John Lavalie at 14:59, 31 December 2025

2025-12-31T14:59:24Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = The News (Adelaide) | file = 1986-12-18 News.jpg | px = 450 | height = | width = | date = 1986-12-18 | author = James Tonkin | pages = 39 | languag..."

2025-11-23T02:14:21Z

Created page with "{{article | publication = The News (Adelaide) | file = 1986-12-18 News.jpg | px = 450 | height = | width = | date = 1986-12-18 | author = James Tonkin | pages = 39 | languag..."

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{{article
| publication = The News (Adelaide)
| file = 1986-12-18 News.jpg
| px = 450
| height =
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| date = 1986-12-18
| author = James Tonkin
| pages = 39
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories =
| moreTitles =
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| text = AUSTRALIA'S legion of Dr Who fans appears to be in for a cosmic battle to save the good doctor from executive extermination.

The much-loved BBC science fiction serial which has survived for more than 23 years looks set to be time-warped off Australian TV screens.

ABC managing director, Mr David Hill, has indicated the future for the time travelling hero is bleak — if he has his way. Mr Hill, who used to run the NSW Railways, said his new job as ABC head had some similarities with train administration.

"I learnt in the railways that people are prepared to fight to the death for a railway service that they never use, and I'm learning in the ABC that there are people who are prepared to fight to the death for an old TV program they never watch," Mr Hill said.

The program still may be saved but is likely to be relegated to another dimension on [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] program schedules.

Mr Hill is not approaching lightly the task of doing to the doctor, played by a variety of actors including Tom Baker, Peter Davison and Jon Pertwee, what Daleks, Cybermen and other aliens failed to do.

He is expecting an enormous outcry, and said his wife would be one of his biggest critics.

"My wife is probably going to lead the charge of the Dr Who devotees," Mr Hill said. "But the truth is that umpteen repeats of 20-year-old Dr Who programs at 6.30, where they rate two or three, do not constitute excellence or quality on television."

That may be Mr Hill's opinion but he can expect Dr Who's fans to disagree.

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@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 "I learnt in the railways that people are prepared to fight to the death for a railway service that they never use, and I'm learning in the ABC that there are people who are prepared to fight to the death for an old TV program they never watch," Mr Hill said.
-The program still may be saved but is likely to be relegated to another dimension on [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] program schedules.
+The program still may be saved but is likely to be relegated to another dimension on [[broadwcast:Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] program schedules.
 Mr Hill is not approaching lightly the task of doing to the doctor, played by a variety of actors including Tom Baker, Peter Davison and Jon Pertwee, what Daleks, Cybermen and other aliens failed to do.

Fans set to fight for endangered Dr Who - Revision history

John Lavalie at 14:59, 31 December 2025

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = The News (Adelaide) | file = 1986-12-18 News.jpg | px = 450 | height = | width = | date = 1986-12-18 | author = James Tonkin | pages = 39 | languag..."