It's time to exterminate Dr. Who
- Publication: News Letter
- Date: 1975-08-30
- Author: John Michael
- Page: 4
- Language: English
Heaven help alien visitors if they touch anywhere within BBC-1's area of coverage. Raised on a diet of Dr Who, the kiddies will have them exterminated in the blink of a Time Lord's eye.
Five year olds now gurgle with delight as the most horrific monsters the Beeb's special effects men can create and they are good at their job-lumber. slither or glide across the screen. Twenty-five years ago film Thingies didn't look as realistic, they were all banned by the censor's "H" Certificate and it was Just as well because we'd all have had nightmares for months.
But the child is father to the man and I wonder sometimes just how people raised on. such programmes will react to another civilisation, yet alone another species. Could such children come to believe that anything alien is automatically evil? Children will think that anyway our schooling segregation is proof enough of that.
Dr Who's creators are quoted as saying that the Daleks are still the favourite monsters among children. There is little doubt that the humanoid "creatures" such as the Zygon-right-are much more readily identifiable with everyday life.
I believe that television's impact on the mind is more insidious than has been realised. Those who produce it have a responsibility corespondingly greater than they may realise.
On the other hand the older generation always thought this way: I remember Dick Barton being taken off the radio because "they" thought it would corrupt our little minds and make us turn to a life of crime.
So for those who fancy a brush with the unknown, Dr Who takes on the Zygons on BBC-1 at 5-45 tonight. The odds are about the same as those of King James v. King Billy at Scarva, but still..
Caption: The Zygon lives in Loch Ness... but the Dalek is still the favourite monster.
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.: Michael, John (1975-08-30). It's time to exterminate Dr. Who. News Letter p. 4.
- MLA 7th ed.: Michael, John. "It's time to exterminate Dr. Who." News Letter [add city] 1975-08-30, 4. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Michael, John. "It's time to exterminate Dr. Who." News Letter, edition, sec., 1975-08-30
- Turabian: Michael, John. "It's time to exterminate Dr. Who." News Letter, 1975-08-30, section, 4 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=It's time to exterminate Dr. Who | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/It%27s_time_to_exterminate_Dr._Who | work=News Letter | pages=4 | date=1975-08-30 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 August 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=It's time to exterminate Dr. Who | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/It%27s_time_to_exterminate_Dr._Who | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 August 2025}}</ref>
