SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING

Despite limited personnel changes, 1973 was a transformative year for Doctor Who. As the show began its second decade, things would never be quite the same again…

THE DIARY OF Doctor Who

The series’ tenth-anniversary celebrations were already underway by the time 1973 began...

THE THREE DOCTORS

If the Doctor’s own people are prepared to break the laws of time, then it must be a grave matter indeed…

GETTING THE PICTURE

For Doctor Who’s tenth season, producer Barry Letts stretched the technical resources of the BBC’s electronic multi-camera studios to the limit.

LETTERS FROM WHITE CITY

Terrance Dicks’ letters to the writers of The Three Doctors and Planet of the Daleks reveal some fascinating insights into the work of the Doctor Who script editor.

Stitches in Time

Although he was the most flamboyant Doctor to date, Jon Pertwee’s outfits were relatively conventional compared to some of the other challenges facing the costume designers of 1973.

CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS

The Doctor is finally free to wander space and time again – but on his very first trip, he finds his horizons suddenly limited…

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The demands of the most ambitious serials prompted the BBC Visual Effects Department to enlist freelance contributors.

STATE OF THE ART

Comic strips inspired by the series appeared in different forms – and across several publications – in 1973. The best of these stories are some of the most faithful Doctor Who adaptations published up to that point.

WHERE WERE THEY THEN?

Many past and present stars of Doctor Who appeared in a lavish photoshoot for a Radio Times special celebrating the show’s tenth anniversary. But let’s see where their careers were at in 1973…

FRONTIER IN SPACE

Assisted by the Ogrons, someone is using “hypno-sound” to make space pilots see things they haven’t – in an effort to spark an apocalyptic war.

The Final Fronier

Photographs taken during the making of Frontier in Space Episode Six provide a unique record of Doctor Who production in the early 1970s.

ON LOCATION

Location shooting for Season 10 was complicated by the need to film the series on land, in the sea and from the air….

TOY STORIES

Perhaps surprisingly, this was a rather lean year for merchandise – although it did introduce a series of books that continues to this day.

PLANET OF THE DALEKS

No, not Skaro – this time the Daleks are massing on Spiridon. The planet may be different, but the plan is familiar…

PAGES OF history

The Dr Who Annual 1974 happens to be the only one from that decade that doesn’t include a roll-and-move game. Unfortunately, there’s rather less originality on offer in the book’s fictional adventures…

FROM THE ARCHIVES

BBC paperwork from 1973 reveals that the producer’s remit involved soothing the nation’s heartache and defending the series from accusations of irresponsibility.

THE GREEN DEATH

There’s trouble down the pit at Llanfairfach when some fellow turns up “bright green, apparently – and dead!”

Partner in Time

The Green Death brought Jo Grant’s relationship with the Third Doctor to a poignant end. Jo is still one of the series’ most popular characters, but how much do we actually know about her?

MOONBASE 3

Science-fiction drama Moonbase 3 has significant behind-thescenes links to early 1970s Doctor Who. But is this short-lived series worthy of greater recognition in its own right?

Times and SPACE

The Radio Times celebration of Doctor Who’s tenth anniversary was a groundbreaking magazine that included the series’ first official episode guide.

MASTERING THE DALEK PLANS

For many readers of 1973’s Doctor Who Radio Times special, the highlight of the souvenir magazine was a set of instructions showing how to build a full-size Dalek.

BREAKING NEWS

In 1973, the series offered newspaper and magazine journalists plenty to write about – including three Doctors, a new assistant and a flying car.

On the BOX

The adventures of the Third Doctor attracted huge audiences in 1973 – especially when he was joined by his two predecessors. There was, however, plenty of high-quality alternative viewing on offer from ITV and the BBC.

FINAL SCORE

As Doctor Who entered its eleventh year on screen, Jon Pertwee led a resurgence in the show’s popularity, with audience numbers reaching heights not seen since the days of Dalekmania.