Around the dial

As you may have heard, after 20 years, the revival of Doctor Who is in a bit of a bind. It's possible, according to some sources, that Disney+ may not renew its option at the end of the current season, meaning that the BBC would probably need to find another partner to help finance the series. This YouGov poll purports to offer some insight into why the series is losing favor, but the figures don't tell much of a story. For instance, among those who've seen both the classic and modern versions, there's no indication as to why viewers may prefer one over the other; for those who've never seen either version (an alarmingly high number), why haven't they watched it? And there has to be a category of people like me who used to watch the new version but no longer do--after all, the ratings are down heavily from where they were. Why? Is it because of cord cutting, is it because the show's too woke, is it because it's not woke enough, is it that they don't like the actors who've played the Doctor more recently? You know the joke about lies, damned lies, and statistics? Well, guess which this is?

The "Sylvia Coleridge Season" continues apace at Cult TV Blog, and this week John travels back in time to The Tomorrow People and the story "A Rift in Time," which gives us a timeline in which Rome never lost rule over Britain. Interesting idea for today, hmm? 

At bare-bones e-zine, Jack's Hitchcock Project takes us to the ninth season episode "A Matter of Murder," written by Boris Sobelman, with Darren McGavin, Pat Crowley, and Telly Savalas. A black comedy follows, and does anyone do those better than Hitchcock?

The progression through 1970s TV has reached Friday, 1975 at Comfort TV where Dan looks at NBC's rare killer lineup: Sanford and Son, Chico and the Man, The Rockford Files, and Police Woman. Oh, and then there are shows like Big Eddie and Mobile One, and the less said, the better.

At RealWeegieMidget, Gill recalls the career of Wings Hauser ("the biggest star you've never heard of") and his many television appearances, focusing on the season two episode "Just a Small Circle of Friends" from The Fall Guy.

This week's classic television obituary—I hate to put it this way, but it's true—is Richard Chamberlain, who certainly left his mark on TV history. Television Obscurities, Classic Film and TV Corner, A Shroud of Thoughts, and the brand-new Mavis Movie Madness! (from our Drunk TV friend Paul Mavis) all share their memories of his life and work. And one more; Travalanche recalls the career of Sian Barbara Allen, who appeared in so many television shows, especially in the 1970s. 

We wrap with "Angels of Death," the latest episode of The New Avengers at The View from the Junkyard, and as Steed sees another of his former friends bumped off, Purdey asks him the pertinent question: why must the show always go on? TV