BBC tried to stop production on New Who twice!

[diankra]

Just for the record it was Jonathan Powell who cancelled Doctor Who in 1985, Grade just OKed it.

But didn't Grade insist on the 18 month hiatus during Colin Baker's tenure?

Yes. Grade was the Controller of BBC1 who had to OK the decision, but Jonathan Powell was the man one step down, as head of drama department, who among other things had to make cuts if he was going to fund the launch of Eastenders that year. So he suggested getting rid of Who (he seems to have disliked it in particular, but wasn't keen on anything that predated his time in charge, as almost every established series went when he took over), and Grade saw no good reason to second guess his recommendation, as he didn't like the series much either.
So, Powell decided to drop Doctor Who, and Grade confirmed his recomendation. And then took the flak in public while Powell hid.

 

[Australis]

The French version? Not enough shrugging. Or Gauloise cigarettes.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^What would he say instead of 'Allonz-y?'

 

[Mr. Adventure]

^What would he say instead of 'Allonz-y?'

I was going to say "Let's Go" in English but being French he'd probably still insist on saying "Allons-y".

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

^What would he say instead of 'Allonz-y?'

"Avanti!"

 

[Captaindemotion]

Back to Grade, IIRC when he appeared on TV's Room 101 (the idea, for those who haven't seen it, is you pick all the things you hate and put them into the titular room to get rid of them - it takes the title from Orwell's 1984, though the room there was used as a torture room, not for getting rid of them), he did nominate Doctor Who as one of his pet hates.

So while the hiatus and cancellation may not have been his ideas, his subordinates were pushing an open door when they brought them to him.

 

[Gov Kodos]

^What would he say instead of 'Allonz-y?'

I was going to say "Let's Go" in English but being French he'd probably still insist on saying "Allons-y".

Should say it in Welsh.

 

[Lt. Uhura-Brown]

Lots of planets have a Canada apparently...

And it would appear SG-1 of Stargate Command visit a different one of them every couple of weeks.

 

[Starkers]

Lots of planets have a Canada apparently...

And it would appear SG-1 of Stargate Command visit a different one of them every couple of weeks.

Indeed

 

[diankra]

Back to Grade, IIRC when he appeared on TV's Room 101 (the idea, for those who haven't seen it, is you pick all the things you hate and put them into the titular room to get rid of them - it takes the title from Orwell's 1984, though the room there was used as a torture room, not for getting rid of them), he did nominate Doctor Who as one of his pet hates.

So while the hiatus and cancellation may not have been his ideas, his subordinates were pushing an open door when they brought them to him.

While I think that's right, Grade admits he's a shameless self-publicist, and adopted the trademark red braces and so on as a publicity tool, so I suspect that once he'd become known as 'The man who killed Doctor Who' he rather enjoyed playing up to the image...