13 Questions With Phantom Troublemaker – Doctor Who: The Forgotten Doctor

Richard Hempton is the producer, writer, and director of a proposed Doctor Who fan series called The Forgotten Doctor. This is a new, original series designed to tell stories you've never seen before starring a new and unique Doctor.

Jevocas Green is the Executive Producer, Writer, and Director; as well as the guy playing the Doctor. A Doctor unlike any you've seen before!

I contacted Mr. Hempton after seeing that he and his crew would be making an appearance at Titan Games & Comics in Duluth this coming Saturday from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Well, here:

So I thought it would be cool to talk to them and then Mike, Bobby, and Mike thought it would be cool to do an on-location episode of Earth Station Who. So I set it up, because anything I can do to put off watching "The Twin Dilemma" will be a triumph, let alone something as cool as meeting up with a bunch of people making Doctor Who. At a comic shop, no less!

1. Where were you born and what is one way that place has affected you as a person?

Richard - I was born in Fort Knox Kentucky, on base. We moved from there soon after I was born and have no real memories of the place. I moved a lot when I was younger so I don't consider myself "from" any one of those places. New York, Georgia, Michigan and on and on....

Jevocas - I was Born and raised here in Atlanta, GA. Grew up on the East side of town, only to relocate to East Point (the South Side of town - i know, confusing) and finish out school. Then i moved back up to Atlanta.

2. What was your favorite toy when you were a kid?

Richard - That's a tough one, I was really attached to my Star Wars toys, all of them really, you can't make me choose just one. That would just be unfair, like asking me to pick my favorite child, if I had one, I suppose... moving on.

Jevocas - Well, my first love was Batman. From really early on. Everything was all Batman for me. So i had tons of toys and figures of that.  

3. What is one album everybody should own?

Richard - Nina Simone - Live from Lincoln Center

Jevocas - Prince - Purple Rain 

4. Is your current occupation a career?

Richard - I am a filmmaker.  That is to say I do whatever anyone wants to pay me to do in the film industry to support my film making habit.

Jevocas - I too am a filmmaker by Career. i will do anything it takes to be either in front of or Behind the camera. :D I am also a server at Green Ginger in Decatur along with a Student at the Art Institute of Atlanta

5. If so, how and when did you realize that? If not, what are you working towards?

Richard - I've known what I wanted and have been in the industry in one form or another since I was nine years old.

Jevocas - I knew from early on id either be in theater or film for the rest of my life in some capacity. Its been a part of me for as long as i can remember. I've been acting since i was 8 yrs old. 

6. Who is your favorite wrestler and why?

Richard - Oh geeze... wrestling huh? It's been almost a decade since I've watched WWE. I really like when The Undertaker had the whole biker persona. That man is a bad-ass without even trying.

Jevocas - Wow.... damn... i too haven't watched wrestling since the WWE incident. lol I guess i was a big fan of Sting. Idk why, but i looked up to him ... well until he did the whole Crow thing... then i kinda fell off of him.   

7. What are the best shoes you’ve ever owned?

Richard - I honestly have no shoes that stick out in my mind... I have huge, flat, Flinstone feet so whatever is cheap and comfortable I buy.

Jevocas - yeah... me and shoes dont have that close a relationship. Im generally a "Hey it fits, not gaudy, durable" kinda guy. But on the flip side. 

8. How did you become involved with The Forgotten Doctor?

Richard - Jevocas and I have worked together on other projects and we both are huge Doctor Who fans.  When he mentioned he was thinking of doing a Fanseries I had just begun building a TARDIS it was like fate, kismet... or whatever. We really have some great scripts.  We are doing things no one has ever done before in the history of Doctor Who or Doctor Who fandom.

Jevocas - Yeah that was pretty awesome how that played out. After a wonderful MARATHON of catching up to Doctor Who in a matter of 2 months, i was sitting with my then roomate (Also one of our Writers) Adam Smith (also funny because one of the current DW Directors has the same name) and was like 'damn, this is awesome. I'd LOVE to do a Doctor Who series." He was like 'So Do it!" i was all apprehensive because i was looking at the fact that i'd be the first African American to play the Doctor. I even went on YouTube (also the medium the show will be aired on) to see if there were any other multicultural Doctors. And Nope, only Caucasian ones, Which is fine, it was just discouraging. I think i may have seen one or two with maybe an American, but nothing truely Ethnic. But Adam encouraged me to go for it. Then we saw the story of River Song unfold and that made me definitely say YES i'm doing it. We were then discussing what we would do it on. And i almost IMMEDIATELY said THE TIME WAR... i want to do the TIME WAR. Which then created the idea of HOW to do an African American Doctor in the pocket of time that IS the Time War and still make it fit within the current story line of Who. And once we did this, i wondered who i could get to come on and help me shoot/produce this. First person that came to mind was Richard. Hands down. his work ethic, attention to detail and creativity i KNEW would be perfect for this show. And if it werent for him, i dont think i'd have been able to completely conceptualize this project. Once he was on board, i got my fellow FIRST TIME WRITTERS, Adam Smith and Sean Boyce to come on board. And between the four of us, we cranked out an epic 14 episodes and in true DW fashion, a Christmas special. I'm VERY proud of what we did. We really researched our stuff. Reaching all the way back and grabbing stuff from books, audio serials and the series alike. We even begin the show leaving off where the 8th doctor comic strips end and go RIGHT into our saga. I think over all its going to be a delicious mixture of both original material and established cannon. We're going to do our best to treat the filming process of this as if it were a feature and bring you some AMAZING stories. :D

9. Which actor do you feel like you could sit and watch for hours no matter what they were doing and why?

Richard - Gary Oldman. I could watch that guy play solitaire for hours with a bucket of popcorn, I mean the popcorn is form me to eat not for him to play chess with... although, I guess i'd watch Gary Oldman have a hard-core, showdown chess match with a bucket of popcorn.  I mean that guys amazing I'm sure it'd be a box office hit!

Jevocas - I must say, one of my favorite Actors has got to be Bruce Willis. I absolutey LOVE THIS MAN. I think i have loved EVERY SINGLE MOVIE he has done. And would watch him over and over again because hes totally bad ass!

10. What inspires you to do what you do?

Richard - It is my passion, always has been. I am a firm believer in following your passions in life. That's what the human experience is all about. 

Jevocas - I've always been in love with the idea of telling a story. you can change someones life or introduce them to a whole new world all through the power of words and imagery. Its a powerful, magical thing. and its very therapeutic to do this and see someone take something wonderful away from what i've done. 

11. What is something you cannot wait to see or have more of?

Richard - I can't wait to see Hobbit, I want more of that coffee I had in Long Beach at the Action on Film Festival way back in 2008. Best coffee EVER!

Jevocas - DOCTOR WHO SEASON 7!!! I WANT THAT IN MY EYEBALLS RIGHT NOW AND I NEVER WANT THAT SHOW TO END!!!!! LOLOL 

12. Is there a movie that should never be remade and if so which one?

Richard - This ones a bit sticky... so many films are being remade that I think were perfect the first time, but then again I see a lot of films and am like "I want to do this movie my way" so i get it, the whole desire to redo a classic.  I would like it if they'd keep their grubby paws off Hitchcock stuff though.

Jevocas - Unfortunately, there have already been SOOO MANY REMAKES that have been made that DEFINITELY should NOT have... but i'm a firm believer that they shouldnt touch any more Friday the 13th or Freddy movies. Or any more classic TV shows. I also concur with Richard on the Hitchcock. 

13. Closer – can you sell me cold on The Forgotten Doctor?

Richard - Doctor Who: The Forgotten Doctor is cramed full of stuff that NO ONE has ever touched before. Things that the BBC has only mentioned in passing or touched on briefly. We are doing the entire Origin Story for one of the Doctors friends, Corsair. Don't know who he is? Exactly, he's such a great character that is only mentioned in one episode. We also have the very first black Doctor! It's Fantastic! Jevocas is really amazing as the Doctor he brings so much NEW to the character. There are tons of surprises I can't give away but I tell you, you've never seen anything like this!  It is going to be EPIC! We really do need some support though. I have already built the TARDIS but we have really grand sets that need to be constructed, not the least of which is a entirely new envisioning of the control room of the TARDIS. OH and we are headed to ancient Greece to meet Archimedes as a child this season too! Ever wonder how he had all those brilliant ideas way back when? You'll see a lot of old favorites too. We have a two part, four doctors episode! I know the fans, the Whovians out there will love sinking their teeth into our story and we promise one helluva ride. Find us on Facebook and support the Indiegogo campaign!

Jevocas - WOW. I dunno how much more i can expound upon after that other than, this is the most EXCITING and AMBITIOUS project I've ever been apart of, but we have AMAZING Actors and production team and these guys are going to be ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. Everyone is working REALLY REALLY hard to breathe Life into this. But we still need the support of our fans and fellow Whovians. As a Fanseries, we have ABSOLUTELY no support from the BBC Doctor Who production team. Thusly, we cannot make ANY COMPENSATION from this, otherwise it would be shut down by the BBC under the fanseries guidelines. So that means, this show would have to come primarily from us. But of course we cant do it by ourselves. So please, reach out and give us a hand in making this GRAND ADVENTURE a REALITY! Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/doctorwhotheforgottendoctor and Donate to our indiegogo fundraiser at http://www.indiegogo.com/DoctorWhoTFD Which closes REALLY SOON and we need ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET! Also come out and check out our Great Atlanta TARDIS Tour! Details on our Facebook page. This is going to be a great series!!! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!! and CHECK OUT DOCTOR WHO THE FORGOTTEN DOCTOR on YOUTUBE this WINTER! :D

       

            There you go, folks. I'm excited to see what these guys can do and you should be, as well. They have a great group of talented and creative people ready to tell some stories we've never seen before and otherwise would not have the opportunity to experience.

            Come on out to Titan Games & Comics in Duluth, GA on Saturday to meet Richard and Jevocas and their crew. You can also have your picture taken with the TARDIS and the most singular Doctor we've met yet! Afterwards, take some time to sit down with the Earth Station Who crew while we record a special episode of the show. We'll be asking fans about all things Doctor Who.

-Phantom