From May 1985: DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN (aka DWB) issue 22.
The front page reveals more about the background to the infamous Cancellation Crisis and also ponders whether it was time for change at the top of the Union House production office.
This is the moment where the BBC either dropped the ball or, depending on your perspective, revealed their true colours. A more commercially minded organisation would have moved to protect their international cash cow by parachuting in a new production team, preferably accompanied by an injection of cash. The BBC, perhaps lacking alternatives, decided to maintain the status quo and retain the existing team and simply cut the episode count to almost half (except no one knew that yet) with a corresponding reduction in the allocation of internal resources.
This has proven to be a tried and tested way of cancelling high profile programmes: allow them to wither slowly on the fine and then claim that falling viewing figures show the one-time powerhouse programme is no longer popular. Witness the demise of GRANDSTAND, TOP OF THE POPS and GRANGE HILL. It really feels that BLUE PETER is living on borrowed time.
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