The Avengers International Fan Forum

I'm not sure if it is relevant or not, but the episode "Target" does feature the TARDIS from the Dr Who movies. Would this create any issues for ITV? After all Dr Who is quite popular again these days and is certainly a money spinner.

Tara46 wrote:I'm not sure if it is relevant or not, but the episode "Target" does feature the TARDIS from the Dr Who movies. Would this create any issues for ITV? After all Dr Who is quite popular again these days and is certainly a money spinner.

No, it wouldn't be possible for an objection to be raised by an inanimate object. Even an object sort of (but not quite) 'owned' by the BBC. Nice thinking though.

On a related note, another good example of an actor blocking a repeat or release occurred when Doctor Who's Tomb of the Cybermen turned up. A minor member of the cast refused the offered payment and thus the release was completely held up until they got what they wanted. It wasn't even one of the leads! It could be that an actor in Target thinks the repeat fee isn't sufficient. It's less likely that it's a piece of music as that can easily be edited out.

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:The original broadcast were the computer generated/animation ones. Those were the ones I remember seeing.

yes, I believe so...

Doesn't James Bolam still block "The Likely Lads?"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media ... 99057.html

dissolute wrote:Doesn't James Bolam still block "The Likely Lads?"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media ... 99057.html

It's a sad situation. From Bewes side, I don't think he may be seeing the whole picture.

"Whatever happened to the Likely Lads" has been repeated often over the years but "The Likely Lads" is a black and white show, next to no black and white shows get a repeat - certainly not on BBC1 or BBC2. It's rare to see B&W on G.O.L.D. and even Yesterday. Maybe Bolam is blocking them but I don't think they'd automatically start repeating them.

I hope whatever is getting in the way of their relationship gets healed up.

I agree Darren, "The Likely Lads" also has the impediment that many episodes were junked, which makes repeat runs even less likely.

Darren wrote: I hope whatever is getting in the way of their relationship gets healed up.

I really would think that's impossible. They've not spoken in well over 30 years. Bolam really wants nothing to do with Bewes, which seems very sad.

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:

Darren wrote:Target was repeated in the 90's BBC2 repeats and on the 2008 BBC4 repeats.

I don't believe the whole "an actor blocked the repeat" - a repeat is a fee usually and no actor will turn that down.

Unless he wasn't being paid of course, or not enough.

The Professionals was blocked for quite a few years after Martin Shaw refused his permission. It was only when his fellow actors, who needed the money, had a quiet word that he relented.

familar tale...

Johnny O wrote:

Tara46 wrote:I'm not sure if it is relevant or not, but the episode "Target" does feature the TARDIS from the Dr Who movies. Would this create any issues for ITV? After all Dr Who is quite popular again these days and is certainly a money spinner.

No, it wouldn't be possible for an objection to be raised by an inanimate object. Even an object sort of (but not quite) 'owned' by the BBC. Nice thinking though.

That TARDIS prop appears only in the Dr Who Dalek movies owned by... Canal Plus, who also own the Avengers and released The New Avengers on DVD. So what the BBC think is irrelevant, especially as in "Target!" it's portraying a police box, not a TARDIS

Actually... the BBC do own the copyright for the police box design. Weird, but they do. So even though the actual police box used in the Avengers is just that and has nothing to do with the TARDIS (other than the physical prop appearing in the two Dalek movies), the BBC do own the copyright on all police boxes. However... there is nothing they can do about it. Rover and Jaguar own the rights to the design of all the cars used in the Avengers and there is nothing they can do if they don't want them to appear. Inanimate objects play no part in movie/TV rights for past productions being repeated. None. Except that if a TV show now wanted to use a police box in a new production, they would need the BBC's permission.