View source for Meanwhile, Doctor Who, another public TV import, is trapped in a time warp

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| publication = Wilmington Star-News
| file = 1985-06-09 Star-News.jpg
| px = 350
| height = 
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| date = 1985-06-09
| author = Ben Steelman
| pages = 1E
| language = English 
| type = 
| description = 
| categories = Hiatus
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| text = 
The British Broadcasting Corp. has "frozen" production on the 22-year-old science-fiction series until February or March 1986. That means new episodes won't reach British TV until September 1986 — and American fans won't see them until some time after that.

The BBC is facing a money crunch, and executives cite financial reasons for the hiatus.

At the same time, the government-owned network is trying to get an increase in its "license fee" — the annual tax every British TV owner has to pay. Patrick Troughton (the second actor to play the Doctor) and several TV reviewers have guessed that the BBC may be holding back new Doctor Whos in order to build sympathy for the unpopular levy.

Meanwhile, Who fans aren't taking this lying down.

Starlog magazine reports that members of the Doctor Who Fan Club of America have offered to raise money for the BBC in the United States to help pay for a new season.

And in Britain a number of rock stars have joined to record Doctor in Distress, a lyric urging fans to help save the show.

The Moody Blues, Ultravox and Time UK are among the participants, who include several actors from the series: Colin Baker, the current Doctor; Nicholas Courtney, who plays the stuffy Brigadier; and Anthony Ainley, who plays the Doctor's chief adversary, The Master.

Proceeds from sales of the record have been pledged to Cancer Relief, a British charity.

However, the outlook for American fans is not so grim, Starlog pointed out. A large backlog of Doctor Who episodes still has not been shown on U.S. television, so there should be plenty of fresh material until the cameras start rolling again. 

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