Series synopsis
Doctor Who is a British drama action & adventure sci-fi & fantasy television series that premiered on BBC One on November 23, 1963. It ended on December 6, 1989. It was created by C. E. Webber, Donald Wilson, Verity Lambert, Sydney Newman. It stars William Hartnell, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and Katy Manning.
The adventures of The Doctor, a time-traveling humanoid alien known as a Time Lord. He explores the universe in his TARDIS, a sentient time-traveling spaceship. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Along with a succession of companions, The Doctor faces a variety of foes while working to save civilizations, help ordinary people, and right many wrongs.
Premise
The adventures of The Doctor, a time-traveling humanoid alien known as a Time Lord. He explores the universe in his TARDIS, a sentient time-traveling spaceship. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Along with a succession of companions, The Doctor faces a variety of foes while working to save civilizations, help ordinary people, and right many wrongs.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- William Hartnell as The Doctor
- Jon Pertwee as The Doctor
- Patrick Troughton as The Doctor
- Katy Manning as Jo Grant
- Roger Delgado as The Master
- Tom Baker as The Doctor
- Peter Davison as The Doctor
- Sylvester McCoy as The Doctor
Supporting cast
- Caroline John as Liz Shaw
- Colin Baker as The Doctor
- Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith
- Nicola Bryant as Perpugilliam "Peri" Brown
- Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush
- Janet Fielding as Tegan Jovanka
- Louise Jameson as Leela
- Richard Franklin as Captain Mike Yates
- Mary Tamm as Romana
- Mark Strickson as Vislor Turlough
- David Brierly as K9 (voice)
- Sarah Sutton as Nyssa
Guest cast
- Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright
- Nicholas Courtney as Lethbridge-Stewart
- John Leeson as K9 (voice)
- Ian Marter as Harry Sullivan
- John Levene as Sergeant Benton
- Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon
- Maureen O'Brien as Vicki
- Angelo Muscat as Chumbley Operator
- George Coulouris as Arbitan
- Barry Justice as King Charles IX
- Hannah Gordon as Kirsty
- Guy Middleton as Colonel Attwood
Episodes
This series spans 20 seasons with 1971 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 1392 | August 26, 1991 | May 2, 2026 |
| Season 1 | 42 | November 23, 1963 | September 12, 1964 |
| Season 2 | 39 | October 31, 1964 | July 24, 1965 |
| Season 3 | 45 | September 11, 1965 | July 16, 1966 |
| Season 4 | 43 | September 10, 1966 | July 1, 1967 |
| Season 5 | 40 | September 2, 1967 | June 1, 1968 |
| Season 6 | 44 | August 10, 1968 | June 21, 1969 |
| Season 7 | 25 | January 3, 1970 | June 20, 1970 |
| Season 8 | 25 | January 2, 1971 | June 19, 1971 |
| Season 9 | 26 | January 1, 1972 | June 24, 1972 |
| Season 10 | 26 | December 30, 1972 | June 23, 1973 |
| Season 11 | 26 | December 15, 1973 | June 8, 1974 |
| Season 12 | 20 | December 28, 1974 | May 10, 1975 |
| Season 13 | 26 | August 30, 1975 | March 6, 1976 |
| Season 14 | 26 | September 4, 1976 | April 2, 1977 |
| Season 15 | 26 | September 3, 1977 | March 11, 1978 |
| Season 16 | 26 | September 2, 1978 | February 24, 1979 |
| Season 17 | 20 | September 1, 1979 | January 12, 1980 |
| Season 18 | 28 | August 30, 1980 | March 21, 1981 |
| Season 19 | 26 | January 4, 1982 | March 30, 1982 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
An Unearthly Child (Unaired Pilot) The first episode, "An Unearthly Child", was originally recorded a month before full recording on the series began. However, the initial recording was bedevilled with technical problems and errors made during the performance. Two versions of the scene set in the TARDIS were recorded, along with an aborted first attempt to start the second version. |
August 26, 1991 |
| 2 |
An Unearthly Child - Unaired Studio Take An unedited studio recording of the pilot "An Unearthly Child", including all takes of the second part of the show. Released as part of "The Beginning" DVD box set. |
January 30, 2006 |
| 3 |
The Daleks in Colour It's time to encounter the Daleks once again, but this time in a way you've never seen them before. Originally transmitted in December 1963 to February 1964, the seven original episodes of the first Dalek story have received a cosmic makeover, dazzlingly colourised and weaved together into a 75-minute blockbuster. With brand new sound and a brand new score created by Mark Ayres, The Daleks has been gloriously updated, whilst ensuring the original story remains as thrilling as it was in 1963 |
November 23, 2023 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
An Unearthly Child After discussing a strange pupil, Susan Foreman, teachers Ian and Barbara follow her to a junkyard. They meet her grandfather, the Doctor, and force their way inside a police box with frightening results. |
November 23, 1963 |
| 2 |
The Cave of Skulls The enigmatic Doctor, wary that Ian and Barbara will reveal his secrets to the people of 20th-century Earth, takes them and his granddaughter Susan back to the dawn of human history. There, the four travellers are dragged into the savage politics of a tribe of cavemen who have lost the secret of making fire... |
November 30, 1963 |
| 3 |
The Forest of Fear Prisoners of the earliest humans, the TARDIS crew are caught in a deadly power play for leadership of the tribe. |
December 7, 1963 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Planet of Giants An accident in flight leads to the TARDIS and the travellers being miniaturised. Now only an inch high, the Doctor, Barbara, Ian and Susan explore an English country garden. |
October 31, 1964 |
| 2 |
Dangerous Journey Ian and Barbara are accidentally taken into Smithers' laboratory and, while the Doctor and Susan face a hazardous journey to reach them, they witness the deadly effects of DN6 first hand. |
November 7, 1964 |
| 3 |
Crisis The Doctor and his friends face a race against time to expose Forrester's plans and return to normal size before Barbara succumbs to the effects of DN6. |
November 14, 1964 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Four Hundred Dawns After an encounter with a hostile robot called a Chumblie, the Doctor and his companions are rescued by a group of female Drahvins. |
September 11, 1965 |
| 2 |
Trap of Steel With the knowledge that the planet will be destroyed in two days, the Drahvins instruct the Doctor to help them steal the Rills' ship. |
September 18, 1965 |
| 3 |
Air Lock The Doctor and Vicki encounter the Rills and learn the situation is more complex than they thought while Steven finds the Drahvins' hospitality ever more perilous. |
September 25, 1965 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Smugglers (1) The Doctor discovers Polly and Ben aboard the TARDIS shortly before the ship arrives in 17th century Cornwall, where the local churchwarden gives the Doctor a cryptic message shortly before being murdered. |
September 10, 1966 |
| 2 |
The Smugglers (2) Pike is convinced that the Doctor knows the location of Avery's treasure while Polly and Ben try to convince the locals they were not responsible for Longfoot's murder. |
September 17, 1966 |
| 3 |
The Smugglers (3) Polly and Ben are placed in the custody of Blake, who reveals he also has his suspicions about the Squire, while the Doctor and Kewper are forced to team up to escape from Pike's ship. |
September 24, 1966 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Tomb of the Cybermen (1) The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive on Telos, where an archaeological group are exploring the Tomb of the Cybermen. But are the Cybermen as dormant as they believe? |
September 2, 1967 |
| 2 |
The Tomb of the Cybermen (2) The archaeologists learn they are stranded on Telos and Klieg suggests they use the opportunity to explore the Cybermen's tombs. |
September 9, 1967 |
| 3 |
The Tomb of the Cybermen (3) The Cybermen have been revived and plan to convert the archeologists into their own kind, prompting Hopper to attempt a rescue. |
September 16, 1967 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Dominators (1) The TARDIS arrives on the planet Dulkis where the Doctor, Zoe and Jamie decide to have a quiet holiday. Only to find the Evil Dominators and their robotic slaves, The Quarks have arrived on a radioactive island, where they plan to detonate a bomb in the planet's core, which will turn the entire planet as source of radioactive fuel for their invasion fleet. |
August 10, 1968 |
| 2 |
The Dominators (2) The Doctor and Jamie are captured by the Dominators, who subject them to an intelligence test, while Zoe and Cully attempt to convince the Dulcian council of the threat. |
August 17, 1968 |
| 3 |
The Dominators (3) Zoe and Cully are captured by the Dominators and put to work alongside the survey team while the Doctor and Jamie decide to return to the island to help. |
August 24, 1968 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Spearhead from Space (1) As the newly-regenerated Doctor arrives on Earth, so does the Nestene too. |
January 3, 1970 |
| 2 |
Spearhead from Space (2) UNIT's attempts to locate the meteorites are hampered by the mysterious plastic Autons, being constructed by Channing at a nearby factory, while the Doctor makes another attempt to escape from the hospital. |
January 10, 1970 |
| 3 |
Spearhead from Space (3) Ransome manages to escape from the plastics factory and alert UNIT, prompting the Doctor and the Brigadier to start an investigation. |
January 17, 1970 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Terror of the Autons (1) When a Nestene Energy Unit is stolen and a radio telescope sabotaged, the Doctor is contacted by a Time Lord who tells him his old rival the Master is responsible. |
January 2, 1971 |
| 2 |
Terror of the Autons (2) Attempting to find out where Jo encountered the Master, the Doctor heads to the circus where he falls foul of Rossini. |
January 9, 1971 |
| 3 |
Terror of the Autons (3) The Doctor and the Brigadier head to Farrel's factory but the Master and the Autons have already left and are distributing plastic daffodils around the country. |
January 16, 1971 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Day of the Daleks (1) When someone tries to assassinate diplomat Sir Reginald Styles, UNIT investigate the possibility his attacker came from the future. |
January 1, 1972 |
| 2 |
Day of the Daleks (2) Jo uses the guerrillas' time machine to travel to the 22nd century where the Controller tricks her into telling the Daleks where she's come from. |
January 8, 1972 |
| 3 |
Day of the Daleks (3) The Doctor forces the guerrillas to take him to the 22nd century where he is soon captured by the Controller. |
January 15, 1972 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Three Doctors (1) England, the near future. A strange anti-matter creature arrives on Earth and attacks UNIT HQ. It seems to be specifically seeking the Doctor out - but why? With the Time Lords themselves unable to help, it seems the only person who can help the Doctor is himself - or selves... |
December 30, 1972 |
| 2 |
The Three Doctors (2) The third Doctor and Jo find themselves on an artificial world inside the black hole while the second Doctor tries to find a way to control the organism. |
January 6, 1973 |
| 3 |
The Three Doctors (3) The Time Lord Omega reveals himself to the third Doctor along with plans for vengeance against his own kind. |
January 13, 1973 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Time Warrior (1) England, the 12th century. Robber baron Irongron is recruited by Linx, a Sontaran warrior whose starship has been forced down on Earth. Linx is forced to use a time-travel device to steal resources and scientists from the future to repair his ship, but in doing so involves UNIT and the Doctor... |
December 15, 1973 |
| 2 |
The Time Warrior (2) The Doctor tracks the missing scientists to Irongron's castle, where Linx is using them to repair his spaceship and construct advanced weapons for Irongron. |
December 22, 1973 |
| 3 |
The Time Warrior (3) The Doctor escapes the castle with Sarah and Hal and must persuade Sir Edward to trust him before Irongron launches an attack on them. |
December 29, 1973 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Robot (1) The Doctor changes form again. Before he has fully re-covered, something of colossal strength steals a secret weapon, and the convalescent Doctor starts to investigate. |
December 28, 1974 |
| 2 |
Robot (2) The Doctor and Sarah Jane become convinced Think Tank are behind the electronic component thefts but are unable to stop them carrying out another raid. |
January 4, 1975 |
| 3 |
Robot (3) Sarah Jane and Kettlewell infiltrate an SRS meeting to try and find out what Miss Winters is up to but there is a surprise in store. |
January 11, 1975 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Terror of the Zygons (1) Scotland, the near future. Something is smashing oil rigs off the Scottish coast, and UNIT have been called in to investigate. The Brigadier summons the Doctor to Earth to help in the investigation, but it soon becomes clear some kind of alien presence is at work... |
August 30, 1975 |
| 2 |
Terror of the Zygons (2) The Zygon traps the Doctor and Sarah Jane in a decompression chamber while Harry is taken to the aliens' underwater ship. |
September 6, 1975 |
| 3 |
Terror of the Zygons (3) The Doctor and the Brigadier begin to realise who the Zygon imposters among them are while Sarah Jane discovers a secret tunnel to the underwater ship. |
September 13, 1975 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Masque of Mandragora (1) The Doctor and Sarah arrive in Renaissance Italy unaware that they have brought a deadly alien energy force with them. |
September 4, 1976 |
| 2 |
The Masque of Mandragora (2) The Mandragora energy joins forces with the secret Brotherhood of Demnos. Count Federico plots to steal the Dukedom of San Martino from his nephew, Giuliano. |
September 11, 1976 |
| 3 |
The Masque of Mandragora (3) Tempted by the promises of ultimate power offered by Mandragora, Hieronymous plots to eliminate the threat posed by the Doctor and uses an unwitting Sarah as his weapon. |
September 18, 1976 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Horror of Fang Rock (1) The English channel, the 1900s AD. The TARDIS lands on barren Fang Rock, inhabited until now only by three lighthouse keepers. But what is the strange fog covering the island, and can it be connected to the falling star sighted earlier that night? |
September 3, 1977 |
| 2 |
Horror of Fang Rock (2) The survivors of a wrecked ship are stranded with the lighhouse crew on Fang Rock as a deadly menace slithers through the fog. Has the Beast of Fang Rock returned? |
September 10, 1977 |
| 3 |
Horror of Fang Rock (3) The Doctor barricades everyone in the lighthouse to protect them from the mysterious deadly creature in the fog. But it may already be inside, biding its time… |
September 17, 1977 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Ribos Operation (1) The Magellanic Clouds, the planet Ribos, an unknown time. Ordered by the White Guardian to collect the pieces of the omnipotent Key to Time, The Doctor, K-9 and his new assistant Romana arrive. Collecting the first segment is not going to be easy… |
September 2, 1978 |
| 2 |
The Ribos Operation (2) Trying to obtain the first segment of the Key to Time, the Doctor and Romana are swept up in an elaborate con. The target – the homicidal Graff Vynda K. |
September 9, 1978 |
| 3 |
The Ribos Operation (3) Prisoners of the maniacal Graff Vynda K, the Doctor and Romana must break out and pursue the first segment – even as Unstoff takes it into the most dangerous place on Ribos. |
September 16, 1978 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Destiny of the Daleks (1) Skaro, the Dalek homeworld, some time in the future. The TARDIS lands in the irradiated ruins of the old Kaled city and something is moving underneath the wasted surface of the planet… |
September 1, 1979 |
| 2 |
Destiny of the Daleks (2) Romana has been captured by the Daleks, the Doctor is the guest of the Movellans. The Daleks are drilling deep into Skaro for something and the Doctor has an awful suspicion about their objective… |
September 8, 1979 |
| 3 |
Destiny of the Daleks (3) The Daleks have awoken Davros in the heart of Skaro. Only the Doctor and the Movellans stand between them and their objective. But are the Movellans really on the Doctor's side? |
September 15, 1979 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Leisure Hive (1) The planet Argolis, around the year 2290. The Argolins live in a huge shielded city, protected from the irradiated wasteland outside. The planet's survival depends on the tourists their Leisure Hive attracts. But a series of horrific deaths seems to jeopardise that future - can the Doctor and Romana find a solution? |
August 30, 1980 |
| 2 |
The Leisure Hive (2) Another man is found dead, strangled by the Doctor's scarf, so the Doctor is put on trial. By some of the archaic rules of law, he's made to "prove" his innocence by becoming a test subject in a new tachyon experiment with time. The result will prove his innocence or guilt, so they say. |
September 6, 1980 |
| 3 |
The Leisure Hive (3) With the Doctor suffering from the time experiment, the clandestine schemes of others start coming to light, along with the secreted purposes to which the tachyonic generator has been used. |
September 13, 1980 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Castrovalva (1) Southern England, 1981. The universe has been saved, but at the cost of the fourth Doctor's life. The newly-regenerated fifth Doctor must rely on his friends to survive as the regeneration threatens to fail… |
January 4, 1982 |
| 2 |
Castrovalva (2) The TARDIS is plunging toward destruction. But even if the Doctor can escape, is yet another trap waiting? |
January 5, 1982 |
| 3 |
Castrovalva (3) The Doctor has arrived in the supposed safety of Castrovalva. But something is odd about the seemingly tranquil city… |
January 11, 1982 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC One |
|---|---|
| First aired | November 23, 1963 |
| Last aired | December 6, 1989 |
| Runtime | 25 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | at 17:15:00 |