I hate the Sci Fi Channel’s ‘Doctor Who’ promos
They’re terrible. Ditto the coming attractions at the end of each episode. They don’t capture a real sense of the story -- especially when compared to the British previews on the end of each episode, which are pretty much uniformly brilliant. And Sci Fi promos are often misleading. Or simply flat-out wrong, like the one Sci Fi has been airing all week for “The Sontaran Stratagem,” which debuts here in the U.S. tomorrow.
The announcer has a bit about how “the Doctor is in for the shock of his 903-year life” in this Sontaran story. Which is just plain wrong. As exciting and intriguing as the Sontaran story is, there’s nothing in the episode that shocks the Doctor more than anything has ever shocked him before. And this is particularly annoying because that shock-of-a-lifetime thing could be said about what happens two episodes later, in an episode called “The Doctor’s Daughter.” As the title might imply, there is stuff in that episode that could reasonably be termed “the shock of the Doctor’s life.” But how will Sci Fi describe it? They’ve already shot their wad.
Idiots.
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comments
posted by joy (May 15, 2008 8:52 PM)
Wording this with the heat of a thousand suns.
I was trying to figure out if BBC had any say in the marketing (and stupid alternate logo) for DW on SciFi...my guess is no.
posted by Jack (May 16, 2008 4:02 PM)
Well, the Doctor might have to make the ultimate sacrifice, and it very well may all be over, and in The Unicorn and the Wasp, history might be destroyed, and I'm guessing at the point when you least expect it, the final revelation will be revealed. The ones that really disgusted me were the Voyage of the Damned ones, which really didn't show the Doctor as the Doctor, more of just some other sci-fi action hero.
posted by Barb Gorczyca (May 16, 2008 5:28 PM)
I've never liked the promos here in the States for Dr. Who (actually I don't like commercials being put in or the show cut period - thank goodness for other venues). What's more, the logo for the show that the Sci-Fi channel created since the beginning to air the show is lousy. What's wrong with using the real logo or won't the BBC allow us to us it. We really need a premium BBC channel that shows uncut CURRENT shows. Finished venting (for now).
posted by PaulW (May 17, 2008 12:29 AM)
This is how you should promo the Doctor Who show:
"Listen up, geeks. This week, it's Sontarans. It's good. Watch it. Quote it. Sontar-HA!"
And to think, I went to journalism school instead of advertising. :)
posted by Michael (June 27, 2008 10:13 PM)
I totally agree with you. The episodes came with next time trailers, why do you (SciFi) feel you have to make your own? I've actually seen the next time trailer for "The Stolen Earth" (the next-to-last episode of this season), and it's great. I can't wait to see how SciFi butchers it.