A Doctor Who episode postponed one week for WHAT??

Oh my dear Auntie Beeb! How could you be so callous? I mean, delaying your Number One show of the whole week for what I have to say is the Number One in the Dire Charts in the entire continent - maybe even in the world.

I wonder what the Americans think of this nonsense institution we have every year over here in Europe that is Eurovision (and I am OH SO hating myself for dirtying my precious blog with THAT word - don't you DARE tag it!!). I bet the Aussies think we got a "bad case of the trots" for daring to delay the might Doctor Who for THIS kind of triviality.

Anyway, enough free blog-vertising for the bloody Eurovision Song Contest. I'm fighting back here, and I decided to dig around for any previous times in Doctor Who history when an episode was delayed or postponed for some, well TRIVIAL and NONSENSICAL reason.

Ah hah! It will not be the first time, my blog-friends! According to the mighty Wikipedia, the first time such a scandalous event occurred was way, WAY back to the era of none other than William Hartnell, the first Doctor. It was the third episode of 'The Sensorites' which had to be delayed by one week because of an overrun of former BBC Sports programme "Grandstand". Not sure of the exact date of this, but it was something like the first Saturday of August in the year 1964. And NO, yer cheeky buggers, I myself was sadly NOT EVEN BORN in that year. Don't even THINK about it!

Was this the only time this has happened. No no, not at all. There was another occurrence of Doc-Delay a couple of years later from this opne I just told you about. Oh YES, another crash into poor Willy Hartnell at his finest! This time, the Dr Who story was 'The Dalek's Master Plan' and the postponement occurred because of the showing of the BBC's Christmas Special of that year. So we can suppose it was the Xmas weekend, and the year was 1966. Well .... getting a little closer to my entering this world but yer still got almost another year to go until I was a fully paid Earth Member. Oh, by the way, this valuable nugget of information comes to you via something called 'Pat's Doctor Who Quiz' which I highly recommend you check out some time to test your knowledge. In fact, I highly advise you to Vote With Your Remote, refuse to switch on the TV and do this quiz instead. Eurovision, Schmurovision indeed!!

Of course, there was the near thing a few weeks back when there was the, erm, possibility of the Man Utd. v. Watford FA Cup game going into extra time. But the Mighty Reds gave the Wats a darn good thumping to save the Doctor Who Bacon. Maybe the good Doc himself had something to do with that ....

That's all I could find in my efforts at digging the web I'm afraid. Hey, you never know! Use this as a Pub Quiz Question or indeed if you're really on the ball, a Pub Quiz Answer. ASTOUND your friends and drinking buddies with your knowledge of all things Doctor Who. And don't forget to tell them where They Too Can Be Like You and send them here.

I'm off to read my very first copy of the Doctor Who Magazine. I mean, first one I ever BOUGHT - not Issue 1 Year 1. I may be WHO but I'm no Whovian you know. See yer next time!