This Week In DOCTOR WHO History: Dec 18th to Dec 24th - Warped Factor - Words in the Key of Geek.

Home Top Ad

Post Top Ad

This Week In DOCTOR WHO History: Dec 18th to Dec 24th

Dalek Eggs and Eggheads, 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.

December 18th
First up this week Dalek-heavy pre-Christmas week in Doctor Who history it's episode 6 of The Daleks' Master Plan, entitled Coronas of the Sun, which was broadcast this day in 1965. It's one of the installments that is on the missing list so only the 9.1 million people who tuned in have ever seen it. 

Also on this day the final part of the 40th Anniversary animated web adventure Scream of the Shalka was released onto the BBC's Doctor Who website at noon on this day in 2003.


December 19th
Our only Doctor Who episode for this day sees us heading back to 1964 to find 'Grandfather' heading to London to see the lights and get some last minute Christmas presents... What's that? I'm wrong? Oh, well he must be getting ready to say goodbye to Susan then, as she'd be off next week. First though she'd need to survive part 5 of The Dalek Invasion of Earth, entitled The Waking Ally, which was broadcast at 5:40pm, and watched by 11.4 million viewers.



December 20th
December 20th is a rare Winter's day in Doctor Who history. In the Summer months we're used to no Who gracing our screens but to date no actual episodes of the show have received their premiere broadcast on British television on December 20th.

However, back in 2010 there was a series of the popular BBC2 quiz programme Celebrity Eggheads produced in aid of Children In Need - a charity event that Doctor Who has a long relationship with. On this day at 6pm 2.4 million viewers tuned in to a Doctor Who special. The celebrity team featured Colin Baker, Katy Manning, Frazer Hines, Louise Jameson and John Leeson. You can see a clip of the episode above.


December 21st
I may be wrong but I think that Dalek only wants Barbara to help him put a star on the top of his Christmas tree. Poor thing, he hasn't got his extendable grabber device thingy working properly yet.

Oh. What's that? Turns out I am wrong. It's actually episode 1 of The Daleks, entitled The Dead Planet, which was broadcast on this day in 1963. 6.9 million viewers tuned in to catch Barbara cornered by a man waving a sink plunger (the actual Dalek prop wasn't ready for this episode), and within a couple of weeks Dalekmania would sweep the country, essentially sealing Doctor Who's future.

Also on this day, in 1968 The Invasion was coming to an end, with 7 million watching episode 8. Fast forward twenty years and five Doctors and we have 5.3 million tuning on to part two of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.


December 22nd
That's the last time the Doctor samples the Brigadier's home made loganberry wine at the UNIT Christmas party. Turned him quite queezy it did, so much so he needed a sit down.

Good thing too, as he was just in time for part 2 of The Time Warrior which was broadcast on this day in 1973. Six years later The Horns Of Nimon got underway. Who had the more viewers? Well that'll be the Third Doctor story which was watched by 7 million viewers, exactly 1 million more than his successor had. 


December 23rd
Well, it's nearly Christmas isn't it. Go on Troughton, treat yourself to that Cuban cigar. You've earned it.

Rediscovered in 2013, the Second Doctor adventure The Enemy of the World began on this day in 1967. Episode 1 was watched by 6.80 million viewers. Also getting underway on this day was the 1978 Fourth Doctor adventure The Power of Kroll. 6.5 million sets of eyes were watching.


December 24th
A Christmas Eve treat was awaiting the 6.8 million viewers who were tuned in to BBC One at 5.50pm on this day in 1966. Little did they know, but they would be the only people in the UK to watch episode 2 of The Highlanders, as sadly this and the other 3 parts of the story are all missing, presumed wiped.

Remember folks, it's Christmas for Weevils too. Get them a nice intensive 24hr moisturiser gift set. They're worth it. Then settle down and snuggle up with the 0.83 million other Weevil lovers (not fighters) and watch Combat, the eleventh episode of season one of Torchwood which was first broadcast in 2006 at 9:30pm.

Did you watch any of these adventures live? Are you ready for Christmas? Let us know in the comments below.

Until next Sunday...

No comments:

Post a Comment

Post Top Ad