THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - Fri, 26 Mar 1999

By Benjamin F. Elliott

THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - March 26th, 1999

In what must seem like a rare occurrence these days, I'm actually writing the column, instead of a special guest like Jefferson Eng and The 12th Doctor. There's not much new going on this week. (Famous last words, those.)

As previously implied, WYIN Gary, IN is picking up the series on a regular basis, and is airing an episode this very week. KTCA viewers will have to sit it out a few more weeks, as your station adds Doctor Who on May 8th. Slowly but surely, more stations are picking up the show. Maybe they can get it on in some additional countries while they're at it. :)

WQED / WQEX Pittsburgh, PA is going to 2 episodes a week - 1 4th Doctor episode followed by a classic 60s installment.

Corrections, additions and updates are welcome. Send them to bfelliott@jnpcs.com and I'll find them. And now, on to the listings:

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Europe:

UK Gold
Late Friday from 11:55PM to 1:50AM GST The Gunfighters movie version
Sunday from 7:45 to 9:35AM UK Daylight Time The Brain of Morbius movie version
< The Sunday broadcast seems to be moving to an earlier time to make room for more Dallas. Also, Daylight Savings Time begins in England on Sunday, so don't sleep in. >
Friday night, the 1st Doctor, Steven, and Dodo arrive in Tombstone, Arizona, USA in search of a dentist. Unfortunately, they've arrived just before the famous gunfight at the OK Corral. Will they live to see the blood on the sawdust? Can the guest stars realize that their American accents are in a close race for worst attempt at an American accent ever? Sunday morning, the 4th Doctor and Sarah search for a glass of water, and find a scientist with a strange desire for the Doctor's head. Special appearance by a Mutant from The Mutants.

BBC Prime
http://www.bbcprime.com/
Late Friday at 1AM CET, Saturday at 9:40AM CET The Invasion of Time episode 3 of 6
Saturday at 6PM CET The Invasion of Time episode 4 of 6
The 4th Doctor's true loyalties are uncovered. K9 sets out to destroy Gallifrey's defenses. Leela locates a tribe of warrior Gallifreyans and plots a takeover of the Citadel.

Australia:

FOXTEL's UK-TV
http://www.foxtel.com.au/
Saturday at 1PM, Sunday at 2 and 8AM Attack of the Cybermen both 45 minute episodes
Saturday at 2:30PM, Sunday at 3:30 and 9:30AM Silver Nemesis all 3 episodes
Monday through Thursday at 11:30PM The Web Planet episodes 1 through 4 of 6 (The Web Planet, The Zarbi, Escape To Danger, Crater Of Needles)
Friday at 11:30PM The Web Planet episodes 5 and 6 of 6 (Invasion, The Centre)
Over the weekend, the 6th and 7th Doctors face off against the Cybermen. During the week, a 1stDoctor story airs. The Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki land on Vortis, a planet with limited atmosphere and insectoid life forms. The world is under assault by a strange web that is growing in strength and covering the planet. The Who-Files completes 6 months on FOXTEL, with more selected stories to come.

North America:

SPACE: The Imagination Station
http://www.spacecast.com/ and
http://www.hwcn.org/~an933/spacedw.htm
Early Monday at 3:30AM EST The Time Meddler: Checkmate episode 4 of 4
Monday through Friday at 7:30AM 'Doctor Who And The Silurians' episodes 1 through 5 of 7
In the middle of the night broadcast, the 1st Doctor discovers the Meddler's plans, and prepares to stop them. So naturally, Vikings arrive and mess things up. The weekday episodes are from the Black & White version of Silurians, a 3rd Doctor story. An underground nuclear power station is disrupted by power failures. The Doctor discovers evidence of prehistoric creatures. The creatures want to revive their culture.

Maine Public Broadcasting 10, 10, 12, 13, 26
http://www.mpbc.org/
Saturday at 9PM EST The Brain of Morbius episodes 1 and 2 of 4
A scientist wants a new head for his abomination. The Sisterhood of Karn want to be left alone. The 4th Doctor and Sarah want a glass of water. Cue exciting conflict.

New Hampshire Public TV 11, 15, 18, 49, 52
http://nhptv.org/
Sunday at 3PM EST Colony In Space episodes 1 and 2 of 6
The Time Lords have been robbed. Information on an ultimate weapon has disappeared. To cover their tracks, they transport the Doctor and Jo to the planet where the weapon is housed. Once there, they discover a colony of humans trying to build a civilization, and a crew of Miners who want to dig through the planet.

WQED / WQEX 13, 16 Pittsburgh, PA
http://www.wqed.org/
Saturday at 11PM EST The Pryamids Of Mars episode 1 of 4
Saturday at 11:30PM The Keys of Marinus: The Sea of Death episode 1 of 6
At 11, Marcus Scarman uncovers the tomb of Sutekh, last of the Osirans. Will he fall victim to the curse? Then, at 11:30, by special arrangement, WQED begins a special Black & White Doctor Who run. First up, an early Hartnell story. The TARDIS lands on an island surrounded by acid. The owner of the island does not want the Doctor to leave, well, not just yet ...

WYBE 35 Philadelphia, PA
http://www.wybe.org/
Saturday at 9:30PM EST The Ark In Space all 4 episodes
Pledge special. Runs until Midnight. The 4th Doctor, Sarah, and Harry land in the far future on a Space Ark where the last survivors of humanity hibernate, waiting for the signal to emerge and repopulate Earth. Sabotage has caused them to oversleep, and it appears that another power has its own plans for humanity.

Maryland Public TV
http://www.mpt.org/
Late Friday and Saturday at Midnight EST The Ambassadors of Death movie version
Around 2 hours, 41 minutes. Months after it disappeared, Mars Probe 7 is returning to Earth. The secret of the inhabitants of the Probe could lead to an interplanetary war. A frentic, fast paced story. Black & White broadcast, as no color prints of episodes 2 through survive in broadcastable quality.

WUFT 5 Gainesville, FL
http://www.wuft.org/
No episode this week. Doctor Who finally returns next week.

WUSF 16 Tampa, FL
http://wusftv.usf.edu/
Saturday at Midnight EST Mawdryn Undead episode 1 of 4
Special time. Time approximate after pledges. An old enemy of the Doctor convinces a teenager to become a murderer. The teenager attends the school where a retired Lethbridge-Stewart teaches.

WCET 48 Cincinnati, OH
http://www.wcet.org/
Saturday at 11:30PM EST The Mind of Evil episodes 4 and 5 of 6
The Master's plans go awry when his Keller Machine develops a mind of its own. Will the Doctor, his arch enemy, help him stop the machine before it kills everyone? No color versions survive of this story. If someone has a color copy, please prove my last statement wrong and get it to the BBC.

WYIN 56 Gary, IN (Chicago, IL)
http://www.wyin.org/
Friday at 9PM CST "???" 26 minute episode (Robot: Part Two)
It was unclear at publication time which episode of the series will air. The next episode, whatever it is, will air Saturday, April 3rd, at 10PM.

Louisiana Public Broadcasting 13, 18, 24, 24, 25, 27
http://www.lpb.org/
Saturday at 10PM CST Invasion of the Dinosaurs episode 6 of 6
Saturday at 10:24?PM Death to the Daleks episode 1 of 4
First, the 3rd Doctor and Sarah battle Operation Golden Age. Then, their vacation is interrupted when a power drain makes the TARDIS land on a desolate planet.

Iowa Public TV 11, 12, 21, 24, 27, 32, 32, 32, 36
http://www.iptv.org/ and http://www.mach3ww.com/sffn/
Friday at 11:05PM CST Terror of the Autons all 4 episodes
The color-restored episodes of the original Master story (I thought the broadcast two months ago was in color - oh well). Apparently no pledge drives. Special thanks to Blake's Seven for taking the week off so the whole story can air.

Prairie Public TV of ND 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 13, 19
http://www.prairiepublic.org/
Friday at 10:30PM CST Terror of the Zygons episode 2 of 4
Harry's been shot. Sadly, that's one of the more pleasant things that will happen to him today. Ian Marter gets to show his dark side in some of this episode.

KBDI 12 Denver, CO
http://www.kbdi.org/
Saturday at 10PM MST Death to the Daleks episodes 1 and 2 of 4
The TARDIS loses power over a desolate planet, marooning the 3rd Doctor and Sarah. Their search for the reason leads them into an alliance with the most vicious species in the universe.

KSPS 7 Spokane, WA
http://www.ksps.org/
Saturday at 10:30PM PST The Creature from the Pit movie version
A giant egg contacts the TARDIS, bringing it to the planet Tythonis. Once there, he meets the ruler of the planet, wolf weeds, and an angry green blob.

KBTC / KCKA 28, 15 Tacoma, WA (Seattle, WA)
Saturday at 7PM and 12:30AM PST, Monday at 7:30PM and 12:30AM Doctor Who And The Silurians episodes 1 and 2 of 7
An underground nuclear reactor suffers devastating power losses. The 3rd Doctor suspects it is somehow related to the caves the reactor was built out of.

KTEH 54 San Jose, CA
http://www.kteh.org/
Sunday at 11PM PST Genesis of the Daleks all 6 episodes
Late Sunday at 1:30AM "1987 Terry Nation Interview"
The 4th Doctor is ordered by the Time Lords to alter the creation of the Daleks ... by whatever means necessary. After the story, see an interview with the man who created the Daleks, who has since passed away.

BBC America
http://www.bbcamerica.com/
Saturday at 5PM EST, Sunday at 2PM EST Genesis of the Daleks movie version, part 1 of 3
The 4th Doctor finds himself on Skaro with orders to alter the development of the Daleks. Before he can act on them, he finds himself distracted by an ongoing war. Edited for extra commercials.

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That's it for the week. Until next week, take care.