Article 99324 of alt.peeves:
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From: tjc@tattoo.ed.ac.uk (A J Cunningham)
Newsgroups: alt.peeves,rec.arts.tv.uk.misc,uk.media.tv.sf.misc
Subject: Dr Who - He's back and we was robbed.
Date: 28 May 1996 09:07:59 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University
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A long time ago in a galaxy far away.... Oops, sorry, wrong story.

Not such a long time ago in a TV company not so far away there was a
series called Dr. Who. We all loved it when we were kiddies hiding
behind the furniture from the Daleks. It was the best show on TV.

As we got older we started to notice that some of the production values
weren't quite as good as they might be. Walls looked suspiciously
flimsy, costumes were a trifle cheap looking and the FX weren't quite up
to Hollywood standards. But it was still the best show on TV.

Then some idiot in the BBC decided that no more Dr. Who episodes were to
be made. This was despite the fact that it was a show that actually made
the BBC more money that it cost to make. Quite an achievement for a
public broadcaster. Fans had to content themselves with reruns on UK
Gold and video. But still they demanded that a new Dr. Who be made.

And then the news came. It was good news. A new Dr. Who was going to be
made. But it was also bad news. It was going to be made in America. And
this time there would be no wobbly walls, no alien planets looking
suspiciously like a quarry near Brighton, no naff costumes. For the
Americans have much money and are not afraid to throw it about. And the
Dr.'s many fans were much delighted and sore afraid at the same time.

And for many weeks the BBC did announce that he was coming back. And on
the Bank Holiday Monday at 8:30 pm many did turn on their TVs and lock
the door and take the phone off the hook and set up their videos. And
they watched. And they saw that it was not good.

'Doctor Who 90210' was what one called it. Another noticed that the new
master seemed to be nothing more that a second rate Terminator
impersonator. Yet another compared the new master to Frank N Furter in
the Rocky Horror picture show (Only not as good an actor as Tim Curry). 
And many were much affronted when the Timelord did have a snog. For it
is written in the laws of Gallifrey, "Timelords do not snog.". 

And amongst the fans of the real Dr. Who there was much wailing and
grinding of teeth. For although the new actor was indeed worth to play
the part the Americans seemed to have forgotten to get a half decent
script together. And instead they filled the show with tedious special
effects and a car chase. 

It looks as though the Dr. faces his ultimate enemy. After taking on all
comers for 25 years and winning he now faces (fx: Crash of thunder) 
HOLLYWOOD! And I think this time he'll need more than a sonic
screwdriver to save the world.

T


--
Tony Cunningham,  tjc@ed.ac.uk
This explains a lot about me. I thought it was the heavy drinking, the
late hours, the barking mad women, the lying around in bed reading novels and
eating Nescafe out of a jar with the  spoon. But it's because of the Mac.