Doctor Who | |
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Season 25 | |
Starring | |
No. of episodes | 14 |
Release | |
Original network | BBC1 |
Original release | 5 October 1988 – 4 January 1989 |
Season chronology | |
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.
Season 25 saw script editor Andrew Cartmel, who had joined for the previous season, exert a greater influence on the style of the series. He had watched serials from the Philip Hinchcliffe and Robert Holmes era such as The Seeds of Doom and The Talons of Weng-Chiang in preparation for it and concluded that the series should return to a more serious and dramatic approach. [1] The season also saw the start of a move to explore the Doctor's past; Cartmel had felt that as more of the character's own history, together with the history of the Time Lords, had been revealed, some of the mystery about the Doctor had been lost. As a consequence, together with new writers Ben Aaronovitch and Marc Platt, he began developing the seeds of a new backstory, which would be hinted at throughout the season, that suggested the Doctor to be more powerful than most people were aware of. [2] This concept eventually came to be known as the "Cartmel Masterplan".
The Cartmel Masterplan is a fan name for the planned Doctor Who backstory developed primarily by script editor Andrew Cartmel and writers Ben Aaronovitch and Marc Platt, by which they intended to restore some of the mystery of the Doctor's background that had been lost through revelation of the existing backstory. [3] Although hints were dropped in the last two seasons, the proposed revelations never materialised on screen as the programme was not renewed into the 1990s.
Some of the stories during the Seventh Doctor's tenure were intended to deal with the lack of mystery by suggesting that much of what was believed about the Doctor was wrong and that he was a far more powerful and mysterious figure than previously thought. In an untelevised scene in Remembrance of the Daleks (1988), the Doctor stated that he was "far more than just another Time Lord." In Silver Nemesis (1988), lines about the creation of validium and Lady Peinforte knowing the Doctor's secrets were meant to point towards this mystery. [4]
In 2014, Cartmel speculated that the "great secret" Lady Peinforte knew about the Doctor in Silver Nemesis was "perhaps" connected to his name, which during the siege on the Fields of Trenzalore in "The Time of the Doctor" (2013) is said to be what would allow the Time Lords to return to the universe. [5]
The Other was first mentioned explicitly in the novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks (1990) by Ben Aaronovitch as a shadowy figure in Time Lord history, one of the founding Triumvirate of Time Lord society after the overthrow of the cult of the Pythia that had, until then, dominated Gallifrey. [6] The other two members of the Triumvirate were Rassilon and Omega.
Terry Molloy makes his final appearance as Davros, the Dalek creator (now acting as the Dalek Emperor) in Remembrance of the Daleks .
John Leeson who previously regularly voiced the robot companion K9 from 1977 to 1978 and 1980–1981, appears as one of the Dalek voices in Remembrance of the Daleks.
David Banks makes his final of four appearances in the series in Silver Nemesis as a Cyber-leader.
This season was broadcast on Wednesdays.
No. story | No. in season | Serial title | Episode titles | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | UK viewers (millions) [7] | AI [7] | ||||||||||||||||||
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148 | 1 | Remembrance of the Daleks | "Part One" | Andrew Morgan | Ben Aaronovitch | 5 October 1988 | 7H | 5.5 | 68 | ||||||||||||||||||
"Part Two" | 12 October 1988 | 5.8 | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Part Three" | 19 October 1988 | 5.1 | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Part Four" | 26 October 1988 | 5.0 | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Two factions of Daleks arrive on 1963 Earth via a time corridor. They are in search of the Hand of Omega, a powerful and ancient Gallifreyan stellar manipulator hidden by the Doctor prior to his first inadvertent trip with Ian and Barbara. The Doctor and Ace are assisted by the British army to defeat both of the warring Dalek factions, even as the Daleks' human allies infiltrate their party. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
149 | 2 | The Happiness Patrol | "Part One" | Chris Clough | Graeme Curry | 2 November 1988 | 7L | 5.3 | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||
"Part Two" | 9 November 1988 | 4.6 | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Part Three" | 16 November 1988 | 5.3 | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Terra Alpha is under the steel fist of Helen A and her executioner, a sadistic robot made out of sweets called the Kandy Man. Joy is perpetual on Terra Alpha, because to be unhappy invites the wrath of Helen A's crack police force, the Happiness Patrol. Allying themselves with Terra Alpha's oppressed natives, the Pipe People, a former Happiness Patrolwoman named Susan Q and blues player Earl Sigma, the Doctor and Ace must end Helen A's reign of terror. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
150 | 3 | Silver Nemesis | "Part One" | Chris Clough | Kevin Clarke | 23 November 1988 | 7K | 6.1 | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||
"Part Two" | 30 November 1988 [lower-alpha 1] | 5.2 | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Part Three" | 7 December 1988 [lower-alpha 1] | 5.2 | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the year 1638, the Doctor sends into orbit around Earth a statue called Nemesis. It is made of the deadly living validium, which served Gallifrey as its last line of defence. In 1988, the Nemesis statue's orbit decays, it returns to Earth, and is pursued on Earth by three factions: the Cybermen, a Neo-Nazi named De Flores, and the mad, time-travelling Lady Peinforte, The latter faction nearly gained possession of the statue in 1638 and knows the darkest secrets of the Doctor's past. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
151 | 4 | The Greatest Show in the Galaxy | "Part One" | Alan Wareing | Stephen Wyatt | 14 December 1988 | 7J | 5.0 | 68 | ||||||||||||||||||
"Part Two" | 21 December 1988 | 5.3 | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Part Three" | 28 December 1988 | 4.8 | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Part Four" | 4 January 1989 | 6.6 | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Despite Ace's protestations that she hates clowns, the Doctor takes the TARDIS to Segonax to see the famed Psychic Circus. But there they discover that the self-styled Greatest Show In The Galaxy has become something sinister: its founder, Kingpin, has disappeared; the callous Chief Clown deals violently with anyone who tries to flee; and prospective Circus stars must entertain an enigmatic family – or die. The time travellers learn that the Psychic Circus has fallen under the influence of the evil Gods of Ragnarok, and the Doctor's next performance may be his last. |
The entire season was broadcast from 5 October 1988 to 4 January 1989. Transmission moved to Wednesday nights. Season twenty-five was originally to have been broadcast in production order, with The Greatest Show in the Galaxy second. However, the expected start of the season on 7 September was postponed to 5 October as a result of BBC coverage of the Seoul Summer Olympics. Nathan-Turner still wanted to lead off the year with Remembrance of the Daleks and have episode one of the twenty-fifth anniversary story, Silver Nemesis, broadcast on 23 November – the actual date of Doctor Who's 25th anniversary. This left only three weeks in between the two serials. Consequently, the original season finale, The Happiness Patrol, was exchanged with The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.
Season | Story no. | Serial name | Number and duration of episodes | UK release date | Australia release date | USA/Canada release date |
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25 | 148 | Remembrance of the Daleks | 4 x 25 mins | September 1993 | September 1993 | October 1993 |
149 | The Happiness Patrol | 3 x 25 mins | August 1997 | May 1998 | March 1998 | |
150 | Silver Nemesis - Extended Edition | 3 x 25 mins | April 1993 | June 1993 | August 1994 | |
151 | The Greatest Show in the Galaxy | 4 x 25 mins | January 2000 | September 1999 | November 1999 |
All releases are for DVD
Season | Story no. | Serial name | Number and duration of episodes | R2 release date | R4 release date | R1 release date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
25 | 148 | Remembrance of the Daleks | 4 × 25 min. | 26 February 2001 [9] | 8 May 2002 [10] | 2 April 2002 [11] |
Remembrance of the Daleks (Special Edition) [lower-alpha 2] | 4 × 25 min. | 26 November 2007 20 July 2009 [12] [lower-alpha 3] | 2 June 2008 [13] 1 October 2009 [14] [lower-alpha 4] | 2 March 2010 [15] | ||
149 | The Happiness Patrol [lower-alpha 5] | 3 × 25 min. | 7 May 2012 [16] | 7 June 2012 [17] | 8 May 2012 [18] | |
150 | Silver Nemesis [lower-alpha 6] | 3 × 25 min. | 9 August 2010 [19] | 7 October 2010 [20] | 2 November 2010 [21] | |
151 | The Greatest Show in the Galaxy | 4 × 25 min. | 30 July 2012 [22] | 16 August 2012 [23] | 14 August 2012 [24] |
Season | Story no. | Library no. [lower-alpha 1] | Novelisation title | Author | Hardcover release date [lower-alpha 2] | Paperback release date [lower-alpha 3] | Audiobook release date [lower-alpha 4] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
25 | 148 | 148 | Remembrance of the Daleks | Ben Aaronovitch | — | 21 June 1990 | 19 February 2015 |
149 | 146 | The Happiness Patrol | Graeme Curry | 15 February 1990 | 2 July 2009 | ||
150 | 143 | Silver Nemesis | Kevin Clarke | 16 November 1989 | 6 July 2023 [25] | ||
151 | 144 | The Greatest Show in the Galaxy | Stephen Wyatt | 21 December 1989 | 1 August 2013 |
Davros is a fictional character from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was created by screenwriter Terry Nation, originally for the 1975 serial Genesis of the Daleks. Davros is a major enemy of the series' protagonist, the Doctor, and is the creator of the Doctor's deadliest enemies, the Daleks. Davros is a genius who has mastered many areas of science, but also a megalomaniac who believes that through his creations he can become the supreme being and ruler of the Universe. The character has been compared to the infamous dictator Adolf Hitler several times, including by the actor Terry Molloy, while Julian Bleach defined him as a cross between Hitler and the renowned scientist Stephen Hawking.
Remembrance of the Daleks is the first serial of the 25th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The serial was first broadcast in four weekly episodes from 5 to 26 October 1988. It was written by Ben Aaronovitch and directed by Andrew Morgan.
Genesis of the Daleks is the fourth serial of the twelfth season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by Terry Nation and directed by David Maloney, and originally broadcast in six weekly parts from 8 March to 12 April 1975 on BBC1.
Andrew J. Cartmel is a British script editor, author and journalist. He was the script editor of Doctor Who during the Sylvester McCoy era of the show between 1987 and 1989. He has also worked as a script editor on other television series, as a magazine editor, as a comics writer, as a film studies lecturer, and as a novelist.
Silver Nemesis is the third serial of the 25th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 in three weekly parts from 23 November to 7 December 1988. In New Zealand, all three parts were broadcast on TVNZ on 25 November.
Resurrection of the Daleks is the fourth serial of the 21st season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on BBC1 between 8 February and 15 February 1984. The serial was intended to be transmitted as four 23-minute episodes but a late scheduling change by the BBC meant that it was transmitted as two episodes of 46 minutes; reruns restored it to its intended format.
Ben Dylan Aaronovitch is an English author and screenwriter. He is the author of the series of novels Rivers of London. He also wrote two Doctor Who serials in the late 1980s and spin-off novels from Doctor Who and Blake's 7.
Destiny of the Daleks is the first serial of the 17th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 1 September to 22 September 1979. The story introduces Lalla Ward as the newly regenerated Romana.
Davros is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.
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.
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.
The twenty-second season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 5 January 1985 and ended on 30 March 1985. It opened with the serial Attack of the Cybermen and ended with the serial Revelation of the Daleks. The season returned to the traditional Saturday transmission for the first time since Season 18, but for the first and only time in the series' first run it featured 45-minute episodes in its entirety. During transmission, BBC1 controller Michael Grade announced an 18-month hiatus for the series, partly citing the violence depicted in the stories of the season. John Nathan-Turner produced the series with Eric Saward as script editor.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.