When Colin Baker took over TV's Dr Who back in 1984, he appeared in a complete story at the end of the 21st season.
In their haste to produce some up-to-date new merchandise, the BBC Enterprise licenced a jigsaw company to produce a set of five jigsaws - such had been the success of some that were produced featuring a cardboard cut-out of Peter Davison being menaced by his enemies a few years earlier...
Sadly, their lack of available visual material was quite apparent when the samples turned up on producer John Nathan Turner's.
The jigsaws remained boxed and unmade...
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Regular visitors to this blog will know my fascination with "Official Doctor Who Collectors' Items". You know the stuff - plates, teddy bears, chess sets, table lamps etc...
Richard Bignell [@NothingLane] - who should be familiar to Doctor Who fans from his 'Now & Then' features on the BBC Doctor Who DVDs and from being one of DWm's original 'Time Team' tweeted a scan of a 1965 BBC memo from Sydney Newman. In it, Newman thanked the "Asst. to H.B.Tel.E" (?) for a list of merchandise based on his beloved Doctor Who. He was, however, disappointed to discover that a licenced cuckoo clock was not on the list... "Where are they?" he asked.
Well, Mr. Newman... Over fifty years late but here they are.
Or rather an artist's impression...
The current issue of the UK TV listings magazine "What's On TV" has an ad on page 36 for a Star Wars table lamp.
The stem is made up of three light sabres and there's some delightfully old-fashioned artwork from the first film on the shade. You couldn't make it up...
So I did.
Presenting the Official Doctor Who Collectors Table Lamp Collection...
Chocolate is always good.
It's even better when its courtesy of your TV favourites from the 1970s...
1.) There's an awful lot of Ben Shephard on ITV these days.
2.) There's a lot of awful Ben Shephard on ITV these days.*
(* Pick whichever opening sentence you prefer.)
Maybe ITV should consider a trendy re-branding of its dreadful ITVBe. The addition of an 'n' to the channel's logo would be quite painless...
Welcome to ITVBen!!!
When Colin Baker took over TV's Dr Who back in 1984, he appeared in a complete story at the end of the 21st season. 
