Difference between revisions of "Doctor Who USA Tour"

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{{AddThis}}{{US nav}}
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[[File:USA Tour.JPG|center|200px|Doctor Who USA Tour]]
  
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[[File:USABus.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Doctor Who USA Tour Bus leaves Elstree Studios, UK, to begin its voyage to the US...]]
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The following timeline is a summary of the route taken by the Tour, with just some of the significant moments and milestones highlighted.  
−
[[File:USA Tour.JPG|right|200px|Doctor Who USA Tour]]
 
  
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'''1986''':  
+
For a much more detailed account of the Tour stops, dates, the guests travelling with the truck, and admission prices, visit our [[List of Celebration & Tour stops|DEDICATED PAGE HERE]].  For newspaper clippings, visit the [https://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Category:Celebration_%26_Tour Doctor Who Cuttings Archive].
  
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*'''8 May 1986''': With BBC One Controller, Michael Grade at its inauguration, the '''Doctor Who USA Tour''' "bus" sets off from [[Washington DC]], with Peter Davison on board, to begin its two-year, multi-city tour (two cities per week). It is hoped that all 181 markets where '''Doctor Who''' is screened across America will be visited. Tom Baker, Colin Baker, Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, and Patrick Troughton all take part at various legs of the journey during the first year.
 
−
** '''May to September 1986''': On its first leg within New England, the tour visits (in no particular order) [[New York]], [[New Jersey]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[Maine]], with Peter Davison in attendance.
 
−
*** '''13-28 September 1986''': The Tour heads south, visiting (in no particular order) [[Massachusetts]], [[New Jersey]], [[New York]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[Maryland]],  [[Washington DC]], then north west, to [[Illinois]]. (The two Bakers travelled together during September, attending various Whovent 86 [[List of Conventions in the United States|conventions]] along the way.)
 
−
***'''4 October 1986''': Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton travel on to [[Minnesota]]
 
−
**** [http://www.michaell.org/who/conclips/whotour86.phtml USA TOUR in MINNESOTA, October 1986 1]
 
−
**** [http://www.michaell.org/who/conclips/whotour286.phtml USA TOUR in MINNESOTA, October 1986 2]
 
−
***'''5 October 1986''': The tour reaches Madison, [[Wisconsin]], again with Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton.
 
−
<table>
 
−
<tr>
 
−
  <td>[[File:Wisconsin State Journal 19860914.JPG|thumb|200px|Wisconsin State Journal, Sept. 14, 1986]]</td>
 
−
</tr>
 
−
</table>
 
−
**'''October to December 1986''': The Tour moves south through [[Tennessee]], and down towards [[Florida]]. (Pertwee falls ill; he is accompanied by Paul Darrow and Michael Keating from '''Blakes 7''' for part of the journey.)
 
  
 +
==1986==
 +
===8 May===
 +
[[File:USABus.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Doctor Who USA Tour Trailer leaves Elstree Studios, UK, to begin its voyage to the US...]]
 +
The '''Doctor Who USA Tour''' sets off on its two-year, multi-city journey...  The inauguration is held on the National Mall beneath the Washington Monument in [[Washington DC]]. Controller of BBC One, [[wikipedia:Michael Grade|Michael Grade]], and Peter Davison attend the event.
  
−
----
+
<table><tr>
−
'''1987''':
+
<td>{{YouTube table|wAh_TEDRY0k|USA Tour launch item on Entertainment Tonight}}</td>
−
[[File:USATour8788.JPG|right|200px|Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88]]
+
</tr></table>
−
*By early 1987, the Tour has been renamed the '''Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88'''.
 
−
**'''February 1987''': The bus reaches [[Florida]].
 
−
***'''8 February 1987''': The bus stops in Tampa, [[Florida]], with Peter Davison.
 
−
***'''21-21 February 1987''': The Tour comes to DisneyWorld in Orlando, [[Florida]], with Jon Pertwee.
 
−
***'''22-26 February 1987''': The bus heads northwards again: Pertwee stops in Birmingham, [[Alabama]] and [[Louisiana]].
 
−
***'''28 February 1987''': At Mercer University in Atlanta, [[Georgia]], Pertwee is joined that evening by new Doctor Sylvester McCoy, and producer John Nathan-Turner, in [[Georgia]]. McCoy is [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnmnpKHNQoI&playnext=1&list=PL20DE800A113DC492&index=15 interviewed by Eric Luskin].
 
−
****[http://www.richardwho.com/exhibitions/USATour/19870228/index.asp USA TOUR in ALABAMA, February 1987]
 
−
**'''March 1987''': The Tour heads north east.
 
−
***'''26-27 March 1987''': Anthony Ainley and Janet Fielding call in at Baltimore, [[Maryland]].
 
−
***'''4-5 July 1987''': Heading north west, the Tour stops again at [[Chicago]]. (There are no guests during this leg of the tour.)
 
−
***'''1 August 1987''': Westbound, the Tour arrives in [[Iowa]], with Janet Fielding.
 
−
****[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYRN5EFc_ZA&feature=related USA TOUR in IOWA 1 August 1987 (Video)]
 
−
**'''August to September 1987''': The bus heads north west, stopping in [[Washington]] state.
 
−
***'''9 September 1987''': His work on season 24 completed, Sylvester McCoy returns, and the bus travels south, and arrives in Los Angeles, [[California]]. 
 
−
***'''3 October 1987''': Jon Pertwee visits San Jose, [[California]].
 
−
**'''October 1987''': Heading east again, [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], [[Colorado]] (Denver), [[Texas]] are visited.
 
−
**'''November 1987''': The Tour stops in [[Oklahoma]].
 
−
***'''5-6 December 1987''': The Tour reaches Jackson, [[Mississippi]].
 
  
 +
It is hoped that most of the markets where '''Doctor Who''' is screened in America will be visited; some reports cite as many as '''181''' cities, while others state '''185''' - although it's clear that the actual number of stops made in the two-year period fell well short of that ambitious target.
  
−
----
+
There are no actors from the series traveling with the Tour at this stage, but BBC Enterprises / Lionheart representative Brian Sloman (who was based in the New York office, and was the principal planner and organizer of the exhibit) accompanies the trailer for several stretches during the year.
−
'''1988''':
 
  
−
*'''1988''': The Tour once again heads north.
+
Some of the city visits coincide with [[List of Conventions in the United States|organised conventions]] and other fan events. Guests at these conventions would sometimes visit the Tour, while guests traveling with the trailer would make appearances at conventions.  
−
**'''Early 1988''': The Tour takes Sylvester McCoy to Urbana, [[Illinois]].  
 
−
**Eventually, the Tour heads towards the east coast again, where, after two years on the road, and having visited some 180+ locations, the Tour comes to an end.
 
−
**The bus itself is eventually returned to the UK - and left to rot in a junkyard...
 
  
 +
{{Google Docs Viewer|url=http://gallifreybase.com/w/images/6/67/USA_Tour_flier_rotated.pdf|height=325|width=550|float=left}}{{clear}}
  
 +
===May to September===
 +
On its first leg, the Tour (without any guests from the series) visits [[Maryland]], [[New Jersey]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[New York]], [[Connecticut]], [[Maine]], [[New Hampshire]], [[Massachusetts]], then back to [[New York]] and through to [[Ohio]].
 +
*On '''25 May 1986''', the Tour stops in New Brunswick, where the Whovent 86 convention is taking place. The Doctor Who guests take time out from the event to visit the travelling exhibition. While there, they also take part in the [[wikipedia:Hands Across America|Hands Across America]] event.
 +
*'''28-29 June 1986''': The Tour reaches Central Park in [[New York]].
 +
**An interview with BBC Enterprises representative Brian Sloman (conducted in the Park) appeared in [http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who_Tours_U.S._During_Hiatus Starlog 113].
 +
*From September, the Tour begins to feature actors from the series, but most stops are without a guest traveller. (It's not until 1987 that every stop includes a guest.)
 +
*'''5-7 September 1986''': The Tour (with Brian Sloman and Louise Jameson) comes to Schenectady, [[New York]]. The trailer parks at the Latham Circle Mall.
 +
**A reporter from the UK morning show "Breakfast Time" visits the mall (see video below). Sloman talks of taking the tour to Australia and New Zealand! (The item doesn't air on "Breakfast Time" until 11 September.)
  
−
==General Coverage of the Tour (External links)==
+
<table><tr>
 +
<td>{{YouTube table|Tku7TnWPmkY|USA Tour in Harrisburg 30 May 1986}}</td>
 +
<td>{{YouTube table|TneTKuBSfCQ|UK TV "Breakfast Time" reports on the Tour visiting Schenectady in September}}</td>
 +
</tr></table>
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===October to December===
 +
[[File:Wisconsin State Journal 19860914.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Troughton and Baker are in town for a convention when the Tour stops in Madison Wisconsin on 5 October 1986; Wisconsin State Journal, Sept. 14, 1986]]
 +
The Tour moves from [[Ohio]] to [[Minnesota]] then [[Wisconsin]].
 +
*'''5 October 1986''': Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton are in Madison [[Wisconsin]] to attend the unrelated Doctor Who Festival convention at the Madison Civic Center. The Tour comes to town and stops at the convention venue for the weekend.
 +
*The Tour moves east to [[West Virginia]], [[North Carolina]] and [[South Carolina]].
 +
*The Tour takes a break from '''mid-December''' for six weeks.
 +
 +
 
 +
==1987==
 +
During the hiatus period, the name and branding for the Tour is changed to '''Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88''' (although the trailer retains its "Doctor Who USA Tour" signage).
 +
 
 +
For the second year of its travels, it is hoped the trailer will visit over '''70''' cities in '''36''' States. It is also planned for the Tour to visit Toronto at the end of May, but ultimately that trip over the border to [[Canada]] does not eventuate.
 +
 
 +
While only some of the trips made during 1986 feature guests, all the stops in 1987 include at least one star from the series. Brian Sloman also accompanies the Tour on occasion.
 +
[[File:USATourMap.jpg|left|thumb|600px|Map showing the States and main cities to be visited during the second year of the tour]]
 +
 
 +
{{clear}}
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===January to February===
 +
[[File:USATour8788.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88 press-kit from NATPE]]
 +
For the 1987 leg of the Tour, the trailer starts in [[Louisiana]], travels down to [[Florida]], then up to [[Alabama]].
 +
*'''21-25 January''': The trailer makes its first appearance of 1987 in [[Louisiana]], at the annual [[wikipedia:National Association of Television Program Executives|NATPE Television program showcase]] event held at the [[New Orleans]] Convention Center, with Peter Davison on board. (NATPE runs from 21-25 January, but the Tour is on site for only some of that time.)
 +
**A lavish press-kit folder advertising the series and Tour is distributed at Lionheart's stand; surplus copies of the kit are available during the Tour.
 +
*Davison and the trailer move on to [[Florida]].
 +
*'''21-21 February 1987''': The Tour - now with Jon Pertwee - comes to Walt Disney World in [[Orlando]].
 +
*'''22-28 February 1987''': The trailer heads northwards again: Pertwee makes stops in [[Louisiana]], and Birmingham, [[Alabama]] (en route the trailer's roof is damaged when it passes under a low bridge).
 +
**[http://www.richardwho.com/exhibitions/USATour/19870228/index.asp USA TOUR in ALABAMA, 28 February 1987]
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===March===
 +
 
 +
The Tour with Pertwee heads northeast making its way through [[Georgia]], [[Tennessee]] and the Virginias. For some of this leg, he is accompanied by Brian Sloman from BBC Enterprises / Lionheart.
 +
*'''7 March 1987''': The Tour stops at Mercer University in Macon near Atlanta, [[Georgia]]. [[Live from Atlanta]] is broadcast that evening. Pertwee and Sloman are joined by new Doctor Sylvester McCoy and producer John Nathan-Turner, who are in town for the Whovian Festival Tour convention. Eric Luskin hosts an interview session with the four guests.
 +
 
 +
<table><tr>
 +
<td>{{YouTube table|BnmnpKHNQoI|McCoy, Pertwee, Nathan-Turner, Sloman interviewed by Eric Luskin part 1}}</td>
 +
<td>{{YouTube table|8SWCERQ1p4I|McCoy, Pertwee, Nathan-Turner, Sloman interviewed by Eric Luskin part 2}}</td>
 +
<td>[[File:GA 19870301.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Live from Atlanta, 7 March 1987]]</td>
 +
</tr></table>
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===April to June===
 +
Janet Fielding joins the Tour for this leg, accompanied by Sarah Sutton or Anthony Ainley for part of the journey to [[Maryland]], and [[Connecticut]].
 +
 
 +
McCoy returns in May (having just completed recording [[Time and the Rani]]), traveling to [[Maine]], [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Massachusetts]]. John Nathan-Turner is picked up in [[New York]]. Janet Fielding rejoins in [[Ohio]], while Sarah Sutton takes over in [[Pennsylvania]], traveling through [[Ohio]], [[Michigan]], and [[Indiana]].
 +
*'''13-14 May 1987''': McCoy is interviewed by [[WVIA]] during the stop in Scranton, [[Pennsylvania]] (see video clip below)
 +
*'''15-17 May 1987''': The Tour stops at the [[WGBH]] studios in Boston with Sylvester McCoy. On the night of '''15 May''', a special '''"Dinner With the Doctor"''' is held. McCoy and Brian Sloman attend.
 +
<!-- gone and not archived: [http://mittenthief.tumblr.com/post/8451828067/my-program-from-the-doctor-who-celebration-tour May 15, 1987 program]-->
 +
{{YouTube table
 +
|nybQ8xX7TYw|McCoy on [[WVIA]] (Scranton Pennsylvania; 13/14 May 1987)
 +
|jABs0MtbWGI|TV spot on [[WGVU]] for Michigan visit (2/3 July 1987)}}
 +
[[File:Bus tour ticket.jpg|250px|frameless|right]][[File:Bus tour flier.jpg|250px|frameless|right]]
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===July to August===
 +
The trailer heads west, stopping in [[Michigan]] again, and on to [[Illinois]], [[Wisconsin]], [[Minnesota]] with McCoy (who has just completed work on [[Delta and the Bannermen]]), then [[North Dakota]], [[South Dakota]], [[Iowa]], [[Missouri]] with Janet Fielding taking over star duties, then [[Kansas]] and [[Colorado]] with JNT on board, and with no guests when it stops in Salt Lake City [[Utah]].
 +
*'''2 July 1987''': The Tour visits west [[Michigan]]; Janet Fielding makes appearances at locally-sponsored events. (The Tour is advertised on [[WGVU]] - see video clip above.)
 +
*'''4-5 July 1987''': Heading north west, the trailer stops at [[Chicago]]. (There are no guests during this leg of the Tour.)
 +
*'''11 July 1987''': McCoy stops in Green Bay, [[Wisconsin]] -- see flyer and entry ticket at right.
 +
*'''12 July 1987''': McCoy stops in St Paul, [[Minnesota]] -- see video clip below.
 +
*'''1-2 August 1987''': The Tour comes to Des Moines [[Iowa]] with Janet Fielding, and features on a local TV news report - see video clip below.
 +
 
 +
{{YouTube table|fWWZfHvQH4g|The Tour with McCoy in Minnesota, 12 July 1987}}
 +
{{YouTube table|aYRN5EFc_ZA|The Tour with Janet Fielding in Iowa, Aug. 1, 1987}}
 +
 
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===September to December===
 +
For the next four months, the Tour travels down the west coast (calling in at [[Washington]], [[Oregon]], and [[California]] (stopping in Redding, Sacramento and Los Angeles, with McCoy and/or Pertwee), then eastwards through [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], [[Oklahoma]] (with Fielding), then with Pertwee it went to [[Arkansas]], [[Texas]], [[Mississippi]], and back to where it had set out in [[Louisiana]]. Its final trip was down to Miami [[Florida]].
 +
*'''5-9 September 1987''': His work on season 24 now completed, Sylvester McCoy rejoins the Tour, and the trailer travels to [[Washington]] state, then south to [[Los Angeles]]. 
 +
*From mid-'''September''' to mid-'''December''' Jon Pertwee accompanies the Tour for the longest stretch taken by a single guest (albeit with a short break during October). 
 +
*'''19-20 December 1987''': The Tour makes its final-ever stop in [[Miami]], [[Florida]] at the [[WPBT]] studios. Producer John Nathan-Turner is joined by Nicola Bryant, Eric Luskin, and Brian Sloman for a special live "farewell" broadcast during the day.
 +
 +
 
 +
==End of the Road...==
 +
*Although it had been hoped to continue the Tour into 1988 (when the series celebrated its 25th anniversary), the December 1987 leg is to be its final stretch.
 +
*After some 20 months on the road with over 90 locations visited (less than half the originally planned 180+) the trailer and exhibits are shipped back to the UK.
 +
*The trailer is later sold to the owner of a fair-ground in New Mills in the High Peak district of central England - and used as a workshop shed!
 +
*The rusting shell of the vehicle stood on the property for nearly 30 years, but when the land was sold for a new housing development in 2018, the wreck was removed and sold for scrap. 
 +
 
 +
 
 +
==General coverage of the tour (External links)==
 +
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/doctorwhousatour/ FACEBOOK Group dedicated to the trailer Tour]
 
* [http://www.banningathletics.com/doctorwho/id18.html USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 1]
 
* [http://www.banningathletics.com/doctorwho/id18.html USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 1]
 
* [http://www.richardwho.com/exhibitions/USATour/1986/index.asp USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 2]
 
* [http://www.richardwho.com/exhibitions/USATour/1986/index.asp USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 2]
−
* [http://whona.realtvboard.com/t5499-dr-who-usa-tour-in-the-80s USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 3]
+
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131117013558/http://whona.realtvboard.com/t5499-dr-who-usa-tour-in-the-80s USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 3]
−
* [http://www.drwhoexhibitions.co.uk/usatour.htm USA TOUR OVERVIEW - and the sad fate of the Bus...]
+
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160325124619/http://www.drwhoexhibitions.co.uk/usatour.htm USA TOUR OVERVIEW - and the sad fate of the Trailer...]
 +
 
  
−
.
+
{{US nav}}
 +
__NOTOC__

Latest revision as of 04:24, 26 May 2024

Doctor Who USA Tour

The following timeline is a summary of the route taken by the Tour, with just some of the significant moments and milestones highlighted.

For a much more detailed account of the Tour stops, dates, the guests travelling with the truck, and admission prices, visit our DEDICATED PAGE HERE. For newspaper clippings, visit the Doctor Who Cuttings Archive.


1986

8 May

The Doctor Who USA Tour Trailer leaves Elstree Studios, UK, to begin its voyage to the US...

The Doctor Who USA Tour sets off on its two-year, multi-city journey... The inauguration is held on the National Mall beneath the Washington Monument in Washington DC. Controller of BBC One, Michael Grade, and Peter Davison attend the event.



USA Tour launch item on Entertainment Tonight

It is hoped that most of the markets where Doctor Who is screened in America will be visited; some reports cite as many as 181 cities, while others state 185 - although it's clear that the actual number of stops made in the two-year period fell well short of that ambitious target.

There are no actors from the series traveling with the Tour at this stage, but BBC Enterprises / Lionheart representative Brian Sloman (who was based in the New York office, and was the principal planner and organizer of the exhibit) accompanies the trailer for several stretches during the year.

Some of the city visits coincide with organised conventions and other fan events. Guests at these conventions would sometimes visit the Tour, while guests traveling with the trailer would make appearances at conventions.


May to September

On its first leg, the Tour (without any guests from the series) visits Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, then back to New York and through to Ohio.

  • On 25 May 1986, the Tour stops in New Brunswick, where the Whovent 86 convention is taking place. The Doctor Who guests take time out from the event to visit the travelling exhibition. While there, they also take part in the Hands Across America event.
  • 28-29 June 1986: The Tour reaches Central Park in New York.
    • An interview with BBC Enterprises representative Brian Sloman (conducted in the Park) appeared in Starlog 113.
  • From September, the Tour begins to feature actors from the series, but most stops are without a guest traveller. (It's not until 1987 that every stop includes a guest.)
  • 5-7 September 1986: The Tour (with Brian Sloman and Louise Jameson) comes to Schenectady, New York. The trailer parks at the Latham Circle Mall.
    • A reporter from the UK morning show "Breakfast Time" visits the mall (see video below). Sloman talks of taking the tour to Australia and New Zealand! (The item doesn't air on "Breakfast Time" until 11 September.)



USA Tour in Harrisburg 30 May 1986



UK TV "Breakfast Time" reports on the Tour visiting Schenectady in September


October to December

Troughton and Baker are in town for a convention when the Tour stops in Madison Wisconsin on 5 October 1986; Wisconsin State Journal, Sept. 14, 1986

The Tour moves from Ohio to Minnesota then Wisconsin.

  • 5 October 1986: Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton are in Madison Wisconsin to attend the unrelated Doctor Who Festival convention at the Madison Civic Center. The Tour comes to town and stops at the convention venue for the weekend.
  • The Tour moves east to West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
  • The Tour takes a break from mid-December for six weeks.


1987

During the hiatus period, the name and branding for the Tour is changed to Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88 (although the trailer retains its "Doctor Who USA Tour" signage).

For the second year of its travels, it is hoped the trailer will visit over 70 cities in 36 States. It is also planned for the Tour to visit Toronto at the end of May, but ultimately that trip over the border to Canada does not eventuate.

While only some of the trips made during 1986 feature guests, all the stops in 1987 include at least one star from the series. Brian Sloman also accompanies the Tour on occasion.

Map showing the States and main cities to be visited during the second year of the tour


January to February

Doctor Who Celebration & Tour 87-88 press-kit from NATPE

For the 1987 leg of the Tour, the trailer starts in Louisiana, travels down to Florida, then up to Alabama.

  • 21-25 January: The trailer makes its first appearance of 1987 in Louisiana, at the annual NATPE Television program showcase event held at the New Orleans Convention Center, with Peter Davison on board. (NATPE runs from 21-25 January, but the Tour is on site for only some of that time.)
    • A lavish press-kit folder advertising the series and Tour is distributed at Lionheart's stand; surplus copies of the kit are available during the Tour.
  • Davison and the trailer move on to Florida.
  • 21-21 February 1987: The Tour - now with Jon Pertwee - comes to Walt Disney World in Orlando.
  • 22-28 February 1987: The trailer heads northwards again: Pertwee makes stops in Louisiana, and Birmingham, Alabama (en route the trailer's roof is damaged when it passes under a low bridge).


March

The Tour with Pertwee heads northeast making its way through Georgia, Tennessee and the Virginias. For some of this leg, he is accompanied by Brian Sloman from BBC Enterprises / Lionheart.

  • 7 March 1987: The Tour stops at Mercer University in Macon near Atlanta, Georgia. Live from Atlanta is broadcast that evening. Pertwee and Sloman are joined by new Doctor Sylvester McCoy and producer John Nathan-Turner, who are in town for the Whovian Festival Tour convention. Eric Luskin hosts an interview session with the four guests.



McCoy, Pertwee, Nathan-Turner, Sloman interviewed by Eric Luskin part 1



McCoy, Pertwee, Nathan-Turner, Sloman interviewed by Eric Luskin part 2
Live from Atlanta, 7 March 1987


April to June

Janet Fielding joins the Tour for this leg, accompanied by Sarah Sutton or Anthony Ainley for part of the journey to Maryland, and Connecticut.

McCoy returns in May (having just completed recording Time and the Rani), traveling to Maine, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. John Nathan-Turner is picked up in New York. Janet Fielding rejoins in Ohio, while Sarah Sutton takes over in Pennsylvania, traveling through Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.

  • 13-14 May 1987: McCoy is interviewed by WVIA during the stop in Scranton, Pennsylvania (see video clip below)
  • 15-17 May 1987: The Tour stops at the WGBH studios in Boston with Sylvester McCoy. On the night of 15 May, a special "Dinner With the Doctor" is held. McCoy and Brian Sloman attend.



McCoy on WVIA (Scranton Pennsylvania; 13/14 May 1987)



TV spot on WGVU for Michigan visit (2/3 July 1987)
Bus tour ticket.jpg
Bus tour flier.jpg


July to August

The trailer heads west, stopping in Michigan again, and on to Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota with McCoy (who has just completed work on Delta and the Bannermen), then North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri with Janet Fielding taking over star duties, then Kansas and Colorado with JNT on board, and with no guests when it stops in Salt Lake City Utah.

  • 2 July 1987: The Tour visits west Michigan; Janet Fielding makes appearances at locally-sponsored events. (The Tour is advertised on WGVU - see video clip above.)
  • 4-5 July 1987: Heading north west, the trailer stops at Chicago. (There are no guests during this leg of the Tour.)
  • 11 July 1987: McCoy stops in Green Bay, Wisconsin -- see flyer and entry ticket at right.
  • 12 July 1987: McCoy stops in St Paul, Minnesota -- see video clip below.
  • 1-2 August 1987: The Tour comes to Des Moines Iowa with Janet Fielding, and features on a local TV news report - see video clip below.




The Tour with McCoy in Minnesota, 12 July 1987




The Tour with Janet Fielding in Iowa, Aug. 1, 1987



September to December

For the next four months, the Tour travels down the west coast (calling in at Washington, Oregon, and California (stopping in Redding, Sacramento and Los Angeles, with McCoy and/or Pertwee), then eastwards through Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma (with Fielding), then with Pertwee it went to Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, and back to where it had set out in Louisiana. Its final trip was down to Miami Florida.

  • 5-9 September 1987: His work on season 24 now completed, Sylvester McCoy rejoins the Tour, and the trailer travels to Washington state, then south to Los Angeles.
  • From mid-September to mid-December Jon Pertwee accompanies the Tour for the longest stretch taken by a single guest (albeit with a short break during October).
  • 19-20 December 1987: The Tour makes its final-ever stop in Miami, Florida at the WPBT studios. Producer John Nathan-Turner is joined by Nicola Bryant, Eric Luskin, and Brian Sloman for a special live "farewell" broadcast during the day.


End of the Road...

  • Although it had been hoped to continue the Tour into 1988 (when the series celebrated its 25th anniversary), the December 1987 leg is to be its final stretch.
  • After some 20 months on the road with over 90 locations visited (less than half the originally planned 180+) the trailer and exhibits are shipped back to the UK.
  • The trailer is later sold to the owner of a fair-ground in New Mills in the High Peak district of central England - and used as a workshop shed!
  • The rusting shell of the vehicle stood on the property for nearly 30 years, but when the land was sold for a new housing development in 2018, the wreck was removed and sold for scrap.


General coverage of the tour (External links)


United States Chronology
1963-1969 | 1971-1972 | 1973-1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991-2020s
Related articles List of conventions | List of fan clubs | References to the USA in Doctor Who | Doctor Who USA Tour | USA Tour stops | Documentaries and specials | TV Guide | Saturday, March 12, 1988 | First airings by episode | Search by episode title or date | United States by the numbers | Chicago chronology | Time-Life Television
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