Doctor Who (season 11)

Doctor Who (season 11)
Cover art of the Region 2 DVD release for the first serial of the season
Starring
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of stories 5
No. of episodes 26
Release
Original network BBC One
Original release 15 December 1973 (1973-12-15) – 8 June 1974 (1974-06-08)
Season chronology

The eleventh season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 15 December 1973 with the serial The Time Warrior, and ended with Jon Pertwee's final serial Planet of the Spiders. The season's writing was recognized by the Writer's Guild of Great Britain for Best Children's Drama Script.[1]

Casting

Main cast

Jon Pertwee makes his final appearance as the series lead in Planet of the Spiders, although he would reprise the role of the Third Doctor in the 20th anniversary special episode, The Five Doctors. Elisabeth Sladen makes her first appearance as Sarah Jane Smith in The Time Warrior. Tom Baker makes his first uncredited appearance as the Fourth Doctor in Part 6 of Planet of the Spiders, when Jon Pertwee's Doctor dies and regenerates into the Fourth Doctor.

Recurring cast

Nicholas Courtney and John Levene continue their roles of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Sergeant Benton, while Richard Franklin makes his final regular appearance as Captain Yates in Planet of the Spiders

Guest stars

Alan Bennion makes his third of three appearances in the series. In this, his final appearance (to date), he portrays Lord Azaxyr in The Monster of Peladon.

Serials

This season was the last to have Barry Letts as Producer and Terrance Dicks as Script Editor, ending the relationship that had gone through the whole of Jon Pertwee's tenure as the Doctor. It saw the introduction of a new logo that would be used nearly throughout the fourth Doctor's era, as well as the new companion Sarah Jane Smith and the alien race, the Sontarans.

StorySerialTitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		UK viewers
(millions) [2]		AI [2]
701The Time WarriorAlan BromlyRobert Holmes15 December 1973 (1973-12-15)
22 December 1973
29 December 1973
5 January 1974		UUU8.7
7.0
6.6
10.6		59
—
—
60
In the Middle Ages, a rabble of criminals find the crashed spaceship of a Sontaran warrior. Meanwhile in the 1970s, the Doctor is investigating the disappearance of several scientists from a top secret research complex.
712Invasion of the DinosaursPaddy RussellMalcolm Hulke12 January 1974 (1974-01-12)
19 January 1974
26 January 1974
2 February 1974
9 February 1974
16 February 1974		WWW11.0
10.1
11.0
9.0
9.0
7.5		62
—
63
—
—
62
The Doctor and Sarah arrive in 1970s London to find that it has been evacuated due to the mysterious appearance of dinosaurs.
723Death to the DaleksMichael E. BriantTerry Nation23 February 1974 (1974-02-23)
2 March 1974
9 March 1974
16 March 1974		XXX8.1
9.5
10.5
9.5		61
—
61
62
Travelling through space, the TARDIS suffers an energy drain and crash-lands on the planet Exxilon.
734The Monster of PeladonLennie MayneBrian Hayles23 March 1974 (1974-03-23)
30 March 1974
6 April 1974
13 April 1974
20 April 1974
27 April 1974		YYY9.2
6.8
7.4
7.2
7.5
8.1		—
The Doctor returns to Peladon, which has been taken over by some Ice Warriors.
745Planet of the SpidersBarry LettsRobert Sloman and Barry Letts4 May 1974 (1974-05-04)
11 May 1974
18 May 1974
25 May 1974
1 June 1974
8 June 1974		ZZZ10.1
8.9
8.8
8.2
9.2
8.9		58
60
57
—
—
56
A giant spider from the planet Metebelis Three is summoned to an English meditation retreat by an out-of-work salesman.

Broadcast

Episode one of The Time Warrior saw the first appearance of the iconic diamond-shaped Doctor Who logo. This would be used throughout the Third Doctor's final season and almost through the Fourth Doctor's tenure before retiring in part four of The Horns of Nimon (not including the unbroadcast and incomplete serial Shada which would have followed The Horns of Nimon).

The entire season was broadcast from 15 December 1973 to 8 June 1974.

DVD releases

All serials of season 11 have been released on DVD.

Serial name Number and duration
of episodes		 R2 release date R4 release date R1 release date
The Time Warrior
Available individually or in the Bred for War box set in Regions 2 and 4.
Only available individually in Region 1.		4 × 25 min.3 September 20073 October 20071 April 2008
Invasion of the Dinosaurs
Only available as part of the U.N.I.T. Files box set in Regions 2 and 4.
Only available individually in Region 1.		6 × 25 min.9 January 20125 January 201210 January 2012
Death to the Daleks4 × 25 min.18 June 2012[3][4]5 July 2012[5]10 July 2012
The Monster of Peladon
Only available as part of the Peladon Tales box set in Regions 2 and 4.
Only available individually in Region 1.		6 × 25 min.18 January 20104 March 20104 May 2010
Planet of the Spiders6 × 25 min.18 April 20112 June 201110 May 2011

In print

Serial name Novelisation title Author First published
The Time Warrior Doctor Who and the Time Warrior Terrance Dicks and Robert Holmes 29 June 1978
Invasion of the Dinosaurs Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion Malcolm Hulke 19 February 1976
Death to the Daleks Death to the Daleks Terrance Dicks 20 July 1978
The Monster of Peladon Doctor Who and the Monster of Peladon Terrance Dicks 20 November 1980
Planet of the Spiders Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders Terrance Dicks 16 October 1975

References

  1. ↑ "'Doctor Who's Trophy Cabinet". 24 January 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Ratings Guide". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Doctor Who News Page: DVD Schedule Update". Doctorwhonews.net. 3 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  4. ↑ "Twitter / Classic Doctor Who: Finished commissioning res". Twitter. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  5. ↑ "Doctor Who: Death to the Daleks". Ezydvd.com.au. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
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