This Week In DOCTOR WHO History: Dec 26th to Jan 4th - Warped Factor - Words in the Key of Geek.

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This Week In DOCTOR WHO History: Dec 26th to Jan 4th

Ready yourself for a bumper length article and a bumper week in Doctor Who history. The Third, Fourth & Fifth Doctor's eras get underway, the first multi-Doctor adventure begins, the Daleks appear in full for the first time ever, we meet the Master for the very first time, the first ever Who spin-off airs and we say a sad goodbye to both the Tenth Doctor and his granddaughter Susan. Phew...


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 26th
We kick off this special Boxing Day edition of This Week In Doctor Who History with the final episode of The Dalek Invasion of Earth, entitled Flashpoint, broadcast at 5:58pm on this day in 1964. 12.4 million viewers tuned in to watch the First Doctor bid adieu to his granddaughter, as Susan became the first member of the original cast to leave the series.

December 27th
It's a festive day-off for Doctor Who, but back in 2009 David Tennant was the guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, and if you'd like to hear his choices then you can download the episode here.



December 28th
Now this is more like it! The first proper appearance of the Daleks took place on this day in 1963 during episode 2 of The Daleks (entitled The Survivors). 6.0 million viewers watched the pepper-pots shuffle onto screen and begin their assault on 1960s British culture. Five years later and 9 million people tuned in to see the Second Doctor beginning a new adventure with The Krotons.

Tom Baker was briefly seen at the end of Planet Of The Spiders, but his time as the Fourth Doctor began for real on this day in 1974 when 10.8 million viewers tuned in to part one of Robot. One more classic Doctor Who story from this day, and it comes from the Seventh Doctor. Part three of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, the penultimate episode of season 25, was broadcast in 1988 and watched by 4.8 million viewers.

Also on this day in 1981 the first ever Doctor Who spin-off appeared on British TV. After axing the robot dog from the main series John Nathan-Turner threw him a bone in the shape of  K-9 and Company. The single episode called A Girl's Best Friend attracted a healthy audience of 8.4 million viewers before the whole idea was quietly put to sleep.


December 29th
Part three of The Time Warrior was broadcast this day in 1973 and watched by 6.6 million viewers. The Fourth Doctor added 2.2 million more to that figure when part two of The Horns of Nimon was broadcast 6 years later.

December 29th is Bernard Cribbins birthday. Not only did he play Wilfred Mott during the Tenth Doctor's era, but he also portrayed Tom Campbell in the mid sixties big screen Dr. Who movie, Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD


December 30th
On this day in 1967 7.6 million people were watching Patrick Troughton working overtime portraying duel roles in The Enemy of the World. Also on this day episode one of the story that everyone wrongly believes to be a Tenth Anniversary Special arrived 11 months before that momentous date - The Three Doctors united for an audience of 9.6 million viewers. Finally, on this day in 1978 part two of the Fourth Doctor adventure The Power of Kroll was broadcast to a mighty impressive 12.4 million viewers.


December 31st
Just one episode broadcast on this day to date and it's from a story that is sadly missing, presumed wiped. The Second Doctor saw the New Year in with young Jamie McCrimmon when The Highlanders episode 3 was broadcast in 1966 to a welcoming audience of 7.4 million viewers.


January 1st
We start the new year with a bumper day of episodes, Classic, New and spin-off variety. First up it's episode 8 of The Daleks' Master Plan (entitled Volcano) which aired on this day in 1966. Only the fortunate 9.6 million viewers who tuned in that January 1st have seen it as it's amongst the currently missing episodes. Also on this day season 9 of Doctor Who got underway in 1972 when episode one of Day of the Daleks was first broadcast to an audience of 9.8 million Pertwee loving viewers.

Season 14 of Doctor Who took a six week break in the middle of its run, but 10.7 million eager viewers tuned in to see the Fourth Doctor resume his adventures on this day in 1977 with the opening episode of The Face of Evil.

Spin-off time, and we have the pilot episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures, Invasion of the Bane, broadcast on this day in 2007 and watched by 2.92 million viewers. Then to Cardiff we go for a double helping of Torchwood. Series one came to an end with the episodes Captain Jack Harkness and End Of Days, both watched by 1.23 million viewers.

Finally on this day, he didn't want to go, but in part two of The End of Time he had to! David Tennant said his goodbyes to all his friends and companions whilst 12.27 million people reached for a hanky.

Nine years later Doctor Who returned to, what looks likely to be it's new regular New Years Day slot as the Thirteenth Doctor made a Resolution. The third Dalek-centric episode to premiere on this day was broadcast 1t 7pm in 2019 to an audience of 7.13 million viewers.Will Spyfall beat that? We shall have to wait and see.


January 2nd
The First Doctor began a two-part adventure on this day in 1965. Part one of The Rescue (entitled The Powerful Enemy) was watched by a huge audience of 12 million.

Also on January 2nd, let's take a trip in a Type 40 to 1971 to join the 7.3 million people who were introduced to the Master for the very first time, when episode one of Terror of the Autons was broadcast


January 3rd
So we've already said goodbye to the Tenth Doctor and hello to the Master, well on this day in 1970 8.4 million viewers saw Doctor Who venture into a world of colour, when the brand new Third Doctor fell out of the TARDIS 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 in 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, we say hello to yet another Doctor as Peter Davison began his time as key holder of the big blue Police Box on this day in 1982. Part One of Castrovalva 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 it 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.  

So did you watch any of these adventures live? When you've sobered up from the Christmas festivities we'd love to hear your memories about any of them. Why not tell us in the comments below?

Join us on January 5th 2020, when we return to our regular weekly Sunday slot...

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