Tune in Nightly for the Perils of 'Dr. Who' on Channel 17
- Publication: The Philadelphia Inquirer
- Date: 1972-08-22
- Author: Harry Harris
- Page: 9
- Language: English
England's BBC network doesn't manufacture only dramatic blockbusters like "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and "Elizabeth R." Sometimes its programs are frivolous. Even downright Campy.
Take the half-hour "Dr. Who," which bowed on Channel 17 as a Monday-through-Friday attraction yesterday at 7:30 P. M. It's strictly a cliffhanger serial, of the type that used to delight Saturday matinee moviegoers, the kind where each chapter ended with the hero or heroine in scary peril.
The close of Chapter 1 of the seven-part "The Silurians" (there are eight "Dr. Who" adventures in all, of varying length) found the doctor in a cave and confronting an unfriendly dinosaur.
This happened after Dr. Who and his comely assistant, Liz Shaw, had been summoned by the supersecurity agency, UNIT, to investigate strange happenings at an underground atonic research station - power failures, nervous breakdowns and an episode-opening encounter which left one junior technician dead and another so terrified that his mind had reversed millions of years and he was drawing paleolithic designs on hospital walls.
The commercial ATV is the noncommerical BBC's big rival, and "Dr. Who" often seems a sly take-off on ATV's yesteryear "The Avengers."
Dr. Who outdandies John Steed. He wears an elegant red-lined black cloak, ruffled shirt and string tie, and he's always tinkering with a yellow Edwardian roadster named Bessie, crammed with James Bond-like gadgets, when he's not transporting himself via UNIT helicopter or a time machine tagged Tardis.
He's had a couple of aides over the show's eight mini- seasons, both partial to miniskirts.
Although "Dr. Who" is aimed at kids, older — even senior — citizens can dig its hero—white-haired, furrowed-faced Jon Pertwee.
This is sci-fi with lots of fee-fi-fo-fum fun.
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- APA 6th ed.: Harris, Harry (1972-08-22). Tune in Nightly for the Perils of 'Dr. Who' on Channel 17. The Philadelphia Inquirer p. 9.
- MLA 7th ed.: Harris, Harry. "Tune in Nightly for the Perils of 'Dr. Who' on Channel 17." The Philadelphia Inquirer [add city] 1972-08-22, 9. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Harris, Harry. "Tune in Nightly for the Perils of 'Dr. Who' on Channel 17." The Philadelphia Inquirer, edition, sec., 1972-08-22
- Turabian: Harris, Harry. "Tune in Nightly for the Perils of 'Dr. Who' on Channel 17." The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1972-08-22, section, 9 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Tune in Nightly for the Perils of 'Dr. Who' on Channel 17 | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Tune_in_Nightly_for_the_Perils_of_%27Dr._Who%27_on_Channel_17 | work=The Philadelphia Inquirer | pages=9 | date=1972-08-22 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 May 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Tune in Nightly for the Perils of 'Dr. Who' on Channel 17 | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Tune_in_Nightly_for_the_Perils_of_%27Dr._Who%27_on_Channel_17 | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 May 2025}}</ref>
