Dr Who and the battle of Coronation Street
- Publication: The Guardian
- Date: 1987-09-09
- Author: Tim Madge, Brett Spencer
- Page: 9
- Language: English
John Nathan Turner, the producer of the new Dr Who series which began last Monday (BBC1, 7.35) promises things have changed. Last year BBC1 programme controller, Michael Grade took the programme off because he thought it had developed twin tendencies of violence and poorly written scripts. In the coming 13 weeks — four stories long — we are to be offered much more humour — but not slapstick — and a galaxy of stars. like Stubby Kaye, Hugh Lloyd, Ken Dodd and the current luminary, Kate O'Mara. It has to be said that when series start resorting to " star-studded casts " they're usually doomed. Scheduling Dr Who against Coronation Street looks, too, a bit as if the BBC moguls are frying, as, Brett Spencer suggests, opposite, to ensure such bad audience figures they can take it off for good by Christmas.
Tim Madge
Young Critics
by Brett Spencer
"THIS is idiotic," screamed the evil Rani in Dr Who (Monday BBC1) obviously referring to Michael Grade scheduling the new series in its make-or-break year, oppposite Coronation Street (ITV).
Dr Who 1987 has new credits, a new doctor but the same creaky eighties story lines.
The doctor's latest assistant, the mawkish Melanie (Bonnie Langford) spent the entire show running about with a little green man trying to escape from a big hairy monster, the result of which saw her trapped in a solid floating bubble. Shame that.
The doctor himself is under the power of the Rani. Having lost his memory he did not know what was going on, which made two of us.
Three questions remained at the end. Would the doctor regain his memory? Would Melanie escape and did we really care any more.
Dr Who, shown across the world, was once real, nail-biting, behind-the-sofa stuff with daleks, the cybermen, Davros and the Master. I remember them well, if only the producers did.
Sylvester McCoy, the seventh doctor, cannot be judged fairly on the episode but his best moment came when he tried on all of the previous doctor's outfits. Unfortunately this was the closest he came to the real thing. Dr Who was always an imposing man with an air of authority, McCoy is clearly playing the part for laughs. Dr Who now seems less of a doctor and more of an orderly.
As for the doctor's future, I'm sure he will defeat the Rani but I don't fancy his chances against Bet Lynch.
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.: Spencer, Tim Madge, Brett (1987-09-09). Dr Who and the battle of Coronation Street. The Guardian p. 9.
- MLA 7th ed.: Spencer, Tim Madge, Brett. "Dr Who and the battle of Coronation Street." The Guardian [add city] 1987-09-09, 9. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Spencer, Tim Madge, Brett. "Dr Who and the battle of Coronation Street." The Guardian, edition, sec., 1987-09-09
- Turabian: Spencer, Tim Madge, Brett. "Dr Who and the battle of Coronation Street." The Guardian, 1987-09-09, section, 9 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Dr Who and the battle of Coronation Street | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who_and_the_battle_of_Coronation_Street | work=The Guardian | pages=9 | date=1987-09-09 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=22 November 2024 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Dr Who and the battle of Coronation Street | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who_and_the_battle_of_Coronation_Street | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=22 November 2024}}</ref>
