Infamous Doctor Who PR Stunts

MulettMulett Posts: 9,055
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Oscar Wilde: There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.

Doctor Who's media profile has always been high, although in the 80s (when John Nathan-Turner took over as producer) its PR got something of a kick-start. And modern Who has courted the papers in a pretty clever way as well.

Here are some of my favourite Doctor Who PR stunts. Please feel free to comment or share your own:

"Good luck to the next Doctor, whoever he or she is." A great line from a cheeky Tom Baker during the press conference to announce his departure from the show. JNT chose not to clarify the situation and the story ran and ran.

Police Box axed. JNT pretended he was axing the TARDIS 'Police Box' exterior as of Colin Baker's first season, saying it didn't mean anything to a modern audience. The subsequent 'save the TARDIS' campaign kept the show in the headlines between seasons . . JNT had no intention of axing it, of course!

Pretend regeneration. Oh good lord! The 10th Doctor has only just been reunited with Rose when he's shot by a Dalek and starts to regenerate. They even slap 'to be continued' across the front of the closing credits. He didn't regenerate, of course.

Comments

  • daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,351
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    I always though despite his dodgy decision making as a producer that JNT was the absolute king of the PR machine. The OP has quoted two fine examples of this but perhaps the best one he ever did was more behind the scenes when he was behind a letter to the Newspapers citing the show had been axed in 1985 due to the cut in the licence fee. It certainly caused some uproar in the papers and beyond and ended saving the show from the axe, albeit temporarily.

    :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,151
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    The unexpected coverage of Remembrance of the Daleks filming in London 1988.

    An ambulance on their lunch-break hears a huge explosion. Races to the scene sirens going....only to see three Daleks emerging from the dust.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 512
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    HandsomeBB wrote: »
    The unexpected coverage of Remembrance of the Daleks filming in London 1988.

    An ambulance on their lunch-break hears a huge explosion. Races to the scene sirens going....only to see three Daleks emerging from the dust.

    Was that actually reported at the time? I thought it was just a story told years later
  • The Alpha GamerThe Alpha Gamer Posts: 3,122
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    Remember that time when everyone in the country was given Retcon to promote Torchwood?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,151
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    sohoguy wrote: »
    Was that actually reported at the time? I thought it was just a story told years later

    Yes, I remember it well. Daily Mail even.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 135
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    And lets not forget, a prime time BBC One show just to annouce the casting of the 11th Doctor...
  • Shawn_LunnShawn_Lunn Posts: 9,353
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    And lets not forget, a prime time BBC One show just to annouce the casting of the 11th Doctor...

    I loved how they did that for 11. I want them to do it again to announce 12 but I doubt they will.
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