The official Dr Who Magazine has been the centre of online ridicule for its laughably bad Beatles x Dr Who crossover cover. Poorly recreating the iconic 'With the Beatles' album, the design features an unlikely collab between the fifteenth Doctor and the British music icons, complete with dodgy wigs and questionable Photoshopping.
Looking more like an off-brand Beatles tribute tour poster than an official magazine cover, the controversial design has rocked Whovians and Beatles fans alike. It's certainly a bold move to recreate one of the most recognised album covers from such an influential band, but with so many design crimes I'm struggling to defend this one.
While the bizarre poster was shared on the official Dr Who X account, many fans (myself included) originally thought it was a strange joke. When the realisation that it was real collectively dawned on the internet, fans were quick to fire back with some unflattering (and hilarious) responses.
"Ah the 4 Beatles. Elton John, Todd Carty, the woman who does late shift at the tobacco counter in Sainsbury's and some guy they pulled off the streets," one user scathingly commented. Many called the design "embarrassing" and "cringe" while another questioned if it was "at all possible to get a replacement magazine cover?"
"The franchise is dead! Quick, what's something that hasn't been ruined yet?""The Beatles? But that's not really going to pull in the target demograph--""The Beatles! BRILLIANT! This is certain to hook the kids!"April 24, 2024
Your permanently single Aunty’s ‘best friend’ who she lives and goes on holidays with. pic.twitter.com/TXPSdJkb0nApril 23, 2024
Ah the 4 Beatles. Elton John, Todd Carty, the woman who does late shift at the tobacco counter in Sainsbury's and some guy they pulled off the streets.April 23, 2024
Comparing the original album cover to the new creation, it's easy to see why fans are so disappointed in the design. The original cover photographed by Astrid Kirchherr is famed for its dynamic lighting and striking composition – something that is sorely lost in parody-level imitation. For some reason, that overly polished Photoshop shadowing isn't quite capturing the iconic retro photography aesthetic.
Alongside a host of continuity errors (compiled by X user @bowiesversion) and the laughably inaccurate motley crew of faux Beatles, the cover is a hilariously bad attempt to recreate the iconic design. After the recent controversy around the BBC's Dr Who AI claims, it seems we're slowly witnessing the franchise divulge into a joke. While the magazine homage almost makes it into the 'so bad it's good design fails' category, it's certainly made me a little concerned about the upcoming season.
