PEARL@BLUE.RUTGERS.EDU@caip.RUTGERS.EDU (03/03/86)
From: PEARL@BLUE.RUTGERS.EDU THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE 2/28 ISSUE OF THE "COMICS BUYERS GUIDE": BRITISH ACTRESS BONNIE LANGFORD HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED AS THE NEW COMPANION FOR DOCTOR WHO STAR COLIN BAKER. LANGFORD, 21, IS A FORMER CHILD STAR WHO HAS ENDEARED HERSELF TO "FAMILY" AUDIENCES WITH "RESOLUTELY" WHOLESOME" ROLES BEARING NO HINT OF CONTROVERSY. SINCE THE LAST SEASON OF DOCTOR WHO WAS ACCUSED BY CERTAIN FACTIONS OF BEING TOO VIOLENT AND SEXUALLY EXPLOITIVE -- HENCE THE HIATUS FOR "RE-EVALUATION OF SERIES' POTENTIAL" -- LANGFORD'S APPOINTMENT CAN BE REGARDED AS A CAREFULLY CALCULATED DECISION BY BBC MANAGEMENT AND A CLEAR INDICATION OF THE NEW DIRECTION FOR THE SERIES. NICOLA BRYANT, WHO PLAYED THE DOCTOR'S ASSISTANT PERI BROWN IN THE MOST RECENT AND CONTROVERSIAL SEASON, HAS BEEN DROPPED FROM THE SHOW. THE CHANGE IN THE DOCTOR'S ASSISTANT WILL OCCUR IN THE EIGHTH EPISODE. ################################################### WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE MICHAEL GRADE (BBC PROGRAMMING DIRECTOR) HAS MANAGED TO SCREW AROUND WITH THE SHOW. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT A COMPANION (OR DOCTOR FOR THAT MATTER) WAS "DROPPED" FROM THE SHOW. PREVIOUSLY, THE ACTOR/ACTRESS LEFT THE SERIES WHEN THEY FELT THEY HAVE STAYED THERE TOO LONG. TOMORROW I WILL POST THE ADDRESS OF MICHAEL GRADE@BBC WHERE I HOPE EVERY WHOVIAN WILL WRITE AND COMPLAIN. NICOLA BRYANT HAS BEEN WITH THE SHOW SINCE PETER DAVIDSON, AND I CONSIDER HER TO HAVE MADE THE SHOW SOMETHING SPECIAL. STEVE -------
percus@acf4.UUCP (Allon G. Percus) (03/06/86)
Personally, I think this is the first good thing that Michael Grade has
done, but we'll leave the opinions in net.tv.drwho... Meanwhile, suffice
it to say that companions definitely have been written out of the show
before, most notably Adric and Nyssa. I am very curious as to how
Bonnie Langford will turn out.
.
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