This Week In DOCTOR WHO History: March 8th to March 14th - Warped Factor - Words in the Key of Geek.

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This Week In DOCTOR WHO History: March 8th to March 14th

The first female Doctor makes her debut 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.


March 8th
March 8th is largely a day of new beginnings in the history of Doctor Who so it's a great day to kick off another installment of our weekly round-up of the show's 56 year history. Back in 1969 the Second Doctor began a new adventure with The Space Pirates, he bought 5.8 million along for the ride. Moving on to 1975 and in only his fourth on screen adventure the Fourth Doctor discovered the Genesis of the Daleks, routinely voted the number one Doctor Who story of all time. Did the 10.7 million people tuning in know they were witnessing the start of a genuine classic?

Another very highly regarded story began on this day in 1982, the Fifth Doctor's Cyber encounter Earthshock. 9.1 million Adric lovers were glued to their TV sets (Shall I tell them, or will you?). Taking a break from new beginnings, part three of Enlightenment was broadcast on this day in 1983, with 6.2 million people tuning in.

The following year the Fifth Doctor began his final adventure, and it's another story that often features in the top three of any Doctor Who poll. Part one of The Caves of Androzani drew an audience of 6.9 million. Change was coming, and if you believe Colin Baker it was not a moment too soon...


March 9th
On this day in 1968 8.3 million people were watching the Second Doctor in episode six of The Web of Fear. Six years later part three of the Third Doctor adventure Death to the Daleks was watched by a 8.8 million viewers. Then on Tuesday March 2nd 1982 the second part of Earthshock saw the Adric fan club out in full force - all 8.8 million of them enjoying him whilst they can (Seriously, shall I tell them?).

If you were tuned into BBC1 at 6.46pm on Wednesday March 9nd 1983 then you were joined by 7.3 million others, all watching part four of Enlightenment. The following year, part two of The Caves of Androzani drew an audience of 6.6 million. One regeneration later, part one of the Sixth Doctor adventure Timelash was watched by 6.7 million viewers. 


March 10th 
In 1973 home cinema was just something we could dream of, so imagine watching episode three of Frontier In Space on a 120" Plasma screen along with the 7.5 million other viewers. Jon Pertwee's nose would've been the size of a small European country!


March 11th 
It's a big day for Doctor Who related birthdays, as John Barrowman, Alex Kingston, Douglas Adams and Graeme Harper were all born on March 11th. Happy birthday to them all.

But on with the show, and back to 1967 as the Second Doctor faced the opening episode of The Macra Terror, which was broadcast at 5.15pm to an audience of 8 million viewers. Moving on to 1972 the third part of the Third Doctor story The Sea Devils was watched by an audience of 8.3 million.

And it's time for the Fourth Docto to part ways with Leela in the sixth and final installment of The Invasion Of Time. 9.8 Million viewers waved her off on this day in 1978.


March 12th
We start today by turning the clock back 51 years to this day in 1966 when 6.9 million people were possibly still wishing Dodo was extinct, as part two of The Ark (entitled The Plague) was broadcast at 5.15pm. Twelve years later a whopping 10.2 million scarf loving people tuned in to part three of The Talons of Weng-Chiang.  

Then in 1999 Steven Moffat's very first Doctor Who story was broadcast. Yes, the Moff wrote the Comic Relief spoof Doctor Who and The Curse Of Fatal Death. Starring Rowan Atkinson as the Ninth Doctor, Richard E. Grant as the Tenth Doctor, Jim Broadbent as the Eleventh Doctor, Hugh Grant as the Twelfth Doctor, and - shock-horror a woman! - Joanna Lumley as the Thirteenth Doctor.

Also on this day we make time for a bit of Torchwood in the form of From Out of the Rain which was broadcast in 2008 at 9:49pm and watched by 0.95 million viewers.


March 13th
It's back to 1965 for episode five of The Web Planet (entitled Invasion) which was watched by 12 million viewers. Two regenerations and 6 years later, it's either Take That trying out a new look or it's the Third Doctor facing The Claws of Axos (I know which one I'd rather watch). Episode one was broadcast Saturday March 13th at 5.15pm and watched by 7.3 million viewers.

Flashing all the way forward to 2009 for another Comic Relief special, this time for The Sarah Jane Adventures, titled From Raxacoricofallapatorius with Love it was broadcast as part of that evening's charity telethon at around 7:25pm, and watched by 8.3 million viewers.


March 14th
March 14th 1964 saw the fourth episode of Marco Polo (entitled The Wall of Lies) broadcast at 5.15pm and watched by 9.9 million history loving viewers. Six years later episode 7 of Doctor Who And The Silurians was watched by 7.5 million viewers.

Then, in 1981 it was nearly the end, but the moment was being prepared for - part three of Logopolis, the Fourth Doctor's swansong, was watched by 5.8 million viewers.  

That's it for this week, but 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...

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