Doctor Who USA Tour - Revision history

Jon Preddle at 00:23, 15 February 2026

2026-02-15T00:23:00Z

John Lavalie: /* General coverage of the tour (External links) */

2025-03-30T00:53:54Z

General coverage of the tour (External links)

John Lavalie at 02:57, 15 November 2024

2024-11-15T02:57:34Z

Jon Preddle at 23:26, 30 June 2024

2024-06-30T23:26:20Z

Jon Preddle at 23:25, 30 June 2024

2024-06-30T23:25:11Z

Jon Preddle at 21:40, 18 June 2024

2024-06-18T21:40:05Z

Jon Preddle at 22:49, 16 June 2024

2024-06-16T22:49:28Z

Jon Preddle at 22:28, 16 June 2024

2024-06-16T22:28:51Z

Jon Preddle at 22:12, 16 June 2024

2024-06-16T22:12:30Z

Jon Preddle at 22:52, 13 June 2024

2024-06-13T22:52:13Z

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 The '''Doctor Who USA Tour''' sets off on its two-year, multi-city journey, starting with the eastern states...
-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.
+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. As this is public grounds, merchandise cannot be sold.
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 The Tour exhibition was created by Brian Sloman, head of publicity and promotion at Lionheart's New York office through his company Monarch International, acting as the BBC's US promotions agent. BBC Enterprises Ltd in the UK supplied the props and costumes. The 48-foot trailer was constructed in the UK then shipped over to the states.
-Initial plans are to take the Tour on the road for two years, starting in the east, then heading west to make its final stop in Washington state in '''March 1988'''.
+Initial plans are to take the Tour on the road for two years as a way of saying "Thank You" to the TV stations showing the series and to the loyal fans for watching, starting in the east then heading west to make its final stop in Washington state in '''March 1988'''.
 It is hoped that in that time 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 truncated 20 month run that the Tour achieved fell well short of that ambitious target.
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 *On '''25 May 1986''', the Tour stops in New Brunswick, where the Whovent 86 convention is taking place over the Memorial Day weekend. 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.
 *'''15 June 1986''': The Tour reaches [[New Jersey]] and sets up at the Action Park amusement and ski-resort in Vernon. It has been on the road for six weeks.
-*'''28-29 June 1986''': The Tour reaches Central Park in [[New York]].
+*'''28-29 June 1986''': The Tour reaches Central Park in [[New York]]. Sloman takes Bessie for a spin down 5th Avenue. They are not permitted to sell merchandise at this stop.
 **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].
 *'''5-7 September 1986''': The Tour comes to Schenectady, [[New York]]. The trailer parks at the Latham Circle Mall. Brian Sloman and Louise Jameson visit the trailer on day two.
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 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.
+**A lavish press-kit folder advertising the series and Tour is distributed at Lionheart's stand; surplus copies of the kit are available to buy during the Tour.
 *'''7 February 1987''': After a two-week pause, Davison and the trailer begin the first leg of the Tour, travelling to various cities in [[Florida]].
 *'''21-21 February 1987''': The Tour - now with Jon Pertwee - comes to Walt Disney World in [[Orlando]].
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 *'''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). Aside from the Tour, Pertwee also performed his "cabaret show" in the evenings.
 *'''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.

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 * [https://web.archive.org/web/20131117013558/http://whona.realtvboard.com/t5499-dr-who-usa-tour-in-the-80s USA TOUR 1986 PHOTOS 3]
 * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160325124619/http://www.drwhoexhibitions.co.uk/usatour.htm USA TOUR OVERVIEW - and the sad fate of the Trailer...]
+* [https://www.youtube.com/@darthwho COMMERCIALS ON YOUTUBE]
 {{US nav}}
 __NOTOC__

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 ==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...]]
+[[File:2023-11 Best of British 0074 - bus.jpg|frameless|right|400px]][[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, starting with the eastern states...

@@ Line 67: / Line 67: @@
 While none of the trips made during 1986 had permanent guests on board, all the stops in 1987 included at least one star from the series travelling with the exhibit. Brian Sloman continued to accompany the Tour on occasion.
-The 1987 exhibit is also a much more elaborate affair than the 1986 show. The new version of the Tour includes not only the trailer, but also video screenings (at least four different items were shown on a loop; one of these may have been [[The Home Whovian]]), merchandise tables and autograph and Q&A sessions with the visiting guests, some of which are held in the evenings; these are staged in another venue (usually a hall, hotel or school auditorium) close to where the trailer is parked. (The 1985 [[Lionheart Promotional]] may have been one of the videos that is shown.)
+The 1987 exhibit is also a much more elaborate affair than the 1986 show. The new version of the Tour includes not only the trailer, but also video screenings (at least four different items were shown on a loop; one of these may have been [[The Home Whovian]], another was possibly the 1985 [[Lionheart Promotional]] short), merchandise tables and autograph and Q&A sessions with the visiting guests, some of which are held in the evenings; these are staged in another venue (usually a hall, hotel or school auditorium) close to where the trailer is parked.
 Pertwee and McCoy also partake in special "Dinner with the Doctor" receptions.

@@ Line 67: / Line 67: @@
 While none of the trips made during 1986 had permanent guests on board, all the stops in 1987 included at least one star from the series travelling with the exhibit. Brian Sloman continued to accompany the Tour on occasion.
-The 1987 exhibit is also a much more elaborate affair than the 1986 show. The new version of the Tour includes not only the trailer, but also video screenings, merchandise tables and autograph and Q&A sessions with the visiting guests, some of which are held in the evenings; these are staged in another venue (usually a hall, hotel or school auditorium) close to where the trailer is parked. (The 1985 [[Lionheart Promotional]] may have been one of the videos that is shown.)
+The 1987 exhibit is also a much more elaborate affair than the 1986 show. The new version of the Tour includes not only the trailer, but also video screenings (at least four different items were shown on a loop; one of these may have been [[The Home Whovian]]), merchandise tables and autograph and Q&A sessions with the visiting guests, some of which are held in the evenings; these are staged in another venue (usually a hall, hotel or school auditorium) close to where the trailer is parked. (The 1985 [[Lionheart Promotional]] may have been one of the videos that is shown.)
 Pertwee and McCoy also partake in special "Dinner with the Doctor" receptions.

@@ Line 67: / Line 67: @@
 While none of the trips made during 1986 had permanent guests on board, all the stops in 1987 included at least one star from the series travelling with the exhibit. Brian Sloman continued to accompany the Tour on occasion.
-The 1987 exhibit is also a much more elaborate affair than the 1986 show. The new version of the Tour includes not only the trailer, but also video screenings, merchandise tables and autograph and Q&A sessions with the visiting guests; these are held in another venue (usually a school hall or hotel) close to where the trailer is parked. (The 1985 [[Lionheart Promotional]] may have been one of the videos that is shown.)
+The 1987 exhibit is also a much more elaborate affair than the 1986 show. The new version of the Tour includes not only the trailer, but also video screenings, merchandise tables and autograph and Q&A sessions with the visiting guests, some of which are held in the evenings; these are staged in another venue (usually a hall or hotel) close to where the trailer is parked. (The 1985 [[Lionheart Promotional]] may have been one of the videos that is shown.)
 For the second year of its travels, the Tour is set to visit the western states for the first time; stops in '''78''' cities across '''36''' states are scheduled in that 12-month period. There is also a sojourn to Toronto planned for the end of May, but ultimately that trip over the border to [[Canada]] is dropped.

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 *'''4-5 April 1987''': Janet Feilding and Anthony Ainley appear in [[Baltimore]]. Six days earlier, Ainley had been in Columbus [[Georgia]] attending the Magnum Opus Con II convention at which Patrick Troughton had died.
 *'''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.
+*'''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 in the Winthrop Ballroom at the Embassy Suites Hotel. 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

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 ==1987==
-The 1986 Tour ran at a loss, so a re-think was needed. BBC Enterprises took full control of the 1987 leg of the promotion.
+The 1986 Tour ran at a loss, so a re-think was needed. BBC Enterprises and Lionheart took full control of the 1987 leg of the promotion.
 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).

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 A short interview with Michael Grade at the launch appears on the [[Doctor Who Then & Now]] video.
 Initial plans are to take the Tour on the road for two years, starting in the east, then heading west to make its final stop in Washington state in '''March 1988'''.
@@ Line 25: / Line 27: @@
 There are no actors from the series traveling with the Tour during 1986. Brian Sloman, Lionheart's director of Special Projects based in New York and the principal planner and organizer of the exhibit, travels with the show for several months.
-Merchandise is also sold, usually from tables set up outside the trailer.
+Tour-specific merchandise - such as t-shirts, caps, key-rings, pens and badges - is sold from tables set up outside the trailer; the selling of these souvenirs is vital to keep the Tour on the road, but on a few occasions, they are refused permission to sell commercial wares when parked on public grounds!
 Most stops - predominantly in shopping mall car parks - are planned for weekends (both days at one location), while mid-week stops are usually on a Wednesday.
@@ Line 55: / Line 57: @@
 *'''17-26 October 1986''': The Tour is on site for all ten days of the [[North Carolina]] State Fair in Raleigh.
 *'''14 December 1986''': After a month in [[South Carolina]], the Tour takes an extended break for six weeks...
 ==1987==
-While none of the trips made during 1986 had permanent guests on board, all the stops in 1987 include at least one star from the series travelling with the exhibit. Lionheart's Brian Sloman also accompanies the Tour on occasion.
+The 1986 Tour ran at a loss, so a re-think was needed. BBC Enterprises took full control of the 1987 leg of the promotion.
-The 1987 exhibit is also a much more elaborate affair than the 1986 show. The new version of the Tour includes not only the trailer, but also video screenings, merchandise tables and autograph and Q&A sessions with the visiting guests; these are held in another venue close to where the trailer is parked. (The 1985 [[Lionheart Promotional]] may have been one of the videos that is shown.)
+The 1987 exhibit is also a much more elaborate affair than the 1986 show. The new version of the Tour includes not only the trailer, but also video screenings, merchandise tables and autograph and Q&A sessions with the visiting guests; these are held in another venue (usually a school hall or hotel) close to where the trailer is parked. (The 1985 [[Lionheart Promotional]] may have been one of the videos that is shown.)
 For the second year of its travels, the Tour is set to visit the western states for the first time; stops in '''78''' cities across '''36''' states are scheduled in that 12-month period. There is also a sojourn to Toronto planned for the end of May, but ultimately that trip over the border to [[Canada]] is dropped.