This Week In DOCTOR WHO History: Jan 3rd to Jan 9th - Warped Factor - Words in the Key of Geek.

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This Week In DOCTOR WHO History: Jan 3rd to Jan 9th

We welcome a pair of new Doctors this week in Doctor Who history...


Click on any red text to read our full retrospectives/reviews for that episode. All dates and viewing figures are for UK premier broadcasts unless otherwise stated.

January 3rd
8.4 million viewers saw Doctor Who venture into a world of colour, when the brand new Third Doctor fell out of the TARDIS on this day in 1970 during episode 1 of Spearhead From Space.

Three more opening episodes were broadcast on this day. In 1976 we have The Brain of Morbius, 1981 saw Warrior's Gate begin, and 1983 it was Arc of Infinity. Respectively they were watched by 9.5 million, 7.1 million and 7.2 million


January 4th
Part 3 of The Daleks (entitled The Escape) was broadcast this day in 1964. Word was getting out about Doctor Who and the "bug eyed monsters"! The ones which Sydney Newman was originally firmly against featuring on the show. This weeks episode saw a mighty impressive increase in viewing figures of 2.5 million, meaning a total of 8.9 million people up and down the country were tuning into BBC One at 5:15pm.

Episode 2 of the Second Doctor adventure The Krotons drew an audience of 8.4 million viewers in 1969. Six years later Tom Baker was still the new boy with his second episode, part two of Robot, viewed by 10.7 million scarf-loving fanatics.

Moving into the 80's and Peter Davison began his time as key holder of the big blue Police Box on this day in 1982. Castrovalva part one kicked off season 19 of the show to an appreciative audience of 9.1 million viewers. This was the year Doctor Who first moved from its traditional Saturday tea-time slot, and for this season was broadcast twice weekly on a Monday and Tuesday evening at around 7pm.

As one season begins another ends, as on this day in 1989 season 25 came to a close with 6.6 million people watching the fourth and final part of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.


January 5th
The Third Doctor adventure The Time Warrior came to an end this day in 1974. Part Four of the story was watched by a mighty 10.6 million viewers. Six years later the scarf loving Fourth Doctor was three episodes and 9.8 million viewers into The Horns of Nimon. Then, Tuesday January 5th 1982 saw the second part of Castrovalva broadcast at 7:02pm, and watched by 8.6 million viewers.

Another Fifth Doctor adventure, which featured the Sixth Doctor Colin Baker as Security Commaner Maxil, was broadcast this day in 1983. Part two of Arc of Infinity was watched by 7.3 million viewers. The following year, on Thursday January 5th, the opening episode of Warriors of the Deep drew an audience of 7.6 million.

When Peter Davison's successor began his first full season the show moved back to Saturday tea-times but in a new 45 minute format. The first episode of season 22, part one of Attack of the Cybermen was broadcast in 1985 at 5:22pm and watched by 8.9 million viewers.


January 6th
On this day in 1968 7.1 million people were watching Patrick Troughton working overtime portraying duel roles in episode three of The Enemy of the World. 10.8 million people tuned into episode two of The Three Doctors in 1973. Five years later, part three of the Fourth Doctor adventure The Power of Kroll saw a drop of 3 and a half million viewers from the previous installment - still 8.9 million is nothing to be sniffed at! Finally, on Friday January 6th 1984, 7.5 million tuned into part two of Warriors of the Deep


January 7th
The final part of The Highlanders was broadcast in 1967 and watched by 7.30 million viewers. The whole story would be junked by the BBC several years later, all four episodes still remain missing, believed wiped.

In 1978, season 15 of Doctor Who returned from a brief Christmas break. The Fourth Doctor began a new adventure at 6.24pm, when part one of Underworld was watched by 8.9 million viewers.


January 8th
Episode 9 of the epic First Doctor adventure The Daleks' Master Plan (entitled Golden Death) aired in 1966. Only the fortunate 9.2 million viewers have seen it as it is amongst the currently missing episodes. In 1972 episode two of Day of the Daleks drew an audience of 10.4 million Pertwee loving viewers. Finally, on this day in January 8th 11.1 million people tuned in to watch part two of the Fourth Doctor adventure The Face of Evil.


January 9th
Just what is going on there? It's the second and final part of The Rescue (entitled Desperate Measures) which was first broadcast on this day in 1965 and watched by 13 million viewers. 5 million less tuned into part two of Terror of the Autons in 1971.

So did you watch any of these adventures live? We'd love to hear your memories about any of them. Tell us in the comments below.

Until next Sunday... January 3rd

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