United States--1981

TIME-LIFE TELEVISION

• At the 13 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)

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

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

• The first station to buy this new package is OETA in Oklahoma, who starts screening them from 30 May 1981.

• However, this promotion is short-lived: Time Life's contract with the BBC expires on 18 March 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

• By 6 May 1981, Lionheart Television International Inc had been formed by several senior ex-executives from Time Life Television. The company was co-owned by Western World TV (49%), Public Media Inc (49%), and the BBC (2%). Lionheart formally took over from Time Life Television as US distributor of BBC programmes.
• By 27 May 1981: Lionheart offered 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). (It lasts for nearly 20 issues.)

• July 1981: Pinnacle ceases publishing its Doctor Who novelisation 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