Friday 11 October 2013

Deep Thought: Our Fearsome Web Edition

Obviously, nine new Patrick Troughton episodes of Doctor Who is a tremendous find - something which frankly fills me with far more excitement than twice that number of Hartnell episodes would.  But here's the thing.  Over the 19th Century Britain gradually took over Nigeria, until we were in complete control in 1885.  For the next 75 years, Nigeria was just one of those places we took for granted was somewhere we should be sticking our nose in. By the time "The Web of Fear" was broadcast, Nigeria had been independent for just eight years.

So does the fact that a Nigerian TV station possessed Doctor Who episodes in the first place stem from three quarters of a century of ordering people around on another continent in the pursuit of an Imperial boner?  And if so, does that take the shine off the find at all?

Update: Jack Graham has much, much more.

No comments: