The Monster of Peladon

(Series 11, Episodes 15-20)

Summary: The Doctor pops back to visit his old pal King Peladon, but gets the date wrong by 50 years.  Alpha Centuri, who is essentially a one-eyed green cock in a curtain, is still hanging around, but there’s a Queen of Peladon now.  The Doctor cracks out his Venusian lullaby again, Sarah introduces women’s lib and the Ice Warriors battle miners with badger stripe dos.  Side note: beware a man in leather – he’s usually a villain.

Watch it because: Co-operation makes it happen!

Original Air Date: 23 March – 27 April 1974.

Doctor: Jon Pertwee.

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen).

Writer: Brian Hayles.

Director: Lennie Mayne.

Producer: Barry Letts.

Death to the Daleks

(Series 11, Episodes 11-14)

Summary: The Doctor channels my grandfather in telling Sarah to “put some more clothes on” until a power failure and a space plague leads to an unlikely (unholy?) alliance between the Doctor, the Daleks and some future humans.  But those Daleks really are duplicitous bastards.  (They may have a new outfit Doctor, but that’s no reason to trust them).  The Doctor makes a crusty new friend who accompanies him on an Indiana Jones-style quest to the centre of the Exxilon city and Sarah pulls off a sneaky switcheroo with some bags of sand to save the day.

Watch it because: Bellal – the companion who never was.

Original Air Date: 23 February – 16 March 1974.

Doctor: Jon Pertwee.

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen).

Writer: Terry Nation.

Director: Michael E. Briant.

Producer: Barry Letts.

Invasion of the Dinosaurs

(Series 11, Episodes 5-10)

Summary: Yates turns bad, Benton kicks ass and the Brigadier remains the Dana Scully of Doctor Who, as the show continues its 70s’ obsession with environmentalism.  A hostage situation is defused by the timely arrival of tea and Sarah continues to be awesome in the face of a convoluted plan involving nostalgic nutters and dinosaurs (clips straight outta Jurassic Park). 

Watch it because: Totally convincing dinosaur model work.

Original Air Date: 12 January – 16 February 1974.

Doctor: Jon Pertwee.

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen).

Writer: Malcolm Hulke.

Director: Paddy Russell.

Producer: Barry Letts.

The Time Warrior

(Series 11, Episodes 1-4)

Summary: You have to admire Sarah’s determination to find a telephone despite the overwhelming evidence that she is, in fact, in the Middle Ages.  When she does finally accept this, she throws herself into the spirit of things with great gusto, as we meet our first Sontaran and the Doctor ensures that mankind does not discover muskets a few centuries too early.

Watch it because: “I’m a journalist.  Sarah Jane Smith.”

Original Air Date: 15 December 1973 – 5 January 1974.

Doctor: Jon Pertwee.

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen).

Writer: Robert Holmes.

Director: Alan Bromley.

Producer: Barry Letts.

The Green Death

(Series 10, Episodes 19-24)

Summary: Alongside some fabulous green screen filming, Welsh stereotypes and whimsical computer BOSS, we meet Professor Cliff Jones (good at fungi – bad at proposals) and some pretty icky giant maggots.  The Doctor tries – and ultimately fails – to be a massive cock block, but has to say goodbye to Jo anyway.  Whilst it’s good to have Benton and Yates back, the real mystery is what exactly is up with the Brigadier’s hair.

Watch it because: There are no words to describe the scene below.

Original Air Date: 19 May – 23 June 1973.

Doctor: Jon Pertwee.

Companions: Jo Grant (Katy Manning).

Writer: Robert Sloman.

Director: Michael E. Briant.

Producer: Barry Letts.