Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site sfmag.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!mhuxm!sftig!sfmag!mom From: mom@sfmag.UUCP (M.Modig) Newsgroups: net.tv.drwho Subject: Re: NOT starting rumors Message-ID: <795@sfmag.UUCP> Date: Fri, 6-Dec-85 22:37:18 EST Article-I.D.: sfmag.795 Posted: Fri Dec 6 22:37:18 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 7-Dec-85 20:50:20 EST References: <55500018@hpislb.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Information Systems, Summit, NJ Lines: 68 > > ... I'm just trying to get some answers. > > A few weeks ago we had some discussion about the length of the > 23rd season. I didn't hear any questions about this at TARDIS 22. > However I just got my latest issue of the Whovian Times (very late - > as usual), and Jeremy Bentham from England again quotes the 14 > episodes number. What's the real story here. > There is NOTHING definite yet. Rumor has it that there will be 14 episodes. One thing supposedly supporting this is that a missent telegram saying there would only be 14 episodes is alleged to have turned up at DWFCA in Denver. It is known that JN-T has been comissioning a lot of scripts, more than would be the case even for a normal season, so there is an effort underway to make the next season one of the best written at least. Anyway, the rumors keep flying, and no-one has arisen to shoot them down. We won't know for sure until production actually gets under way, set for next April or so. > Also, Jeremy states that Lionheart now has 17 Hartnell episodes, > including "The Time Meddler" and "The War Machines" both recently > recovered from Nigeria. At Tardis 22 JN-T stated that no new episodes > have been found for quite a while. Any-one know the true story on > this one. These episodes aren't in the tentaive schedule for NJN > posted by James. > The recovery is fairly old news, probably getting on for at least a year now. The list I have at home seems to indicate that NJN will show these two, but I could be wrong. > Is this Bentham guy all wet, or what? He's supposed to be fairly > knowledgable having written for DWM and been with DWAS. > No one official has really said anything yet, but people like Mr. Bentham who are just removed from being official, have been consistently reporting such rumors, so it seems possible. Again, NOTHING is certain until production actually begins. Rumors have even conflicted about how the 14 episodes might be broken up (4,6,4 or 4,2,2,2,4 seem the most popular.) Former producer Graham Williams wrote a script for the 23rd season; rumor has it this script, which was to feature the Celestial Toymaker from the Hartnell story of the same name, has been shelved, but scripts from Philip Martin (Vengeance on Varos) and Pip and Jane Baker (Mark of the Rani) are supposedly forthcoming. There have also been rumors that the 23rd season will have a dominant theme: a threat to Gallifrey, thus making it easy to send up most everybody at the end of the season in a helluva Blake's 7 style bang, the story to be titled "Gallifrey." The latest DWAS newsletter says no, thereis no episode called "Gallifrey" up for next year. Believe what you want. Personally, I've about had it with "threats to Gallifrey". None of the foes we've seen (with the possible exception of the Black Guardian) should be able to seriously threaten the Time Lords if they had half a brain, and besides, it's been done before. The show needs to move on, which means infrequent appearances by old foes, and then only for good reason. Last season we had the Cybermen, the Daleks, and the Master. Shows were ridden with continuity and other mistakes. It's time to move on. If the next season goes over old ground with old foes, it may be the last season for Dr. Who. Mark Modig ihnp4!sfmag!mom