Weetabix Doctor Who free gift homage helps promote new audio drama “Out of Time” uniting two Doctors against the Daleks

By John Freeman on August 26, 2020

Big Finish have come up with an absolutely inspired promotion for their latest Doctor Who audio dramas Out of Time, tipping the hat to those old enough to remember how the Time Lord once enjoyed promotion on Weetabix cereal boxes!

The video promotion for Out of Time homages the Weetabix giveaways released in 1975 illustrated by Gordon Archer that no doubt helped cement young fans love of Tom Baker’s interpretation of The Doctor in many households across the UK.

A fabulous promotion for Doctor Who – Out of Time from Big Finish

In Out of Time, which has received some great reviews, two past incarnations of the Doctor unite outside of time and space to fight a common enemy – their oldest enemy – in the first of an explosive new full-cast audio drama series.

The Cathedral of Contemplation is an enigma, existing outside time. It turns through history, opening its doors across the universe to offer solace to those in need. Occasionally, the Doctor drops in – when he’s avoiding his destiny, it’s an ideal place to get some perspective. Only, he’s already there, several lives earlier, so when dimension barriers break down, his past and present collide. And when the Daleks invade and commandeer the Cathedral, two Doctors must unite to stop them – or face extermination twice over!

“Tom Baker was obviously the first Doctor that I knew,” says actor David Tennant, who plays the Tenth Doctor, of being a boyhood Doctor Who fan. “I was small when he took over and I grew up through the seven years that he was the Doctor. I was a massive fan. I met him in John Menzies in Glasgow and he signed my book. I had a doll of him. All that. Tom Baker was very much the Doctor. There is something about the way he is associated with the character that seems utterly timeless.”

“Of course it was hugely exciting – with a certain amount of pressure too – to bring together two of the most iconic Doctors,” says Out of Time writer Matt Fitton, “cemented in the public imagination from new and classic TV eras of Doctor Who.

“I thought putting them up against the Daleks – the Doctor’s most persistent enemy – would bring out all the ways in which they are at once the same Time Lord – and also very different versions too.

“We find them both at particular points in their lives,” he adds. “The Tenth Doctor is avoiding his destiny; and the Fourth Doctor is wandering alone, missing a friend – but even he may be shocked at what his future holds…”

Producer David Richardson added: “As fans, we’re fascinated by the idea of different incarnations of the Doctor meeting, and Out of Time celebrates that. It’s a series where pairs of Doctors come together to battle a familiar enemy – and we begin with Tom Baker and David Tennant battling Daleks together. How brilliant is that? And there’s lots of exciting combinations yet to come.”

• Doctor Who: Out of Time is now available to own as a collector’s edition CD (for just £10.99) or a digital download (for just £8.99) exclusively from www.bigfinish.com. Big Finish listeners can save money by pre-ordering the bundle, containing all three volumes in the forthcoming Doctor Who: Out of Time series, for just £27 (as a collector’s edition box set) or £24 (as a download)

• Check out the Doctor Who Card Figures produced by Weetabix Ltd on the Doctor Who Toybox

• A Pinterest gallery of Weetabix Promotions

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.