dalek

A ‘Doctor Who’ Dalek operator, who also worked as a writer for ‘Doctor Who Magazine’, attempted to take a subversive jab at his bosses, publisher Panini and BBC International, but wound up EX-TERMINATE-D when his higher-ups got wind of his shenanigans.

Nicolas Pegg, who had worked as a Dalek operator on the series for 12 years– ever since the show was first revived in 2005– wrote for the magazine under the pen name The Watcher and submitted an article called ‘A History of Dr. Who In 100 Objects’ which was published in the most recent edition.  The last line of the article reads “If you look hard enough there is always something hidden in plain sight”.

It appears that one reader, Dave Elliott, looked hard enough.  When he circled the first letter of every sentence, he realized the letters spelled out a nasty swipe at Panini and BBC.  The last word of this hidden message is pretty vulgar in the U.S. but in the U.K. is used a lot more loosely.

Have a look at Elliot’s Twitter post:

When strung together, these letters spell out “Panini and BBC Worldwide are…” *ahem* “Could-Unlikely-No-Terror-So.”

He was immediately axed by both Panini and the BBC.  (The digital edition of the magazine has since been edited.)

What prompted this outburst?  Fans have stated that Pegg was upset that BBC seemed resistant to release a DVD of ‘Shada’, the unaired, incomplete finale to ‘Doctor Who’ Season 17, featuring Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor, from 1979.  However, a BBC spokesman said that ‘Shada’ will be released on DVD and digital next month.  (It’s not clear how these fans came to this conclusion about Pegg’s motivation.)

According to London’s ‘Mirror’, however, it appears that Pegg was not due to return for the next season of ‘Doctor Who’.  That sounds like a better reason for the attack.

The ‘Doctor Who Christmas Special’ featuring the farewell of Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor.  Season 11 launches next fall and introduces Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.

Source: Radio Times