Doctor Who season 20

Last updated

Doctor Who
Season 20
Doctor Who Season 20 Blu-ray.jpg
Cover art of the Blu-ray release for the complete season
Starring
No. of episodes22
Release
Original network BBC1
Original release3 January (1983-01-03) –
16 March 1983 (1983-03-16)
Original release25 November 1983 (1983-11-25) (special)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 19
Next →
Season 21
List of episodes

The twentieth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 3 January 1983 with the story Arc of Infinity , and ended 16 March 1983 with The King's Demons . A 20th Anniversary special, The Five Doctors , followed in November 1983. John Nathan-Turner produced this series, with Eric Saward script editing.

Contents

Casting

Main cast

Peter Davison continues as the Doctor, accompanied by Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding). While Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) leaves halfway through the season in Terminus , Mark Strickson arrives as new companion Vislor Turlough in Mawdryn Undead . In the penultimate serial of the season, the shape-shifting android Kamelion (voiced by Gerald Flood) is invited aboard the TARDIS after the Doctor frees him from the Master. Kamelion accepts, though the character itself would only be seen again in Season 21's antepenultimate serial, Planet of Fire .

Past Doctors return for the 20th Anniversary special, with Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee appearing as the Second Doctor and Third Doctor. The First Doctor returns, played by Richard Hurndall as original actor William Hartnell died in 1975. Tom Baker was asked to return to play the Fourth Doctor but declined.

Past companions Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart), Carole Ann Ford (Susan Foreman) return for the 20th Anniversary special, whilst Courtney also makes an appearance in Mawdryn Undead .

Recurring actors

Anthony Ainley returns as the Master in The King's Demons and The Five Doctors .

The Black Guardian, played by Valentine Dyall, also makes a return in Mawdryn Undead , Terminus and Enlightenment .

The Castellan, played by Paul Jerricho, appears in Arc of Infinity and reprises the role in The Five Doctors .

Guest stars

Additional companions Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines), Zoe Heriot (Wendy Padbury), Liz Shaw (Caroline John) and Mike Yates (Richard Franklin) make cameos throughout the special.

David Banks makes his second of four appearances in the show in The Five Doctors as a Cyber-leader.

Colin Baker, who was subsequently cast as the Sixth Doctor, made his first appearance in Doctor Who as Commander Maxil in the season's first serial, Arc of Infinity, becoming the first actor to appear in the programme prior to taking on the role of the Doctor.

Returning villains

Returning villains for the season are Omega ( Arc of Infinity ), The Black Guardian ( Mawdryn Undead ), ( Terminus ), ( Enlightenment ), Cybermen (The Five Doctors) and The Mara ( Snakedance ). A lone Dalek and a lone Yeti appear briefly in The Five Doctors . The Master (Doctor Who) is the main villain in ‘’The King’s Demons’’ and also appears in The Five Doctors.

Serials

To commemorate the twentieth season, the stories in this season involve the return of characters or villains seen in previous seasons. This season was broadcast twice weekly on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings on BBC1. It includes The Black Guardian Trilogy, consisting of the serials Mawdryn Undead, Terminus and Enlightenment and involving the arrival of Turlough, the departure of Nyssa and a single guest appearance from Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Overall, these serials form a rough twelve-part epic.

Although The Five Doctors was broadcast more than eight months after Part 2 of The King's Demons, which was the last regular story of the season, it is usually included as part of Season 20.

No.
story		No. in
season		Serial titleEpisode titlesDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		UK viewers
(millions)  [1] 		AI   [1]
1231 Arc of Infinity "Part One" Ron Jones Johnny Byrne 3 January 1983 (1983-01-03)6E7.269
"Part Two"5 January 1983 (1983-01-05)7.370
"Part Three"11 January 1983 (1983-01-11)6.967
"Part Four"12 January 1983 (1983-01-12)7.266
The Doctor's bio-data extract is stolen from the Matrix on Gallifrey. Soon after, a being from an anti-matter universe begins to genetically bond with the Doctor. He and Nyssa return to Gallifrey, only for the High Council to order his execution – while on Earth, unbeknownst to her friends, Tegan's search for her missing cousin in Amsterdam is somehow tied into the events as well. It is left to Nyssa to uncover the identity of a traitor on the High Council, and to unveil the enemy manipulating the Doctor – an entity who has long thirsted for revenge against both the Doctor and the Time Lords themselves.
1242 Snakedance "Part One" Fiona Cumming Christopher Bailey 18 January 1983 (1983-01-18)6D6.765
"Part Two"19 January 1983 (1983-01-19)7.766
"Part Three"25 January 1983 (1983-01-25)6.667
"Part Four"26 January 1983 (1983-01-26)7.467
The Mara once again takes control of Tegan's mind and compels her to direct the TARDIS to Manussa, seat of its once-mighty empire. Generations earlier, the Mara was driven off Manussa with the use of the Great Crystal, a device which enhances its users' mental abilities. Now, the Mara intends to use the Crystal to return to power. It is up to the Doctor to unearth the terrible origins of the Mara, and seek out the one man who can show him how to defeat the Mara in psychic combat.
1253 Mawdryn Undead "Part One" Peter Moffatt Peter Grimwade 1 February 1983 (1983-02-01)6F6.567
"Part Two"2 February 1983 (1983-02-02)7.570
"Part Three"8 February 1983 (1983-02-08)7.467
"Part Four"9 February 1983 (1983-02-09)7.768
An alien named Turlough lives in secret amongst boys at an English boarding school where the Brigadier is now teaching maths. He is contacted by the Black Guardian, who wants him to kill the Doctor. The TARDIS, meanwhile, has brought the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan to a space station trapped in a warp ellipse. It serves as a prison for a team of scientists led by Mawdryn, who tried to steal the secrets of the Time Lords and instead placed him and scientists in a state of perpetual regeneration. It is up to the Doctor to find some way to help Mawdryn, but doing so may cost him his remaining regenerations.
1264 Terminus "Part One" Mary Ridge Stephen Gallagher 15 February 1983 (1983-02-15)6G6.865
"Part Two"16 February 1983 (1983-02-16)7.567
"Part Three"22 February 1983 (1983-02-22)6.564
"Part Four"23 February 1983 (1983-02-23)7.467
Turlough's sabotage causes the TARDIS to make an emergency landing on a space station called Terminus, where victims of the horrible, virulent Lazar disease go to die. The Doctor discovers that Terminus is powered by two enormous engines, one of which exploded long ago, an event which instigated the Big Bang and the creation of the universe. Now the other engine is on the brink of detonating as well – an event which will have cataclysmic consequences for the cosmos.
1275 Enlightenment "Part One"Fiona Cumming Barbara Clegg 1 March 1983 (1983-03-01)6H6.667
"Part Two"2 March 1983 (1983-03-02)7.265
"Part Three"8 March 1983 (1983-03-08)6.268
"Part Four"9 March 1983 (1983-03-09)7.370
Under the failing influence of the White Guardian, the TARDIS materialises on what appears to be an Edwardian racing yacht. It is soon revealed to be a cleverly disguised spacecraft, competing in an interplanetary race. The competitors are Eternals, immortal beings incapable of imagination or creative thought, while the crew are mortals, upon whose minds the Eternals draw for inspiration. The prize in the race is Enlightenment, offered up by the Black and White Guardians. One of the Eternals, the vicious Captain Wrack, is in league with the Black Guardian, however, and will stop at nothing to win.
1286 The King's Demons "Part One"Tony Virgo Terence Dudley 15 March 1983 (1983-03-15)6J5.865
"Part Two"16 March 1983 (1983-03-16)7.263
The Doctor, Tegan and Turlough find themselves in 1215 England. They arrive at the castle of Ranulf Fitzwilliam, and are astounded to find King John there too, especially since he is supposed to be in London at the same time, involved in the events which will lead to the signing of Magna Carta. The time travellers discover that the King is not who he claims – in fact, he is a shapechanging robot named Kamelion under the influence of the Master, who is trying to irreversibly pervert the course of Earth's history.
Special
129– The Five Doctors N/APeter Moffatt Terrance Dicks 25 November 1983 (1983-11-25) [lower-alpha 1] 6K7.775
While the Fourth Doctor and Romana are trapped in a time eddy, the First, Second, Third and Fifth Doctors – together with many of their companions – are lured by a mysterious figure to the forbidden Death Zone on Gallifrey. There they make their way towards the Dark Tower in which Rassilon is entombed, encountering a number of their deadliest foes en route. When the Fifth Doctor finds a way to teleport himself to the Capitol, however, he uncovers evidence of a traitor on the High Council. All are embroiled in the Game of Rassilon, whose prize is immortality itself.

Broadcast

The entire season (including the show's 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors) was broadcast from 3 January to 25 November. Transmission moved to Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except for the first episode of Arc of Infinity.

Home media

VHS releases

SeasonStory no.Serial nameNumber and duration
of episodes		UK release dateAustralia release dateUSA/Canada release date
20123 Arc of Infinity 4 x 25 minsMarch 1994April 1994September 1995
124 Snakedance 4 x 25 minsDecember 1994February 1995September 1996
125 Mawdryn Undead 4 x 25 minsNovember 1992May 1993February 1994
126 Terminus 4 x 25 minsFebruary 1993June 1993May 1994
127 Enlightenment 4 x 25 minsFebruary 1993May 1993August 1994
128
129		 The King's Demons
The Five Doctors - Special Edition		2 x 25 mins
1 x 100 mins		November 1995
2 x VHS		July 1997
2 x VHS		February 1997
2 x VHS
129 The Five Doctors 1 x 90 minsSeptember 1985
July 1990		May 1988March 1989

Betamax releases

SeasonStory no.Serial nameNumber and duration
of episodes		UK release dateAustralia release dateUSA/Canada release date
20129 The Five Doctors 1 x 90 minsSeptember 1985 [2] ——

Laserdisc releases

SeasonStory no.Serial nameNumber and duration
of episodes		UK release dateAustralia release dateUSA/Canada release date
20130 The Five Doctors 1 × 90 min.—24 August 1994 [3] [4] —

DVD and Blu-ray releases

All releases are for DVD unless otherwise indicated:

SeasonStory no.Serial nameNumber and duration
of episodes		R2 release dateR4 release dateR1 release date
20123 Arc of Infinity [lower-alpha 2] 4 × 25 min.6 August 2007 [5] 5 September 2007 [6] 6 November 2007 [7]
124 Snakedance [lower-alpha 3] 4 × 25 min.7 March 2011 [8] 7 April 2011 [9] 12 April 2011 [10]
125–127 Mawdryn Undead
Terminus
Enlightenment 		12 × 25 min. [lower-alpha 4]
1 × 75 min. [lower-alpha 5] 		10 August 2009 [11] 5 November 2009 [12] 3 November 2009 [13]
128 The King's Demons [lower-alpha 6] 2 × 25 min.14 June 2010 [14] 5 August 2010 [15] 7 September 2010 [16]
129 The Five Doctors (Special Edition)1 × 100 min. [lower-alpha 7] 1 November 1999 [17] 9 October 2000 [18] 11 September 2001 [19]
The Five Doctors (25th Anniversary Edition)1 × 90 min. [lower-alpha 8]
1 × 100 min. [lower-alpha 7] 		3 March 2008 [20] 5 June 2008 [21] 5 August 2008 [22]
123–129Complete Season 2022 × 25 min.
1 × 90 min. [lower-alpha 8]
1 × 100 min. [lower-alpha 7] 		18 September 2023 (B) [23] TBA2 April 2024 (B) [24]
  1. ↑ The Five Doctors was first broadcast in the United States on 23 November 1983, the actual date of the programme's 20th anniversary.
  2. ↑ Only available as part of the Time-Flight/Arc of Infinity box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.
  3. ↑ Only available as part of the Mara Tales box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.
  4. ↑ Known collectively as The Black Guardian Trilogy. Each serial comprises four episodes.
  5. ↑ The 75-minute long episode is an Enlightenment Special Edition
  6. ↑ Only available as part of the Kamelion Tales box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.
  7. 1 2 3 "Special edition" of The Five Doctors with restored footage and new special effects
  8. 1 2 Broadcast version of The Five Doctors

In print

SeasonStory no.Library no. [lower-alpha 1] Novelisation titleAuthorHardcover
release date [lower-alpha 2] 		Paperback
release date [lower-alpha 3] 		Audiobook
release date [lower-alpha 4]
2012380 Arc of Infinity Terrance Dicks 21 July 198320 October 19833 June 2021
12483 Snakedance 21 January 198419 April 19846 February 2025 [25]
12582 Mawdryn Undead Peter Grimwade 18 August 198312 January 19845 July 2018
12679 Terminus Stephen Gallagher (as John Lydecker)16 June 198315 September 19831 August 2019
12785 Enlightenment Barbara Clegg 16 February 198424 May 19843 September 2020
128108 The King's Demons Terence Dudley 20 February 198610 July 19865 May 2016
12981 The Five Doctors Terrance Dicks24 November 19832 November 2017
  1. ↑ Number in Target's Doctor Who Library, if applicable
  2. ↑ Published by Target's parent companies (Allen Wingate, W. H. Allen, BBC Books) unless otherwise indicated
  3. ↑ Published by Target Books (or by BBC Books under the Target Collection umbrella) unless otherwise indicated
  4. ↑ Unabridged from BBC Audio/AudioGo unless otherwise indicated

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    Mawdryn Undead is the third serial of the 20th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts on BBC1 from 1 to 9 February 1983.

    Enlightenment is the fifth serial of the 20th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice-weekly parts on BBC1 from 1 to 9 March 1983. It was the 127th serial of the series, and was written by Barbara Clegg and directed by Fiona Cumming, making it the first serial to be both written and directed by women.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Tegan Jovanka</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

    Tegan Jovanka is a fictional character played by Janet Fielding in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An Australian airline stewardess and a native of Brisbane who was a companion of the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, she was a regular in the programme from 1981 to 1984. Tegan appeared in 20 stories.

    Nyssa (<i>Doctor Who</i>) Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

    Nyssa is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. She is played by Sarah Sutton. Although Nyssa was created by writer Johnny Byrne for the single Fourth Doctor serial The Keeper of Traken, the production team subsequently decided she should be retained as a continuing character. Nyssa returned in the following serial, Logopolis, in which the Fourth Doctor regenerated, and remained as a companion of the Fifth Doctor. She was a regular in the programme from 1981 to 1983.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Vislor Turlough</span> Doctor Who companion

    Vislor Turlough is a fictional character played by Mark Strickson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was a companion of the Fifth Doctor, being a regular in the programme from 1983 to 1984. Turlough appeared in 10 stories.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Fifth Doctor</span> Fifth character from Doctor Who

    The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison.

    Snakedance is the second serial of the 20th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts on BBC1 from 18 to 26 January 1983.

    <i>Doctor Who</i> season 26 Season of Doctor Who original TV series

    The 26th season of Doctor Who premiered on 6 September 1989 with the serial "Battlefield," and consisted of four serials, ending with "Survival," which was the final episode of Doctor Who for 15 years, until the show was revived in 2005. John Nathan-Turner produced the series, with Andrew Cartmel script editing.

    <i>Doctor Who</i> season 25 Season of television series

    The twenty-fifth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 5 October 1988. It comprised four separate serials, beginning with Remembrance of the Daleks and ending with The Greatest Show in the Galaxy. To mark the 25th anniversary season, producer John Nathan-Turner brought back the Daleks and the Cybermen. The American New Jersey Network also made a special behind-the-scenes documentary called The Making of Doctor Who, which followed the production of the 25th anniversary story Silver Nemesis. Andrew Cartmel script edited the series.

    <i>Doctor Who</i> season 24 Season of television series

    The twenty-fourth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 7 September 1987 with Sylvester McCoy's first story Time and the Rani, and ended with Dragonfire. John Nathan-Turner produced the series, with Andrew Cartmel script editing.

    <i>Doctor Who</i> season 21 Season of television series

    The twenty-first season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 5 January 1984 with the Fifth Doctor serial Warriors of the Deep, and ended with Colin Baker's first serial The Twin Dilemma. For the third time, the entire TARDIS crew changed over the course of a single season. John Nathan-Turner produced the series, with Eric Saward script editing.

    <i>Doctor Who</i> season 19 Season of television series

    The nineteenth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 4 January 1982 with Castrovalva, and ended with Time-Flight. John Nathan-Turner produced the series, with three script editors: Christopher H. Bidmead for the first story, Anthony Root for the next three and Eric Saward for the last three.

    <i>Doctor Who</i> season 18 Season of television series

    The eighteenth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who consisted of seven four-episode serials broadcast from 30 August 1980 with the serial The Leisure Hive, to 21 March 1981 with the serial Logopolis. The season is Tom Baker's final as the Fourth Doctor before his regeneration into the Fifth Doctor, as well as Lalla Ward's as companion Romana II and John Leeson's as the voice of K9. For the second time, the entire main cast changed over the course of a single season. The season also sees the debut of Matthew Waterhouse as Adric, Sarah Sutton as Nyssa, and Janet Fielding as Tegan Jovanka, the three of whom would remain regular companions into the Fifth Doctor's era, as well as the return of the Master, portrayed both by Geoffrey Beevers and Anthony Ainley.

    <i>Doctor Who</i> season 17 Season of television series

    The seventeenth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 1 September 1979 with the story Destiny of the Daleks, and ended with The Horns of Nimon. This was Graham Williams' final series producing Doctor Who. The script editor was Douglas Adams.

    <i>Doctor Who</i> season 15 Season of television series

    The fifteenth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 3 September 1977 with the episode Horror of Fang Rock, and ended with The Invasion of Time. The fourth series for the Fourth Doctor, new producer Graham Williams became producer for this series, while Robert Holmes left script editing for Anthony Read midway through.

    <i>Doctor Who</i> season 14 Season of television series

    The fourteenth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 4 September 1976 with The Masque of Mandragora, and ended with The Talons of Weng-Chiang. The third Fourth Doctor series, it was the final series of Philip Hinchcliffe's production, whilst Robert Holmes stayed till The Sun Makers in the next series.

    <i>Doctor Who</i> season 13 Season of television series

    The thirteenth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 30 August 1975 with the story Terror of the Zygons, and ended with The Seeds of Doom. This is the second series to feature the Fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker, with Philip Hinchcliffe producing and Robert Holmes script editing. In September 2009, it was ranked as readers' favourite season in Doctor Who Magazine issue 413.

    <i>Doctor Who</i> season 12 Season of television series

    The twelfth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 28 December 1974 with Tom Baker's first serial Robot, and ended with Revenge of the Cybermen on 10 May 1975.

    References

    1. 1 2 "Ratings Guide". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
    2. ↑ "The Five Doctors @ The TARDIS Library (Doctor Who books, DVDs, videos & audios)". www.timelash.com.
    3. ↑ "The Five Doctors". timelash.com. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
    4. ↑ "Doctor Who: The Five Doctors (1983) [3717-80]". lddb.com. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
    5. ↑ Smith 2014, Arc of Infinity.
    6. ↑ "Doctor Who by Roadshow Entertainment - Shop Online for Movies, DVDs in Australia". Fishpond. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
    7. ↑ "Doctor Who: Arc of Infinity". 6 November 2007. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2017– via Amazon.
    8. ↑ Smith 2014, Snakedance.
    9. ↑ "Doctor Who Mara Tales by Roadshow Entertainment - Shop Online for Movies, DVDs in Australia". Fishpond. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
    10. ↑ "Doctor Who: Snakedance". 12 April 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2017– via Amazon.
    11. ↑ Smith 2014, The Black Guardian Trilogy.
    12. ↑ "Doctor Who: Black Guardian Trilogy - Australia Buy Online. Buy Discount DVD Movies Online". gamehead.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
    13. ↑ "Doctor Who: The Black Guardian Trilogy". 3 November 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2017– via Amazon.
    14. ↑ Smith 2014, The King's Demons.
    15. ↑ "Doctor Who Kamelion Tales (Box Set) by Roadshow Entertainment - Shop Online for Movies, DVDs in Australia". Fishpond. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
    16. ↑ "Doctor Who: The King's Demons". 7 September 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2017– via Amazon.
    17. ↑ Smith 2014, The Five Doctors Special Edition.
    18. ↑ "The Dr Who - Five Doctors by Roadshow - Shop Online for Movies, DVDs in Australia". Fishpond. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
    19. ↑ "Doctor Who: The Five Doctors". 11 September 2001. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2017– via Amazon.
    20. ↑ Smith 2014, The Five Doctors 25th Anniversary Edition.
    21. ↑ "Doctor Who The Five Doctors by Roadshow Entertainment - Shop Online for Movies, DVDs in Australia". Fishpond. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
    22. ↑ "Doctor Who: The Five Doctors". 5 August 2008. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2017– via Amazon.
    23. ↑ "Doctor Who – The Collection Season 20 Blu-Ray Limited Edition Packaging" . Retrieved 28 August 2023– via Amazon.
    24. ↑ "Doctor Who: Peter Davison Complete Season 2". BBC Shop Canada. BBC Studios . Retrieved 2 December 2023.
    25. ↑ Dicks, Terrance (6 February 2025). Doctor Who: Snakedance – via www.penguin.co.uk.

    Bibliography

    • Smith, Paul (2014). The Classic Doctor Who DVD Compendium. United Kingdom: Wonderful Books. ISBN   978-0-9576062-2-7.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.