Man Overboard!

Okay, I've changed my mind about the Black Guardian... he's rubbish, isn't he? He's meant to be the supreme embodiment of all the evil in the universe and what does he do? Gets a 24-year old public school boy and TV's Lynda Baron to do his dirty work, and spends the rest of his time either shouting or cackling insanely... and as for that dead bird on his head...

Doctor Who: Enlightenment

Sunday 27th October 2002

UK Gold 12.55am-2.45am BST (1.45am GMT)

Enlightenment, the concluding part of the Black Guardian Trilogy, was screened on no less than twelve occasions by satellite channel UK Gold between 1994 and 2005. These clips come from the first of two screenings during the early hours of Sunday 27th October 2002, and the channel's continuity announcer can be heard reminding viewers that clocks in Britain and throughout most of Europe would turn back one hour at 0200 BST to 0100 GMT, right in the middle of the Doctor Who Omnibus; you don't need a TARDIS to travel back in time...

Classic TV series including Silent Witness, Auf Weidersehen Pet, Dad's Army, Keeping Up Appearances, Some Mother's Do 'Ave 'Em and Porridge were promoted during the commercial breaks...

A little bit of trivia: This was the final Doctor Who story to be broadcast on British television prior to the launch of the new digital broadcasting platform Freeview, on 30th October 2002. UKTV launched a brand new history-themed channel imaginatively titled UK History to coincide, and you can see a couple of trailers promoting it in the video above.

Another little bit of trivia: UK Gold were gearing up for a Birthday Weekend (see above) and this was the final Doctor Who story to be screened prior to UK Gold's 10th year, on 1st November 2002. Now I know what you're thinking - how many Doctor Who stories were screened during UK Gold's first decade then, WhoGold? Well, the answer is...

... I dunno. Why don't you tell me?

Thanks to regular contributor kinggodzillak for providing these clips. WhoGold will return with some 20th-century continuity on Sunday 10th July 2011. Be there and be square.