The BBC are undertaking a massive project, which will include scanning every issue of the Radio Times, to be called the BBC Genome. However, Houston, there is a problem...
Yesterday I posted, with here, questioning what was happening with the project, and was it still going ahead. I got an "interesting" reply (I am trying to avoid saying rude, well she apologised so no hard feelings) telling me it was still on and the state of play, which I genuinely appreciate the insight to.
To quote Marsha Thompson, the Press Release Officer "...I understand Children's entertainment, such as Doctor Who, is relevant and is important to the development of a young persons mind. It is, however, a children's show... Grown-ups will be our main concern, but kiddies will still get their Doctor Who 'fix'."
I always thought along the same lines as Steven Moffat, that Doctor Who was a family show, but apparently the BBC Genome seem to think of it as a children's show, and I assume will be filing it as such, is this what you want?
Or are all family shows to be listed as children's shows? I always found Its a Knockout infantile, even as a child, but it was a family show (although my 5 year old daughter would love it), and it was transmitted well before the 9pm watershed, and what about Terry and June, I found this equally mindless and was sure my IQ dropped while I watched it, so is this family show to be classified as children's also? Or perhaps is just Doctor Who is being singled out for this treatment?
There are several occasions where it has been asked if Doctor Who is suitable for children even, and the 21st century revival of the programme has seen Doctor Who become the centrepiece of BBC One's Saturday evening schedule. Are BBC Genome aware they are offending most of the adult Doctor Who fans (you know, us lot who actually spend the money, and without us kiddies don't have any!). So is DWM a kiddie magazine? Is the Doctor Who series 1-4 box set with a 12 Certificate for kiddies only? (well over 12 kiddies anyhow?).
I wonder what the Doctor Who team will make of all this, are they aware they make Kiddie TV? Should Doctor Who be moved to CBBC? Isn't it easier to classify Doctor Who correctly as a family show, I remember being introduced to it by my father in Jon Pertwees day, and we watched it together, he never did that with any children's programs!
We have found some interesting links to BBC Genome starting here and here, and here are the original comments quoted (which I have backed up too ;) ).
Please everyone, repost this, link it, and tell everyone about it, and eMail BBC Genome, otherwise you may find yourself a fan of kiddie TV, and singling Doctor Who out is just WRONG!
12 Comments:
And to think that German television rates Doctor Who only fit for viewers 16 and older .... same as TORCHWOOD........ they clearly think it's NOT a children show.......
I must agree, if Doctor Who is classed as a childrens show, it is wrong, when down the line there was some graphic stuff in the classic era, and every boxset (except for series 3 & 5) are rated a 12. which isnt a childrens classification certificate.
What makes me laugh about this "genre" decision is the BBC have the cheek to make a convention aiming it at just adults! If it's "just a kids show" as they make it out to be- why are they running things like this?
Matt
if Doctor who is is classed as a childrens show... i'll read stephen king to mines... NO WAY... it is not!
SJA and totally WAS for kids, DW is for family, TW for adults :)
doctor who is a show for all ages i watched it when i was a kid at 8 im near 40 now.and i still enjoy it especially under the moff .
Perhaps the Radio Times people should check with the BBC 1
controller. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't classify it as a children's
programme (nor Merlin or the recent Robin Hood either, for that
matter). As others have said here (and frequently in the past) Doctor
Who was never produced by the Children's department, it was always a
fully fledged member of the Drama department.
Maybe the Radio Times should check the Doctor Who demographics and
compare them to what you'd get with a CBBC series (even the Sarah Jane
Adventures).
Or the Radio Times could ask the likes of BBC America or the Canadian
Space channel - I'm sure they would never consider Doctor Who a
children's programme.
Better still, here's a radical thought, why not just ask the Doctor
Who Production office? If anyone should have the final word on this, it
should be them.
Are the Radio Times just being lazy in not wanting to create a Family Drama section? At one time there was a lot of this around and 2005 Doctor Who pretty much single-handedly brought it back.
If truth be told M@steven_moffat himself doesn't even class it as a childrens show! He said so himself!
It's definitely a family show, so I don't know what the BBC Genome are playing at!
Doctor Who is not a "kiddies" show. Here in NZ the show is in the Watershed Time slot at Thursdays at 8.30. The only time it is on during the day is when the show boxing day or Christmas marathons.
Doctor Who is definitely firmly in the family drama category, as i'm pretty sure both RTD and Moffat have stated as well. Here in the States, it's always aired at 9pm on BBCA; clearly not in a children's show timeslot.
Just here to give some links and quotes (no...google really isn't that hard).
Doctor Who is a family show
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/faq/the_show.shtml
^ Can't really get that much more official than that
Moffat: The great thing about 'Doctor Who' is it's a family show because it does cater to all.
http://www.list.co.uk/article/37820-doctor-who-fans-will-get-answers-in-mad-episode/
'There's no sex allowed in the tardis': Karen Gillan insists Doctor Who will stay a family show
(Gotta be a family show to then stop being a family show eh?)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2026982/Karen-Gillan-insists-Doctor-Who-stay-family-Theres-sex-allowed-tardis.html
When 'Doctor Who' returned in 2005 after a long time off the air, it was once again designed as a Saturday night family show, just as it had been right at the start.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/doctorwho/6405.shtml?page=txt
(Bit of a bummer when an official article on your own magazine argues with you eh? ;) )
"Doctor Who is a slightly scary family show." - Doctor Who's director, Phil Collinson
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4540000/newsid_4541800/4541857.stm
This is just a few of the things. But don't forget about all those people who think that DW is too scaring to be a family show and should be raised...and you consider putting it down?
I'm not even going into the audience's comments/thoughts on this. I could be here till Christmas.
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