This Week In Doctor Who - July 27, 2001
(posted 27th Jul 2001, 11:34am - TWIDW post #0026)

This Week In Doctor Who - July 27, 2001
by Benjamin F. Elliott
Vol 4, No 30
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thisweekindoctorwho/

The upgrades of the This Week In Doctor Who system are now largely complete. A new computer is in place, allowing me to search schedules and write up the column at a much faster speed. Now that I am fully online again, expect to see some modifications to the Yahoo! Group site http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thisweekindoctorwho/ in the next week or so. Expect the sections that only subscribers can access (calendar, files) to become more interesting. And maybe the front page can be personalized a bit to look more like interesting than just a drab Yahoo! Group page. It appears that I am clueless at making html, but perhaps I can convert the Yahoo! site into a decent home page for TWIDW, at least for now.

Philadelphia, PA area fans were surprised last weekend when the first 2 episodes of Time and the Rani (the first Sylvester McCoy story) aired on WYBE 35 http://www.wybe.org/ instead of the first half of Attack of the Cybermen (the second Colin Baker story). As the days progressed, it turned out that, at least for a while, some or all of the Colin Baker stories have been removed from US syndication. Various stories are circulating around regarding reasons for this situation, but the removal seems to be linked with the end of one syndication window and the start of another. It is apparently a temporary situation that should rectify itself. When I know more concrete information, I will announce it. And for the time being, WYBE will run through the Sylvester McCoy stories.

BBC Prime http://www.bbcprime.com/ , which serves Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia, is skipping over The Five Doctors in its airings of Doctor Who episodes. Hopefully this is merely due to The Five Doctors being a 90 minute episode, as opposed to a clearance problem (they skipped Earthshock due to clearance problems some months back). If it is merely a length problem, they could air it as a movie down the road.

Initial web ratings came out early this week about how Death Comes To Time, the pilot episode for a 7th Doctor audio story, performed on its first 3 days being available online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/. The BBC hoped for 50,000 hits (however they count hits). Fan rumors claimed that there were 400,000 hits (however the hits were being counted). The BBC claims that, by whatever method they used to count, there were 1.6 Million hits. It is unclear from that how many listeners actually tuned into the full episode, but the numbers have apparently pleased many people at the BBC. Maybe the other episodes of the story will finally be recorded? I still have not managed to listen to the episode yet, but it has generated strong reactions. Listeners either love the episode or hate it with an all-consuming passion. These days, I think anything that gets fans excited and active is a good first step.

Word came out this week that Big Finish Productions http://www.doctorwho.co.uk/ has had their license for monthly full-length direct to CD Doctor Who stories renewed for several more years. This column does not cover the Big Finish releases because they do not air on TV, the radio, or on the internet. However, they do issue a new Doctor Who story every month, using members of the original cast. Right now they are alternating between 5th, 6th, and 7th Doctor stories. In January, a second season of 8th Doctor (Paul McGann) audios are beginning. If you can get the audios, and you have the money to spend, they are the best outlet for new Doctor Who stories to hear these days. UK and Australian readers seem to be able to get the audios from specialty stores. Most US fans have to order online, where WhoNA http://www.whona.com/ is the best source available.

And remember, pledge season in the US is coming up (again). Some stations (like KUED 7 in Salt Lake City) will have Doctor Who pledge specials. Some stations will pre-empt the show. Some stations will air the regular episodes with no effort to raise money. And of course WYBE, KBTC, and IPTV will not have a pledge drive during August at all. Expect weird schedules. And if you feel so inclined, maybe financially support your station or another one which is keeping Doctor Who on the air.

Additions and corrections are welcome at bfelliott@... , bfelliott@... , bfelliott3 on AOL IM, or thebfe on Yahoo! Messenger. And now, the listings:

---

INTERNET/Cable Radio:

---

BBC Online Doctor Who Site http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/
Death Comes To Time radio pilot
Follow the links. Available as just audio or with illustrations.
The Abominable Snowmen ep 2 of 6 (photonovel)
Episode 1 and all 6 episodes of Fury From the Deep are still online. A chance to see the photos of the episodes and get a sense of the experience that fans had seeing these stories in the 60s.

BCB Radio Bradford, UK http://www.bcb.yorks.com/
RealAudio stream http://www.bcb.yorks.com/bcb.ram/
The Who Review monthly update on Doctor Who in the UK, with discussion of events and reviews of new video/audio/book releases. Airs on cable radio with a worldwide online simulcast.
Airs at Thu 7ishPM BST (2ishPM EDT, 11ishAM PDT, Friday 4ishAM AEST)
Apparently the show has aired again for the last couple of months, so I am putting it back in the column. Tim Moon hosts, and it's a lot of fun if it actually airs. If anyone tunes into the station and they mention, say, a time or date change for the show, please alert me so I can keep the column up to date. This show has moved several times in the past.

---

TV:

---

UK:

UK Gold http://www.sceneone.co.uk/s1/tv/listings
Sat 8:05-11AM BST The Armageddon Factor movie
Endgame. The final segment of the Key To Time is the subject of the Doctor's search. The secret behind its location is hidden in a war between the worlds of Atrios and Zeos. And the price of victory may be worse than defeat.
Sun 9:05-11AM BST Destiny of the Daleks movie
Before the Daleks set forth on their reign of intergalactic conquest and general unpleasantness, the Daleks were created. They tried to kill their creator - eliminate all evidence of his existence. So why do they want to find him now? This story will be part of the 5 story "Davros" box set coming out in the UK this fall.

EUROPE/AFRICA/ASIA:

BBC Prime http://www.bbcprime.com/
Late Fri 1AM*, Sat 3:30PM, Sun 11:30AM CET Warriors From The Deep ep 1 of 4
Late Thu 12:30AM CET Warriors From The Deep ep 2 of 4
*Not seen in all regions. In 2084, the latest cold war is heating up. Two factions left threatening each other for control of the Earth. While they face off, an underwater menace brings forth a fury from the deep, as the invasion of a seabase begins. The Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough make a voyage to the bottom of the sea to save the day.

AUSTRALIA:

UKTV http://www.varos.com/drwho/uktv/ http://www.uktv.com.au/
Sun 7AM, Late Sun 1AM AEST Destiny of the Daleks all 4 eps
See UK Gold for details.
Mon 11:30PM AEST State of Decay ep 4 of 4
The 4th Doctor and Romana must destroy the Giant Vampire to free the peasants and fulfill an ancient Time Lord decree. But where do you get a stake big enough to kill a vampire the size of a mountain?
Tue-Fri 11:30PM AEST Warriors' Gate eps 1 - 4 of 4
The way back. The voyage home. The Doctor and Romana have a chance to avoid being lost in space for all eternity. A gateway to the main universe has been found. And greedy humans are trying to exploit it, with disastrous consequences.

USA:

NHPTV New Hampshire 11,49,52 http://www.nhptv.org/
Late Sat Mid EDT City of Death eps 3+4 of 4
Time is the friend of Count Scarlioni. The Doctor discovers just how much the Count is into time. The "Mona Lisa" plot twist, a surprise cameo, and a race to the past highlight the most popular Doctor Who story of the series. Enjoy it, or we'll make you fly down from the Eiffel Tower.
Late Thu Mid EDT The Creature from the Pit eps 1+2 of 4
Good samaritans Doctor and Romana answer a distress call that was apparently made by an egg. An incredibly large egg. What kind of creature leaves an egg like that? The kind that someone would want to trap in a pit, no doubt. Geoffrey Bayldon steals the show as Organon, the flaky astrologer.

WQED/WQEX 13,16 Pittsburgh, PA http://www.wqed.org/
Sat 11:30PM EDT The Leisure Hive eps 3+4 of 4
An accident leaves the Doctor severly aged, and complicates efforts to clear his name of a murder. Meanwhile, twin plots for conquest are underway.

WYBE 35 Philadelphia, PA http://www.wybe.org/
Sat 4AM+5:30PM EDT Time and the Rani eps 1+2 of 4
Sat 11PM EDT Time and the Rani eps 3+4 of 4
(Due to the current unavailability of the Colin Baker stories, WYBE has switched to Sylvester McCoy.) The Doctor's regeneration and amnesia leads him to unwittingly help an evil Time Lady fix a device to alter the fabric of time. Now, he and Ace must undo the damage and free a people from slavery who don't seem to want to be helped. Kate O'Mara's impersonation of Mel (Bonnie Langford) and Sylvester McCoy's portrayal of a Doctor unsure who he is and who he will be are the highlights of this story.
» the 5:30pm broadcast was reported as actually being Attack of the Cybermen part one!

MPT Maryland 22,28,31,36,62,67 http://www.mpt.org/
Late Sat Mid EDT The Ark movie (The Steel Sky, The Plague, The Return, The Bomb)
It's a shame that new Doctor Who material was not allowed to come to US television for years. The sound and picture on the US prints of The Ark are pretty bad, while the version cleaned up for video looks and sounds beautiful. Until someone decides to send it to the syndicators, you're left with this blurry version. The 1st Doctor, Steven, and new companion Dodo stumble across a ship where the descendants of humanity are journeying to a new world to call home. This is the story of the people on that ship, and their 700 year voyage to the planet Refusis.

WUSF 16 Tampa, FL http://www.wusftv.usf.edu/
Doctor Who is no longer on the WUSF schedule. WUSF departs the column effective now.

WCET 48 Cincinnati, OH http://www.wcet.org/
Sat 11PM EDT The Power of Kroll eps 2+3 of 4
The next episodes will air on August 18. The Doctor, Romana, and Rohm-Dutt discover the true identity of Kroll. Meanwhile, the Swampies and the humans running the refinery decide to start killing each other, inadvertently waking up the sleeping beast. And Kroll is hungry.

WYIN 56 Gary, IN (Chicago, IL) http://www.wyin.org/
Sat 10PM CDT The Horns of Nimon eps 3+4 of 4
(Next week, three pledge airings of The Deadly Assassin through the weekend.)
Romana and the Anethians are offered as sacrifices to the Nimon. Soldeed begins to learn the truth about the great journey of life, and tries to figure out how he will factor into the new order. Lots of comedy and a perfidious maze highlight the story.

WILL 12 Urbana, IL http://www.will.uiuc.edu/
Sat 11:35PM CDT The Brain of Morbius ep 1 of 4
The Doctor and Sarah land on a world where visitors are either unwelcome or potential body parts. Not a good place to search for a cup of water.

TPT St. Paul, MN http://www.tpt.org/
analog KTCA 2, digital KTCI-DT 16-5 (2-5)
Sat 11:30PM, Sun 5:30AM CDT The Power of Kroll ep 4 of 4
The next episode will air on August 11. The death toll rises as Kroll gets angrier, and everyone wants to kill the Doctor, even though he's the only one who might be able to stop Kroll. One gets the opinion that these humans and swamp people were not the geniuses of their respective species.

IPTV Iowa 11,12,21,24,27,32,32,36 http://www.sffn.com/ http://www.iptv.org/
Fri 11:05PM CDT Kinda eps 3+4 of 4
Tegan/Mara attempts to conquer the Kinda people and begin a new reign of evil. A priestess gives the Doctor a vision of the past and future. Hindle's insanity grows worse.

PPTV North Dakota 2,3,4,6,9,13,19 http://www.pptv.org/
Fri 10:30PM CDT (9:30PM MDT) City of Death ep 4 of 4
See NHPTV for details. The next episode will air on August 17.

KERA 13 Dallas, TX http://www.kera.org/
Late Fri Mid CDT The Ambassadors of Death eps 6+7 of 7
Black & White. The 3rd Doctor learns the truth about the "ambassadors". But General Carrington is determined to start a way, and will arrest anyone who gets in his way. Even the Brigadier.

KBDI/K32EO 12,32 Denver/Colorado Springs, CO http://www.kbdi.org/
Late Fri 12:30AM MDT Logopolis eps 1+2 of 4
Late Fri 1:30AM, Sat 11PM MDT Logopolis eps 3+4 of 4
The next episodes will air on August 25. The 4th Doctor's era ends on a dark note. The Doctor and Adric are the only ones who can prevent the accidental destruction of the universe by entropy. Oh dear. Meanwhile, the Master takes up public speaking.

KUED 7 Salt Lake City, UT http://www.kued.org/
Sat 11PM, Late Sat 12:30AM MDT Horror of Fang Rock ep 2 of 4
A dead man comes back to life, and the mysterious green creature is nowhere to be found. This is not a good time to stay in the lighthouse.

KBTC/KCKA/K65BU 28,15,65 Tacoma/Centralia/Gray's River, WA
http://www.kbtc.org/
Sat 7PM, Late Sat 12:30AM PDT Destiny of the Daleks eps 3+4 of 4
See UK Gold for description.

KTEH 54 San Jose, CA http://www.kteh.org/
Sun 11PM PDT Doctor Who And The Silurians eps 5+6 of 7
Recolored using a US recording of a 1970s TV broadcast. The tail end of episode 5 and the start of episode 6 had to be colored from scratch, with vastly inferior results. The 3rd Doctor tries to make peace with the Silurians, but one of them gets the idea to infect and wipe out humanity. Anyone infected must be quarantined before it spreads out of the area - or out of the UK!
Late Sun Mid PDT Interview With Terry Nation inventor of the Daleks and Blake's 7 - 30 minutes
One of KTEH's various interviews with people involved in Docor Who.

---

Thanks for reading. Until next week, take care.

Doctor Who is a BBC Trademark. Copyright 2001.