I cannot believe that the disqualification of the father issues guy actually made the news.

Is that the fat dude blubbering into his mobile, that they had in the promos? Why was he disqualified, as opposed to kicked out on his fat arse?

Because he did a promotional interview with a radio station which is against the rules. He wouldn't have got through anyway (I hope and pray); his performance was embarrassing, it was like something off New Faces.

The thing is, Leigh, the people who are voting are presumably the same people who are going to be buying the records at the end of all this, so if it's a cute bland boy they want as their pop star, why not?

(I like Afro dude too. And I have a guilty fondness for "rock chick". Pig farmer I could live without.)

Doctor Who
40th Anniversary 1963-2003
Time traveller celebrates a 40-year journey

When the Doctor Who series first screened on BBC television back in November 1963, not even the Doctor himself could have predicted that it would be the longest running science fiction series ever made. Through eight different incarnations of the Doctor he has traversed the galaxy, saved numerous universes and spent an eternity in a phone booth. The series also produced a string of iconic characters - the inimitable Daleks, the Cybermen, Davros, The Master and a mechanical pooch called K-9. ABC TV Programming have recently announced their intention to broadcast the entire series from episode one ("An Unearthly Child" starring William Hartnell) for those who missed them the first time round. The series will screen on ABC TV from September 15 on Monday-Thursday at 6.00pm.

The Doctor has also been resurrected on video and, since October 2000, on DVD. The range has now expanded to include over fifteen titles on DVD with more planned for 2004, and around forty titles on VHS including limited edition boxed sets.

The full range of Doctor Who videos and DVDs are available from ABC Shops, ABC Centres, ABC Online and all good DVD retailers.

I'm actually really excited by this news. I've been a Doc Who fan since I was a child but haven't seen any of the Hartnell episodes and very few of the Troughton episodes. Alas, the ABC will be thwarted in their attempt to broadcast the entire series, since a few episodes were supposedly destroyed by the BBC years ago.

There actually aren't all that many Troughton eps. Prime reran the first four doctors, and there were about eight Troughton eps, the BBC destroyed so many. I was sad, I really like Jamie.

I've been wondering whether I'm going to be able to watch the reruns--in theory I'd like to, since Doctor Who is so iconic, but on the other hand, the show traumatised me in childhood. The Daleks and those little Wheelie Bins of Death that trundled up behind people, who would then just fall in and get eaten gave me such horrible nightmares that my mother banned me from watching it. I believe I'm over the extreme wuss phase, but since just hearing theme music is still enough to freak me out...

Edited to add:

The thing is, Leigh, the people who are voting are presumably the same people who are going to be buying the records at the end of all this, so if it's a cute bland boy they want as their pop star, why not?

Well, sure, if you want to be all rational about it...

Hearing the theme music is enough to freak me out too. IN A GOOD WAY!!! I can't wait.

Although the correct scheduling would obviously be to have The Goodies at 6.00 and Dr Who at 6.30.

The Goodies at 6.00

God, I know I must have watched this because the name is so familiar, yet I can't remember a single thing about it.

Well, you would have been about 2 at the time I imagine Leigh, so you're forgiven.

Goodieeees! Goodie goodie yum-yum.

t /childhood flashback (thank you for that one, Angus)

The show itself never scared me - except for the theme music, which I found absolutely terrifying. No idea why.