THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - Fri, 9 Jul 1999

By Benjamin F. Elliott

Last week's listings for FOXTEL's UK-TV were inaccurate. Instead of Dragonfire, the first 3 episodes of An Unearthly Child ran from Wednesday through Friday. In a way, I'll be glad when they finally finish running their Who-Files and begin airing the stories in their proper order. Trying to keep up with their current crazy quilt scheduling is next to impossible.

As of publication time, this column still does not know which "phantom station" in the Blacksburg / Roanoke, VA area has recently aired Doctor Who. For people who did not get the column last week, a new Who fan at Virginia Tech remembers turning on the TV during the Spring semester and coming across a Black & White Doctor Who broadcast. There are no previously known Who stations with reception range of Tech, and BBC America has not yet aired any Black & White stories. She now remembers that the broadcast was at night, and there was either a commercial break or a pledge break where an announcer said "and we'll be right back to Doctor Who". The PBS station I know about in Roanoke, WBRA 15, appears not to be the station in question, as I can find no mention of the Doctor on their schedules. Does anyone know what station this is?

Corrections and updates are always welcome at bfelliott@jnpcs.com . And now, the listings:

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The UK:

UK Gold http://www.radiotimes.beeb.com/
Late Friday from 12:25 to 2:05AM The Aztecs movie version
Sunday from 9:20 to 11:15AM The Pirate Planet movie version
In Aztecs, Barbara is mistaken for a god, and tries to use her influence to alter the course of history. In Pirate Planet, the Doctor and Romana land at precisely the right place at precisely the right time ... on the wrong planet!

UK Gold Classics http://www.sceneone.co.uk/s1/tv/listings
Sunday from 6 to 8PM The Pirate Planet movie version
More convenient broadcast time, after most of the Churches have finished their services and the stores crazy enough to be open have closed for the evening.

EUROPE / AFRICA:

BBC Prime http://www.bbcprime.com/
Late Friday at 1:05AM CET The Stones Of Blood' episode 4 of 4 (Not Africa)
Saturday at 9:35AM and 6PM CET The Androids Of Tara' episode 1 of 4
Europeans can see the classic conclusion to the 3rd segment of the Key To Time. Then, both Europeans and Africans can see the sword swinging and horse riding as the 4th segment to the Key proves suspiciously easy to find.

AUSTRALIA:

FOXTEL's UK-TV http://www.foxtel.com.au/ and
http://varos.simplenet.com/drwho/uktv/
Saturday at 1PM, Sunday at 2 and 8AM Trial Of A Time Lord: Mindwarp all 4 episodes (episodes 5 through 8 of 14)
Monday at 11:30PM An Unearthly Child - The Firemaker episode 4 of 4
Tuesday through Friday at 11:30PM Spearhead From Space episodes 1 through 4 of 4
Over the weekend, the Valeyard presents the more damaging part of his evidence in the Doctor's trial, an incident where the Doctor seemingly sacrificed everything he cared about to save his own neck. On Monday, the original Doctor Who story concludes with the savages recapturing the Doctor and company, planning to kill them if the Doctor does not create fire. The rest of the week covers the events surrounding the beginning of the 3rd Doctor's reign, when an alien invasion was brought about through the use of plastic.

CANADA / UNITED STATES:

SPACE: The Imagination Station http://www.spacecast.com/ and
http://www.hwcn.org/~an933/spacedw.htm
Saturday through Tuesday at 7:30AM EDT The Keys of Marinus episodes 3 through 6 of 6 (The Screaming Jungle, The Snows Of Terror, Sentence Of Death, The Keys Of Marinus)
Wednesday through Friday at 7:30AM EDT The Aztecs episodes 1 through 3 of 4 (The Temple Of Evil, The Warriors Of Death, The Bride Of Sacrifice)
In the first part of the week, the TARDIS crew braves insane jungles, snowy wastelands, kangaroo courts, and a clever con in their efforts to recover the Marinus keys so they can return to the TARDIS. In the following story, the Doctor and company are again cut off from the TARDIS when it gets stuck inside a tomb and Barbara is mistaken for a god.

* MPBC Maine 10, 10, 12, 13, 26 http://www.mpbc.org/
Saturday at 11:30PM EDT (12:30AM ADT) The Deadly Assassin episode 4 of 4
After defeating Goth, the Doctor is horrified to learn who Goth was working for. One of the most evil forces in history is out to destroy Gallifrey.

* NHPTV New Hampshire 11, 49, 52 http://nhptv.org/
Sunday at 3PM EDT The Mutants episode 6 of 6
Afterwards - The Time Monster episode 1 of 6
In Mutants', Ky begins to mutate. The Marshall prepares for his final victory. The only thing he has not reckoned with is that this is the last episode of a story. Meanwhile, the Mutants attack. In Monster', the Doctor's obsession with the Master causes him to build a device that will lead him straight to wherever the Master is.

WQED / WQEX 13, 16 Pittsburgh, PA http://www.wqed.org/
http://www.tvquest.com/ zip 15201
toll pledge line 1-900-990-1313
non-toll pledge lines 1-800-232-8813 and 412-621-5808
SCI-FI SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER - in 4 weeks!
Saturday at 11PM EDT The Brain of Morbius episode 4 of 4
Afterwards - Doctor Who And The Silurians episode 4 of 7 (color)
The 4th Doctor engages in a mind-bending contest with Morbius in a last ditch effort to save the galaxy from this creature. Then, flash back to the early days of the 3rd Doctor, when the Doctor raced to find a way to make contact with the Silurians to ensure that there would be no war with the humans.

WYBE 35 Philadelphia, PA http://www.wybe.org/
Saturday at 11PM EDT The Brain of Morbius episodes 3 and 4 of 4
Sarah's blinded, and the Sisterhood of Karn decide to roast the Doctor alive. I guess they really disliked his scarf.

MPT Maryland 22, 28, 31, 36, 62, 67 http://www.mpt.org/
Late Friday at Midnight, Late Saturday at 12:30AM EDT Planet of the Daleks
This could be interesting. For each airing, MPT has slated 2 and 1/2 hours to the broadcast, enough time to run all 6 episodes, including the Black & White episode 3. MPT usually runs the movie versions, and the movie version of this story cuts out the Black & White story, coming out just under 1 hour and 50 minutes. However, I know they got a fair amount of grief last year when they aired the incomplete version (I was only one of the people who vocally complained). MPT never really explains what they're doing, so we won't know until the story airs whether the Black & White part will air or not. I'll post a report in rec.arts.drwho sometime Saturday after I can check the tape.

WUFT 5 Gainesville, FL http://www.wuft.org/
ON HIATUS. To express support or pledge to bring back the show, contact them at info@wuft.org and Imelvin@wuft.org

WUSF 16 Tampa, FL http://www.wusftv.usf.edu/gateway.htm
Saturday at 11:30PM EDT The Five Doctors 4 episode version, part 2
The 4th Doctor is trapped due to an error with the time scoop. The remaining Doctors all independently decide to investigate the Dark Tower of the Death Zone.

WCET 48 Cincinnati, OH http://www.wcet.org/
Saturday at 11:30PM EDT The Sea Devils episodes 1 and 2 of 6
The 3rd Doctor and Jo visit the Master in prison. A series of oil refineries are sinking uncomfortably close to the Master's new island home. The Master contemplates an alliance with The Clangers, unaware that they are fictional characters.

WYIN 56 Gary, IN (Chicago, IL) http://www.wyin.org/
http://www.tvquest.com/ zip 4
Saturday at 10PM CDT Genesis of the Daleks episode 6 of 6 (actually Revenge of the Cybermen: Part One)
A hearing takes place to determine if the Daleks will be destroyed forever. Just in case, the Doctor searches for the tape that could make the Daleks invincible, hoping to destroy it.

KTCA 2 St. Paul, MN http://www.ktca.org/
Saturday at 11:30PM CDT The Sontaran Experiment episode 2 of 2
The Sontaran experiments on Sarah. The Doctor attacks.

IPTV Iowa 11, 12, 21, 24, 27, 32, 36 http://www.iptv.org/ and http://www.sffn.com/
Friday at 11:05PM CDT The Mutants episodes 2 and 3 of 6
Ky takes Jo hostage and flees when he is framed for the murder of an official of the Empire that was going to give Solos its freedom. The Marshall blackmails the Doctor.

PPTV North Dakota 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 13, 19 http://www.pptv.org/
Friday at 10:30PM CDT (9:30PM MDT) The Brain of Morbius episode 1 of 4
Nobody goes to Karn. Not unless it's a crash landing. If they do go to Karn, they never leave alive. The TARDIS has just landed on Karn.

KBDI / K32EO 12, 32 Denver / Colorado Springs, CO
http://www.kbdi.org/
http://www.tvquest.com/ zip 80205
Pledge Weekend - no Who programs. Doctor Who returns next week.

KNME 5 Albuquerque, NM http://www.knmetv.org/
Saturday at 11PM MDT The Seeds of Doom movie version
Long ago, a plant sent its seeds out throughout the Galaxy. This is not unusual. The seeds can stay dormant for thousands of years. For an intergalactic plant, this is not unusual. The seeds, if allowed to germinate, create a plant that kills and can convince all the other plants on the planet to kill as well. Even this is not unusual. And someone wants one of these plants to finish his garden collection. That is unusual.

KRWG 22 Las Cruces, NM http://www.nmsu.edu/~krwgtv/
Saturday at 10:30PM MDT Terror of the Zygons movie version
The 4th Doctor is recalled to Earth by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart to investigate a series of oil- rig disappearances. Something is stirring in Loch Ness, and the death toll is rising. One of the regular characters is shot in the head. Final appearance by Lethbridge-Stewart as an active Brigadier.

KSPS 7 Spokane, WA http://www.ksps.org/
http://www.tvquest.com/ zip 99223
Saturday at 10:30PM PDT (11:30PM MDT) Earthshock movie version
The 5th Doctor's escalating war of words with Adric is rudely interrupted by all-too-familiar aliens bent on destroying the Earth. Why are they so insistent this time? How can the Doctor convince anyone to believe him? And in the 1981-1982 TV season, when the British public had already been caught off guard with the ending of Blake's 7 and the death of the Sonic Screwdriver, would the Doctor Who audience be able to cope with what happened next? Apparently not, if the ratings are anything to go by.

KBTC / KCKA 28, 15 Tacoma / Centralia, WA
http://www.tvquest.com/ zip 98405
Saturday at 7PM PDT The Claws of Axos episodes 3 and 4 of 4
As Axos' plans for Earth become more evident, humanity begins to regret inviting them in with open arms. The Master realizes that Axos will probably betray him and keep his TARDIS, forcing him to consider working with UNIT. The 3rd Doctor decides to leave Earth once and for all.

KTEH 54 San Jose, CA http://www.kteh.org/
Sunday at 11PM PDT The Invisible Enemy all 4 episodes
Enemies of the Doctor have kidnaped people, killed people, brainwashed people, all in efforts to defeat the Doctor. But in this story, for the first time ever in the series, an enemy tries to use the Doctor's own mind as a weapon. Out in the middle of the Solar System in the 50th Century, Leela is forced to take over the situation and try to find a way to bring the Doctor back to normal, before he can release an invasion force that would ravage the galaxy. K9 appears for the first time in this story. The story's much more sinister than people realize from some of the unusually bad special effects.

BBC America http://www.bbcamerica.com/
Saturday at 5PM, Sunday at 8AM EDT Genesis of the Daleks movie version, part 1 of 3
"This is a Kaled News Network special report! The war effort is going well. Our 80% casualty raate is lower than the casualty rate of the Thals. In a battle of attrition, we would undoubtably come out the victors. Thankfully, attrition will no longer be needed. Our sources in the Kaled Institutional Dome Scientific (KIDS) report that Albert Davros, our greatest scientist, has finally sorted out the major technical problems with the Mark III Travel Machine. Our mutated comrades will be able to live full lives again, and wreak their vengeance on the Thals, ending the war much sooner. The Kaleds will rule! And now to the sports desk ..."

CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA:

HBO OLE http://www.hbo-ole.com/
Airing the 1996 Movie With Paul McGann in English with Spanish subtitles
Sunday at 7:44AM Argentina Time (5:44AM Mexico Time) - ESTE (East) Feed
Sunday at 9:44AM Argentina Time (7:44AM Mexico Time) - OESTE (West) Feed
HBO-OLE continues its efforts to convince a sizable portion of the world that Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann were the only Doctors ever by continuing to re-air ONLY the 1996 movie. I know HBO-OLE is a movie station, and that the only other official movies are the 1960s productions with Peter Cushing. But they do air episodes from various TV series as well. Maybe if people down there ask very, very nicely.

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Until next week, take care.