Doctor Who Cuttings Archive

Difference between revisions of "Too much 'hullabaWho' for true fans"

From The Doctor Who Cuttings Archive
Jump to navigationJump to search
(Created page with "{{American Who}}{{article | publication = The Stage and Television Today | file = 1993-12-02 Stage and Television Today p11.jpg | px = 550 | height = | width = | date = 1993...")
 
 
Line 2: Line 2:
 
| publication = The Stage and Television Today
 
| publication = The Stage and Television Today
 
| file = 1993-12-02 Stage and Television Today p11.jpg
 
| file = 1993-12-02 Stage and Television Today p11.jpg
| px = 550
+
| px = 650
 
| height =  
 
| height =  
 
| width =  
 
| width =  

Latest revision as of 16:48, 12 January 2016

1993-12-02 Stage and Television Today p11.jpg

[edit]

SIR - In his November 18 article, What a hullabaWho!, David Howe is certainly correct in saying that Dr Who needs to grow up with its audience in order to win a new generation, and that viewing figures aren't necessarily the best guide to a show's popularity. (It's ironic that after Johnathan Powell took off Dr Who in 1989, the BBC's viewing figures instantly slumped and haven't fully recovered to this day!) However, Dr Who is capable of developing more adult storylines and production values without the tampering that Mr Howe suggests with the show's two keystones - the Doctor and the Tardis.

If the Tardis' police box exterior vanished, what could replace it - a BT phone booth? Or maybe a Superloo, with a transdimensional 10p instead of a Tardis key to give the Doctor access to his timeship? The show's most recent producer, John Nathan-Turner, considered replacing the police box in 1984 and met with a barrage of complaints both from adult viewers and from children who'd never seen a genuine police box. Nor did the fact that police-boxes were totally unknown in America stop Dr Who from gaining a loyal US fan following. The only result of the police box's removal would be a growing demand among fans of all ages for the return of "the real Tardis."

If Mr Howe's other suggestion was complied with and the Doctor regenerated into a woman, this could raise all sorts of questions that wouldn't be deemed suitable for teatime viewing. The tabloid press would be delighted to make a smutty joke of the programme's new image, with such headlines as Transsexual Timelord in Tardis. Maybe this is one 'innovative' idea that's best forgotten?

Whatever changes need to be made to the show by any future producer, Dr Who won't be saved by the shattering of its two oldest-established icons, any more than Blake's Seven could continue with any success after the disintegration of the Liberator or Crossroads was able to long survive the destruction of its motel. One doesn't rebuild an institution by kicking away its foundations!

R Hardy

Geneva Close

Upper Halliford Road

Shepperton

Middlesex

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.: Hardy, R (1993-12-02). Too much 'hullabaWho' for true fans. The Stage and Television Today p. 11.
  • MLA 7th ed.: Hardy, R. "Too much 'hullabaWho' for true fans." The Stage and Television Today [add city] 1993-12-02, 11. Print.
  • Chicago 15th ed.: Hardy, R. "Too much 'hullabaWho' for true fans." The Stage and Television Today, edition, sec., 1993-12-02
  • Turabian: Hardy, R. "Too much 'hullabaWho' for true fans." The Stage and Television Today, 1993-12-02, section, 11 edition.
  • Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Too much 'hullabaWho' for true fans | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Too_much_%27hullabaWho%27_for_true_fans | work=The Stage and Television Today | pages=11 | date=1993-12-02 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=28 March 2024 }}</ref>
  • Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Too much 'hullabaWho' for true fans | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Too_much_%27hullabaWho%27_for_true_fans | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=28 March 2024}}</ref>