Seychelles
SEYCHELLES is a group of small islands to the west of Africa. A French colony, it began independent in XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
Contents
Population
When Doctor Who screened in Seychelles in 1987, the population was circa 65,000, and licensed TV sets numbered 500! (per WRTH, 1984).
TV & system
Seychelles began its television service in 1983, which was colour using the PAL colour broadcast system.
There is just one television station: Radio-Television Seychelles, a government-owned commercial broadcaster.
Television aired only three days a week, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Language/s
The main languages of the Seychelles is French and English. TV programmes most likely aired in English, but with French subtitles.
DOCTOR WHO IN SEYCHELLES
Seychelles was the 64th country to screen Doctor Who (see Selling Doctor Who).
BBC Records
The Eighties the Lost Chapters records a sale of 7 stories (by 10 February 1987). However the airdates for only 5 have been identified.
Seychelles is not identified in any of the DWM story Archives.
Stories bought and broadcast
TOM BAKER
4 stories, 18 episodes:
| 5B | The Pirate Planet | 4 |
| 4E | Genesis of the Daleks | 6 |
| 4F | Terror of the Zygons | 4 |
| 4G | Pyramids of Mars | 4 |
Seychelles therefore bought part of GROUPs A and GB, plus one story from Group XXXX of the Tom Baker stories. The fact that Seychelles screened The Pirate Planet is odd for the very fact that the story formed part of the longer "Key to Time" season, making this the rare only occasion in which this serial screened in isolation.
The programme was supplied as PAL colour video tapes with English soundtracks.
PETER DAVISON
1 story, 4 episodes:
| 5X | The Visitation | 4 |
Seychelles therefore bought part of GROUP A of the Peter Davison stories. Again, here is a rare instance of just one story from the Davison series being screened on its own (see also Swaziland).
The programme was supplied as PAL colour video tapes with English soundtracks.
Transmission
TOM BAKER
The series commenced on Saturday, 14 February 1987 at 5.05, with The Pirate Planet, a highly unusual choice to launch the "new science fiction series". This was followed by Genesis of the Daleks from season 12. After this came Terror of the Zygons and Pyramids of Mars, both from season 13. There was a one-week break mid-way through Pyramids of Mars on 6 June 1987.
The timeslots were different every week, ranging between 5.01pm and 5.32pm.
PETER DAVISON
On 27 June 1987, part one of The Visitation aired. The series finished two weeks later, on 11 July, with a timeslot of 3.56pm to 4.40pm, which suggests that two episodes may have aired, otherwise only three episodes of The Visitation aired.
There is no record that Seychelles screened Doctor Who again.
TV listings
TV listings have been obtained from the newspaper Seychelles Nation, an English-language paper. The TV listings included both English and French programming; Doctor Who appears to have aired in English, but perhaps with French subtitling?
Listings initially gave the series name as Dr Who??????????????
The first episode of The Pirate Planet was billed as a "new science fiction series introducing Dr Who", so it's unlikely that any other stories aired before 14 February 1987.
Seychelles in Doctor Who
There are no instances where Seychelles is mentioned in the series.
References
