Difference between revisions of "Doctor Who USA Tour"

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[[File:USA Tour.JPG|center|200px|Doctor Who USA Tour]]
  
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The following timeline is a summary of the route taken by the Tour, with just some of the significant moments and milestones highlighted.
 +
 +
For a much more detailed account of the Tour stops, dates, the guests travelling with the truck and admission prices, visit our [[List of Celebration & Tour stops|DEDICATED PAGE HERE]].  For newspaper clippings, visit the [https://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Category:Celebration_%26_Tour Doctor Who Cuttings Archive].
 +
 +
 +
==1986==
 +
===8 May===
 
[[File:USABus.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Doctor Who USA Tour Trailer leaves Elstree Studios, UK, to begin its voyage to the US...]]
 
[[File:USABus.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Doctor Who USA Tour Trailer leaves Elstree Studios, UK, to begin its voyage to the US...]]
[[File:USA Tour.JPG|right|200px|Doctor Who USA Tour]]
+
The '''Doctor Who USA Tour''' sets off on its two-year, multi-city journey...  The inauguration is held on the National Mall beneath the Washington Monument in [[Washington DC]]. Controller of BBC One, [[wikipedia:Michael Grade|Michael Grade]], and Peter Davison attend the event.
 +
*Interviews with Grade and BBC Enterprises representative Brian Sloman appear in [http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who_Tours_U.S._During_Hiatus Starlog 113].
  
 +
It is hoped that most of the markets where '''Doctor Who''' is screened in America will be visited; some reports cite as many as '''181''' cities, while others state '''185''' - although it's clear that the actual number of stops made in the two-year period fell well short of that ambitious target.
  
<span style="font-size:200%;">'''1986'''</span>
+
Some of the city visits also coincide with [[List of Conventions in the United States|organised conventions]] and other fan events. Guests at conventions would sometimes visit the Tour, while guests traveling with the trailer would make appearances at conventions.
  
'''8 May 1986''': With BBC One Controller, Michael Grade, and Peter Davison at its inauguration, the '''Doctor Who USA Tour''' trailer "bus" sets off from [[Washington DC]] to begin its two-year, multi-city tour (two cities per week). It is hoped that most of the 185 markets where '''Doctor Who''' is screened across America will be visited. Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sarah Sutton all take part at various legs of the journey during the first year. Some of the city visits coincide with [[List of Conventions in the United States|organised conventions]].
+
{{Google Docs Viewer|url=http://gallifreybase.com/w/images/6/67/USA_Tour_flier_rotated.pdf|height=325|width=550|float=left}}{{clear}}
***'''[https://archive.org/stream/starlog_magazine-113/113?ui=embed#page/n9/mode/2up Interviews with Grade and BBC representative, Brian Sloman appear in Starlog 113]'''
 
  
 +
===May to September===
 +
[[File:Wisconsin State Journal 19860914.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Wisconsin State Journal, Sept. 14, 1986]]
 +
On its first leg, the Tour (without any guests from the series) visits [[Maryland]], [[New Jersey]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[New York]], [[Connecticut]], [[Maine]], [[New Hampshire]], [[Massachusetts]], then back to [[New York]] and through to [[Ohio]].
 +
*On '''25 May 1986''', the Tour stops in New Brunswick, where the Whovent 86 convention is taking place. The Doctor Who guests take time out from the event to visit the travelling exhibition. While there, they also take part in the [[wikipedia:Hands Across America|Hands Across America]] event.
 +
*From September, the Tour now regularly features one or more actors from the series, but several stops are without a guest traveller. (It's not until 1987 that every stop includes a guest.)
 +
* '''13-28 September 1986''': The Tour heads south, visiting [[New York]], [[Massachusetts]] and [[Ohio]]. (The two Bakers travelled together for some of the time during September, attending various Whovent 86 [[List of Conventions in the United States|conventions]] along the way.)
  
* '''May to August 1986''': On its first leg within New England, the tour visits (in roughly this order) [[Pennsylvania]] (in late May), [[New Jersey]], [[New York]] and [[Maine]].
 
** '''13-28 September 1986''': The Tour heads south, visiting (in no particular order) [[Massachusetts]], [[New Jersey]], [[New York]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[Maryland]],  [[Washington DC]], then north west, to [[Illinois]]. (The two Bakers travelled together during September, attending various Whovent 86 [[List of Conventions in the United States|conventions]] along the way.)
 
**'''27-28 September 1986''': Parmatown Strip Center, Parma, Ohio (near [[Cleveland]]).
 
**'''4 October 1986''': Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton travel on to [[Minnesota]]
 
*** [http://www.michaell.org/who/conclips/whotour86.phtml USA TOUR in MINNESOTA, October 1986 1]
 
*** [http://www.michaell.org/who/conclips/whotour286.phtml USA TOUR in MINNESOTA, October 1986 2]
 
**'''5 October 1986''': The tour reaches Madison, [[Wisconsin]], again with Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton.
 
<table>
 
<tr>
 
  <td>[[File:Wisconsin State Journal 19860914.JPG|thumb|200px|Wisconsin State Journal, Sept. 14, 1986]]</td>
 
  <td>{{Google Docs Viewer|url=http://gallifreybase.com/w/images/6/67/USA_Tour_flier_rotated.pdf|height=325|width=500}}</td>
 
</tr>
 
</table>
 
*'''October to December 1986''': The Tour moves south through [[Tennessee]] with Jon Pertwee, who falls ill; he is accompanied by Paul Darrow and Michael Keating from '''Blakes 7''' for part of the journey.
 
  
 +
===October to December===
 +
*'''4-5 October 1986''': Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton (both actors making their only trips with the Tour) travel on to [[Minnesota]] and [[Wisconsin]].
 +
*The Tour moves south through [[West Virginia]], then [[North Carolina]] and [[South Carolina]] with Jon Pertwee, who falls ill; he is accompanied by Paul Darrow and Michael Keating from '''Blake's 7''' for part of the journey.
 +
*The Tour takes a break from '''mid-December''' for six weeks.
  
----
 
  
 +
==1987==
 +
*During the hiatus period, the name and branding for the Tour is changed to '''Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88''' (although the trailer retains its "Doctor Who USA Tour" signage).
 +
*For the second year of its travels, it is hoped the trailer will visit over '''70''' cities in '''36''' States. It is also planned for the Tour to visit Toronto at the end of May, but ultimately that trip over the border to [[Canada]] does not eventuate.
 +
*While only some of the trips made during 1986 feature guests, all the stops in 1987 include at least one star from the series. 
 +
[[File:USATourMap.jpg|left|thumb|600px|Map showing the States and main cities to be visited during the second year of the tour]]
  
<span style="font-size:200%;">'''1987'''</span>
 
*By early 1987, the Tour has been renamed the '''Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88''', with at least '''36''' States on its itinerary.
 
[[File:USATourMap.jpg|right|thumb|700px|Map showing States and cities visited by the 87-88 leg of the tour]]
 
 
{{clear}}
 
{{clear}}
[[File:USATour8788.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88]]
 
[[File:GA 19870301.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Live from Atlanta, 7 March 1987]]
 
  
*'''February 1987''': The trailer reaches [[Florida]].  
+
 
**'''8 February 1987''': The trailer stops in Tampa, [[Florida]], with Peter Davison.
+
===January to February===
**'''21-21 February 1987''': The Tour comes to DisneyWorld in Orlando, [[Florida]], with Jon Pertwee.
+
[[File:USATour8788.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88 press-kit from NATPE]]
**'''22-28 February 1987''': The trailer heads northwards again: Pertwee makes stops in [[Louisiana]], and Birmingham, [[Alabama]], before heading to [[Georgia]] later the same day.  
+
For the 1987 leg of the Tour, the trailer starts in [[Louisiana]], travels down to [[Florida]], then up to [[Alabama]].
***[http://www.richardwho.com/exhibitions/USATour/19870228/index.asp USA TOUR in ALABAMA, 28 February 1987]  
+
*'''21-25 January''': The trailer makes its first appearance of 1987 in [[Louisiana]], at the annual NATPE Television program showcase event held at the [[New Orleans]] Convention Center, with Peter Davison on board. (NATPE runs from 21-25 January, but the Tour is on site for only some of that time.)
**'''28 February 1987''': That evening, at Mercer University in Atlanta, [[Georgia]], Pertwee is joined by new Doctor Sylvester McCoy, and producer John Nathan-Turner. McCoy is interviewed by Eric Luskin:
+
**A lavish press-kit folder advertising the series and Tour is distributed at Lionheart's stand; surplus copies of the kit are later available to be purchased during the Tour.
***'''[https://archive.org/stream/starlog_magazine-120/120?ui=embed#page/n11/mode/2up Interview with Sylvester McCoy in Starlog 120]'''
+
*Davison and the trailer move on to [[Florida]].
{{YouTube|float=left|id=BnmnpKHNQoI}}  
+
*'''21-21 February 1987''': The Tour - now with Jon Pertwee - comes to Walt Disney World in [[Orlando]].
{{clear}}
+
*'''22-28 February 1987''': The trailer heads northwards again: Pertwee makes stops in [[Louisiana]], and Birmingham, [[Alabama]] (en route the trailer's roof is damaged when it passes under a low bridge).
**'''7 March 1987''': Footage from Pertwee's visit aired with the '''[[Live from Atlanta]]''' TV "Special".  
+
**[http://www.richardwho.com/exhibitions/USATour/19870228/index.asp USA TOUR in ALABAMA, 28 February 1987]
*'''March 1987''': The Tour heads north east.  
+
 
**'''26-27 March 1987''': Anthony Ainley and Janet Fielding call in at Baltimore, [[Maryland]].
+
 
**'''16-17 May 1987''': The Tour stops at the WGBH studios in Boston, [[Massachusetts]], with Sylvester McCoy (who has just completed recording [[Time and the Rani]]). On the night of 17 May, a special "Dinner With the Doctor" is held.  
+
===March===
*** [http://mittenthief.tumblr.com/post/8451828067/my-program-from-the-doctor-who-celebration-tour USA TOUR 15 MAY 1987 PROGRAMME]
+
 
**'''4-5 July 1987''': Heading north west, the Tour stops again at [[Chicago]]. (There are no guests during this leg of the tour.)
+
The Tour with Pertwee heads northeast making its way through [[Georgia]], [[Tennessee]] and the Virginias. For some of this leg, he is accompanied by Brian Sloman from BBC Enterprises / Lionheart (and one of the chief planners and organisers of the Tour).
**'''1 August 1987''': Westbound, the Tour arrives in [[Iowa]], with Janet Fielding.
+
*'''7 March 1987''': The Tour stops at Mercer University in Macon near Atlanta, [[Georgia]]. [[Live from Atlanta]] is broadcast that evening. Pertwee and Sloman are joined by new Doctor Sylvester McCoy and producer John Nathan-Turner, who are in town for the Whovian Festival Tour convention. Eric Luskin hosts an interview session with the four guests.
{{YouTube|float=left|id=aYRN5EFc_ZA}}<br/>'''CLIP: USA TOUR in IOWA 1 August 1987'''
+
 
{{clear}}
+
<table><tr>
*'''August to September 1987''': The trailer heads north west, stopping in [[Washington]] state.
+
<td>{{YouTube table|BnmnpKHNQoI|McCoy, Pertwee, Nathan-Turner, Sloman interviewed by Eric Luskin part 1}}</td>
**'''9 September 1987''': His work on season 24 completed, Sylvester McCoy rejoins the tour, and the trailer travels south, and arrives in Los Angeles, [[California]].
+
<td>{{YouTube table|8SWCERQ1p4I|McCoy, Pertwee, Nathan-Turner, Sloman interviewed by Eric Luskin part 2}}</td>
**'''3 October 1987''': Jon Pertwee visits San Jose, [[California]].
+
<td>[[File:GA 19870301.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Live from Atlanta, 7 March 1987]]</td>
*'''October 1987''': Heading east again, [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], [[Colorado]] (Denver), [[Texas]] are visited.
+
</tr></table>
*'''November 1987''': The Tour stops in [[Oklahoma]] and [[Arkansas]] (with Pertwee).  
+
 
**'''5-6 December 1987''': The Tour reaches Jackson, [[Mississippi]].
+
 
 +
===April to June===
 +
Janet Fielding joins the Tour for this leg, accompanied by Sarah Sutton or Anthony Ainley for part of the journey to [[Maryland]], and [[Connecticut]].
 +
 
 +
McCoy returns in May (having just completed recording [[Time and the Rani]]), traveling to [[Maine]], [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Massachusetts]]. John Nathan-Turner is picked up in [[New York]]. Janet Fielding rejoins in [[Ohio]], while Sarah Sutton takes over in [[Pennsylvania]], traveling through [[Ohio]], [[Michigan]], and [[Indiana]].
 +
*'''13-14 May 1987''': McCoy is interviewed by [[WVIA]] during the stop in Scranton, [[Pennsylvania]] (see video clip below)
 +
*'''15-17 May 1987''': The Tour stops at the [[WGBH]] studios in Boston with Sylvester McCoy. On the night of '''15 May''', a special '''"Dinner With the Doctor"''' is held. McCoy and Brian Sloman of BBC Enterprises attend.  
 +
<!-- gone and not archived: [http://mittenthief.tumblr.com/post/8451828067/my-program-from-the-doctor-who-celebration-tour May 15, 1987 program]-->
 +
{{YouTube table
 +
|nybQ8xX7TYw|McCoy on [[WVIA]] (Scranton Pennsylvania; 13/14 May 1987)
 +
|jABs0MtbWGI|TV spot on [[WGVU]] for Michigan visit (2/3 July 1987)}}
 +
[[File:Bus tour ticket.jpg|250px|frameless|right]][[File:Bus tour flier.jpg|250px|frameless|right]]
  
  
----
+
===July to August===
 +
The trailer heads west, stopping in [[Michigan]] again, and on to [[Illinois]], [[Wisconsin]], [[Minnesota]] with McCoy (who has just completed work on [[Delta and the Bannermen]]), then [[North Dakota]], [[South Dakota]], [[Iowa]], [[Missouri]] with Janet Fielding taking over star duties, then [[Kansas]] and [[Colorado]] with JNT on board, and with no guests when it stops in Salt Lake City [[Utah]].
 +
*'''2 July 1987''': The Tour visits west [[Michigan]]; Janet Fielding makes appearances at locally-sponsored events. (The Tour is advertised on [[WGVU]] - see video clip above.)
 +
*'''4-5 July 1987''': Heading north west, the trailer stops at [[Chicago]]. (There are no guests during this leg of the Tour.)
 +
*'''1-2 August 1987''': The Tour comes to Des Moines [[Iowa]] with Janet Fielding, and features on a local TV news report - see video clip below).
  
 +
{{YouTube table|aYRN5EFc_ZA|The Tour with Janet Fielding in Iowa, Aug. 1, 1987}}
  
<span style="font-size:200%;">'''1988'''</span>
 
  
*'''1988''': The Tour once again heads north.  
+
===September to December===
**'''Early 1988''': The Tour takes Sylvester McCoy to Urbana, [[Illinois]], and north to [[Maine]].
+
For the next four months, the Tour travels down the west coast (calling in at [[Washington]], [[Oregon]], and [[California]] (stopping in Redding, Sacramento and Los Angeles, with McCoy and/or Pertwee), then eastwards through [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], [[Oklahoma]] (with Fielding), then with Pertwee it went to [[Arkansas]], [[Texas]], [[Mississippi]], and back to where it had set out in [[Louisiana]]. Its final trip was down to Miami [[Florida]].
**Eventually, the bus heads towards the east coast again, where, after two years on the road, and having visited some 180+ locations, the Tour comes to an end.  
+
*'''5-9 September 1987''': His work on season 24 now completed, Sylvester McCoy rejoins the Tour, and the trailer travels to [[Washington]] state, then south to [[Los Angeles]].
**The trailer itself is eventually returned to the UK - and left to rot in a junkyard...
+
*From mid-'''September''' to mid-'''December''' Jon Pertwee accompanies the Tour for the longest stretch taken by a single guest (albeit with a short break during October).
 +
*'''19-20 December 1987''': The Tour makes its final-ever stop in [[Miami]], [[Florida]] at the [[WPBT]] studios. Producer John Nathan-Turner is joined by Nicola Bryant, Eric Luskin, and Brian Sloman from BBC Enterprises / Lionheart for a special event and screening.  
 +
  
 +
==End of the Road...==
 +
*Although it had been hoped to continue the Tour into 1988 (when the series celebrated its 25th anniversary), the December 1987 leg is to be its final stretch.
 +
*After some 20 months on the road with over 90 locations visited (less than half the originally planned 180+) the trailer and exhibits are shipped back to the UK.
 +
*The trailer is later sold to the owner of a fair-ground in New Mills in the High Peak district of central England - and used as a workshop shed!
 +
*The rusting shell of the vehicle stood on the property for nearly 30 years, but when the land was sold for a new housing development in 2018, the wreck was removed and sold for scrap. 
  
  
==General Coverage of the Tour (External links)==
+
==General coverage of the tour (External links)==
 +
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/doctorwhousatour/ FACEBOOK Group dedicated to the trailer Tour]
 
* [http://www.banningathletics.com/doctorwho/id18.html USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 1]
 
* [http://www.banningathletics.com/doctorwho/id18.html USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 1]
 
* [http://www.richardwho.com/exhibitions/USATour/1986/index.asp USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 2]
 
* [http://www.richardwho.com/exhibitions/USATour/1986/index.asp USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 2]
* [http://whona.realtvboard.com/t5499-dr-who-usa-tour-in-the-80s USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 3]
+
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131117013558/http://whona.realtvboard.com/t5499-dr-who-usa-tour-in-the-80s USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 3]
* [http://www.drwhoexhibitions.co.uk/usatour.htm USA TOUR OVERVIEW - and the sad fate of the Trailer...].
+
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160325124619/http://www.drwhoexhibitions.co.uk/usatour.htm USA TOUR OVERVIEW - and the sad fate of the Trailer...]
{{Blank lines|2}}
+
 
  
 
{{US nav}}
 
{{US nav}}
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__NOTOC__

Latest revision as of 22:03, 23 May 2024

Doctor Who USA Tour

The following timeline is a summary of the route taken by the Tour, with just some of the significant moments and milestones highlighted.

For a much more detailed account of the Tour stops, dates, the guests travelling with the truck and admission prices, visit our DEDICATED PAGE HERE. For newspaper clippings, visit the Doctor Who Cuttings Archive.


1986

8 May

The Doctor Who USA Tour Trailer leaves Elstree Studios, UK, to begin its voyage to the US...

The Doctor Who USA Tour sets off on its two-year, multi-city journey... The inauguration is held on the National Mall beneath the Washington Monument in Washington DC. Controller of BBC One, Michael Grade, and Peter Davison attend the event.

  • Interviews with Grade and BBC Enterprises representative Brian Sloman appear in Starlog 113.

It is hoped that most of the markets where Doctor Who is screened in America will be visited; some reports cite as many as 181 cities, while others state 185 - although it's clear that the actual number of stops made in the two-year period fell well short of that ambitious target.

Some of the city visits also coincide with organised conventions and other fan events. Guests at conventions would sometimes visit the Tour, while guests traveling with the trailer would make appearances at conventions.


May to September

Wisconsin State Journal, Sept. 14, 1986

On its first leg, the Tour (without any guests from the series) visits Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, then back to New York and through to Ohio.

  • On 25 May 1986, the Tour stops in New Brunswick, where the Whovent 86 convention is taking place. The Doctor Who guests take time out from the event to visit the travelling exhibition. While there, they also take part in the Hands Across America event.
  • From September, the Tour now regularly features one or more actors from the series, but several stops are without a guest traveller. (It's not until 1987 that every stop includes a guest.)
  • 13-28 September 1986: The Tour heads south, visiting New York, Massachusetts and Ohio. (The two Bakers travelled together for some of the time during September, attending various Whovent 86 conventions along the way.)


October to December

  • 4-5 October 1986: Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton (both actors making their only trips with the Tour) travel on to Minnesota and Wisconsin.
  • The Tour moves south through West Virginia, then North Carolina and South Carolina with Jon Pertwee, who falls ill; he is accompanied by Paul Darrow and Michael Keating from Blake's 7 for part of the journey.
  • The Tour takes a break from mid-December for six weeks.


1987

  • During the hiatus period, the name and branding for the Tour is changed to Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88 (although the trailer retains its "Doctor Who USA Tour" signage).
  • For the second year of its travels, it is hoped the trailer will visit over 70 cities in 36 States. It is also planned for the Tour to visit Toronto at the end of May, but ultimately that trip over the border to Canada does not eventuate.
  • While only some of the trips made during 1986 feature guests, all the stops in 1987 include at least one star from the series.
Map showing the States and main cities to be visited during the second year of the tour


January to February

Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88 press-kit from NATPE

For the 1987 leg of the Tour, the trailer starts in Louisiana, travels down to Florida, then up to Alabama.

  • 21-25 January: The trailer makes its first appearance of 1987 in Louisiana, at the annual NATPE Television program showcase event held at the New Orleans Convention Center, with Peter Davison on board. (NATPE runs from 21-25 January, but the Tour is on site for only some of that time.)
    • A lavish press-kit folder advertising the series and Tour is distributed at Lionheart's stand; surplus copies of the kit are later available to be purchased during the Tour.
  • Davison and the trailer move on to Florida.
  • 21-21 February 1987: The Tour - now with Jon Pertwee - comes to Walt Disney World in Orlando.
  • 22-28 February 1987: The trailer heads northwards again: Pertwee makes stops in Louisiana, and Birmingham, Alabama (en route the trailer's roof is damaged when it passes under a low bridge).


March

The Tour with Pertwee heads northeast making its way through Georgia, Tennessee and the Virginias. For some of this leg, he is accompanied by Brian Sloman from BBC Enterprises / Lionheart (and one of the chief planners and organisers of the Tour).

  • 7 March 1987: The Tour stops at Mercer University in Macon near Atlanta, Georgia. Live from Atlanta is broadcast that evening. Pertwee and Sloman are joined by new Doctor Sylvester McCoy and producer John Nathan-Turner, who are in town for the Whovian Festival Tour convention. Eric Luskin hosts an interview session with the four guests.



McCoy, Pertwee, Nathan-Turner, Sloman interviewed by Eric Luskin part 1



McCoy, Pertwee, Nathan-Turner, Sloman interviewed by Eric Luskin part 2
Live from Atlanta, 7 March 1987


April to June

Janet Fielding joins the Tour for this leg, accompanied by Sarah Sutton or Anthony Ainley for part of the journey to Maryland, and Connecticut.

McCoy returns in May (having just completed recording Time and the Rani), traveling to Maine, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. John Nathan-Turner is picked up in New York. Janet Fielding rejoins in Ohio, while Sarah Sutton takes over in Pennsylvania, traveling through Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.

  • 13-14 May 1987: McCoy is interviewed by WVIA during the stop in Scranton, Pennsylvania (see video clip below)
  • 15-17 May 1987: The Tour stops at the WGBH studios in Boston with Sylvester McCoy. On the night of 15 May, a special "Dinner With the Doctor" is held. McCoy and Brian Sloman of BBC Enterprises attend.



McCoy on WVIA (Scranton Pennsylvania; 13/14 May 1987)



TV spot on WGVU for Michigan visit (2/3 July 1987)
Bus tour ticket.jpg
Bus tour flier.jpg


July to August

The trailer heads west, stopping in Michigan again, and on to Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota with McCoy (who has just completed work on Delta and the Bannermen), then North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri with Janet Fielding taking over star duties, then Kansas and Colorado with JNT on board, and with no guests when it stops in Salt Lake City Utah.

  • 2 July 1987: The Tour visits west Michigan; Janet Fielding makes appearances at locally-sponsored events. (The Tour is advertised on WGVU - see video clip above.)
  • 4-5 July 1987: Heading north west, the trailer stops at Chicago. (There are no guests during this leg of the Tour.)
  • 1-2 August 1987: The Tour comes to Des Moines Iowa with Janet Fielding, and features on a local TV news report - see video clip below).




The Tour with Janet Fielding in Iowa, Aug. 1, 1987


September to December

For the next four months, the Tour travels down the west coast (calling in at Washington, Oregon, and California (stopping in Redding, Sacramento and Los Angeles, with McCoy and/or Pertwee), then eastwards through Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma (with Fielding), then with Pertwee it went to Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, and back to where it had set out in Louisiana. Its final trip was down to Miami Florida.

  • 5-9 September 1987: His work on season 24 now completed, Sylvester McCoy rejoins the Tour, and the trailer travels to Washington state, then south to Los Angeles.
  • From mid-September to mid-December Jon Pertwee accompanies the Tour for the longest stretch taken by a single guest (albeit with a short break during October).
  • 19-20 December 1987: The Tour makes its final-ever stop in Miami, Florida at the WPBT studios. Producer John Nathan-Turner is joined by Nicola Bryant, Eric Luskin, and Brian Sloman from BBC Enterprises / Lionheart for a special event and screening.


End of the Road...

  • Although it had been hoped to continue the Tour into 1988 (when the series celebrated its 25th anniversary), the December 1987 leg is to be its final stretch.
  • After some 20 months on the road with over 90 locations visited (less than half the originally planned 180+) the trailer and exhibits are shipped back to the UK.
  • The trailer is later sold to the owner of a fair-ground in New Mills in the High Peak district of central England - and used as a workshop shed!
  • The rusting shell of the vehicle stood on the property for nearly 30 years, but when the land was sold for a new housing development in 2018, the wreck was removed and sold for scrap.


General coverage of the tour (External links)