Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' is a British

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 ...

programme produced by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

. ''Doctor Who'' ceased production in 1989 after 695 episodes. A one-off TV movie was produced in the United States in 1996, before the series resumed in 2005. The original series (1963–1989), generally consists of multi-episode serials; in the early seasons, and occasionally through its run, serials tend to link together, one story leading directly into the next. The 2005 revival trades the earlier serial format for a run of self-contained episodes, interspersed with occasional multi-part stories and structured into loose story arcs. This includes one television movie and multiple specials, and encompasses stories over 40 seasons, starting in 1963. Additionally, four charity specials and two animated serials have also been aired. The programme's high episode count has resulted in ''Doctor Who'' holding the

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

for the highest number of episodes of a science-fiction programme. For the first two seasons of ''Doctor Who'' and most of the third (1963–1966), each episode carries its own title; the show displays no titles for overarching serials until '' The Savages'', at which point the episodic titles cease. The titles below, for these early serials, are those in most common circulation, used for commercial releases and in resources such as the ''Doctor Who'' Reference Guide and the BBC's classic episode guide. With the show's revival in 2005, the programme returned to individual episode titles. Due to the BBC's 1970s junking policy, 97 episodes of ''Doctor Who'' from the 1960s are no longer known to exist. As a result, 26 serials are currently incomplete, with one or more episodes represented only by audio, which in many cases is in addition to clips or still frames. For commercial release, some episodes have been reconstructed using off-air audio recordings, paired to surviving visuals or newly commissioned animation. The story numbers below are meant as a guide to placement in the overall context of the programme. There is some dispute, for instance, about whether to count Season 23's ''

The Trial of a Time Lord The twenty-third season of British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', known collectively as ''The Trial of a Time Lord'', aired in weekly episodes from 6 September to 6 December 1986. It contained four adventures: '' The Mysterio ...

'' as one or as four serials, and whether the unfinished serial '' Shada'' should be included. The numbering scheme in this list follows the official website's episode guide. Other sources, such as the Region 1 classic ''Doctor Who'' DVD releases, use different numbering schemes, which diverge after the 108th story, ''

The Horns of Nimon ''The Horns of Nimon'' is the fifth and final broadcast serial of the 17th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 22 December 1979 to 12 January 1980. I ...

'' (1979–1980).

Series overview

Episodes

First Doctor

The first incarnation of

the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...

was portrayed by

William Hartnell William Henry Hartnell (; 8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor, who is best known for portraying the first incarnation of the Doctor, in the long-running British science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1963 t ...

. During Hartnell's tenure, the episodes were a mixture of stories set on Earth of the future with extraterrestrial influence, on alien planets, and in historical events without extraterrestrial influence, such as ''

Marco Polo Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...

'', one of the lost serials. In his last story, ''

The Tenth Planet ''The Tenth Planet'' is the partly missing second serial of the fourth season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 8 to 29 October 1966. It was William Hartnell' ...

'', the Doctor gradually grew weaker to the point of collapsing at the end of the fourth episode, leading to his regeneration.

Season 1 (1963–1964)

Season 2 (1964–1965)

This season saw the departure of

Carole Ann Ford Carole Ann Lillian Ford ( Higgins; born 16 June 1940) is a British actress best known for her roles as Susan Foreman in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', and as Bettina in the 1962 film adaptation of '' The Day of the T ...

Susan Foreman Susan Foreman (also known as Susan Campbell in spin-off media) is a fictional character in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The granddaughter of the Doctor and original Companion (Docto ...

in ''

The Dalek Invasion of Earth ''The Dalek Invasion of Earth'' is the second serial of the second season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Written by Terry Nation and directed by Richard Martin, the serial was broadcast on BBC1 in six week ...

'', replaced by

Maureen O'Brien Maureen O'Brien (born 29 June 1943) is an English actress and author best known for playing the role of Vicki (Doctor Who), Vicki Pallister in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', although she has appeared in many other te ...

as Vicki in '' The Rescue''. William Russell and

Jacqueline Hill Grace Jacqueline Hill (17 December 1929 – 18 February 1993)Obituary
cuttin ...

also departed their roles as

Ian Chesterton Ian Chesterton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and a companion of the First Doctor. He was played in the series by William Russell and was one of the members of the programme's first r ...

and Barbara Wright, respectively, in '' The Chase'', replaced by

Peter Purves Peter John Purves (; born 10 February 1939) is an English television presenter and actor. Beginning his career as an actor, he joined ''Doctor Who'' to play Steven Taylor (Doctor Who), Steven Taylor, a companion of the First Doctor, which he play ...

as Steven Taylor.

Season 3 (1965–1966)

O'Brien departed the role of Vicki in ''

The Myth Makers ''The Myth Makers'' is the third serial of the third season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Written by Donald Cotton and directed by Michael Leeston-Smith, the serial was broadcast on BBC1 in four weekly par ...

'', replaced by

Adrienne Hill Adrienne Hill (22 July 1937 – 6 October 1997) was an English actress. In 1965, she had brief recurring roles in soap opera '' 199 Park Lane'' and as Katarina in science fiction television show ''Doctor Who'', which ended when ''199 Park L ...

as Katarina, and then later by Jackie Lane as

Dodo Chaplet Dorothea "Dodo" Chaplet is a fictional character played by Jackie Lane in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An Earth teenager from the year 1966, she was a companion of the First Doctor. Dodo was depicte ...

. '' The Savages'' marked the final appearance of Steven, and ''

The War Machines ''The War Machines'' is the tenth and final serial of the third season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in 4 weekly parts from 25 June to 16 July 1966. The serial is set in London in th ...

'' introduced companions Ben and Polly. The practice of giving each individual episode a different title was abandoned after '' The Gunfighters'', near the end of the season.

Season 4 (1966–1967)

The Smugglers ''The Smugglers'' is the completely missing first serial of the fourth season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 10 September to 1 October 1966. In this serial, ...

'' and ''

'' were the last serials to star the First Doctor, his regeneration to the Second occurring in the latter. It is also notable as the season with the most missing episodes, with not one serial existing in its entirety.

Second Doctor

The

Second Doctor The Second Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Patrick Troughton. Out of his 1 ...

was portrayed by

Patrick Troughton Patrick George Troughton (; 25 March 1920 – 28 March 1987) was an English actor. He became best known for his roles in television, most notably starring as the Second Doctor, second incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the lo ...

, whose serials were more action-oriented than those of his predecessor. Additionally, after '' The Highlanders'', stories moved away from the purely historical ones that featured during Hartnell's tenure; instead, any historical tales also included a science fiction element. Troughton retained the role until the last episode of ''

The War Games ''The War Games'' is the seventh and final serial of the sixth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which originally aired in ten weekly parts from 19 April to 21 June 1969. In the serial, an unnamed alien r ...

'' when members of the Doctor's race, the

Time Lord The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Time Lords are so named for their command of time travel technology and their Nonli ...

s, put him on trial for breaking the laws of time. The Doctor was forced to regenerate and thereafter exiled on Earth.

Season 4 (1966–1967) continued

This season introduced companions

Jamie McCrimmon James Robert McCrimmon, usually simply called Jamie, is a fictional character played by Frazer Hines in the long-running British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. A Bagpipes, piper of the Clan Mac ...

(

Frazer Hines Frazer Simpson Frederick Hines (born 22 September 1944) is an English actor. He began his career as a child actor and appeared in ''A King in New York'' (1957) with Charlie Chaplin. He later played Jamie McCrimmon in ''Doctor Who'', appearing i ...

) and

Victoria Waterfield Victoria Waterfield is a fictional character played by Deborah Watling in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. A native of Victorian England, she was a companion of the Second Doctor and a regular in the p ...

(

Deborah Watling Deborah Patricia Watling (2 January 1948 – 21 July 2017) was an English actress who played the role of Victoria Waterfield, a companion of the Second Doctor in the BBC television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1967 to 1968. She began her career as ...

), in '' The Highlanders'' and ''

The Evil of the Daleks ''The Evil of the Daleks'' is the mostly-missing ninth and final serial of the fourth season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which originally aired in seven weekly parts from 20 May to 1 July 1967. In this seri ...

'', respectively. Ben and Polly departed in ''

The Faceless Ones ''The Faceless Ones'' is the Doctor Who missing episodes, mostly missing eighth serial of the Doctor Who (season 4), fourth season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts fro ...

''.

Season 5 (1967–1968)

This season saw the departure of Watling as Victoria, and the debut appearances of

Wendy Padbury Wendy Padbury (born 7 December 1947) is a British actress and former talent agent. She has appeared in television series since 1966, including as Zoe Heriot, a companion to Patrick Troughton's Doctor in ''Doctor Who'', from 1968 to 1969. Ear ...

and

Nicholas Courtney William Nicholas Stone Courtney (16 December 1929 – 22 February 2011) was an Egyptian-born British actor. He was best known for his long-running role as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. ...

as Zoe and

Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart 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 played by ...

, respectively.

Season 6 (1968–1969)

Hines and Padbury both departed in ''The War Games'', alongside Troughton. It was the show's last season to be filmed in black and white.

Third Doctor

The

Third Doctor The Third Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee. Within the series' ...

was portrayed by

Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...

. Sentenced to exile on Earth and forcibly regenerated at the end of ''The War Games'', the Doctor spent his time working for

UNIT Unit may refer to: General measurement * Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law **International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system **English units, histo ...

(United Nations Intelligence Taskforce). After '' The Three Doctors'', the Time Lords repealed his exile; nevertheless, the Doctor still worked closely with UNIT from time to time. The Third Doctor regenerated into his fourth incarnation as a result of radiation poisoning in the last moments of ''

Planet of the Spiders ''Planet of the Spiders'' is the fifth and final serial of the 11th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 4 May to 8 June 1974. It was Jon Pertwee's fina ...

''.

Season 7 (1970)

From this season onwards the programme was produced in colour. To accommodate the new production methods the number of episodes in a season was cut: season 6 has 44 episodes; season 7 has 25 episodes. The seasons continued to have between 20 and 28 episodes until season 22. This season featured companion

Liz Shaw Elizabeth "Liz" Shaw is a fictional character played by Caroline John in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs. A civilian member of UNIT, an international organisation that defends Earth fr ...

played by

Caroline John Caroline Frances John (19 September 1940 – 5 June 2012) was an English actress. She played classical roles on the stage as well as several television roles. She is best known for playing Elizabeth "Liz" Shaw in the BBC science fiction televi ...

Season 8 (1971)

This season forms a loose arc with the introduction of the Master, the villain in each of the season's storylines, and introduces the companion

Jo Grant Josephine "Jo" Grant, later Jo Jones, is a fictional character played by Katy Manning in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Jo was introduced by Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks in the first episode of '' ...

portrayed by

Katy Manning Catherine Ann Manning (born 14 October 1946) is a British actress. Although she has made many appearances on both screen and stage, Manning is best known for her part as the companion Jo Grant in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doct ...

Season 9 (1972)

Season 10 (1972–1973)

This season marked the final appearance of companion Jo Grant and the end of the Doctor's exile on Earth.

Season 11 (1973–1974)

This season introduces the companion

Sarah Jane Smith Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' and two of its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged investigative journalist who first encounters alien ...

portrayed by

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 ...

Fourth Doctor

The

Fourth Doctor The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British 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 ...

was portrayed by

Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the Fourth Doctor, fourth and longest-serving incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television ...

. He is, to date, the actor who has played the Doctor on television for the longest period of time, having held the role for seven seasons.

Season 12 (1974–1975)

All serials in this season continue directly one after the other, tracing one single problematic voyage of the TARDIS crew. Despite the continuity, each serial is considered its own standalone story. This season also introduced the character of Harry Sullivan portrayed 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-ser ...

as a companion; this character was intended to undertake action scenes, during the period prior to Tom Baker being cast, when it was unclear how old the actor playing the new Doctor would be.

Season 13 (1975–1976)

During this season, Ian Marter (Harry Sullivan) left after ''

Terror of the Zygons ''Terror of the Zygons'' is the first serial of the thirteenth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 30 August to 20 September 1975. The serial was wr ...

'', but returned for a guest appearance in ''

The Android Invasion ''The Android Invasion'' is the fourth serial of the thirteenth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 22 November to 13 December 1975. The serial is ...

''. ''Terror of the Zygons'' also saw the last semi-regular appearance of Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart) who did not return until Season 20 in ''

Mawdryn Undead ''Mawdryn Undead'' is the third serial of the 20th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts on BBC1 from 1 to 9 February 1983. The serial is set in an English ...

''.

Season 14 (1976–1977)

Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith) left the series this season in '' The Hand of Fear'' and was replaced by

Louise Jameson Louise Marion Jameson (born 20 April 1951) is an English actress with a variety of television and theatre credits. Her roles on television have included playing Leela (Doctor Who), Leela in ''Doctor Who'' (1977–1978), Anne Reynolds in ''The O ...

(Leela) in ''

The Face of Evil ''The Face of Evil'' is the fourth serial of the 14th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 1 to 22 January 1977. This serial marked the debut of Louis ...

'' . The season also saw the first story in which the Doctor did not have a companion, ''

The Deadly Assassin ''The Deadly Assassin'' is the third serial of the Doctor Who (season 14), 14th season of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 30 October to 20 November 197 ...

''.

Season 15 (1977–1978)

This season saw the final appearance of Leela and the first appearance of K9 as voiced by

John Leeson John Francis Christopher Ducker (born 16 March 1943), known professionally as John Leeson, is an English actor. He is known for portraying Bungle in ''Rainbow'' and voicing K9 in ''Doctor Who'' and spin-offs '' The Sarah Jane Adventures'' a ...

Season 16 (1978–1979)

Season 16 consists of one long story arc encompassing six separate, linked stories. This season is referred to by the umbrella title ''The Key to Time'' and has been released on DVD under this title. This season introduced

Mary Tamm Mary Tamm (22 March 1950 – 26 July 2012) was a British actress who appeared in many British TV drama series and serials. She is best known for her role as Romana I in the BBC's science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', appearin ...

as Romana I.

Season 17 (1979–1980)

During this season, the role of Romana was taken over by

Lalla Ward Sarah Jill "Lalla" Ward (born 28 June 1951) is an English actress, voice artist and author who is best known for playing the role of Romana II in the BBC television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1979 to 1981. Career Early career Ward's stage n ...

Season 18 (1980–1981)

In a return to the format of early seasons, virtually all serials from Seasons 18 through 20 are linked together, often running directly into each other. Season 18 forms a loose story arc dealing with the theme of

entropy Entropy is a scientific concept, most commonly associated with states of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodynamics, where it was first recognized, to the micros ...

. '' Full Circle'', '' State of Decay'', and ''

Warriors' Gate ''Warriors' Gate'' is the fifth serial of the Doctor Who season 18, 18th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was written by Stephen Gallagher and was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 fr ...

'' trace the Doctor's adventures in E-Space; they were released in both VHS and DVD boxsets with the umbrella title ''The E-Space Trilogy''. This season saw the departure of Romana and the introduction of companions

Adric Adric is a fictional character played by Matthew Waterhouse in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was a young native of the planet Alzarius, which exists in the parallel universe of E-Space. A compan ...

and Nyssa, and soon-to-be companion,

Tegan Jovanka Tegan Jovanka is a fictional character played by Janet Fielding in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An Australian airline stewardess and a native of Brisbane who was a companion of the Fourth and Fift ...

Fifth Doctor

The

Fifth Doctor The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Peter Davison. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord ...

was portrayed by

Peter Davison Peter Malcolm Gordon Moffett (born 13 April 1951), known professionally as Peter Davison, is an English actor. He made his television acting debut in 1975 and became famous in 1978 as Tristan Farnon in the BBC's television adaptation of Jame ...

Season 19 (1982)

The show moved from its traditional once-weekly Saturday broadcast to being broadcast twice-weekly primarily on Monday and Tuesday, although there were regional variations to the schedule. ''Castrovalva'', together with the previous two serials, ''The Keeper of Traken'' and ''Logopolis'', form a trilogy involving the return of the Master. They were released on DVD under the banner title ''New Beginnings''. The season marked the final appearance of

Season 20 (1983)

To commemorate the twentieth season, the stories in this season involve the return of previous villains:

Omega Omega (, ; uppercase Ω, lowercase ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and last letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numerals, Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value ...

, the

Mara Mara or MARA may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who'' serials * Mara (She-Ra), fictional characters from the ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'' and ''The New Advent ...

, the

Black Guardian The long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' has an extensive universe inhabited by a continuously expanding gallery of creatures and Extraterrestrial life, aliens. The series first aired on BBC in 1963 until its cance ...

and the

Master Master, master's or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles In education: *Master (college), head of a college *Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline *Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...

. ''

'', ''

Terminus Terminus may refer to: Ancient Rome *Terminus (god), a Roman deity who protected boundary markers Transport *Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination *Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end des ...

'' and ''

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

'' involve the Black Guardian's plot to force the Doctor's new companion

Vislor Turlough Vislor Turlough is a fictional character played by Mark Strickson in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was a companion of the Fifth Doctor, being a regular in the programme from 1983 to 1984. Turloug ...

to kill the Doctor; they were released individually on VHS and as a set on DVD as parts of ''The Black Guardian Trilogy''. This season was broadcast twice weekly on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings on BBC1. This was the last season to feature Nyssa as a companion.

Season 21 (1984)

Episodes were broadcast twice weekly on Thursday and Friday evenings, with ''Resurrection of the Daleks'' broadcast on two consecutive Wednesday nights in 45-minute, rather than 25-minute, parts. ''The Caves of Androzani'' saw the regeneration of the Fifth Doctor, and the season finale ''The Twin Dilemma'' was the first story of the Sixth Doctor. The season marked the departure of Tegan Jovanka and Vislor Turlough, as well as the introduction of

Nicola Bryant Nicola Jane Bryant (born 11 October 1960)England & Wales Birth ...

Peri Brown Perpugilliam "Peri" Brown is a fictional character played by Nicola Bryant in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An American botany major from Fell's Point in Baltimore, Maryland, Peri is a companion of ...

Sixth Doctor

The

Sixth Doctor The Sixth Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Colin Baker. Although his televisual t ...

was portrayed by

Colin Baker Colin Charles Baker (born 8 June 1943) is an English actor. He played Paul Merroney in the BBC television drama series ''The Brothers (1972 TV series), The Brothers'' from 1974 to 1976 and the Sixth Doctor, sixth incarnation of The Doctor (Do ...

Season 21 (1984) continued

Season 22 (1985)

The series moved back to once-weekly Saturday broadcasts. All episodes were 45 minutes long, though 25-minute edits were produced for foreign markets. Although there were now only 13 episodes in the season, the total running time remained approximately the same as in previous seasons since the episodes were almost twice as long.

Season 23 (1986)

The whole season is titled as ''The Trial of a Time Lord'', and is split into four segments. The segments are commonly referred to by their respective novelisation's titles (listed below) but the season was broadcast as one fourteen-part story and these titles did not appear on screen. Episode length returned to 25 minutes, but with only fourteen episodes in the season, making the total running time of this season (and subsequent seasons) just over half of the previous seasons, going back to season 7. The season saw the departure of Peri and the introduction of

Bonnie Langford Bonita Melody Lysette Langford (born 22 July 1964) is an English actress, dancer and singer. She came to prominence as a child star in the 1970s, when she had a notable role in the TV series '' Just William''. In the 1980s, she played companio ...

as companion

Mel Bush Melanie "Mel" Bush is a fictional character played by Bonnie Langford in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Mel is a computer programmer from the 20th century who is a companion of the Sixth and Seventh D ...

Seventh Doctor

The

Seventh Doctor The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-o ...

was portrayed by

Sylvester McCoy Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith (born 20 August 1943), known professionally as Sylvester McCoy, is a Scottish actor. Gaining prominence as a physical comedian, he became best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long ...

Season 24 (1987)

This season was moved to a Monday schedule. Mel Bush left in ''Dragonfire'' with recurring character

Sabalom Glitz Over the course of its many years on television, the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' has not only seen changes in the actors to play the Doctor, but in the supporting cast as well. Companions The Doctor is ...

(

Tony Selby Anthony Samuel Selby (26 February 1938 – 5 September 2021) was an English actor. With a career that spanned 71 years, he was known for his roles as Corporal Percy Marsh in the ITV (TV network), ITV British sitcom, sitcom ''Get Some In!'' (1975� ...

), and the companion role was taken over by

Sophie Aldred Sophie Aldred (born 20 August 1962) is an English actress and television presenter. She has worked extensively in children's television as a presenter and voice artist. She played the Seventh Doctor's companion, Ace, in the television series ''D ...

Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or a club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ...

Season 25 (1988–1989)

The series was moved to Wednesdays. The programme celebrated its 25th anniversary with the serial story ''

Silver Nemesis ''Silver Nemesis'' is the third serial of the 25th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 in three weekly parts from 23 November (the 25th anniversary) to 7 ...

''.

Season 26 (1989)

The final season continued to push the series towards a darker approach, focusing this time more on Ace's personal life as well as The Doctor's past and manipulations. This season set the tone for the

Virgin New Adventures The ''Virgin New Adventures'' (NA series, or NAs) are a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British Science fiction on television, science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. They continued the story of the Doctor from th ...

novels that followed.

Eighth Doctor

The

Eighth Doctor The Eighth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Paul McGann. The character was introduced in the 1996 TV film ''Doctor Who'', a back-door p ...

was portrayed by

Paul McGann Paul John McGann ( ; born 14 November 1959) is an English actor. He came to prominence for portraying Percy Toplis in the television serial '' The Monocled Mutineer'' (1986), then starred in the dark comedy '' Withnail and I'' (1987), which wa ...

. The movie is the only television appearance of this Doctor during his tenure. The only production title held by this story was ''Doctor Who''. The DVD release is titled ''Doctor Who: The Movie''. In 2013, Paul McGann returned for the second television appearance of the Eighth Doctor in the minisode titled "

The Night of the Doctor "The Night of the Doctor" is a mini-episode of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. It was made available on BBC iPlayer and YouTube on 14 November 2013, as part of the BBC One lead-up to the show's 50th anniversa ...

". The production code is 50/LDX071Y/01X, though ''

Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the following year. In ...

''s "Complete Eighth Doctor Special" gives the code as #83705 and the BBC's online episode guide as "TVM".

Television film (1996)

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

General websites

* * * *

External links

BBC Episode Guide (1963–1996)
(archived)
BBC Episode Guide (1963–2022)
(archived)
''DoctorWho.TV'' story guide
* ''Doctor Who'' at

IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

1963199620052023
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doctor Who episodes, List of (1963-1989) Lists of British science fiction television series episodes Doctor Who serials Doctor Who series 1963-1996 Doctor Who, 1963-1996 Doctor Who, 1963-1996

Series overview

Episodes

First Doctor

Season 1 (1963–1964)

Season 2 (1964–1965)

Season 3 (1965–1966)

Season 4 (1966–1967)

Second Doctor

Season 4 (1966–1967) continued

Season 5 (1967–1968)

Season 6 (1968–1969)

Third Doctor

Season 7 (1970)

Season 8 (1971)

Season 9 (1972)

Season 10 (1972–1973)

Season 11 (1973–1974)

Fourth Doctor

Season 12 (1974–1975)

Season 13 (1975–1976)

Season 14 (1976–1977)

Season 15 (1977–1978)

Season 16 (1978–1979)

Season 17 (1979–1980)

Season 18 (1980–1981)

Fifth Doctor

Season 19 (1982)

Season 20 (1983)

Season 21 (1984)

Sixth Doctor

Season 21 (1984) continued

Season 22 (1985)

Season 23 (1986)

Seventh Doctor

Season 24 (1987)

Season 25 (1988–1989)

Season 26 (1989)

Eighth Doctor

Television film (1996)

See also

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

General websites

External links