Trinidad & Tobago
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO is an archipelago of small islands off the coast of Brazil, but considered part of the Caribbean. Trinidad is the larger of the two main islands (being XX km2), while the much smaller Tobago (XX km2). Part of the West Indies, it was a British colony until it achieved independence in 19XXX. It is a member of the British Commonwealth.
Contents
Population
When Doctor Who screened in Trinidad & Tobago from 1965, the population was 989,800, and licensed TV sets numbered 28,500 (per WRTH, 1966). During the second phase of broadcasts in 1985-87, the population had increased to XXXXXX, and TVs receivers to 75,000 (per WRTH 1984).
TV & system
Trinidad & Tobago commenced its television service in 1962. Colour transmissions began in 1969 with the NTSC colour broadcast system.
There is just one television provider, the government-owned Trinidad and Tobago Television Co Ltd (TTT).
In later years, TTT operated four channels – 2 and 13, 9 and 14.
Language/s
The official language of Trinidad & Tobago is English.
DOCTOR WHO IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Trinidad & Tobago was the 11th country to screen Doctor Who (see Selling Doctor Who). It was the first in the Caribbean.
BBC Records
The Stanmark Productions Ltd advertisement from 1966, identifies Trinidad as one of twelve countries screening Doctor Who in that year.
The Seventies records a sale of 6 stories by 28 February 1977. The Handbook identifies these as being: F, G, H, J, K, L.
In DWM, Trinidad & Tobago is identified in 9 story Archives: A, B, C, F, G, H, J, K and L.
However the number of airdates identified, indicates that the standard package of the first eleven William Hartnell stories, including D and E aired.
The Eighties - The Lost Chapters records a sale of 11 stories (by 10 February 1987). These sales clearly relate to the later run of Tom Baker stories.
The Tom Baker stories were sold to Trinidad & Tobago (and eight other Caribbean countries) "amongst a package of a ¼ million pounds worth of programmes. These sales were a direct result of a three-day screening of the Beeb's top programmes by BBC Enterprises in Nassau during July", as was reported in the DWAS newsletter Celestial Toyroom (September 1985 issue) (See also Barbados).
Stories bought and broadcast
WILLIAM HARTNELL
Eleven stories, 53 episodes.
| A | An Unearthly Child | 4 |
| B | The Daleks | 7 |
| C | Inside the Spaceship | 2 |
| D | Marco Polo | 7 |
| E | The Keys of Marinus | 6 |
| F | The Aztecs | 4 |
| G | The Sensorites | 6 |
| H | The Reign of Terror | 6 |
| J | Planet of Giants | 3 |
| K | The Dalek Invasion of Earth | 6 |
| L | The Rescue | 2 |
The programme was supplied as 16mm black and white film prints with English soundtracks.
TOM BAKER
After the Nassau-based sales junket, Trinidad & Tobago screened a package of eleven Tom Baker stories (48 episodes) in 1985 to 1986; the same package of stories was also sold to Barbados. And like Barbados, the stories screened out of order:
| 4G | Pyramids of Mars | 4 |
| 4C | The Ark in Space | 4 |
| 4D | Revenge of the Cybermen | 4 |
| 4E | Genesis of the Daleks | 6 |
| 4F | Terror of the Zygons | 4 |
| 4H | Planet of Evil | 4 |
| 4J | The Android Invasion | 4 |
| 4K | The Brain of Morbius | 4 |
| 4L | The Seeds of Doom | 6 |
| 4N | The Hand of Fear | 4 |
| 4M | The Masque of Mandragora | 4 |
These programmes were supplied as NTSC colour video tapes.
For reasons not known, neither Baker's debut serial Robot nor The Sontaran Experiment were included in this package; or if they were they did not screen during either run.
Origin of the Prints?
Trinidad & Tobago was the first Caribbean country to buy Doctor Who. The seller / distributor was TIE Ltd.
Transmission
WILLIAM HARTNELL
Sunday, 31 October 1965 saw the debut of Doctor Who, at 6.30pm. The uninterrupted run of 53 episodes ended one year later, on 30 October 1966.
TOM BAKER
19 years after the William Hartnell run, Doctor Who returned. On Wednesday, 1 December 1985, at 6.30pm (on Channels 2 and 13). For some reason, the first serial to play was Pyramids of Mars. For the rest of the run, the stories did air in the correct order. The timeslot changed to 5.30pm from 15 January 1986, where it remained for remaining episodes. No episode played on Christmas Day 1985. This run ended on 12 November 1986.
Barbados was airing the same batch of eleven stories at the same time. Because Barbados aired the stories way out of order, sometimes they were first to screen a particular serial, and other times Trinidad was first. The closest they came to airing the same episode was with part four of The Masque of Mandragora, on 24 September and 29 September 1986.
These were the stories that aired in Trinidad first: 4G, 4H, 4J, 4K, 4L, 4M, 4N.
On Saturday, 10 January 1987, a repeat run commenced; this time two episodes aired back to back, from 6.00pm to 7.00pm. Again, the run opened with Pyramids of Mars. No episode aired on 18 April 1986, presumably due to this being Easter weekend.
Barbados repeated the series at the same time, but episodically. Because it aired two episodes back to back, Trinidad was ahead of its Caribbean neighbour.
TV listings
TV listings have been obtained from the newspaper Trinidad Guardian.
1960s
None of the Hartnell stories were identified by title, so we can only presume that the stores aired in the correct order.
During February 1966, the TV listings start from 7.00pm, so Doctor Who is not listed.
And during October 1966, there are no TV listings printed at all.
The British newspaper Daily Mirror 25 April 1966 ran a feature on Doctor Who which referred to the series being "Tops" in Trinidad (see The Key To Time, page XXX).
1980s
The 7 December 1985 issue carried a brief preview of the series, illustrated with a montage of the TARDIS and the series diamond logo: "Doctor Who has a terrific formula... ". Curiously there is no reference to the series having had aired in the 1960s...
The story title was usually printed as DR WHO in capitals.
Although the listing for the first episode on 11 December 1985 is for The Ark in Space, it must have been Pyramids of Mars that aired, as evidenced by the three later listings for that serial.
Curiously, part four of The Masque of Mandragora was listed with its production code: "#4M Masque of Mandragora". And the following week a typographical error, made it look like the first episode of the William Hartnell serial The Reign of Terror was playing!
For the 1987 repeats, some but all of the listings indicated that two episodes were airing together. Although The Android Invasion is scheduled for 18 April, which was Easter weekend, it appears that it didn't air, as it is also listed the following week.
Fate of the Prints?
The next TIE Ltd distribution countries to buy the Hartnell series was Barbados, also in the Caribbean, so it's possible that Trinidad & Tobago sent its prints to that country.
Trinidad & Tobago in Doctor Who
- In The Highlanders, Solicitor Grey was planning to send the captured Highlanders to the West Indies to be sold as slaves.
- Ice Warriors actor Sonny Caldinez was born in Trinidad & Tobago.
References
