Doctor Who Program Guide

It is 430 pages, containing information on each of the episodes that have aired since the very first, back in late 1963, through the end of the seventh series (2013), the 50th anniversary.

There are several appendix sections as well, one of which has the Doctor Who Magazine covers and another listing all of the DVD and Blu-ray releases for the U.K. and the U.S.

Because it is PDF, the content is completely searchable.

Updated: Sep 23, 2014

Doctor Who "The Movie" - Special Edition
Not So Special - Sort-of

Finally, the May, 1996, Doctor Who movie, as aired on the Fox network, was released in the U.S.

But there is a problem. The source of the video for the U.S. release is NOT from the U.S. NTSC master tape that Fox used, or what stations in Canada used. It is the IVTC NTSC master (23.976 fps) -> PAL master (25 fps) -> NTSC (29.97 fps).

What does this mean? Two things. First is that the video is two standards converted versions from the master, going from 480 lines to 576 lines back to 480 lines. And second, it has a 4% speed up. The U.S. master runs 1:29:47, while the U.K. sped up master runs 1:25:44.

I do not know if the BBC wasn't allowed to get their hands on the U.S. master, as part of the licensing rights, or they were too damn lazy to try, I suspect licensing issues, since the U.S. release has been plagued with licensing issues.

So, if you are expecting to get what was exactly aired on Fox, don't. Thank goodness I have an excellent copy of the satellite master, which I personally recorded.

The May 11 edition of Jeopardy! took a dig at my state's infamous governor.

THE CW: WORST FOR COMMERCIAL LOAD

Obviously The CW could care less about the programming it airs. Why? Because its commercial load is the worst of the OTA networks.

For example, here are the program lengths for the five latest episodes:

• 90210 - 39:55 (aired 2/28/11)
• Gossip Girl - 42:03 (aired 9/13/10)
• Hellcats - 41:00 (aired 9/08/10)
• Nikita - 42:17 (aired 9/09/10)
• Ringer - 39:25 (aired 11/07/11)
• Vampire Diaries - 41:40 (aired 9/09/10)

That is horrible.

The other networks are following in The CW's footsteps, What is it going to take to get these A-holes to stop the clutter? First there is the horrible amount in the way of commercial load and to top it off, there are the tons of nasty snipes to interfere with your viewing of what little programming there is.

There outta be a law!

Werewolf DVD Release Cancelled Due To Greed

There are a lot of greedy bastard so-called-artists out there that just do not give-a-shit. Two more have been added to the list.

7/01/10 Update: According to a comment posted on techdirt, one of the songs is Silent Running by "Mike and the Mechanics".

I HATE SNIPES!

Because there are so many examples of this damn snipe problem, I've had to create separate web pages to handle them all. They were just getting to be way too many to place on this page.

Head on over to my I Hate Snipes! web page.

An article was posted on Jan 30th blasting the latest examples of commercial snipes and product placement. Head on over to TV Worth Watching to read it.

What Does Your Fox Affiliate HD Bug Look Like?

Here are the Fox Bugs that I've collected so far.

For a discussion about Fox bugs and how you can contribute to the roster, head on over to the AVS Forum.

I hope to see your Fox affiliate bug here soon.

The Emmys Rips TV Executives a New One

OK, the headline is a little over-the-top, but tonight Lewis Black came out and laid into the networks for having those damn sprites (also called lower thirds) at the bottom of the screen.

He also layed into them for shrinking the closing credits.

I'd have the video and audio of that piece, but thanks to ASUS computer motherboards and Windblows XP, it is missing from my capture of the Emmy telecast because the computer crashed and 35 minutes got wiped from the hard drive :-(

It was a great piece. Something I've been complaining about for years!

Here is what Matt Rousch had to say when asked about those damn sprites (9/24/07):

Question: I liked it when networks put a small logo, usually ghosted in the bottom right of the screen, so I knew what channel I was surfing to. But now the trend seems to be to have an entire billboard down there, and they are getting bigger and bigger! TNT and ABC Family seem to be the biggest offenders so far. I was watching Kyle XY and they had this huge promotion for new episodes of another show starting soon. I thought it would go away after the first minute, but it stayed up there the entire time. I find it very distracting. I now tend to stay away from networks that have these "in your face" messages. Do you think there will be a point when shows will be half commercials? Sharon H.

Matt Roush: Don't give them any ideas. It's getting out of hand as it is. This is a new variation on one of my most frequently heard complaints. About the only part of the Emmy broadcast I enjoyed last Sunday was Lewis Black's rant against this practice. He spoke for millions, if my mail is any indication. That said, given the proliferation of cable, I agree that having a transparent logo in the corner of the screen is a very helpful tool for channel-surfers, especially for those who haven't migrated yet to digital or satellite TV, with their on-screen guides. But when Holly Hunter keeps popping up when I'd much rather be watching Kyra Sedgwick, I am not amused.

JEOPARDY! MADE HISTORY

The 3/16/07 airing of JEOPARDY! had an event that has never happened on the show. The show is #5190, which is a lot of shows over the years.

History was made during Final Jeopardy! when there was a three way tie. All three contestants ended up with $16,000. The current champ actually had the ability to win, but his wager also brought him to $16k.

Monday's show (3/19/07) will explain that a kid asked Alex during the break before Final Jeopardy! if there has ever been a three way tie. Alex answered no and the current champ heard that and wagered so that he would tie the others, if they both bet it all ($8k) and got the question correct. They all did and history was made.

Posted 23:00 CDT - 3/15/07 - You read the secret here, before the episode aired.

Nothing Certain But Death, Taxes and ... Advertising!

A must read editorial!

Wake Up Congress!
Get Your Heads Out Of Your Collective Asses

Janet Jackson screws up and shows a boob with a nipple cover and you guys go off your rockers, going after free speech. We have a Constitution and you are all (OK not all) trying to undermine it.

Now you are going after words on Radio/TV. It isn't up to you to control what I can watch, or listen to. I can control my own listening/viewing. Parents do not need you to be their babysitters. Let them do their own babysitting, like they should.

Tonight (3/21/04) I watched the Canadian show, The Eleventh Hour, which had no problem using the word "fuck" a few times. And here you are getting your knickers in a twist. Canadians have a handle on life, so should you.

Wake up and smell your surroundings.

Here are some examples of what Canadians see at 10ET/9CT (episode aired 4/25/04):

CHEERS to TV Guide

JEERS to ramping up the clutter. We (and just about everyone else) have been screaming for years about those logo "bugs" on the bottom right corner of the TV screen. What do we have to show for it? More elaborate intrusions. Like Spike TV's animated spray-painter writing the channel's logo, graffiti-style, across our screen. Can it, please.

Last modified on Sunday, 29-Nov-2020 09:05:08 CST.