This Week In Doctor Who - November 20, 1998

Happy 35th Anniversary, Doctor Who! Now come back with new episodes.
THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - November 20, 1998

On November 23rd, Doctor Who will turn 35. As it is temporarily .on hiatus' (snickering mixed with tears), all we can do is celebrate with what we have. On the TV front, a number of stations are doing special features this week (and some have plans for next weekend).

The best known celebrations, of course, are on the new digital channel in the UK, BBC Choice. If you are one of the few with the right digital equipment, there's 6 days of classic repeats to enjoy. You also can expect to make all kinds of new friends as other Whovians beg you to let them come over to watch the shows at your place. But remember to check out BBC Choice's schedule further down in this column. There have been a few changes since I first posted it. Most notably, the first 3 episodes of TombOfTheCybermen will not air ...

Australia's ABC network is celebrating the anniversary too. On November 25th at 11:05PM, they will rerun the 1996 movie. A broadcast that you don't need Cable to see. It's about time!

There's some concern that I may have been too optimistic regarding WXEL 42 in West Palm Beach, Florida. When they air the Doctor Who afternoon on November 29th, this does not mean that the series will necessarily return. They might resume carrying the series on a regular basis **if** they receive a sufficiently high amount of pledge support ***and*** they actually receive the money pledged. Doctor Who in South Florida is not a sure thing.

KRCB 22 in Rohnert Park, California and WFWA 39 in Fort Wayne, Indiana have not scheduled Doctor Who for the last 2 weeks of November, and have substituted other programming. No further information was available when the column went to print.

Whosaver (T J Lubinski) has requested that people not ask their local stations yet about the potential National Feed. At the time of this writing, the matter was still in the negotiations stage. Lubinski believes that making a big issue about this potential broadcast before the stations hear about it through regular channels could cause problems.

Note: If you are attending Visions 98 next weekend, you should be able to access this column online beginning Friday at about 6AM Chicago time. As usual, it will upload to news:rec.arts.drwho first. Http://www.dejanews.com/ will be able to access it from the newsgroup a bit later. The Alliance newsletter will not, to my knowledge, be publishing that week, so please use one of the other methods if you wish to read the column then.

If you have any comments or corrections, please contact me. This goes double if you know of a station anywhere adding or dropping the series. Even a one time broadcast, like WILL 12's airing of The Dæmons on October 31st, deserves a mention, and I sometimes miss these things. So, on to the schedules:

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(House Judiciary Committee coverage over the next week may disrupt broadcasts on PBS stations. This will probably not affect Doctor Who airings, but be aware.)

The UK:

BBC Choice - digital station
"The Take" devotes its broadcasts this week to a celebration of Doctor Who. Sylvester McCoy hosts the links between programs. Special features are also expected to fill extra time in the broadcast. Exact start and end times for the programming were not available at press time. Programs are listed in the anticipated broadcast order.

Sun 7-11PM
An Unearthly Child (alternate pilot - first aired in 1991)
Genesis of the Daleks - episode 1 of 6
30 Years In The TARDIS - 1993 documentary
The 1996 Movie - BBC edit, not the original cut shown in rest of world
Remembrance of the Daleks - episode 4 of 4
Mon 9-10PM
The Tomb of the Cybermen - episode 4 of 4
Genesis of the Daleks - episode 2 of 6
Tue 9-10PM
The Dæmons - episode 5 of 5
Genesis of the Daleks - episode 3 of 6
Wed 9-10PM
The Caves of Androzani - episode 4 of 4
Genesis of the Daleks - episode 4 of 6
Thu 9-10PM
The Trial Of A Time Lord - episode 14 of 14 (aka The Ultimate Foe episode 2 of 2)
Genesis of the Daleks - episode 5 of 6
Fri 9-10PM
The Curse of Fenric - episode 4 of 4
Genesis of the Daleks - episode 6 of 6

UK Gold - satellite / cable channel
Late Friday from 12:25 to 2:10AM - The War Games - movie version, part 1 of 2
Sunday from 9 to 10:55AM - Carnival Of Monsters - movie version
Before you watch the BBC Choice week, UK Gold offers choice appetizers from the Troughton and Pertwee menus. The theme this weekend is: reality is not what it seems. The 2nd Doctor lands in the middle of World War 1, and the 3rd Doctor lands on a ship in the Indian Ocean. But, let's just say that neither one of them are actually where they think they are.

Mainland Europe:

BBC Prime - satellite/ cable channel
Late Friday at 1:05AM, Saturday at 9:55AM - The Invisible Enemy - episode 1 of 4
Saturday at 6PM CET - The Invisible Enemy - episode 2 of 4
The 4th Doctor's mind is taken over by a militant virus. Leela has to take charge of the situation.

Australia:

ABC - Public broadcaster in Australia
Wednesday at 11:05PM - Doctor Who - the 1996 movie
The Master's last request was that the Doctor take his remains back to Gallifrey. But the TARDIS crash-lands in San Francisco on December 30th, 1999, setting the stage for a harrowing adventure. Eric Roberts guest stars as Bruce the paramedic. Around 90 minutes.

FOXTEL's UK-TV - satellite / cable channel
Saturday at 1PM, Sunday at 2 and 8AM - Mawdryn Undead - all 4 episodes
Monday and Tuesday at 11:30PM - The Five Doctors - 4 episode version, episodes 3 and 4
Wednesday through Friday at 11:30PM - Genesis of the Daleks - episodes 1 through 3 of 6
FOXTEL's Who-Files this week give viewers more glimpses of Gallifrey, Doctors past, and the beginnings of the series' favourite enemies, the Daleks.

Canada:

SPACE: The Imagination Station - cable channel
Sunday at 8AM EST (no repeat) - The Web Planet - The Zarbi - episode 2 of 6
Monday through Thursday at 7:30AM - The Sensorites - episodes 3 to 6 of 6 (Hidden Danger, A Race Against Death, Kidnap, A Desperate Venture)
Friday at 7:30AM - Planet of Giants - Planet Of Giants - episode 1 of 3
Fun and frolic with the 1st Doctor. In the weekend broadcast the TARDIS has been taken by an alien force, Barbara's bracelet has taken over her brain, and large ants attack the crew. Most of the weekday episodes chronicle a race of intelligent aliens with enlarged eyes. Can the Doctor broker peace between the Sensorites and the humans? And at the end of the week the 1st Doctor and company do .Honey, I Shrunk The Kids' 25 years before Disney does.

The USA:

Maine Public Broadcasting - channels 10, 10, 12, 13, 26, 39
Saturday at 9PM - Genesis of the Daleks - episodes 5 and 6 of 6
The 4th Doctor, Sarah, and Harry race to destroy a tape with the knowledge that could make the Daleks invincible. The Thals decide to destroy the Dalek bunker. The surviving Kaleds turn on Davros.

New Hampshire Public Television - channels 11, 12, 15, 49, 52
Friday at 10PM - Spearhead From Space - episodes 1 and 2 of 4
Two bizarre meteor showers convince Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart that another alien invasion is on the way. The arrival of the TARDIS makes him more certain. But the funny little man with dark hair that he remembers is gone, and replaced with a stranger he doesn't recognize. Can this tall pile of rudeness really be the Doctor? Episode 1 was the first made in color.

WQED / WQEX Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - channels 13, 16
Saturday at 10:30PM - Genesis of the Daleks - episode 6 of 6
Same as Maine Public Broadcasting, but it begins at a later point. Might have the DaSilva introductions from 1978.

Maryland Public Television - channels 22, 28, 31, 36, 62, 67
Friday at Midnight, Saturday at Midnight - The Rescue - movie version
Susan's gone, leaving a hole in the 1st Doctor's life. So, naturally when he encounters Vicki, a teenager who's one of only two survivors of a space trip, he considers taking her with him. But when evidence builds that it was a human in disguise that killed everyone, the question must be raised - is she the killer? About 50 minutes.

WUFT Gainesville, Florida - channel 5
Saturday at 5PM - The Awakening - movie version
A woman decides to follow her instincts, ignore her family, romance a man who'll abuse her, and eventually commits suicide. (Sorry, wrong story.) Actually, it's a 5th Doctor adventure. When the TARDIS crew tries to visit Tegan's grandfather, they find a village recreating a devastating battle from 1643. And Tegan's grandfather has disappeared. About 50 minutes.

WUSF Tampa, Florida - channel 16
Saturday at 11:05PM - Black Orchid - both episodes
The 5th Doctor and crew arrive in 1925, get mistaken for the Doctor and his crew, and get invited to a cricket match and costume ball. But then one of the guests gets murdered, and the Doctor is the prime suspect. There will be pledge drives, and the broadcast is scheduled to end at 12:30AM.

WCET Cincinnati, Ohio - channel 48
Saturday at 10:55PM - The Silurians - color
WCET's 3rd broadcast of this story in just over 3 months. The 3rd Doctor, Liz, and the Brigadier investigate mysterious power failures at a nuclear power station, and discover prehistoric beings. A pledge filled broadcast, tentatively scheduled to end at 2:25AM.

WFWA Fort Wayne, Indiana - channel 39 - Doctor Who absent from the schedule.

WTBU Indianapolis, Indiana - channel 69
Sunday at 6PM - The Visitation - movie version
The 5th Doctor finally gets Tegan to Heathrow Airport. But 1666 is slightly before the time Tegan requested. That's ok, though. There's an alien invasion to stop before they eliminate humanity. 90 minutes. WTBU is discontinuing Doctor Who within the next few weeks.

Louisiana Public Broadcasting - channels 13, 18, 24, 24, 25, 27
Saturday at 10PM - Carnival Of Monsters - episodes 1 and 2 of 4
The 3rd Doctor and Jo take their first TARDIS flight without Time Lord involvement. In an event that some say predated the 90s novels, they land on the SS Bernice. The Doctor also gets to say "Topping Day, what?"

Iowa Public Television - channels 11, 12, 27, 32
Friday at 11:05PM - Inferno - episodes 4 and 5 of 7
The 3rd Doctor tries to stop the people in the alternate universe from tapping the core of the Earth. If they break through, Earth will be destroyed.

Prairie Public Television of North Dakota - channels 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 26
Friday at 10:30PM - Robot - episode 3 of 4
When last we left the 4th Doctor, the Robot was following contradictory orders and trying to kill him. This may be evidence of a crime.

KBDI Denver, Colorado - channel 12
Friday at 11PM - Frontier In Space - episodes 3 and 4 of 6
Saturday at 10PM - Frontier In Space - episodes 5 and 6 of 6
(Continued from last week. More installments to come.)
The Ogrons started getting gruff.
Furious insults were tossed.
If not for the brashness of our fearless two
The galaxy would be lost,
The galaxy would be lost.

KSPS Spokane, Washington - channel 7
Saturday at 10:30PM - Horror of Fang Rock - movie version
A green monster is killing the people marooned in a lighthouse. If the 4th Doctor does not come up with a clever plan soon, all the inhabitants will die. About 90 minutes.

KBTC / KCKA Tacoma, Washington - channels 28, 15
Saturday at 7PM, late Saturday at 12:30AM, Monday at 7:30PM, late Monday at 12:30AM - Dragonfire - episodes 2 and 3 of 3
The 7th Doctor and Glitz search for the treasure, while Mel and Ace just try to avoid getting killed. Some of Kane's employees want to quit.

KRCB Rohnert Park, California - channel 22 - Doctor Who absent from the schedule.

KTEH San Jose, California - channel 54
Sunday at 11PM - Trial Of A Time Lord - Mindwarp - all 4 episodes
The Valyard presents more evidence against the 6th Doctor. This time, we see the Doctor seemingly betray Peri and potentially the entire universe. The Doctor loses control of the situation, with potentially disasterous results. Brian Blessed plays Yrcarnos.

BBC America - cable / Dish Network Top 100 Package channel 135
Saturday at 5PM EST, Sunday at 2PM - Robot - movie format, part 2 of 2
The SRS plans to hold the world to nuclear ransom, using the Robot and certain security codes.

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Remember, the column will be around next week, if you can find it. Until then, take care.

Benjamin F. Elliott

is compiled by Benjamin F. Elliott.
Doctor Who is a registered trademark of the BBC.
Copyright 1998.