Maldives
THE MALDIVES is a small archipelagic island nation in the Indian Ocean, southwest of India and Sri Lanka.
Profile
| Country Number (NK) | 1978 | SECOND WAVE |
| Region | Australasia/Asia | Commonwealth |
| Television commenced | 29 March 1978 | |
| Colour System | 29 March 1978 | PAL |
| Population | 1980 | 143,000 |
| TV Sets | 1992 | 7,300 |
| Language/s | English and Dhivehi |
Television Stations / Channels
Television Maldives (TVM), a PAL colour service, was launched on 29 March 1978. It initially broadcast for only five hours per week day, with an extended weekend service. Its broadcast range was a 30 kilometer radius of the capital city, Male. Ownership of television sets was therefore very small.
Language/s
The principal language is English. Other languages such as Dhivehi (from an Indian dialect) are also spoken.
DOCTOR WHO IN THE MALDIVES
Without firm airdates, it's not known which country ranking the Maldives has within Australasia/Asia (see Selling Doctor Who).
BBC Records
A BBC memo dated 2 May 1978 reports that "AAA, BBBB, DDDD" [sic] had been sold to "Maldives".
It's very likely that "AAA" is a typo, and it should be "AAAA" - i.e 4A - since the other two serials in the memo will be the Season 12 Tom Baker stories 4B and 4D. (These are unlikely to be Jon Pertwee serials, since BBB and DDD no longer existed as PAL tapes in 1978.)
The Maldives is not named in The Seventies or The Eighties - THE LOST CHAPTERS, nor in any of the DWM story Archives.
It's possible that the sale reported in the 1978 memo was subsequently cancelled, and the episodes did not air, which is why the country is not named in any post-1978 BBC records.
Stories bought and broadcast
TOM BAKER
At least three stories, 10 episodes:
| 4A | Robot | 4 |
| 4B | The Sontaran Experiment | 2 |
| 4D | Revenge of the Cybermen | 4 |
The Maldives potentially bought at least three serials from GROUP A of the Tom Baker stories.
The programme would have been supplied as PAL colour video tapes with English soundtracks.
Transmission?
TOM BAKER
TVM commenced transmissions in March 1978. The sale of Doctor Who was reported only two months later, in May. Therefore, if the series did indeed screen, the episodes would likely have aired later that same year.
However it's possible the stories were acquired but ultimately did not screen, perhaps due to censorship?
TV listings
We have not been able to find or access any newspapers from the Maldives which have TV listings, so do not know when - or even if - Doctor Who aired.
