Morocco
MOROCCO is located in North Africa, to the west of Algeria, at the mouthof the Mediterranean Sea. A former French colony, it achieved its independence in XX.
Contents
Population
When Doctor Who screened in Morocco in 1968, the population was 12.5 million, and licensed TV sets numbered only 26,000 (per WRTH, 1966).
TV & system
Morocco began its television service in 1954.
There is just one television station: Radiodiffusion Television Marocaine, a government-owned commercial broadcaster.
Colour transmissions began in 1968 using the SECAM colour broadcast system.
Language/s
The main languages of Morocco are Arabic and French. Television was broadcast in both languages.
DOCTOR WHO IN MOROCCO
Morocco was the 26th country to screen Doctor Who; it was the second to broadcast the Arabic language version (see Selling Doctor Who).
BBC Records
The Seventies records a sale of 3 stories by 28 February 1977. The Handbook, however, identifies 5: C, E, G, J and K.
The Eighties the Lost Chapters records a sale of XX stories (by 10 February 1987).
In DWM, Morocco is identified in a different set of 5 story Archives: E, G, J, K and L.
Tunisia was the previous Arabic speaking country to screen the series – a year earlier - so it’s possible that Morocco was sent the same set of prints shortly after transmission in Tunisia.
Stories bought and broadcast
WILLIAM HARTNELL
Nine stories, 37 episodes:
| A | An Unearthly Child | 1 |
| B | The Daleks | 7 |
| C | Inside the Spaceship | 2 |
| E | The Keys of Marinus | 6 |
| F | The Aztecs | 4 |
| G | The Sensorites | 6 |
| J | Planet of Giants | 3 |
| K | The Dalek Invasion of Earth | 6 |
| L | The Rescue | 2 |
Morocco therefore bought the standard Arabic package of GROUP A, B and C of the William Hartnell stories; like other Arabic countries, only part one of An Unearthly Child aired.
The programme was supplied as 16mm black and white film prints with Arabic soundtracks.
In mid-1970, while his first season was airing on TV in the UK, Jon Pertwee went to Morocco on holiday. Speaking with reporters on his return to the UK, he recalled an incident in which he was topped by a Moroccan policeman, who waived him on, having recognised him as "Docteur Who". (((see Radio Times, 2-8 January 1971; quoted in Peter Haining's The Key to Time (page 102); and The Making of Doctor Who (Page XXX). It's clear that Pertwee was somewhat elaborating on his story, as his episodes had not aired in Morocco in 1970! If there was any truth in the tale, then the policeman must have known who Pertwee was by some other means.
Transmission
WILLIAM HARTNELL
No TV listings have been found – yet.
TV listings
No TV listings have been obtained – yet.
We have checked a number of newspapers (in French only) for Casablanca, but none of them contained detailed TV listings; what few listings they did have only gave type of programme (e.g. "serial", "documentary", "film") rather than by title. The Le Petit Marocain was missing the run of issues for July to December 1968 - which probably very dates we need!
Fate of the Prints
The next Arabic country to air Doctor Who was Saudi Arabia, in mid-1968. It is therefore possible that Morocco sent its prints of the Arabic dubbed Hartnell stories to Saudi Arabia.
The alternative soundtrack in Arabic option on the DVD release of The Aztecs apparently comes from a film print of part four that was from Morocco. If this were the case, then
Morocco in Doctor Who
- In The Time Monster, Stu produces an empty bottle of "fine Moroccan brandy" to help the Doctor with his time-jamming experiment.
- In Planet of Fire, Peri is planning to join two English friends in Morocco.
References
