The thirteenth season of
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
science fiction television
Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...
series ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' began on 30 August 1975 with the story ''
Terror of the Zygons
Terror of the Zygons is the first serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was the first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 30 August to 20 September 1975. It was the last regula ...
'', and ended with ''
The Seeds of Doom
''The Seeds of Doom'' is the sixth and final serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 31 January to 6 March 1976.
In the serial, the F ...
''. This is the second series to feature the
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker.
Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...
, played by
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the Fourth Doctor, fourth incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Wh ...
, with
Philip Hinchcliffe
Philip Michael Hinchcliffe (born October 1944) is a retired English television producer, screenwriter and script editor. After graduating from Cambridge University, he began his career as a writer and script editor at Associated Television befo ...
producing and
Robert Holmes script editing. It was ranked as readers' favourite season in ''
Doctor Who Magazine
''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the followi ...
'' issue 413.
Casting
Main cast
*
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the Fourth Doctor, fourth incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Wh ...
as the
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker.
Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...
*
Elisabeth Sladen
Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen (1 February 1946 – 19 April 2011) was an English actress. She became best known as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series ''Doctor Who'', appearing as a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside ...
as
Sarah Jane Smith
Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction on television, science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' and two of Doctor Who spin-offs, its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged in ...
*
Ian Marter
Ian Don Marter (28 October 194428 October 1986) was an English actor and writer, known for his role as Harry Sullivan in the BBC science-fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' from December 1974 to September 1975, with a non-regular, one-s ...
as
Harry Sullivan
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the Fourth Doctor, fourth incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Wh ...
continued his role as
The Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker.
Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...
along with
Sarah Jane Smith
Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction on television, science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' and two of Doctor Who spin-offs, its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged in ...
(
Elisabeth Sladen
Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen (1 February 1946 – 19 April 2011) was an English actress. She became best known as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series ''Doctor Who'', appearing as a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside ...
).
Harry Sullivan, played by
Ian Marter
Ian Don Marter (28 October 194428 October 1986) was an English actor and writer, known for his role as Harry Sullivan in the BBC science-fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' from December 1974 to September 1975, with a non-regular, one-s ...
, departed in ''
Terror of the Zygons
Terror of the Zygons is the first serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was the first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 30 August to 20 September 1975. It was the last regula ...
'' and reappeared in ''
The Android Invasion
''The Android Invasion'' is the fourth serial of the Doctor Who (season 13), thirteenth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 22 November to ...
'' as a guest star.
Recurring cast
*
Nicholas Courtney
William Nicholas Stone Courtney (16 December 1929 – 22 February 2011) was an Egyptian-born British actor. He was known for his long-running role as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''.
Ear ...
as
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', created by writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln and p ...
*
John Levene
John Levene (born John Anthony Woods; 24 December 1941) is an English actor, producer, entertainer and singer. Although he has appeared in a large number of films and television series, Levene's best-known role is that of Sergeant Benton, of UNI ...
as
Sergeant Benton
Sergeant John Benton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', played by John Levene. He was the senior non-commissioned officer, NCO of the British contingent of UNIT, an international organisati ...
Nicholas Courtney
William Nicholas Stone Courtney (16 December 1929 – 22 February 2011) was an Egyptian-born British actor. He was known for his long-running role as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''.
Ear ...
returned as
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', created by writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln and p ...
in ''
Terror of the Zygons
Terror of the Zygons is the first serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was the first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 30 August to 20 September 1975. It was the last regula ...
'' having last appeared in ''
Robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...
''.
John Levene
John Levene (born John Anthony Woods; 24 December 1941) is an English actor, producer, entertainer and singer. Although he has appeared in a large number of films and television series, Levene's best-known role is that of Sergeant Benton, of UNI ...
makes his final appearance as Sergeant Benton in ''
The Android Invasion
''The Android Invasion'' is the fourth serial of the Doctor Who (season 13), thirteenth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 22 November to ...
'' after six years in the role.
Serials
''Terror of the Zygons'' was produced as part of the production schedule for
Season 12, but was held for transmission from the end of that season to the beginning of Season 13, to coincide with a move from the new season starting at the beginning of the calendar year, to starting in late summer. ''Terror of the Zygons'' was also the last appearance of the Brigadier until ''
Mawdryn Undead
''Mawdryn Undead'' is the third serial of the 20th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts on BBC1 from 1 to 9 February 1983.
The serial is set in an Engl ...
'' in
Season 20. The season took a transmission break of two weeks over the Christmas 1975 period, between the broadcasts of ''The Android Invasion'' and ''The Brain of Morbius''.
Broadcast
The entire season was broadcast from 30 August 1975 to 6 March 1976.
Home media
VHS releases
Betamax releases
Video 2000 releases
Laserdisc releases
DVD and Blu-ray releases
In print
References
{{Doctor Who episodes, C13
1975 British television seasons
1976 British television seasons
Season 13
Season 13
13