THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - Fri, 23 Jul 1999

By Benjamin F. Elliott

Australian television listings are indicating that FOXTEL's UK-TV is planning to air a certain Doctor Who episode which, last everyone heard, was missing. This is probably a misprint. It is unlikely that FOXTEL could get permission to air a missing episode without word getting out that the episode was no longer missing, even if one of the parties involved is the BBC. The missing episode would air on Monday, August 16th, at 11:30PM. I will give the name of the episode after its status as recovered or still missing is established.

BBC Choice is encoring its Doctor Who week from November (titled The Take On Doctor Who). Another chance to see Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Brian Blessed, and many more. Don't forget the video diary where the presenters found themselves mysteriously attracted to the pub. There's even a documentary giving the history of police boxes. And yes, they are also airing classic Who episodes.

Thanks mostly to the special week on BBC Choice, Doctor Who fans in England will have the rare opportunity to experience having episodes airing on competing stations at the same time. UK Gold's Saturday broadcast of the TV movie (6-8PM) conflicts with episode 3 of Genesis of the Daleks (7:30PM). UK Gold Classic's Sunday broadcast of The Android Invasion (6-8:20PM) conflicts with BBC Choice's special night of Who (7-11PM).

KTEH viewers, please read! KTEH's transmitter failed on Sunday the 18th, knocking Doctor Who off the air. On Sunday the 25th, they will now air a Doctor Who double feature. At 11:15PM, Image of the Fendahl will air, postponed from last week. The Sun Makers will be pushed back to 12:55AM.

KBDI Denver's web site http://www.kbdi.org/ appears to have departed cyberspace. The page had not, to my knowledge, been updated in at least 6 months.

WQED Pittsburgh's previously announced pledge marathon is going to face some competition. On August 7th, the same night as WQED's Sci-Fi Saturday Night Fever, KTCA in St. Paul, MN will have their own Doctor Who marathon. I don't know if they have a clever title for their marathon yet or not.

It appears, for the time being, that PBS funding will not be cut in spite of the scofflaw stations that were irresponsible enough to give lists of donors to political groups. Apparently there were 26 PBS stations (mostly major ones) involved in giving out names of contributors, usually to liberal organizations, and occasionally to conservative organizations. PBS could have really been hurt by their carelessness. PBS nearly lost their funding a few years back for being, to put it mildly, a bit biased in their political behavior, and less then objective to anything they disagreed with. PBS barely managed to earn a reprieve on funding matters back then, and this behavior does not help show that they are cleaning up their act. Congress would have been within their rights to slash PBS funding. Of course, the five confirmed scofflaws are among the biggest stations in the country. They could survive even if PBS died. But many of the poorer PBS stations, who weren't giving out lists, could have gone under. Most of the Doctor Who airing stations would be in deep trouble if PBS were defunded. So, here are the addresses and phone numbers of the 5 confirmed troublemakers (I never managed to confirm the other 21). You might want to thank them for nearly destroying the network that brings a large proportion of British television into America, including, in some markets, Doctor Who.

WGBH 2 Boston, MA
http://www.wgbh.org/
125 Western Avenue, Allston, MA 02134
(617)492-2777

WNET 13 New York, NY
http://www.wnet.org/
450 W 33 ST New York, NY 10001
(212)560-2000

WETA 26 Washington, DC
http://www.weta.org/
2775 South Quincy St, Arlington, VA 22206
(703)998-2600

WTVS 56 Detroit, MI
http://www.wtvs.org/
7441 Second Blvd, Detroit, MI 48202-2796
(313)873-7200

KQED 9 San Francisco, CA
http://www.kqed.org/
2601 Mariposa St, San Francisco, CA 94110-1426
(415)864-2000

I was personally very disappointed to have to put WETA on that list. I discovered Doctor Who on that station. I became a fan watching their Sunday afternoon movie broadcasts. The vast majority of the PBS shows I've enjoyed I watched on WETA. And now they've betrayed their trust, and the FCC will pull WETA's license if they have any integrity. It's a sad day.

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

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The UK:

BBC Choice
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Sat 7:30PM BST Genesis of the Daleks eps 3(-5?) of 6
(different BBC publications disagree on whether one or three episodes will air)

'The Take: 30 Years Of Doctor Who' - weeklong festival of Doctor Who episodes and features, hosted by Sylvester McCoy

Sun 7-11PM BST
An Unearthly Child alternate pilot, version 2
Bigger Inside Then Out the history of the police box, originally aired in 1993
Genesis of the Daleks ep 1 of 6
Thirty Years In The TARDIS - 1993 documentary
1996 Movie starring Paul McGann
Remembrance of the Daleks ep 4 of 4
Mon 9-10PM BST
The Tomb of the Cybermen ep 4 of 4
Genesis of the Daleks ep 2 of 6
Tue 9-10PM BST
The Dæmons ep 5 of 5 (colour restored)
Genesis of the Daleks ep 3 of 6
Wed 9-10PM BST
Missing In Action 1993 documentary on junked and recovered episodes
The Caves of Androzani ep 4 of 4
Genesis of the Daleks ep 4 of 6
Thu 9-10PM BST
The Trial Of A Time Lord ep 14 of 14
Genesis of the Daleks ep 5 of 6
Fri 9-10PM BST
The Antique Doctor Who Show 1993 documentary on the value of old Who merchandise
The Curse of Fenric ep 4 of 4
Genesis of the Daleks ep 6 of 6

UK Gold
http://www.radiotimes.beeb.com/
Late Fri 12:25-1:45AM BST Planet of Giants movie
Sat 6-8PM BST DOCTOR WHO the 1996 movie (UK edit)
Sun 9:30-11:20AM BST The Androids of Tara movie
Not only is BBC Choice airing more Who than normal this week, but so is UK Gold. The Late Night Black & White adventure is Planet of Giants, where the 1st Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Susan found themselves 1 inch tall in the yard of an English house. Thankfully for them, all the natural predators are dying mysteriously. This story has the famous 'cat' cliffhanger. On Saturday, it's a special encore of the 1996 movie. Paul McGann, Eric Roberts, Daphne Ashbrook, and the scissors which snipped the story to get it past the BBFC. On Sunday the 4th Doctor decides to take a vacation, leaving Romana to find the 4th segment of the Key To Time by herself. The Doctor thinks this is an excellent idea, until someone tries to kill his scarf.

UK Gold Classics
http://www.sceneone.co.uk/s1/tv/listings
Sun 6-8:20PM BST The Androids of Tara movie
Replay of UK Gold's broadcast, and a direct conflict with the BBC Choice Doctor Who week, which begins at 7PM.

EUROPE / AFRICA:

BBC Prime
http://www.bbcprime.com/
Late Fri 1:05AM CET (Not Africa) The Androids of Tara ep 2 of 4
Sat 9:35AM and 6PM CET The Androids of Tara ep 3 of 4
The 4th Doctor is drawn into a plot to temporarily replace the new ruler of Tara with an android to protect the real ruler from the murderous tendencies of Count Grendal.

AUSTRALIA:

FOXTEL's UK-TV
http://www.foxtel.com.au/ and http://www.varos.com/drwho/uktv/
Sat 1PM, Sun 2 and 8AM Robot all 4 eps
Mon-Wed 11:30PM Castrovalva eps 2 - 4 of 4
Thu+Fri 11:30PM The Twin Dilemma eps 1 and 2 of 4
The final weeks of The Who-Files (and this time they mean it, they claim) wind down as they play the first stories of each Doctor. Over the weekend, the 4th Doctor investigates a Think Tank who may have masterminded the robbery of many important military documents. In the first part of the weekdays, the 5th Doctor tries to recover from his troubled regeneration at Castrovalva, a famous planet of peace. Only problem - it doesn't really exist. Late in the week, the 6th Doctor suffers violent aftershocks when his regeneration goes awry. The Doctor fights a losing battle for his sanity, and no one may be safe from his manic mood swings. Meanwhile, twins are kidnaped.

CANADA / UNITED STATES:

SPACE: The Imagination Station
http://www.spacecast.com/ and
http://www.hwcn.org/~an933/spacedw.htm
Sat-Mon 7:30AM EDT Planet of Giants eps 1 - 3 of 3 (Planet Of Giants, Dangerous Journey, Crisis)
Tue-Fri 7:30AM EDT The Dalek Invasion of Earth eps 1 - 4 of 6 (World's End, The Daleks, Day Of Reckoning, The End Of Tomorrow)
For Planet of Giants, see UK Gold's listing for a description. Later in the week, the 1st Doctor and company finally get back to Earth - a mere 200 years late. London is in ruins. A mysterious force has taken over, but what is it? On its original broadcast, the overall story title was not used, so the reappearance of the Daleks took most of the British public as a complete surprise. Remade as Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., a 1966 movie with Peter Cushing as the Doctor which deserves some TV time.

MPBC Maine 10, 10, 12, 13, 26
http://www.mpbc.org/
Sat 11:30PM EDT (12:30AM ADT) The Face of Evil ep 2 of 4
The 4th Doctor discovers why everyone believes that he is the evil one. The Sevateem try to kill the Doctor and Leela.

NHPTV New Hampshire 11, 49, 52 http://nhptv.org/
Sun 3PM EDT The Time Monster eps 4-5 of 6
The Master freezes Cambridge into a moment in time, convinces a Chronovore to swallow the 3rdDoctor, travels to ancient Atlantis, takes the job of King, and romances the Queen. A great day for the beard of evil.

WQED / WQEX 13, 16 Pittsburgh, PA
http://www.wqed.org/
SCI-FI SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER! - In 2 weeks!
Pledge lines - 1-900-990-1313 (toll line), 412-621-5808
(Pittsburgh local line), 1-800-232-8813 (toll free)
The pledge goal to keep Doctor Who on the air in Pittsburgh is $10,000 by 2AM late August 7th / early August 8th. Money pledged but not yet delivered will not count in the totals.
Sat 11PM EDT The Seeds of Doom ep 2 of 6
Immediately Afterwards - Doctor Who And The Silurians ep 6 of 7
First, the 4th Doctor and Sarah hunt the Krynoid at the South Pole. The Krynoid has taken over the body of one of the Antarctic scientists and is trying to blow up the base. Also in on the hunt are two men hired to steal the Krynoid. Afterwards, travel back to the 3rd Doctor's time. The Doctor and Liz search for a cure for the Silurian induced plague as the death toll rises.

WYBE 35 Philadelphia, PA
http://www.wybe.org/
Sat 11PM EDT The Seeds of Doom eps 3-4 of 6
One pod's contents have been destroyed, but the other one has found its way to England. Sarah and the Doctor must find it before the new owner can make it germinate and conquer the Earth.

MPT Maryland 22, 28, 31, 36, 62, 67
http://www.mpt.org/
Late Fri Midnight, Late Sat 12:30AM EDT The Time Warrior movie
Sarah Jane Smith's first story. The 3rd Doctor learns that scientists are being sent to the Middle Ages by an alien warrior. The Doctor travels back to when the alien was working to try to rescue the scientists and stop advanced technology from entering primitive hands. First mention of the name of the Doctor's home planet.

WUFT 5 Gainesville, FL
http://www.wuft.org/
Off the schedule. Verbal and / or financial support for the series can be sent to info@wuft.org and IMelvin@wuft.org . They apparently want to know if there is indeed sufficient interest to order more stories.

WUSF 16 Tampa, FL
http://www.wusftv.usf.edu/gateway.htm
Sat 11:30PM EDT The Five Doctors 4 ep version, pt 4
The Doctors meet in the Dark Tower and take on the mastermind behind the whole charade. Rassilon appears.

WCET 48 Cincinnati, OH
http://www.wcet.org/
Sat 11:30PM EDT The Sea Devils eps 5-6 of 6
The 3rd Doctor travels to meet the Sea Devils to convince them to try for peace with the humans, in an effort to prevent a repeat of what happened to the Silurians. The Master has other plans.

WYIN 56 Gary, IN (Chicago, IL)
http://www.wyin.org/
http://www.tvquest.com/ zip 4
Sat 10PM CDT Revenge of the Cybermen ep 3 of 4
The Cybermen capture Nerva Beacon. Driven by blind hatred, they plan to use their most hated enemy (the Doctor) to blow up their second most hated enemy (Voga, the planet of gold). The Cybermen put in a very effective emotional performance, marred only slightly by the fact that they are supposed to be emotionless.

KTCA 2 St. Paul, MN
http://www.ktca.org/
Sat 11:40PM CDT Genesis of the Daleks ep 2 of 6
The first Dalek meets the Doctor for the first time, and immediately tries to kill him. This sounds like the beginning of a beautiful hatred.

IPTV Iowa 11, 12, 21, 24, 27, 32, 36
http://www.iptv.org/ and http://www.sffn.com/
Fri 11:12PM CDT The Mutants ep 6 of 6
Fri 11:38PM CDT The Time Monster ep 1 of 6
Ky completes his transformation, and hopes to help his fellow Solonians to solve their mutation problems and reach the next level of their lives. Then, a group of scientists in Cambridge find a way to transfer matter through interstitial time.

PPTV North Dakota 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 13, 19
http://www.pptv.org/
Fri 10:30PM CDT (9:30PM MDT) The Brain of Morbius ep 3 of 4
The Sisterhood Of Karn decide to roast the Doctor alive. Sarah loses her sight. Condo makes a discovery and becomes very unfriendly.

KBDI / K32EO 12, 32 Denver / Colorado Springs, CO
http://www.tvquest.com/ zip 80205
Fri 11PM MDT Genesis of the Daleks eps 1-2 of 6
Sat 10PM MDT Genesis of the Daleks eps 3-4 of 6
The Doctor is sent to alter the history of the Daleks. Instead, he creates their history.

KNME 5 Albuquerque, NM
http://www.knmetv.org/
Sat 11PM MDT The Hand Of Fear movie
Sarah is buried alive in a quarry blast. She seems okay when she is unearthed, but she begins to display odd tendencies, and develops a fanatical devotion to a fossilized hand.

KRWG 22 Las Cruces, NM (El Paso, TX)
http://www.nmsu.edu/~krwgtv/
Sat 10:30PM MDT Pyramids of Mars movie
An archaeological expedition inadvertently unleashes a vicious being from Egyptian legend who wants to bring devastation to the Cosmos - in 1911.

KSPS 7 Spokane, WA
http://www.ksps.org/
http://www.tvquest.com/ zip 99223
Sat 10:30PM PDT (11:30PM MDT) Arc of Infinity movie
A being of anti-matter tries to bond with the 5th Doctor. The Time Lords' response - kill the Doctor! One would almost guess that they had been waiting for an opportunity like this.

KBTC / KCKA 28, 15 Tacoma / Centralia, WA
Sat 7PM PDT Colony In Space eps 3-4 of 6
Jo is held as a hostage by IMC. The savages get restless. The colonists call in an Adjudicator to help resolve the situation. The adjudicator has a suspiciously familiar beard.

KTEH 54 San Jose, CA
http://www.kteh.org/
Sun 11:15PM PDT Image of the Fendahl all 4 eps
Late Sun 12:55AM PDT The Sun Makers all 4 eps
Double feature due to transmitter problems last week. First up, a skull engages in a 12 million year pattern of deceit, waiting for the people who will unwittingly free it to resume its homicidal activities. Then, stay around for one of Tom Baker's best stories. Humanity has been moved to Pluto, where a corporation working in partnership with the government works the humans to near death, then taxes them the rest of the way. The best argument I've ever seen against the 3rd Way of politics being espoused in recent years.

BBC America
http://www.bbcamerica.com/
Sat 5PM, Sun 8AM EDT Genesis of the Daleks movie, pt 3 of 3
The conclusion to the Dalek creation story. The Kaled scientists decide to shut down Davros' experiments once and for all. Davros makes a tape that could make the Daleks all-powerful. The Thals decide to wipe the Daleks out.

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That's all for this week. Until next week, take care.