TLDR;
This video presents one interesting fact from every single Doctor Who story in the classic series, spanning from the very first episode to the 1996 TV movie. It covers behind-the-scenes details, original plans that were scrapped, casting choices, and unusual production circumstances.
- Original character names for the first story
- Missing episodes and their potential recovery
- Production challenges and creative solutions
- Behind-the-scenes drama and casting decisions
- Script changes and their impact on the story
Season 1: An Unearthly Child to The Reign of Terror [0:08]
In the first Doctor Who story, "An Unearthly Child," the characters Susan, Ian, and Barbara were originally named Bridget (nicknamed Biddy), Lola McGovern, and Cliff, respectively. The second story featuring the Daleks was initially planned as "The Masters of Luxer," about a world controlled by robots, but the script was shelved due to production difficulties. "The Edge of Destruction" was created to fill a gap in the initial 13-episode commission. "Marco Polo" is missing from the BBC archive due to the BBC reusing videotapes. To give lead actors time off during the grueling production schedule of the Hartnell era, their characters would sometimes disappear for episodes, first seen in "The Keys of Marinus" with William Hartnell missing in episodes three and four. "The Aztecs" production was moved to Television Center for larger studios after lobbying by the director and designer. Russell T. Davies cited "The Sensorites" as a major influence in the design of the Ood, referencing the "sense sphere" in "Planet of the Ood." During the production of "The Reign of Terror," director Henrik Hirs fell ill, and the rest of episode 3 was directed by someone else, possibly John Gory or Mvin Pinfield, though neither recalls doing so.
Season 2: Planet of Giants to The Chase [5:46]
"Planet of Giants" was originally a four-part story but was edited down to three episodes for broadcast, with the original episodes later reconstructed with new audio for a DVD release. For "The Dalek Invasion of Earth," a character named Seda (later Jenny) was planned to replace Susan as a companion, but the idea was scrapped. "The Rescue" is one of the show's most-watched stories, with episode 2 reaching 13 million viewers. "The Romans" was written as a complete comedy, initially planned as a parody of "Quo Vadis" but changed due to the release of "Carry On Cleo." For "The Web Planet," choreographer Rosland Winter was hired to instruct actors on how the insect-like aliens should move, receiving the unique credit of "insect movement." Gene Marsh first appeared as Joanna in "The Crusade" and later played Sarah Kingdom in "The Dalek's Master Plan" and Moana in "Battlefield," becoming a recurring element in Doctor Who productions. "The Space Museum" had more comedic elements in the original script, which were later removed by script editor Dennis Spooner. "The Chase" is famous for saving a Beatles performance from "Top of the Pops" that was otherwise junked, though the scene is often edited out due to copyright fees.
Season 2: The Time Meddler to Season 3: Mission to the Unknown [11:27]
"The Time Meddler" is the show's first pseudo-historical story, setting the standard for future historical episodes. After "Galaxy 4" was broadcast, producer John Wilds investigated the rights to the Drahvins, possibly considering their return. "Mission to the Unknown" is a unique episode, being a prequel to "The Dalek's Master Plan" without any of the main cast.
Season 3: The Myth Makers to Season 4: The Smugglers [13:21]
Francis De Wolf, who played Agamemnon in "The Myth Makers," wore the same costume he used in "Carry On Cleo." "The Dalek's Master Plan" features the first Christmas special, "The Feast of Steven," which is unlikely to ever return to the archive. In "The Massacre," William Hartnell played a second role as the Abbott of Amboise, but his costume is unknown due to the story being missing. Monica the elephant, featured in "The Ark," stayed at director Michael Emerson's house the night before filming because Ealing Studios wouldn't allow her owner's van to park there. Peter Purves, who played Steven Taylor, believed the Trilogic game prop from "The Celestial Toymaker" was a bad omen, as he struggled to find work until he disposed of it. "The Gunfighters" is the first story set entirely in America, though the series featured American companion Perry Brown, her home country was never visited during her tenure. "The Savages" marked a change in episode titling, with the entire story receiving one name instead of individual titles for each episode. In "The War Machines," a character refers to the Doctor as "Doctor Who," one of the few instances in the show's history. The Matt Smith story, "The Curse of the Black Spot," is technically a prequel to "The Smugglers," with characters mentioning Captain Avery and his treasure.
Season 4: The Tenth Planet to Season 5: The Tomb of the Cybermen [18:40]
During the production of "The Tenth Planet," William Hartnell was unwell and absent from the last surviving episode of his era. In an early draft of "The Power of the Daleks," hints of previous Doctors were suggested, and it was implied that the Doctor's home world was destroyed by the Daleks. Jamie McCrimmon wasn't originally meant to join the TARDIS crew in "The Highlanders" until after production, leading to a reshot ending. "The Underwater Menace" features a rare moment of internal monologue from the Doctor, Ben, Polly, and Jamie. Victor Pemberton, who later became script editor, appeared in "The Moonbase" as an employee, making him the first person to act on the show before writing for it. "The Macra Terror" marked the first rework of the opening titles with Patrick Troughton's face, and a new theme tune was introduced in "The Faceless Ones." Pauline Collins, who played Samantha Briggs in "The Faceless Ones," turned down the role of a new companion but later appeared as Queen Victoria in "Tooth and Claw." Davros, inventor of the Daleks, wanted to create an American-funded spin-off show based around the Daleks and asked the Doctor Who production office to stop using them, leading to "The Evil of the Daleks" being written as a send-off to the Daleks. "The Tomb of the Cybermen" was rediscovered in 1991 and outsold "Silence of the Lambs" on VHS for a week.
Season 5: The Abominable Snowmen to Season 6: The Dominators [23:37]
"The Abominable Snowmen" featured the longest location filming up to that point, but it rained throughout the shoot, leaving no snow on the ground. Instead of using stock footage for a bear attack in "The Ice Warriors," the director hired a bear for £70. "The Enemy of the World" featured a slight visual upgrade to 625 lines from 405. The BBC received a complaint from the London Underground for "The Web of Fear," accusing them of filming there without permission, despite the sets being recreated in the studio. In "Fury from the Deep," Victoria's scream was performed by assistant floor manager Margo Hayhoe because Deborah Watling was recovering from a cold. "The Wheel in Space" ends with the Doctor, Zoe, and Jamie watching "The Evil of the Daleks" on the TARDIS scanner, using footage from the missing episode 1. "The Dominators" was edited down from six parts, displeasing the original writers, who asked for their names to be removed.
Season 6: The Mind Robber to Season 7: Spearhead from Space [27:26]
Episode 5 of "The Mind Robber" is the shortest episode of classic Doctor Who at 18 minutes, due to the story being extended from four to five episodes. "The Invasion" is the only eight-part serial in classic Doctor Who, expanded when "The Dream Spinner" fell through. The Crotons in "The Krotons" were constructed at the wrong scale, requiring skirts to cover the operators' legs. Wendy Padbury asked to keep her costume from "The Seeds of Death," but it was destroyed by wet paint. "The Space Pirates" is the final Doctor Who story with missing episodes, with episode 2 being the only surviving one. "The War Games" is the first time the term "Time Lord" is used and the Doctor's home world is seen. "Spearhead from Space," along with the TV movie, are the only complete classic series stories shot entirely on film due to a strike.
Season 7: The Silurians to Season 8: Terror of the Autons [30:59]
"The Silurians" marked the first time incidental music was added in post-production. "The Ambassadors of Death" was originally pitched as a Second Doctor adventure with Jamie and Zoe. "Inferno" is the only Jon Pertwee finale not written by Robert Sloman. "Terror of the Autons" has no director listed because the producer was not allowed to direct their own episodes.
Season 8: The Mind of Evil to Season 9: Day of the Daleks [33:19]
For "The Mind of Evil," John Pertwee learned to speak Chinese using the Hokkien dialect from Pixsen Lim, the co-star and partner of the story's writer. "The Claws of Axos" was originally titled "The Vampire from Space," but the BBC asked to avoid the word "vampire." Ronnie Marsh objected to Susan Jameson playing Morgan in "Colony in Space," believing a dominating woman would come across as sexual, and she was replaced. Due to religious themes in "The Dæmons," changes were made to the original script, such as referring to the crypt as a cavern and avoiding the word "God." "Day of the Daleks" originally had a scene where the Doctor and the Daleks discussed the human factor, but it was cut due to time.
Season 9: The Curse of Peladon to Season 10: The Three Doctors [35:50]
No new Ice Warrior costumes were produced for "The Curse of Peladon," as the original costumes were still intact. The Doctor was originally to arrive at the prison via water skis in "The Sea Devils," but this was discarded due to poor weather. "The Mutants" is not the first Doctor Who story with that title, as the first Dalek serial has also been known as "The Mutants." The TARDIS interior got a slight rework for "The Time Monster," but the design did not return due to damage and the producer disliking it. Jamie McCrimmon was supposed to appear in "The Three Doctors" and have a romance subplot with Jo Grant, but his work on Emmerdale prevented it.
Season 10: Carnival of Monsters to Season 11: The Time Warrior [37:51]
In "Carnival of Monsters," Katy Manning provided her own vocal talents for the chickens clucking in episode 1. "Frontier in Space" originally planned for the Master to work with the Cybermen. Terry Nation named each episode of "Planet of the Daleks" as if they were individual stories. In "The Green Death," Jo Grant ends up with Cliff Jones, and the two actors were dating in real life. Kevin Lindsay, who played Lynx in "The Time Warrior," decided that Sontaran should be pronounced "Sontar-an" rather than "Sonta-ran."
Season 11: Invasion of the Dinosaurs to Season 12: Robot [40:18]
"Invasion of the Dinosaurs" features the Doctor's car, the Whomobile, which was owned by Jon Pertwee and roadworthy. "Death to the Daleks" marks the last time viewers saw the inside of the TARDIS until "Planet of Evil." "The Monster of Peladon" is the last appearance of the Ice Warriors in the classic series. Up until "Planet of Spiders," the Doctor's regeneration was referred to as "renewal." "Robot" is the first time we hear the Brigadier's full name, Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart.
Season 12: The Ark in Space to Season 13: Terror of the Zygons [42:14]
John Lucarotti, who wrote "The Ark in Space," was unaware that individual episode titles weren't given unique names anymore. Tom Baker broke his collarbone during the production of "The Sontaran Experiment" and wore a neck brace, which was concealed by the Doctor's scarf. Russell T. Davies cited "Genesis of the Daleks" as the first firing shot in the Time War. "Revenge of the Cybermen" is the first appearance of the Cybermats in color. "Terror of the Zygons" features the only time a companion departed the show in the season premiere.
Season 13: Planets of Evil to Season 14: The Mask of Mandragora [44:42]
"Planets of Evil" is the first story that Philip Hinchcliffe personally commissioned. "Pyramids of Mars" is the first time since "The Enemy of the World" that the story visits somewhere on Earth outside of the UK. "The Android Invasion" is only the second time Terry Nation had written a story for Doctor Who that didn't feature the Daleks. In "The Brain of Morbius," the faces of previous Doctors were played by members of production, later interpreted as pre-Hartnell Doctors. "The Seeds of Doom" is the last story to feature UNIT until "Battlefield." "The Mask of Mandragora" features a brand new exterior prop for the TARDIS, retiring the prop that had been in use since 1963.
Season 14: The Hand of Fear to Season 15: Horror of Fang Rock [47:19]
Sarah Jane's departure story, "The Hand of Fear," originally would have featured her being killed off. Tom Baker allegedly said the name "Janice Thorne" sounded like an out-of-work actor, so it was changed to "Janus Thorne" in "The Face of Evil." During "The Robots of Death," Louise Jameson almost accidentally hit a cameraman when throwing a knife. In 1980, "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" was dropped by TV Ontario in Canada due to complaints about its depiction of Chinese people. Terrence Dicks had submitted a story called "The Vampire Mutations," but the BBC were working on a higher budget production of Dracula and asked to shelve it, eventually using elements in "State of Decay."
Season 15: The Invisible Enemy to Season 16: The Ribos Operation [50:10]
The white TARDIS interior returned in "The Invisible Enemy" due to the wooden props warping in storage and the new producer preferring the original design. K9 barely appears in "Image of the Fendahl" due to his addition to the program being a last-minute decision. Robert Holmes was angered by the UK tax authorities when he wrote "The Sun Makers." "Underworld" struggled with financing and was almost canceled. Rhoden is the first female Time Lord viewers have seen since Susan Foreman departed in "The Invasion of Time" in "The Invasion of Time." "The Ribos Operation" is the final time a companion is introduced in the first episode of the season.
Season 16: The Pirate Planet to Season 17: Destiny of the Daleks [52:48]
"The Pirate Planet" was Douglas Adams' first script for Doctor Who, written while he was working on "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Mary Tamm helped design her outfit for "The Androids of Tara." Due to the swampland nature of "The Power of Kroll," K9's voice actor, John Leeson, was given another role to play. Tom Baker disliked the script for "The Armageddon Factor," and Mary Tamm decided to leave the show during its production. Terry Nation was annoyed at Douglas Adams' rewrites for "Destiny of the Daleks," objecting to the joke about the Dalek not being able to climb stairs.
Season 17: City of Death to Season 18: The Leisure Hive [55:44]
"City of Death" got one of the highest ratings in Doctor Who's history due to a strike at ITV. Discussions on how different Romana 2 would be to Romana 1 were not really discussed during "The Creature from the Pit." Director Alan Bromley struggled to film "Nightmare of Eden" and was fired midway through production. Producer Graeme Williams found "The Horns of Nimon" to be the weakest story in the season and wanted to hide it at the end of the series. "Shada" was never completed due to strikes at the BBC. Tensions were high on set during "The Leisure Hive" due to Tom Baker and Lalla Ward's love affair being on the rocks.
Season 18: Meglos to Season 19: Castrovalva [58:52]
"Meglos" features the first use of scene sync, a motion-tracking technique. Andrew Smith, the writer of "Full Circle," was only 17 years old. Tom Baker was uncooperative during "State of Decay," arguing with the director and telling Matthew Waterhouse to "piss off." Lalla Ward found her departure in "Warrior's Gate" abrupt but was glad her character wasn't killed off. "Logopolis" was designed to ease viewers into a new cast after Tom Baker's departure. "Castrovalva" is the first time the credits list the actor playing the Doctor as "The Doctor" instead of "Doctor Who."
Season 19: Four to Doomsday to Season 20: Ark of Infinity [1:01:43]
"Four to Doomsday" was the first full-length Doctor Who story that Peter Davison filmed. Nyssa does not feature throughout the entire story of "Kinda." Peter Davison said that "Black Orchid" was originally written as a generic murder mystery plot that was retrofitted to be a Doctor Who story. "Earthshock" is the only time in Doctor Who's history where the end credits are presented without any music. For voters of Doctor Who magazine issue number 69 ranked "Time-Flight" as the fourth best story out of the season. Colin Baker's character in "Ark of Infinity" was to wear a helmet, but due to its height, he had to carry it around.
Season 20: Snake Dance to Season 21: Warriors of the Deep [1:04:45]
The head of serials was concerned that "Snake Dance" was too confusing and wanted to shelve it. "Mawdryn Undead" was to feature the return of William Russell's Ian Chesterton, but he was committed to a stage play. Turlo seriously injured himself during a scene in "Enlightenment." "The King's Demons" is the first and second to last appearance of Kamelion. Peter Davison and Janet Fielding both decided they would be leaving the program at the end of the season during the making of "Warriors of the Deep."
Season 21: The Awakening to Season 22: Attack of the Cybermen [1:07:57]
Christopher H. Bidmead intended the Tractators in "Frontios" to use human remains as part of their machinery, but was asked to remove it. "Resurrection of the Daleks" was the first time Doctor Who would be presented in a 45-minute episode format due to the 1984 Winter Olympics. "Planet of Fire" is the only Fifth Doctor television story that doesn't have some sort of appearance from Janet Fielding. Peter Davison joked that the production team were trying to kill him off during "The Caves of Androzani." The Doctor strangles Perry in "The Twin Dilemma," making it the only time the Doctor has tried to kill one of his companions. There is still a debate on who actually wrote "Attack of the Cybermen."
Season 22: Vengeance on Varos to Season 23: Trial of a Time Lord, The Mysterious Planet [1:11:02]
The set collapsed during the noose scene in "Vengeance on Varos." "The Mark of the Rani" is the last story to be directed by a woman until 2007 with "Blink." "The Two Doctors" was to be set in New Orleans, but production shifted to Seville. "Timelash" mentions that the Third Doctor and Jo had visited Carle before, but in the original script, it was the First Doctor, Barbara, Ian, and Susan. The story ends on a freeze frame where the doctor is about to tell Perry where he will take her next in "Revelation of the Daleks." Robert Holmes passed away before being able to complete the finale for "Trial of a Time Lord."
Season 23: Trial of a Time Lord, Mind Warp to Season 24: Time and the Rani [1:13:32]
The set had not been assembled when it was time to film the trial segments in the courtroom in "Trial of a Time Lord, Mind Warp." Colin Baker was fired after "Trial of a Time Lord." "Time and the Rani" was to be written as a regeneration story for Colin Baker.
Season 24: Paradise Towers to Season 25: Remembrance of the Daleks [1:15:18]
John Nathan-Turner rejected David Snell's score for "Paradise Towers," saying it was too repetitive. Bonnie Langford was looking to leave the show, and the character of Ray was considered to be her replacement in "Delta and the Bannermen." In the broadcast episode of "Dragon Fire," the Doctor seems to hang off the side of a cliff for absolutely no reason. In "Remembrance of the Daleks," Ace turns on the television where the BBC announcer announces a new science fiction television series and is about to say Doctor Who.
Season 25: The Happiness Patrol to Season 26: Survival [1:17:16]
During the Hartnell era, a story was pitched with the plot inverted where it was a crime to be happy and you were forced to be serious in "The Happiness Patrol." "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy" was almost canceled due to the studios being shut down due to asbestos. "Battlefield" marks the final appearance of UNIT until the new series. "Ghost Light" was the final story of the season to be shot, making it the final classic series story ever produced. "The Curse of Fenric" overran so much that the production team considered making it a five-part story. Rumors of the show's cancellation were mounting during the production of "Survival."
The TV Movie [1:20:01]
There were discussions for Ace to appear in the TV Movie.