BBC air-time lord says Dr will return
- Publication: Aberdeen Evening Express
- Date: 1985-03-02
- Author:
- Page: 9
- Language: English
BBC managing director Bill Cotton has promised millions of "Dr Who" fans that their time traveller will back on TV screens next year.
In an unprecedented move, Mr Cotton telephoned David Saunders, co-ordinator of the Dr Who Appreciation Society, and told him that the programme would be back in Autumn, 1986.
The assurance follows BBC's decision to spend £500,000 on new American mini-series after saying it could not currently afford the £200,000 a programme cost of "Dr Who."
The mini-series, "Kane and Abel" which the BBC has not seen is being made by Embassy Films, the American company once headed by Michael Grade now controller of BBC 1, who ordered the next series of "Dr Who" to delayed for months to save money for other drama projects.
The BBC said there was no "direct relationship" between the decision to postpone "Dr Who" and the purchase of "Kane and Abel."
The BBC said "Kane and Abel" was bought in open competition with ITV a figure which was a fraction of the production costs for "Dr Who."
Mr Cotton told Mr Saunders: "Dr Who will be on the air in 1986 as is in 1985 and as it has been for each of the past 22 years.
"Instead of running in January next year we shall wait until the start of the Autumn schedule and then 'Dr Who' win be a strong item the lineup of programmes."
Fans feared that the Doctor might not return to the screen. Mr Cotton said; "We are going back to the old tradition and have 25- minute programmes, rather than the 45- minute version running at the moment. We think that is that the public wants, and so does the producer and his team."
The BBC said the current series of "Dr Who" was costing about £2 million around £200,000 an episode, and not, earlier understood, £l00,00O programme.
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- APA 6th ed.: (1985-03-02). BBC air-time lord says Dr will return. Aberdeen Evening Express p. 9.
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- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=BBC air-time lord says Dr will return | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/BBC_air-time_lord_says_Dr_will_return | work=Aberdeen Evening Express | pages=9 | date=1985-03-02 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=17 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=BBC air-time lord says Dr will return | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/BBC_air-time_lord_says_Dr_will_return | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=17 March 2025}}</ref>
