''Doctor Who'' ceased production in 1989. A one-off TV movie was produced in the US in 1996, before the series resumed in 2005. The original series (1963–1989), generally consists of multi-episode serials; in the early seasons, and occasionally through its run, serials tend to link together, one story leading directly into the next. The 2005 revival trades the earlier serial format for a run of self-contained episodes, interspersed with occasional multi-part stories and structured into loose story arcs. For the first two seasons of ''Doctor Who'' and most of the third (1963–1966), each episode carries its own title; the show displays no titles for overarching serials until '' The Savages'', at which point the episodic titles cease. The titles below, for these early serials, are those in most common circulation, used for commercial releases and in resources such as the ''Doctor Who'' Reference Guide and the BBC's classic episode guide. With the show's revival in 2005, the programme returned to individual episode titles. Due to the BBC's 1970s junking policy, 97 episodes of ''Doctor Who'' from the 1960s are no longer known to exist. As a result, 26 serials are currently incomplete, with one or more episodes represented only by audio, which in many cases is in addition to clips or still frames. For commercial release, some episodes have been reconstructed using off-air audio recordings, paired to surviving visuals or newly commissioned animation. The story numbers below are meant as a guide to placement in the overall context of the programme. There is some dispute, for instance, about whether to count Season 23's ''The Trial of a Time Lord'' as one or as four serials, and whether the unfinished serial '' Shada'' should be included. The numbering scheme in this list follows the official website's episode guide. Other sources, such as the Region 1 classic ''Doctor Who'' DVD releases, use different numbering schemes, which diverge after the 108th story, ''The Horns of Nimon'' (1979–1980).

Series overview

Episodes

First Doctor

The first incarnation of the Doctor was portrayed by

William Hartnell William Henry Hartnell (8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the first incarnation of the Doctor in '' Doctor Who'' from 1963 to 1966. In film, Hartnell notably appeared in '' Bri ...

. During Hartnell's tenure, the episodes were a mixture of stories set on Earth of the future with extraterrestrial influence, on alien planets, and in historical events without extraterrestrial influence, such as '' Marco Polo'', one of the lost serials. In his last story, ''

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

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

Season 1 (1963–1964)

Season 2 (1964–1965)

This season saw the departure of

Carole Ann Ford Carole Ann Lillian Ford ( Higgins; born 16 June 1940) is a British actress best known for her roles as Susan Foreman in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', and as Bettina in the 1962 film adaptation of '' The Day of the ...

Susan Foreman Susan Foreman (also known as Susan Campbell in spin-off media) is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The granddaughter and original companion of the First Doctor, she was played by actress Car ...

in ''

The Dalek Invasion of Earth ''The Dalek Invasion of Earth'' is the second Serial (radio and television), serial of the Doctor Who (season 2), second season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Written by Terry Nation and directed by Richard Ma ...

'', replaced by Maureen O'Brien as

Vicki Vicky, Vicko, Vick, Vickie or Vicki is a feminine given name, often a hypocorism of Victoria. The feminine name Vicky in Greece comes from the name Vasiliki. Women * Family nickname of Victoria, Princess Royal (1840–1901), wife of German ...

in '' The Rescue''. William Russell and Jacqueline Hill also departed their roles as

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

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

Peter Purves Peter John Purves (; born 10 February 1939) is an English television presenter and actor. He played Steven Taylor in ''Doctor Who'' under the First Doctor, a role he continued to play in audio dramas for Big Finish Productions. He later became ...

as Steven Taylor.

Season 3 (1965–1966)

O'Brien departed the role of Vicki in '' The Myth Makers'', replaced by Jackie Lane as

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

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

The War Machines ''The War Machines'' is the ninth and final serial of the third season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in 4 weekly parts from 25 June to 16 July 1966. The serial is set in 1960s London ...

'' introduced companions Ben and Polly. The practice of giving each individual episode a different title was abandoned after ''

The Gunfighters ''The Gunfighters'' is the seventh serial of the third season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 30 April to 21 May 1966. The serial is set in and around the tow ...

'', near the end of the season.

Season 4 (1966–1967)

'' The Smugglers'' and ''

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

Second Doctor

The

Second Doctor The Second Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Patrick Troughton. While the Troughton era of ''Doctor Who'' is well-remembered by fans an ...

was portrayed by

Patrick Troughton Patrick George Troughton (; 25 March 1920 – 28 March 1987) was an English actor who was classically trained for the stage but became known for his roles in television and film. His work included appearances in several fantasy, science fiction ...

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

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

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

Time Lord The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', of which the series' main protagonist, the Doctor, is a member. Time Lords are so named for their command ...

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

Season 4 (1966–1967) continued

This season introduced companions

Jamie McCrimmon James Robert McCrimmon, usually simply called Jamie, is a fictional character played by Frazer Hines in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. A piper of the Clan MacLeod who lived in 18th-century Scotland, ...

(

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

) and

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

(

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

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

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

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

The Faceless Ones ''The Faceless Ones'' is the mostly missing eighth serial of the fourth season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 8 April to 13 May 1967. In this serial, the Sec ...

''.

Season 5 (1967–1968)

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

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

as Zoe, and

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

as Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart.

Season 6 (1968–1969)

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

Third Doctor

The

Third Doctor The Third Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord fr ...

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

UNIT Unit may refer to: Arts and entertainment * UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' * Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation Music * ''Unit'' (a ...

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

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

''.

Season 7 (1970)

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

Season 8 (1971)

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

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

portrayed by

Katy Manning Catherine Ann "Katy" Manning (born 14 October 1946) is an English- Australian actress, television presenter, voice artist and former model. Although she has made many appearances on both screen and stage, Manning is best known for her part as t ...

Season 9 (1972)

Season 10 (1972–1973)

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

Season 11 (1973–1974)

This season introduces the companion

Sarah Jane Smith Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction on television, science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' and two of Doctor Who spin-offs, its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged in ...

portrayed by

Elisabeth Sladen Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen (1 February 1946 – 19 April 2011) was an English actress. She became best known as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series ''Doctor Who'', appearing as a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside ...

Fourth Doctor

The

Fourth Doctor The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...

was portrayed by

Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1974 to 1981.Scott, Danny. (1 ...

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

Season 12 (1974–1975)

All serials in this season continue directly one after the other, tracing one single problematic voyage of the TARDIS crew. Despite the continuity, each serial is considered its own standalone story. This season also introduced the character of Harry Sullivan portrayed by Ian Marter as a companion; this character was intended to undertake action scenes, during the period prior to Tom Baker being cast, when it was unclear how old the actor playing the new Doctor would be.

Season 13 (1975–1976)

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

Terror of the Zygons Terror of the Zygons is the first serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was the first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 30 August to 20 September 1975. It was the last regula ...

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

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

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

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

''.

Season 14 (1976–1977)

Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith) left the series this season in ''

The Hand of Fear ''The Hand of Fear'' is the second serial of the 14th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 2 to 23 October 1976. The serial was the last regular appe ...

'' and was replaced by

Louise Jameson Louise Jameson (born 20 April 1951) is an English actress with a wide variety of television and theatre credits. Her roles on television have included playing Leela in ''Doctor Who'' (1977–1978), Anne Reynolds in ''The Omega Factor'' (1979), ...

(Leela) in ''

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

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

The Deadly Assassin ''The Deadly Assassin'' is the third serial of the 14th season of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 30 October to 20 November 1976. It is the first seri ...

''.

Season 15 (1977–1978)

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

Season 16 (1978–1979)

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

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

as Romana I.

Season 17 (1979–1980)

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

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

Season 18 (1980–1981)

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

entropy Entropy is a scientific concept, as well as a measurable physical property, that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodynam ...

. '' Full Circle'', ''

State of Decay ''State of Decay'' is a series of third-person survival horror video games. The series was created by Undead Labs and published by Xbox Game Studios. To date, there are two installments in the franchise, and an upcoming third game. Common game ...

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

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

and Nyssa, and soon-to-be companion,

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

Fifth Doctor

The

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

was portrayed by Peter Davison.

Season 19 (1982)

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

Season 20 (1983)

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

Omega Omega (; capital: Ω, lowercase: ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and final letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system/ isopsephy ( gematria), it has a value of 800. The ...

, the Mara, the

Black Guardian This is a list of villains from the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. For other, related lists, see below. See also * List of ''Doctor Who'' supporting characters * List of ''Doctor Who'' henchmen * Lis ...

and the

Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

. ''

'', ''

Terminus Terminus may refer to: * Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination * Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination Geography *Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...

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

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

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

Season 21 (1984)

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

Sixth Doctor

The

Sixth Doctor The Sixth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Colin Baker. Although his televisual time on the series was comparatively brief and turbulent, Ba ...

was portrayed by

Colin Baker Colin Baker (born 8 June 1943) is an English actor who played Paul Merroney in the BBC drama series '' The Brothers'' from 1974 to 1976 and the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series ''Docto ...

Season 21 (1984) continued

Season 22 (1985)

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

Season 23 (1986)

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

Seventh Doctor

The

Seventh Doctor The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', and the final incarnation of the original Doctor Who series. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy. ...

was portrayed by

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

Season 24 (1987)

This season was moved to a Monday schedule. Mel Bush left in Dragonfire, and the companion role was taken over by Sophie Aldred as Ace.

Season 25 (1988–1989)

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

Season 26 (1989)

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

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

novels that followed.

Eighth Doctor

The Eighth Doctor was portrayed by

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

. The movie is the only television appearance of this Doctor during his tenure. The only production title held by this story was ''Doctor Who''. The DVD release is titled ''Doctor Who: The Movie''. In 2013, Paul McGann returned for the second television appearance of the Eighth Doctor in the minisode titled " The Night of the Doctor". Concerning the production code, "TVM" is used in the BBC's online episode guide. The actual code used during production is 50/LDX071Y/01X. '' Doctor Who Magazine''s "Complete Eighth Doctor Special" gives the production code as #83705.

Television movie (1996)

References

Citations

General websites

* * * *

External links

BBC Classic Series Episode Guide

BBC Episode Guide (Classic and New Series)

''Doctor Who'' Reference Guide
– detailed descriptions of all televised episodes, plus spin-off audio, video, and literary works. * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Doctor Who episodes, List of (1963-1989) Doctor Who Doctor Who serials Doctor Who series 1963-1996 Doctor Who, 1963-1996 Doctor Who, 1963-1996