Difference between revisions of "Australia TX 1976-1978"

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(Created page with "=AUSTRALIAN TRANSMISSION HISTORY (Part Four) (1976-1982)= __NOTITLE__ {{TOC right}} {{Aus tx nav}} {{Blank lines|2}} ---- ===Block 9: PERTWEE / T BAKER ---- '''March 1976 to S...")
 
 
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=AUSTRALIAN TRANSMISSION HISTORY (Part Four) (1976-1982)=
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=AUSTRALIAN TRANSMISSION HISTORY (Part Five) (1976-1978)=
 
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{| {{small-table}}
 
{| {{small-table}}
 
|-
 
|-
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|'''First Run'''||'''{{ZZZ}}----{{4A}}----{{4B}}----{{4C}}'''
+
|'''First Run'''||'''{{ZZZ}}----{{4A}}----{{4B}}----{{4C}}----{{4E}}?'''
 
|-
 
|-
 
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|}
  
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After a long eight month break with no holiday repeats, the series returned with the final Jon Pertwee story, {{ZZZ}}, and the first three Tom Baker serials, which screened in production order, screening on different days of the week in each region, usually at 6.00pm.  
+
After a long eight month break with no holiday repeats, the series returned in 1976 with the final Jon Pertwee story, {{ZZZ}}, and the first three Tom Baker serials, which screened in production order, screening on different days of the week in each region, usually at 6.00pm. (Because of this late scheduling of his stories, Australia became the ''third'' country – after [[Netherlands]] and [[Hong Kong]] - to show the fourth Doctor.)
  
−
It is possible that that part 4 of {{4C}} may not have aired at all (or only in some regions?) having been replaced by coverage of cricket.
 
  
−
Following the publication in Australia of Target books' '''"The Making of Doctor Who"''' in 1976, a group of Australian fans discovered that a number of stories (such as [[The Daleks' Master Plan]]) had never been shown on the ABC, and planned to stage a demonstration demanding that these stories be shown.
+
'''AUSTRALIAN DOCTOR WHO FAN CLUB'''
  
−
The ABC had been receiving a number of complaints from viewers about the "endless" repeats, and decided to pull the series from the schedules early, despite having already purchased the next two serials, {{4E}} and {{4D}}, and had already had a further two, {{4F}} and {{4H}}, classified by the censors.  
+
Following the publication in Australia of Target books' '''"The Making of Doctor Who"''' in 1976, a group of Australian fans discovered that a number of stories (such as [[Mission to the Unknown]], [[The Daleks' Master Plan]], [[Inferno]], [[The Mind of Evil]], [[The Daemons]] and [[The Green Death]]) had never been aired on the ABC, and planned to stage a "Dalek Demo" protest outside the ABC's headquarters in downtown Sydney to force the ABC to show the "banned" stories.  
  
−
On learning of the ABC's decision, the fans decided to change the focus of their demonstration from demanding that the "banned" stories be shown to that of getting the ABC to reverse their decision to drop the series. The group assembled outside the ABC's Sydney office on '''24 August 1976'''. As a result of this action, the ABC relented, and scheduled the remaining purchased Tom Baker serials for the following year. It was as a direct result of the successful demonstration that the first '''[http://www.dwca.org.au/?q=section/about-dwca Australian Doctor Who Fan Club]''' was formally established.
+
By this time the ABC had been receiving a number of complaints from viewers about the "endless" repeats, and decided to pull the series from the schedules early, despite having already purchased the next two serials, {{4E}} and {{4D}}, and had already had a further two, {{4F}} and {{4H}}, classified by the censors.  
−
*'''HOBART''': Sundays, commencing with {{ZZZ}} on '''7 March 1976''', and concluding on '''20 June 1976''', with {{4C}}.
 
−
*'''SYDNEY''' and '''CANBERRA''': {{ZZZ}} also started on Sunday, '''7 March 1976''', ending '''11 April 1976'''. Tom Baker debuted in New South Wales on Friday, '''23 April 1976''', and the run ended on '''25 June 1976'''
 
−
*'''BRISBANE''': For the first two weeks, the series air four days, Monday through Thursdays, from Monday, '''19 April''' to Tuesday, '''4 May 1976''', before switching to weekly on Saturdays, from '''15 May 1976 to 19 June 1976'''.
 
−
*'''MELBOURNE''': The run started from Friday, '''28 May 1976''' with {{ZZZ}}, which ended on '''2 July 1976'''. After an eight week break, the Tom Baker era commenced, from Sunday, '''29 August 1976''', and this came to an end on '''31 October 1976''' (although there was no billing for it on that day; presumably a printing error rather than an indication that it was pre-empted and never rescheduled.)
 
−
*'''ADELAIDE''': There were no screenings of '''Doctor Who''' at all in ADELAIDE during 1976. It wasn't until Sunday, '''27 March 1977''', that ADELAIDE caught up with the rest of the country by airing this Block of new episodes, starting with {{ZZZ}}, weekly on Sundays, through to {{4C}} part four on '''10 July 1977'''. Because they were lagging behind, ADELAIDE was able to schedule the next Block of episodes to follow on without interruption.
 
  
−
(NOTE: We do not have full dates of this Block for PERTH or DARWIN.)
+
On learning of the ABC's decision to drop the series, the fans changed the purpose of their "Dalek Demo" from getting the "banned" stories shown to "Save Doctor Who" - and convince the ABC to reverse its decision to drop the series.
 +
 
 +
The group with its own home-built Dalek assembled outside the ABC's Broadcast House on Elizabeth Street on '''24 August 1976'''. The ABC relented, and scheduled the remaining purchased Tom Baker serials for the following year. It was as a direct result of the successful demonstration that the first '''[http://www.dwca.org.au/?q=section/about-dwca Australian Doctor Who Fan Club]''' was formally established.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
*'''HOBART''': began its run on Sundays, commencing with {{ZZZ}} on '''7 March 1976'''. It was the '''first''' network to screen Tom Baker, on '''18 April'''. It concluded the run on '''20 June 1976''', with {{4C}}.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
*'''SYDNEY''': also started {{ZZZ}} on Sunday, '''7 March 1976''', ending '''11 April 1976'''. Tom Baker debuted in New South Wales two weeks later, on Friday, '''23 April 1976''', and the run ended on '''25 June 1976'''.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
*'''PERTH''': saw Jon Pertwee bow out from Friday, '''12 March to 16 April 1975'''. Tom Baker arrived a week later, from '''23 April'''. Newspaper listings for northern Western Australia regional stations indicate that the run ended with {{4E}}, making this State the first to screen the Dalek serial. 
 +
 
 +
 
 +
*'''BRISBANE''': saw the final third Doctor story and the first of the new Doctor episodes on a daily basis, rather than weekly, Monday through Thursdays, from Monday, '''19 April''' to Tuesday, '''4 May 1976''', before switching to weekly on Saturdays, from '''15 May 1976 to 19 June 1976'''.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
*'''MELBOURNE''': saw the final Jon Pertwee serial on Fridays, from '''28 May 1976''' to '''2 July 1976'''. After an eight week break, the Tom Baker era commenced, from Sunday, '''29 August 1976''', and this came to an end on '''31 October 1976'''.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
*'''ADELAIDE''': had no screenings of '''Doctor Who''' at all during 1976. It wasn't until Sunday, '''27 March 1977''', that ADELAIDE caught up with the rest of the country by airing this Block of new episodes, starting with {{ZZZ}}, weekly on Sundays, through to {{4C}} part four on '''10 July 1977'''. Because they were lagging behind, ADELAIDE was able to also schedule the next Block of episodes to follow on without interruption…
 +
 
 +
 
 +
*It is possible that part 4 of {{4C}} may not have aired in all (or only in some?) regions, having been replaced by coverage of cricket.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
*'''MINING TOWNS''': These remote areas in Western Australia were still relying on their regular shipments of video-taped programming from PERTH. But starting from '''28 July 1976''', the Tom Price and Paraburdoo communities began to receive programmes in colour for the first time – although most residents still had monochrome TV sets.  The first episodes of '''Doctor Who''' they would have seen in colour would be from the tail end of Tom Baker's first series.  
  
  
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The remaining two season 12 serials that had been purchased before the ABC dropped the series were scheduled from April 1977, screening on Sundays in all regions, at 4.40pm or 5.35pm.  
 
The remaining two season 12 serials that had been purchased before the ABC dropped the series were scheduled from April 1977, screening on Sundays in all regions, at 4.40pm or 5.35pm.  
−
*'''HOBART''': From '''3 April 1977''' to '''26 June 1977''', followed by repeats of {{UUU}} through to {{ZZZ}} on a weekly basis, to '''23 October 1977'''.
 
−
*'''BRISBANE''': From '''24 April 1977''' to '''5 June 1977''', followed by repeats of {{UUU}} through to {{YYY}} on a weekly basis (albeit with some episodes pre-empted), to '''30 October 1977'''. There were no listings to indicate that {{ZZZ}} was repeated in BRISBANE. However on '''7 December 1977''', a generic listing of programming '''"For the Juniors"''', which ran for five hours (from 1.30 to 6.30pm), is given as a replacement for cancelled cricket on that date.
 
−
*'''SYDNEY''': From '''1 May 1977''' to '''3 July 1977''', followed by repeats of {{UUU}} through to {{ZZZ}} on a weekly basis (with the odd pre-emption during the screening of {{YYY}}), through to '''25 November 1977'''.
 
−
*'''ADELAIDE''': ADELAIDE's delay in screening the last Block of stories enabled them to screen the new Block straight away, from '''17 July 1977''' until '''25 September 1977''', followed by repeats of {{UUU}} and {{XXX}} only.
 
  
−
Of note, the repeats of these last few Pertwee episodes was the last time that '''Doctor Who''' aired on a weekly basis only; from 1977 until 1987, the series would always only air on weekdays.
 
  
−
(NOTE: We have no transmission dates of these serials for the other regions.)
+
*'''MELBOURNE''': was first to air {{4E}}, from Sunday, '''20 March 1977''' and {{4D}}, from '''8 May 1977'''. The short ten week run concluded on '''29 May 1977'''.
 +
**Repeats of {{UUU}} to {{ZZZ}} aired on Sundays in the same timeslot, from 5 June to 16 October 1977'''.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
*'''HOBART''': saw these ten episodes from '''3 April 1977''' to '''5 June 1977'''.
 +
**Repeats of {{UUU}} through to {{ZZZ}} aired on a weekly basis, from '''12 June to 23 October 1977'''.
  
  
−
----
+
*'''PERTH''': aired {{4D}} at some stage between August 1976 and June 1977; the exact airdates for this serial have not been found.
 +
**The full set of airdates for the repeat run of {{UUU}}1 to {{YYY}}3 have also not been found, but {{YYY}}4 to {{ZZZ}}6 aired from '''4 September 1977''' to '''6 November 1977'''.
  
−
===Block 11: T BAKER (PERTWEE) ---- '''February 1978 to November 1978'''===
 
−
[[File:Perth4K.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Pre-empted listing for The Brain of Morbius, 7 March 1978 (Perth)]]
 
−
{| {{small-table}}
 
−
|-
 
−
|'''First Run'''||'''{{4F}}----{{4H}}----{{4G}}----{{4J}}----{{4M}}----{{4L}}----{{4N}}----{{4Q}}----{{4R}}----{{4S}}----{{TTT}}----{{4K}}'''
 
−
|-
 
−
|'''Repeats'''||'''{{4A}}----{{4B}}----{{AAA}}----{{KKK}}----{{PPP}}----{{RRR}}----{{UUU}}----{{XXX}}----{{YYY}}----{{ZZZ}}----{{4A}}----{{4B}}----{{4C}}----{{4E}}----{{4D}}----{{4F}}----{{4G}}----{{4H}}----{{4J}}----{{4L}}----{{4M}}----{{4N}}----{{4Q}}----{{4R}}----{{4S}}'''
 
−
|}
 
  
−
In early 1978, a change of policy within the ABC saw the decision to not purchase any more '''Doctor Who''' overturned; the station purchased the remaining season 13 serials plus season 14, and scheduled them as one block.  
+
*'''BRISBANE''': From '''24 April 1977''' to '''5 June 1977''', followed by repeats of {{UUU}} through to {{YYY}} on a weekly basis (albeit with some episodes pre-empted), to '''30 October 1977'''. There were no listings to indicate that {{ZZZ}} was repeated in BRISBANE. However on '''7 December 1977''', a generic listing of programming '''"For the Juniors"''', which ran for five hours (from 1.30 to 6.30pm), is given as a replacement for cancelled cricket on that date – there is a remote possibility that {{ZZZ}} was shown as a compilation during this slot.
  
−
Two serials, {{4K}} and {{4P}}, were given "A" classifications, and therefore did not screen. However, by the time the censors' decision had been disclosed to the ABC, the station had already notified some newspapers and listings publications that {{4K}} was screening (as seen in this example here from a Perth TV magazine); in most regions {{4M}} was substituted in place of {{4K}}. 
 
  
−
The run of new Tom Baker stories was followed by a limited run of Jon Pertwee serials, most of which would be broadcast '''in colour''' for the first time. Only a handful existed in their entirety as PAL colour video tapes. (It is thought that some of these colour tapes were sourced from the Middle East, possibly [[United Arab Emirates]].) (According to the BBC in London, {{QQQ}} only existed in black and white, so the serial was being offered as such; neither the BBC nor the ABC was aware that the PAL colour tapes that had been supplied to the ABC in 1973 were still held at their Bond Store!)
+
*'''SYDNEY''': saw the run from '''1 May 1977''' to '''3 July 1977'''.
 +
**{{UUU}} through to {{ZZZ}} were repeated each week (with some pre-emptions during the screening of {{YYY}}), starting '''10 July 1977''' through to '''25 November 1977'''.
  
−
It would appear that the extended version of {{PPP}} part two aired during this run. (The same extended episode had been seen in [[New Zealand]] in 1975, and was used again for the 1979 Australian repeat, but for the 1983 and subsequent repeats, the standard BBC version was probably used.)
 
  
−
The ABC sought to have {{TTT}} reclassified to enable them to air one further story in colour; it was given a "G" rating, which overrode the original "A" rating that had prevented it from screening in 1973.  
+
*'''ADELAIDE''': was able to screen these two stories straight after the previous Block, from '''17 July 1977''' until '''25 September 1977'''.
 +
**A shorter run of repeats of {{UUU}} and {{XXX}} only aired between '''2 October and 4 December 1977'''.  
  
−
*'''PERTH''', '''SYDNEY''', '''CANBERRA''', '''MELBOURNE''', '''BRISBANE''', '''ADELAIDE''' and '''HOBART''': Seven regions commenced the new episodes simultaneously, starting with {{4F}}, screening four nights a week, from Tuesday, '''7 February 1978''', at 6.30pm. '''BRISBANE''' also started the series on the same day, but only three times a week, skipping the Friday episodes, putting Queensland out of sync with the rest of the country. Newspapers announced that {{4K}} would screen the week after {{4J}}, but the "A" rated serial was replaced with {{4M}}, which was brought forward in story order. With the screenings now out of sync, and the tapes of the next few serials not received or cleared by the censors, the ABC scheduled repeats of {{4A}} and {{4B}} between {{4L}} and {{4N}} in March 1978. Some newspapers advertised {{4P}} to follow {{4N}}, but the "A" rated serial was usually replaced with {{4Q}}.
 
−
*'''MELBOURNE''' fell out of step by one day due to no episode airing '''27 March 1978'''.
 
−
[[File:ADEMorbius78.JPG|thumb|right|Brain of Morbius compilation, in Adelaide only, 11 October 1978]]
 
−
*'''SYDNEY''' and '''HOBART''': The run of now-colour Jon Pertwee repeats commenced from Friday, '''5 May 1978''' in these two regions, with '''BRISBANE''' starting the run from Monday, '''29 May 1978'''. {{TTT}} debuted from '''30 May 1978'''. The re-run of Pertwees was followed by a complete run of the Tom Bakers, from {{4A}} again through to {{4S}}, with {{4M}} screening in its correct position, but with {{4G}} and {{4H}} screening this time in production order. The run concluded on '''11 October 1978''' in SYDNEY; '''12 October 1978''' in HOBART; '''8 November''' in ADELAIDE; and prematurely with {{4R}} part four on '''28 November 1978''' in BRISBANE.
 
−
*'''ADELAIDE''': On Wednesday, '''11 October 1978''', at 8.30pm, the 60 minute edited compilation of {{4K}} screened for the first time but only in ADELAIDE. (It would not screen in other regions until January 1980…)
 
  
−
(NOTE: We do not have many clear transmission dates for PERTH and HOBART from this point on; with the occasional pre-emption aside, those regional screenings would have mostly mirrored those of the regions that are noted.)
+
Of note, the repeats of these last few Pertwee episodes was the '''final time'''  that '''Doctor Who''' aired on a weekly basis only; from 1977 until 1987, the series would always only air on weekdays.  
  
  
 
----
 
----
  
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===Block 12: T BAKER ---- '''February 1979 to October 1979'''===
+
===Block 11: T BAKER (PERTWEE) ---- '''February 1978 to November 1978'''===
 +
[[File:Perth4K.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Pre-empted listing for The Brain of Morbius, 7 March 1978 (Perth)]]
 
{| {{small-table}}
 
{| {{small-table}}
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''First Run'''||'''{{4V}}----{{4T}}----{{4X}}----{{4W}}----{{4Y}}----{{4Z}}----{{5A}}----{{5B}}----{{5C}}----{{5D}}----{{5E}}----{{5F}}'''
+
|'''First Run'''||'''{{4F}}----{{4H}}----{{4G}}----{{4J}}----{{4M}}----{{4L}}----{{4N}}----{{4Q}}----{{4R}}----{{4S}}----{{TTT}}----{{4K}}'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''Repeats'''||'''{{AAA}}----{{KKK}}----{{PPP}}----{{RRR}}----{{TTT}}----{{UUU}}----{{XXX}}----{{YYY}}----{{ZZZ}}----{{4A}}----{{4B}}----{{4C}}----{{4E}}----{{4D}}----{{4F}}----{{4G}}----{{4H}}----{{4J}}----{{4L}}----{{4M}}'''
+
|'''Repeats'''||'''{{4A}}----{{4B}}----{{AAA}}----{{KKK}}----{{PPP}}----{{RRR}}----{{UUU}}----{{XXX}}----{{YYY}}----{{ZZZ}}----{{4A}}----{{4B}}----{{4C}}----{{4E}}----{{4D}}----{{4F}}----{{4G}}----{{4H}}----{{4J}}----{{4L}}----{{4M}}----{{4N}}----{{4Q}}----{{4R}}----{{4S}}'''
−
|}
+
|}
−
[[File:4V190279.JPG|right|thumb|450px|Sydney Morning Herald, 19 February 1979]]
 
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From 1979 onwards, the ABC was virtually fully unified across the country, with the same episodes screening across all regions, albeit allowing for the two hour difference between coasts. The odd regional variance would generally occur around coverage of local sports events. However, from this point on, this overview will no longer cover these regional variances.
 
  
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*From '''2 to 15 February 1979''', Tom Baker visited Australia on a publicity tour. It was during this visit that a series of promotional videos using the slogan '''"Keep Australia Beautiful"''' were recorded, as well as television interviews.
+
In early 1978, a change of policy within the ABC saw the decision to not purchase any more '''Doctor Who''' overturned; the station purchased the remaining season 13 serials plus season 14, and scheduled them as one Block.  
−
**'''CLIPS: KEEP AUSTRALIA BEAUTIFUL''':
 
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{{YouTube|id=dRJJDZWLzng|float=left}}
 
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{{YouTube|id=c7-lGr9FGvI|float=left}}
 
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{{YouTube|id=yXDRlxeb26s|float=left}}
 
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{{YouTube|id=w3ofYbtKOHs|float=left}}
 
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{{clear}}
 
  
−
*From Monday, '''19 February 1979''' to Wednesday, '''23 May 1979''', seasons 15 and 16 aired back to back, four nights per week (not Fridays). There was an interruption during February or March 1979 in some regions, with a full week gap between episodes one and two of {{4Z}}.
+
Two serials, {{4K}} and {{4P}}, had "A" classifications, and therefore did not screen. However, by the time the censors' decision had been disclosed to the ABC in March 1978, the station had already notified some newspapers and listings publications that {{4K}} was screening (as seen in this example here at right from a Perth TV magazine); in most regions {{4M}} was substituted in place of {{4K}}.
−
*From Thursday, '''24 May 1979''', there was another repeat run of the colour Jon Pertwee stories, followed by Tom Bakers from {{4A}} to {{4M}} only, concluding in each region by the end of '''October 1979'''.  
 
  
−
*'''MELBOURNE''' fell out of sync a few times, due to sports coverage. Most of the regions ended simultaneously on '''24 October 1979''', whereas Victoria ended the run on '''30 October'''.  
+
The run of new Tom Baker stories was followed by a limited run of Jon Pertwee serials, most of which would be broadcast '''in colour''' for the first time. {{AAA}} was sourced as a colour 16mm film print, whereas the others were on Video Tape. Only a handful still existed in their entirety as PAL colour video tapes. (It is thought that some of these colour tapes were sourced from the Middle East, possibly [[United Arab Emirates]].) (According to the BBC in London, {{QQQ}} only existed in black and white, so the serial was being offered as such; neither the BBC nor the ABC was aware that the PAL colour tapes that had been supplied to the ABC in 1973 were still held at their Film / Video Tape library!)
  
−
----
+
The 29 minute extended version of {{PPP}} part two with the alternative arrangement of the theme tune aired for the '''first time''' during this run. (The same extended episode had already been seen in [[New Zealand]] in 1975, and was used again for the 1979, 1983 and 1986 Australian repeats, but for the 2004 showing, this was the shorter standard BBC version.)
  
−
===Block 13: T BAKER ---- '''January 1980 to October 1980'''===
+
The ABC sought to have {{TTT}} reclassified to enable them to air one further story in colour; tapes were acquired from the BBC, and it was reassessed and given a "G" rating (with one small cut made to part 3), which overrode the original "A" rating that had prevented it from screening in 1973.  
−
[[File:Adel4K78.JPG|thumb|right||250px|The Brain of Morbius Omnibus edition, 24 January 1980 (TV Week)]]
 
−
[[File:4KOmnibus2.JPG|right|thumb|250px|The Brain of Morbius Omnibus edition, 24 January 1980 (Sydney Morning Herald)]]
 
−
[[File:4KOmnibus.JPG|right|thumb|250px|The Brain of Morbius Omnibus edition, 24 January 1980 (Melbourne Age)]]
 
  
−
{| {{small-table}}
 
−
|-
 
−
|'''First Run'''||'''{{5J}}----{{5H}}----{{5G}}----{{5K}}----{{5L}}'''
 
−
|-
 
−
|'''Repeats'''||'''{{4K}}----{{4A}}----{{4B}}----{{4C}}----{{4D}}----{{4E}}----{{4F}}----{{4H}}----{{4V}}----{{4T}}----{{4X}}----{{4W}}----{{4Y}}----{{4Z}}----{{5A}}----{{5B}}----{{5C}}----{{5D}}----{{5E}}----{{5F}}----{{5J}}----{{5H}}----{{5G}}----{{5K}}----{{5L}}----{{4G}}----{{4J}}----{{4L}}----{{4M}}'''
 
−
|}
 
  
−
The ABC explored the possibility of acquiring from the [[United States]] NTSC colour tapes of other Jon Pertwee stories, however months after their initial enquiry they were informed that the tapes had already been wiped!
+
'''NEW EPISODES'''
−
[[File:PrimeAds.JPG |thumb|right|250px|Screen grabs of Pr1me Computer ads]]
 
−
 
 
−
*On Thursday, '''24 January 1980''', at 9.30pm, the 60 minute edited compilation of {{4K}} screened for the first time in all regions, and repeated in ADELAIDE.
 
−
*A month later, from Monday, '''18 February 1980''', the new season started, again screening four nights a week, at 6.30pm. The fourth part of {{5L}} aired '''20 March 1980'''.
 
−
* Tom Baker undertook a second promotional tour of Australia from '''27 February 1980'''.
 
−
*The following week, a further run of repeats, starting with {{4A}}, getting only as far as {{4H}}, after which, from '''12 May 1980''', came repeats of {{4V}} through to {{5L}}, only six months after the initial screening. It was then back to season 13 again, with {{4G}} from '''15 September''', with the run ending at {{4M}} on '''14 October 1980''', in SYDNEY and BRISBANE. In MELBOURNE and HOBART the run ended two days later, on '''16 October 1980'''; at least two episodes would have been pre-empted at some stage to push those two regions out of sync. In '''PERTH''', the run concluded on '''21 October 1980'''.
 
  
 +
*'''PERTH''', '''SYDNEY''', '''MELBOURNE''', '''BRISBANE''', '''ADELAIDE''' and '''HOBART''': for the first time ever, all regions commenced the new episodes simultaneously from Tuesday, '''7 February 1978''', at 6.30pm, starting with {{4F}}, screening four nights a week.
 +
**'''BRISBANE''', however, only aired three times a week, skipping the Friday episodes, putting Queensland out of sync with the rest of the country from day one.
 +
**'''MELBOURNE''' also fell out of step by one day due to no episode airing '''27 March 1978'''.
 +
[[File:ADEMorbius78.JPG|thumb|right|Brain of Morbius compilation, in Adelaide only, 11 October 1978]]
 +
*Some regional newspapers announced that {{4K}} would screen the week after {{4J}}, but the "A" rated serial was replaced with {{4M}}, which was brought forward in story order.
 +
*With the screenings now out of sync, and the tapes of the next few serials not received or cleared in time by the censors, the ABC scheduled repeats of {{4A}} and {{4B}} between {{4L}} and {{4N}} in March 1978.
 +
*On the night of Tuesday, '''4 April 1978''', '''PERTH''' was hit by a cyclone (the largest natural disaster to affect the city); half of the city was blacked out. As a result of this, part 1 of {{4N}} was repeated the following night, ahead of part 2. It appears that the following day part 2 was itself repeated ahead of part 3. Part 4, however, aired on its own on the Friday; it wasn't preceded by a repeat of part 3.
 +
*Some newspapers advertised {{4P}} to follow {{4N}}, but the "A" rated serial was usually replaced with {{4Q}}.
  
−
'''PR1ME COMPUTERS'''
 
  
−
It was during late 1980 / early 1981 that a series of television commercials for '''Pr1me Computers''' aired on Australian television. The four ads featuring Tom Baker and Lalla Ward were filmed during the recording of season 18. These did not play on the non-commercial station, ABC. The ads also aired in [[New Zealand]] in mid-1981.
+
'''REPEATS'''
−
*[http://nzdwfc.tetrap.com/archive/tsv26/primecomputers.html PR1ME COMPUTER ADS]
 
  
 +
*After {{4S}} 6, all regions screened repeats of {{AAA}}, {{KKK}}, {{PPP}}, and {{RRR}} now in '''COLOUR''' for the first time! The extended version of {{PPP}} 2 with alternative title music also aired for the '''first time'''.
 +
*The next story to air wasn't a repeat – this was {{TTT}}, which had previously been given an "A" classified serial but had been resubmitted for review was granted a "G"; this  debuted in '''PERTH''' on '''29 May 1978''', with the other networks screening the "new" serial the following day. 
 +
*After this, the re-run of colour Pertwees continued, followed by a complete run of the Tom Bakers, from {{4A}} again through to {{4S}}, with {{4M}} screening in its correct position, but with {{4G}} and {{4H}} screening this time in production order.
 +
*The run concluded with {{4S}} on Tuesday, '''10 October 1978''' in PERTH; on '''11 October 1978''' in SYDNEY; '''12 October 1978''' in HOBART; '''8 November''' in ADELAIDE; and prematurely with {{4R}} part four on '''28 November 1978''' in BRISBANE. (Although, as far as we can determine, {{4S}} was not repeated in BRISBANE.)
  
  
−
----
 
  
−
===Block 14: T BAKER / DAVISON ---- '''March 1982 to December 1982'''===
+
'''MORE NEW EPISODES – SORT OF…'''
−
[[File:NewFace26Apr82.JPG|right|thumb|250px|The "New Face" Peter Davison, Sydney Morning Herald, 22 April 1982]] 
 
−
{| {{small-table}}
 
−
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|'''First Run'''||'''{{5N}}----{{5Q}}----{{5R}}----{{5P}}----{{5S}}----{{5T}}----{{5V}}----{{5Z}}----{{5W}}----{{5Y}}----{{5X}}----{{6A}}----{{6B}}----{{6C}}'''
 
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|'''Repeats'''||'''{{4N}}----{{4M}}----{{4C}}----{{4E}}----{{4D}}----{{4F}}----{{4H}}----{{4G}}----{{4J}}----{{4L}}----{{4Q}}----{{4R}}----{{4S}}----{{4V}}----{{4T}}----{{4X}}----{{4W}}----{{4Y}}----{{4Z}}'''
 
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There were no screenings at all in '''1981''', mainly due to further complaints about the number of repeats of the same early Tom Baker serials over and over (for instance, by this time {{4A}} had already aired '''five''' times). Although they had purchased the bulk of Tom Baker's final season in early 1981, the ABC decided to delay screening them, instead choosing to wait until Peter Davison's first season was available, and airing the two back to back.
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*'''ADELAIDE''': South Australians had the unique privilege of being the first to see the 60 minute edited compilation of {{4K}} on Wednesday, '''11 October 1978''', at 8.30pm. (It would not screen in the other regions until January 1980…)
  
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*Tom Baker's final season commenced on Monday, '''8 March 1982''', at 6.30pm in all regions bar '''HOBART''', were it commenced the following day, placing that region out of sync with the rest of the country by one day for the full run.
 
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*'''ADELAIDE''' was a day late getting part one of {{5T}} on '''13 April 1982''', putting them out of step by one day as well.
 
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*'''Peter Davison''' made his Australian debut on Monday, '''26 April 1982''', a matter of four months after his arrival on British screens.
 
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*'''MELBOURNE''' then aired {{6C}} parts three and four back to back on '''8 June 1982''' in order to catch up, having pre-empted the series on '''12 April 1982'''.
 
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*From '''9 June 1982''', the day after part four of {{6C}}, a run of regional repeats commenced, mainly to accommodate coverage of the football World Cup.  To begin with, only '''SYDNEY''' and '''BRISBANE''' saw two episodes back to back of {{4N}}, picking up from where the October 1980 repeat had ended. This was followed a few weeks later by {{4M}}, again with two episodes back to back. (ADELAIDE may have had all four episodes back to back.) This was followed by {{4C}}, screening two episodes back to back across two days nation-wide. The rest of season 12 and 13 aired Mondays to Thursdays, then a jump to {{4Q}}; after {{4R}} part four on Thursday, '''23 September 1982''', the TV schedules were dominated by coverage of the Commonwealth Games for the next two weeks.
 
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*The repeats resumed from '''11 October 1982''' with {{4S}} through to {{4W}}, with some regions then skipping {{4Y}}, and the run ended with {{4Z}} (some regions aired with parts one and two back to back) in early December.
 
  
  
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*'''CONTINUED: [[Australia TX 1983-1985|1983-1985]]'''
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*'''CONTINUED: [[Australia TX 1979-1982|1979-1982]]'''
  
  
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==Links==
 
==Links==

Latest revision as of 23:06, 11 January 2025

AUSTRALIAN TRANSMISSION HISTORY (Part Five) (1976-1978)

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Block 9: PERTWEE / T BAKER ---- March 1976 to September 1976

Planet of the Spiders part two; Melbourne, 4 June 1976
First Run ZZZ----4A----4B----4C----4E?

After a long eight month break with no holiday repeats, the series returned in 1976 with the final Jon Pertwee story, ZZZ, and the first three Tom Baker serials, which screened in production order, screening on different days of the week in each region, usually at 6.00pm. (Because of this late scheduling of his stories, Australia became the third country – after Netherlands and Hong Kong - to show the fourth Doctor.)


AUSTRALIAN DOCTOR WHO FAN CLUB

Following the publication in Australia of Target books' "The Making of Doctor Who" in 1976, a group of Australian fans discovered that a number of stories (such as Mission to the Unknown, The Daleks' Master Plan, Inferno, The Mind of Evil, The Daemons and The Green Death) had never been aired on the ABC, and planned to stage a "Dalek Demo" protest outside the ABC's headquarters in downtown Sydney to force the ABC to show the "banned" stories.

By this time the ABC had been receiving a number of complaints from viewers about the "endless" repeats, and decided to pull the series from the schedules early, despite having already purchased the next two serials, 4E and 4D, and had already had a further two, 4F and 4H, classified by the censors.

On learning of the ABC's decision to drop the series, the fans changed the purpose of their "Dalek Demo" from getting the "banned" stories shown to "Save Doctor Who" - and convince the ABC to reverse its decision to drop the series.

The group with its own home-built Dalek assembled outside the ABC's Broadcast House on Elizabeth Street on 24 August 1976. The ABC relented, and scheduled the remaining purchased Tom Baker serials for the following year. It was as a direct result of the successful demonstration that the first Australian Doctor Who Fan Club was formally established.


  • HOBART: began its run on Sundays, commencing with ZZZ on 7 March 1976. It was the first network to screen Tom Baker, on 18 April. It concluded the run on 20 June 1976, with 4C.


  • SYDNEY: also started ZZZ on Sunday, 7 March 1976, ending 11 April 1976. Tom Baker debuted in New South Wales two weeks later, on Friday, 23 April 1976, and the run ended on 25 June 1976.


  • PERTH: saw Jon Pertwee bow out from Friday, 12 March to 16 April 1975. Tom Baker arrived a week later, from 23 April. Newspaper listings for northern Western Australia regional stations indicate that the run ended with 4E, making this State the first to screen the Dalek serial.


  • BRISBANE: saw the final third Doctor story and the first of the new Doctor episodes on a daily basis, rather than weekly, Monday through Thursdays, from Monday, 19 April to Tuesday, 4 May 1976, before switching to weekly on Saturdays, from 15 May 1976 to 19 June 1976.


  • MELBOURNE: saw the final Jon Pertwee serial on Fridays, from 28 May 1976 to 2 July 1976. After an eight week break, the Tom Baker era commenced, from Sunday, 29 August 1976, and this came to an end on 31 October 1976.


  • ADELAIDE: had no screenings of Doctor Who at all during 1976. It wasn't until Sunday, 27 March 1977, that ADELAIDE caught up with the rest of the country by airing this Block of new episodes, starting with ZZZ, weekly on Sundays, through to 4C part four on 10 July 1977. Because they were lagging behind, ADELAIDE was able to also schedule the next Block of episodes to follow on without interruption…


  • It is possible that part 4 of 4C may not have aired in all (or only in some?) regions, having been replaced by coverage of cricket.


  • MINING TOWNS: These remote areas in Western Australia were still relying on their regular shipments of video-taped programming from PERTH. But starting from 28 July 1976, the Tom Price and Paraburdoo communities began to receive programmes in colour for the first time – although most residents still had monochrome TV sets. The first episodes of Doctor Who they would have seen in colour would be from the tail end of Tom Baker's first series.


Block 10: T BAKER ---- April 1977 to November 1977

"Dr Who new series", 4.40pm (Revenge of the Cybermen, part one), 12 June 1977 (Sydney)
First Run 4E----4D
Repeats UUU----XXX----YYY----ZZZ

The remaining two season 12 serials that had been purchased before the ABC dropped the series were scheduled from April 1977, screening on Sundays in all regions, at 4.40pm or 5.35pm.


  • MELBOURNE: was first to air 4E, from Sunday, 20 March 1977 and 4D, from 8 May 1977. The short ten week run concluded on 29 May 1977.
    • Repeats of UUU to ZZZ aired on Sundays in the same timeslot, from 5 June to 16 October 1977.


  • HOBART: saw these ten episodes from 3 April 1977 to 5 June 1977.
    • Repeats of UUU through to ZZZ aired on a weekly basis, from 12 June to 23 October 1977.


  • PERTH: aired 4D at some stage between August 1976 and June 1977; the exact airdates for this serial have not been found.
    • The full set of airdates for the repeat run of UUU1 to YYY3 have also not been found, but YYY4 to ZZZ6 aired from 4 September 1977 to 6 November 1977.


  • BRISBANE: From 24 April 1977 to 5 June 1977, followed by repeats of UUU through to YYY on a weekly basis (albeit with some episodes pre-empted), to 30 October 1977. There were no listings to indicate that ZZZ was repeated in BRISBANE. However on 7 December 1977, a generic listing of programming "For the Juniors", which ran for five hours (from 1.30 to 6.30pm), is given as a replacement for cancelled cricket on that date – there is a remote possibility that ZZZ was shown as a compilation during this slot.


  • SYDNEY: saw the run from 1 May 1977 to 3 July 1977.
    • UUU through to ZZZ were repeated each week (with some pre-emptions during the screening of YYY), starting 10 July 1977 through to 25 November 1977.


  • ADELAIDE: was able to screen these two stories straight after the previous Block, from 17 July 1977 until 25 September 1977.
    • A shorter run of repeats of UUU and XXX only aired between 2 October and 4 December 1977.


Of note, the repeats of these last few Pertwee episodes was the final time that Doctor Who aired on a weekly basis only; from 1977 until 1987, the series would always only air on weekdays.


Block 11: T BAKER (PERTWEE) ---- February 1978 to November 1978

Pre-empted listing for The Brain of Morbius, 7 March 1978 (Perth)
First Run 4F----4H----4G----4J----4M----4L----4N----4Q----4R----4S----TTT----4K
Repeats 4A----4B----AAA----KKK----PPP----RRR----UUU----XXX----YYY----ZZZ----4A----4B----4C----4E----4D----4F----4G----4H----4J----4L----4M----4N----4Q----4R----4S

In early 1978, a change of policy within the ABC saw the decision to not purchase any more Doctor Who overturned; the station purchased the remaining season 13 serials plus season 14, and scheduled them as one Block.

Two serials, 4K and 4P, had "A" classifications, and therefore did not screen. However, by the time the censors' decision had been disclosed to the ABC in March 1978, the station had already notified some newspapers and listings publications that 4K was screening (as seen in this example here at right from a Perth TV magazine); in most regions 4M was substituted in place of 4K.

The run of new Tom Baker stories was followed by a limited run of Jon Pertwee serials, most of which would be broadcast in colour for the first time. AAA was sourced as a colour 16mm film print, whereas the others were on Video Tape. Only a handful still existed in their entirety as PAL colour video tapes. (It is thought that some of these colour tapes were sourced from the Middle East, possibly United Arab Emirates.) (According to the BBC in London, QQQ only existed in black and white, so the serial was being offered as such; neither the BBC nor the ABC was aware that the PAL colour tapes that had been supplied to the ABC in 1973 were still held at their Film / Video Tape library!)

The 29 minute extended version of PPP part two with the alternative arrangement of the theme tune aired for the first time during this run. (The same extended episode had already been seen in New Zealand in 1975, and was used again for the 1979, 1983 and 1986 Australian repeats, but for the 2004 showing, this was the shorter standard BBC version.)

The ABC sought to have TTT reclassified to enable them to air one further story in colour; tapes were acquired from the BBC, and it was reassessed and given a "G" rating (with one small cut made to part 3), which overrode the original "A" rating that had prevented it from screening in 1973.


NEW EPISODES

  • PERTH, SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, BRISBANE, ADELAIDE and HOBART: for the first time ever, all regions commenced the new episodes simultaneously from Tuesday, 7 February 1978, at 6.30pm, starting with 4F, screening four nights a week.
    • BRISBANE, however, only aired three times a week, skipping the Friday episodes, putting Queensland out of sync with the rest of the country from day one.
    • MELBOURNE also fell out of step by one day due to no episode airing 27 March 1978.
Brain of Morbius compilation, in Adelaide only, 11 October 1978
  • Some regional newspapers announced that 4K would screen the week after 4J, but the "A" rated serial was replaced with 4M, which was brought forward in story order.
  • With the screenings now out of sync, and the tapes of the next few serials not received or cleared in time by the censors, the ABC scheduled repeats of 4A and 4B between 4L and 4N in March 1978.
  • On the night of Tuesday, 4 April 1978, PERTH was hit by a cyclone (the largest natural disaster to affect the city); half of the city was blacked out. As a result of this, part 1 of 4N was repeated the following night, ahead of part 2. It appears that the following day part 2 was itself repeated ahead of part 3. Part 4, however, aired on its own on the Friday; it wasn't preceded by a repeat of part 3.
  • Some newspapers advertised 4P to follow 4N, but the "A" rated serial was usually replaced with 4Q.


REPEATS

  • After 4S 6, all regions screened repeats of AAA, KKK, PPP, and RRR now in COLOUR for the first time! The extended version of PPP 2 with alternative title music also aired for the first time.
  • The next story to air wasn't a repeat – this was TTT, which had previously been given an "A" classified serial but had been resubmitted for review was granted a "G"; this debuted in PERTH on 29 May 1978, with the other networks screening the "new" serial the following day.
  • After this, the re-run of colour Pertwees continued, followed by a complete run of the Tom Bakers, from 4A again through to 4S, with 4M screening in its correct position, but with 4G and 4H screening this time in production order.
  • The run concluded with 4S on Tuesday, 10 October 1978 in PERTH; on 11 October 1978 in SYDNEY; 12 October 1978 in HOBART; 8 November in ADELAIDE; and prematurely with 4R part four on 28 November 1978 in BRISBANE. (Although, as far as we can determine, 4S was not repeated in BRISBANE.)


MORE NEW EPISODES – SORT OF…

  • ADELAIDE: South Australians had the unique privilege of being the first to see the 60 minute edited compilation of 4K on Wednesday, 11 October 1978, at 8.30pm. (It would not screen in the other regions until January 1980…)



Airdates in Australia
1965-66 | 1966-67 | 1967-71 | 1971-75 | 1976-78 | 1979-82 | 1983-85 | 1985-90 | 1991-2002 | 2003-(2020s)
Key: BOLD = first airing | ITALICS = repeat
Table of Repeats | ABC's Regional Stations
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Links

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