From October 1986: How times change... 5 million punters might have been a disaster for the new season debut back in 1986 but, in our new fangled modern world, most UK broadcasters would be quite chuffed with a similar audience.
To be honest, I remember seeing the opening installments of the TRIAL OF A TIMELORD season and being distinctly underwhelmed. Not only was the whole idea of a sprawling 14 episode story arc flawed (and poorly executed) but JN-T's legendary showmanship seemed to have abandoned him. With the exception of the impressive motion-controlled miniature to open the story, there was little in the way of spectacle. Had he had served up a REMEMBERANCE OF THE DALEKS, he could have generated some buzz around the show again.
The slump also, of course, played into DWB's narrative that the current production team (read: the producer) needed the boot in order to inject fresh blood. What only became clear later was that JN-T was one of the few people inside the Corporation really to trying to keep the show in business at all.
And just look at some of the stellar ratings that some other regular shows were getting: over 17 million for EASTENDERS (although that almost certainly consolidated the Sunday afternoon omnibus repeat as well... and these were the days before Sunday opening gave millions the opportunity to dodge it), 10 million for DW's arch Saturday evening rivals THE A-TEAM. And even 4 million plus slumping down after school (or work if you'd bunked off exceptionally early) to see BLUE PETER.
out now is the new issue of GEEKY MONKEY, a preview of which can be seen here :
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/geekymonkeymag/photos/pcb.1655644748028798/1655643984695541/?type=3&theater
fingers crossed my shop keeps getting it.
no sign of it alas.
ReplyDeletehowever I did pick up the latest BACK ISSUE and its a humdinger starring batman and superman.
GEEKY MONKEY hits the stands on the last Thursday of the month so that issue has been out for a couple of weeks already. Its another good one. Its worth looking in the computers/ gaming or mens lifestyle sections as it's not always racked with the other film and TV titles.
ReplyDeleteI picked up the new BACK ISSUE but as I have next to no interest in either character its not terribly exciting. The next two issues look like they will be much more fun.
There is a nice new STAR WARS GALAXY hardback that reproduces the cards from the early 1990s. Very nice but a wasted opportunity to reproduce the art at a larger size ala the two softcovers published at the time.
I take it then that you have no interest either in the new bats vs supey movie ?
ReplyDeletethanks for the heads up on that book. I assume you are referring to THE ART OF STAR WARS GALAXY ? I have vol 2 somewhere and its now been added to my list of items to un-earth.
my FP did get the TOPPS book which re-produces the NEW HOPE card sets. It brought back a lot of memories , especially the blue series and card 61 ( I think ) with the storm troopers. It was the one card I coveted most and couldn't get and also one that somebody else in my class actually possessed.