Stephen Fry: 'Doctor Who, Merlin are for children'

Stephen Fry: 'Doctor Who, Merlin are for children'
Stephen Fry: 'Doctor Who, Merlin are for children' (Image credit: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Stephen Fry has hit out at the 'infantilism' of British TV. The TV presenter and actor argued that heavily promoted shows like Doctor Who, while being good programmes, are for children. The QI host also spoke of the 'absurdity' of some compliance rules and said 'fear' is everywhere in the television industry in this country. Fry was delivering the Bafta Annual Television Lecture in central London. During a question and answer session after his speech, Fry told the audience: "If I wanted to be angry... I would say infantilism's the problem. "The number of times I turn on the television and I think ,'Gosh children's television's gone on, that's a really good art documentary... Oh my God, it's nine o'clock in the evening. This is for grown ups?' It's just shocking. "The only drama the BBC will boast about are Merlin and Doctor Who, which are fine but they're children's programmes. They're not for adults. "And they're very good children's programmes, don't get me wrong, they're wonderfully written... but they are not for adults. "They are like a chicken nugget. Every now and again we all like it. Every now and again. "But if you are an adult you want something surprising, savoury, sharp, unusual, cosmopolitan, alien, challenging, complex, ambiguous, possibly even slightly disturbing and wrong."

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.