This Week in Doctor WhoThis Week in Doctor Who

This Week in Doctor Who: Print Archive


Wednesday 24th November 2004



This Week In Doctor Who - November 24, 2004
(posted 24th Nov 2004, 12:23pm - TWIDW post #0261)
THIS WEEK IN DOCTOR WHO - November 24, 2004
by Benjamin F. Elliott
Vol 7, No 47
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thisweekindoctorwho
thisweekindoctorwho-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Doctor Who turned 41 yesterday with fans looking forward to the new
series. At this point, the only new series TV broadcast news is that
it is 100% definite that the series will not premiere on Christmas
Day - BBC One's Christmas schedule includes many events, but not
Doctor Who. A Christmas or New Years premiere had been a longtime
theory on the internet, even after reports started to indicate that
March is the favored premiere time. Until the BBC actually announces
a date and time, don't trust any dates and times given.
KBTC 28 Tacoma, WA http://www.kbtc.org has reported that they have lost the rights to air Doctor Who after December. The contract came to an end and BBC Worldwide Americas would not renew it. No reason was given to the station. Thanks to Paul Jackson of KBTC and Eric Gjovaag for the alert. KBTC has been one of the most reliable Doctor Who affiliates in the US for the entire length of this column and long before, rarely pre-empting the show and airing the series at 7PM, when young viewers who could build a new audience are actually awake.
I have a suspicion (time will tell) that BBC Worldwide Americas will non-renew the contracts of every current US Doctor Who affiliate as they expire. At least one station was told they could not pick up the series this year, and at the moment only 7 affiliates are airing Doctor Who throughout the US. Maryland Public TV http://www.mpt.org and KUED 7 Salt Lake City, UT kued.org">http://www.kued.org have both had to jump to earlier points in the series in recent months when they were unable to obtain any additional stories to air. If KBTC is the only station whose contract runs out in December, that would leave 6 US affiliates. None of this affects airings of the TV Movie on the Starz! Movie suite, as the rights are separate.
UKTV Gold http://www.ukgold.tv has chimed in on why they are skipping the first 3 Doctors (Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee) again. In the Outpost Gallifrey forum http://www.gallifreyone.com a poster reported back on an e-mail he received from the UK satellite/cable broadcaster. In short, the rights to Jon Pertwee's stories have currently expired and they have not managed to renew them yet. In the case of William Hartnell & PartrickTroughton, they can't show the complete series because the BBC destroyed/lost so many episodes and many of the episodes still around aren't in broadcast quality - so they have no plans to get the Hartnell & Troughton stories, as it would disappoint viewers to present them in their current state. Members of the Outpost Gallifrey forum can find the full e-mail from UKTV Gold in the Television Series folder.
BBC Kids' http://www.bbckids.ca advance schedule in December shows that the weekday episodes will return to the Tom Baker era, but start with Horror of Fang Rock, skipping the first 72 episodes of Tom's era. Those episodes have aired the most on BBC Kids as they were the first package the Canadian digital cable channel picked up.
Future airings of Doctor Who (1996 TV Movie) on the Starz!
http://www.starz.com movie pack:
WAM!:
Late Sunday December 5 2:29AM EST East Feed / PST West Feed
Monday December 6 12:00PM EST East Feed / PST West Feed
Tuesday December 14 12:00PM EST East Feed / PST West Feed
Wednesday December 15 8:00AM EST East Feed / PST West Feed
Late Saturday December 25 2:20AM EST East Feed / PST West Feed
Sunday December 26 9:45AM EST East Feed / PST West Feed
MoviePlex:
Late Sunday December 5 3:29AM EST East Feed / PST West Feed
Saturday December 26 10:45AM EST East Feed / PST West Feed
Corrections and updates are always welcome at thisweekindoctorwho-
owner@yahoogroups.com , bfelliott@... , TWIDW on AOL IM ,
and thebfe on Yahoo Messenger. Here are the listings:
THE SECOND 40 YEARS:
DOCTOR WHO
Doctor: Christopher Eccleston
Rose Tyler: Billie Piper
Mickey Smith: Noel Clarke
Jackie Tyler: Camille Coduri
Written by: Russell T. Davies (8 episodes), Steven Moffatt (2
episodes), Paul Cornell (1 episode), Rob Shearman (1 episode), Mark
Gattiss (1 episode)
Original Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Premieres: 2005 (date TBA)
Total episodes for first series: 13
45 minute episodes
First broadcaster - BBC One http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcone
Overseas Sales
1) CBC Canada http://www.cbc.ca/television
Tie-In Series - Doctor Who Confidential - weekly on BBC Three right
after each episode's premiere on BBC One.


RADIO/INTERNET:


BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/webcasts/shada
Shada - starring Paul McGann and Lalla Ward. Remake of the classic
unfinished Douglas Adams story. 6 episodes long.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/webcasts/shalka
"The Scream Of The Shalka" - starring Richard E. Grant as The
Doctor. 6 episode story. The Shalka prepare to conquer the Earth
from below. Unfortunately for them, the Doctor is back.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/webcasts/realtime
"Real Time" - starring Colin Baker and the Cybermen. 6 episode
illustrated audio tale. The Doctor and Evelyn Smythe research a
temple that has been yanking scientists out of time. The secrets of
the temple threaten the future and past of two species.
American Who http://www.americanwho.net
Current Episode:
http://www.interstellartransmissions.com/amwho/110904.mp3
Interview with Peter Purves as he reflects on Doctor Who, Blue
Peter, and Dogs. Part 2 of 2.
Future Episodes:
11/24 - Tom Baker (audio from 1983 KTEH 54 Special) - expected to go online today, check website for exact link
12/11 - Barry Letts (encore broadcast)
Sci-Fi Overdrive http://www.scifioverdrive.com
on Business Talk Network http://www.businesstalkradio.net
Saturday 8-11PM EST (5-8PM PST) http://www.krradio.com (repeat of
previous week's episode, online audio stream)
Late Sun/Early Mon 2-5AM EST (11PM-2AM PST, 7-10AM GMT, 6-9PM AEDT)
Live Stream http://www.warpradio.com/popTuner.asp?id=14085
Thanksgiving weekend encore programming. Hour 1 - Black & DiTerlizzi
on The SPiderwick Chronicles. Hour 2 - MJ Simpson remembers Douglas
Adams. Hour 3 - David West Reynolds on the 35th anniversary of the
Apollo 11 Space Mission.
Doctor Who related archives:
http://archives.warpradio.com/btr/SciFi/110102.mp3 - Laura Palmer of
BBC Worldwide Americas discussed Lost In Time in 2nd half of the hour
http://archives.warpradio.com/btr/SciFi/110104.mp3 - Charles Martin
interviews guests of the 2003 Sci-Fi Sea Cruise (Wendy Padbury,
Nicholas Courtney, Barry Letts, Terrance Dicks)
http://archives.warpradio.com/btr/SciFi/110804.mp3 - Verity Lambert,
the first producer of Doctor Who, interviewed days after the new
series was announced in 2003.
http://archives.warpradio.com/btr/SciFi/111504.mp3 - Doctor Who A Go-
Go, more of Charles Martin's 2003 Sea Cruise interviews - Nicholas
Courtney & Wendy Padbury.
http://archives.warpradio.com/btr/SciFi/112202.mp3 - Sci-Fi
Overdrive celebrates Doctor Who's 41st anniversary, hour 1. Peter
Purves and Anneke Wills, compiled from American Who interviews. Goes
online November 22.
http://archives.warpradio.com/btr/SciFi/112203.mp3 - Sci-Fi
Overdrive celebrates Doctor Who's 41st anniversary, hour 2. Robert
Shearman, compiled from American Who interview. Goes online November
22.
http://archives.warpradio.com/btr/SciFi/112204.mp3 - Sci-Fi
Overdrive celebrates Doctor Who's 41st anniversary, hour 3. Arnold
T. Blumberg reflects on 41 years of Doctor Who - firstrun. Goes
online November 22.
THE FIRST 40 YEARS:
UK:
UKTV Gold http://www.ukgold.tv http://www.onthebox.com/partner/otb
(All times 1 hour later on UKTV Gold + 1)
Saturday 7:35-9AM GMT Silver Nemesis movie
Series 25, Episodes 8 through 10. Doctor: Sylvester McCoy. The statue Nemesis comes to Earth every 25 years wreaking destruction. In 1988, it is coming in for a final landing. Forces alien, human, and from the past converge to try to claim Nemesis and its power. Alas for all of them, the 7th Doctor and Ace have stopped by for a jazz concert.
Sunday 7-9AM GMT The Greatest Show in the Galaxy movie
Series 25, Episodes 11 through 14. Doctor: Sylvester McCoy. The 7th Doctor and Ace investigate a famous circus that has gone on hard times. Audience members go in to the show, but they don't come out. Sylvester McCoy gets to show off his skills from one of his other careers as a magician.
4 December 7-9AM GMT - Battlefield movie
5 December 7-9AM GMT - Ghost Light movie
11 December - The Curse of Fenric movie
12 December - Survival movie
18 December, 19 December, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day 2005, 2 January 2005 - pre-empted for special programming
8 January 2005 - Robot movie
AUSTRALIA:
ABC http://www.abc.net.au/tv
Thursday 6:04PM Planet of Evil pt 2 of 4
Monday 6:04PM Planet of Evil pt 3 of 4
Tuesday 6:04PM Planet of Evil pt 4 of 4

Series 13, Episodes 6 through 8. Doctor: Tom Baker.
The anti-matter planet has awakened, and it wants the anti-matter back. To save the rescue expedition, the 4th Doctor and Sarah must convince them to leave it all behind. Or else. When he unexpectedly fails, "else" happens.
Wednesday 6:04PM Pyramids of Mars pt 1 of 4
Series 13, Episode 9. Doctor: Tom Baker.
The 4th Doctor and Sarah arrive back at U*N*I*T - decades early before it exists. Mummies are going around killing people on the orders of a man who is terrible at playing the organ. Anyone who commits such terrible butchery on a classical instrument must be stopped.
8 December - The Android Invasion begins
15 December - The Brain of Morbius begins
CANADA/USA:
BBC Kids http://www.bbckids.ca
7 Days A Week 2AM EST (11PM PST) - 2 episodes weekdays, full stories weekends
Wednesday Mawdryn Undead pts 3+4 of 4
Series 20, Episodes 11 through 12. Doctor: Peter Davison.
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart gets involved in the Doctor's quandry in both 1977 and 1983, causing fears among everyone good and evil that the Brig might meet himself and cause a catastrophe.
Thursday Terminus pts 1+2 of 4
Friday Terminus pts 3+4 of 4

Series 20, Episodes 13 through 16. Doctor: Peter Davison.
The TARDIS is sabotaged, forcing the 5th Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, and Turlough to bail out on a ship headed for the plague colony at the centre of the Universe.
Saturday Logopolis all 4 pts
Series 18, Episodes 25 through 28. Doctor: Tom Baker.
The 4th Doctor wants the Logopolitans to repair his TARDIS so he doesn't have to look at a Police Telephone Box anymore. But it may just be a ruse. He feels the icy hand of death closing in on him. And the Master too.
Sunday Castrovalva all 4 pts
Series 19, Episodes 1 through 4. Doctor: Peter Davison.
The 5th Doctor begins his tenure barely conscious, being rushed by his companions back to the TARDIS in hopes of treatment and to get away from the Master. His best hope may be Castrovalva, if it can be found.
Monday Enlightenment pts 1+2 of 4
Tuesday Enlightenment pts 3+4 of 4

Series 20, Episodes 17 through 20. Doctor: Peter Davison.
While Immortals quest for enlightenment about reality, Turlough seeks enlightenment on who to betray.
1 December - The King's Demons
2 December - Warriors of the Deep
4 December - Four To Doomsday
5 December - Kinda
6 December - The Awakening
7 December - Frontios
9 December - Planet of Fire
11 December - The Visitation
12 December - Black Orchid
13 December - The Caves of Androzani
15 December - Horror of Fang Rock
17 December - The Invisible Enemy
18 December - Timeflight
19 December - Arc of Infinity
20 through 24 December - pre-empted for movies
WYBE Philadelphia, PA http://www.wybe.org
analog 35
digital 35-1 (34-1)
Philadelphia DirecTV 35,909
Philadelphia Dish 35,8162
Saturday 11PM EST The Greatest Show in the Galaxy pts 3+4 of 4
Series 25, Episodes 13 through 14. Doctor: pSylvesterMcCoy}}.
See UKTV Gold for story detail.
4 December - Battlefield pts 1+2
11 December - Battlefield pts 3+4
18 December - Ghost Light pts 1+2
MPT Maryland http://www.mpt.org
analog 22, 67, 31, 28, 62, 36
digital 22-2 (42-2), 67-2 (29-2), 31-2 (44-2), 28-2 (56-2), 62-2 (28-2), 54
DC/Hagerstown, Baltimore DirecTV 22,980
Baltimore Dish 22,8736
Late Saturday Midnight-2:36AM EST Inferno movie
Series 7, Episodes 19 through 25. Doctor: Jon Pertwee.
On the Inferno drilling project, emotions are running high. Professor Stahlmann is on the verge of insanity. Green ooze is turning people into psychotic killers. And the Doctor's TARDIS console has a surprising reaction to the power from the drill head. Be it ever so alien there's no place like Earth.
ยป it was reported that the first 54 minutes were muted.
4 December - Terror of the Autons movie
11 December - The Mind of Evil movie
18 December - The Claws of Axos movie
WCET Cincinnati, OH http://cetconnect.org
analog 48
digital 48-2 (34-2)
Cincinnati DirecTV 48,909
Cincinnati Dish 48,8356
Saturday 11PM EST The Mind of Evil eps 3+4 of 6
Series 8, Episodes 7 through 8. Doctor: Jon Pertwee. The Keller Machine is getting out of control, and even its creator is having trouble with it. Meanwhile, murder disrupts the international Peace Conference. The true villain of the piece is unmasked.
4 & 11 December - pre-empted for pledge programming
18 December - The Mind of Evil eps 5+6
25 December - The Claws of Axos eps 1+2
WILL Urbana, IL http://www.will.uiuc.edu
analog 12
digital 9 - not on air
Champaign DirecTV 12
Champaign Dish 12,7407
Saturday 11:40PM CST Mawdryn Undead pt 1 of 4
Series 20, Episode 9. Doctor: Peter Davison.
The TARDIS arrives in 1977 while the 5th Doctor arrives in 1983, making life very confusing for the inhabitants of a Boys' School - particularly retired Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.
4 & 11 December - pre-empted for pledge programming
18 December - Mawdryn Undead pt 2 of 4
IPTV Iowa http://www.sffn.com/ http://www.iptv.org
analog 11, 32, 27, 12, 21, 24, 32, 36, 36
digital 11-2 (50-2), 32-2 (35-2), 27-2 (28-2), 45, 25, 18, 33, 35, 34
Des Moines DirecTV 11,474
Des Moines Dish 11,9116
Cedar Rapids DirecTV 12
Cedar Rapids Dish 12,9161
Omaha DirecTV 32
Omaha Dish 32,9146
Sioux City Dish 27,7195
Quad Cities DirecTV 36
Quad Cities Dish 36,7607 (not yet available)
Saturday 11:35PM CST Castrovalva pts 3+4 of 4
Series 19, Episodes 3 through 4. Doctor: Peter Davison.
See BBC Kids for story details.
4 December - pre-empted for pledge programming
11 December - Four To Doomsday pts 1+2
18 December - Four To Doomsday pts 3+4
25 December - Kinda pts 1+2
KUED/KUEW-DT/KUES-DT Salt Lake City/St. George/Richfield, UT
http://www.kued.org
analog 7
digital 7-1 (42-1), 18-1, 19-1
Salt Lake City DirecTV 7,982
Salt Lake City Dish 7,8536
Saturday 11:30PM MST The Keeper of Traken pt 3 of 4
Series 18, Episode 23. Doctor: Tom Baker. The calcified but limber Melkur manipulates events to make Kassia be the new Keeper.
4 & 11 December - pre-empted for pledge programming
18 December - The Keeper of Traken pt 4
**BBC Worldwide Americas has non-renewed KBTC's contract for the series, so December 2004 will be the end.**
KBTC/KCKA Tacoma/Centralia, WA http://www.kbtc.org
analog 28,15
digital 28-1 (27-1), 15-1 (19-1)
Seattle DirecTV 28,910
Seattle Dish 28,8620
There is contradictory information on KBTC's broadcast schedule for the next few weeks, so I'm including both versions.

www.zap2it.com says:
Sat 7PM + 12:30AM PST The Sea Devils pts 3+4 of 6
4 & 11 December - pre-empted for pledge programming
18 December - The Sea Devils pts 5+6

www.kbtc.org says:
pre-empted this week for To Be Announced at 7PM and Austin City Limits at 12:30AM
4 December - The Sea Devils pts 3+4 (1AM only)

ยป it seems likely that owing to the rapid change of schedule with the dropping of the series that this was episodes 3+4, with 5+6 on the following week.
Thanks for reading. Until next week, take care.
Doctor Who is a BBC Trademark. Copyright 2004.