[net.tv.drwho] Adulterated Episodes, p.2

ckuppe@spock.UUCP (Charles A. Kupperman '87 ) (05/31/85)

"What did they do to Fendahl?"

It's perfectly simple.  You have just lived through the HORROR of what I
endured from 1978-1981 from Time-Life.  After the failure of the first
three seasons of Pertwee (In full Colour, I might add.) over here,
Time-Life decided to try again in '78 with the first four seasons of Baker.
But they had lost faith in the American audience.  They decided to
syndicate these not just for Public television, but for commercial TV as well.
These new versions, which were still shown mostly on Public TV, had the
monstrosity you describe.  It went something like this.
At the start of the adventure, the theme would lead into a series of
Spoiler clips from the entire adventure, then a commercial break. 
During any other adventure, the episode would have no clips at the
start, but would superimpose an announcer, the hated HOWARD DA SILVA,
over the traditional prequel.  At the end of every cliff-hanger episode,
we would be treated to more SPOILER "Scenes from the next episode." 

Example: End of Robot part 1 shows Sarah menaced by a Robot.   SPOILER
clips show her not only alive, but telling the Brigadier and the Doctor
all about it.

About the same time Lionheart took over the distribution of all other
episodes, Time-Life realised that this adulteration pleased noone and
began distributed unadulterated (And uncut, which the others weren't) episodes.
Occasionally, though, when the folks at Time/Life are sending out the
episodes, they don't have a good copy, so just for that episode, they
send out the old cut one with commercials, announcer, and spoilers.


Lionheart's record, too, is no longer clean, for they have now
unecessarily removed the last episodes of "Planet of the Daleks" and
"Invasion of the Dinosaurs."  As detailed in previous postings, I can
understand why they would purge the black-and-white inferior quality
episode from each of these, but why the perfectly good last one?  Any answers?

Helpful hint: Find someone who gets them in "movie" form; the "movie"
has the last episode of each.

Charles Kupperman,
"In the next episode, the Brigadier decides to bomb Loch Ness.  Sounds
like a good idea..."

brown@nicmad.UUCP (06/05/85)

In article <255@spock.UUCP> ckuppe@spock.UUCP (Charles A. Kupperman '87 ) writes:
[]
>Lionheart's record, too, is no longer clean, for they have now
>unecessarily removed the last episodes of "Planet of the Daleks" and
>"Invasion of the Dinosaurs."  As detailed in previous postings, I can
>understand why they would purge the black-and-white inferior quality
>episode from each of these, but why the perfectly good last one?  Any answers?

If you had read what I have said in past postings, you would have known that
our copy of 'Planet Of The Daleks', from Lionheart, in "movie" form, has parts
1,2,4,5,6.  All are in color.  It doesn't have part 3.

I like the history you gave.  Except for the info above.  BTW, Lionheart didn't
purge the B&W episode part 3.  I am in contact with Ray Craft at Lionheart.
He is in charge of special projects, which the good Doctor comes under.  He
said to me that he can't get part 3.  Now, maybe because of the history that
you gave, the Lionheart vaults have gotten a little screwed up.  I called Ray
yesterday and told him where two stations had aired the part 3 B&W version.
Normally I call him for information, this time I gave him some.  I will call
again in a couple of weeks and see what he has done with the information 
that I gave him.

Now, only if we can find a station that has played part one of 'Invasion
of the Dinosaurs'!
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