Image via Reddit
The Doctor has traveled to the ends of the universe across time and space, but even he hasn’t been to North Korea. That may be about to change, however, as Pyongyang is in talks with the BBC to bring three of its most popular programs to North Korean viewers: Doctor Who, Top Gear and Teletubbies.
The BBC began an initiative last year to come up with a list of programs that North Korea could consider airing, according to The Independent. Foreign Secretary William Hague said it would be “a good way to improve understanding about the outside world within such a closed society.”
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Negotiations apparently didn’t go smoothly, as it took the North Korean delegation months to select the three shows. The BBC now awaits approval from Pyongyang.
It may prove to be a challenge to fit the programs into North Korea’s television schedule. The state broadcaster, Korean Central Television, is only on air for six-and-a-half hours every night, with a third of the time going to praising the government, while another third goes to telling citizens to work harder for the affection of their Dear Leader. Their weekly primetime slots go to It’s So Funny, a long-running slapstick comedy show featuring two uniformed soldiers, and Kim Jong-un’s weekly lectures.
Images via BBC
The programs will also likely undergo heavy editing to remove any improper elements. One possible idea that KoreAm, and apparently others on the Internet, have been tossing around: replacing the famous baby in the sun on the popular children’s show Teletubbies with a smiling likeness of the Dear Leader.
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