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The Wrong Number
Why you shouldn’t make up any old number when your character needs a phone number
When Lisa Edwards’ telephone number appeared on Ricky Butcher’s mobile phone in an episode of the BBC’s popular Eastenders soap opera in 2010, she soon discovered what happens when a real-life telephone number is used in a piece of drama. Some 2,800 people either called her or sent a text message.
And in a scene where several different characters from the BBC’s popular Dr Who television series tried desperately to get in contact with the Time Lord, viewers spotted that 07700 900461 was the telephone number the characters were dialling in an attempt to reach David Tennant. Nearly 2,500 viewers tried ringing the number, but thankfully this time, all they heard was the unobtainable tone.
Whether you are writing a short story, novel, radio or stage play, film or television script, there may be times when it is necessary for one character to call another. Having a character answer the telephone, “Bristol 496 0303,” may help convey characteristics, or even the era in which your fiction is set. Telephone numbers can add further realism to your storyline. The question is, if you want to use a number, do you make one up, ring it, and if no one answers go with that one? Lisa Edwards would be the first to say no. Ofcom, the UK’s…
