Doctor Who Cuttings Archive

Who's sorry now?

From The Doctor Who Cuttings Archive
Jump to navigationJump to search

1985-03-03 Sunday Times.jpg

[edit]

Who's sorry now?

Why did the BBC pick on Who, when they probably could have saved just as much cash cancelling a couple of worthy but little-watched adult education series or even a few manufactured darts and snooker tournaments?

Insiders are quick to deny that Dr Who is the victim of licence-fee stunt but there is a view that its shelving was a misjudgment on the part of BBC1's controller, Michael Grade, the man behind the Dallas fracas.

Certainly nobody could claim that the veteran sci-fi series is in ailing health - with Saturday night audiences running at 8m it has rarely been more popular. Nor is the BBC's overseas sale team delirious at the thought of losing one of its most consistent money-spinners. In its 21 years of life, Dr Who has been sold to 54 countries.

Was it so smart to postpone a programme which guarantees not only a big audience, but also much-needed income? The man with the answers is Grade, who is on holiday, mulling over the latest audience research. This shows that while the long planned EastEnders got an audience of 17.35m on its first Tuesday-- only 1m short ITV's Coronation Street-- his own innovation, the thrice-weekly Wogan did not make the top ten.

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.: (1985-03-03). Who's sorry now?. The Sunday Times p. 39.
  • MLA 7th ed.: "Who's sorry now?." The Sunday Times [add city] 1985-03-03, 39. Print.
  • Chicago 15th ed.: "Who's sorry now?." The Sunday Times, edition, sec., 1985-03-03
  • Turabian: "Who's sorry now?." The Sunday Times, 1985-03-03, section, 39 edition.
  • Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Who's sorry now? | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who%27s_sorry_now%3F | work=The Sunday Times | pages=39 | date=1985-03-03 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=28 March 2024 }}</ref>
  • Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Who's sorry now? | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who%27s_sorry_now%3F | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=28 March 2024}}</ref>