From: mrmuon@next06csc.wam.umd.edu (Eli John Hawkins)
Subject: Re: Your firsts
Organization: Workstations at Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 04:55:20 GMT

In article <1992Nov22.164804.370@rivers> ph9991_manfr@rivers.acc.uwrf.edu  
writes:
> In article <XR7muB2w165w@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca>,  
yadallee@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Dave Shariff Yadallee) writes:
> > 
> > - <IO21145@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> writes:
> > -
> > - > I would like to hear how some of my fellow "Whovians" were
> > - > first introduced into the series - It was quite a powerfull
> > - > experience for me (or as powerfull as a child might imagine!)
> > - > when I watched "Genesis of The Daleks" on channel 2. It was
> > - > the best show I'd ever seen ! - The mystery of the whole series
> > - > was a joy to unravel, to get to know the doctor and his  
interesting
> > - > happenings. In short - it's the last Televison show I'll watch!
> > - > But anyway, I'd like to hear from anyone on this...
> > - >
> > - >
> > - >    Scorby...

Okay!
I come from a family with Anglophile tendencies; my dad went to school in  
England for two years. One of the things I read as a kid was the  
Paddington books and I was pretty pleased when, briefly, there was a  
series of Paddington stories on TV on one of DC's PBS stations, weekday  
afternoons; It was some kind of puppet animated thing and someone on this  
group probably knows its origins. It wasn't on very long though and one  
day (a monday I assume) I tuned in at that time and there was no  
Paddington, there was something I thought looked like the inside of a  
silver ear. At this moment my father called me down to dinner so I had to  
turn off the TV.
I semi forgot about this, but later that week (thursday) I was bored in  
the afternoon and turned on the TV. I came in partway through part 4 of  
"Robot". Although this is undoubtedly not the best introduction to the  
series it got my curiosity. I found the title in the TV listings and,  
assuming this to be typical science fiction, I assumed Professor Marius to  
be "Doctor Who". I was, of course, wrong on both counts. That night I told  
my mother about it and she said "Sounds awful, dear!". But I didn't think  
so.
Somehow I missed the next episode, but I got my friend to watch "Ark in  
Space" part two with me. He liked it to. I missed "the Sontaran  
Experiment" but I think "Genesis of the Daleks" was my first complete  
story.
Each weekday afternoon as part of "Children's Fare" it was on after  
"Mister Roger's Neighborhood". Although I got some others into the show  
they didn't remain as into it as I did. Then i had the lucky break of a  
family vacation to England. There I saw an exibit about the show at Madame  
Tousade's waxworks. I discovered the novelizations at a bookstore and  
bought "K9 and other Mechanical creatures" there; this filled me in quite  
a bit and compensated for missing "the invisible enemy" and other stories  
during the trip.
I got back in time for "Image of the Fendehal". My station only ran up to  
"The invasion of Time" then stopped. I almost went nuts but eventually  
they brought it back, for the same run. then stopped again.
I better finish this later, the lab's closing.

--
Eli Hawkins : mrmuon@wam.umd.edu
<picture jazzy quote here>