TVSquad

The next Doctor Who special, The Waters of Mars, will be broadcast on BBC America on Saturday December 19th at 9 P.M. For those like myself whose cable company doesn't carry BBC America, we're S.O.L.

Of course, the BBC British broadcast date is November 15th. In that gap, I'm sure even the less technically adept fan in the United States can snag a copy of the show, and fans of the show tend to be more capable when it comes to technology. Not that I'm encouraging such behavior. I'm simply saying that a gap of a month is a LONG time in the digital world. The companies involved would have been better off with a gap of 24 hours. At that point, it's less likely that piracy will occur.

However, for those who are sticklers about this whole "copyright law" thing, you have your opportunity to see the program on December 19th. Hopefully you can wait that long.

(P.S. For those who need more David Tennant as the Doctor before his departure, he's currently appearing on the spin-off show The Sarah Jane Adventures in the U.K.)

While there are several other channels in Britain, the BBC has a virtual monopoly on television on the basis on its brand name alone. That can be seen with the amount of investment in its fall schedule. In England, the BBC is synonymous with television. While other U.K. channels are suffering from the recession, the BBC One, their primary channel, seems to be plowing ahead.

Upcoming projects include a new adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma (and nobody does period pieces like that better than the BBC), Strictly Come Dancing (their version of Dancing With The Stars), and the latest installment in the Doctor Who franchise, The Waters of Mars. A film called Small Island is also in the works.

I make no secret of my love of British television. I can only hope that some of this quality fare makes it to the states shortly after it's U.K. debut so I can enjoy it (and perhaps somehow convince my cable company to carry BBC America).