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 19th
We got a lot going on today, so without further ado strap yourself in for another bumper week in Doctor Who history starting with part two of Invasion of the Dinosaurs which was broadcast this day in 1974 and watched by 10.1 million viewers.
Also on this day, viewers in 1980 should have begun a new adventure with the Fourth Doctor, but due to an industrial strike Shada was never completed so Season 17 was cut short, but I figured it was worth mentioning.
Three from the Fifth Doctor for you next. Tuesday January 19th 1982 saw part two of Four To Doomsday broadcast at 7:05pm, and watched by 8.8 million viewers. Part two of Snakedance aired the following year and was watched by 7.7 million. And in his final season, Peter Davison's Doctor began a new two-part adventure with The Awakening, broadcast Thursday January 19th at 6.41pm to an audience of 7.9 million.
Next, it's Sixth Doctor time. The opening episode of Vengeance On Varos was broadcast in 1985. Season 22 included 13 45-minute episodes, and this one was watched by 7.2 million viewers.
And, of course, a new episode from series twelve of Doctor Who airs tonight, Sunday January 19th 2020. It's Nikola Tesla's Night Of Terror, and we know you'll be watching.
"A Birthday present? For me? Is it a box of Jelly Babies?"
January 20th
Trump has been in power three years today! Yes, January 20th 2017 was the day Babyfingers got his tiny hands on the nuclear launch codes. Honestly, I'm surprised we're still all here to talk about it! Although I am looking forward to Season 6 of New-New-New Who and an episode broadcast on this day in 2068 called Let's Kill Cheeto Hitler. Assuming we're in any way still resembling a human race, 3.4 billion people will tune in to see the 27th Doctor disappointingly lock the Hair Fuhrer up in a cupboard!
We start today 100 years before that upcoming adventure, in 1968 with 6.9 million people enjoying Who of the Classic variety with episode five of the Second Doctor adventure The Enemy of the World (please insert your own Trump joke here). Also on this day in 1973, a whopping 11.9 million people tuned into the fourth and final part of The Three Doctors.
January 20th also happens to be Sir* Tom Baker's birthday. Born January 20th 1934, Tom donned the scarf for a brand new Fourth Doctor adventure on this day in 1979. Part one of The Armageddon Factor (...and here) drew an audience of 7.5 million. One more TV broadcast for you, and it came along on Friday evening at 6.41pm back on January 20th 1984. It was part two of The Awakening and it was watched by 6.6 million.
It's also worth mentioning that on this day in 1996 the Third Doctor radio drama, The Ghosts of N Space began. It was the final time Jon Pertwee portrayed the Doctor as he sadly passed away just four months after this was broadcast.
January 21st
A right pair of oddities make up today's Classic Who offerings. First, in 1967 episode 2 of The Underwater Menace drew an audience of 7.5 million viewers. Then, we go back to 1978 for part three of the CSO weirdness that is Underworld, which was watched by 8.9 million people.
January 22nd
Doctor Birthdays, eh? They're like buses. You wait ages for one then two come in a week. Yup, after Sir* Tom's it's the War Doctor's birthday too. John Hurt was born on this day in 1940. Sadly he passed away in 2017 but although he joined the Who family very late on his wonderfully long career, what a legacy he left us. Who knows (no pun intended) maybe he was watching one of these two classic Dalek adventures also broadcast on this day. Firstly, there was episode 11 of the epic First Doctor adventure The Daleks' Master Plan (entitled The Abandoned Planet) which aired in 1966 and was watched by 9.8 million viewers, and is sadly currently missing presumed wiped. Moving on to 1972 we have episode four of Day of the Daleks, which drew an audience of 9.1 million. Finally, on this day in 1977 11.7 million people tuned in to watch part four of the Fourth Doctor adventure The Face of Evil (...isn't it odd how many Who titles could be about Trump!).
January 23rd
Episode two of the pure historical adventure The Romans (entitled All Roads Lead To Rome, which clearly isn't true as I live in a cul-de-sac) was shown this day in 1965 and watched by 11.5 million viewers. Two regenerations and 6 years later, the final part of Terror Of The Autons drew an audience of 8.4 million. And the second episode of the second series of Torchwood, titled Sleeper, was first broadcast in 2008 and watched by 3.78 million viewers.
January 24th
"Bugger me Liz! Hell the heck are we expected to defeat the Autons with just this whisk and your home-made tea maker? Hmmmm?" That's the dilemma the Third Doctor found himself in during part four of Spearhead From Space. On this day in 1970 8.1 million viewers tuned in to find out. Six years later the last installment of The Brain of Morbius drew an audience of 10.2 million, and finally for this day, in 1981 7.8 million tuned into the final part of Warriors' Gate.
January 25th
On this day in 1964 the penultimate episode of The Daleks (entitled The Ordeal) was watched by a mighty 10.4 million viewers. Five years later the Second Doctor began a new adventure, as 6.6 million people tuned into The Seeds Of Death.
In 1975 the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry took 9.4 million earthlings on a new adventure to The Ark In Space. One regeneration and seven years later, part three of Four To Doomsday was watched by 8.8 million. The following year the Fifth Doctor was going up against the Mara, again, as 6.6 million tuned in Tuesday evening to catch part three of Snakedance.
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...
*Come on, where's his Knighthood?
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