The Question of BBC Question Time's Questionable Merchandise...

Back in the 1970s, the BBC's Question Time was one of the popular television programmes in the UK. Millions tuned in to see a studio audience grill the politicians of the day under the watchful bow tie of Robin Day. The show's popularity spawned a mini-industry of merchandise eagerly snapped up by fans. Presented here is a choice selection from the hey day of "Questiontimemania"...

A series of novelisations penned by some of the UK's top science fiction authors and based on the some of the more dramatic episodes.

Children got a chance to act out their own Question Time episodes with a 'Give-A-Show' Projector set. Very few survived.

For one of their 'Election Special' editions, the Question Time crew were joined by a photographer from the popular Viewmaster company who took dozens of 3D images of the show - including the classic moment when Ted Heath nodded off during a lengthy retort from Jeremy Thorpe. Needless to say, the Conservative Party office were not pleased with Reel 3 / Image 4..... 

The official Question Time LP was a popular number two...

Jackanory. Jackanory. Jackanory... etc...

Someone at BBC Books tried to aim for a slightly higher reading age with their choices for Jackanory in the 1970s.... but missed.

Great Unreleased Doctor Who Merchandise - part nine

In 1965, the popular children's toy manufacturer Chad Valley released a Doctor Who version of its popular 'Give-A-Show' projector. 

This simple toy consisted of a battery operated projector and over a dozen card strips of slides depicting the Doctor's many amazing (and quite compact) adventures on different planets such as Vortis and Skaro.

Here's a modern update that adapts one of the most popular episodes of recent Doctor Who.

Click to enlarge

(with thanks to Clayton Hickman)

Doctor Who Video Nasties

Back in the 1980s when the video market was getting off the ground, there were dozens of video labels that produced some really weird releases with covers that bore little resemblance to their desperate contents... 

Here's a selection of classic Doctor Who stories from the 70s repackaged as video nasties for the US market. 

No prizes for correctly guessing the movies' origins...

The Moment Has Arrived for Albert Square!

"New publicity still reveals role for Lucy Beale in next month's EastEnders 30th anniversary special..."

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