Sunday 25 April 2010

WHOOPS! APOCALYPSE

[Updated] [14.15 - French Time] It started with a nice idea: an ident made by the beloved Aardman Studios to celebrate BBC One's Saturday night lineup. But then an animated version of presenter Graham Norton popped up during one of the most exciting Doctor Who climaxes ever to promote reality show Over the Rainbow...

In the final 30 seconds of the episode The Time of angels, which featured the return of Who fan favourites River Song (Alex Kingston) and the Weeping Angels, a cartoon version of Graham Norton appeared on screen to promote the reality series aired directly after Doctor Who on BBC One (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GspzbY1iYO8&feature=player_embedded). Fans are furious and expressed their feelings on the internet.

« I take it everyone else was livid that the Beeb put a gurning cartoon Graham Norton across the exciting cliffhanger climax of Dr Who, » wrote Ashes To Ashes exec producer Matthew Graham on Twitter (http://twitter.com/BarCough). « Please BBC - you're not a US network, you're so much better than they are. Don't cheapen yourself. The public know what's up next » added Graham.

Simon Brew, of the excellent Den of Geek website, published a most eloquent open letter to the BBC (http://denofgeek.net-genie.co.uk/television/471290/open_letter_to_whoever_put_a_graham_norton_graphic_over_tonights_doctor_who.html).

The Beeb has yet to comment on the "Darrinesque Norton" incident.

Update (19.07 - French Time): « The BBC often promotes programmes in this way but the corporation has acknowledged that in this case the scheduling was inappropriate. A BBC spokesman said: "We apologise for the timing of Saturday night's trail." » (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8642854.stm)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2010/apr/23/bbc1-ident-aardman
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a216394/doctor-who-fans-angered-by-pop-up-norton.html

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