THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - OCTOBER 30TH, 1998

The Countdown to the Doctor's 35th anniversary begins in this installment of
THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - October 30th, 1998

Just weeks from the anniversary, the anticipation builds. What will the future of Doctor Who broadcasting hold. Will there be a new series? More airings for the repeats? Some nice refrigerator magnets? I have no idea, and if anyone does know, they're not telling. Still, one can hope!

BBC America has now been picked up by a satellite system. The Dish Network now carries it as part of its Top 100 CD package on Channel 135. So if you have Dish Network, you can enjoy edited movie format broadcasts with commercials. (Well, it's better then nothing if you don't have any Doctor Who.) This brings the number of satellite systems carrying stations with Doctor Who to ... 1.

Canada's SPACE channel is developing a bad habit of pre-empting its Sunday late night Who broadcast. It's being pre-empted 3 of the 5 weeks this month - this weekend, late November 22nd / early November 23rd, and late November 29th / early November 30th. It seems SPACE's night-time movies tend to foul up their schedules. The Sunday morning and weekday broadcasts are, apparently, unaffected.

It turns out there is yet another way to read the column. Raymond Tate reformats and puts the Doctor Who Alliance Newsletter (including the US / Canada version of the column) on the Doctor Who section of AOL. AOL subscribers can find the Newsletter and a number of other Who-related things at Keyword: Doctor Who. By the way, if anyone else is offering the newsletter or just this column, I either don't know or don't remember. Let me know so I can recognize you.

And remember, BBC Choice in England will have a Doctor Who week from November 22 to 27. If you plan to watch it, you need to upgrade to digital asap (or get a friend to do so). KTEH in San Jose, California will have a Doctor Who anniversary celebration on November 29th.

As always, if you have any feedback on the column (additions, corrections, scoops, thoughts, etc), I can be reached at my useful unreliable e-mail address.

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Worldwide:

BCB Radio - UK Cable radio / worldwide real audio
Monday at 1PM UK Time - a monthly show devoted to Doctor Who website - http://www.bcb.yorks.com/

The UK:

UK Gold - Satellite / Cable Service
Saturday from 10AM to 12:05PM - The Krotons - movie version
Sunday from 8:55 to 11:55AM - The Mutants - movie version
In the final Saturday broadcast (the remaining 2nd Doctor stories will air on Friday nights), the Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe encounter a civilization that's extremely advanced in some areas and very backward in others. When the true motives of the Gond's benefactors are revealed, everyone on the planet winds up in danger. Then on Sunday, the 3rd Doctor is sent off on another mission by the Time Lords. All he has to do is deliver a box. Now, even the Doctor should have an easy time doing something like that, right?

Mainland Europe:

BBC Prime - Satellite / Cable Service
Saturday at 1 and 9:55AM CET - .Horror of Fang Rock - episode 2 of 4
Saturday at 6PM CET - .Horror of Fang Rock - episode 3 of 4
In these middle two episodes of 'horror', the 4th Doctor and Leela try to mobilize the survivors in the lighthouse to defeat the killer creature that has emerged. But what if one of them was the monster in disguise?

Australia:

FOXTEL's UK-TV - Cable Service
Saturday at 1PM, Sunday at 2AM and 8AM - The Three Doctors - all 4 episodes
Monday through Wednesday at 11:30PM - The Deadly Assassin - episodes 2 to 4 of 4
Thursday and Friday at 11:30PM - The Invasion of Time - episodes 1 and 2 of 6
The weekend showings give viewers a chance to enjoy all of The Three Doctors, the 10thanniversary story that played just after the 9th anniversary. It also features William Hartnell's final TV appearance. Monday through Wednesday sees the concluding segments of The Deadly Assassin, where the 4th Doctor must solve the murder he is accused of before an old enemy of Gallifrey destroys the planet. On Thursday and Friday, the first two episodes of The Invasion of Time, the story where the 4th Doctor returned to Gallifrey and claimed the presidency.

Canada:

SPACE: The Imagination Station - Cable / Satellite Service
Sunday at 8AM Eastern (no repeat this week) - The Romans: Conspiracy - episode 3 of 4
Monday at 7:30AM Eastern - The Daleks - The Rescue' - episode 7 of 7
Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30AM - The Edge of Destruction - episodes 1 and 2 of 2 (The Edge Of Destruction, The Brink Of Disaster)
Thursday and Friday at 7:30AM - The Keys of Marinus - episodes 1 and 2 of 6 (The Sea Of Death, The Velvet Web)
The 1st Doctor and company spend a lot of time traveling around in this week's episodes. In the weekend broadcast, the 1st Doctor finds himself entwined deeper and deeper in the plot to kill Nero, while Ian tries to find his way to Rome to rescue Barbara. Monday's installment is the end of the original Dalek story, where the Daleks are defeated forever, they think. Tuesday and Wednesday sees a two part story that might have done better as a stage play. The Doctor and company suffer from amnesia and heightened paranoia after the TARDIS starts colliding with destruction. Thursday and Friday they are forced to begin a search across the planet Marinus for 4 keys that run a machine that will restore peace and justice.

The USA:

Maine Public Broadcasting - channels 10, 10, 12, 13, 26, 39
Saturday at 9PM - The Sontaran Experiment - both episodes
The 4th Doctor, Sarah, and Harry explore Earth in advance of the return of humans to the planet. But it seems someone else has already set up shop. Someone short, stubby, with a head that looks like a potato. And he's not friendly.

New Hampshire Public Television - channels 11, 15, 48, 49, 52
Friday at 10PM - The War Games - episodes 7 and 8 of 10
The continued inability of the War Chief and the Security Chief to eliminate the resistance results in the War Lord showing up. The Doctor is given an offer to betray the resistance, and it's an offer he may be unable to refuse.

WQED / WQEX Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - channels 13 / 16
Saturday at 10:30PM - Genesis of the Daleks - episode 4 of 6
The Thal celebration over their victory in the war is short lived when they become the first species to face the fury of the Daleks.

Maryland Public Television - channels 22, 28, 31, 36, 62, 67
Friday and Saturday nights at Midnight - The Sensorites - movie version
A spaceship floats in orbit around a planet, its inhabitants in a sort of hibernation. The 1st Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Susan show up by accident, and get involved in a deadly puzzle. The Doctor's original coat meets its demise in this story, and his cloak is introduced. About 150 minutes.

WUFT Gainesville, Florida - channel 5
Saturday at 5PM - Enlightenment - movie version
The Black Guardian decides he's had enough of Turlough's half-hearted attempts to kill the 5thDoctor and takes more drastic measures. Meanwhile, the TARDIS crew land on a boat involved in a race - in deep space. The prize for victory - ENLIGHTENMENT! About 90 minutes.

WUSF Tampa, Florida - channel 16
Saturday at 11:30PM - The Visitation - episode 2 of 4
The 5th Doctor and company are stuck with far too many enemies and only Richard Mace as an ally.

WCET Cincinnati, Ohio - channel 48
Not broadcasting Doctor Who this week. A special airs next week.

WFWA Fort Wayne, Indiana - channel 39
Saturday at Midnight - Warriors' Gate - movie version
The 4th Doctor, Romana, Adric, and K9 find a gateway that can take them out of E-Space. So does a ship filled with time-sensitive slaves. But the winds of time blow in mysterious ways, and tragedy may strike for everyone. About 90 minute.

WTBU Indianapolis, Indiana - channel 69
Sunday at 6PM - Castrovalva - movie version
The Doctor's 4th regeneration needs help. Thankfully, the TARDIS' Zero Room has the capacity to heal him. This could be very useful, if the TARDIS wasn't flying for catastrophe. Can the new 5th Doctor escape the traps of the Master and complete his regeneration, or will this be the final story? Just a little under 90 minutes.

Louisiana Public Broadcasting - channels 13, 18, 24, 24, 25, 27
Saturday at 10PM - The Time Monster - episodes 5 and 6 of 6
The 3rd Doctor and Jo go to Atlantis in a last desparate attempt to stop the Master from gaining full control over Kronos. Failure will mean disaster. They fail.

Iowa Public Television - channels 11, 12, 27, 32
Friday at 11:05PM - The Ambassadors of Death - episodes 5 and 6 of 7
The 3rd Doctor fights an increasingly dense amount of red tape to travel to space to negotiate for the return of the astronauts. Meanwhile, Liz is forced to help communicate with the beings in the space suits. Black and White version. If you have the color version, please let the BBC know. The only known version was copied off the television and they were not able to successfully copy the color onto a broadcastable tape.

KBDI Denver, Colorado - channel 12
No Friday broadcast this week.
Saturday from 9:20PM to 12:30AM - Silurians - Pledge special - complete story airs
Saturday late night from 12:30 to 3:45AM - Silurians - repeat
KBDI is having a special pledge weekend, and Doctor Who is getting its own night. Two chances to see what will presumably be the recolorized version of "Silurians", the second 3rd Doctor adventure. It's a little less clear whether the broadcasts will be episode or movie format (KBDI normally airs in episodic format, but they can fit in about 15 more minutes of pledges with the movie version). Start and end times are approximate. And if this isn't enough, they're airing an episode of Wishbone at 3:45AM for the large kids audience around at that hour!

KSPS Spokane, Washington - channel 7
Saturday at *10:45PM* - The Face of Evil - movie version
When Doctor met Savage. The 4th Doctor and Leela, a member of the Sevateem, join forces to solve the mystery of Xoanon, a being posing as a god who is developing two very different kinds of civilizations. Interestingly, Xoanon's description and voice bear a striking similarity to ... the Doctor. About 95 minutes. Special late starting time due to movie earlier in evening.

KBTC Tacoma, Washington - channel 28
Saturday at 7PM and 12:30AM - Paradise Towers - episodes 3 and 4 of 4
Monday at 7:30PM and 12:30AM - Paradise Towers - episodes 3 and 4 of 4
Kroagnon decides it's time to eliminate the "living flesh" once and for all. Now is the time for the inhabitants of Paradise Towers to decide whether they will work together or die.

KRCB Rhonert Park, California - channel 22
Saturday at 11PM - The Caves of Androzani - episode 3 of 4
The 5th Doctor's efforts to find an antidote to the poison afflicting himself and Peri is hampered by the continued battles and betrayals between the forces of Saraz Jek and Morgus.

KTEH San Jose, California - channel 54
Sunday at 11PM - Timelash - 4 part version
Sunday late night at 12:40AM - "Evening With Paul Darrow 1991"
An aspiring author bungles his way into the battle to liberate Karfel from the Borad. Needless to say, the 6th Doctor is not happy to have him there. The role of Tekker is played by Paul Darrow, better known for his role on Blake's 7. So the station has unearthed a special they made with Paul to run for about a half hour after the Doctor Who story ends.

BBC America - Cable / Satellite
Saturday at 5PM Eastern, Sunday at 2PM - Revenge of the Cybermen - movie version, part 1 of 2
The 4th Doctor, Sarah, and Harry get back to Space Station Nerva, millenia before they left. While they wait for the TARDIS to turn up, they deal with a little "space plague" and the return of an enemy that should be long dead. BBC America tends to cut scenes for time, so be warned. Including commercials, the broadcast should run 1 hour.

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Benjamin F. Elliott

This Week In Doctor Who is written by Benjamin F. Elliott. Doctor Who Alliance edition edited by Shaun Lyon. Doctor Who is a registered trademark of the BBC. Copyright 1998.