This Week In Doctor Who - December 18th, 1998

Real life getting too tough? Exhausted? Crazed? Maybe you need to sit back, relax, and read the latest edition of THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - December 18, 1998

Welcome readers to the latest column. Next week's edition will actually go out on Wednesday due to Christmas, unless you are reading this in the Alliance newsletter, in which case the column won't arrive and you'll need to get it another way.

Speaking of Christmas, next week's column will have a short feature on all the Christmas adventures of the Doctor and company. So far the list of stories includes the December 1965 TV Comic Who strips, episode 7 of The Daleks' Masterplan, K9 and Company, Timewyrm: Revelation, Nightshade, Christmas On A Rational Planet, and next years Autumn Mist. I am trying to get information on some of these stories and to learn of any stories missing from the list. Any help is deeply appreciated. The feature will be available for anyone to use after I post the column, assuming I'm asked first.

New Hampshire Who fans, take note! In 1999, Doctor Who will move from Friday Nights to Sunday Afternoons at 3PM and there will be a Doctor Who marathon on Sunday, February 28th so tell all NHPTV Doctor Who viewers to email to NHPTV about what they want to see on NHPTV.

Any corrections, additions, Yeti sightings, etc. can be sent to my email. And now, on with the schedules:

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The UK and Europe:

UK Gold - satellite / cable
Late Friday from 12:35 to 1:25AM - The Edge of Destruction - movie version
Sunday from 9:30 to 11:20AM - The Time Warrior - movie version
As the weekend begins, the 1st Doctor's efforts to get Ian and Barbara home go awry, leaving the TARDIS crew with partial amnesia and on a course to destruction. At the end of the weekend, Sarah Jane Smith gets the biggest scoop of her young journalist career when she stows away on the TARDIS, hoping to find out why the Doctor would kidnap respected scientists.

BBC Prime - satellite / cable - http://www.bbcprime.com/
Late Friday at 1:05AM, Saturday at 9:55AM - Image of the Fendahl - episode 1 of 4
Saturday at 6PM CET - Image of the Fendahl - episode 2 of 4
Leela's first and last visit to modern-day Earth. The 4th Doctor investigates a machine which, if allowed to run long enough, will destroy the planet. Indeed, the Doctor is petrified over the behavior of a souped up personal computer! I'd be a little more worried about that skull over there, myself, but ...

Australia:

FOXTEL's UK-TV - satellite channel 5 - http://www.foxtel.com.au/
Saturday at 1PM, Sunday at 2 and 8AM - Resurrection of the Daleks? - both 45 minute episodes
Sunday at 2:30PM, Sunday at 3:30 and 9:30AM - Revelation of the Daleks? - both 45 minute episodes
Monday through Thursday at 11:30PM - Terror of the Autons - the 4 episodes
Friday at 11:30PM - The Dæmons - episode 1 of 5
The Who-Files continue, airing highlights of the Doctor Who series.

Canada:

SPACE: The Imagination Station - specialty cable - http://www.spacecast.com
and http://www.hwcn.com/~an933/spacedw.htm
Sunday at 8AM EST, Monday at 3:30AM - The Web Planet: The Centre - episode 6 of 6
Monday to Friday at 7:30AM - The Web Planet - episodes 2 to 6 (The Zarbi, Escape To Danger, Crater Of Needles, Invasion, The Centre)
It's Web Planet week on SPACE! The story where they deliberately filtered the picture and affected the sound to create an alien environment. Dangerous ants. Killer Larvae. Winged bee-like creatures with guns, and they're the good guys! And try to identify John Scott Martin playing one of the Zarbi. After this story, he would be in virtually all the Dalek adventures as one or more Daleks. He's also the first victim in The Green Death, but that's not airing this week.

The USA:

Maine Public Broadcasting 10, 10, 12, 13, 26, 39 http://www.mpbc.org/
Saturday at 9PM - Revenge of the Cybermen - episodes 3 and 4 of 4
The Cybermen finally show up with plans to destroy Voga. But the Cybermen themselves may be in danger. It seems someone is a triple agent. Whatever happens, the 4th Doctor, Sarah, and Harry get the blame, of course.

New Hampshire Public Television 11, 12, 15, 49, 52 http://nhptv.org/
Friday at 10PM - Doctor Who And The Silurians - episodes 6 and 7 of 7
A Silurian-developed plague tries to wipe out humanity as the 3rd Doctor races for a cure. And the new head Silurian is willing to go to any lengths to stop the Doctor from succeeding. Color- restored episodes.

WQED / WQEX 13, 16 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania http://www.wqed.org/
Saturday at 10:30PM - Revenge of the Cybermen - episode 2 of 4
A traitor on Nerva Beacon is the real cause of the plague. Sarah and Harry wind up on Voga at precisely the wrong time. The Cybermen approach Nerva.

Maryland Public Television 22, 28, 31, 36, 62, 67 http://www.mpt.org/
Friday and Saturday at Midnight - The Chase - movie version
You're being hunted just for being you. You know what your enemies were doing in the past, but not right now. You know that your enemies are closing in on you, and you do not have the ability to defeat them. Your enemies will destroy anyone to get to you. That's right, folks. The Daleks are back, and this time they're angry! 2 . hours of William Hartnell black & white. And two of the Doctor's companions will depart the series forever.

WUFT 5 Gainesville, Florida http://www.wuft.org/
Saturday at 4:30PM - The Caves of Androzani - movie version
The 5th Doctor and Peri land on Androzani Minor, a strategic, barely inhabitable planet with frequent mud bursts. Soon, they're caught in the middle of a battle between forces from Androzani Major and the infamous Saroz Jek. It appears everyone wants to kill them. But that's ok. They're already dying. Scheduled to end at 6:30PM.

WUSF 16 Tampa, Florida http://wusftv.usf.edu/
Saturday at 11:30PM - Earthshock - episode 4 of 4
The Cybermen are on the move. Not much time. They'll take the Doctor with him, whatever he thinks. That just leaves me. The math problem doesn't seem too difficult. If I get a chance, I can defuse it before it destroys Earth. If I get a chance.

WCET 48 Cincinnati, Ohio http://www.wcet.org/
Saturday at 11:30PM - Doctor Who And The Silurians - episodes 1 and 2 of 7
Deja-vu for WCET, as it begins airing this recolored story for at least the 3rd time in recent months. Admittedly, this time it is airing in its proper location in the series, and in episode format. And it looks rather good in color. Bessie, the 3rd Doctor's original car, actually makes its first appearance in these episodes. The red car featured in SpearheadFromSpace belonged to someone else.

Louisiana Public Broadcasting 13, 18, 24, 24, 25, 27 http://www.lpb.org/
Saturday at 10PM - Frontier In Space - episodes 5 and 6 of 6
This weekend LPB shows the final appearance of Roger Delgado as The Master. He's in fine form as he plots to conquer the galaxy and betray the surprise villains (I'd tell you who they are, but then they wouldn't be a surprise). Note that Roger Delgado's mysterious disappearance from the end of the story is not a result of his death. The ending was reshot for some reason, but Mr. Delgado was merely not available. The original ending is apparently the one used in the TARGET novelization "Doctor Who and The Space War".

Iowa Public Television 11, 12, 27, 32 http://www.iptv.org/ and
http://www.mach3ww.com/sffn/
Friday at 11:05PM - Terror of the Autons - episodes 3 and 4 of 4
IPTV recovers from a one week absence of Doctor Who with the second half of Roger Delgado's FIRST appearance as The Master. The Master continues to aid the Nestene invasion, and the 3rd Doctor tries to stop him. This story has had its color restored.

Prairie Public Television of North Dakota 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 13
http://www.prairiepublic.org/
Friday at 10:30PM - The Ark In Space - episode 1 of 4
After a 2 week absence, PPTV reveals what happened to Harry Sullivan when the 4th Doctor and Sarah lured him into the TARDIS. He finds himself in the future en board a ship carrying the last survivors of humanity. He takes it better then most new companions. Also features the "homo- sapiens" speech.

KBDI 12 Denver, Colorado
Saturday at 10PM - Planet of the Daleks - episodes 1 and 2 of 6
(Continuation of the song in the November 11th and 18th columns.)
The TARDIS set down in the jungle of this Uncharted hostile planet With Jo Grant, The Doctor Three, Taron, and Rebec his wife, Aaru's MOVIE Dalek, The Spirodons and the Louis Marx models Here on the Planet Of The Daleks!

KSPS 7 Spokane, Washington http://www.ksps.org/
Saturday at 10:30PM - Underworld - movie version
The most watched story of Season 15 features a species who were meddled with by the Time Lords, and the consequences this had on their civilization. K9 gets some action scenes. And (gasp) ... Leela becomes peaceful!! Maybe your station will have the version with the voice over as the spaceship hits the planet. About 80 minutes.

KBTC 28, 15 Tacoma, Washington
Saturday at 7PM - The Happiness Patrol - episode 3 of 3
Saturday at 7:30PM - Silver Nemesis - episode 1 of 3
A Doctor Who jam fest. First he tries to teach the Happiness Patrol how to sing the blues. Then he settles back to listen to some jazz in Silver, only to have a pesky problem involving the destruction of Earth gets in his way.

KTEH 54 San Jose, California http://www.kteh.org/
Sunday at 11PM - Paradise Towers - all 4 episodes
Late Sunday at 12:40AM - "Interview With Sylvester McCoy" - made in 1987
The 7th Doctor and Mel's search for a vacation takes them to a run-down apartment complex in space that has a few problems with cannibalism. But what's a little people-eating if you're having a good time? An interview with Sylvester McCoy just after he assumed the role of 7th Doctor polishes off the night.

BBC America - cable / Dish Network channel 135
Saturday at 5PM EST, Sunday at 2PM - Genesis of the Daleks - movie version, part 1 of 3
The 4th Doctor is hijacked in time and sent to the planet Skaro, where he is given 3 options. 1 - change the development of the Daleks. 2 - discover a new weakness in them. 3 - keep them from existing. While the Doctor ponders the consequences of altering history, viewers will ponder the many commercials that pad out the hour and resulted in some scenes being cut.

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Until next week's Christmas edition, take care.

Benjamin F. Elliott

Doctor Who is a trademark of the BBC. Copyright 1998.