THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - March 30, 2001

Vol 4, No 13
by Benjamin F. Elliott
Doctor Who is a BBC Trademark. Copyright 2001.

Welcome to the weekly guide to Doctor Who around the world. Yes, the column is still here. Keep an eye out in April. This Week In Doctor Who is preparing to improve its online presence. Details to follow by mid-month.

It seems that TPT in St. Paul, MN adjusted their digital plans a month or two back. Instead of airing HDTV programming on their digital station (KTCI-DT 16), they are now multi casting a number of stations, including TPT 2 from the analog band. As such, Doctor Who is now airing on the digital station and it will be included in the listings from now on, as will digital frequencies for other PBS stations when I get word that they are airing the Doctor Who programming. KTCI-DT 16 tells most digital TV's to read it as channel 2, and TPT 2's programming is on the 5th channel of the multicast, so it will read 2.5 on a digital TV screen.

Commercial US TV stations are required to have digital signals of some kind on the air by May 2002, while non-commercial TV stations (including all current Doctor Who affiliates) must have digital signals on the air by May 2003. Under current regulations, all analog signals will be turned off in 2006, after which stations can either stay at their digital locations or move the digital signal to their old analog frequency. (Dates could be pushed back depending on how quickly digital television takes off.) After spectrum auctions and haggling, apparently no stations will have numbers higher than 51 once the transition is complete. Several Doctor Who affiliates (MPT, NHPTV, IPTV, etc.) have launched digital signals already, but I have not been including them because they have aired special programming separate from their analog brothers, and no Doctor Who. Yet.

IPTV made $12,000 on March 9th with its showing of National Doctor Who Night, an exceptional performance for a pledge special out there. IPTV was likely to renew Doctor Who anyway, but maybe this could inspire other shows on the prairie to see what a fellow in a blue Police Box can do for them.

Just after last week's column went out news came about Prime TV in New Zealand. For the fall season down there, they are adding the show Stingray to their lineup Sundays through Fridays at 6:30PM. To do that, they had to cut back Doctor Who from 2 episodes edited together to a single episode each day at 6PM. The change occurs this Sunday, 1 April. It makes sense. 12 episodes a week seemed suspiciously high. 6 episodes is much more realistic for a station to pay for. And with the new arrangement, it looks like they want Doctor Who to help Stingray build an audience. Prime TV has currently ordered the Tom Baker episodes through The Horns of Nimon. It is assumed, though not confirmed, that Prime TV will continue ordering episodes all the way through Survival.

UKTV in Australia aired episodes out of order for the second time this month. On Thursday, 29 March, episode 1 of The Sun Makers aired in place of episode 4 of Horror of Fang Rock. This column is going out before I will be able to get word on what UKTV did on Friday. This could conceivably alter the weekday lineup, or it might not. The weekend showings are airing without problems.

Additions and corrections are welcome at bfelli...@earthlink.net , bfelli...@gallifreyone.com , or bfelliott3 on AOL IM. And now, the listings:

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RADIO:

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BCB Cable Radio 104FM Bradford, UK http://www.bcb.yorks.com/
RealPlayer Feed http://www.bcb.yorks.com/bcb.ram/
Thu 7ishPM BST (2ishPM EDT, 11ishAM PDT, Friday 4ishAM AEST) The Who Review (this was cancelled)
It's the April 2001 edition of the monthly radio show devoted to Doctor Who, with a British tint. The latest news and clips from UK video, audio, and book releases. Conversations on conventions. Maybe a studio guest. The odd clip of forgotten Doctor Who lore. All part of The Evening Program on the 1st Thursday of every month. Hosted by Tim Moon.

WPBR 1340AM West Palm Beach, FL http://hometown.aol.com/scifiradioguy/
MP3 Archive http://www.live365.com/
Archives roughly 10 days after initial broadcast. All previous episodes air in a loop on the live365 site.
Sun 11:05PM EDT Interstellar Transmissions
Weekly sci-fi news show with Joey Reynolds. Catch a quick update on Doctor Who news, followed by the main topic.

BBC Radio 4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/
RealPlayer Feed http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/
Next Friday (6 April) - Dead Ringers returns for 4 episodes! BBC comedy series which usually has Doctor Who bits. Fridays at 6:30PM BST with a Saturday rerun at 12:30PM BST.

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TV:

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UK:

UK Gold http://www.sceneone.co.uk/s1/tv/listings
Sun 11:05AM-1PM BST The Android Invasion movie
The 4th Doctor and Sarah discover a counterfeit version of 20th Century England on a Doctor Who story that's airing on April Fool's Day this time around. UK Gold really should take advantage of this for their ads.

EUROPE/AFRICA/ASIA:

BBC Prime http://www.bbcprime.com/
Late Fri 1AM*, Sat 3:30PM, Sun 11:30AM CET Snakedance ep 2 of 4
Late Thu 12:30AM CET [s{Snakedance}} ep 3 of 4
*Not seen in all regions. The 5th Doctor and Nyssa are arrested for poking their noses where they don't belong. Meanwhile, under the Mara's influence, Tegan begins to recruit troops for the trouble to come.

AUSTRALIA/ASIA:

UKTV Australia http://www.varos.com/drwho/uktv/
Sun 7AM, Late Sun 1AM AEST The Face of Evil all 4 eps
The Doctor discovers two civilizations which have been trashed because of his actions in the past. Now, he must undo the damage before calamity strikes.
(The weekday listings might be changed due to an episode airing out of order last week. This column is going out before it is known how that situation will be resolved.)
Mon-Wed 11:30PM AEST The Invisible Enemy eps 2 - 4 of 4
When savage met robot. Leela and K9 meet for the first time as the Doctor's mind gradually succumbs to an intellectual parasite that wants to conquer space and time. Now those two need to save the galaxy.
Thu-Fri 11:30PM AEST Image of the Fendahl eps 1 - 2 of 4
A mentally powerful skull manipulates the efforts of four scientists who are studying it, setting off a chain of events that endanger the world.

Prime TV New Zealand http://www.tetrap.com/drwho/nzdwfc/
http://www.primetv.co.nz/
Sun-Mon 6PM The Sun Makers eps 3 - 4 of 4
Only previous airing in 1987. Now back to episode format, one episode per day. To save Leela, the Doctor sets up the overthrow of the oppressive Usurian government. I'm a tad surprised any government with high taxation or that tries to shape the opinion of its citizens would let this story air. Obviously government officials in most countries do not watch Doctor Who.
Tue-Fri 6PM Underworld eps 1 - 4 of 4
Last rerun in 1987. The 4th Doctor and Leela join an expedition to find the race banks of the P7E, which contain the genetic material that can save the Minyan race. The Doctor has a bit of responsibility in this area - his ancestors' help inadvertently ruined this race in the first place.

USA:

Most of the US and Canada are switching to Daylight Savings Time at 2AM early Sunday morning April 1st. Friday and Saturday listings will be in Standard Time, listings from Sunday on will be in Daylight Time. If you live in an area (ex: most of Indiana, though not where WYIN is) that does not go to Daylight Savings Time, you will need to adjust the times provided here by an hour.

BBC America http://www.bbcamerica.com/
Mon-Thu 8AM EDT (5AM PDT)/Tue-Fri 5AM EDT (2AM PDT)
Mon/Tue Genesis of the Daleks movie, pt 3 of 3
Davros obtains the knowledge to alter the future in favor of his metallic creations. The Thals prepare a final solution to the Dalek menace.
Tue-Wed/Wed-Thu Terror of the Zygons movie, pts 1 - 2 of 2
BBC America's hopping through the early Tom Baker stories continues. Back on Earth, the 4thDoctor, Sarah, and Harry investigate the sinking of oil rigs in Scotland. Could extra-terrestrials and the Loch Ness Monster be involved.
Thu/Fri Planet of Evil movie, pt 1 of 2
The 4th Doctor and Sarah miss 1980 London by a mere 37,686 years and an entire galaxy. As a result, they find themselves in a web of murder and anti-matter. You know - the Edinburgh- London train route is very comfortable. Harry Sullivan had the right idea.

» it was later reported that the episodes were awry: should have been Genesis of the Daleks 3-6, and Terror of the Zygons 1-4

NHPTV New Hampshire 11,49,52 http://www.nhptv.org/
Late Thu 12:30AM EDT The Pirate Planet eps 1+2 of 4
Beginning with these episodes, Doctor Who will be rerun late Saturday nights on NHPTV. Those reruns will be part of next week's airings. The tracer brings the Doctor and Romana to exactly the right place, at exactly the right time - but to the wrong planet. How do they find the second segment of the Key To Time now?

WQED/WQEX 13,16 Pittsburgh, PA http://www.wqed.org/
Sat 11:30PM EST The Armageddon Factor eps 1+2 of 6
The 6th segment of the Key To Time is hidden on Atrios, a planet in the middle of a devastating war, which is a bit of a distraction during key hunting. Even more troubling than the war is the fact that the leader of Atrios does not seem to want to win the war. Who ever heard of a leader insane enough to deliberately let his people be slaughtered with no plans or interest in even winning the boondoggle of a war he has put them in? Er, never mind.

WYBE 35 Philadelphia, PA http://www.wybe.org/
Sat 11PM EST, Mon 4AM EDT The Five Doctors eps 1+2 of 4 (4 part version)
A black-robed figure pulls the various incarnations of the Doctor out of their timeframes in the beginning of the 20th anniversary story. WYBE's website is still erroneously claiming that this story began last week, as opposed to this week.

MPT Maryland 22,28,31,36,62,67 http://www.mpt.org/
Sat 11:45PM EST Ghost Light movie
Doctor's personal log. Timedate - 5th Flavian Dynasty, 2 to the 34th power, Just Past Tea-Time: ‘Operation Deal With Ace's Fears is underway. We will be arriving at the Gabriel Chase mansion shortly. Seems an ordinary enough mansion to me. 60 rooms, 12 maids, 8 suits of armor, 1 ultra-dimensional superbeing sleeping away with a do not disturb sign. I wonder what alarmed her about this place?'

WUSF 16 Tampa, FL http://www.wusftv.usf.edu/
Sat 11:40PM EST The Happiness Patrol ep 1 of 3
Late start due to a movie. The Doctor and Ace plot to overthrow an oppressive government with very tacky dress sense. Bring your harmonica and hide your sweet tooth.

WCET 48 Cincinnati, OH http://www.wcet.org/
Sat 11:30PM EST Underworld ep 4 of 4
See Prime TV New Zealand for details.
Sat 11:55PM EST The Invasion of Time ep 1 of 6
The Doctor returns to Gallifrey and proclaims himself President.

WYIN 56 Gary, IN (Chicago, IL) http://www.wyin.org/
Sat 10PM CST The Armageddon Factor ep 2 of 6
See WQED/WQEX for details.

WILL 12 Urbana, IL http://www.will.uiuc.edu/
Sat 11:35PM CST Revenge of the Cybermen ep 4 of 4
The Cybermen plan to use Nerva Beacon as a bomb to blow up the planet Voga. But the Vogans plan to use a rocket to blow up Nerva Beacon. And the 4th Doctor and Sarah are in the middle, facing the biggest bang in history.

TPT St. Paul, MN http://www.tpt.org/
analog - KTCA 2
digital - KTCI-DT 16 (2.5)
Sat 11:30PM CST, Sun 5:30AM CDT The Pirate Planet ep 1 of 4
See NHPTV for details.

IPTV Iowa 11,12,21,24,27,32,32,36 http://www.sffn.com/ http://www.iptv.org/
Fri 11:05PM CST Meglos eps 1+2 of 4
Over a decade before the movie Face/Off with Nicholas Cage and John Travolta, a clever cactus got the same idea. Copy the Doctor's body and impersonate him to pull off a phenomenal robbery. Of course, Face/Off didn't involve trapping the TARDIS in a Chronic Histerisis, trapped in the same minute of time, possibly for forever. That can be in the next film Cage and Travolta do together.

PPTV North Dakota 2,3,4,6,9,13,19 http://www.pptv.org/
Fri 10:30PM CST (9:30PM MST) The Power of Kroll ep 1 of 4
It's a Swamp Thing when the TARDIS crew arrives on the moon Delta Magma, in search of the 5th segment of the Key To Time.

KERA 13 Dallas, TX http://www.kera.org/
Well, it's the end of March, and Doctor Who has not yet gone onto the regular schedule as was expected. The April schedule should be on KERA's website by the end of the weekend. Maybe Doctor Who will begin weekly airings in that month. (actually June 2001)

KBDI/K32EO 12,32 Denver/Colorado Springs, CO http://www.kbdi.org/
No Friday episodes.
Sat 10PM MST The Leisure Hive eps 1+2 of 4
K9 is seriously injured in a swimming accident, leaving him out of action as the Doctor and Romana visit an environmental centre for intergalactic travelers. But all is not well in a realm of peace and harmony.

KUED 7 Salt Lake City, UT http://www.kued.org/
Sat 11PM, Late Sat 12:30AM MST The Face of Evil ep 3 of 4
See UKTV Australia for details.

KBTC/KCKA/K65BU 28,15,65 Tacoma/Centralia/Gray's River, WA
http://www.kbtc.org/
Sat 7PM, Late Sat 12:30AM PST The Invasion of Time eps 1+2 of 6
See WCET for details.

KTEH 54 San Jose, CA http://www.kteh.org/
Sun 11PM PDT The Chase movie (The Executioners, The Death Of Time, Flight Through Eternity, Journey Into Terror, The Death Of Doctor Who, The Planet Of Decision)
Furious at the time travelers who have caused them so much trouble, the Daleks design their own time machine and send an assassination squad after the 1st Doctor and company. Pursue the time travelers to any planet or realm, until one side or the other is totally dead. The Daleks are back, and they're annoyed! With cameo appearances by George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney as - oh come on, surely you can figure it out without my telling you.

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Thanks for reading. Until next week, take care.