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{{article | publication = Daily Post | file = 1985-02-28 Daily Post.jpg | px = 750 | height = | width = | date = 1985-02-28 | author = Michael Day | pages = 5 | language = English | type = | description = | categories = hiatus | moreTitles = | morePublications = | moreDates = | text = ANGRY Dr Who fans bombarded the BBC with complaints last night after hearing that their hero would be suspended in time for 18 months. After the present series ends next month, the much-travelled Doctor and his faithful Tardis will not rematerialise until late next year. Michael Grade, the new controller of BBC-1 ordered the move to save cash while other new drama programmes are made. It will be the longest break in the 22-year history of the series, which is seen by 110 million viewers in 54 countries. Fans are threatening to "do a Dallas" and start a big campaign to force Mr Grade to back down for a second time. Earlier this month he gave in to strong viewer pressure and dropped plans to postpone the BBC's remaining episodes of the American soap opera until the autumn, when ITV will screen the next series. Members of the Dr Who Appreciation Society have already begun firing off protest letters. "The public won't let it die," said Mr Jeremy Bentham, one of the society's co-founders. "Certainly the programme has had its peaks and troughs, but with a new Doctor and the BBC returning it to its Saturday slot, it had only recently hit one of its best moments." Peter Haining, author of a book on the series, said: "To think that anyone could contemplate taking it off the screen is disgraceful. It must be stopped." Colin Baker, the sixth and latest actor to play the Doctor, said be was disappointed. Patrick Troughton, who played the second Doctor claimed the BBC decision was part of its propaganda drive to convince the public it needed a much higher licence fee. "It is possible the BBC is hoping there will be a public outcry about the series being too expensive for their resources, he said. The official explanation was given by a BBC spokesman, who said: "We want to make a lot of new drama programmes and we cannot do that and produce Dr Who as well. So the Doctor is being rested." The current 50-minute episodes of Dr Who are said to cost around £100,000 each to produce. }}

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