WHYY

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WHYY
Network: PBS	Channel(s): 12
First airing: 1979	Last airing: 1989
== AIRDATES ==

Tom Baker premieres, June 15, 1979

Incorrect listing for Robot episode 2, June 22, 1979 (this synopsis appears to be for The Ambassadors of Death!)

March 12, 1983

Destiny of the Daleks, on channel 12; 16 October 1987

• 15 June 1979: The Tom Baker stories commence, Friday nights, 10:30pm. This run ends 10 August.
• 16 July 1979: A second airing is added, weeknights at 7pm. Poor planning leads to the different episodes of the same story airing twice on the same night.
• 1 October 1979: The weeknight airings move to 5:30.
• 12 November 1979: The weeknight airings move to 6:30.
• 26 January 1980: The series switches from weeknights to Saturday omnibus airings. The August 1981 Celestial Toyroom, North American edition reported that WHYY would be one of the first stations to air the new Lionheart-created omnibus versions. Did the station create its own movies?
• 4 December 1982: The series had screened regularly on channel 12 for three years but was suddenly dropped, with Logopolis, featuring the "death" of the Doctor...
• Channel 12 cited the reasons for dropping the series was because it had insufficient funds to purchase the show. Fans raised and donated $32,000 to assist the station.

• 11 March 1983: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that:

Partly because of a flood of cards, letters and calls, "Dr. Who" will live again on Channel 12.

Tomorrow at 6:15 p.m. the public TV station will air a 90-minute "Dr. Who Challenge" that will feature the last show of the series that ended with Who's apparent death and the first installment of a new series in which he is resurrected as a new character. It will not be the same Who, however. Tom Baker has been replaced in the title role by Peter Davison.

Channel 12 is negotiating for broadcasting rights to the new series, as well as two old ones, which will cost a reported $50,000. Mike Quattrone, the station's program consultant, said many fans were upset when the British sci-fi series went off the air last year.

• 4 July 1983: Following the protests from viewers and Channel 12's promise to bring back the series (see above), Doctor Who finally returns (Monday through Saturday), starting with the Peter Davison stories.
• 9 August 1983: The Jon Pertwee stories begin.
• 23 November 1983: The Five Doctors airs.
• 7 May 1984: The weeknight airings move to 7:30pm, Monday-Thursday. The Saturday airings continue at 4:00pm.
• 11 January 1985: The weeknight airings are abandoned in favor of a complete story every Friday night at 11:30, possibly to piggy-back off WLVT's 11pm airings.
• 1 March 1985: The Jon Pertwee stories air again, but only episodes from the 1983 package.
• 1 June 1985: Back to Tom Baker.
• 7 September 1985: The Saturday airings move to 3:30. The final few Jon Pertwee stories are screening at this time; Planet of the Spiders airs 14 September 1985.
• 25 October 1985: The William Hartnell era begins with The Daleks.
• Spring 1986: The Jon Pertwee stories air.
• 6 February 1987: Back to Tom Baker.
• 16 October 1987: Destiny of the Daleks airs at 11.30pm.
• 15 January 1988: The Friday night episodes move to midnight, although many airings are moved to later in the evening.
• 9 April 1988: The Saturday airings move to 3:00.
• 17 June 1988: The Colin Baker stories premiere.
• 7 October 1988: An Unearthly Child and the rest of the William Hartnell stories air.
• 28 April 1989: The Patrick Troughton stories air.
• 16 June 1989: The Jon Pertwee stories air.
• 8 July 1989: The Saturday afternoon broadcasts move to 10am.
• 30 December 1989: The series ends.

Media

various WHYY promos

Ian Marter interview

WHYY ID, May 1989

Centre Hotel Creation convention feature, part 1

Centre Hotel Creation convention feature, part 2