THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - Fri, 2 Apr 1999

By Benjamin F. Elliott

SPACE Seems To Be Saying Goodbye. Meanwhile, the BBC airs Doctor Who - and no one notices!

SPACE: The Imagination Station is taking some subtle but clear moves to indicate that Doctor Who's time on the station is probably nearing the end. They are dropping the late Sunday / early Monday broadcast after this weekend, ending the run with an out of sequence encore of episode 1 of The Space Museum. The current run through the Doctor Who episodes they ordered ends on Monday, April 19th. On Tuesday, April 20th, instead of returning to the first episode, they are going to The Ark, the story that was supposed to be next on the late Sunday / early Monday rotation, and continuing the series from there. And the show goes to seven days a week at 7:30AM EDT beginning Saturday, April 24th, enabling SPACE to get through the episodes faster. If you have SPACE, you may want to watch the episodes now, while you still can.

BBC Choice Scotland aired Terror of the Zygons in three 30 minute segments this week from Monday to Wednesday. The story has been altered so it could air in Widescreen format. They also aired Terror in November, but no one mentioned it at the time. I think this is the only Doctor Who story this station had aired, probably because the story is set at Loch Ness. Presumably BBC Choice Scotland is available in all UK digital homes. At this writing, there is no mention of the station on the BBC website, and no online listings for the station anywhere, making it impossible for me to find out when or if the next Doctor Who broadcast is. BBC Choice also has a regional Wales station. Maybe we should keep our eyes out for sDeltaandtheBannermen. ;-)

The Paul McGann TV movie aired in Finland recently. I don't know when or on which network.

» this was most likely TV2 as they were a confirmed carrier when the series returned in 2005.

The Doctor Who Alliance newsletter announced last week that KNME 5 in New Mexico will begin airing Doctor Who in May. No doubt they [the station] will announce the show's time slot in a few weeks.

Viewers of WQED / WQEX Pittsburgh might have been confused by last Saturday's broadcast. WQED began airing the William Hartnell episode immediately after the scheduled Tom Baker episode, instead of waiting until 11:30PM as all TV listings had indicated. It wasn't a mstake - it's how they will air Doctor Who. Most weeks, the 4th Doctor episode and the Howard DeSilva material will run 27-28 minutes, and the Black & White episode will begin as soon as it ends. Just be aware.

The Direct TV satellite added BBC America to its lineup on March 31st. It can be found on channel 283. Meanwhile, BBC America has changed its Doctor Who broadcast times. Doctor Who now airs Saturdays at 11AM and 5PM Eastern, and Sundays at 8AM Eastern.

And a thank you to Hugh Johnson, for finding out which episode was airing on WYIN this week.

Questions, comments, suggestions, and updates on new stations and times can be sent to bfelliott@jnpcs.com . And now, on to the schedules.

Note: most of the United States and Canada switches to Daylight Savings Time on Sunday. Remember to change your clock if you live in an area affected by this.

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Europe:

UK Gold
No Friday Broadcast - Good Friday
Sunday from 8:30AM to 11:20AM The Seeds of Doom movie version
I suppose it makes sense. On Good Friday, when people remember the death of Christ, they're not really going to be in the mood for Doctor Who. On Easter Sunday itself, set that VCR to record a 4th Doctor story often considered to be a homage to The Avengers. Two improbable seed pods are discovered in Antarctica. An eccentric nature lover wants the pods at all costs. And Earth may pay the ultimate price in his quest to preserve this 'special' vegetation. This would be the last UNIT story until 1989.

BBC Prime
http://www.bbcprime.com/
Late Friday at 1AM CET The Invasion of Time episode 4 of 6
Saturday at 9:40AM and 6PM CET The Invasion of Time ep 5 of 6
< The online information on BBC Prime seems unsure quite which episode airs at 9:40AM. In recent weeks it has vacillated between repeating the 1AM broadcast and showing the same episode as the 6PM broadcast, according to the Radio Times Online, BBC Prime's website, and the TV information on the BBC's main site. >

The Time Lord resistance plot to rid themselves of the Vardans. Of course, even if they will, there could still be a problem.

Australia:

FOXTEL's UK-TV
http://www.foxtel.com.au/
Saturday at 1PM, Sunday at 2 and 8AM The Web Planet all 6 episodes (The Web Planet, The Zarbi, Escape To Danger, Crater Of Needles, Invasion, The Centre)
Monday through Thursday at 11:30PM Planet of the Spiders episodes 1 through 4 of 6
Friday at 11:30PM Planet of the Spiders episodes 5 and 6 of 6
The Who-Files head full throttle through the 'Insect Collection'. Over the weekend, the 1stDoctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki land on Vortis. They wind up working with the Menoptera against a strange but evil Animus. If they fail, they will die, and the Animus' web will control the entire planet. During the week, the 3rd Doctor faces his final battle. Spiders hunt through Time and Space for a crystal the Doctor stole from their planet. Mike Yates makes his final appearance in the series.

North America:

SPACE: The Imagination Station
http://www.spacecast.com/ and
http://www.hwcn.org/~an933/spacedw.htm
Sunday at 4:30PM EDT I Was A Doctor Who Monster! documentary
Early Monday at 3:30AM EDT The Space Museum episode 1 of 4
Monday and Tuesday at 7:30AM EDT Doctor Who And The Silurians episodes 6 through 7 of 7
Wednesday through Friday at 7:30AM EDT The Ambassadors of Death episodes 1 through 3 of 7
Most Easter baskets have eggs and candy. Who fans in Canada get an encore of a Doctor Who documentary in their baskets Sunday. For once, SPACE is even airing Doctor Who in a timeslot that's viewable for everyone in Canada. Wouldn't it be nice if people tuned in and their ratings spiked upwards, showing that there is still an audience for the Doctor up in the North. Early, Early Monday viewers get the beginning of The Space Museum, a 1st Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki story. They jump a time track and find themselves out of sink with time. Final 3:30AM broadcast. The rest of the week goes to the 3rd Doctor. First, he tries to find a cure for a plague that the 'Silurians' have poisoned humanity with. Then, the Doctor investigates when a Mars probe mission goes dangerously awry. His efforts are complicated by a bizarre cover-up.

Maine Public Broadcasting 10, 10, 12, 13, 26
http://www.mpbc.org/
Saturday at 9PM EST The Brain of Morbius episodes 3 and 4 of 4
Professor Solon intends to give the Doctor's head to the body of Morbius, a famous Time Lord criminal suffering in a body that could best be described as "chop suey". Meanwhile, the Sisterhood of Karn would like to get rid of both Solon and the Doctor - fatally if necessary.

New Hampshire Public TV 11, 15, 18, 49, 52
http://nhptv.org/
Sunday at 3PM EDT Colony In Space episodes 3 and 4 of 6
An adjudicator is called in to determine whether the miners or the farmers have the right to the planet. But the adjudicator has his own agenda. He's someone the 3rd Doctor and Jo are all-too- familiar with ...

WQED / WQEX 13, 16 Pittsburgh, PA
http://www.wqed.org/
Saturday at 11PM EST The Pyramids Of Mars episode 2 of 4
Immediately afterwards - The Keys of Marinus: The Velvet Web episode 2 of 6
In the 4th Doctor story, the Doctor and Sarah fight robotic mummies in 1911 England. Then, flip back to the very first season of Doctor Who. The 1st Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Susan search for the keys to an all powerful machine. The first key lies in the city of Morphoton, the location of a highly civilized culture. But Barbara notices something she shouldn't, and may wind up being murdered - by Ian!

WYBE 35 Philadelphia, PA
http://www.wybe.org/
Saturday at 11PM EST Revenge of the Cybermen eps 1 and 2 of 4
WYBE is evidently airing these stories in production, rather than story, order. After some horrific experiences with the Daleks (in a story Philadelphia will get in 2 weeks), the 4th Doctor, Sarah, and Harry finally return to Nerva Beacon. Humans are dying at an alarming rate, seemingly from a space plague. And one of the Doctor's companions is the next victim.

Maryland Public TV 22, 28, 31, 36, 62, 67
http://www.mpt.org/
Late Friday and Saturday at Midnight EST Inferno movie version
The 3rd Doctor and Liz work at a drilling project which seeks to penetrate the core of the Earth. The Doctor wants to use energy from the project to repair the TARDIS console. His efforts go dangerously awry, slipping him sideways in time. Meanwhile, the project has a few "complications". Unusually stark and bleak for a Pertwee tale. MPT has only scheduled one hour for each of the two broadcasts, although the movie version runs 2 and a half hours. Either Doctor Who fans won't get the full story, or people tuning in for other shows at 1AM are in for a surprise.

WUFT 5 Gainesville, FL
http://www.wuft.org/
Saturday at 5PM EST Time and the Rani movie version
The Rani erases the memory of a newly regenerated 7th Doctor to trick him into finishing her latest ultimate weapon (TM). Memorable moments in this story include the 7th Doctor in the 6th Doctor's clothes (they suit quite well) and the Rani's bizarrely accurate imitation of Mel. An honorable mention also goes to the special effects department, who pulled out all the stops for this story.

WUSF 16 Tampa, FL
http://wusftv.usf.edu/
Saturday at 11:30PM EST Mawdryn Undead episode 2 of 4
1977 - Tegan and Nyssa look for help for a disfigured being claiming to be the Doctor. They meet up with the Brigadier, full of life. 1983 - The Doctor searches for Nyssa and Tegan. He meets up with the Brigadier, a worn out old man with no memory of the Doctor. What happened in 1977? What's happening in 1983? Why does a self-respecting Black Guardian have a bird in his hair? Hey, it's only episode two. Just sit back and watch it unfold.

WCET 48 Cincinnati, OH
http://www.wcet.org/
Saturday at 11:30PM EST The Mind of Evil episode 6 of 6
Late Saturday at Midnight EST The Claws of Axos episode 1 of 4
As the night begins, the Master's plans for the Mind collapse, making him take a dangerous fallback strategy. In "Claws", the Americans have sent in an expert to stop the Master once and for all. But first he finds himself drawn into the arrival of an alien spacecraft. The Mind Of Evil airs in Black & White, while The Claws Of Axos airs in Color.

WYIN 56 Gary, IN (Chicago, IL)
http://www.wyin.org/
Saturday at 10PM CST Robot episode 3 of 4
Doctor Who settles into its regular time on this new affiliate. The Robot suffers from mental problems as it tries to cope with being forced to violate its prime directive. The SRS tries to blackmail the world.

Louisiana Public Broadcasting 13, 18, 24, 24, 25, 27
http://www.lpb.org/
Saturday at 10PM CST Death to the Daleks episodes 2 and 3 of 4
Shifting alliances and betrayals abound. A sentient city has marooned Daleks, humans, and the 3rdDoctor on a planet without power. There are also some very unfriendly natives out to kill them. What is the secret of the city? Can Daleks be trusted? Will Bellal become the next spokesman for Weight Watchers? And who do you Root for in this story?

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 "Doctor Who And The Silurians - recolored" episodes 1 and 2 of 7
Huh? I thought the version Iowa aired a few months ago was the restored one. But IPTV is spending most of April showing this story, to be followed by the recolored episodes of Terror of the Autons. Whatever their reasoning, the recolorization jobs are quite good. Assuming they're sent the right tapes, of course. My source in Iowa says that their special broadcast of the extended version of The Curse of Fenric last month was fouled up. Aparently, they were given and aired the original broadcast version. I can only imagine the words between the program director and the supplier after that one. If anyone's still reading, the 3rd Doctor, the Brigadier, and Liz investigate a nuclear power complex that's suffering a series of baffling power losses. The Doctor wonders if it might have something to do with nearby caves.

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 3 of 4
The 4th Doctor has a face to face meeting with the Loch Ness Monster. The Zygons prepare for their invasion.

KBDI 12 Denver, CO
http://www.kbdi.org/
Friday at 11PM MST Death to the Daleks episodes 1 and 2 of 4
Saturday at 10PM MST Death to the Daleks episodes 3 and 4 of 4
Imagine the TARDIS without power. Imagine Daleks without the ability to kill. Imagine the 700th wonder of the universe. Now watch and get to the root of the situation.

KSPS 7 Spokane, WA
http://www.ksps.org/
Saturday at 10:30PM PST Nightmare of Eden movie version
The 4th Doctor, Romana 2, and K9 II land in an unstable situation. An interstellar accident has left 2 ships materialized into each other. The neighborly thing to do is to help them separate their ships. Of course, when you're distracted by the sudden reappearance of a supposedly extinct narcotic, it takes longer to do what you've planned. First (only?) attempt in the series to have a plotline about an illicit drug.

KBTC / KCKA 28, 15 Tacoma, WA
Saturday at 7PM and 12:30AM PST, Monday at 7:30PM and 12:30AM PDT
Doctor Who And The Silurians episodes 3 and 4 of 7
Doctor Quinn, man of medicine, has made contact with the Silurians, intelligent reptiles who have lived in suspended animation for many years. Can the Doctor complete Quinn's first contact before the Silurians and the humans learn of each other and start shooting.

KTEH 54 San Jose, CA
http://www.kteh.org/
Saturday at 11PM PDT Revenge of the Cybermen all 4 episodes
Voga, the infamous planet of gold, makes the lamentable decision to reappear just as the Cybermen come by wanting revenge on people for past defeats.

BBC America
http://www.bbcamerica.com/
Saturday at 11AM, 5PM, and 1AM EST; Sunday at 8AM EDT Genesis of the Daleks movie version, part 2 of 3
< New Saturday and Sunday morning time slots. One time 1AM broadcast due to change to Daylight Savings Time. >
The Kaleds are betrayed. So are the Thals. The 4th Doctor must pick up the pieces as the Daleks become ever stronger.

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