Doctor Who has had an expansive history, from what happens in the show to what happens outside the show. In This Past Fortnight in Doctor Who History, we have the death of Peter Cushing, Susan in the “Dr Who” Cushing films birth and lots of Sarah-Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) mentions! PLUS, we have many things involving Colin Baker’s Sixth Doctor!
As we go through this 60th-anniversary special year, I’ll show you the key moments in Doctor Who’s history – every fortnight for the whole year. What better way to celebrate than that?
Doctor Who History: Week Thirty-One– 31st July to 6th August
In 2002, Big Finish released the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) audio story, Spare Parts, and the Sarah Jane Smith audio story, Comeback. Jumping ahead to 2020, Time Apart was released. This audio story was also a Fifth Doctor audio story. However, this story includes no companions.
1st August
1964 A Desperate Venture aired, ending The Sensorites serial for Doctor Who fans. Fast forward to 2003, and Big Finish treated listeners to the exciting release of Flip Flop. This story was about the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Mel Bush (Bonnie Langford). Then, in 2013, Enemy Aliens, part of the Destiny of the Doctor series, was released.
2nd August
In 2016, Made You Look was released, with Gwen Cooper and Rhys Williams since it was a Torchwood audio story. In 2018, Flight Into Hull! took off (pun intended) for Short Trips with David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.
3rd August
In 2007, Big Finish published the Bernice Summerfield anthology Nobodies Children. A decade and a half later, in 2022, they treated fans to the thrilling releases of Two Rivers and A Firewall.
4th August
In 1969, the talented actress Fenella Woolgar was born, known amongst the Doctor Who community for playing Agatha Christie in The Unicorn and the Wasp with the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). Fast forward to 1987, Ruth Madeley was born. Madeley voiced the Sixth Doctor’s companion Hebe Harrison. Madeley will be playing Shirley Anne Bingham in the upcoming 60th Anniversary specials. In 2011, Torchwood fans tuned in to watch the Miracle Day episode, Escape to LA.
Two years later, in 2013, Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor aired, revealing Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor. Zoe Ball hosted this. Finally, in 2021, Big Finish delighted fans with the release of The War Master audio anthology titled Killing Time, featuring the incredible talents of Derek Jacobi.
5th August
In 1948, the world welcomed the talented actor Barbara Flynn, who later portrayed the adopted parent of the Doctor, Tecteun. Three and a half decades later, in 1973, the gifted actor Paul Kasey entered the world. Paul has appeared the most times in the new era of Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
6th August
In 2001, Big Finish released The Human Factor, part of the Dalek Empire series. Fast forward to 2015, and Wildthyme Reloaded was released by Big Finish also with the lovely Katy Manning.
Doctor Who History: Week Thirty-Two– 7th August to 13th August
7th August
In 1966, the talented actor Shobna Gulati was born, known in the Doctor Who community for playing Yaz Khan’s mother, Najia Khan. In 2000, The Apocalypse Element was released by Big Finish, an audio adventure with the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker). Then, in 2003, Big Finish released Full Fathom Five. Fast forward to 2018, and Big Finish did another release, this time with Treasury, a Bernice Summerfield audio adventure.
8th Augst
In 1930, the creative mind behind Doctor Who’s most iconic villain—the Daleks— writer Terry Nation, was born. Nation’s creation of the Daleks left an indelible mark on the show’s legacy. Fast forward to 1964, and A Land of Fear, part 1 of The Reign of Terror, aired. Meanwhile, in 1979, the talented actor Rosanna Lavelle was born, known in the Doctor Who community as portraying Barbara Smith, Sarah Jane Smith’s mother, in The Sarah Jane Adventures serial, The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith.
2002 brought us The Tao Connection, a Sarah Jane Smith audio adventure by Big Finish. Then, in 2017, Big Finish delighted fans with The Dying Room, a Torchwood audio adventure set in the 1940s.
9th Augst
In 1953, the world welcomed the talented actor Roberta Tovey. Tovey is known for playing Susan, the granddaughter of Dr. Who, in the Peter Cushing films Dr. Who and the Daleks, and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. Jumping to 2011, Big Finish treated fans to the release of Recorded Time and Other Stories, with the Sixth Doctor and Peri (Nicola Bryant). Half a decade later, in 2016, Fiesta of the Damned was unleashed by Big Finish, with the Sixth Doctor and Peri (Nicola Bryant).
In 2018, Deadbeat Escape emerged as another addition to Big Finish’s Torchwood repertoire, offering fans a chance to dive into new stories. Finally, in 2022, Big Finish continued to captivate audiences with Purity Undreamed, providing yet another thrilling chapter with the Sixth Doctor.
10th Augst
In 1939, the world welcomed the talented actor Kate O’Mara, known for portraying the first Rani. Turning to 1965, another gifted actor, Claudia Christian, was born. In the Doctor Who universe, she portrayed Janine Foster, the mother of Peri Brown, in the Big Finish audio story The Reaping. In 1968, episode one of The Dominators aired, kicking off Season 6, Troughton’s last season.
Moving to 2011, Big Finish treated fans to a double delight with the release of The Rocket Men and Short Trips – Volume 4, offering listeners an array of captivating audio adventures with classic Doctors and their companions. Fast forward to 2016, and Casualties of Time debuted through Big Finish, adding another thrilling instalment to the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker).
11th August
In 1922, the world welcomed the talented composer Ron Grainer, whose iconic Doctor Who theme music continues to resonate with fans. Fast forward to 1973, and actor Niky Wardley entered the world, known for portraying Tamsin Drew in the Eighth Doctor Adventures. The year 1994 brought a sense of loss as actor Peter Cushing passed away. Cushing is known for his portrayal of Dr. Who in the two Dalek films. Peter Cushing is an actor that is missed by all. Moving to 2011, fans tuned in to The Categories of Life, episode five of Miracle Day.
In the same year, Big Finish delighted listeners with The Companion Chronicles: The Specials. As 2015 rolled in, Return to Telos was released by Big Finish, part of the Fourth Doctor Adventures. More recently, in 2021, Big Finish introduced Respond to All Calls, part of Christopher Eccleston‘s Ninth Doctor adventures.
12th August
In 2010, Big Finish released Nevermore, and Echoes of Grey. Fast forward to 2014, and The Fifth Doctor Adventures Volume 1 was released, featuring the iconic Fifth Doctor, Matthew Waterhouse as Adric, Sarah Sutton as Nyssa, and Janet Fielding as Tegan Jovanka. The year 2015 saw the release of The Warehouse. In 2020, fans were treated to the simultaneous release of Thin Time and Madquake.
13th August
In 2010, Big Finish released The Whispering Forest. Fast forward to 2019, and fans were treated to the release of The Eighth Doctor: Time War: Volume 3, a thrilling instalment in the ongoing Time War saga. The year 2020 brought us The Sixth Doctor and Peri: Volume 1, a captivating collection of stories that explored the dynamic between the Sixth Doctor and his companion Peri.
Doctor Who History: Conclusion For This Fortnight
This fortnight has been quite an eventful one in Who history or Doctor Who history, if you prefer to put it that way. We’ve had Peter Cushing’s death, the birth of the actress who played Susan in Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks‘ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. Also, we’ve had mass amounts of mentions of the Sixth Doctor and his many companions. Lastly, there’s been many mentions of Torchwood, but last week was a Torchwood extravaganza!
I’ll be back in a fortnight to tell you more Doctor Who history… In the meantime, Don’t blink! The Weeping Angels might get you. Many thanks to the esteemed editors at Tardis Wiki – their work has been particularly integral to our fact-checking of Big Finish release dates.
Doctor Who will air in November 2023 with three special episodes as the show’s 60th Anniversary headliner event. David Tennant returns as the 14th Doctor alongside Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. Ncuti Gatwa’s first episode as the Fifteenth Doctor will air over the festive period, while his series 14 will debut in 2024 with Millie Gibson. Disney+ will be the exclusive home for new seasons of Doctor Who outside of the UK and Ireland.
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