Makers of the hit BBC show Doctor Who are once again snubbing Reading. The town is omitted from a list of stops for a worldwide tour this August – which means that once again the Daleks are bypassing the Thames Valley in their quest to take over the galaxy.
As Peter Capaldi prepares for his first season as the Time Lord, BBC Worldwide announced the globe-trotting publicity jaunt which takes in seven cities across five continents in just 12 days.
Yet again, Reading has not been included in the list of stops. The show has also never had a story set in the town, so aliens have never been seen destroying The Oracle or rampaging through the Forbury Gardens in their quest for world domination.
The nearest the show has ever come to Reading was when parts of Jon Pertwee’s epic final adventure was filmed at Mortimer Railway Station.
Planet of the Spiders saw giant-sized spiders attempt to take over a Mummerset Monastery but instead cause Jon Pertwee to turn into Tom Baker. It starred Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.
Two Doctors have come to Reading in recent times: Tom Baker did a book signing at the Friar Street Bookshop in 1997, while Sylvester McCoy starred in a Hexagon Pantomime and also made guest appearances in The Hobgoblin pub after the shows.
The Peter Capaldi tour that’s snubbing the Thames Valley is the largest-ever promotional event over the course Doctor Who’s 50 years and starts in Cardiff on August 7. It will then head to London (probably whizzing through Reading Station on the train) before jetsetting across to Seoul, Sydney, New York, Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro.
Peter Capaldi said: “It’s fantastic that so many people across the world love Doctor Who. After eight months solid filming deep in the world of monsters, Jenna and I are thrilled to be heading for the Planet of Fans.”
However, it is not known if he made any comments about Reading.
You can find more details on the tour at www.doctorwho.tv/worldtour.
Doctor Who’s new season will launch in August, probably around the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Editor’s note: my tongue may be in cheek when writing this post, but at least I can console myself with the news that a Doctor Who guest star will be appearing in Cinderella at The Hexagon this Christmas.
Forbury Gardens picture: Jim Linwood/Flickr.com, Tardis from BBC image.
Last modified on Tuesday, 10 June 2014 20:09
