probably best not to read them at all in all honesty.

Well that's fair enough. Apologies.

[Mr Banlon]

David Tennant isn't even his real name. What else is he hiding?

A nickname because he's partial to a few cans of 'Super' before filming ?

[Ambient Sheep]

Beeb now reporting it, for the record, although nothing new in their story:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57021060

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

From what I've seen and heard of Eccleston in interviews etc. I've always presumed he takes the work so seriously that some of his colleagues take it as a sign he needs to lighten up.

Yeah, but when those colleagues include Noel Clarke and John Barrowman...

[frajer]

Yeah, but when those colleagues include Noel Clarke and John Barrowman...

Oh yeah I completely agree, regarding those dented bells and his approach to his work in general. It's an admirable worth ethic.

His recent video Q&A for Big Finish, where he answers that his main (but not sole) reason for coming back was it was paid work in a pandemic, and he needed to support his family, was refreshingly upfront.

Anyway, not the thread for me to gush over old Eccles. Noel Clarke can get in a barrel and go over the falls.

[Gurke and Hare]

No one ever thought that about Savile, even while he was alive and ostensibly just A Great British Eccentric. He was always regarded as a vaguely unsettling oddball. You never heard anyone say, "That Jimmy Savile always comes across as a really decent bloke." If you wanted to say something nice about him it would be a sort of grudging, "Well he does a lot of work for charity."

This is true, but nobody really had him down as a massive child abuser did they? The rumour was that he shagged corpses - all that "has a key for the hospital mortuary" stuff.

[druss]

Yeah he only wanted to fuck some cadavres, as we all have at some point or another.

[badaids]

No one ever thought that about Savile, even while he was alive and ostensibly just A Great British Eccentric. He was always regarded as a vaguely unsettling oddball. You never heard anyone say, "That Jimmy Savile always comes across as a really decent bloke." If you wanted to say something nice about him it would be a sort of grudging, "Well he does a lot of work for charity."

Not that I despised Savile at the time, he was just this weird pop culture fixture who you couldn't get a handle on, but he was never held in much affection.

Anyway, we digress...

EDIT:

Well that's fair enough. Apologies.

I grew up in Walton on Thames just across from Walton Hop and Hepworth Way where both Savile and King had flats.

Every time we'd be watching the TV with my Dad in the eighties and Savile or King came on the screen, which was pretty much every day back then, my Dad would pipe up: 'that filthy nonce cunt has a flat just over there, if i ever catch you any where near there you'll get a hiding. Stay away'. 'yeah okay Dad'. It wasnt even a secret, for us just another nag from your parents and common knowledge that you grew up with: Savile and King liked kids, stay away from Hepworth Way flats. Loads of kids always went missing too around Walton, there's loads more to come out about that I reckon (and of course Cliff Richard lived really close in Weybridge too).

[mr. logic]

Possibly, yes. Although it still comes across as A Bit of a Giggle. But this is all speculation, I know.

Not really, I agree with your original point. Not sure why people think Tennant is such a good guy here when it seems quite obvious he not only knew about Barrowman's conduct but also thought it was funny.

[idunnosomename]

David Tennant isn't even his real name. What else is he hiding?

Home ownership?

[Brundle-Fly]

I grew up in Walton on Thames just across from Walton Hop and Hepworth Way where both Savile and King had flats.

Every time we'd be watching the TV with my Dad in the eighties and Savile or King came on the screen, which was pretty much every day back then, my Dad would pipe up: 'that filthy nonce cunt has a flat just over there, if i ever catch you any where near there you'll get a hiding. Stay away'. 'yeah okay Dad'. It wasnt even a secret, for us just another nag from your parents and common knowledge that you grew up with: Savile and King liked kids, stay away from Hepworth Way flats. Loads of kids always went missing too around Walton, there's loads more to come out about that I reckon (and of course Cliff Richard lived really close in Weybridge too).

From what you've just said, your father didn't sound particularly savory either.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Not really, I agree with your original point. Not sure why people think Tennant is such a good guy here when it seems quite obvious he not only knew about Barrowman's conduct but also thought it was funny.

Well yeah. I think we've all said as much.

[badaids]

From what you've just said, your father didn't sound particularly savory either.

My father is a horrible racist, sexist, homophobic cunt that I want little to do with but he at least didn't try to fuck me and let me stay up late to watch The Young Ones.

Oh yes, and he made clear his doubts about me because I liked dubious 'gay' activities like reading books.

[mothman]

I'm confused now. Tennant either disapproved of Barrowman's antics and had a stop put to them; or, found it funny and... didn't? Isn't that contradictory? Or is it just the fact that Barrowman reined in his antics when he returned to Who (for whatever reason) and people are theorising Tennant was that reason?