It’s been well established that ‘Doctor Who’ is one of Britain’s primary exports when it comes to the entertainment industry. After all, the show originated in the U.K., is filmed in the U.K., and has historically had a British actor playing the lead role as the Doctor. It can’t be denied that this is a very British show.
So when executive producer Steven Moffat appeared at Comic-Con with Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman to promote the 50th anniversary special, many Whovian Brits were offended with the fact that not only was the premiere of the trailer shown to audiences in America first, but Moffat threatened no more Comic-Con appearances if the trailer leaked online. So unless you were in the hallowed room of Hall H, you aren’t going to see the trailer until the BBC deems when, basically making UK fans feeling like the show has turned their backs on them.
For the past week, UK fans have been clamoring about the injustice of this decision hoping that the BBC would change their mind. Then on Friday, the BBC issued a short and distinct press release regarding the Comic Con decision:
A bit harsh don’t you think?
Is this a major faux pas on the part of the BBC? Well according to their UK fans it is! After all, they do pay licensing fees to be able to watch television shows and a portion of those fees go towards making ‘Doctor Who’ (as well as other British shows like ‘Sherlock’’). So, in essence, they have a more palpable stake with the series than anywhere else. Why shouldn’t they, or anyone else in the world, be able to see the trailer online?
One of the reasons being said as to why the BBC has made this a Comic Con exclusive trailer is that they are heavily trying to build the American audience. If you take into account that the company just released their annual fiscal report which showed a 14% drop in revenue, the move to increase the number of American Whovians seems like a smart move. The more Americans watching ‘Doctor Who’, the more sales of ‘Doctor Who’ merchandise, more money for the BBC.
But is it worth the anger of the British fans?
What can be said about this entire thing, however, is how loyal Whovians are. With the thousands of attendees that were in Hall H, it is still hard to believe not one bit of footage has leaked onto the internet. It will be a matter of time if the same can be said about the “exclusive” content that the BBC promises for the UK fans.
So what are your thoughts? Should the trailer have been put online for all to enjoy or was it a justifiable reward for those Whovians who waited hours just to get into the ‘Doctor Who’ panel at Comic Con? Let us know below… and if by any chance the trailer does show up, you know we’ll have it here for you to see!
