United States--1981

TIME-LIFE TELEVISION

• At the 14-18 March 1981, NATPE exhibit in New York, Time Life Television promotes its latest syndication package, which includes 74 brand new episodes of Doctor Who (seasons 16-18, the latter of which had not yet concluded on British television), plus 41 re-edited omnibus "movies" of all the Tom Baker stories. (Some PBS stations had made their own in-house 'movie' versions of the earlier serials; Time Life now offered stations a choice of format.)

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TOM BAKER (continued)

Part of Time Life's sales brochure from the March 1981 NATPE exhibit

18 stories, 74 episodes (plus "Movie" omnibus editions):

5A	The Ribos Operation	4
5B	The Pirate Planet	4
5C	The Stones of Blood	4
5D	The Androids of Tara	4
5E	The Power of Kroll	4
5F	The Armageddon Factor	6
5J	Destiny of the Daleks	4
5H	City of Death	4
5G	The Creature from the Pit	4
5K	Nightmare of Eden	4
5L	The Horns of Nimon	4
5N	The Leisure Hive	4
5Q	Meglos	4
5R	Full Circle	4
5P	State of Decay	4
5S	Warriors' Gate	4
5T	The Keeper of Traken	4
5V	Logopolis	4

• Two of the first stations to buy this new package are KRMA in Denver, Colorado, and OETA, in Oklahoma; they start screening them in May 1981.

• However, this promotion is short-lived: Time Life's contract with the BBC expires on 30 April 1981, and not renewed because their Film and Television division was in the process of withdrawing from active film and television distribution.

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LIONHEART TELEVISION INTERNATIONAL INC

Lionheart print ad, May 1981 - Doctor Who top row, fifth box

• By 6 May 1981, Lionheart Television International Inc had been formed by several ex-senior-executives from Time Life Television. The company is co-owned by Western-World Television Inc (49%), Public Media Inc (49%), and the BBC (2%). Lionheart formally takes over from Time Life Television as US distributor of BBC programmes. (Western-World assumes the distribution to Latin America, effective from 1 April 1981.)
• By 27 May 1981: Lionheart has on offer all 41 Tom Baker stories, including new edits of the 23 earlier Tom Baker stories, now without the Howard da Silva narrations.

• • LIONHEART LOGOS and IDENTS

• July 1981: The first issue of Fantasy Empire magazine is published by New Media Publishing Inc. (NMP publishes over 20 issues, 1981-1985.)

• July 1981: Pinnacle ceases publishing its Doctor Who novelisation reprint range.

• 14-16 August 1981: Before he has appeared on screen as the Doctor in the UK, Peter Davison makes his first US convention appearance, in Tulsa Oklahoma. This is also John Nathan-Turner's first US convention. Interviews with both are published in Fantastic Films issue #28 (cover dated April 1982).

• December 1981: Even though the first season of Peter Davison stories has yet to screen in the UK, those seven serials are pre-sold to the cable station, The Entertainment Channel. Other stations in the US have to wait until 1983 to be able to buy the Davison adventures.

1981/82 Lionheart sales brochure cover

1981/82 Lionheart sales brochure back cover

1981/82 Lionheart sales brochure internal spread