Doctor Who season 11
1973–74 season of British sci-fi TV series
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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] This is the Third Doctor's fifth and final series, and also the last consecutively to be produced by Barry Letts and script edited by Terrance Dicks. Both Letts and Dicks would work for the programme again, however – Letts in Season 18 and Dicks on future stories, e.g. Horror of Fang Rock.
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 is fatally wounded and regenerates into the Fourth Doctor.
Recurring cast
- Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
- John Levene as Sergeant Benton
- Richard Franklin as Mike Yates
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 and final appearance in the series as an Ice Warrior, portraying Lord Azaxyr in The Monster of Peladon. June Brown played Lady Eleanor in The Time Warrior.
Development
Two serials were scrapped from this season. The first, The Automata, was to be written by Robert Holmes, though was ultimately scrapped in favor of The Time Warrior.[2] The Third Doctor's final story was initially to be called The Final Game, by Robert Sloman and Barry Letts as uncredited co-writer. The story would have revealed that the Master and the Doctor were brothers, or opposing aspects of the same being (the ego and the id), and the Master dying in a manner suggesting that he sacrificed himself to save the Doctor's life. However, due to Roger Delgado (who played the Master) dying in a car accident in Turkey on 18 June 1973, and the story was scrapped and replaced by Planet of the Spiders.[3]
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.
| No. story | No. in season | Serial title | Episode titles | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | UK viewers (millions) [4] | AI [4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 1 | The Time Warrior | "Part One" | Alan Bromly | Robert Holmes | 15 December 1973 | UUU | 8.7 | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Two" | 22 December 1973 | 7.0 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Three" | 29 December 1973 | 6.6 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Four" | 5 January 1974 | 10.6 | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
In the Middle Ages, a rabble of criminals find the crashed spaceship of a Sontaran warrior. Meanwhile, in the 1970s, the Third Doctor is investigating the disappearance of several scientists from a top secret research complex. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 71 | 2 | Invasion of the Dinosaurs | "Part One" | Paddy Russell | Malcolm Hulke | 12 January 1974 | WWW | 11.0 | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Two" | 19 January 1974 | 10.1 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Three" | 26 January 1974 | 11.0 | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Four" | 2 February 1974 | 9.0 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Five" | 9 February 1974 | 9.0 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Six" | 16 February 1974 | 7.5 | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Doctor and Sarah Jane arrive in 1970s London to find that it has been evacuated due to the mysterious appearance of dinosaurs. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 72 | 3 | Death to the Daleks | "Part One" | Michael E. Briant | Terry Nation | 23 February 1974 | XXX | 8.1 | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Two" | 2 March 1974 | 9.5 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Three" | 9 March 1974 | 10.5 | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Four" | 16 March 1974 | 9.5 | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Travelling through space, the TARDIS suffers an energy drain and crash-lands on the planet Exxilon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 73 | 4 | The Monster of Peladon | "Part One" | Lennie Mayne | Brian Hayles | 23 March 1974 | YYY | 9.2 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Two" | 30 March 1974 | 6.8 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Three" | 6 April 1974 | 7.4 | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Four" | 13 April 1974 | 7.2 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Five" | 20 April 1974 | 7.5 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Six" | 27 April 1974 | 8.1 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Doctor returns to Peladon, which has been taken over by some Ice Warriors. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 74 | 5 | Planet of the Spiders | "Part One" | Barry Letts | Robert Sloman and Barry Letts (uncredited) | 4 May 1974 | ZZZ | 10.1 | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Two" | 11 May 1974 | 8.9 | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Three" | 18 May 1974 | 8.8 | 57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Four" | 25 May 1974 | 8.2 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Five" | 1 June 1974 | 9.2 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part Six" | 8 June 1974 | 8.9 | 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 familiar 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.
Season 11 of Doctor Who on BBC1 Wales had very different broadcasts compared to the rest of the UK. Only Part One of The Time Warrior aired on the same day as in the rest of the UK, on Saturday 15 December 1973. On BBC1 Wales, Part Two aired on Monday 24 December 1973, Part Three aired on Tuesday 1 January 1974, and Part Four aired on Tuesday 8 January 1974. Part One of Invasion of the Dinosaurs aired on Tuesday 15 January 1974, and Part Two aired on Sunday 20 January 1974. From then on, Season 11 broadcasts of Doctor Who episodes on BBC1 Wales remained in the Sunday slot, airing one day after the rest of the UK, finishing with Part Six of Planet of the Spiders that aired on Sunday 9 June 1974 on BBC1 Wales.[5]
This change of broadcast on BBC1 Wales away from Saturdays for Season 11 of Doctor Who was due to a singing talent show called Gwerin 74 airing in the regular Saturday slot. Like the first 10 seasons, Doctor Who was back in the Saturday slot on BBC1 Wales for Season 12.
Home media
VHS releases
Season |
Story no. | Serial name | Duration | Release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Australia | USA / Canada | ||||
| 11 | 70 | The Time Warrior | 1 × 100 min. | June 1989[6][7] | March 1989[7] | April 1991[7] |
| 71 | Invasion of the Dinosaurs | 6 × 25 min. | October 2003[8][9] | February 2004[9] | October 2003[9] | |
| 72 | Death to the Daleks | 1 × 100 min. | July 1987[10][11] | December 1987[11] | March 1990[11] | |
| 4 × 25 min. | February 1995[11][12] | N/a | N/a | |||
| 73 | The Monster of Peladon | 6 × 25 min. | January 1996[13][14] (2 × VHS) |
May 1997[14] | May 1997[14] (2 × VHS) | |
| 74 | Planet of the Spiders | 6 × 25 min. | April 1991[15][16] (2 × VHS) |
September 1991[16] | May 1994[16] | |
DVD and Blu-ray releases
All releases are for DVD
Season |
Story no. | Serial name | Duration | Release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | R4 | R1 | ||||
| 11 | 70 | The Time Warrior[a] | 4 × 25 min. | 3 September 2007[17][18][19] | 3 October 2007[20] | 1 April 2008[21] |
| 71 | Invasion of the Dinosaurs[b] | 6 × 25 min. | 9 January 2012[22][23][24] | 5 January 2012 [25][26] | 10 January 2012[27] | |
| 72 | Death to the Daleks | 4 × 25 min. | 18 June 2012[28][29][30] | 5 July 2012[31][32][33] | 10 July 2012[34] | |
| 73 | The Monster of Peladon[c] | 6 × 25 min. | 18 January 2010[35][36][37] | 4 March 2010[38][39][40] | 4 May 2010[41] | |
| 74 | Planet of the Spiders[d] | 6 × 25 min. | 18 April 2011[42][43] | 2 June 2011[44][45][46] | 10 May 2011[47] | |
- Available individually or in the Bred for War box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.
- Only available as part of the U.N.I.T. Files box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.
- Only available as part of the Peladon Tales box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.
- Available individually or in the Regeneration box set in Region 2. Only available individually in Regions 1 and 4.
In print
Season |
Story no. | Library no.[a] | Novelisation title | Author | Hardcover release date[b] |
Paperback release date[c] |
Audiobook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release date[d] | Narrator | |||||||
| 11 | 070 | 65 | Doctor Who and the Time Warrior | Terrance Dicks[e] | 18 May 1978 | 29 June 1978 | 13 November 2008 | Jeremy Bulloch |
| 071 | 22 | Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion | Malcolm Hulke | 19 February 1976 | 5 November 2007 | Martin Jarvis | ||
| 072 | 20 | Death to the Daleks | Terrance Dicks | 20 July 1978 | 3 March 2016 | Jon Culshaw[f] | ||
| 073 | 43 | Doctor Who and the Monster of Peladon | 20 November 1980 | 4 December 1980 | 5 March 2020 | Jon Culshaw | ||
| 074 | 48 | Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders | 20 November 1975 | 16 October 1975 | 4 June 2009 | Elisabeth Sladen | ||
- Published by Target's parent companies (Allen Wingate, W. H. Allen, BBC Books) unless otherwise indicated
- Published by Target Books (or by BBC Books under the Target Collection umbrella) unless otherwise indicated
- Unabridged from BBC Audio / AudioGo unless otherwise indicated
- Prologue by Robert Holmes (uncredited)
- Dalek voices performed by Nicholas Briggs