Who Spin-Offs?

[Adrian Bamforth]

Despite reservations about the (rubbish) series, are we still in a place when a comic publisher can successfully put out a spin-off comic for tha kids?(That is, aside from the Doctor Who magazine already on sale traditionally aimed at old school fans.)

Or is it just too financially unpredictible today?

ADE

[The Amstor Computer]

"Despite reservations about the (rubbish) series"

You mean you didn't like it? Blimey - I'd never have guessed...

;-)

Anyway, I don't know that a spin-off comic would actually be viable. If you're aiming at kids, will they actually buy a comic, even if it's about a show they like? No-one really seems to know whether there's a market for *any* new kids comic anymore.

Perhaps it's just a case of doing what the Beeb did with Doctor Who and going against conventional wisdom - in their case, that there was still an audience for family drama - in the hope that the audience is there, and just waiting for something *good*?

[Smiley]

Dunno, really. You'd think the Beeb would have a house magazine aimed at the younger reader at least, with posters of Billie and cardboard cut-out gasmasks and stuff to cash in on the series, like what they do with CBBC nursery titles (but for older kids obviously). Is there one like that? Could they be prepping one already?

[ARRISARRIS]

...my girlfriend would buy one with a poster in it of Jack, as long as he had his kit of...

[Dudley]

Aren't the BBC currently shedding all their in-house publications, and have also been limited in the ways that they can cash in on properties through licensing?  Maybe the Doctor Who magazine wouldn't play ball on licensing fees, and the BBChas judged it can't start up a direct competitor without being accused of using public money to go up against a market competitor.

This is all speculation.

[Steamboy]

what about a Captain Jack from the 25th Century spin off? sounds like an interesting character(only up to episode 6 this week in OZ, Daleks yeah) from what i've read around here.

CU Krestel

[The Amstor Computer]

Dudley --

IIRC, the BBC have been farming out a lot of their publications (BBC Music being a particularly notable example) to outside companies, a move that's provoked a lot of anger from the people involved in the mags.

[Marbles]

Yeh a friend of mine lost her job working for the BBC Wildlife mag when it got 'out-sourced' and produced on the cheap, with an attendant nose-dive in quality.

[The Amstor Computer]

There was a brief piece about the move in Private Eye last year, IIRC. I can't remember why the move happened in the first place, but it seems to have had a disastrous effect on the quality of the publications involved.

[Richmond Clements]

Well, if you watch the Doctor Who Confidential thingys, you'll see the specail effects crew building their beasts.
Mike Tucker, and for all I know the rest of them, used to work for the BBC, before the effects department was 'outsourced'.
But it seems to have been sourced to the same people who were doing it anyway, and no doubt for vastly inflated prices.