United States--1983

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  • 3/4 April 1983: At the weekend long Longleat festival on 3 and 4 April 1983, Jon Pertwee announced that his stories were going to be made available again: "I'm delighted to hear yesterday from JNT and the American gentleman who's over here [from Lionheart who] distribute Doctor Who in America... And I gather that my stories are going to be shown in 1985? Is it 1985? (Looks to JNT, who nods). In 1985, after Peter's 26 and another 26, and then they're taking all mine".
  • June 1983: By June, Lionheart releases another package of Jon Pertwee stories. This package consists of 14 serials, 73 episodes, and features just those serials that exist in their entirely in colour (but only on tape; Spearhead from Space is not included). The 14 serials are seven that had previously been available in the 1972 package, plus seven 'new' adventures, not previously seen in the States, but which had already been converted to NTSC for broadcast on CKVU and TVO in Canada in 1976/77:



JON PERTWEE (continued)

Seven new stories, 34 episodes (also in "movie length" omnibus editions):

Lionheart logo
RRR The Three Doctors 4
PPP Carnival of Monsters 4
TTT The Green Death 6
UUU The Time Warrior 4
XXX Death to the Daleks 4
YYY The Monster of Peladon 6
ZZZ Planet of the Spiders 6


- This package included a re-issue of: Inferno, The Claws of Axos, Colony in Space, Day of the Daleks, The Sea Devils, The Mutants and The Time Monster, all of which had been recovered only a few years earlier. At the time the deal was signed off, full colour tapes of Inferno had just been found in Canada, although copies had yet to make their way back to the BBC in London. (The Curse of Peladon was not included, presumably on account of the very poor state of the tapes recovered in 1981.)

- Jon Pertwee goes on tour around the States to promote this package.

  • 1983: Lyle Stuart Inc, in Secaucus, New Jersey, becomes the exclusive distributer of Target books in the United States. Target reprints all the available back-titles. They retail for $2.50.
  • The 9-15 July 1983 issue of [[TV Guide|TV GUIDE has a small half-page feature, "Happy Birthday to Who?", and mentions the upcoming 20th anniversary in November.
  • 23 November 1983: The Five Doctors makes its world premiere – two days ahead of its UK transmission - via a network link-up of at least 80 PBS stations across the country:



PETER DAVISON (continued)

The Ultimate Celebration ad

One story, 90 minutes:

6K The Five Doctors 1
  • As a result of this special screening, Doctor Who is sold to many more stations, such as KCET in Los Angeles.
Radio Times 20th Anniversary Special; Starlog's USA edition
  • Starlog publishes a "US" edition of the Radio Times 20th Anniversary Special. It retails for $4.95

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