Doctor Who (season 7)
The seventh season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 3 January 1970 with Jon Pertwee's first story Spearhead from Space and ended with Inferno.
| Doctor Who | |
|---|---|
| Season 7 | |
 Cover art of the Region 2 DVD release for first serial of the season | |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of stories | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 |
| Original release | 3 January – 20 June 1970 |
| Season chronology | |
Casting
Main cast
- Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor
- Caroline John as Liz Shaw
Jon Pertwee makes his first appearance as the Third Doctor replacing Patrick Troughton in the role. Caroline John makes her first appearance as companion and assistant Liz Shaw in Spearhead from Space and last in Inferno.
Recurring cast
Nicholas Courtney returns as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and he would continue to make regular appearances in Doctor Who until season 13.
John Levene also makes his first appearance as Sergeant Benton since The Invasion in The Ambassadors of Death and would continue to make regular appearances until season 13.
Serials
Barry Letts took over as producer from Derrick Sherwin after Spearhead from Space. From this season onwards the programme was produced in colour. To accommodate the new production methods the number of episodes in a season was cut: season 6 has 44 episodes; season 7 has 25 episodes. The seasons would continue to have between 20 and 26 episodes until season 22. Following the opening four parter, the remaining episodes were divided into three serials each of seven episodes. This, along with setting the entire season exclusively on Earth, had been the choice of previous producer and script editor Peter Bryant and Derrick Sherwin, which Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks were unhappy with.
Spearhead from Space was intended to be produced identically to previous serials, with a mixture of location material shot on 16mm film, and studio based material on videotape. Owing to industrial action by studio technicians at the BBC, the planned studio recording sessions were cancelled, with instead all four episodes being shot on location on 16mm film.
| Story | Serial | Serial title | Episode titles | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | UK viewers (millions) [1] | AI [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 1 | Spearhead from Space | "Episode 1" | Derek Martinus | Robert Holmes | 3 January 1970 | AAA | 8.4 | 54 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 2" | Derek Martinus | Robert Holmes | 10 January 1970 | AAA | 8.1 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 3" | Derek Martinus | Robert Holmes | 17 January 1970 | AAA | 8.3 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 4" | Derek Martinus | Robert Holmes | 24 January 1970 | AAA | 8.1 | 57 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The newly regenerated Doctor is exiled to Earth in the 20th century. The Doctor has to devise a way to destroy the Autons before they kill humanity. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 52 | 2 | Doctor Who and the Silurians | "Episode 1" | Timothy Combe | Malcolm Hulke | 31 January 1970 | BBB | 8.8 | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 2" | Timothy Combe | Malcolm Hulke | 7 February 1970 | BBB | 7.3 | 58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 3" | Timothy Combe | Malcolm Hulke | 14 February 1970 | BBB | 7.5 | 57 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 4" | Timothy Combe | Malcolm Hulke | 21 February 1970 | BBB | 8.2 | 60 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 5" | Timothy Combe | Malcolm Hulke | 28 February 1970 | BBB | 7.5 | 58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 6" | Timothy Combe | Malcolm Hulke | 7 March 1970 | BBB | 7.2 | 57 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 7" | Timothy Combe | Malcolm Hulke | 14 March 1970 | BBB | 7.5 | 58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Silurians, the original inhabitants of the Earth, have been awakened from their hibernation in the caves. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 53 | 3 | The Ambassadors of Death | "Episode 1" | Michael Ferguson | David Whitaker and Trevor Ray (uncredited) | 21 March 1970 | CCC | 7.1 | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 2" | Michael Ferguson | David Whitaker, Malcolm Hulke (uncredited), and Terrance Dicks (uncredited) | 28 March 1970 | CCC | 7.6 | 61 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 3" | Michael Ferguson | David Whitaker, Malcolm Hulke (uncredited), and Terrance Dicks (uncredited) | 4 April 1970 | CCC | 8.0 | 59 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 4" | Michael Ferguson | David Whitaker, Malcolm Hulke (uncredited), and Terrance Dicks (uncredited) | 11 April 1970 | CCC | 9.3 | 58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 5" | Michael Ferguson | David Whitaker, Malcolm Hulke (uncredited), and Terrance Dicks (uncredited) | 18 April 1970 | CCC | 7.1 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 6" | Michael Ferguson | David Whitaker, Malcolm Hulke (uncredited), and Terrance Dicks (uncredited) | 25 April 1970 | CCC | 6.9 | 61 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 7" | Michael Ferguson | David Whitaker, Malcolm Hulke (uncredited), and Terrance Dicks (uncredited) | 2 May 1970 | CCC | 6.4 | 62 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The British space programme oversees the launch of the Recovery Seven probe that has been sent to Mars to make contact with the missing Mars Probe Seven and its two astronauts, who lost contact with Earth eight months earlier. Van Lyden makes contact with the Probe but is then silenced by a piercing unearthly sound. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 54 | 4 | Inferno | "Episode 1" | Douglas Camfield | Don Houghton | 9 May 1970 | DDD | 5.7 | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 2" | Douglas Camfield | Don Houghton | 16 May 1970 | DDD | 5.9 | 61 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 3" | Douglas Camfield and Barry Letts (uncredited) | Don Houghton | 23 May 1970 | DDD | 4.8 | 60 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 4" | Douglas Camfield and Barry Letts (uncredited) | Don Houghton | 30 May 1970 | DDD | 6.0 | 60 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 5" | Douglas Camfield and Barry Letts (uncredited) | Don Houghton | 6 June 1970 | DDD | 5.4 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 6" | Douglas Camfield and Barry Letts (uncredited) | Don Houghton | 13 June 1970 | DDD | 6.7 | 58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 7" | Douglas Camfield and Barry Letts (uncredited) | Don Houghton | 20 June 1970 | DDD | 5.5 | 60 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Inferno is the nickname given to a project to penetrate the Earth's crust. The project, however, has its own problems and the Doctor is sent to an alternate universe. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broadcast
The entire season was broadcast from 3 January to 20 June 1970. Peter Bryant and Derrick Sherwin had originally envisaged replacing Doctor Who with a Quatermass-style serial, with Nigel Kneale involved, but this fell through when Kneale refused to write for the show. The plan did, however, have an effect on the programme, seeing the Doctor exiled to a near-future earth as UNIT's scientific advisor.
Home media
VHS releases
| Season | Story no. | Serial name | Number and duration of episodes |
R2 release date | R4 release date | R1 release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 051 | Spearhead from Space | 4 x 25 1 × 100 min. |
February 1995[2][3] (Unedited) February 1988[3][4] (Edited) |
April 1990[3] | April 1991[3] |
| 052 | Doctor Who and the Silurians | 7 × 25 min. | July 1993[5][6] (2 x VHS) |
November 1993[6] | June 1995[6] (2 x VHS) | |
| 053 | The Ambassadors of Death | 7 × 25 min. | May 2002[7][8] | July 2002[8] | October 2003[8] (2 x VHS) | |
| 054 | Inferno | 7 × 25 min. | May 1994[9][10] (2 x VHS) |
July 1994[10] | September 1995[10] (2 x VHS) |
DVD and Blu-ray releases
| Season | Story no. | Serial name | Number and duration of episodes |
R2 release date | R4 release date | R1 release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 051 | Spearhead from Space | 4 × 25 min. | 29 January 2001[11] | 7 September 2001[12] | 11 September 2001[13] |
| Spearhead from Space (Special Edition)[lower-alpha 1] | 4 × 25 min. | 9 May 2011[14][15] | 2 June 2011[16][17][18] | 14 August 2012[19] | ||
| Spearhead from Space (Blu-ray Edition)[lower-alpha 2] | 4 × 25 min. | 15 July 2013[11][20] | 17 July 2013[21] | 13 August 2013[22] | ||
| 052 | Doctor Who and the Silurians[lower-alpha 3] | 7 × 25 min. | 14 January 2008[23] | 5 March 2008[24] | 3 June 2008[25] | |
| 053 | The Ambassadors of Death | 7 × 25 min. | 1 October 2012[26][27] | 3 October 2012[28][29][30] | 9 October 2012[31] | |
| 054 | Inferno | 7 × 25 min. | 19 June 2006[32][33] | 6 July 2006[34] | 5 September 2006[35] | |
| Inferno (Special Edition) | 7 × 25 min. | 27 May 2013[33][36] | 5 June 2013[37][38] | 11 June 2013[39] |
- Only available as part of the Mannequin Mania box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.
- Includes bonus features exclusive to Blu-ray.
- Only available as part of the Beneath the Surface box set in Regions 2 and 4. Available individually or in the box set in Region 1.
In print
| Serial name | Novelisation title | Author | First published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spearhead from Space | Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion | Terrance Dicks | 17 January 1974 |
| Doctor Who and the Silurians | Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters | Malcolm Hulke | 17 January 1974 |
| The Ambassadors of Death | The Ambassadors of Death | Terrance Dicks | 21 May 1987 |
| Inferno | Inferno | Terrance Dicks | 19 July 1984 |
References
- "Ratings Guide". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
- "DOCTOR WHO - SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE". bbfc.co.uk.
- "Spearhead from Space (VHS)". timelash.com.
- "DOCTOR WHO - SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE 1988". bbfc.co.uk.
- "DOCTOR WHO AND THE SILURIANS". bbfc.co.uk.
- "Doctor Who and the Silurians (VHS)". timelash.com.
- "DOCTOR WHO - THE AMBASSADORS OF DEATH". bbfc.co.uk.
- "The Ambassadors of Death (VHS)". timelash.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
- "DOCTOR WHO - INFERNO". bbfc.co.uk.
- "Inferno (VHS)". timelash.com.
- "Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space". British Video Association. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who by Roadshow Entertainment - Shop Online for Movies, DVDs in Australia". www.fishpond.com.au. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- "Doctor Who - Story #051: Spearhead From Space". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who Mannequin Mania Boxset (DVD)". BBC Shop. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who: Mannequin Mania". British Video Association. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who Mannequin Mania". Roadshow Entertainment. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who - Mannequin Mania". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- "Doctor Who - Mannequin Mania 2 DVD Set". BBC. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- "Doctor Who - Story #051: Spearhead From Space: Special Edition". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who Spearhead From Space Special Edition (Blu-ray)". BBC Shop. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who - Spearhead from Space - Special Edition Blu Ray". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who - Story #051: Spearhead From Space: Special Edition Blu-ray". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who: Beneath The Surface (DVD)". BBC. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who - Beneath The Surface". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- "Doctor Who - Story #052: Doctor Who And The Silurians". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- "Doctor Who Ambassadors Of Death (DVD)". BBC Shop. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death". British Video Association. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who - Ambassadors of Death". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- "Doctor Who Ambassadors of Death (Roadshow)". Roadshow Entertainment. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- "Doctor Who Ambassadors of Death2 DVD Set". BBC. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- "Doctor Who - Story #053: Ambassadors of Death". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- "Doctor Who: Inferno (DVD)". BBC Shop. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who: Inferno". British Video Association. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- "Dr. Who - Inferno [2 Discs] by Roadshow Entertainment - Shop Online for Movies, DVDs in Australia". www.fishpond.com.au. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- "Doctor Who - Story #054: Inferno". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- "Doctor Who Inferno Special Edition (DVD)". BBC Shop. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- "Doctor Who - Inferno Special Edition". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- "Doctor Who Inferno Special Edition". Roadshow Entertainment. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- "Doctor Who - Story #054: Inferno: Special Edition". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
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