Channel 8's 'Dr. Who' to Take a Summer Vacation
- Publication: The Wichita Eagle
- Date: 1984-04-30
- Author: Bob Curtright
- Page: 11A
- Language: English
Faithful viewers of KPTS, Ch. 8, won't be asking "who" after Friday, but they will probably be wondering "when" if they haven't been paying close attention. "Dr. Who," considered one of the most popular programs (6-7 p.m. Monday-Friday) in the Wichita/Hutchinson public TV station's schedule, will take a summer vacation because the current go-round of episodes will run out this week.
The "Dr. Who" movies on Saturdays, though, will continue to keep fans from suffering complete withdrawal.
Channel 8 vice president Jim Lewis noted that "Dr. Who" will be back, probably in September, when newly released syndicated episodes of the long-running British series are available in this country. No, they won't be the newest in existence, which are still being produced and jealously kept as first-run on the other side of the Atlantic. But they will be new to the fans on this side, and they will feature the third and final year of Peter Davis as the quirky, time-traveling adventurer.
And after airing Davis' final adventures, Lewis said plans call for starting over the 230 or so episodes that will have aired since the series began here in 1981. The early adventures were with Tom Baker as the good doctor. Baker is the sixth actor to play the role. He is also the one most known to American audiences and is considered probably the most popular, Lewis said.
Peter Davis followed Tom Baker for three years in the role, and the newest doctor is Colin Baker, who hasn't been seen here because his episodes haven't yet been released for international syndication.
An interesting turn of events for Lewis is that "Dr. Who" fans seem to be diversifying. When the series was launched, it was expected to appeal to those in their teens or early 20s because of the title character's science fiction standing. Now, Lewis said, older people in the Wichita/Hutchinson audience are beginning to respond, according to demographics examined in recent ratings periods.
"We even recently received a letter from an 84-year-old woman who watches the program," Lewis noted.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Curtright, Bob (1984-04-30). Channel 8's 'Dr. Who' to Take a Summer Vacation. The Wichita Eagle p. 11A.
- MLA 7th ed.: Curtright, Bob. "Channel 8's 'Dr. Who' to Take a Summer Vacation." The Wichita Eagle [add city] 1984-04-30, 11A. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Curtright, Bob. "Channel 8's 'Dr. Who' to Take a Summer Vacation." The Wichita Eagle, edition, sec., 1984-04-30
- Turabian: Curtright, Bob. "Channel 8's 'Dr. Who' to Take a Summer Vacation." The Wichita Eagle, 1984-04-30, section, 11A edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Channel 8's 'Dr. Who' to Take a Summer Vacation | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Channel_8%27s_%27Dr._Who%27_to_Take_a_Summer_Vacation | work=The Wichita Eagle | pages=11A | date=1984-04-30 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=11 May 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Channel 8's 'Dr. Who' to Take a Summer Vacation | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Channel_8%27s_%27Dr._Who%27_to_Take_a_Summer_Vacation | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=11 May 2025}}</ref>
