Infamous Doctor Who PR Stunts
Mulett
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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.
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.
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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
Yes, I remember it well. Daily Mail even.
I loved how they did that for 11. I want them to do it again to announce 12 but I doubt they will.