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Category: Life: TV and Movies

Complaint to the BBC re: Doctor Who

What were they thinking? #doctorwho #geekrage #bbcfail on Twitpic
Image from @fullmetalannie

For the first time in my life, I have just sent a letter of complaint to the BBC. Why? Well, during the climax of the episode of Doctor Who they had an on screen advert in bright yellow (the scene was set in a dark cave).

If you saw this and want to complain, you can do so via https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/. My complaint is at the bottom

Clip via DoctorWhoDomc. Contains spoilers

Other complaints which have been sent include ones from:

  • @denofgeek (text of complaint)
  • @katybairstow (text of complaint)
  • @ODSeanT “Animated Graham Norton ruined what was otherwise an excellent episode of ” (Source)
  • @mightyhorse82 “BBC your inscreen ad for OverTheRainbow at the end of just makes me even less likely to watch that f…. bilge” (Source)
  • @capricorn_one “WHAT THE F… WAS THAT??? I’m refering to that on screen banner for the next show at the end of Dr Who ” (Source)
  • @richardpmilner “#bbc, don’t put a Graham Norton avatar/banner over the top of at the dramatically climactic moment. Away with your rainbow vomit.” (Source)
  • @stewart_Paske “#BBC1 shouldn’t compromise the dramatic integrity of by splashing Graham Norton over the pivotal scene. #GetGrahamOutOfMyTardis” (Source)
  • @kaleidoscope27 “What the hell was that cartoon Graham Norton doing tainting my ?” (Source)
  • @pressfuturist “Am currently using the BBC complaint form to do my whyohwhyohwhy about GrahamNorton on http://bit.ly/78qXs (via @FullMetalAnnie )” (Source)
  • @nissemus “The way the Beeb ruined the end of is proof that British TV is now being run by marketing morons rather than broadcasters.” (Source)
  • @simquayle “I am gratified that I was joined by most of Britain in a chorus of “What the… Get off my telly!” at the #Dorothy trail in ” (Source)
  • @fechtbuch “Tweet #bbcfail if you hated the yellow onscreen banner during the “one thing you don’t put in a trap…” speech. ” (Source)
  • @drandreq “Why the f… is there a tiny Graham Norton dancing at the bottom of the screen? ” (Source)
  • Daryl Millar: “The In-Programme Pointer for ‘Over The Rainbow’ during an incredibly tense ‘Doctor Who’ cliffhanger was completely unacceptable. If you hate them too, I urge you to submit a complaint to the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/. If the BBC believe they can get away with it, I am certain that these banners will pop up during the episode every single week.” (Source)
  • “G G”: “The In-Programme Pointer for ‘Over The Rainbow’ during an incredibly tense ‘Doctor Who’ cliffhanger was completely unacceptable. All week we’ve had a preview scene of the Doctor doing a dramatic ‘you don’t want to trap me’ speech, a very tense moment in the show, which is going to end on a cliffhanger, at that very moment a reminder of the show coming on straight after Dr Who appeared on the screen. What was that all about? The tension had built up nicely in the show, one of the better episodes of late too, then this daft cartoon appears advertising Graham Norton’s show. We know what is on next, and would have found out in a few seconds anyway. Why do you treat us like idiots?” (Source)
  • Owen Blacker: “Dear Aunty, Using on-screen graphics to trail the next programme detracts from the programme one is watching, particularly when it a suspenseful scene in something like Doctor Who and when the DOG is animated. Please avoid using on-screen trailer graphics during primetime shows, especially when that show is likely to be generating a mood of suspense or anticipation that is destroyed by a moving graphic advertising another programme 15 seconds before the end of the closing scene of a two-part drama. The credits are a perfect opportunity to trail programmes about to start on the BBC channels, where graphics (animated or otherwise) will not detract from viewers’ enjoyment of the show they actually tuned in to watch. Yours, very disappointed” (Source: Facebook)
  • Facebook group

If you’ve complained, please let me know in the comments (if you’ve got a copy of the complaint then even better) so we can keep track of a rough number of them.

(From what I’ve heard from others, this advertisement was on only the standard BBC One Channel (not HD) and only on the non-Scottish regions)

Here’s the text of the letter I sent:

TV: Have I Got News For You Filming

Just a quick note as quite tired.

Today, we went to watch the filming of the first episode of the new series of Have I Got News For You (filmed at the ITV London Studios). The free tickets from Hattrick (HIGNFY’s production company) said that the doors open at 6.45pm : we were there for 4.30pm and were around 30/40th in the queue. By the time 6.30pm came round (and we had been standing in the cold wind and rain outside), the queue stretched out the “Audience Queue” area, past the side of the building, round the corner on the pavement and further still(!). Spoilers may be ahead…

New Season Doctor Who Finale: De ja Who?

Do you remember the 3rd season of the “New Doctor Who” when they brought the previously-thought-deceased Master back to life for the season finale?
Do you remember the 4th season of the “New Doctor Who” when they brought all the “New Doctor’s companions” together, including the “trapped-in-parallel universe Rose Tyler” back for the season finale?

Hmm, two reasonably, but slightly unbelievable ideas both with characters who are “unbring-backable”.

Doctor Who Production Team: “Hey, why not combine BOTH ideas!”.

Yep, it seems the Doctor Who production company have thought that and for the 5th season finale (and David Tennant’s last episode), they are bringing back Billie “Rose Tyle” Piper, Catherine “Donna Noble” Tate, Freema “Martha Jones” Agyeman and The Master (who was shot dead, refused to regenerate and buried last time we saw him: although his ring was picked up by a female hand – but if he didn’t want to regenerate, why “hide his soul/being” in a ring?)

Hello, original ideas calling the Doctor Who production team! (who will still be headed by Russell T. Davis at that point, he leaves at the same time as Tennant).

Watchmen Clip and Montage on iTunes Review

Well, Katy and I were looking forward to watching the Watchmen, but after downloading and watching iTunes Exclusive Clip – Comic-Con 2008 Preview, I’m no no longer sure if I want to bother.

I’ve heard Watchmen are good, have a strong history, but when trailers offer no explanation for the scenario, give very little detail of whats going on (I guess I’m saying, it relies on you being familar with the original source: i.e. the comic books) and is generally do motivation, then I guess the studio (Paramount in this case) are intentionally sabatoaging it. Please tell me this isn’t really the case…

I’ve just watched the Film Montage whilst typing, and still 🙁