| Forum: Interviews > Interview with Mark Thornton |
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Total Drama Wiki's interview with Mark Thornton, a director for Total Drama.
Questions and answers
1. Can you tell us anything from Camp TV? Like the two teams, the winner, or other contestants.
- Camp TV is Total Drama Island. The original working title for the show was Camp TV; the characters and trailer that you see were only made for a promo when Tom McGillis was trying to sell the show idea. The name was changed based on feedback from potential broadcasters.
2. Do you let the fans and their opinions affect the show a lot? Like, did you pick certain people to return based on how popular they were?
- Yes. The Blogspot blog, along with feedback that Teletoon received, did play a part in who came back for season two. We knew judging from people's reactions who the favorites were. It turns out most of the fan favorites were our favorites, too, but we also brought back some characters who we didn't think had enough of a chance to shine in season one.
3. Why did people who we don't know much about, like Ezekiel, Noah, Tyler, not return for Total Drama Action, while contestants like Owen did?
- The decision was made early on that only half of the cast would be making a return to competition. A lot of discussion went into which characters would make the most entertaining show and we worked from there. Everyone from season one will be featured in some part during Action, even if only for a bit.
4. Do Courtney, Heather, Izzy, and Noah have Camp TV designs? If so, would you be able to show them to us?
- All of the old stuff has been posted on the blog already. Some of the characters hadn't even been created yet.
5. Can you help explain Ezekiel's elimination? The Bass only had five girls, so that's five votes for Ezekiel, and presumably the six Bass boys voted for Courtney.
- Nope. That's the beauty of a secret ballot.
6. Does Harold have dot eyes? We ask because, in the special, we found out Beth did, so does Harold ever take his glasses off?
- Yes.
7. When did you decide Justin would be a villain? He seems to have completely changed considering he joined for a charity.
- Justin is one of the characters that never had the opportunity to reach his potential in season one. His new image was one of the first things discussed in the writers' summit. And if I'm not mistaken, that charity he joined for is far from charitable.
8. Why are all these break-ups happening in season two? Are you guys just trying to scare fans and then we're all relieved when everyone makes up in the finale?
- In my opinion, the relationships between the characters are what keep people interested in the show. It's like a soap opera in a way.
9. Is Brady real? There is a rumor that, when Beth gets eliminated, Brady is waiting for her in the lame-o-sine.
- Only time will tell.
10. Why are there no new contestants in Action? What's that about?
- It was a production decision. Having a new cast would have involved hiring all new actors, getting tons of new designs done, and creating lots of new assets for animation. It was also felt that fans of the first season would want to see their favorites (and Heather) back together again. Season three has a few new characters and some returning first season hopefuls.