Dr Who Death Threat To Bairns
- Publication: Aberdeen Evening Express
- Date: 1973-04-09
- Author:
- Page: 5
- Language: English
Dr Who Death Threat To Bairns
TELEVISION'S "Doctor Who" programme was accused today of "inviting children to kill themselves."
The claim came from the British Safety Council. In Saturday's episode on BBC 1 — the first of a new series featuring the return of the Daleks — the Doctor, played Jon Pertwee, met with man-like aliens wearing, in one scene, plastic headgear to protect themselves from liquid-squirting jungle plants.
The safety council said in letter to the BBC chairman. Professor Sir Michael Swann: "'Doctor Who' is very popular and children at play indulge in the fantasies built around the programme.
"By showing this headgear the BBC is inviting children to kill themselves putting their heads plastic bags and suffocating to death."
The letter wants either withdrawal of the headgear from future programmes, or warnings to parents to watch their children re-enacting the Doctor's adventures.
The council is also asking to be consulted over the safety aspects of future programmes.
Its information officer, Mr Colin Pearce, who wrote the letter, said: "Children have been imitating Daleks for years now, and will go on doing so for many more to come.
"There is a very real chance and a great danger that a child will watch the programme and then out and stick his head in a plastic bag and suffocate to death."
A spokesman for the BBC commented: "If this letter is addressed to Sir Michael, we would not dream of commenting on it until he has seen and replied to it."
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: (1973-04-09). Dr Who Death Threat To Bairns. Aberdeen Evening Express p. 5.
- MLA 7th ed.: "Dr Who Death Threat To Bairns." Aberdeen Evening Express [add city] 1973-04-09, 5. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "Dr Who Death Threat To Bairns." Aberdeen Evening Express, edition, sec., 1973-04-09
- Turabian: "Dr Who Death Threat To Bairns." Aberdeen Evening Express, 1973-04-09, section, 5 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Dr Who Death Threat To Bairns | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who_Death_Threat_To_Bairns | work=Aberdeen Evening Express | pages=5 | date=1973-04-09 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=17 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Dr Who Death Threat To Bairns | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who_Death_Threat_To_Bairns | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=17 April 2025}}</ref>
