Doctor Who season 3

☆ Save On Wikipedia ↗
Doctor Who
Season 3
Cover art of the Region 2 DVD release for the first serial of the season
Starring
No. of stories10
No. of episodes45 (26 missing)
Release
Original networkBBC1
Original release11 September 1965 (1965-09-11) –
16 July 1966 (1966-07-16)
Season chronology

The third season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who was originally broadcast on BBC1 between 1965 and 1966. The season began on 11 September 1965 with Galaxy 4 and ended with The War Machines on 16 July 1966. The production team underwent several changes; Verity Lambert, the programme's original producer, was replaced by John Wiles, who developed a positive working relationship with the new story editor, Donald Tosh. Wiles and Tosh both departed later in the season, replaced by Innes Lloyd and Gerry Davis, respectively. Early stories carried over from Lambert's leadership, and many of Wiles and Tosh's later serials were altered by their successors.

The season continued to star William Hartnell as the first incarnation of the Doctor, an alien who travels through time and space in his TARDIS, which appears to be a British police box on the outside. Maureen O'Brien and Peter Purves continued their roles as the Doctor's companions, Vicki and Steven Taylor. O'Brien departed at the conclusion of the third serial, The Myth Makers, replaced by Adrienne Hill as Katarina. Hill's tenure was brief, replaced in the following serial, The Daleks' Master Plan, by Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom, who also departed by the story's end. Jackie Lane joined the series as Dodo Chaplet in The Massacre; both she and Purves departed by the season's end: Purves in The Savages and Lane in The War Machines, replaced in the latter by Anneke Wills and Michael Craze as Ben and Polly.

The ten serials were written by ten writers: Tosh, William Emms, Terry Nation, Donald Cotton, Dennis Spooner, John Lucarotti, Paul Erickson, Lesley Scott, Brian Hayles, and Ian Stuart Black. The serials were mostly directed by newcomers, Derek Martinus, Michael Leeston-Smith, Paddy Russell, Michael Imison, Bill Sellars, and Michael Ferguson; the exceptions were Douglas Camfield, Rex Tucker, and Christopher Barry, who were involved in earlier seasons. The first five episodes were filmed from July to August 1965 within the same production block as the second season; the remainder of the season began recording in September and lasted approximately ten months, with weekly recording taking place mostly at Riverside Studios or the BBC Television Centre.

The 45-episode season was watched by an average of 7.65 million viewers. It started strong with Galaxy 4, peaking at 11 million viewers, though it gradually decreased to a nadir of 4.5 million during The Savages, the lowest since the first episode in 1963. Critics praised the direction and performances, particularly Hartnell and Purves, and the ambition and themes were well-received despite mixed thoughts on their execution. Audience response saw consistent Appreciation Index scores, peaking for The Daleks' Master Plan but receiving Doctor Who's lowest ever score during The Gunfighters. Several serials were erased by the BBC from 1967, though some were eventually recovered; 26 episodes remain missing. The serials received several audio, VHS, and DVD releases as well as tie-in novels, and some missing stories were reconstructed using animation and off-air audio recordings.

Cast and characters

  • William Hartnell as the First Doctor, the original incarnation of the Doctor, a Time Lord who travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS with companions. Initially irascible and prickly, the Doctor has warmed up to his companions. He is eccentric and occasionally aloof, dressing in an Edwardian-style costume, and possesses an academic interest in human history and an aversion to violence.[1]
  • Maureen O'Brien as Vicki, a teenager from the planet Dido in the 25th century.[2] She possesses a youthful enthusiasm, adolescent charm, and adventurous spirit, though she is feminised and often helpless, treated as childlike by many, including the Doctor,[3] with whom she grows close.[4] Vicki has some technological skills, which are occasionally useful.[5]
  • Peter Purves as Steven Taylor, an astronaut shipwrecked on Mechanus who escapes on the TARDIS. He is courageous and headstrong,[6] outwardly acting like an action hero but possessing chivalrous gallantry and emotional depth.[7] Steven is argumentative at times, disagreeing with the Doctor on several occasions, and prefers to make his own decisions.[8]
  • Adrienne Hill as Katarina, a handmaiden to the Trojan priestess Cassandra in 1184 BC.[9] She is timid and helpless, with a naïve speaking pattern, no education, and limited knowledge of technology;[10] she believes that the Doctor is Zeus and the TARDIS his temple. She knows that she will die and believes he is taking her to the afterlife.[9] The Doctor appreciates her simple and worshipful attitude.[11]
  • Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom, an agent of the Space Security Service. She is armed and powerful but quickly believes what others tell her.[12] Sara is a dedicated soldier loyal to Mavic Chen, the Guardian of the Solar System, for whom she kills her own brother, Bret Vyon; however, upon learning Mavic Chen's intentions, she dissents, joining the Doctor and Steven to defeat the Daleks.[13]
  • Jackie Lane as Dorothea "Dodo" Chaplet, a young woman from England. A descendant of Anne Chaplet, a servant girl from 16th-century Paris,[14] she is childlike, carefree, and naïve, bearing a resemblance to the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan.[15] Her fast speech and use of slang distracts frustrates the Doctor,[16] though they quickly become close.[17] Dodo is introduced with a Mancunian accent but soon loses it.[18]
  • Anneke Wills as Polly, a 24-year-old secretary from London. She is an it girl,[19] representing Swinging London. Polly is upbeat and intelligent but impulsive and occasionally naïve,[20] easily frightened when faced with danger.[21]
  • Michael Craze as Ben Jackson, a 24-year-old able seaman with the Royal Navy.[22] He is loyal, courageous, and resourceful, and his technical knowledge and practical experience often prove useful in helping the Doctor.[23] Ben and Polly soon grow close after meeting.[24]

Serials

No.
story		No. in
season		Serial titleEpisode titlesDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateProd.
code [25]		UK viewers
(millions) [26]		AI [26]
181Galaxy 4"Four Hundred Dawns"†Derek MartinusWilliam Emms11 September 1965 (1965-09-11)T9.056
"Trap of Steel"†18 September 1965 (1965-09-18)9.555
"Air Lock"25 September 1965 (1965-09-25)11.354
"The Exploding Planet"†2 October 1965 (1965-10-02)9.953
The First Doctor and his companions, Vicki and Steven Taylor, arrive on a silent planet and encounter short, non-humanoid robots, dubbed "Chumblies". An all-female party of cloned Drahvin warriors disable one of the robots. The Drahvins, dominated by their cruel leader, Maaga, are at war with the reptilian Rills, the masters of the Chumblies. Maaga and her warriors seek to capture the Rill ship to escape the dying planet. Maaga describes the Drahvins as the victims of the conflict with the Rills, but the Doctor is not convinced. Using the TARDIS, he calculates the planet will break up in two days' time. The Drahvins send the Doctor and Vicki to seize control of the Rill ship. The Doctor learns the Rills are an advanced species who offered to take the Drahvins away with them; Maaga refused, preferring to remain at war. The Doctor develops a power converter linked to the TARDIS, which charges the Rill craft. Maaga leads the Drahvins in a final assault but the Chumblies power up their ship and leave the planet. A Chumbley helps the Doctor, Vicki, and Steven to return to the TARDIS. The planet explodes, killing the Drahvins.
192"Mission to the Unknown"†N/ADerek MartinusTerry Nation9 October 1965 (1965-10-09)T/A8.354
On the planet Kembel, Marc Cory and Gordon Lowery attempt to repair their spacecraft when they are attacked by Jeff Garvey. Cory shoots Garvey dead. Bringing Lowery into the spacecraft for debriefing, Cory explains himself to be a Space Security agent assigned to investigate a possible Dalek base for a galactic invasion. Outside, Garvey's body mutates into a Varga planet. Cory stands guard against the slow-moving Varga plants whilst Lowery finishes constructing a rescue beacon. Cory deduces the Daleks are planning something with another galactic power. As Lowery is about to record a message, Cory notices something moving in the jungle. They flee as the Dalek patrol arrives and destroys their ship. Cory is compelled to kill Lowery on discovering he is infected by a Varga plant, then records a message, only to be surrounded by the Daleks and exterminated. The taped message lies unregarded in the undergrowth. In the Dalek base, the representatives from seven galaxies have gathered in a conference room. They approve an alliance, agreeing with the Daleks' plan to take over the Solar System.
203The Myth Makers"Temple of Secrets"†Michael Leeston-SmithDonald Cotton16 October 1965 (1965-10-16)U8.348
"Small Prophet, Quick Return"†23 October 1965 (1965-10-23)8.151
"Death of a Spy"†30 October 1965 (1965-10-30)8.749
"Horse of Destruction"†6 November 1965 (1965-11-06)8.352
The Greeks capture the Doctor and Steven after the TARDIS lands outside Troy during the Trojan War. The prophet Cassandra demands the TARDIS be burnt; Vicki emerges before the fire is lit, taken as a sign from the gods. She is renamed Cressida and made a court favourite, enraging Cassandra, who believes Vicki to be a rival prophet. Steven adopts the identity Diomedes and persuades the Greeks to send him to Troy. Vicki greets him with his real name, which Cassandra sees as a sign they are both spies; they are imprisoned. Vicki persuades Troilus to get them released, and they begin to fall in love. At the Doctor's proposal, the Greeks pretend to sail away, leaving a wooden horse outside Troy as acknowledgement of defeat. The horse is brought into the city. At nightfall, the Greeks and the Doctor exit the horse and open the city gates, allowing the Greek army to enter and battle. Cassandra's handmaiden, Katarina, helps the wounded Steven return to the TARDIS. Vicki leaves the Doctor to find Troilus; outside the doomed city, they declare their love for each other and flee. The Doctor, Steven, and Katarina leave in the TARDIS.
214The Daleks' Master Plan"The Nightmare Begins"Douglas CamfieldTerry Nation13 November 1965 (1965-11-13)V9.154
"Day of Armageddon"Terry Nation20 November 1965 (1965-11-20)9.852
"Devil's Planet"Terry Nation27 November 1965 (1965-11-27)10.352
"The Traitors"†Terry Nation4 December 1965 (1965-12-04)9.551
"Counter Plot"Terry Nation11 December 1965 (1965-12-11)9.953
"Coronas of the Sun"†Dennis Spooner18 December 1965 (1965-12-18)9.156
"The Feast of Steven"†Terry Nation25 December 1965 (1965-12-25)7.939
"Volcano"†Dennis Spooner1 January 1966 (1966-01-01)9.649
"Golden Death"†Dennis Spooner8 January 1966 (1966-01-08)9.252
"Escape Switch"Dennis Spooner15 January 1966 (1966-01-15)9.550
"The Abandoned Planet"†Dennis Spooner22 January 1966 (1966-01-22)9.849
"Destruction of Time"†Dennis Spooner29 January 1966 (1966-01-29)8.657
On Kembel, the Doctor and Bret Vyon, a Space Agent, discover the Daleks have established a galactic alliance to conquer humanity with a Time Destructor, which can destroy life by accelerating time. The Guardian of the Solar System, Mavic Chen, has provided the weapon's power core, which the Doctor steals before escaping in Chen's ship with Steven, Katarina, and Bret. When a stowaway takes Katarina hostage, she ejects them both into space, where they die. The ship returns to Earth, where Bret is killed by his sister, Sara Kingdom, on Chen's orders. Sara agrees to work with the Doctor and Steven, and they return to Kembel. The Doctor and Steven create a fake core, which they dupe the Daleks into accepting before fleeing in the TARDIS with Sara. They eventually reach Egypt, where the Monk forces the Doctor to relinquish the real core. The Doctor steals the directional control from the Monk's TARDIS and returns to Kembel. The Daleks kill Chen and the Doctor steals the Time Destructor, which activates; Sara ages to death, while Steven and the Doctor reach the TARDIS. The Daleks try to destroy the Time Destructor but it kills them, wiping out the planet's life.
225The Massacre"War of God"†Paddy RussellJohn Lucarotti5 February 1966 (1966-02-05)W8.052
"The Sea Beggar"†John Lucarotti12 February 1966 (1966-02-12)6.052
"Priest of Death"†John Lucarotti19 February 1966 (1966-02-19)5.949
"Bell of Doom"†John Lucarotti and Donald Tosh26 February 1966 (1966-02-26)5.853
The Doctor and Steven arrive in Paris in 1572 amidst tensions between the Huguenots and Catholics. Steven spends the night at the home of Nicholas Muss, a Huguenot. They find a servant girl, Anne Chaplet, who is terrified after overhearing Catholic guards speaking of a coming massacre of Huguenots. The next day, the Abbot of Amboise sends his secretary Colbert to find Anne. Steven becomes convinced that the Abbot is the Doctor in disguise. Steven overhears Colbert and an assassin plotting to kill "the sea beggar". As night falls, Steven finds Anne following him. They call upon the Abbot but are forced to flee after Steven realises the Abbot is not the Doctor. After the Abbot is killed, Anne and Steven find the Doctor. The Doctor insists that he and Steven depart immediately. He and Steven reach the TARDIS and depart as the massacre begins. Steven is angry that the Doctor made him leave, but the Doctor insists that history could not be changed. A young girl enters the TARDIS and it soon dematerialises. Steven's heart softens when she introduces herself as Dodo Chaplet; Steven wonders if she is Anne's descendant.
236The Ark"The Steel Sky"Michael ImisonPaul Erickson and Lesley Scott5 March 1966 (1966-03-05)X5.555
"The Plague"12 March 1966 (1966-03-12)6.956
"The Return"19 March 1966 (1966-03-19)6.251
"The Bomb"26 March 1966 (1966-03-26)7.350
Around ten million years in the future, the Doctor, Steven, and Dodo discover Earth is about to be destroyed by the Sun's expansion; a vast spacecraft has begun a 700-year voyage to the planet Refusis II, with millions of humans stored in miniaturised form. The ship is commanded by human Guardians, while menial work is undertaken by a race called Monoids. Dodo's cold fatally spreads though the ship. The TARDIS crew, accused of deliberately infecting the inhabitants, are sentenced to death until the Doctor creates a vaccine and administers it to the infected, who recover. The group observe Earth's destruction before the Doctor, Steven, and Dodo depart. 700 years later, they return and discover the Monoids have taken control while the human descendants, genetically weakened by the cold virus, are now slaves. The Monoid leader takes the Doctor and Dodo to Refusis II and discover a castle occupied by the Refusians, giant invisible beings. The Monoids plan to colonise Refusis II and abandon the human slaves on the spacecraft. A faction of Monoids, uncertain of the planet's viability, begin a revolt. The Refusians agree to share their planet with the colonists, demanding the humans and Monoids live in peace.
247The Celestial Toymaker"The Celestial Toyroom"†Bill SellarsBrian Hayles[N 1]2 April 1966 (1966-04-02)Y8.048
"The Hall of Dolls"†9 April 1966 (1966-04-09)8.049
"The Dancing Floor"†16 April 1966 (1966-04-16)9.444
"The Final Test"23 April 1966 (1966-04-23)7.843
The TARDIS lands in the domain of the Toymaker, an eternal being of infinite power who sets games and traps for the unwary to become his playthings. The Toymaker abducts the Doctor to his study, where he is given the Trilogic Game, a ten-piece puzzle whose pieces must all be moved and remounted in a 1,023-move sequence. Steven and Dodo face different childish challenges: two clowns are transformed into dolls after losing at blind man's buff; the King and Queen of Hearts are trapped when sitting on a chair which folds in on them; they find a thimble which opens the exit door inside Mrs. Wiggs's large pie; they free themselves from two dancing ballerinas by swapping their partners for each other; and they win at hopscotch against Cyril, who slips on a triangle he has booby-trapped and is electrocuted. At the final stage of the Trilogic Game, the Doctor sends Steven and Dodo into the TARDIS. He realises that, upon making the last move and winning, the Toymaker's domain will disappear along with the TARDIS. Using the Toymaker's voice from inside the TARDIS, he orders the last piece to move, departing while the Toymaker's world is destroyed.
258The Gunfighters"A Holiday for the Doctor"Rex TuckerDonald Cotton30 April 1966 (1966-04-30)Z6.545
"Don't Shoot the Pianist"7 May 1966 (1966-05-07)6.639
"Johnny Ringo"14 May 1966 (1966-05-14)6.236
"The O.K. Corral"21 May 1966 (1966-05-21)5.730
The TARDIS arrives in Tombstone, Arizona, where local marshal Wyatt Earp offers the travellers protection. The Doctor finds the dentist, Doc Holliday. The Clanton brothers suspect the Doctor is Holliday and invite him to a hotel. Holliday is initially happy to let him be shot in his place, but Kate intervenes to save the Doctor. Holliday hides upstairs at the hotel, firing his gun to con the Clantons into thinking the Doctor is indeed Holliday. Wyatt and Sheriff Bat Masterson take the Doctor into custody for his own protection, but he is eventually freed and told to leave town. Dodo falls in with Kate and Holliday, who both plan to leave town and take her with them. The Doctor and Steven return to the saloon in search of Dodo and encounter Johnny Ringo. Steven and Kate are taken by Ringo to the Clanton ranch, where the Clantons tell their father that they killed Warren. Wyatt swears vengeance and starts to build a posse of lawmen. Holliday returns to Tombstone with Dodo and offers his services to Wyatt. The Doctor is unable to prevent a gunfight at the O.K. Corral; Ringo and the three Clantons are shot dead.
269The Savages"Episode 1"†Christopher BarryIan Stuart Black28 May 1966 (1966-05-28)AA4.848
"Episode 2"†4 June 1966 (1966-06-04)5.649
"Episode 3"†11 June 1966 (1966-06-11)5.048
"Episode 4"†18 June 1966 (1966-06-18)4.548
In the far future, the TARDIS materialises on a distant planet inhabited by an advanced civilisation known as the Elders and bands of roaming savages. The Elders welcome the Doctor, revealing they have admired his exploits from afar. The Doctor becomes suspicious of their seemingly perfect civilisation, and Dodo finds their secret: they are only able to maintain their energy by draining the life force of the helpless savages. The Doctor tries to stop the Elders but he is forced into the transfer device and his life force is channelled into the Elders' leader, Jano. The plan backfires Jano is imbued him with the Doctor's mannerisms, outlook, and morality. Dodo and Steven make contact with the savages, the remnants of a once highly skilled race whose ability were stymied over the centuries by the energy transfer process. They help the Doctor escape the city. The Doctor realises the Elders must be forced, not persuaded, to change their ways. His mixed personality convinces Jano to help the savages. The technology underpinning the society is destroyed, and the groups begin discussing how a new society can be built together. The Doctor convinces Steven to remain behind as a mediator.
2710The War Machines"Episode 1"Michael FergusonIan Stuart Black25 June 1966 (1966-06-25)BB5.449
"Episode 2"2 July 1966 (1966-07-02)4.745
"Episode 3"9 July 1966 (1966-07-09)5.344
"Episode 4"16 July 1966 (1966-07-16)5.539
The TARDIS lands in London, near the Post Office Tower, where the Doctor and Dodo, meet Professor Brett, the creator of the supercomputer WOTAN. In four days, WOTAN will be linked to other major computers across the world to take them over. Dodo and Brett's secretary Polly meet Ben Jackson at a nightclub, while the Doctor attends a meeting about WOTAN. WOTAN hypnotises Brett and the Tower's security chief, and Dodo. WOTAN enlists a workforce to construct twelve robotic War Machines around London. The Doctor breaks WOTAN's control over Dodo sends her away to recover. Ben discovers a fully assembled War Machine and learns they will attack the next day. Ben is detected but the hypnotised Polly lets him leave. The War Machine attacks an army task force but stops when faced by the Doctor, having not been completely programmed. The Doctor traps another Machine in an electromagnetic forcefield and reprograms it to destroy WOTAN, halting the other ten Machines and breaking the hypnosis. Dodo decides to stay in London, and Ben and Polly enter the TARDIS as it dematerialises.

^†: Episode is missing

Production

Development

In December 1964, Doctor Who's producer, Verity Lambert sent a memo to the BBC's head of serials, Donald Wilson, requesting that the programme take a break in July and August 1965, following the transmission of its second season, as it performed worse in that period; Wilson disagreed, wanting the second season to run longer.[28] A month later, Wilson proposed that Doctor Who should continue indefinitely, with a planned nine-week production break between the second and third seasons; ultimately, the break was delayed and lasted six weeks.[29] The third season opened with five episodes—the four-part Galaxy 4 and the singular "Mission to the Unknown"—that were created as part of the programme's second production block and held for transmission.[28] Although Lambert was credited as producer for Galaxy 4, her successor—John Wiles, who had joined the programme in early June 1965—was effectively responsible for the show during its production.[30] "Mission to the Unknown" was the final story for which Lambert was credited.[31]

Wiles and Donald Tosh, the programme's new story editor after Dennis Spooner's departure, immediately developed a positive working relationship.[32] When a six-part serial was extended to become the twelve-part The Daleks' Master Plan, an unhappy Wiles threatened to resign; Tosh, also unhappy, persuaded him to stay.[33] By the end of the serial's production in January 1966, both men had submitted their resignations,[34] Wiles partly due to his strained relationship with Hartnell and desire to return to writing and directing, and Tosh partly out of loyalty to Wiles and desire to do other work.[35] Tosh had also discovered that the vision of Wiles's replacement, Innes Lloyd, differed from his own.[36] The Massacre was Tosh's final credited work, though he remained during production of The Ark,[36] which was Wiles's last credited work as producer.[37] Lloyd shadowed Wiles during filming for The Ark,[38] and The Celestial Toymaker was his first credit on the programme.[39]

Casting

William Hartnell's contract to portray the programme's protagonist, the First Doctor, was renewed on 24 May 1965, covering six serials in the third season;[40] this was amended to five serials on 23 June, reflecting the extension of the six-part The Daleks' Master Plan to twelve parts.[41] Neither contract applies to the single story "Mission to the Unknown", for which Hartnell is credited (as specified in his contract) but does not appear.[42] Hartnell's relationship with Wiles was poor; he was upset by Lambert's departure.[43] Further upset came from the death of Hartnell's aunt Bessie, the only person from his childhood to whom he was close; the production schedule prevented him from attending her funeral.[44] Hartnell had a dual role in The Massacre, as the Doctor and the Abbot of Amboise.[45] He was largely absent from a later serial, The Celestial Toymaker, while on holiday;[46] as his contract was due to expire during the serial, the production team considered replacing him with a different actor when he reappeared, partly due to Hartnell's fragile health and conflict with the team; however, before this could be enacted, Hartnell's contract was renewed on 15 February 1966,[47] seeing him through to the end of the third production block, covering the rest of the third season and the first two serials of the fourth.[48]

Maureen O'Brien
Maureen O'Brien
Peter Purves
Peter Purves
Jean Marsh
Jean Marsh
The third season saw the departures of O'Brien and Purves as Vicki and Steven. Several other cast members were subsequently introduced and removed, including Marsh as Sara Kingdom.[49]

The season saw several changes for other lead cast members.[49] Maureen O'Brien and Peter Purves, who portrayed Vicki and Steven Taylor, were contracted on 21 May 1965 until the end of The Myth Makers.[32] Wiles later decided to renew Purves's contract for a further 20 episodes (to the end of The Ark)[50] but not O'Brien's, having witnessed arguments regarding her dialogue in rehearsals for Galaxy 4;[51] he informed them on 3 September. O'Brien was shocked, as she had returned from holiday expecting to maintain the job, though she was ultimately glad to move on as she had disliked the role and scripts.[52] Adrienne Hill was contracted on 9 September to replace O'Brien as Katarina in five episodes.[52] Wiles and Tosh decided that Katarina would be killed in The Daleks' Master Plan for shock value, as writers of subsequent stories faced difficulty fitting her in.[53] Hill's first work on the series was recording Katarina's death scene.[54]

Hill was replaced by Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom, who was also killed in the serial's climax.[53] Katarina and Sara were the first companions to be killed in Doctor Who.[55] Marsh was contracted on 14 September;[56] she had previously played Joanna in the second-season serial The Crusade, for which Hill had been considered.[57] O'Brien's departure and Hill and Marsh's casting were announced on 2 November.[58] The frequent cast changes left Purves worried for his role; he felt he might be replaced by Nicholas Courtney, who was cast as Bret Vyon in The Daleks' Master Plan on 14 September;[59] Courtney returned in the 1968 serial The Web of Fear to play Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, who later became a prominent recurring character in Doctor Who.[60][61] The first candidate to replace Katarina and Sara in The Massacre was Anne Chaplet, a servant girl destined for death before being saved by Steven.[62] Tosh and Wiles were cautious of introducing a historical companion after difficulties writing for Katarina. The script was rewritten to introduce Anne's descendant, Dodo, as the new companion, with similar character traits.[14] Jackie Lane was cast as Dodo on 29 December 1965.[63]

Purves departed the series in The Savages.[64] Purves and Hartnell were sad to end their working relationship; the former had learned much from their time together.[65] Lloyd told Purves about Steven's departure after filming the second episode of The Ark on 25 February 1966, the day after his contract had been renewed until the end of The Savages.[66] Purves compared the sudden news of his departure to those Hill and O'Brien;[67] He said "no-one felt secure in the show at all" at the time.[68] Lane departed in the following serial, The War Machines; Lloyd said the characters were difficult to write due to their fictional backgrounds.[69] He wanted two contemporary companions to make the programme relatable, partly inspired by the popularity of the James Bond films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.;[70] Ben and Polly are 24-year-olds from Swinging London, the former an able seaman with the Royal Navy and the latter an intelligent but impulsive woman with trendy outfits.[22] Anneke Wills and Michael Craze were cast as Polly and Ben by early May[71] and offered contracts for four serials (18 episodes) on 25 and 26 May, respectively.[72] They subsequently became lifelong friends.[73]

Writing

Trojan Horse relief
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre painting
Photograph of Tombstone, Arizona, in 1881
Following stories set during the Trojan War, St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, and gunfight at the O.K. Corral,[74] the producers phased out historical serials in favour of contemporary science-fiction.[75]

The third season begins with serials carried over from Lambert and Spooner's leadership, including the twelve-part The Daleks' Master Plan, followed by eclectic and cerebral stories under Wiles and Tosh, who treated historical stories both as a dramatic device (The Massacre) and with irreverence (The Myth Makers and The Gunfighters). Many of their later stories were altered by their successors, Lloyd and Davis.[76] Schoolteacher-turned-screenwriter William Emms, a science-fiction fan and avid Doctor Who viewer, wrote Galaxy 4,[77] wanting to show two conflicting races and flip convention by making the beautiful race evil.[78] Though it was commissioned by Spooner,[79] Tosh handled the bulk of the rewrites.[80] Emms disliked the amendments,[81] and the cast were unhappy with the scripts.[82] Tosh wanted Doctor Who to expand creatively, such as experimenting with horror and humour elements within historical stories.[83] He and Wiles wanted the programme to move away from "childish" science fantasy and towards historical stories and adult science-fiction.[32] Invited by Tosh,[83] Donald Cotton submitted a story idea, The Myth Makers, about Greek mythology, having written similar pieces for BBC Third Programme.[84] He felt the Trojan Horse was "almost certainly completely myth" but found it compelling to include with the Doctor's involvement.[85]

Spooner asked Terry Nation in early 1965 to write a six-part serial featuring the Daleks.[86] Tosh commissioned the serial, which was soon expanded to twelve episodes with Nation and Spooner sharing writing duties.[86] To compensate for scheduling changes, an additional episode was added to the schedule, written by Nation;[87] it became "Mission to the Unknown", a cutaway to set up the twelve-part The Daleks' Master Plan.[88] Tosh commissioned Nation to write the first six episodes, and Spooner to write the remaining six; they swapped the sixth and seventh, allowing each to write a cliffhanger for the other to resolve.[89] The seventh episode's broadcast on Christmas Day prompted the production team to write a self-contained comedic story.[90] The Doctor's address to the audience at the end of the episode was written in the camera script, though Tosh and Wiles claimed it was improvised by Hartnell;[91] Tosh felt it broke the audience's suspension of disbelief.[92]

Spooner verbally agreed that John Lucarotti, who had written for the first season, could write a Vikings serial for the third. After Spooner's departure, Tosh approved Lucarotti's idea, but days later rejected the story. Wiles wanted the series to explore a religious conflict with the Doctor witnessing rather than interfering; Tosh suggested the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, and Lucarotti was commissioned for The Massacre.[93] Tosh made several edits to the scripts over two weeks to adhere to documented history. Lucarotti asked for his name to be removed due to the extensive rewrites,[94] though his agent dissuaded him.[95] Tosh was credited as co-writer,[36] and Lucarotti considered him the serial's author.[96] For The Ark, Wiles conceived of a story set on an interstellar ark. Tosh developed a storyline with Paul Erickson, who wrote the scripts.[97] Erickson's agent requested that the writer credit be amended to add Lesley Scott, Erickson's then-partner, as co-writer without fee; the scripts' original copyright is attributed solely to Erickson, and in later years he refused to comment on the credit, referring to it as a "personal arrangement".[98] Scott was the first woman to receive a writing credit on Doctor Who.[99]

Noah's Ark painting
Post Office Tower in 1966
The Ark is inspired by the Biblical narrative of Noah's Ark,[100] and The War Machines centres on the recently constructed Post Office Tower in London.[101]

Freelance writer Brian Hayles submitted several story ideas in 1965, including one that became The Celestial Toymaker.[102] Tosh and Wiles sought several changes to Hayles's scripts to fit within the programme's means, themes, and budget; busy with other work, Hayles allowed Tosh to redevelop the scripts.[103] After becoming story editor, Davis rewrote much of the scripts over four days.[104] Tosh and Wiles disapproved, though Hayles told Davis he was happy with the final scripts;[104] he received the sole writing credit[27] after Tosh asked to be removed.[105] After working on The Myth Makers, Cotton was commissioned to write The Gunfighters, about the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Cotton favoured fictional depictions and made some alterations to the real events.[106] Tosh wanted the serial to parody American Western films.[107]

The season's last two serials were written by Ian Stuart Black, who approached the production office while working on a neighbouring series. For The Savages, Black wanted to appeal to the audience's reasoning, rather than including violence and action, conceiving a story in which humans' energies were absorbed to power an artistic civilisation.[108] For The War Machines, wanting to phase out historical serials in favour of contemporary science-fiction,[75] Davis sought a scientific consultant for the programme; he wrote an outline with Kit Pedler, who conceived of a rogue computer taking over the Post Office Tower.[101] Scriptwriting duties for the story were assigned to Pat Dunlop; he asked to be removed due to other work, and Davis subsequently assigned it to Black. He was granted additional time to accommodate Davis and Lloyd's changes to the companions.[70] The War Machines was Davis and Lloyd's first original story, having adopted the preceding serials from their predecessors.[109]

Filming

The front of a building with a sign that reads "Riverside Studios"
Riverside Studios, 2018
A large brick building with several glass windows
Television Centre, 2005
A two-storey white building with a sign that reads "Ealing Studios".
Ealing Studios, 2008
An area with sand, dirt, and trees
Frensham Common, 2009
Six third-season serials were recorded at Riverside,[110] three at the Television Centre,[111] and one at both.[112] Ealing was used to film model inserts in all stories[113] except The Myth Makers, which used Frensham.[114]

The third season's first five episodes were created as part of the programme's second production block, immediately following the second season.[28] Mervyn Pinfield was assigned to direct all five—the four-part Galaxy 4 and the standalone "Mission to the Unknown"—as part of a single production block.[115] Soon after production commenced, Pinfield's failing health prevented him from continuing; he worked alongside his replacement, Derek Martinus, for the first week.[116] A week of filming took place at Ealing Studios on 21–25 June 1965, largely for Galaxy 4's effects.[117] Weekly recording took place from 9 to 30 July 1965 in Studio 4 of the Television Centre[118] and cost a total of £9,950 (equivalent to £168,454 in 2025).[119] Pre-filming for "Mission to the Unknown" took place on 25 June at Ealing,[120] and the episode was recorded in Television Centre's Studio TC4 on 6 August,[121] costing £2,440 (£41,309 in 2025).[122] It was the last episode of the second production block and was followed by a six-week break.[123]

Martinus was discussed as a possible director of The Myth Makers,[32] though the role was ultimately assigned to BBC staff director Michael Leeston-Smith.[51] It was his only work for the programme.[114] The third production block began with early model filming at Frensham Ponds, close to Leeston-Smith's home, on 27 August;[124] some scenes were refilmed from 30 August to 2 September.[125] The serial was recorded weekly from 17 September to 8 October at Studio 1 of Riverside Studios,[114] costing a total of £10,214 (£172,924 in 2025).[126] Douglas Camfield was assigned to direct The Daleks' Master Plan; Tosh persuaded Wiles to maintain Camfield as the sole director after the serial was extended to twelve episodes,[127] and felt Camfield's work on the scripts made the serial a success.[57] Early filming took place at Ealing from 27 September to 8 October, with some remounts on 18 and 21 October. Weekly recording occurred from 22 October 1965 to 14 January 1966,[128] except the week of 20 December due to the Christmas break.[129] recording for the twelve episodes cost a total of £31,596 (£534,923 in 2025).[130] Exhausted from production, Camfield decided he would not return to direct Doctor Who for some time.[128]

Paddy Russell was assigned to direct The Massacre—the first woman to direct Doctor Who.[131] Early filming took place on Stages 3A and 3B of the Television Film Studios from 3 to 7 January 1966, followed by weekly recording at Riverside Studio from 21 January to 11 February,[132] costing £10,268 (£173,838 in 2025).[133] Michael Imison, who had known Wiles since their time as story editors, was assigned to direct The Ark, his only work on Doctor Who.[134] He worked with Erickson to revise the scripts, which he had found uninspiring[135] He wanted the serial to be impressive, creating complex storyboards and camera scripts;[135] he later said he was likely "deliberately trying to show off".[136] Early filming took place at Ealing from 31 January to 4 February;[137] Several animals were used for filming in the studio, including a baby Indian elephant, who was kept in a van outside Imison's home the night before filming as the BBC did not allow the driver to park at the studio.[138] Weekly recording took place in Studio 1 of Riverside from on 18 February to 11 March,[139] and cost a total of £11,159 (£188,923 in 2025).[140]

Bill Sellars was assigned to direct The Celestial Toymaker.[39] Early filming took place at Ealing on 2 and 3 March 1966,[141] and weekly recording took place in Riverside's Studio 1 from 18 March to 8 April.[142] The serial had a limited budget, ultimately costing £9,386 (£158,906 in 2025),[143] due to the expensive production of The Ark‍;[141] the fourth episode is the cheapest Doctor Who episode ever recorded.[144] Rex Tucker, who had worked as the programme's "de factor producer" during its creation in 1963, was assigned to direct The Gunfighters.[145] Early filming took place on Ealing's Stages 3A and 3B from 28 to 31 March 1966; it had originally been scheduled at Riverside but Ealing was considered more suitable for horses.[146] Weekly recording occurred from 15 April to 6 May;[147] the first episode was recorded at Television Centre's Studio 4[147] and the rest at Riverside's Studio 1 as planned.[112] A small crew filmed the final scene at the Callow Hill Sandpit in Virginia Water, Surrey, on 1 May.[112] Recording cost a total of £10,415 (£176,327 in 2025).[148] Due to disagreements with Lloyd's editing, Tucker requested that his directorial credit be removed from the fourth episode.[149]

Christopher Barry, who had directed first- and second-season serials, was assigned to The Savages by Lloyd, an old friend.[150] He cast several guest actors with whom he had worked before.[151] Early filming took place at Ealing from 27 to 28 April[152] and on location in Chalfont St Peter and Esher on 29 April and 1 May,[153] followed by weekly recording in Riverside's Studio 1 from 13 May to 3 June;[154] early fourth-episode scenes were recorded alongside the third,[155] and the serial cost a total of £11,531 (£195,221 in 2025).[156] Michael Ferguson, formerly an assistant floor manager on The Daleks (1963–1964), was assigned to direct The War Machines.[72] He similarly cast several familiar guest actors as the BBC did not use casting directors.[157] Early filming began on 22 May on location in London,[158] at Ealing from 23 to 25 May,[158] and on location on 26 May.[159] Weekly recording took place in Riverside's Studio 1 from 10 June to 1 July,[160] costing £11,612 (£196,592 in 2025).[161] The programme's third production block continued through to the first serial of the fourth season.[162] Recording of the full 45-episode season cost a total of £118,571 (£2,007,419 in 2025).[163]

Release

Promotion

Galaxy 4's Drahvins were promoted in the Daily Express on 25 June 1965,[164] and Emms was interviewed by publications including the Daily Mail and Daily Sketch.[165] On 30 July, Junior Points of View host Sarah Ward revealed that the third season would premiere on 11 September. Hartnell's episode of Desert Island Discs was broadcast on the BBC Home Service on 23 August,[166] and Radio Times previewed the season on 9 September with an article reintroducing the characters, promoting Galaxy 4, and teasing later stories.[167] Galaxy 4 was promoted in September with photographs in The Daily Telegraph and The Stage and Television Today[168] and a 95-second trailer narrated by Shaw Taylor.[167] Hartnell appeared alongside a Chumbley and the Dalek Supreme at the Farnborough International Airshow on 4 September.[167] The BBC Press Service issued a press release promoting "Mission to the Unknown", concurrent with filming on 6 August, published in several newspapers the following day alongside photographs of Lambert, marking her final work for the programme.[169]

Radio Times promoted "Mission to the Unknown" and The Myth Makers each with half-page features on 7 and 14 October.[170] The first episode of The Daleks' Master Plan received significant press coverage on 23 October with a photocall of the bald actors portraying the Technix.[171] Two trailers—18 and 37 seconds—were created to promote the serial, and Radio Times ran several previews of the episodes, including a half-page illustrated article for the first.[172] Marsh's appearance received press coverage alongside a photocall.[173] Radio Times previewed The Massacre and The Ark in individual articles, the latter alongside a photograph of Monica the elephant,[174] and two Dalek props appeared on the children's programme Blue Peter on 3 March 1966.[175] The Ark was promoted in the Western Daily Press with a photograph of a Monoid holding Lane.[176] Radio Times's article about The Celestial Toymaker focused on the Toymaker and his games.[177]

Hartnell's interview with the Daily Mirror was published on 23 April, focusing on his experience as the Doctor alongside promotion of The Gunfighters,[178] itself the focus of a half-page Radio Times article in April and the front page of the BBC's internal magazine, Ariel, in May.[179] Purves opened a fête for Girl Guides in Frome on 7 May.[180] The Savages received a feature about Ewen Solon's makeup in the Daily Mirror on 23 May[181] and a half-page article in the Radio Times.[182] The War Machines received a similar Radio Times article, with stylised artwork by Victor Reinganum, and was promoted on Blue Peter on 20 June, with hosts Christopher Trace and Valerie Singleton appearing alongside a War Machine prop.[183] The Stage and Television Today printed a publicity shot of Craze and Wills on 7 July to promote their appearance in the following season.[184]

Broadcast

The third season was broadcast on BBC1 over 45 successive weeks, starting with Galaxy 4 on 11 September 1965 and concluding with The War Machines on 16 July 1966.[185] Each serial consisted of four episodes[186] except for the singular "Mission to the Unknown"[187] and its twelve-part successor, The Daleks' Master Plan.[188] The latter was the longest serial in the show's history until 1986's The Trial of a Time Lord and remains the longest with a single director and production code.[N 2] The Gunfighters was the last serial of Doctor Who's original run to have individual episode titles,[112] and "The O.K. Corral" was the last regular episode given an individual title until "Rose" (2005);[191] from The Savages onward, each serial had an overall title divided into numbered parts,[192] which Lloyd felt let viewers know when a new story had started.[64]

Several serials were sold overseas in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including to Australia, Barbados, New Zealand, Sierra Leone, Singapore, and Zambia.[193] The 405-line videotapes of each episode were cleared for wiping in the years following their broadcast, including 26 episodes in 1967,[N 3] and 11 in 1969;[N 4] The War Machines was cleared in March 1974[199] and The Celestial Toymaker by 1976.[200] In 1978, BBC Enterprises discovered it possessed all four episodes of The Ark,[134] the first third-season serial to still exist in its entirety.[201] The BBC Film and Videotape Library retained a 16 mm print of the fourth episode, and BBC Enterprises's negatives of all four episodes were discovered in the 1970s.[197]

Several episodes were later recovered: the second episode of The War Machines in the late 1970s;[199] the fifth and tenth of The Daleks' Master Plan in 1983;[188][202] the first of The Celestial Toymaker in 1984;[200] censored versions of The War Machines in 1984;[199] the second of The Daleks' Master Plan in 2004;[188] the third of Galaxy 4 in 2011;[203] and the first and third of The Daleks' Master Plan in 2026.[204] "Mission to the Unknown" and The Massacre are two of three stories[N 5] of which no known footage survives, and the latter is the only serial with no known visual records, including telesnaps;[205] only audio recordings and production stills survive.[206] The War Machines is Hartnell's last and Polly and Ben's only serial without any missing episodes.[207][208] Several recovered episodes were screened at the National Film Theatre in the 1980s and broadcast on UK Gold in episodic and omnibus formats in the early 1990s.[209] With 26 missing episodes across seven stories, the third season is the most incomplete of Hartnell's era.[N 6]

Home media

VHS releases

Season Story no. Serial name Duration Release date
UK Australia USA / Canada
3 23 The Ark 4 × 25 min. 5 October 1998[211] February 1999[212] March 1999[212]
21 Daleks: The Early Years
The Daleks' Master Plan‍[a]		 2 × 25 min. 6 July 1992[213] February 1993[214] October 1993[214]
24 The Hartnell Years‍[b]
The Celestial Toymaker‍[c]		 1 × 35 min.
1 × 25 min.		 3 July 1991[215] May 1992[216] January 1992[217]
25 The Gunfighters 4 × 25 min. November 2002[d][218] December 2002[d][218] October 2003[219]
27 The War Machines 4 × 25 min. 2 June 1997[220] January 1998[221] March 1998[221]
  1. Episodes 5 and 10
  2. Also includes pilot episode of An Unearthly Child
  3. Episode 4
  4. Part of The First Doctor Box Set

DVD and Blu-ray releases

All releases are for DVD unless otherwise indicated:

  • (D,B) indicates a simultaneous DVD and Blu-ray release
Season Story no. Serial name Duration Release date
R2 R4 R1
1
3		 6, 18 The Aztecs (Special Edition)
Galaxy 4‍[a]		 5 × 25 min. 11 March 2013[222] 20 March 2013[223] 12 March 2013[224]
3 18 Galaxy 4‍[b] 4 × 25 min. 15 November 2021 (D,B) [225] 12 January 2022 (D,B) [226] 5 April 2022[227]
21, 24 Lost in Time, Volume 1
The Daleks' Master Plan‍[c]
The Celestial Toymaker‍[d]		 4 × 25 min. 1 November 2004[228][e] 2 December 2004[229][f] 2 November 2004[229]
23 The Ark 4 × 25 min. 14 February 2011[230] 3 March 2011[231] 8 March 2011[232]
24 The Celestial Toymaker‍[g] 4 × 25 min. 10 June 2024 (D,B) [234] 4 September 2024 (D,B) [235] 11 June 2024 (B) [236]
25 The Gunfighters‍[h] 4 × 25 min. 20 June 2011[237] 4 August 2011[238] 12 July 2011[239]
26 The Savages‍[i] 4 × 25 min. 24 March 2025 (D,B) [240] 4 June 2025 (D,B) [241] 20 May 2025 (B) [242]
27 The War Machines 4 × 25 min. 25 August 2008[243] 7 November 2008[244] 6 January 2009[245]
  1. Episode 3 of 4, condensed reconstruction of episodes 1, 2, and 4
  2. All four episodes animated (colour and black and white versions), remastered Episode 3 and "tele-snap" reconstructions
  3. Episodes 2, 5, and 10 of 12
  4. Episode 4 of 4
  5. Re-released in slimmer packaging in late 2016[229]
  6. Re-released in slimmer packaging in July 2010[229]
  7. All four episodes animated (colour and black-and-white versions), remastered Episode 4 and 'tele-snap' reconstructions[233]
  8. Only available as part of the Earth Story box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.
  9. All four episodes animated (colour and black and white versions)

Books

Season
 Story no. Library no.[a] Novelisation title Author Hardcover
release date[b]		 Paperback
release date[c]		 Audiobook
Release date[d] Narrator
3018104Galaxy FourWilliam Emms14 November 1985[246]10 April 1986[246]6 July 2017[246]Maureen O'Brien
019, 021141The Daleks' Master Plan Part I: Mission to the UnknownJohn Peel—N/a21 September 1989[247]6 May 2010[247]Jean Marsh and Peter Purves[e]
02097The Myth MakersDonald Cotton11 April 1985[248]12 September 1985[248]7 April 2008[248]Stephen Thorne
021142The Daleks' Master Plan Part II: The Mutation of TimeJohn Peel—N/a19 October 1989[249]3 June 2010[249]Jean Marsh and Peter Purves[e]
022122The MassacreJohn Lucarotti18 June 1987[250]19 November 1987[250]11 June 2015[250]Peter Purves
023114The ArkPaul Erickson16 October 1986[251]19 March 1987[251]1 March 2018[251]
024111The Celestial ToymakerGerry Davis and Alison Bingeman19 June 1986[252]20 November 1986[252]3 April 2025[253]
025101The GunfightersDonald Cotton11 July 1985[254]9 January 1986[254]7 February 2013[254]Shane Rimmer
026109The SavagesIan Stuart Black20 March 1986[255]11 September 1986[255]4 February 2021[255]Peter Purves
027136The War Machines—N/a16 February 1989[256]7 March 2019[256]Michael Cochrane
  1. Number in Target's Doctor Who Library, if applicable
  2. Published by Target's parent companies (Allen Wingate, W. H. Allen, BBC Books) unless otherwise indicated
  3. Published by Target Books (or by BBC Books under the Target Collection umbrella) unless otherwise indicated
  4. Unabridged from BBC Audio / AudioGo unless otherwise indicated
  5. Dalek voices performed by Nicholas Briggs

Reception

Ratings

Viewers per episode (millions)
Audience measurement performed by Broadcasters' Audience Research Board[257]

The 45-episode third season saw an average of 7.65 million viewers.[258] Galaxy 4 was considered a strong start, with higher viewership than in the previous year;[259] it averaged 9.9 million viewers across the four weeks,[82] with the third episode becoming the most-viewed of the show's third season with 11 million viewers.[259] Viewership dropped for "Mission to the Unknown"[260] and The Myth Makers, though it was comparable to Planet of Giants (1964), which had aired around the same time the previous year.[261] The Myth Makers received an average of 8.35 million viewers across its four weeks.[262] This saw an increase with The Daleks' Master Plan, which averaged 9.35 million,[263] though it did not match the previous year's figures;[264] the third episode received the most with 10.3 million viewers, while the seventh was lowest with 7.9 million.[188]

Weekly viewership declined during The Massacre; the second episode saw a drop of two million viewers. It marked the second time[N 7] that the series received fewer than six million viewers since the second episode in 1963, and its third time[N 8] outside the top 50, falling low in the top 100;[265] this was the start of a trend for the series throughout the year[266] and decade.[N 9] The fourth episode was Doctor Who's lowest viewing figures since its first episode in 1963,[267] indicating a near-three million drop from The Daleks' Master Plan.[268] The first episode of The Ark received lower viewership,[269] marking the first time since the first episode in 1963 that Doctor Who failed to chart in the week's top 100 programmes.[269] Viewership increased, up to 6.9 million for the second episode[134] and 7.3 million for the fourth,[269] the programme's highest viewership in the preceding two months.[270]

Viewership continued to increase during The Celestial Toymaker‍: 8 million viewers for the first two episodes and 9.4 million for the third. The fourth episode dropped to 7.4 million,[200] marking the beginning of the programme's collapse in ratings, which lasted for five months until Hartnell's departure.[271] The Gunfighters saw a significant drop as expected, as the programme entered the summer months.[179] There was a myth that it had Doctor Who's lowest-ever viewership figures;[272] its 6.25 million viewer average was the season's lowest to date, but the following two serials dropped further.[273] The Savages partially regained its audience share but overall viewership remained low,[198] with a season-low average of 4.975 million[274] and a nadir of 4.5 million for the fourth[275]—the lowest figure since the programme's first episode.[276] The War Machines saw an improvement,[277] with an average of 5.225 million,[273] though its charts positions were low in comparison to the preceding year.[277]

Critical response

The Appreciation Index scores remained mostly reasonable and largely consistent throughout the season, averaging 49;[26] it peaked at 57 for the final part of The Daleks' Master Plan,[188] while the fourth episode of The Gunfighters received Doctor Who's lowest ever score with 30.[278] Viewers and BBC executives found earlier serials like The Myth Makers and The Daleks' Master Plan too violent,[279] though others rebuked the sentiment.[280] Audiences enjoyed the Daleks' return in early episodes of the latter,[264] though interest began waning later,[281] and public obsession with the Daleks, dubbed "Dalekmania", subsequently declined.[282] Several viewers were confused by the placement of The Myth Makers between "Mission to the Unknown" and The Daleks' Master Plan.[283] The Celestial Toymaker and The Gunfighters have been reevaluated over time, particularly after their recoveries and home media releases; the former's reputation has decreased over time, while the latter—often considered among the worst stories of Hartnell's era and the programme overall—has improved.[284] Several Audience Research Reports for later serials received mixed responses,[285] largely enjoying performances but criticising the concepts.[286] Doctor Who Magazine (DWM) readers consistently ranked most serials within the lower half of Doctor Who stories, though The Massacre is usually placed in the top half and The Daleks' Master Plan among Hartnell's top three.[287]

Reviewers considered Galaxy 4's story interesting and entertaining but flawed;[288] John Kenneth Muir lauded its intelligent philosophy.[289] "Mission to the Unknown" was considered a tense and sinister prologue to The Daleks' Master Plan,[290] which itself received applause for its scope despite some criticism for its length;[291] The Independent's Kim Newman considered it "the most ambitious serial ever attempted by Doctor Who‍".[292] The violent deaths of the two female companions received critical commentary.[293] Reviewers praised The Myth Makers's sophisticated writing, which some compared to The Romans (1965);[294][295][296] David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker enjoyed Vicki's "poignant" departure.[297] Paul Cornell, Martin Day, and Keith Topping of The Discontinuity Guide named The Massacre "arguably the best ever Doctor Who story", lauding the mature and serious character deaths.[298] Several reviewers enjoyed The Ark's use of time travel to revisit the same location and highlight the consequences of the protagonists' actions,[299][300][301] and appreciated the ambition and surrealism of The Celestial Toymaker,[302] though some found it dull in execution.[303][304][305] The poor contemporary response towards The Gunfighters resulted in historical Doctor Who stories being phased out,[306] despite retrospective applause for its comedy.[307] Several scholars highlighted The Savages's anti-colonialist and pro-democratic themes,[308] and reviewers liked Steven's departure.[309] Critics enjoyed The War Machines's contemporary setting[310] and found its depiction of a supercomputer forward-thinking,[311] though many considered Dodo's departure the worst of any companion and felt Lane was denied a proper exit.[312]

William Hartnell
Critics praised William Hartnell for his ongoing role as the First Doctor.[313][314][208]

Hartnell's role as the Doctor throughout the season was often praised: Radio Times's Mark Braxton felt The Daleks' Master Plan was among his best;[313] many lauded his dual role and closing monologue in The Massacre[315][266] and his comedic performance in The Gunfighters,[316] which DWM's Gary Gillatt called "one of his finest performances";[317] DWM's Jamie Lenman similarly lauded his "bursts of fiery indignation" in The Savages as "amongst his finest",[318] and his role in The War Machines, especially in the third episode's cliffhanger, was lauded for his "iconic hero shot".[208][319][320] Purves was similarly lauded for his lead role,[266][321] including in Hartnell's absence in The Celestial Toymaker.[322][323] Hill and Marsh's performances in The Daleks' Master Plan were praised,[324][325] and Kevin Stoney's role as Mavic Chen was lauded despite some questioning whether his name and make-up were a problematic depiction of yellowface.[326][327][328][313] Michael Gough was lauded as the Toymaker;[323][329] Howe and Walker considered the character to be the serial's "greatest legacy to the Doctor Who universe".[330] Wills and Craze were praised for their naturalistic performances.[109][319]

The serials' directors often received acclaim, including Martinus for his dramatic camera angles,[331] Camfield for claustrophobic closeup shots,[332] Imison for his use of cameras and movement instead of dialogue,[333] and Tucker for his sense of scale.[334] The designs were similarly praised, especially Barry Newbery's work on The Ark,[335][298][336] which Dave Owen called "a stylistic coup",[337] and the western atmosphere of The Gunfighters.[338][339][340] However, several reviewers criticised the Monoids' design in The Ark, comparing their hairstyles to those of the Beatles,[341][299][342][343] and the overuse of "The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon" in The Gunfighters,[338][339][340][344] though some critics appreciated the comedic lyrics and narrative relevance.[345][346][347] Several reviewers lauded Raymond Jones's original score in The Savages;[348][349] DWM's Bishop was surprised to discover it was an original composition for the programme.[350]

Notes

  1. The scripts for The Celestial Toymaker were written by Gerry Davis with material by Donald Tosh from an idea by Brian Hayles. Hayles received the writing credit.[27]
  2. The Trial of a Time Lord (1986) is a fourteen-part serial but was produced as four separate storylines within three production blocks, each with different directors and production codes.[189][190]
  3. The following episodes were cleared for wiping in 1967:
    • 17 August 1967: Galaxy 4 episodes 1, 2, and 4;[194] The Myth Makers episodes 2, 3, and 4;[187] The Daleks' Master Plan episodes 1–2, 4–5, and 7–9;[195] all four episodes of The Massacre and The Ark‍;[196] and The Gunfighters episode 1[197]
    • 1967: The Savages[198]
  4. The following episodes were cleared for wiping in 1969:
    • 31 January 1969: Galaxy 4 episode 3;[194] The Myth Makers episode 1;[187] and The Daleks' Master Plan episodes 3 and 6[195]
    • 17 July 1969: "Mission to the Unknown"[187] and The Daleks' Master Plan episodes 10–12[195]
    • Before 1970: The Gunfighters episodes 2–4[197]
  5. The other is Marco Polo. Seven other serials are completely missing, but some brief clips survive.[205]
  6. The first season is missing nine episodes across two stories, while the second season is missing two episodes of one story. Of Hartnell's eight fourth season episodes, five are missing.[210]
  7. After The Sensorites's fourth episode in 1964[265]
  8. After The Sensorites's fourth episode in 1964 and The Daleks' Master Plan's Christmas episode in 1965[265]
  9. More than half of the 102 episodes preceding The Massacre exceeded nine million viewers; of the 147 episodes that followed, only two did so.[267]

References

  1. Ainsworth 2015, pp. 91, 93; Chapman 2006, p. 23; Loborik et al. 2014, p. 41.
  2. Loborik et al. 2014, p. 193.
  3. Frankel 2018, p. 10; Loborik et al. 2014, p. 193; Muir 1999, p. 14.
  4. Jusino 2012, p. 160.
  5. Frankel 2018, p. 18.
  6. Loborik et al. 2014, p. 176.
  7. Stanish 2012, pp. 224, 227; Muir 1999, p. 14; Haining 1983, p. 84.
  8. Haining 1983, p. 84.
  9. Loborik et al. 2014, p. 98.
  10. Loborik et al. 2014, p. 98; Frankel 2018, pp. 11, 149; Haining 1983, p. 85.
  11. Frankel 2018, p. 11.
  12. Frankel 2018, pp. 88–89.
  13. Haining 1983, p. 85; Stanish 2012, p. 226.
  14. Wright 2018, p. 19.
  15. Loborik et al. 2014, p. 56; Haining 1983, p. 86; Muir 1999, p. 14.
  16. Haining 1983, p. 86; Muir 1999, p. 121.
  17. Loborik et al. 2014, p. 56.
  18. Frankel 2018, p. 12; Wright 2018, p. 53.
  19. Frankel 2018, p. 13.
  20. Wright 2016, p. 44; Frankel 2018, p. 14; Muir 1999, p. 14.
  21. Loborik et al. 2014, pp. 87–88; Frankel 2018, p. 14.
  22. Wright 2016, p. 44.
  23. Loborik et al. 2014, p. 24; Haining 1983, p. 88.
  24. Frankel 2018, p. 9.
  25. Lofficier 1989, p. 11.
  26. Wright 2017, pp. 39, 57, 87, 147; Wright 2018, pp. 30, 61, 95, 127; Wright 2016, pp. 25, 65.
  27. Wright 2018, p. 97.
  28. Brunt 2024, p. 350.
  29. Brunt 2024, p. 370.
  30. Wright 2017, pp. 23–24.
  31. Wright 2017, p. 61.
  32. Wright 2017, p. 76.
  33. Wright 2017, p. 110.
  34. Wright 2017, p. 136.
  35. Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, p. 216.
  36. Wright 2018, p. 22.
  37. Wright 2018, p. 46.
  38. Wright 2018, p. 48.
  39. Wright 2018, p. 78.
  40. Brunt 2024, p. 428.
  41. Brunt 2024, pp. 462–463.
  42. Brunt 2024, p. 468.
  43. Wright 2017, pp. 80–81.
  44. Wright 2017, p. 81; Brunt 2024, p. 473.
  45. Wright 2018, pp. 16–17.
  46. Wright 2018, pp. 76–77.
  47. Wright 2018, p. 77.
  48. Brunt 2024, p. 553.
  49. Wright 2017, p. 6.
  50. Wright 2017, pp. 78, 80.
  51. Wright 2017, p. 78.
  52. Wright 2017, p. 80.
  53. Wright 2017, p. 115.
  54. Wright 2017, p. 124; Keen 2010, p. 106.
  55. Muir 1999, p. 119.
  56. Brunt 2024, p. 484.
  57. Wright 2017, p. 122.
  58. Brunt 2024, pp. 513–514.
  59. Brunt 2024, p. 479; Guerrier 2013, p. 18.
  60. Muir 1999, p. 120.
  61. "Nicholas Courtney". The Telegraph. 23 February 2011. Archived from the original on 26 February 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  62. Wright 2018, p. 17.
  63. Brunt 2024, p. 531.
  64. Wright 2016, p. 15.
  65. Wright 2016, p. 23.
  66. Wright 2016, p. 15; Brunt 2024, p. 556.
  67. Purves 2009, p. 104.
  68. Jeffery, Morgan (1 March 2025). "Doctor Who's Peter Purves on his exit and why 'no-one felt secure' at the end of the Hartnell era". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 1 March 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  69. Wright 2016, p. 17.
  70. Wright 2016, p. 43.
  71. Brunt 2024, p. 589.
  72. Wright 2016, p. 48.
  73. Ferguson & Wills 2008, 1:02:00.
  74. Wright 2017, p. 73; Wright 2018, pp. 16, 112.
  75. Wright 2016, p. 40.
  76. Wright 2017, pp. 8–9.
  77. Wright 2017, p. 20.
  78. Wright 2017, pp. 20–21.
  79. Walker 1994, p. 9.
  80. Wright 2017, p. 21.
  81. Wright 2017, pp. 21–22.
  82. Walker 1994, p. 15.
  83. Wright 2017, p. 72.
  84. Wright 2017, p. 73.
  85. Wright 2017, p. 74.
  86. Wright 2017, p. 109.
  87. Wright 2017, p. 49.
  88. Wright 2017, pp. 49–50.
  89. Wright 2017, p. 113.
  90. Wright 2017, p. 126.
  91. Wright 2017, p. 133.
  92. Wright 2017, pp. 133–134.
  93. Wright 2018, pp. 14–16.
  94. Wright 2018, pp. 17, 19.
  95. Russell 1987, p. 24.
  96. Cooray Smith 2016, "Introduction".
  97. Wright 2018, p. 45.
  98. Wright 2018, p. 46; Brunt 2024, p. 544.
  99. Frankel 2018, p. 3.
  100. Crome 2013, pp. 178–179.
  101. Wright 2016, p. 41.
  102. Wright 2018, p. 75.
  103. Wright 2018, p. 76.
  104. Wright 2018, p. 80.
  105. Wiggins 2024, 21:55.
  106. Wright 2018, p. 112.
  107. Wright 2018, pp. 112–113.
  108. Wright 2016, p. 14.
  109. Mulkern, Patrick (29 March 2009). "The War Machines". Radio Times. BBC Magazines. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  110. Wright 2017, p. 83; Wright 2018, pp. 27, 57, 91; Wright 2016, pp. 23, 60.
  111. Wright 2017, pp. 33, 53, 138.
  112. Wright 2018, p. 124.
  113. Wright 2017, pp. 33, 53, 138; Wright 2018, pp. 27, 57, 91, 124; Wright 2016, pp. 23, 60.
  114. Wright 2017, p. 83.
  115. Wright 2017, p. 24.
  116. Wright 2017, pp. 26–27.
  117. Wright 2017, p. 25.
  118. Wright 2017, pp. 29, 32.
  119. Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, pp. 204–206.
  120. Wright 2017, p. 52.
  121. Wright 2017, p. 53.
  122. Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, p. 206.
  123. Brunt 2024, pp. 370, 468.
  124. Brunt 2024, p. 472.
  125. Wright 2017, pp. 79, 83.
  126. Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, pp. 208–209.
  127. Wright 2017, p. 112.
  128. Wright 2017, p. 138.
  129. Brunt 2024, p. 530.
  130. Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, pp. 210–216.
  131. Wright 2018, p. 20.
  132. Wright 2018, p. 27.
  133. Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, pp. 306–307.
  134. Wright 2018, p. 61.
  135. Wright 2018, p. 47.
  136. Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, p. 325.
  137. Wright 2018, pp. 48, 57; Brunt 2024, p. 550.
  138. Wright 2018, p. 50.
  139. Wright 2018, p. 52, 57.
  140. Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, pp. 307–309.
  141. Wright 2018, p. 81.
  142. Wright 2018, pp. 83, 90.
  143. Howe, Walker & Stammers 2005, pp. 168–169.
  144. Wiggins 2024, 1:31:03.
  145. Wright 2018, pp. 114–115.
  146. Wright 2018, p. 118.
  147. Wright 2018, p. 121.
  148. Howe, Walker & Stammers 2005, pp. 224, 228.
  149. Brunt 2024, pp. 597, 599.
  150. Wright 2016, pp. 16–17.
  151. Wright 2016, pp. 17, 19.
  152. Wright 2016, p. 19.
  153. Wright 2016, pp. 19–20.
  154. Wright 2016, pp. 21, 23.
  155. Wright 2016, pp. 22–23.
  156. Howe, Walker & Stammers 2005, pp. 229–230.
  157. Ferguson & Wills 2008, 5:05.
  158. Wright 2016, p. 60.
  159. Wright 2016, p. 53.
  160. Wright 2016, pp. 55, 60.
  161. Howe, Walker & Stammers 2005, pp. 230–231.
  162. Brunt 2024, pp. 620, 630.
  163. Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, pp. 204–206, 208–216, 306–309; Howe, Walker & Stammers 2005, pp. 168–169, 224, 228–231.
  164. Daily Express 1965a.
  165. Wright 2017, p. 34; Usher 1965, p. 18.
  166. Wright 2017, p. 34.
  167. Wright 2017, p. 35.
  168. Gander 1965, p. 15; The Stage and Television Today 1965, p. 11.
  169. Wright 2017, p. 54; Jackson 1965, p. 4.
  170. Wright 2017, pp. 54, 85.
  171. Wright 2017, p. 140; Daily Express 1965b; Western Daily Press 1965.
  172. Wright 2017, pp. 140–141.
  173. Wright 2017, p. 141; Daily Sketch 1965, p. 1.
  174. Wright 2018, pp. 28, 58.
  175. Wright 2018, p. 58.
  176. Western Daily Press 1966a.
  177. Wright 2018, p. 92.
  178. Bell 1966.
  179. Wright 2018, p. 125.
  180. Western Daily Press 1966b.
  181. Daily Mirror 1966.
  182. Wright 2016, p. 24.
  183. Wright 2016, p. 62.
  184. The Stage and Television Today 1966.
  185. Wright 2017, p. 39; Wright 2016, p. 65.
  186. Wright 2017, pp. 39, 87; Wright 2018, pp. 30, 61, 95, 127; Wright 2016, pp. 25, 65.
  187. Wright 2017, p. 57.
  188. Wright 2017, p. 147.
  189. Wright 2017, p. 94.
  190. "The Fourth Dimension". BBC. Archived from the original on 24 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  191. Brunt 2011, 70:58.
  192. Wright 2018, p. 124; Howe & Walker 2013, p. 89; Muir 1999, p. 74.
  193. Wright 2017, p. 87; Wright 2018, pp. 29, 60, 95, 127; Wright 2016, pp. 25, 65; Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, pp. 268–269.
  194. Wright 2017, pp. 38–39.
  195. Wright 2017, pp. 146–147.
  196. Wright 2018, pp. 29–30, 60.
  197. Wright 2018, p. 127.
  198. Wright 2016, p. 25.
  199. Wright 2016, p. 65.
  200. Wright 2018, p. 95.
  201. Muir 1999, p. 123.
  202. Allfree, Claire (20 October 2022). "From Desert Island Discs to Doctor Who: the amateur sleuths searching for Britain's lost gems". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  203. Wright 2017, p. 39.
  204. Ashe, Isaac; Ward, Simon (13 March 2026). "Lost Doctor Who episodes found in 'eclectic' collection". BBC. Archived from the original on 13 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  205. Chapman, Cliff (11 February 2014). "Doctor Who: the 10 stories you can't actually watch". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  206. Wright 2018, p. 30.
  207. Molesworth 1997, p. 9.
  208. Wilkins, Jonathan (21 August 2008). "Doctor Who: The War Machines". Total Sci-Fi Online. Titan Magazines. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  209. Wright 2017, p. 147; Wright 2018, pp. 61, 127; Wright 2016, p. 65.
  210. Goss, James (1 May 2026). "Everything you need to know about Doctor Who's missing episodes". DoctorWho.tv. BBC Studios. Archived from the original on 2 May 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  211. Gillatt 1998b, p. 5.
  212. "The Ark". The TARDIS Library. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  213. Pixley 2003, p. 18.
  214. "Daleks: The Early Years". The TARDIS Library. Archived from the original on 7 November 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  215. Pixley 2003, p. 16.
  216. Jones 1992, p. 5.
  217. "The Hartnell Years". The TARDIS Library. Archived from the original on 8 November 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  218. "The First Doctor: Special Edition Box Set". The TARDIS Library. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  219. "The Gunfighters". The TARDIS Library. Archived from the original on 9 March 2004. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  220. Gillatt 1997, p. 5.
  221. "The War Machines". The TARDIS Library. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  222. Ainsworth 2016, p. 151.
  223. "Doctor Who The Aztecs Special Edition". BBC. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  224. "BBC Home Entertainment Releases: March 2013". BBC. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  225. Molina-Whyte, Lidia (15 September 2021). "First look at Doctor Who's Galaxy 4 animation starring William Hartnell". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  226. "Doctor Who: Galaxy 4". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on 10 September 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  227. "Doctor Who: Galaxy 4 (BD) [Blu-ray]". Amazon. Archived from the original on 6 February 2026. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  228. Ainsworth 2019, p. 152.
  229. "Lost in Time". The TARDIS Library. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  230. Darlington 2011, p. 46.
  231. "Doctor Who – The Ark". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  232. McCutcheon, David (24 November 2010). "Doctor Who Arrives". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  233. Griffin, Louise (7 December 2023). "Doctor Who's lost story The Celestial Toymaker animation confirmed". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  234. Godfrey, Jake (12 April 2024). "Doctor Who | Celestial Toymaker animation to be released on DVD and Blu-ray in June". Film Stories. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  235. "Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker". Madman Entertainment. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  236. "Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker (BD)". BBC Shop. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  237. "Doctor Who: Earth Story". British Video Association. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  238. "Doctor Who Earth Story". BBC. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  239. "Doctor Who: The Gunfighters". BBC. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  240. "Doctor Who Story The Savages Gets Animated Home Release Remake". Animation Magazine. 13 December 2024. Archived from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  241. "Doctor Who - The Savages DVD". Sanity. Archived from the original on 20 April 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  242. "Doctor Who: The Savages (BD)". Amazon. Archived from the original on 20 May 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  243. Spilsbury 2008, p. 7.
  244. "Doctor Who – The War Machines". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 12 September 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  245. Wallis, J. Doyle (3 March 2009). "Doctor Who: The War Machines". DVD Talk. Internet Brands. Archived from the original on 22 March 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  246. Smith 2021, p. 33.
  247. Smith 2021, p. 35.
  248. Smith 2021, p. 34.
  249. Smith 2021, p. 36.
  250. Smith 2021, p. 37.
  251. Smith 2021, p. 38.
  252. Smith 2021, p. 39.
  253. "Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker". Penguin Books. Archived from the original on 8 January 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  254. Smith 2021, p. 40.
  255. Smith 2021, p. 42.
  256. Smith 2021, p. 43.
  257. Wright 2017, pp. 39, 57, 87, 147; Wright 2016, pp. 30, 61, 95, 127; Wright 2018, pp. 25, 65.
  258. Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, p. 261.
  259. Wright 2017, p. 36.
  260. Wright 2017, pp. 56–57.
  261. Wright 2017, p. 85.
  262. Wright 2017, p. 87.
  263. Campbell 2010, p. 33.
  264. Wright 2017, p. 144.
  265. Wright 2018, p. 29.
  266. Mulkern, Patrick (20 February 2009). "The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve". Radio Times. BBC Magazines. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  267. Cooray Smith 2016, Appendix 6: "Reception and Ratings".
  268. Britton 2021, p. 28.
  269. Wright 2018, p. 59.
  270. Smith 2011, 1:13:40.
  271. Wiggins 2024, 1:16:40.
  272. Howe & Walker 2013, p. 130; Harmes 2014, p. 127; Chapman 2006, p. 38.
  273. Tateishi 2017, p. 89.
  274. Tateishi 2017, p. 89; Denman & Hadoke 2025, 1:29:00.
  275. Pixley 2000, p. 24.
  276. Bould 2011, p. 160.
  277. Wright 2016, p. 63.
  278. Wright 2018, p. 126; Burk & Smith? 2013, p. 33.
  279. Wright 2017, p. 86; Bignell & O'Day 2004, p. 55; Pilger 1965, p. 17; Knight 1965, p. 21.
  280. Wright 2017, p. 141; Forth 1966.
  281. Wright 2017, p. 146.
  282. Chapman 2014, p. 49; Howe & Walker 1998, p. 94.
  283. Wright 2017, pp. 56, 86–87.
  284. Tateishi 2017, p. 78; October 2017, p. 27; Howe & Walker 2013, pp. 132–133; Murray 1997, p. 22.
  285. Howe & Walker 2013, pp. 135–136.
  286. Brunt 2024, pp. 594, 633, 638–639; Wright 2018, p. 95; Wright 2016, p. 64.
  287. Gillatt 1998a, pp. 6–7; Spilsbury 2005, p. 32; Griffiths 2009, pp. 19–20; Spilsbury 2014, pp. 62–63; Spilsbury 2023, pp. 27.
  288. Cornell, Day & Topping 1995, pp. 44–60; Howe & Walker 1998, p. 104.
  289. Muir 1999, pp. 114–115.
  290. Cornell, Day & Topping 1995, pp. 44–60; Howe & Walker 1998, pp. 105–106.
  291. Cornell, Day & Topping 1995, pp. 44–60; Cartmel 2005, p. 48; Stanish 2012, p. 225.
  292. Newman, Kim (13 March 1997). "The castor way". The Independent. Archived from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  293. Powers 2016, pp. 115–116; Frankel 2018, pp. 11, 88–89.
  294. Muir 1999, p. 117.
  295. Braxton, Mark (9 February 2009). "The Myth Makers". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  296. Mount, Paul (27 August 2021). "Doctor Who – The Myth Makers". Starburst. Starburst Magazine Limited. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  297. Howe & Walker 1998, p. 107.
  298. Cornell, Day & Topping 1995, pp. 44–60.
  299. Blumberg, Arnold T. (9 March 2011). "Doctor Who: The Ark DVD Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  300. Michalowski 1987, p. 73.
  301. Clapham, Robson & Smith 2005, pp. 65–66.
  302. Cornell, Day & Topping 1995, pp. 44–60; Howe & Walker 1998, p. 87; Clapham, Robson & Smith 2005, pp. 66–67.
  303. Campbell 2010, p. 35.
  304. Mount, Paul. "Doctor Who – The Celestial Toymaker". Starburst. Archived from the original on 18 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  305. Gillatt 2000, pp. 42–43.
  306. Wright 2018, p. 127; Tateishi 2017, p. 78; Chapman 2014, p. 49.
  307. Clapham, Robson & Smith 2005, p. 69; Cornell, Day & Topping 1995, pp. 44–60; Burk & Smith? 2013, pp. 34–35.
  308. Orthia 2010, p. 210; Nicol 2018, p. 44; Decker 2013, p. 171.
  309. Clapham, Robson & Smith 2005, pp. 71–72; Howe & Walker 2013, pp. 135–136; Stanish 2012, p. 227.
  310. Howe, Walker & Stammers 1994, p. 133; Cornell, Day & Topping 1995, p. 60.
  311. Burk & Smith? 2013, pp. 39–40; Burk & Smith? 2015, p. 19; Chapman 2006, pp. 61–62; Muir 1999, pp. 129–130; Robb 2013, pp. 67–69.
  312. Cornell, Day & Topping 1995, p. 60; Howe & Walker 2013, p. 139; Stanish 2012, p. 227.
  313. Braxton, Mark (13 February 2009). "The Daleks' Master Plan". Radio Times. BBC Magazines. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  314. Muir 1999, p. 121.
  315. Howe & Walker 1998, pp. 115–117; Muir 1999, p. 121; Haining 1983, p. 179.
  316. Clapham, Robson & Smith 2005, p. 69; Burk & Smith? 2013, pp. 34–35; Hewett 2020, pp. 13–14.
  317. Gillatt 2011, pp. 67–69.
  318. Lenman 2025, p. 70.
  319. Westthorp, Alex (24 September 2008). "Doctor Who: The War Machines DVD review". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  320. Wright 2009, p. 20.
  321. Howe & Walker 1998, pp. 115–117; Cooray Smith 2016, Appendix 6: "Reception and Ratings".
  322. Clapham, Robson & Smith 2005, pp. 66–67.
  323. Mulkern, Patrick (13 March 2009). "The Celestial Toymaker". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  324. Cartmel 2005, p. 48.
  325. Mulkern, Patrick (4 April 2026). "Two lost Doctor Who episodes have been miraculously found – and they're the 1960s era at its finest". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 4 April 2026. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  326. Wilson, Benji (3 April 2026). "Two lost 1965 episodes of Doctor Who have been found. This is what it's like to watch them now". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 April 2026. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  327. Bassett, Sean (21 January 2023). "10 Things Doctor Who Would Never Be Able To Get Away With Today". Comic Book Resources. Valnet. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  328. Wood 2009, p. 223.
  329. Lenman 2024, p. 68.
  330. Howe & Walker 1998, pp. 87–88.
  331. Mulkern, Patrick (27 January 2009). "Galaxy 4". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  332. Belam, Martin (3 April 2026). "Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan recap". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 April 2026. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  333. Owen 1998, pp. 23–25; Clapham, Robson & Smith 2005, p. 65.
  334. Bishop 2002, pp. 46–47.
  335. Mulkern, Patrick (6 March 2009). "The Ark". Radio Times. BBC Magazines. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  336. Howe & Walker 1998, pp. 84–85.
  337. Owen 1998, pp. 23–25.
  338. Braxton, Mark (20 March 2009). "The Gunfighters". Radio Times. BBC Magazines. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  339. Howe & Walker 2013, pp. 131–132.
  340. Sinnott, John (21 June 2011). "Doctor Who: The Gunfighters". DVD Talk. Internet Brands. Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  341. Sinnott, John (16 March 2011). "Doctor Who: The Ark". DVD Talk. Internet Brands. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  342. Robb, Brian J. (15 February 2011). "Doctor Who: The Ark Reviews". Total Sci-Fi Online. Titan Magazines. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  343. Berriman, Ian (11 February 2011). "Doctor Who: The Ark – DVD review". SFX. Future plc. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  344. Blumberg, Arnold T. (30 November 2011). "Doctor Who: The Gunfighters DVD Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  345. Clapham, Robson & Smith 2005, p. 69.
  346. Debnath, Neela (21 March 2012). "Review of Doctor Who The Gunfighters (Series 3)". The Independent. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  347. Stanish 2012, p. 228.
  348. Braxton, Mark (27 March 2009). "The Savages". Radio Times. BBC Magazines. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  349. Clapham, Robson & Smith 2005, p. 71.
  350. Bishop 2003, pp. 45–46.

Bibliography

Book and journal sources

Magazine and news sources

Home media sources