This Week in Doctor Who: Print Archive
Friday 15th October 1999
THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - Fri, 15 Oct 1999 |
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By Benjamin F. Elliott |
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TV station in Ireland returns Doctor Who to Terrestial Television! For years, Doctor Who fans in the British Isles have been hoping that new episodes, or at least repeats, would resume airing on either BBC1 or BBC2. Airings on UK Gold (and now the occasional appearance on BBC Choice) are nice, but a large portion of the audience can't or won't get Cable (I wouldn't), so they miss out on the broadcasts. If various rumours over the internet in the past few weeks are correct, then BBC2 is considering resuming weekly broadcasts of the old Doctor Who episodes shortly after their Doctor Who night next month. If they do, they will have nearby competition. TG4, aka TnaG, one of Ireland's TV stations devoted to keeping the native language of Ireland alive, picked up Doctor Who a few weeks ago without anyone in online fandom catching on to it. They are airing the Jon Pertwee stories Friday nights somewhere between 6:30 and 7:30PM - 1 episode a week. This station airs throughout Ireland and can probably be received in portions of Northern Ireland, if not western edges of Wales and England. ยป the channel actually showed two episodes a night. TG4's website is http://www.tnag.ie/ . It requires Flash 4, which it is willing to download onto your system if you don't tell it not to. The site is very hard on slower internet connections (it considers 33.6 slow, so be prepared). Visitors to the site get to see the story of TG4 roll and bounce around the screen, with music in the background. And that's about it. Sceneone (the only online listings I have found that covers the BBC Choice variations) also covers TG4 under its old TnaG name. Because TG4's broadcast is so close to the time that the column goes out, I will try to list both this and next week's airings each week. |
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MPBC Maine has not yet scheduled any Doctor Who episodes to air in November. Red Dwarf specials will be airing in the 11:30 Doctor Who slot for the month. The latest episode listed so far is Horror of Fang Rock episode 1, expected to air October 30. The November schedule is listed as tentative, so it's too soon to tell if this is a cancellation or an oversight that a later draft will fix. This network is apparently in a bit of turmoil at the moment. They are lobbying for support of a bond issue to raise money for their switch to DTV, and they seem to be unable so far to convince the voters that they are worth the money, even though they claim that they might not be able to upgrade all of their stations if the bond issue fails. |
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Viewers of IPTV last week may have noticed that episode 1 of Planet of the Daleks did *not* air. They opted not to air the story again since it aired just six or seven months ago as part of a special. Instead, IPTV is going through The Green Death. |
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KBTC/KCKA Tacoma/Centralia, WA has finally put together a web page at http://www.kbtc.org/ . It looks nice and is easy to use. My only nitpick is that they punt on describing their overnight programming. "Repeat of prime time programming" is not a very helpful programming description. Hopefully they will fix that aspect before they resume rerunning their Doctor Who episodes in late night (assuming they ever do decide to resume rerunning Doctor Who in late night). Otherwise, a good website. |
Corrections and additions are welcome at organon@logopolis.com . And now, the listings: |
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The UK/IRELAND: |
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BBC Choice* http://www.bbc.co.uk/choice.html *England version only. Not on the Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales variations. Fri 9-10:30PM BST Invasion of the Dinosaurs eps 1-3 of 6 Fri 11PM-12:30AM BST Invasion of the Dinosaurs eps 4-6 of 6 BBC Choice celebrates dinosaurs by showing this late Jon Pertwee era story. Episode 1, titled 'Invasion', only survives in Black & White. Episode 3 is a special extended version that has never aired before. And the 10:30PM sports programme is not part of the Doctor Who story, no matter how much it insists that it is. |
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UK Gold http://www.sceneone.co.uk/s1/tv/listings Late Fri 12:30-2:55AM BST The Chase movie Sun 8:45-10:35AM BST Warriors' Gate movie The Daleks return in the Friday night Black & White story. With a twinge of megalomania, the Daleks decide to become The Executioners, planning to pursue the 1st Doctor to The Death Of Time in a Flight Through Eternity. This Journey Of Terror may lead to The Death Of Doctor Who on The Planet Of Decision. On Sunday, the E-Space trilogy concludes. A dimensional gateway can send the TARDIS crew back to N-Space. First, however, they face the Tharils and Captain Rorvik. UK Gold Classic http://www.sceneone.co.uk/s1/tv/listings Sun 6-7:50PM BST Warriors' Gate movie More convenient time for Sky Digital subscribers. |
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TG4 http://www.tnag.ie/ http://www.sceneone.co.uk/s1/tv/listings Fri 7:01PM BST Spearhead From Space ep 4 of 4 (actually Silurians 1+2) Next Fri 6:31PM BST Doctor Who And The Silurians ep 1 of 7 Tonight, the Autons are activated, and go on a murderous wave of terror throughout the streets of London. Next week, an experimental nuclear power station seems is having inexplicable trouble maintaining its conventional power, so UNIT is sent in. Something about the caves that the station is headquartered in ... |
EUROPE/AFRICA: |
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BBC Prime http://www.bbcprime.com/ Late Fri 1AM CET (Not Africa) The Armageddon Factor ep 6 of 6 Sat 4PM, Sun 11:30AM, Mon 11:35AM CET Destiny of the Daleks ep 1 of 4 Friday night - the climatic showdown between the Doctor and the Black Guardian where the future of the Key To Time is decided. In 'Destiny', the Doctor and a rejuvenated Romana explore a random planet with a high radiation quotient. The place looks all too familiar. |
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AUSTRALIA: UKTV http://www.varos.com/drwho/uktv/ http://www.uktv.com.au/ Sat 1PM, Sun 2 + 8AM AEST Planet of the Spiders all 6 eps (#8 of 10) Mon 11:30PM AEST Earthshock ep 4 of 4 Tue-Fri 11:30PM AEST '(#6 Doctor Who story) eps 1-4 of ? (confirmed as The Talons of Weng-Chiang) Over the weekend, the final 3rd Doctor story airs. On Monday night, the conclusion of a Peter Davison story, with somewhat unusual closing credits. The rest of the week will presumably go to the 6th most popular story as chosen by UKTV viewers. |
CANADA/USA: |
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SPACE: The Imagination Station http://www.hwcn.org/~an933/spacedw.htm http://www.spacecast.com/ Sat 7:30AM EDT Spearhead From Space ep 4 of 4 Sun-Fri 7:30AM EDT Doctor Who And The Silurians eps 1 - 6 of 7 Jon Pertwee's early episodes. 'Silurians' is now available to stations in colour, but I think SPACE put in their original order for this story before the colour version was offered. So, Canada gets to see the story in pristine Black & White. |
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BBC America http://www.bbcamerica.com/ Sat 6AM + 5PM EDT, Sun 8AM EDT The Brain of Morbius movie, pt 2 of 2 Doctor Solon transplants Morbius' brain into a patchwork monster. Morbius, rather unimpressed, goes mad. |
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MPBC Maine 10, 10, 12, 13, 26 http://www.mpbc.org/ Sat 11:30PM EDT (12:30AM ADT) The Talons of Weng-Chiang ep 5 of 6 Magnus Greel plans to use the cabinet to return to the 51st Century. If he does, the universe will suffer. |
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NHPTV New Hampshire 11, 49, 52 http://nhptv.org/ Sun 3PM EDT The Green Death eps 1+2 of 6?? It is theoretically possible that, if they finally managed to receive episode 3 of Planet of the Daleks, it might air here. Otherwise, the episodes listed above are the most likely ones to air. At least NHPTV will be able to get Invasion (Of The Dinosaurs ep 1 in time to air without a problem. |
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WQED/WQEX 13, 16 Pittsburgh, PA http://www.wqed.org/ Sat 11:30PM EDT The Masque of Mandragora ep 4 of 4 To get their minds off of impending death, Giuliano decides to host a masquerade. Slight problem - when your friends are disguised, your enemies can be disguised too. |
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WYBE 35 Philadelphia, PA http://www.wybe.org/ Sat 11PM EDT The Robots of Death eps 3+4 of 4 The Robots are revealed as the killers. But is the robot's leader one of the humans? Next week - Doctor Who begins at 7:10PM! Pledge Time! 6 episodes! And the Philadelphia launch of the love-it-or-hate-it-with-a-passion Space Island One bundled in the middle! |
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MPT Maryland 22, 28, 31, 36, 62, 67 http://www.mpt.org/ Late Sat 12:30AM EDT Pyramids of Mars movie Doctor and Sarah vs. ancient Egyptian death god. A good story, in spite of the incredibly late night broadcast. |
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WUSF 16 Tampa, FL http://www.wusftv.usf.edu/gateway.htm Sat 11:30PM EDT Resurrection of the Daleks 4 part version, ep 2 While Hurricane Irene pummels outside your homes, the Daleks pummel a spaceship and a 1980's warehouse. What do the Daleks want? How is the Doctor connected? Why are Daleks dying from shaving cream? These questions and a surprise betrayal (well, I guess it's not a surprise now) to take peoples' minds off the rain. |
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WCET 48 Cincinnati, OH http://www.wcet.org/ Sat 11:30PM EDT The Time Monster ep 6 of 6 Late Sat Mid EDT The Three Doctors ep 1 of 4 The 3rd Doctor battles the Master in Atlantis for control of the crystal that rules the Time Monster. Later, after the Doctor remembers that he's supposed to be exiled on Earth, an invasion force comes to kidnap him. The invasion force appears to be made up of anti-matter, a substance which is not supposed to exist in this universe. |
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WYIN 56 Gary, IN (Chicago, IL) http://208.137.2.91/ Sat 10PM CDT Pyramids of Mars ep 2 of 4 Mummies have moved to England, ready to kill any very large men in scarves who get in their way. |
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KTCA 2 St. Paul, MN http://www.ktca.org/ Sat 11:30PM CDT Planet of Evil ep 2 of 4 The 4th Doctor tries to make a deal with the anti-matter universe to save everyone's lives. |
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IPTV Iowa 11, 12, 21, 24, 27, 32, 32, 36 http://www.sffn.com/ http://www.iptv.org/ Fri 11:05PM CDT The Green Death eps 2+3 of 6 Professor Clifford Jones. Erratic, frazzled, and not really very self-confident. It seems he will have to mend his ways. Josephine Grant has entered Jones' life. |
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PPTV North Dakota 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 13, 19 http://www.pptv.org/ Fri 10:30PM CDT (9:30PM MDT) Robot ep 3 of 4 The robot has been ordered to kill the 4th Doctor. The SRS launch their master plan. Harry Sullivan gets to be 'James Bond'. |
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KBDI/K32EO 12, 32 Denver / Colorado Springs, CO http://www.kbdi.org/ http://www.tvquest.com/ zip 80205 Fri 11PM MDT Planet of Evil eps 3+4 of 4 Sat 10PM MDT Pyramids of Mars eps 1+2 of 4 Friday night, the spaceship tries to leave Inter Minor, but someone has stowed anti-matter on board. On Saturday, an excavation in Egypt accidentally activates the minions of an ancient evil that wants to come back and start killing again. |
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KNME 5 Albuquerque, NM http://www.knmetv.org/ Sat 10:30PM MDT The Pirate Planet movie The search for the Key To Time leads the TARDIS crew to Calufrax. A cold, clammy planet covered in rich minerals - and now missing. The planet that has taken Calufrax's place has a lot of explaining to do. Douglas Adams' first contribution to Doctor Who, and I think it predates the original version of The Hitch-hiker's Guide To The Galaxy. |
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KRWG 22 Las Cruces, NM (El Paso, TX) http://www.nmsu.edu/~krwgtv/ Sat 10:30PM MDT The Invisible Enemy movie A space virus infects the Doctor and wants to use him to take over the galaxy. But the virus doesn't realize - it's up against Leela. And Leela picks up a new ally - a robot dog. The virus isn't that bright, and can probably be defeated. Saving the Doctor from it, however, may be more difficult. |
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KSPS 7 Spokane, WA http://www.ksps.org/ http://www.tvquest.com/ zip 99223 Sat 10:30PM PDT (11:30PM MDT) Resurrection of the Daleks movie The Daleks attack a space prison to revive a very special prisoner. The prisoner has the ability to cure the ills of the Daleks, and help them regain their place as the supreme beings of the universe. Unknown to them, this prisoner has other ideas. In a way, the Daleks are acting like the humans in the lost Power Of The Daleks story. Will the face the same devastation as those poor humans many Who eras ago? |
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KBTC/KCKA 28, 15 Tacoma / Centralia, WA http://www.kbtc.org/ Sat 7PM PDT The Mutants eps 3+4 of 6 The 3rd Doctor searches for Professor Sorenson, the man with the information that could solve the riddle of Solos. |
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KTEH 54 San Jose, CA http://www.kteh.org/ Sun 11PM PDT The Creature from the Pit all 4 eps An overactive egg shell lures the Doctor, Romana, and K9 to Chloris and the creature from the pit! |
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CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA: HBO-OLE http://www.hbo-ole.com/ DOCTOR WHO the 1996 movie Day....... feed.. Argen. Mex. Next Fri Este.. 7AM 5AM Next Fri Oeste 9AM 7AM One more airing of the movie (two if your cable system has both HBO-OLE feeds). It's hard to believe it, but December 31, 1999 is getting ever closer. I wouldn't be surprised if this movie wasn't rerun in a lot of countries in December. Please remember that this station is not the version of HBO that airs in the United States. You can't see it in the USA, and you won't find TV listings for it at hbo.com. |
That's it for the week. Until next week, take care. |
