Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

September 17th, 1964

He sat in his chair and drummed his fingers idly, while Carolyn made sure the girls were ready to go to bed once the program was over. A cooling cup of coffee sat nearby, as well as a packet of Chesterfields, though it remained unopened at the moment. Tonight was the big night, and he considered that he was staking a bit of his reputation on the program going off well. Fours seasons of one of the most popular anthology shows, and now he was doing something different, something that some he knew considered a folly or gamble.

Finally, it was time to turn on the TV. As the set warmed up, his fingers drummed a bit more quickly, glancing at the weeks TV Guide nearby showcasing the stars of The Fugitive. The logo of the network appeared after a mechanical clicking noise and flashing lights, showing a sphere with a burning fire inside sitting atop the last letter of the network acronym.

"This is NET. National Educational Television Network," the announcer said.

The picture shifted, showing a smoking man in a dark suit, leaning against a strange sort of control console, which had all sorts of dials and buttons, and a see-column in the center. A sort of hum could be heard in the background. As the image appeared, young Jodi grinned at seeing her father on the screen again. Carolyn looked over at her husband, who was staring intently at the screen, already considering different ways he could have written the introduction. Still, a little hint of satisfaction crept into the corner of his mouth through a small tic of a smile as he watched.

"Good evening, everyone out there. This is Rod Serling, bringing to you tonight something new. Viewers of this network know that NET prides itself on providing programming both educational and entertaining to viewers, both original and imported. Tonight, we bring you a story adapted from a new show gaining popularity across the Atlantic, called Doctor Who. It's the story of a very strange box, and the man who owns it. I think you'll like it..."

The picture faded out, and the title sequence began...

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Beginnings

The story of the arrival of Doctor Who in the United States begins with frustration. Specifically, the frustration of one man, Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling, towards the controlling nature of James T. Aubrey, President of CBS, and who had been dubbed "The Smiling Cobra" by others in the industry for his general personality and his style of authority over those beneath him. A man who could figure out what would appeal to a viewing audience, he nonetheless was dismissive of that same viewing audience he could read and sell a program to. To them, they were viewing numbers and flyover country between the coasts. However, his desire to make certain shows were pulling in the numbers needed to make CBS tops, often meant he had a habit of inserting himself into the production of shows, or on the other hand, providing little assistance to shows that needed something. For the man who brought Gilligans Island and The Beverly Hillbillies to TV sets across America, any show which didn't work to his model of business tended to fall into his cross-hairs for "examination".

Twilight Zone, the popular anthology series that Serling wrote and produced, had the tendency to often be in Aubrey's sight more than Serling liked. While recognizing the show had appeal, Aubrey nonetheless found that it did not have the broad appeal other shows CBS had which fell into his formula, as well as the expenses compared to other series. In its second season, the shows episodes had been cut down and some had been shot on video-tape rather than film, an act which Serling felt made it "neither a fish nor a fowl." However, both measures barely made a dent in the shows expenses, and Aubrey stepped back from forcing future episodes to be on videotape. Serling however would over the next season grow increasingly tired, both of CBS executive interference, and from the general exhaustion of writing and producing the series. In his tendency towards being a workaholic and control tendencies, Serling had those traits in common with Aubrey, who was known to put in twelve hours a day at times read everything that came across his desk. But two men with their respective fiefdoms (Serling on Twilight Zone, Aubrey CBS at large) could not help but come into conflict.

Eventually, his general tiredness won out, and Serling decided to have the shows fourth season be the shows last season. Having taken a temporary teaching job at his alma mater of Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio during the hiatus in late 1962, this break allowed Serling time to clear his mind and rest. Following the return to television for Season 4, Serling went public with an announcement a long time coming, that the show would unfortunately be ending, and that he would be taking a break from television until he got "something worth working on." Despite his dislike of Aubrey, Serling had no wish to make an enemy of CBS, and couched his departure as being the result of his own tendency to work long, tiring hours and creative malaise. And off he went, returning to his teaching job and personal writing, uncertain of the future.

The future it seemed, would be quite interesting. Throughout the summer of 1963, Serling wrote personal work, short stories, teleplays, and movie scripts, later on working on the script for Seven Days in May. As well, he continued to travel, both in America and abroad, being interviewed in Melbourne, Australia by noted radio personality Binnie Lum, and speaking about his life and time on Twilight Zone. However, Serling was restless, his time away from the demanding arena of television having allowed him to recharge, it had also meant his workaholic tendencies did not have as much to occupy his attention. Deciding to try and find some way of relaxing, he hit upon the idea of a vacation in late October of 1963, and to try and patch up some of the tensions in the Serling household left over from his stressful time on Twilight Zone. The decision to go to the United Kingdom was made partially to take his family someplace new, as well as someplace educational, to satisfy the removal of his daughters from school for a few weeks. Certainly, visiting the country schoolchildren were often taught as the mother country, and the redoubtable island nation which had faced the odds against Hitler until America entered the Second World War would be quite a trip. So, plans were made, and the Serling family would finally set off for the U.K. in late November. Per custom, Rod went ahead first on a separate flight, while Carolyn went with the two girls on a later one. Arriving on Nov. 20th, 1963, the Serlings would spend their first few days getting used to London.

The 22nd of Nov, 1963 would of course be remembered for something other than the sights of London. Having arrived back at their hotel that evening, the family would find news of President Kennedy's assassination prominently on the television and radio. Shocked as most of the world was, Rod and Carolyn debated whether to end the trip early because of this, out of concern for Jodi and Anne. However, the decision was made to forge ahead, though the first few days after the assassination, "a dark cloud" sat over the families stay. Like many across the U.K., the Serling family would not see the new science-fiction program being broadcast on BBC One on Novemeber 23rd, partially because of power outages as well as the continued news coverage regarding the assassination. It would not be until a week later, on November 30th, that the Serlings, and the British public, would be able to pay attention to this new show. Re-broadcasting its first episode as well as the second, this first serial story was a perhaps not the best example of what was to come, but there was a hint of something there.

This something would grasp the attention of Serling, who caught the re-broadcast, sitting with his family and watching the hotels communal television with other guests. Watching this curious program about an old man traveling through time and space with his grand-daughter and two bewildered school-teachers, Serling would later say "At first it seemed rather silly, but there was a strange charm, even as the actors pretended to travel through time to the time of Harts B.C."

Eventually the family would have to return to America, which they did in early December, having caught the third episode at least. However, a spark of something perhaps had caught in Serlings mind, though it would be over a month before he really began to act on that thought. But when he did, things would begin to get very interesting....​

Chapter Text

A Pitch for the Ages

Life returned to a normal pace for Rod and his family upon their return, though he continued his teaching and writing. However, the desire to get back into television again perhaps might have been a contributing factor to his decision in January of 1964 to consider returning to writing, and if possible, producing a series again. Several letters to former associates on Twilight Zone, including Richard Matheson, seemed to be of the sort inquiring of interest on working on something new again. Of course, several of them were committed to other projects, but a few expressed interest, though the vague response to return inquiries into what he had in mind puzzled a few of them. Serling himself didn't know, though he had been considering various ideas. However, some felt like rehashes of Twilight Zone, while others seemed to elude him on what would make them compelling or interesting. Wondering if he had been hasty in his approaching others before being certain of his pitch, he found himself thinking back to that quirky British science-fiction show, and sketching down some ideas. Perhaps elements could be adapted for something original?

Some of the early concept pages based on adapting elements of Doctor Who into a new show are bare bones. One concept has a few travelers lost in time (pre-dating the later Time Tunnel series by Irwin Allen) while another has historical figures brought to the modern times, though that one perhaps was too close to The Bard episode of Twilight Zone. Finally, after a few rough sketches and drafts, it seemed apparent that if he was going to use the show, he might as well do the whole thing, and adapt it for American audiences. Of course, the issue was now two-fold. One, convincing an American network to actually fund and broadcast this adaptation and Two, to convince the BBC to consider licensing the show for adaptation in America. Both would not be easy, and Serling knew it. But, the idea nagged at him, and it was better to try and die as it were, than to never have done it at all.

First up, finding that American Network interested in bringing the show to America. Tentative feelers were put out to the three major networks of CBS, NBC, and ABC. Early responses were mixed. CBS under Aubrey was luke-warm to the idea, especially since it seemed like it might be another expensive drain, as well as the fact they'd have to license it. NBC responded by suggesting instead a weekly program dedicated to covering the lives of various historical figures, perhaps with some framing device. ABC was uncertain, and already had several programs with the Disney. A few weeks of seemingly hitting a brick-wall from the Big Three Networks almost put the kibosh on the future of any potential adaptation. But a missive from the headquarters of NET (National Educational Television, formerly the National Educational Television and Radio Center) in New York City, asked if the NET might be able to talk with Serling about his idea. It so happened that news had traveled through the television network grapevine as it were, that Serling was interested in doing a new series. While NET was mainly a loose affiliation of independent station which generally broadcast educational and independent journalistic programming, along with a few drama series, it had only three years before in 1961 broadcast the entirety of An Age of Kings sequence of Shakespeares plays, which had been produced by the BBC. Therefore, they were familiar with licensing from the BBC and as a network, viewers were familiar with imported programming.

Deciding that it was so far the only option open to him, Serling agreed to a meeting. In late February, he met with with the representatives from the NET HQ. The meeting seemed at first to end as it had with the Big Three, however a few days afterwards Serling found himself receiving a call from NET about the decision to go ahead and work with on the adaptation. The first part had been solved, but the next part was going to be figuring out how to convince the BBC to sell a licensing right for their new program to be adapted in the states was going to be interesting.

The BBC had by this point started to realize that their show as starting to gain some serious attention. With the broadcast of the serial The Mutants (later known as The Daleks) the program had gained notoriety. The Daleks were well received as an alien menace, and the shows writing began to gain in quality. Those involved such as Sydney Newman and Verity Lambert, would be surprised when in early March, the BBC higher ups would speak to both of them about a rather strange situation. It seemed that an American network was interested in their show. At first, there was some confusion about whether it was simply licensing it to broadcast, but the revelation was that they were interested in adapting it on their own. This of course presented an issue for the BBC. On the one hand, while the Daleks had proven popular, and more stories were being considered, there was no guarantee if the show could maintain momentum. A licensing agreement could provide some additional money to cover the expense of episodes. As well, NET had offered to also license the original series for broadcast in the states within five years of starting their own project, adding an additional means of recouping cost. It was a bit risky, but eventually the decision was made to agree to the suggestion.

Legal papers were drawn up, and by April, the deal was being finalized. Serling was bringing together some of the team from Twilight Zone, and had formed a new production company, Interlaken, to handle basic production needs. Among those returning to the fold were Richard Matheson and Del Reisman. Unfortunately, Charles Beaumont, who had been among Twilight Zones most recognizable writers, was at this point slowly dying, and was increasingly unable to write. His passage in 1967 would see him honored in the credits of the First Doctors final story, The Passing of the Torch. His ghostwriter, Jerry Stohl, would be recruited as one of the new stable of writers due to his familiarity with Beaumonts style. Unlike the Twilight Zone, the writers would have to get used to writing for a static cast, unlike the anthology nature of most science fiction at the time. This caused some early hiccups in the writing, and a few of the various attempts at getting a series "Bible" together, though what was worked on mainly came from adapting the base concept for an American audience, as well as viewing copies of the British episodes.

The first episode was planned to be a loose adaptation of The Unearthly Child, though the cavemen segments were rejected for being a "bit hokey," by the writers. Instead, it was decided to go back to the beginning of U.S. history with a story set at Valley Forge during the War for Independence. This was felt to allow American audiences to understand the concept, as well as mix in the historical and educational aspects a bit easier for NET to swallow. There had been talk of making the TARDIS either an Airstream Trailer or an American or British style phonebooth, but the former was considered too unwieldy for studio and location work due to being too big, and the latter was rejected for being too small. After discussion, it was decided to keep the British police box, though some argued for it to be changed later. The original American TARDIS was different from its British counterpart in that it was slightly taller, a mistake due to someone mishearing the height by two and half-inches, as well as having the American Priory of St. John emblem/logo.

As the production got underway, the important thing was to consider casting. NET could afford to pay for some known actors, but not "known" actors, at least, not at this point. Character and up and coming names would be the go to casting choices, aside from guest stars interested in working on a project overseen by Serling, whose Twilight Zone had garnered several guest stars. Among the name talent for the first season included Frederic March, John Alexander and Neville Brand and William Demarest. However for the main four (The Doctor, his niece and the two school teachers), NET could not afford to hire anyone too famous. The only known name talent to audition for a lead role was James Garner, though which one is unknown, as no footage survives, and conflicting stories have been bandied about. All that is know that it wasn't until late May, after weeks of prepping, that the Doctor was found. A young Canadian actor, currently an understudy on Broadway for a production of Roar Like A Dove, had been suggested by his agent. At first, the production crew was uncertain, as both of the male lead would be played by Canadians if he was chosen. On the other hand, they needed to start actually producing stories for the fall "season" as it were, and time was ticking. So, they agreed to a screen test.

It was apparently a very good screen test, because after two days, the agent would be able to tell the young Jonathan Frid that he had landed the job. It was time to start this train a rolling....​

Chapter Text

One For The Money, Two For the Show, Three to Get Ready....

The fall of 1964 line-up between the Big Three Networks was filled with either new shows vying for attention between each, or old standards which had garnered viewers already, and which had been renewed again. Thursday nights were filled up as were any other night. The typical American household would have seen the following on Thursdays in the fall of 1964:

ABC - The Flintstones (7:30), Donna Reed Show (8:00), My Three Sons (8:30), Betwitched (9:00), Peyton Place (9:30) and the Jimmy Dean Show (10 - 11)
CBS - The Munsters (7:30), Perry Mason (8 - 9), Password (9:00), The Baileys of Balboa (9:30) and The Defenders (10 - 11)
NBC - Daniel Boone (7:30 - 8:30), Dr. Kildare (8:30 - 9:30), Hazel (9:30), Kraft Suspense Theater or a Perry Como Special (10 - 11).

NET of course would have difficulty competing once the Big Three began the fall season in earnest. Therefore, the network (such as it was) would have to promote their new show enough that people would consider tuning into their local NET affiliate during the broadcast time. WQED in Pittsburgh was given the honor of being host for the broadcast due to being one of the first public television stations in the country, as well as the first community owned station in the country. Later in the 1970's, WQED would become the so-called "Nucleus of NET" for its role in sponsoring, producing and hosting several of the networks big name productions such as Mister Rogers Neighborhood, Carmen Sandiego, and others. Indeed, its role would become important enough production offices for Doctor Who would be constructed there, as well as a studio expansion.

For those working on the show, the broadcast itself was academic, at least until the episodes were shot. Through the summer and early fall of 1964, the studio set up in New York began to start production of the episodes, switching the headaches of pre-production for production itself. The main issue of production was dealing with the various historical time periods the first season would be visiting, per the educational requirements from the Ford Foundation which helped sponsor NET and by extension, this adaptation. With time periods ranging from the American Revolution, to Napoleonic France, to Ancient Greece and Colonial Cuba, sets and costumes would have to be found. While there plans to do some location shooting, at least for establishing shots of certain locales, most footage would be of licensed stock footage from television and film libraries of larger studios. It would not be until later seasons that location shooting would be more practical, and certainly less expensive, leaving the first two seasons with a distinct studio-bound feel to them.

While the Doctor had been cast almost last minute, production wise, the rest of the characters had been cast earlier. Jonathan Frid would be joined by William Shatner, Lola Albright and Cynthia Pepper in the TARDIS. Shatner and Albright would be playing Dan Chesterfield and Jennifer Randall, the American series versions of Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, while Cynthia Pepper played Anna Fullbright, the Doctors niece instead of grand-daughter. This was because of the age difference between Frid and Pepper, with him being sixteen years older than her, compared to the thirty-two year age difference between original series actors Hartnell and Ford. As well, the professions of Shatner and Albrights characters were changed as well. Where Ian was the science teacher, and Barbara the history teacher, the positions were switched, partially to differentiate from the original characters, and partially as an early attempt at showing women in scientific roles. Beyond these changes, the school was of course moved to New York City, as opposed to London. However, to explain the police box nature of the TARDIS, it was mentioned that the chameleon circuit "it had worked when going to see the premier of A Hard Day's Night" in London, but had seemingly gotten stuck since then, forcing them to leave it in a scrap-yard.

Production continued apace, aside from a few minor issues, such as issues with the studio lighting and problems with the TARDIS interior set. The latter problem was partly due to some faulty wiring, which caused the electronics inside the central control console to short out and almost catch fire, and also picture issues on the exterior monitor screen. Despite these issues, the first episode managed to be produced on time and only a hundred dollars over-budget. That still left the remaining stories to be shot, thought not all of them would be done by the air-date. Despite the seemingly daunting issues ahead of them, the cast and crew remained in fairly good mood, happy to work on a show, even one as different and demanding in some ways as this one. Behind the scenes, there were a few rejected historical episodes, including one with Blackbeard the Pirate, and another with WWI. Both were deemed either too expensive or violent for the fare that the Ford Foundation and NET were looking for, though somehow the story involving the brutality of antebellum America slavery managed to sneak past, despite the fact it would almost certainly (and did) raise issues in southern affiliate stations. It would not be until the final story of the season as well that they would be permitted to begin adding in more science fiction elements than the Doctor and crew.

In is interesting that the writers of the historical stories did indeed do quite a bit of research. While the events depicted were fictionalized due to the involvement of time travelers and invented "historical" characters, they did take creating an educational series to heart. Consultants were brought in to assist in pronunciation of Japanese names as well as explain the historical situation during the events of Commodore Perry's "Opening" of Japan, and fashion in particular was of especial interest. While the interest was mainly to add flavor and some elements of actual education to the program, it nonetheless did help in combining information generally not depicted in popular media regarding certain historical periods with entertaining programing. While liberties were taken for the sake of the story, the general approach was to try and be as accurate as possible, and to work the facts into the story in a manner that didn't drop information in one large package, but also wasn't so sparse as to be like a desert, in the metaphorical way.

Closer to the air-date, NET and Serling began to promote the series. A series of advertisements were taken out in newspapers, magazines and TV Guide by Serling. NET affiliates began to announce a new show coming in the fall, as well as an interview with Rod Serling about his work in television and film. Most of the advertising, aside from Serlings was kept in-house however, to keep NET finances even as well as to not make the network seem too much like the larger, more commercial Big Three. Still, interest was noticeable, and NET viewership increased between August and September. The date for transmission crept closer and closer, as everyone continued to get ready. In the end, despite various issues and concerns, the first few serials were ready by the air-date. On September 17th, 1964, the first episode of The Man in the Box was broadcast at 7:00 P.M., EST. The network and producers would have to wait and see what would happen next...​

Chapter Text

Jonathan Frid
1964 - 1967
(September 17th, 1964 - May 4th, 1967)

Overview: The First Doctor was going to make or break American Who. Especially with a as of yet unknown talent like Frid. British Who had the benefit at least that Hartnell was at least a recognizable talent as the title character, having appeared in several films and other television roles before being cast as the First Doctor in Britain. The American series would be relying on a combination of the shows rather peculiar nature, and the ability of the actors and writing to hook the audiences. The initial reaction seemed fairly positive, though it wouldn't be until the third serial, Mark Twain, that reactions seemed to indicate the series was gaining a good audience. The show would continue to slowly gain a following throughout the first season, though it wouldn't be until the second season, with the introduction of The Collector, that the show began to pick up numbers that resembled those seen on Twilight Zone. Still, the numbers were enough to renew it for a second, and eventually a third season. Through his time on screen, Frid saw the departure of three companions, and the gaining of a new one who would remain through to the next Doctors "Renewal."

Of course, the show had its issues. The episode Follow the Drinking Gourd was pulled from potential rebroadcast by several Southern, and at least two Northern affiliate stations for its content regarding escaping slaves before the Civil War. The episode would not be rebroadcast in the South at least until the late 1970's. Some fan theories postulate that the introduction of an African-American actor as the next companion was made by the production team as a retort to this situation, though no evidence has ever come to light pointing out this incident as being the central factor, being more a combination of a desire to cast African-American actors in non-stereotypical roles and provide a positive role model in the audience. Indeed, the show would provide over time a staging ground for social commentary, much like Twilight Zone had been, though with a different approach to commenting than that show.

Regarding the main cast, it is interesting to note that despite a seven year age difference, and Shatners own more recognizable star, that he did have a rather good repartee off camera. Whether it was simply something that clicked between the two, or their shared background of being Canadians moving to America to make it in acting, it has been noted Shatner in a way, looked up to Frid. While working with Frid, Shatner would later admit that the older actor helped shape his personality a bit. "I realized that I was perhaps at times too focused on how acting affected me, about what I gained or took from a job. Sometimes that came from wanting to be a bit center of attention, which made me not exactly the easiest guy to work with." Shatner said there was no singular moment of revelation, but a slow realization over his time on Doctor Who about this. While some considered him hard to work with on his next big TV role, it was by that point more perfectionism than anything else, driving to provide the best performance possible for the audience. It is interesting to note that both Shatner, and eventually Frid, left the show for the same reason, that of both wanting to do something else, and also because of commitments. Shatner found himself traveling from a police box to a soon to be famous starship at Desilu, while Frid took a move from science fiction to gothic horror, having been tapped by ABC to star as a new character on a soap opera they were currently running. Both departed the show amicably at the respective times, leaving the way open for those to follow. Of course for Frid, his departure would be the first test if the British method of replacing the title character would be taken well at all in America...

Personality: The First Doctor (Frid) would have been both recognizable and yet different to British viewers, had they a chance to compare both shows at the same time. However, while American audiences would be able to compare series in 1968, when WCET Cincinnati was the first American station in NET to broadcast British Who, it would not be until the mid-1970's that American Who would land in Britain. What they did find when watching, was a roughly similar character to Hartnells Doctor, a mysterious elder(ish) figure who traveled through time and space in a police box, and who had several companions, among them a female relative. However, the similarities ended there. Where the Hartnell Doctor might be described anywhere between doddering, gruff old grandfather or an at times callous figure willing to leave companions behind, take them into danger, or even early on, bash a persons skull in, the American version was more...heroic, though not in the same vein as the traditional Western cowboy on television.

Where Hartnells Doctor eventually took time to soften into a more grandfatherly figure, Frids Doctor was already being written less as a more approachable figure. The American First Doctor was a more of an actual adventurer than the British Doctor, seeming to relish being thrust into different time periods, and later on, different worlds, and exploring. As well, the interactions with Dan and Jennifier are less confrontational than his counterpart in the original series, with him expressing genuine regret at taking them from their home time and place, and generally tends to be more supportive of them, though he nonetheless still cautions against meddling too much in time. He also was shown to have a tendency to become distracted by events, none moreso apparent than the episode The Decade That Roared in which he spends an increasing amount of time attempting to improve a distillery for Al Capone, leaving Dan to snap him out of his focus.

Yet, despite the character more approachable aspects, he still retained some of the mystery and aloofness of his counterpart. Frids portrayal seems to be that of a man who can find joy and wonder everywhere, but still has a bit of a shadowy nature as well. With the introduction of the Collector in Season 2, we begin to see this side of the character more, using a combination of planning and quiet manipulation to effect a result he needs, though being careful as well to make sure any damage is minimal. The Collector also allowed for an exploration of the Doctor and Anna's history, though given the British show took time before ever seeing or naming the homeworld of the Doctor, there were some early fluffs. For example, early stories with the Collector seem to hint that he is a human from the future with a time-machine, who has crossed paths with the Doctor before. However, once both series settled into the Doctor being an alien from an advanced race, the Collector was shifted to that as well, and eventually stories would be done which explored that examined both characters history together on their homeworld.

In the end, the First Doctor was capable of great joy, discovery, and approachable, while at times also being somewhat manipulative and aloof. Though his background nature was more firmly anchored as being an alien (rather than a human from another world as the British series seemed to imply early on, but later on dropped), he was more comfortable with others than his counterpart was at first, though over time his more alien tendencies did tend to slip through, especially with the stress of the Collector and later on the Daleks, having his more aggressive nature more prominent.

Companions:

• Dan Chesterfield (William Shatner) - S01E01 to S02E06
• Jennifer Randall (Lola Albright) - S01E01 to S02E06
• Anna Fullbright (Cynthia Pepper) - S01E01 to S03E03
• Arthur Jones (Greg Morris) - S02E10 - S04E09

Episodes to Watch:

• S01E01 The Man in the Box - The first American Who episode has the benefit of time to nail things down. Where The Unearthly Child had a problematic pilot and a re-shoot for broadcast, The Man in the Box managed to avoid some of plotting and production issues that plagued their British counterpart. While a relatively simple story once past the mystery of Ann and her Uncle, the exploits of the Doctor and company in Revolutionary America is plotted well enough that the mistaken identity caper doesn't feel too cliche, and there are some generally thrilling moments. As well, clever diorama work and effects help viewers feel like they are in colonial times. Some minor issues regarding the resolution of events, but overall a good first outing for the series.
• S01E04 The Black Ships - A classic episode of the first season, the story may not have the humor of The Decade That Roared, but it nonetheless is a solid outing. An early appearance of George Takei, who would later play a recurring role throughout the series as Capt. Fujiwara of ILIAD come season 5. The model work used to depict the US Navy ships and late Edo Period Japan is especially good, and was based on the work and attention to detail of Japanese special effects artist Eiji Tsuburaya.
• S02E01 Adrift - While technically based on Edge of Destruction, the first "bottle episode" for American Doctor Who manages to increase the tension through its use of surreal imagery and the effective use of Burgess Meredith as the Collector as a figment of the Doctors mind. With a redressing of sets of the TARDIS interior, the abandoned spaceship which the crew explore is rather creepy with the redress and re-lighting. Not the best episode of the season, but a good one with a bit of horror.
• S02E09 That Which Lies Buried - The first appearance of the Ancients, and one which takes the horror lessons learned in Adrift even further. The Lovecraftian nature of the Ancients is apparent, even though they do not share much beyond being powerful, ancient beings whose true purpose is unknowable and drives people to madness. The story of an archaeological expedition slowly falling apart to the forces of the Ancients allows for tension throughout, and plays like a loose adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness. Modelwork is again on form for the Ancients underground "city," which was also inspired by the Krell city in Forbidden Planet.
• S02E10 The Ultimate Collection - What seems to be the final confrontation with the Collector turns out to be only the real start of their rivalry. Meredith does an excellent turn as the Collector, and despite being dialogue heavy between him and Frid, the writing and actors allow for the scenes to work where in other shows they might have dragged on. Indeed, the talking sometimes can be the tensest part, as the two square off verbally, preparing for the inevitable "final" confrontation.
• S03E08 The Passing of the Torch - The ending of Frids era, and the beginning of another Doctors, it also is the first true appearance of the Daleks in the series (though they had featured in a brief cameo back in season 2 during the mind-games with the Collector in The Ultimate Collection). With their appearance here, Americans were introduced to what had become a brief mania in Britain. While never obtaining quite the level of popular merchandising that occurred in Britain, the Daleks are portrayed as effective, ruthless enemies who are also responsible for the first renewal/regeneration on the American series, something even the Collector couldn't do. An interesting note is the three Dalek models that were built for this episode were based on the designs used for the Cushing films, and were nicknamed Huey, Dewey and Louie for their color scheme (dark green, red and blue respectively). The three props survive to this day at the American Science Fiction Museum.

Chapter Text

Season One: Adventures in Time...

(Broadcast September 17th, 1964 - May 20th, 1965)​

S01E1 - The Man in the Box - Four episodes - New York schoolteachers Jennifer and Dan investigate their mysterious student Anna, and find out that there is more to her than she seems. Transported through time in her "uncles" time and space traveling machine, the group lands at Valley Forge during the harsh winter, where the Revolutionary Army effort is suffering. The Doctor finds himself mistaken for a colonial spymaster by both sides, and must extricate himself and the group, while also trying to find supplies stolen by black marketeers and returning them. Guest star John Crawford as George Washington.

S01E2 - Follow The Drinking Gourd - Four episodes - The TARDIS lands in 1860's America, where they must assist a group of runaway slaves to freedom across the Ohio River, while dealing with thugs, slave-catchers, and the dangers of the river on a tense chase to the North. Notable for having a predominant amount of black actors in the episode, as well as showing the hardships slaves and escaping slaves endured (as could be depicted on a TV budget). The episode was pulled from rebroadcast in several Southern affiliates as well a couple of Northern ones due to the subject matter. It wouldn't be rebroadcast until the 1970's.

S01E3 - Mark Twain - Four episodes - The elderly Mark Twain reminisces about a strange occurrence that had happened to him 50 years before, on a riverboat, concerning a strange man and his friends who came out of a wooden box, helped him in his resolve against slavery, and changed his life forever. Twain and the TARDIS crew meet various characters who will inspire Twain in the future, all while depicting the dangers of riverboat travel. Guest-starring Fredric March as Mark Twain and Brock Peters as Jim Goliath.

S01E4 - The Black Ships - Five episodes - Commodore Matthew H. Perry has returned to Japan, seeking the Japanese response to the communication provided on his earlier visit. As the Japanese try to deal with these strangers from America, they are also beset by another group of strangers, though these ones are stranger than others. Mistaken for both American representatives and foreign ones by both the Japanese and the American flotilla. Having to deal with the issues of both trying to keep the peace between the Japanese and Americans, as well as get back to the TARDIS, which was unfortunately taken and sold to a high lord of Japan as a curio, the TARDIS crew is in for some mischief. Guest starring George Takei as Okama the fisherman.

S01E5 - The Decade That Roared - Four episodes - A comedy involving the Doctor and friends attempting to stay out of the clutches of antsy bootleggers, and the overbearing presence of Al Capone. The TARDIS crew must stay one step ahead of Capone and his men while being allied with friendlier bootleggers, (one of them turns out to be a G-man); the Doctor, so enthused by it all, decides he wants to find a safer way to distill bootlegged gin, which Dan continually tries to frantically pry him away from in order to run from Capone/the cops. Guest-starring Neville Brand as Al Capone and William Demarest as 'Blackie' Sage.

S01E6 - Archimedes - Four episodes - During the Siege of Syracus by the Romans, the TARDIS lands in the lines between the city and the Roman armies only a few days before the death of Archimedes. The Doctor and Dan are drawn into the city, while Anna and Jennifer find themselves with the Romans. As both "teams" attempt to return to the TARDIS, the Doctor has a crises of conscious regarding leaving "one of your greatest minds to his fate", while Anna and Jennifer, despite their uncertainty regarding their captors, begin to see them in a somewhat sympathetic light, as many soldiers have lost their lives to the defensive weapons of Archimedes. During the final climax, the Doctor witnesses the "death" of the great man, though it is revealed at the end that perhaps he decided to break his rule about "altering things" as he watches a familiar old man sit in a park in Chicago in the near future, feeding the pigeons and ruminating on things.

S01E7 - San Juan Hill - Five episodes - The TARDIS crew are suddenly dropped into the middle of the Spanish-American War, and only Colonel Roosevelt can help them stay alive and out of battle. Dan finds himself dragged into battle as a volunteer with the Rough Riders, while Anna and Jennifer attempt to assist Cuban rebels against their Spanish masters. Meanwhile, the Doctor has a strange feeling that the crew are not the only time-travelers when he discovers what appears to be a observation spot, with some decidedly non-19th century amenities... Guest-starring John Alexander as Col. Theodore Roosevelt.

S01E8 - Napoleon Bonaparte - Five episodes - The crew arrives in Paris, 1806 during the time of of Napoleon Bonaparte and his expansion of France. As the Doctor and the others are dragged into a mystery surrounding the disappearance of some of the Emperors imperial jewels, a secondary theft from the French Naval Ministry is cause for concern for the Doctor. Forces are at work which could cause future problems for him and his friends... First appearance of the Collector. Played by Rod Serling in a brief cameo (his face is not visible), and voiced by Burgess Meredith for the brief laugh. 

Season Two: Adventures in Space..

(Broadcast September 16th 1965 - June 16th 1966)​

S02E1 - Adrift - Two episodes - The TARDIS lands on an abandoned space-freighter of the future. Similar to the British Doctor Who episode The Edge of Destruction, the TARDIS crew are the only major characters throughout who they meet physically. They are also affected by a gas that the Collector (who only appears briefly on video screens and as a figment of the Doctors fears) has pumped onto the freighter, in an attempt to test the Doctor and the crews abilities. Guest starring Burgess Meredith as the Collector.

S02E2 - The Midnight Trial - Four episodes - The crew land on the planet of Cellian-8, a world thought to be a vibrant world, but which is in fact has gone through a terrible cataclysm. The only apparent survivor of one of the great cities, Danos, is apparently being put on trial by the ghosts of those dead for his apparent inaction to prevent the catastrophe. The Doctor acts to uncover the mystery of what really happened, while Dan acts as the defense. But time is running out. Guest Starring Donald Pleasence as Danos.

S02E3 - A Mercurial Solution - Four episodes - The Doctor and the crew land in the year 2028, where humanity has made great strides in exploring the solar system. However, the world government is facing a crises as various members are threatened with blackmail, which could end in a crises of confidence with the people, and a possible break-up of the world-union. It is soon revealed the Collector is behind the blackmail, and the Doctor realizes that he may have to make some difficult decisions which test his ethics, or else see the World Government collapse... Guest Starring Burgess Meredith as the Collector.

S02E4 - The Comedian King of Galfern - Four episodes -Election season has come to the world of Galfern, a low-technology world in the Greater Human United Worlds. However, unlike other worlds where elections are for presidents or parliament members, on Galfern, the funniest contender becomes king. The Doctor must rescue his "Cousin" from being elected, after he was mistaken for the preferred candidate of the people. A comedic twist on the Prisoner of Zenda. Guest starring Ed Wynn as the Doctor's "Cousin"/Prince Jon of Galfern.

S02E5 - Full Fathom Five - Four episodes - The Doctor and company land in England 1610, where Shakespeare is gearing up to put on The Tempest... but a vengeful rival may scuttle it all. Jennifer, Dan, and Anna get involved in Shakespeare's troupe (Jennifer and Anna must pretend to be boys pretending to be girls), while the Doctor tries to head off Ben Jonson before he wreaks havoc on The Tempest. Guest-starring John Williams as William Shakespeare and Jonathan Winters as (a fictionalized) Ben Jonson.

S02E6 - The Final Crossing - Four episodes - The Doctor and the TARDIS crew land inside the Hindenburg during its fateful final voyage. Problems arise as secret saboteurs and an increasingly mentally stressed Dan Chesterfield compromise the ability of the Doctor and the crew to not only solve the mystery of the Hindenburg, but to also if Dan and Jennifer stay...or go. Final episode with Lola Albright and Will Shatner in the series.

S02E7 - Alterations - Four episodes -The Doctor and Anna decide to take a holiday to the pleasure world of Sigma Gamma, following the events of the previous adventure, where guests may choose to partake in any delights they choose. However, the Doctor and Anna meet the Collector, who seeks a powerful device which would allow a person to change time without consequences to himself. The Doctor and Anna must stop the Collector before he finds the device, else all time is at stake. Guest Starring Burgess Meredith as the Collector.

S02E8 - The Herdsmen of Aquarius - Four episodes - The TARDIS crash-lands in 12th-century Scotland, where the origins of the Loch Ness Monster are suddenly revealed. Semi-comedic story, though also somewhat bittersweet as well. Guest-starring Hans Conried as the Laird of McClaren/Grotyon the alien.

S02E9 - That Which Lies Buried - Four episodes -The Doctor and Anna arrive on the planet Xenia, which was once home to an ancient civilization, that disappeared millenia ago. They encounter Arthur Jones, an archaeologist for the Earth Exploratory Committee who is working his own private dig on the planet, attempting to uncover what happened. However, a rival seeks to find out first, and will stop at nothing to sabotage Arthur. Yet, the planets secrets may be ones which had best be kept buried. First appearance of Greg Morris on the series. Also first appearance of the Ancients, a Lovecraftian inspired race, which would return in future. Note: Despite claims, the Great Intelligence was not a rip-off of the Ancients. British Who, while inspired by Lovecraft to a degree, had already created an intellectual being which controlled servants and plotted domination in the story The Web Planet, where the primary antagonist is the Animus. Indeed, the ties between the Great Intelligence and the Animus would be made clear in a minor line between the Doctor and the Great Intelligence during their confrontation in the London Underground in The Web of Fear. Matheson admitted that the biggest inspiration had been the Krell race from Forbidden Planet, only they had become corrupted, instead of destroyed by their powers.

S02E10 - The Ultimate Collection - Five episodes -The showdown between the Doctor and the Collector comes to a head in this episode, as the Doctor, Anna, and new companion Arthur Jones arrive on the Collectors private world, where he stores the treasures he has taken from history for his own personal pleasure. The Doctor intends to confiscate and return the stolen items, but the his foe will have none of that. A climatic mental battle occurs in a special chamber between the Collector and the Doctor. The Collectors world is destroyed at the end of the battle, but not before the Doctor manages to spirit away most of the collection back to their original worlds. The Collector is assumed to have perished, but the Doctor notes that he fears that the Collector will return.... Note: Meredith had several other obligations which meant he could not commit to the shooting schedule or return for the next season. While originally intended as a means of writing the character off, the popularity of the Collector meant he'd be written back in later on, with Meredith reprising the role through the rest of the classic series. Guest starring Burgess Meredith as the Collector.

Season Three: Bowing Out

(Broadcast September 15th 1966 - May 4th, 1967)​

S03E01 - The Bank Heist - Four episodes - The TARDIS lands in the late 1800s. Arthur is amazed to see his species past; as an archaeologist, this is really something stupendous. The Doctor is pleased by his enthusiasm, but Anna can feel something bad is about to happen and is reticent to go out. She turns out to be all too right when the team visits the local bank. The date is September 7th, 1876 and the place is Northridge, Minnesota. The James-Younger Gang is in town, and they're about to perform their famous bank heist with the TARDIS crew right in the middle of it! Note: This episode in some ways was inspired by the British Who episode of The Gunfighters, which had been broadcast earlier that year. However, with the O.K. Corral being especially well know, the writers took their hand at another popular western character, Jesse James. Hoffman's Jesse James however was an unpleasant individual unable to live with the defeat of the Confederacy. There is a certain satisfaction in watching Arthur deck James during one point in the proceedings. Guest starring Dustin Hoffman as Jesse James.

S03E02 - Britannia - Six episodes - Having been turned down by the BBC's Doctor Who under its original title Britain 408AD, Malcolm Hulke decided he would try his luck with the American production. Hulke's storyline focused on the TARDIS arriving in the midst of the Roman departure from Britain circa 408AD. However, this is compounded by the frequent clashes between the indigenous Celts and Saxons. At the end of the story, the travelers are forced to flee back to the ship whilst being chased by the native peoples. Note: Despite rumors, the latin pun names of the Romans was an original idea by one of the shows writers, and not a reference to the Asterix series as some fan theories have claimed. However, Asterix would later be alluded to in a future episode where the Doctor states that "Caesar nearly conquered all of Gaul, though there was that tiny little bit in Brittany." Guest starring Martin Landau and David Carradine as Roman Centurions.

S03E03 - The Lullaby of Doom - Four episodes - The planet Merrem 3 in the far future. The travelers find an entire civilization that has simply dropped into a deep REM sleep apropos of nothing. A strange plant has coated the city, and soon covers up the TARDIS, too. The Doctor notes a strange, soothing, barely audible tone permeating the air. Arthur soon passes out, and the Doctor is fading fast. It may very well be up to Anna to save the day... Final episode to feature Cynthia Pepper (Anna) as a regular.

S03E04 - Do Not Disturb - Four episodes - A motel in the heartland of America is host to a strange series of ghostly incidents. The manager, Mister Hartland, is insistent that nothing's going on - perhaps a little too insistent, the Doctor thinks. Arthur, meanwhile, keeps seeing an indistinct figure beckoning him to the bathroom in Room 5B. Just what is going on? Are these really ghosts? Is Hartland responsible for the whole thing? And just when will room service get here? Guest starring Arnold Moss as Mister Hartland.

S03E05 - The Pirates - Four episodes - The TARDIS lands near a marina in New England, where there's been reports of ships going missing. It's rumored that all of them disappeared after a thick, unnatural fog rolled in and consumed the ships. The Doctor is very intrigued, wanting to charter a vessel to go out immediately. Arthur is hesitant, not wanting to disappear like the crews of the ships. The Doctor assures him that bringing the TARDIS along shall solve that problem, as "it's impervious to any sort of harm!" Soon, out on the open ocean, the Doctor, Arthur, and the crew find that it's not a bank of fog they have to deal with, but alien pirates (the Erxuna) intent on selling the ships' crews into interdimensional slavery! Guest starring Karl Bruck as Captain Kurtzman and Sebastian Cabot as the Erxunan Captain.

S03E06 - A Matter of Time - Two episodes - After the TARDIS stalls out, the crew find strange, immobile figures stock still in the middle of the control room. After a while, it becomes clear that the figures are immobile due to the fact they experience time differently than the rest of the universe. To them the TARDIS crew is moving impossibly quickly, like blurs. The Doctor builds a machine that will possibly help the figures sync up with the crew's perception, only for it to fail. The creatures age to death before the Doctor and Arthur's eyes. The TARDIS re-animates, lands, and is empty for some time while the Doctor and Arthur bury the explorers. Guest starring Billy Dee Williams and Madlyn Rhue as the Figures. Considered one of the best First Doctor stories, if a little depressing.

S03E07 - The Grand Race - Four episodes - Somehow, the TARDIS crew ends up in a cross-country race on the planet Mochane. From the kooky Professor Lyre, to quick-witted Magenta Purdue, or the towering Brozglor the Devastator, all the various participants are all incredibly competitive and ludicrously driven. Can the Doctor and Arthur win? Or will they be picked off by the other competitors? A comic story and Frid's penultimate one, it's considered a love it or hate it affair, due to it being loose parody of the film The Great Race which had come out in 1965. Guest starring Barbara Feldon as Magenta and Eddie Anderson as Professor Lyre.

S03E08 - The Passing of the Torch - Five episodes - The Doctor's past has caught up with him, much to his horror. It comes in the shape of the Daleks, an old and ruthless enemy the Doctor has crossed in the past. Left almost powerless in the face of this threat, the Doctor gives his all but knows that this is his swansong. Managing to just barely eliminate the immediate Dalek threat with an auto-destruct sequence, the mysterious old traveler staggers back to his ship, Arthur in tow, and dies... but a new man is born from the metaphorical ashes of conflict. The torch has been passed to a new Doctor.... First appearance of the Daleks in American Who, last regular appearance of Jonathan Frid as the First Doctor, and introducing Adam West as the Second Doctor.

Chapter Text

Changes

Television had been described in 1961 by FCC Chairman Newton Minow as a "vast wasteland," where one had to search for good programming. He had acknowledged there was indeed good television, but that the vast majority did not serve the public interest in educating, informing, or providing quality entertainment. Years later, Minow would say the phrase "vast wasteland" was remembered too much over the subject he was talking about, the "public interest." Throughout the 1960's, one could possibly agree with him that television was a wasteland, where networks vying for money and viewership created programs designed to the appeal to the demographic at the time they believed would spend the money advertisers wanted, the parents in the households. Indeed, one of the most popular soap operas of the late 1960's and early 1970's, was ended partially because its demographic skewed to the teenage and young college set, a demographic who had neither the money or interest in the traditional products pushed during the programming such as home appliances. It would be another decade or two at least that networks and shows would begin looking at other demographics beyond the traditional for their programming.

Which was why NET was in a rather...unique, position. Technically a network in name only, it was primarily an alliance of independent public stations across the country, which shared programming to the affiliate stations, rather than being required to take it. It had produced since 1954 various educational and journalistic programming, targeting an adult audience in terms of approach to the subject matter. In 1961, it had imported the An Age of Kings productions from the BBC, and had by that point increased its programming output to ten hours, weekly. By 1963, NET was aiming to become a rival of the Big Three, producing in-depth journalistic pieces on various subjects such as racism, politics, the geopolitical situation and so on, though for some affiliates these pieces often were perceived to have a visibly liberal slant. This was partially because NET had had its HQ in both Ann Arbor, Michigan and now New York City, one home to the University of Michigan, the other the largest city in the country. Still, despite this, it's desire to be the Fourth Network seemed to elude it, and there were those who saw such a thing happening as...problematic.

Doctor Who changed all that. While expensive, the show gained affiliates viewers. More than they had seen before, and it seemed that it wasn't likely to stop. The show, at least in its original form, was educational, but also entertaining to families, a demographic that NET was just beginning to realize could be focused on. Of course, the issue with an expensive show being produced by a public television is that producing it is harder when you don't rely on commercials and traditional sponsors. NET was reliant on funding from the government at both the state and federal level, donations and monetary underwriting from organizations like the Ford Foundation, Sears-Roebuck, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. This was especially problematic when the production of the hard-hitting journalistic programs threatened to alienate said organizations due to the controversy, and a lack of funding could spell the end. NET already had those who felt it was a problem, both from a critical standpoint regarding said programs, and from a financial stand-point, due to the need for continued funding.

With Who, NET had something to entice the donators to stay, even with those news programs causing concern. But even with its popularity, the show was going to be a drain, unless they could find another way to fund it. Which is when Dalekmania comes into the picture.

As part of the deal with the BBC, the production teams on both sides shared information, and even traded stories when they couldn't find interested parties at home. Indeed, one of the stories from Season 3 had been written by British writer Malcolm Hulke. One of the things that the NET production team learned about was Dalekmania, which had risen following the introduction of the pepperpot menaces in their debut story. The reaction was a sort of mania close to what a certain Liverpudlian band had for them around the same time. Such was the interest, that the BBC and Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks and holder, were inundated with requests for licensing Dalek and Doctor Who products. Models, clothing, toys, costumes, ray-guns, comics...all these began to appear in stores across the U.K., while new stories featuring the villains were being written and produced. Eventually, the mania saw cinematic adaptations (in the loose sense) of the first two Dalek stories, starring Peter Cushing as a human inventor who travels and does battle with the Daleks.

It was this flurry of licensing deals with various toy-makers that allowed Doctor Who in America to continue on, and for NET to survive as a "network." Licensing agreements were made in the United States for their series as well, among which Hasbro was the first major toy company to be given a license during Season 2. Children would find Doctor Who playsets and action figures for them based along the lines of Hasbros new G.I. Joe line. Royalty fees were paid to NET, which split the profits with the BBC, and the funding was shoveled back into the shows production budget, lessening to the cost to NET donators. Still, this would require changes at NET, and it would begin in the late 1960's to move towards programming for families and children. One of these programs was a little production at WQED Pittsburgh, starring an ordained Presbyterian minister and his puppets. Having returned in 1966 from working up in Canada, Fred Rogers show was popular at WQED and the Eastern Educational Network (a smaller, regional cooperative than the NET) stations which showed it. However, it had trouble financing, until NET pointed some of the donation organizations towards it. The chance was worth it, and the show, along with the later Sesame Street, would become two more flagship shows of NET.

Changes in finances and programming aside, one of the biggest changes would be changing the Doctor. In the U.K., the BBC was justifiably concerned about losing a program with such a draw as Doctor Who, finances aside. But by early 1966, it was becoming apparent that Hartnell was no longer able to continue in the role as he had been. His physical health and somewhat cool feelings towards a new production staff, as well as being a bit prickly in general, eventually led to his departure. Which meant figuring out if the show was ending, or if there was some way of replacing the lead. The idea that came up involved the Doctors alien origin, at this point now actually confirmed, though his species name or planet had yet to be created. This "rejuvenation/renewal/regeneration" (for some time the exact terminology was confusing on what it exactly was), would allow for a new actor to step into the role without too much fuss. Hopefully.

In America, it wasn't unheard of to change the leads of a show up. In Maverick, when James Garner had left following a dispute with the Warners, the show already had Jack Kelly as brother Bart Maverick, and eventually a few other members of the Maverick clan, to fill in. However, the shows popularity struggled following the loss of Garner, and it wasn't exactly the best way of replacing a lead. The British method would have to do anyways, and at least made sense from an in-universe perspective. The issue of course was coming up for a reason to change, and how to do so in-story. For the first reason, at this point, Frid was looking to move on, hoping to try new things and not become typecast. Having been contracted to work for ABC on Dark Shadows, the gothic soap operas demanding shooting schedule would conflict with other work, so it was time to go. Finding the man to replace him seemed to be difficult, until Adam West arrived. Having recently gained notoriety for his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman on the ABC Batman series, West had heard from recurring guest star Burgess Meredith that Doctor Who was a program to get involved in. Looking to audition for a guest role, he found himself being asked if he'd like to take over as the lead. After some consideration, West agreed, though he would need time to finish his obligation to ABC for the rest of Batman, which despite having had a mania of its own, was petering out in its third season. A deal was struck, and West was to become the next Doctor.

But how to induce this "regeneration?" The answer came again from the Daleks...specifically, to finally license them for American use. After some wrangling with Terry Nation, as well as purchasing the design from AARU Productions, the creatures were finally able to appear in full on American television (the cameo earlier in Season 2 not being counted for being so short). The writers were tasked with making them both a true threat to the Doctor and to help sell the regeneration. Indeed, they are very much dangerous, providing an enemy from the which the Doctor is desperate to escape at the beginning, and are portrayed as relentless and dangerous. Since they would have to be introduced without a full serial devoted to a backstory, the information would be imparted through dialogue. In conversations with companion Arthur, the Doctor mentions that he and Anna had encountered the Daleks before arriving on Earth, having been involved in a centuries long war against another species on their homeworld. Together, they assisted the peaceful survivors of the other race in seemingly ending the Dalek threat, but because of the nature of time-travel, he was uncertain if they had truly been ended. The story being recounted is of course is a pared down version of The Daleks.

Eventually, the Daleks manage a Pyrrhic victory against the Doctor, their saucer damaged and presumably destroyed, they nonetheless manage to shoot him, forcing a regeneration, passing the torch from Frid, to West...​

Chapter Text

Adam West
1968 - 1971
(September 19th, 1968 - July 15th, 1971)
​

Overview: Adam West began his tenure following a hiatus, the first in the shows history, and it was due to finishing his obligations with ABC's Batman. The show would have to take a hiatus if they wanted West to star in it, and so it did. Viewers were not Who-less in America however during the absence from the air-waves. In 1967, when the hiatus had been announced, other parties were interested in getting in on the licensing wagon, among them Hanna-Barbera, who would produce the short-lived Adventures of Doctor Who animated series. Due to the studios quick turnaround in their animation, the show was ready by the fall of 1967, and its first season of twenty-four episodes began. Starring comedic actor Don Adams as the cartoon Doctor, the show borrowed heavily from the earlier Mr. Peabody's Improbable History segments on Rocky and Bullwinkle, with Adams Doctor playing a comedic counterpart to the wackiness of the mixed up history. Episodes involved changed figures and events which the Doctor had to put back on track because of interference from the Collector, voiced by Hans Conried. Such mix-ups included the Lincoln-Douglas Debates being a series of wrestling matches, Thomas Edison designing a "better type of wax candle," and Alexander Graham Bell promoting tin-can phones. However, the format wasn't enough to last, and the show only lasted two seasons. It finally found a DVD release in 2009.

For those interested in the production aspect, one place they might find some information was on Mister Rogers Neighborhood. One of the first field trip segments involved a visit to the set of Doctor Who by Rogers, to help children understand how television was a sort of make-believe. The segment was also one of the first to show a Dalek operator, as well as the TARDIS set. The segment is memorable for the bit where Rogers is allowed to operate Dalek Dewey, before being helped out and explaining how while it might appear scary and intimidating, it is in fact another part of the make-believe.

Finally, West was able to finish his commitments to Batman in mid 1967, though the episodes would be broadcast until early 1968. Now able to work full time on Doctor Who, West found himself now working on the East Coast instead of the West, necessitating finding living spaces in New York, as it was unlikely NET affiliates out west could afford to film the program. As well, Serling was paring down his production role, as he hoped to try doing anthology work again with a new program he was cooking up. Season 4 would be his last major involvement in the day to day aspects of the show, and would generally remain to do writing and other work. As well, 1967-1968 had been busy for him, working on developing the initial (though not final) script for Planet of the Apes. While remaining executive producer of Interlaken, the main production aspect of the series was turned over to Joseph "Joe" Stefano, who had worked on The Outer Limits as a producer for the first season, and had been screenwriter for Psycho.

Production began properly in 1968, which also saw a revamped control/console room in the TARDIS. This was explained as being part of the vessels internal repairs following the battle with the Daleks necessitating changes. The changes were minor compared to the Third Doctor era, however. Another change was the look of the Doctor. Wests costume was changed to a contemporary style suit, though of a good quality, compared to the "fifty years out of style" Inverness cape and suit of Frid. Despite the fact West was only four years younger than his predecessor, his looks and personality would convey a "younger" man at the controls. Cast wise, the Doctor would carry over Arthur Jones, played by Greg Morris, though the latter would leave at the end of Season Four because of his own obligations on Mission: Impossible and the problems of East and West coast travel. However, the Doctor would not be without companions. Introduced in the third episode would be the character of Etsuko, played by Miiko Taka, who would remain throughout the remainder of Wests run. While not companions, the characters of Col. Arnold Latimer-Stuart and Capt. George Fujiwara of ILIAD would be introduced in Season Five, and remain a continued presence throughout the classic series. It would also see the introduction of the Cybermen to American Doctor Who in Season 5, though Season 4 had "legal department friendly" proto-Cybermen beings in the episode Storage.

West would remain with the show for three seasons, eventually leaving in a desire not to be potentially typecast as he had as Batman (unfortunately, this was not to be the case, a general pitfall every long-running actor on either the British or American series would face.) His tenure was marked by several stories which dealt with horror elements, from the aforementioned proto-Cybermen to actual Cybermen, and the continued appearances of the Ancients, and some consider his the start of the series trend towards being scarier, an issue that would rear its head later. Still, the West years are fondly remembered, and his companion Etsuko Sato remains popular to this day among the companions in the early years. West would for some time attempt to remain out of the spotlight regarding his two most memorable roles, but after coming to terms with his fandom, he would remain active on convention circuits for both series until his death in 2017.

Personality: Where Frid's Doctor might have been deemed a "gentleman adventurer in time and space" with a bit of a chess-master thrown in, the Doctor as portrayed by West was portrayed more as being a non-camp version of his Bruce Wayne persona on Batman. This was not to say he was a complete transplant, but he shared similar traits, such as a love of Earth music and art (the First Doctor tended to primarily prefer Earth literature compared to other cultural products), and was shown to be more professional in his dealings with authority. A trait that disappeared by the end of the Fourth Season was him also being a bit weary, a holdover from his violent regeneration at proverbial hands of the Daleks. This was removed when it was felt it made him a bit too morose for young viewers, and he became a bit more open and emotional in Season Five.

This was not to say the Doctor didn't have his lighter side. West's Doctor was prone to making some light-hearted quips, though his humor tended to be drier than his predecessor, preferring to wrly (and very rarely, sarcastically) comment on the actions of those around him, especially authority figures he couldn't easily work with or the villain of the episode. As well, the Doctor as portrayed by West had his own hobbies which helped showcase that not all his time was spent tootling around the universe in boredom, having been depicted as a fan of painting and model trains. Funnily enough, the British Who short story Model Train Set written in the late 1990's by Jonathan Blum also had the Doctor a fan of model trains, and would eventually be adapted by the American series for a 2012 Red Nose Day special.

One of the things about the Second Doctors personality was whether he had romantic inclinations towards companion Etsuko. The series nature regarding the Doctors own feelings remained vague, and issues in the late 1960's and early 1970's of depicting interracial attraction meant it was problematic doing so. The infamous Kirk/Uhura on kiss on Star Trek (which it must be stated was against their will in-story) had caused a bit of an uproar in several NBC affiliates in areas where such a thing was most certainly not done. As well, there was the issue of whether the Doctor should remain chaste and aloof from romance or be open to it. While British Who had portrayed the First Doctor as possibly open to the idea in the serial The Aztecs, it had remained rather quiet afterwards. Officially, the production team at NET stated that the relationship was a platonic mentor and student relationship, though fanon soon had their own ideas.

In some ways, the Second Doctor was a planner to the First's more quiet manipulations, and his general respect with authority (aside from early disagreements with Col. Latimer-Stuart) seemed to come from a realization he couldn't do everything alone, no matter how much he wanted to. It would be this realization that would see him decided without debate, in his final episode, that when confronted with the possibility of an temporal prison designed in the dark days of his people in the War against the Ancients, he must call on the Time Lords to help clear the mess before the galaxy, let alone the universe, falls to them. Certainly, few Doctors afterwards would display quite as much desire to ask his fellow Time Lords for assistance, preferring to generally only ask when no other option was open, and even then feeling like they were betraying their principles a little.

The self-doubt trait however wouldn't entirely go away, even after his regeneration in 1971. But that would be for the next Doctor to deal with.

Companions:

• Arthur Jones (Greg Morris) - S04E01 to S04E09
• Etsuko Sato (Miiko Taka) - S04E03 to S06E10
• Colonel Arnold Latimer-Stuart (Whit Bissell) - Recurring role classic series.
• Capt. George Fujiwara (George Takei) - Recurring role classic series

Episodes to Watch:

• S04E01 The Society of Evil - The first Adam West episode starts off his tenure with the return of the Ancients, and their emissary as played by Frank Gorshin. Gorshin brings his unhinged best in the final act, managing to top even his craziest performances as the Riddler.
• S04E03 The Fatal Blossom - The introductory episode to new companion Etusko Sato sees the Doctor battling an attempt by the Ancients to conquer Meiji Japan through the burgeoning telegraph system. Classic and bittersweet episode, the Ancients are again a rather chilling menace.
• S04E05 Storage - Aka the one with the "Not Cybermen." Due to legal issues tying up licensing the Cybermen until the next season, this episode nonetheless still has a chilling appearance of rather horrifying looking cyborgs, or at least as horrifying as a late 1960's budget would allow.
• S04E08 The Death Pushers - A new foe is introduced here, and new lore is added, in that regeneration/renewals can be taken and given to others. As well, the titular Death Purshers would be the third original recurring foe originally introduced in the American series.
• S05E04 The Mold of Destruction - In this adaptation of the British serial The Web of Fear, the cast tangles with an Ancients plot to take over New York City through its subway system. Notable for the first appearance of ILIAD, and Whit Bissell and George Takei as series semi-regulars over the next few decades.
• S05E05 From Out of the Shadows - Controversial when it aired for remarking on the future history and apartheid in South Africa, this is another effective horror episode as the Doctor and Etsuko find themselves dealing with a dangerous creature in the middle of the Second Boer War.
• S05E08 - The Cybermen Cometh - First appearance of the Cybermen in American Who, they present quite the threat to the Doctor and company.
• S06E09 Dominant Species - It's Dalek vs Cybermen in this explosive episode, as Daleks and Cybermen fight in the heart of San Francisco for control and eventually dominance of Earth itself. Only the Doctor and ILIAD can save the day...
• S06E10 - Conduit - The Collector comes back, and this time, he's got an object which might grant him all he wants...or might it unleash a prison dimension holding hordes of the Ancients! The Doctor gives his all, but, alas, it's time to move on. Say goodbye Adam West, say hello Ross Martin. Oh, and the Time Lords appear to clean up the mess, ala The War Games.

Chapter Text

S04E01 - Society of Evil - Six episodes - The Doctor doesn't remember who he is, and Arthur isn't quite sure of the man either, but the universe doesn't care. No, there are bigger fish to fry. The Ancients are back, having manipulated an entire society into their loyal servants, and it's up to the Doctor to stop them... even if his senses, his memories, and possibly his companion are against him.

Guest starring Frank Gorshin as the Ancients' Emissary.

S04E02 - On the Other Side - Four episodes - Doctor Hinklemann of Mars University has developed a portal to another dimension that looks like ours, but flipped horizontally. Everyone's more or less the same, or so it seems. The Doctor and Arthur are amazed, even moreso when they meet their doubles. However, late at night, something comes through the portal and absconds with Doctor Hinklemann. Something big, hairy, and lupine. Something that everyone on the other side can turn into. Will our heroes be able to get out of this hair-raising adventure alive?

Guest starring Stanley Adams as Doctor Hinklemann and his werewolf double.

S04E03 - The Fatal Blossom - Six episodes - Japan, 1885. The end of the Meiji period is slowly creeping up, but the populace are unaware. After all, a brand new, top of the line telegram system is being installed! Beautiful Etsuko goes with her father Hiroshi to see one of the machines demonstrated. When her father uses it, though, he immediately gains an unearthly pallor and dead, unfocused eyes, becoming unresponsive. The Doctor and Arthur soon become involved, only to find the Ancients are back again, this time using the telegram system in to possess and use people to form a psychic array (the titular blossom) through which they can merge into one, unstoppable creature.

First appearance of Miiko Taka on the series. Guest starring Mako Iwamatsu as Hiroshi.

S04E04 - The Alternative Factor - Four episodes - After flying through a freak electrical disturbance in space, the TARDIS makes a bumpy landing on the planet Geckil, where nothing is what it seems. After a long, 56 hour day, the inhabitants sequester themselves away from the rest of the world. The reason why is soon very clear. Nighttime on this planet makes the natives turn into hideous, bloodthirsty beasts. The sequestering is just a courtesy - something to buy any straggling offworlders time to escape. But the TARDIS crew can't escape. They can't even get inside the TARDIS until it's repaired itself...

S04E05 - Storage - Two episodes - The TARDIS lands on a remote asteroid, only to find a breathable atmosphere and a vast cryogenic storage center at the heart of the asteroid. Various humanoid lifeforms have been partially cyberneticized, and they begin to thaw out when the Doctor falls into a control panel, ending their long sleep. Their memories are scrambled, but they know they must convert the travelers... it's only logical.

Guest starring King Donovan as the Leader. These beings are proto-Cybermen, but never identified as such to avoid copyright issues.

S04E06 - The Amazons - Four episodes - On a far-flung world, women dominate. As soon as they exit the TARDIS, the crew is captured. The Doctor and Arthur are imprisoned for being male while Etsuko is pampered like a prized petunia. It soon becomes clear that this society was recently male dominated. Arthur and the Doctor quickly stage a rebellion on the principles of total equality between the sexes, only for the men to seize control and try to re-establish their dominance. Caught between the two sides, the TARDIS crew is soon in over their heads.

Guest starring Imogene Coca as Bellita and John Clarke as Orston. A particularly memorable moment occurs when Arthur decks a man who implies he's going to rape Etsuko.

S04E07 - Return of the Daleks - Four episodes - While enjoying a casual day by a babbling brook, the Doctor's companions are abducted by the Daleks. The Doctor is forced to perform various evil deeds and steal a number of ominous parts for the Daleks, all in the name of building some sort of machine, for his companions' safety. In the end, they attempt to exterminate all three of the travelers anyway, only to have their weapons neutralized by the Doctor's sonic device. (It's never explicitly stated to be a screwdriver.) The crew beats a hasty retreat, but the Daleks have what they need. The Dalek Leader commands his subordinates to begin work on the device immediately. The looming enemy must be defeated.

Guest starring Paul Frees and Hans Conried as the voices of the Daleks.

S04E08 - The Death Pushers - Four episodes - The TARDIS arrives on the planet Cosiran Major. The current expansionist government of planet Earth has hit a snag here, and a survey ship has arrived not one hundred yards from where the TARDIS has set down. The planet has apparently been swept up in a wave of willing suicides... only the people come back. The Doctor is floored. Another species has stolen his gift of renewal and have turned it into a commercial addictive drug! A game of wits ensues between the mysterious Death Pushers and the Doctor...

Guest starring Thurl Ravenscroft and James Earl Jones as the voices of the Death Pushers. An important concept is set up here, stating that (at least in the American continuity) renewals can be stolen and redistributed.

S04E09 - Two Roads Diverged - Six episodes - A new ruler, Hallion Roghast has come into power in the country of Ivenheim. He demands appeasement from the peoples he now dominates, and the resistance has evidently been crushed. Hope is a far-flung concept here... but then the Doctor and his companions arrive. Working with the resistance, which has actually been deep in hiding and biding its time, they make short work of Roghast but leave an enormous mess in their wake. Arthur elects to stay behind and help rebuild.

Final story to feature Greg Morris (Arthur) as a regular.

S05E01 - The Ants - Four episodes - Having been rejected by the British production, Roger Dixon did the same as Malcolm Hulke before him and crossed the pond. This story caught the eye of producer Joe Stefano, who enjoyed the B-movie feel of the piece. Here, the TARDIS brings the Doctor and Etsuko to the Nevada Desert, where they discover they have been shrunk to a tenth of an inch in height. To make matters worse, they learn that the local ants have been made super-intelligent by atomic bomb tests and plan to take over the Earth.

Guest starring June Foray and Rod Serling as the voices of the ants.

S05E02 - The Augmentation of Udrean - Four episodes - The planet Udrean has changed hands, with the government being little more than a puppet. The native Udreans are forced to augment their bodies in strange ways, and their minds are becoming more and more logical. The Doctor worries about what might be going on, noting the similarities to the cyborgs seen in Storage. He confronts the Udrean's Overseeing Council, who try to kill him on the spot. Etsuko manages to reprogram the technology to short-circuit, which has an unfortunate side effect of killing anyone who has received an "upgrade", much to the horror of the crew. Due to an alarm going off in the TARDIS, the Doctor fails to grab a sample of the technology, which blinks back to life after the ship leaves. In a remote chamber, the one Udrean councilman with no augments struggles to a console, informing his superiors of the Doctor's interference. They respond that they know of him, and that he shall be dealt with swiftly and decisively. In the meantime, the augments shall keep the corpses of the population working as adequate slaves before their final augmentation...

Uncredited appearance by Frank Welker as the voice of the Cybermen, who are heard but not seen to avoid copyright issues once again.

S05E03 - The Fantastic Land of Dreams - Four episodes - The TARDIS is sucked through a portal in space, landing on a remote beach. Both travelers are amazed, noting that the sand is sugar and the sea is lemonade, which is just like Etsuko's dream from the night before. The crew walk through the undergrowth of the tropical island, Etsuko noting that it's filled with all her favorite plants. Finally, they come to a glade within the forest, and find the source of all dreams: the goddess Alliandra. The goddess invites them to stay and alleviate her loneliness, and won't take no for an answer.

Guest starring Agnes Moorehead as Alliandra.

S05E04 - The Mold of Destruction - Six episodes - Landing in the New York subway system, the Doctor and Etsuko find it to be filled with a black mold that seems to pour out of the electrified tracks. Etsuko touches it and draws back, wounded. Managing to get above in search of a hospital, they find the hustle and bustle of New York City to be absent. No one is out and about, except a secret military organization calling themselves Irregular Intelligence And Defense (or ILIAD) under the command of Colonel Arnold Latimer-Stuart. He and the Doctor start at loggerheads, with the Doctor wanting to learn more about this threat while the Colonel wants to destroy it. Eventually they put aside their differences to deal with the real threat - Etsuko, whose encounter with the mold has turned her into the Ancients' new Emissary.

First appearance of Whit Bissell on the series. Guest starring George Takei as Captain George Fujiwara. The episode is a transplanted adaptation of British Who's Web of Fear, and Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln are "credited" for the story base.

S05E05 - From Out of the Shadows - Four episodes - Landing in the Orange Free State in South Africa around the turn of the century, the Doctor realizes they've landed slap-bang in the midst of the Second Boer War. But that's not all the health hazards inherent to this area. A hideous, ursine beast stalks the night, picking off Boers and Englishmen alike...

Guest starring Ned Beatty as General Peter de Wet.

S05E06 - The Imperator - Two episodes - The Doctor has apparently met his match in a man calling himself the Imperator. The Imperator wishes to conquer the Seluyvan Empire, which spans across several galaxies, in "the first step to gaining ultimate power". The Doctor challenges him to a match of wits, the winner of which will do what they see fit with the empire. But the Imperator, as befitting a villain, plays dirty!

Guest starring Vaughn Taylor as the Imperator and Roger C. Carmel as the Seluyvan Emperor.

S05E07 - Prey for a Miracle - Four episodes - A being named Orion arrives on Earth, promising to give salvation to all who accept it as the one true ruler of all. To further its point, it performs amazing, shocking feats that awe all onlookers. People flood in droves... but Orion's intent is far more sinister than he's letting on.

Guest starring Don Keefer as Orion and Paul Frees as the voice of Orion's ship.

S05E08 - The Cybermen Cometh - Six episodes - The freak electrical disturbance in The Alternative Factor, the storage facility seen in Storage, the enemy mentioned by the Daleks in Return of the Daleks, the mysterious superiors heard in The Augmentation of Udrean. It's all been leading up to this. The Cybermen are here... and they want the Earth. The Doctor's going to face his deadliest enemies yet, but he's looking forward to the challenge.

Guest starring Whit Bissell as Colonel Latimer-Stuart, George Takei as Captain Fujiwara, and Frank Welker as the voice of the Cybermen.

Season Six: Calling the Bluff
(Broadcast September 24th, 1970 - July 15th, 1971)
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S06E01 - The Dark Planet - Four episodes - Another submission rejected by the British show, Brian's Hayles's story saw the TARDIS land on a planet which is alleged to be Earth's twin, orbiting on the opposite side of the Sun, whose revolution is such that one hemisphere is always dark. Venturing out onto its surface, the time travellers find themselves drawn into an age-old conflict between the two species residing on the planet - the People of Light and the People of Shadow. Proving a catalyst for the escalation of the conflict, the Doctor and Etsuko need either to create a peace or to pick a side.

Guest starring Eartha Kitt as the Light Commander and Richard Kiel as the Shadow Lord.

S06E02 - The Witch Trials - Four episodes - The TARDIS lands in Salem during the height of the witch trials, the cross-phase capacitor having been burnt out by the People of Shadow in the climax of the previous adventure. Unfortunately, it does this in front of more or less the whole town and the crew is quickly decried as practitioners of witchcraft and jailed awaiting trial. They break out and burst in on a trial, where the Doctor calmly proves Mary Walcott's innocence (not even realizing who she is), and at first things seem to be going pretty swimmingly. But then a device falls from the Doctor's pocket and breaks, causing an energy burst that vaporizes a section of the wall... The story concludes with the TARDIS crew being chased by an angry mob back to the TARDIS and being forced to take off.

Guest starring Arthur Kennedy as the judge and Tuesday Weld as Mary Walcott. (Story idea courtesy of Scott D. Harris.)

S06E03 - The Ghosts from Time - Four episodes - Having had to take off without the cross-phase capacitor in the last story, the crew is surprised to find that they've landed. However, they are insubstantial like ghosts, and cannot fix the ship. However, some curious locals may be their salvation.

Guest starring Bob Denver as Epidos and Elizabeth Montgomery as Xelira.

S06E04 - Protean - Four episodes - The TARDIS lands on a rig located on an ocean planet besieged by hideous storms. The research team on the rig are trying to determine if there's intelligent life on the planet. There is, but it's the ocean itself, and it sends out a shape-shifting (protean) enforcer to remove the invading humans...

Guest starring Shelley Winters as Professor Shirona Randall.

S06E05 - The King's Bedtime Story - Two episodes - Having enjoyed The Ants, the production team invited Roger Dixon to submit more ideas. This story saw the Doctor and Etsuko being forced to perpetually enact 11 year old King Robbie's favorite bedtime story without changing any aspect of it... only for the king to change the story with each re-telling! The Doctor eventually bluffs them enough time to make a dash for the TARDIS.

Guest starring Danny Bonaduce as King Robbie.

S06E06 - Eejanaika - Six episodes - It's May 1868, and Japan is in the last throes of Ee ja nai ka (roughly meaning "What the hell!"), a party/political protest spurred on by "sacred amulets that fall from heaven". These amulets, the Doctor realizes, are vessels for a race (the Keeteans - a reference to legendary performer Buster Keaton) that thrives on performance and the emotions it generates. Disguising themselves amongst the revelers, they've kept the festival going for almost an entire year. Etsuko knows this must end, as does the Doctor. But he has another problem - can he keep Etsuko from meeting her younger self?

Guest starring James Shigeta as the lead alien performer and Nancy Kwan as Akira (Etsuko's mother). (Story idea courtesy of Scott D. Harris.)

S06E07 - In the Jungle - Four episodes - Tribal aliens set up territory in a jungle and attack a human exploration group without provocation. This prompts a reactionary member of the exploration group (named Dick in reference to President Nixon) to declare war on them. The Doctor and Etsuko see that both groups are wrong, and try to prevent the needless slaughter.

Guest starring Clint Eastwood as Dick. A commentary on the Vietnam War. (Story idea courtesy of Scott D. Harris.)

S06E08 - Terror of the Cybermen - Four episodes - A contingent of Cybermen has remained dormant underneath San Francisco since their invasion in The Cybermen Cometh. Now they're waking up and stealing people away in the night to convert, hauling them into the sewers below the city. It's up to the Doctor and I.L.I.A.D. to stop them. The Cybermen call for backup at the end of the story, only for the last scene to see it destroyed. The Doctor looks grave, identifying the ship as a Dalek vessel which is headed for Earth!

Guest starring Whit Bissell as Colonel Latimer-Stuart, George Takei as Captain Fujiwara, Don Knotts as Mr. Horner, and Frank Welker as the voice of the Cybermen. Kit Pedler and Derrick Sherwin are credited in this story for its transplantation of the episode The Invasion, as well as the use of the Cybermen.

S06E09 - Dominant Species - Four episodes - The Daleks touch down in San Francisco, and proceed to bring the city to its knees. The I.L.I.A.D. top brass and the TARDIS crew fight valiantly, but the Daleks have made the entirety of San Francisco into Robomen, so everyone is against them...

Guest starring Whit Bissell as Colonel Latimer-Stuart, George Takei as Captain Fujiwara, plus Paul Frees and Hans Conried as the voices of the Daleks.

S06E10 - Conduit - Six episodes - The Collector manages to get his mitts on a powerful artifact. It's a coffee can-sized obsidian block with archaic signal He's ignorant of its purpose, as is the Doctor. Etsuko gets an awful feeling from it and says the Collector shouldn't open it... so he locks the TARDIS crew up in a cell that has a full view of him opening the artifact. Turns out the block is a conduit to another universe through which hundreds of Ancients flood. The Doctor eventually stops them, but at the cost of his life and Etsuko returning to her own time...

Final story to feature Miiko Taka (Etsuko) as a regular. Last regular appearance of Adam West as the Second Doctor, and introducing Ross Martin as the Third Doctor. Guest starring Burgess Meredith as the Collector.

Also the first American appearance of the Time Lords (both in name and a people) beyond the Doctor and Anna (it would also finally confirm the Collector is of the same race, though still somewhat cryptic on his personal history). The Time Lords, much as in The War Games, clean up the mess the Doctor and the Collector make.

Chapter Text

New Decades, New Problems 

As 1970 turned to 1971, and the Seventies officially began, NET had come quite a ways as a network of public television across America. Though attempts in the late 1960's had been made to hobble NET, the popularity of its new programming, as well as a quiet reduction and move of the hard-hitting journalism to later hours made it problematic to directly dismantle. With sponsors placated by the attractive new programming that NET was providing, and the aforementioned reduction in number of the controversial journalistic ones, funding still faced issues, but not enough to drive any away. In 1968, the government had chosen to implement the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or CPB as a means of streamlining government funding of NET, though its final intent was also to prepare the way for a potential new public television network to take over from NET. This might have succeeded, have NET continued to fight both its sponsors on the broadcasting of certain controversial programs, and been bleeding money still. But with the financial confidence and backing of groups like the Ford Foundation, NET managed to weather this storm. But this would not be the last problem the network would face regarding interference from the outside, but the conflicts of the 1960's and early 1970's would gradually forge the affiliate stations closer together, even most of those in more conservative areas. However, the government was successful in uniting the public radio stations under the American Public Radio (APR) banner, and which eventually would cooperate with NET under the CPB.

There were other issues though. While the Frid Years had been shot in B&W, and the West Years had been broadcast in both, with color television taking over the markets by the late 1960's, the show would have to get creative and more colorful now. The shows lighting began to resemble its rival, Star Trek, now in its fourth and final season, with colorful lighting to gain viewers attention. The TARDIS set proved problematic in that it had been designed and lit for B&W, and had been largely copied from the British original. The decision made to drastically alter the interior for the Third Doctor era would be seen as a means of attracting audiences, though the final design that came along would provide its own set of problems.

When West realized it was time to leave, mainly out of a desire to not be typecast, and Miiko Taka was leaving because she wanted to leave acting for a time, the show-runners found themselves facing the issue of both the Doctor and companion leaving at the same time. With Etsuko being written as being returned to her own time by the Time Lords at the end of Conduit (based on the fate of companion Jamie McCrimmon in British Who, though Zoe Heriot would travel with the Doctor to Earth during his exile), the Doctor would be alone technically, and be thrown together with a new companion in the opening serial of Season Seven. This did allow the writers to conceive of an early idea for the Third Doctor to be hesitant to accept a companion again, and indeed some of the early serials of that season do play on his conflicted nature in working with others, certainly a bit of a difference from the Second Doctor. Casting this new incarnation proved to be rather interesting.

Among those who auditioned or were considered for the role included Keenan Wynn, Ernest Borgnine, Ray Walston and Bill Bixby. However, Walston was nixed as lead due to having played Uncle Martin on My Favorite Martian, a role which the showrunners felt might carry over a little too much in regards to the Doctor, though Walston would eventually guest star on the series, as did Wynn and Borgnine. Bixby was later planned to appear during Sixth Doctor era, but the shows eventual hiatus and his own health issues scuttled that. Eventually the production team settled on Ross Martin, who had finished playing Artemus Gordon on The Wild Wild West series a few years before. When choosing Martin, the team knew they would have to make his character less physical, or at least rely on a stunt double more often, due to the heart condition Martin had found out about in 1968, by way of a near fatal heart-attack. This meant writing the companion as the more action inclined member of the crew, and that role would eventually be given to up and coming comedian Steve Martin.

Martin, who had done work both in front of and behind the camera, having done comedy writing for The Smothers Brothers, which alongside the other show writers had earned the show an Emmy, though that hadn't been enough to save it from being torpedoed for its often confrontational and controversial humor, especially directed at major political figures. As well, his stand-up, by his own admission, was not where it would be years later.

"I appeared on The Virginia Graham Show, circa 1970. I looked grotesque. I had a hairdo like a helmet, which I blow-dried to a puffy bouffant, for reasons I no longer understand. I wore a frock coat and a silk shirt, and my delivery was mannered, slow and self-aware. I had absolutely no authority. After reviewing the show, I was depressed for a week."

Martin was chosen because he had earlier auditioned for a guest star role in Season 5 during a West Coast casting call, but had been passed over. However, he had left an impression, even in this early stage of his career, and was invited to audition again for another role. This time he landed it, and was cast as the new companion, lasting through from the third serial of Third Doctor era, to the first two serials of the Fourth Doctor Era. He would often be called upon to do the more physical stunts, given the general health of Ross Martin from 1968 onwards. He would later on take on many of the questions at joint appearances at fan conventions through the late 1970's and early 1980's before Ross Martins death that same decade.

One of the positives of the 1970's was the beginning of the partnership with the Jim Henson Company that had started with the production of Sesame Street. While Henson had been hesitant at first to work on a childrens show, Sesame Street would become one of the Hensons most beloved productions, alongside The Muppet Show later on. Showing on NET, the show would become one of the staples of the network alongside Doctor Who and Mister Rogers Neighborhood, and help the network gain further "sponsors" and views. To help fund the show, NET suggested that the show consider what Doctor Who had done, and license rights out to characters for educational toys and games. This suggestion would be useful when monetary funds ebbed and flowed throughout the 1970's and especially once the 1980's started. The closer work between NET and the Jim Henson Company would see Doctor Who gain an improvement in technical special effects, with creature designs and costuming coming from the talented workers at the JHC. Eventually, even British Who would benefit as NET referred Jim Henson and his designers and puppeteers to the BBC. One of the common fan praises of this was "even if the story was as thin as rice paper, you could be the monsters would look excellent."

As the Third Doctor era began, America was beginning to tire of the the war in Southeast Asia, and the general good feelings of the end of the 1960's was going to depart. An era of disco, polyester, and a general feeling of malaise and uncertainty about America and its role in the world was going to begin. The high of the late 1960's and early 1970's was going to eventually come down in one epic cultural and social hangover, and Doctor Who was certainly going to capture some of that bitter zeitgeist as it continued....

Chapter Text

Overview:

When Ross Martin stepped into the shoes of the Doctor in the early 1970's, he became the Doctor in a era when Americans were wondering if things were really "all that." The year before had seen National Guardsmen open fire on students at Kent State University in Ohio, and further civic unrest even as Civil Rights began to slowly grind down the old barriers of ethnic and racial separation. The moon landings, once considered the peak of American ingenuity, were slowly beginning to lose their public consciousness luster. A slowly growing more controversial war in Vietnam that would see major U.S. involvement end in two years in 1973, and the fall of Saigon in 1975, a dark coda to a war some felt was pointless. All this, and the eventual ill feeling from those in government acting as though they were above the law and general corruption, meant the decade ahead was not going to be entirely pleasant one. For all that though, the decade began fairly well. African-Americans and other minorities began to feel that decades of pain and toil to be recognized as equal citizens before the law was no longer a dream, but a burgeoning reality, and one to be preserved. Advances in technology saw new forms of entertainment and devices enter the home and workplace. Disco still had a few years to go before it exited the New York Club scene and advanced across America with polyester and a new drug scene in its wake. The early years of the decade may not have seemed like the promise of a new era as the 1960's had with Kennedy, but several years of the Great Society programs under LBJ and even some of the more liberal policies of Nixon seemed to promise at least a newer, more inclusive status quo. The hangover had yet to drop across America.

Ross Martin had been chosen as the Doctor for a variety of reasons. One was he was a recognizable television talent, having finished in 1968 his role of Artemus Gordon on the show The Wild Wild West, and was a well known face on television and film as either secondary or character roles. He'd appeared twice on Twilight Zone and also twice on Night Gallery. He was recognizable enough for the show, and Martin was currently in bit roles from acting to directing TV episodes at this time, and did not have any long term commitments. These all helped with the eventual decision to cast him as the newest incarnation of the Doctor. Of course, the production team would have to make that Ross did not suffer another heart attack on set. Precautions were made, including studying traffic flow times during production hours, writing action segments that the companion Ros Martins stunt double, Bob Herron could do, and NET put two floor crew-members through first aid training that included the basics of CPR. While thankfully the final precaution was not needed during the production of the three seasons with Ross, there were several scares, mostly related to sudden tiredness and dizzy spells he suffered from. Ironically, it would be Steve Martin would need minor first aid during the second season, when he misjudged a jump during a scene and twisted his ankle, resulting in him wearing a foot brace for the rest of the production of that and the following episode.

The Third Doctor era marked a transition for the show, not only in terms of production values, but also the general tone. Previous seasons had been fairly light-hearted, even with the more adult in tone stories that appeared. However, the "Seedy Seventies" would begin to change the tone of many a show, and Doctor Who was one of them. As a cultural and social malaise and cynicism developed, especially as the early developments regarding Watergate began to point ever more towards the Oval Office, the series would feature an uncertain tone regarding authority as it went on, and which became especially apparent when the Fourth Doctor era began post-resignation in 1974. Like the audience, several in the production room felt the general social issues of the decade, and made it clear in the writing. Of course, the tone was not the only thing to change. By the early 1970's, the old writing team was beginning to drift away for personal projects or simply something else. Amusingly enough, two of the script editors and occasional writers for the Third Doctor era came over from their Desilu rival, which had recently gone off the air. D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold found themselves working for Doctor Who after Del Reisman, who Fontana had worked for early in her career, recommended them. The two also connected NET with the Kellam de Forest Research Company, who had assisted Star Trek and other series in factual errors in fields such as history, culture, and science, to name a few things.

It is interesting to note that both the British and American Third Doctors at this time wore rather flashy clothes, with Ross Martin retaining a costume he had worn on The Wild Wild West (technically a copy cribbed from the original). However, it would be British Second Doctor Patrick Troughton and American Third Doctor Ross Martin who would appear together for the first at a science fiction convention, at the 1972 Balticon. Americans at this point were familiar with Troughton, as his stories had been recently broadcast since NET had started the broadcasting of British Who in late 1969. The British version was broadcast on Saturday evenings in what would eventually become their slot for British programming in general, with the later acquisition of the rights to broadcast Monty Python, Dads Army, Fawlty Towers, and others. NET would for the BBC (and later ITV) be the main connection to the wider American markets. This meeting of Two Doctors would foreshadow the official crossover yet to come.

Ross Martin eventually left the show because of the concerns regarding his health. While still continuing to act, the stress of the shooting schedule for a full series meant he would increasingly turn to voice-acting, before his death in 1983. He would be the first of the American Doctors to pass away. Steve Martin continues to tour the convention circuit to this day. The show would continue on, but with a new Doctor, one whose battered straw hat and seersucker suit would be as memorable for Americans as a long scarf would be for the British...

Personality: If the Second Doctor was willing to deal with authority and had moved on from his moodiness fairly quickly, than the Third Doctor was the beginning of a few incarnations where he and authority were somewhat fractious, and his mood was almost certainly moody. Part of this could be explained as the Third Doctor growing tired and somewhat annoyed with having to constantly fix things. Indeed, his first season largely consists of him rejecting adventure, and then realizing that the universe does need him. The first three stories deal with him attempting to escape the demands of his protector status, before being confronted in the fourth about the needs of others beyond himself. This is a Doctor who it can be said might be showing the first signs that settling down from his wandering isn't such a bad thing to him personally, but that his work is needed to bring hope and peace to the galaxy.

This is not to say the Third Doctor is unwilling to help. His moral compass still belongs firmly on helping anyone, but does not actively seek his adventures at first, only later doing so. In a way, this can be seen as a self-imposed exile, in comparison to the Time Lord mandated one in the British series. One can sympathize with him regarding his decision to help when a situation demands it, but not to go seeking trouble. After two painful regenerations/renewals, it is not hard to see why he might consider such adventuring problematic. Still, when confronted by Ress (an alien played by John Colicos) in episode four, Ress does not come as being in the wrong about his anger with the Doctor disappearing. Without him, groups like the Cybermen, the Daleks, Death Pushers or the Collector are free to cause havoc and conquer. Without someone to stand against them, both physically and as a symbol, where is hope to be found?

The Doctors interactions with companion Kurt Strickland are interesting, as Kurt is written as being a young man from contemporary society, and who represents some of the social issues of the time. He was an anti-war protestor, but still felt guilty about getting deferment because he was in college and others were not able to get that. He's well educated, but also knowledgeable about living on the streets, a fact he attributes to time spent "on the outs." A lot of the characters backstory was actually created by Steve Martin himself, who said "I wrote most of it one night on some scrap paper around my apartment." Steves comedic skills were also used to allow for him and Ross to banter, as well as do some physical comedy. Indeed, Steve Martin might almost be a shape of things to come when another physically inclined comedian was cast as the Doctor several years after both Martins had left the show.

Eventually the Doctor would move on from being reserved and apart from the universe, and become closer to previous incarnations in personality, though he still retained a bit of a damaged soul about him, and had moments of introspection and uncertainty more than others did. It is not until his last season that he becomes much more confident, though that confidence is unfortunately part of what results in his regeneration in the final story of the season and his tenure.

Companions:

• Kurt Strickland (Steve Martin) - S07E03 - S011E02 (Fourth Doctor)
• Brigadier General Latimer-Stuart (Whit Bissell) Recurring
• Capt. George Fujikawa (George Take) Recurring
• Dr. Pauling (Ernest Borgnine) Recurring

Episodes To Watch:

S07E01 Feet of Clay - The first appearance of the Vertisols, this localized version of the British episode Spearhead from Space has Mr. Spock himself as the unwitting assistant to the Vertisols attempt to conquer the Earth. The change from Nestene to Vertisols helps make the episode feel less like an exact retread, and the idea of the story containing elements of the legend of the Golem of Prague certainly are an interesting twist to the original story concept.
S08E01 Sapience - Another adaptation, this one loosely based on the serial The Silurians. However, now set in Gold Rush era Alaska, and with the Silurians renamed "Aptians" and from a different geological era, it also does its own thing. The costuming was done by veteran costume designer Wah Chang, who also designed the Gorn costume for Star Trek.
S08E05 Planned Obsolescence - Perhaps one of the definitive Cybermen stories (even British fans have found little to complain about), this story borrows an element from The Invasion (namely an electronics manufacturer working with the Cybermen) and takes it to chilling levels, with the Cybermen slowly planning to introduce technology over time that Earth effectively cybertizes itself. As well, the concept of portable media devices is surprisingly similar to modern day iPods and MP3 Players.
S09E02 The War Machines - Despite the title, this episode is not an adaptation of the original Hartnell story. Aside from the titular machines, the story takes place during the American Civil War, where the Doctor must deal with steampunk tanks threatening to turn the tide against the Union. Very much a tribute to The Wild Wild West, it stars Robert Conrad as the very familiarly named Col. John North...
S09E05 The Shadow People - A very creepy episode, it is also effective for being a Kurt heavy episode, due to Ross Martin having to take a break from the more strenuous production at this point. The setting of St. Leibowitz Hospital is very effective in providing a sense of unease, and the surreal nature of the titular Shadow People adds to the tension.
S09E06 The Three Doctors - The American anniversary story also adapts the British story of the same name. Based off early scripts, Omega is Ohm, and voiced by Orson Welles, who agreed to the part for financial reasons. A classic story in both countries, the American version also acts as a send off to Ross Martin in his final episode. In comes The Night Stalker, Darren McGavin.

Chapter Text

S07E01 - Feet of Clay - Four episodes - The living clay Vertisols plan to invade the Earth, duping artist and teacher Channing into doing their bidding. He builds golem-like servitors to "help mankind", but is soon betrayed by his new allies. In the end, he assists the Doctor in helping defeat the Vertisols at the cost of his own life.

Guest starring Leonard Nimoy as Channing. Robert Holmes is credited in this story for its transplantation of the episode The Spearhead.

S07E02 - The Temple Shuffle - Four episodes - The Doctor arrives in San Francisco, eager to take in the sights and sounds. The city is recovering well after the double-whammy of the Cybermen and Daleks, and the local contingent of ILIAD is quietly keeping an eye on the Time Lord. But the American Sikhs are not happy. In various Sikh temples across the city, people are going missing, only to be replaced by imperfect and sometimes violent doubles a few days later. The Doctor investigates with the help of the quirky Dr. Pauling, the pair finding a war-like race of aliens, the Verom-Pak, who have been trying to give peace a chance while still remaining true to their warrior ancestry.

First appearance of Ernest Borgnine (Dr. Pauling) on the series.

S07E03 - Time and Professor MacLeary - Four episodes - Professor June MacLeary of "some Ivy League school" (never explicitly stated in dialogue) develops a time editor, which she proposes be used to alter history and make a utopian society. This concerns the Doctor and her student intern, Kurt Strickland. However, her rival - Professor Bernard Hopkirk - has sabotaged the machine, causing an ever-expanding series of time loops specifically related to MacLeary's life to develop. The disturbance threatens to consume the East Coast, the Atlantic Ocean and Midwest, and soon the world unless the Doctor and Kurt, with the help of ILIAD, can stop it.

First appearance of Steve Martin (Kurt Strickland) on the series. Guest starring Ellen Burstyn as Professor MacLeary, Dabney Coleman as Professor Hopkirk, Whit Bissell as Brigadier General Latimer-Stuart, and George Takei as Captain Fujiwara.

S07E04 - Obligations - Four episodes - The Doctor is accosted by a hysterical alien who demands to know why he's "hanging around this dump" (Earth) and hasn't saved its planet yet. The Doctor finds that the universe has noted his absence, and things aren't looking good...

Guest starring John Colicos as Ress.

S07E05 - The New Man - Four episodes - While visiting Chicago, Kurt finds himself under suspicion for a series of robberies. He's eventually cleared and he and the Doctor begin to do some investigating of their own, finding that the crimes were committed by local performance artist-turned-petty thug Jerome Peck. Further investigation reveals Peck has managed to steal an unlimited amount of "flawed" renewals off a wayward Death Pusher. Each renewal is making Peck more invincible and greedier for power, and it's clear the Doctor and Kurt cannot stop this threat alone or with any Earthly means... It's time for the TARDIS to come back to life.

Guest starring John Ritter as Jerome Peck, Thurl Ravenscroft as the voice of the Death Pusher, Whit Bissell as Brigadier General Latimer-Stuart, and George Takei as Captain Fujiwara.

S08E01 - Sapience - Four episodes. The Doctor and Kurt in their first travel aboard the TARDIS following its completed repairs, land in Skagway, Alaska in 1897 during the Klondike Gold Rush. Locals have reported that prospectors and miners have been disappearing or have been found, torn to pieces. Deciding to investigate, the Doctor and Kurt find out that due to both climate change and human activity in the region, that reptilians creatures from a long-ago age "somewhere around the Aptian age of the Lower Cretaceous Epoch" the Doctor opines. These "Aptians" once had a mighty civilization before various ice ages and extinction events forced them underground to hibernate. Trying to resolve the situation between the humans and the Aptians, the Doctor sees that the situation may not end very well....

Starring James Garner as Wyatt Earp and John Herrick McIntire as Soapy Smith. The Aptian costumes were also designed Wah Chang, designer of the Gorn for Star Trek. Elements of both the Gorn and the British Silurians can be seen in their design. This episode, much like Feet of Clay, was adapted from a British serial, in this case The Silurians.

S08E02 - Operation: Werewolf - Four episodes. It is 1944, in the weeks before the United Nations forces of Great Britain, the United States, and Canada are due to invade the coasts of Normandy during Operation Overlord. But as the Doctor and Kurt find out upon their arrival near a small Norman town, the Germans under the direction of the mysterious Dr. Carl Ettler have begun implementing their own plans for an invasion of Great Britain using experimental teleportation technology. As the Doctor and Kurt work to not only prevent the Nazis from successfully using the technology while also remaining unaware of the date and location of the upcoming D-Day invasions. But the situation becomes more complex when the Doctor finds that Dr. Ettler is in fact the Collector...

With Burgess Meredith as the Collector/Dr. Ettler. Based on a discarded Troughton era script, Operation: Werewolf is mostly a set-bound episode, due some expense problems early on in pre-production. Most non-set based exterior shots were re-purposed film and TV footage from war-films, to help keep down production costs.

S08E03 - Mystery At The White House - Four episodes. The Doctor and Kurt, along with Brigadier General Latimer-Stuart and Captain Fujiwara are guests at the White House regarding their efforts to stop events from Terror of the Cybermen. When a foreign ambassador dies and is revealed to be an alien on a mission to assimilate several other guests, the Doctor and the others find themselves working to find out who else is an alien agent...

With Arthur O'Connell as ILIAD General Daniels, Whit Bissell as Brigadier-General Latimer-Stuart and George Takei as Captain Fujiwara. Special Guest Star James Earl Jones as the President.

S08E04 - The Big Store - Four episodes. Kurt and the Doctor arrive in Chicago in the 1950's, where they discover that Culverns Department store is the center of alien activity. Employees talk of missing equipment and merchandise, and the fact that it feels like the store mannequins are watching them....

Second serial to feature the Vertisols, much like the British serial The Spray of Death which not only had the return of the Autons but also introduced the Magister, the long-running enemy of the British Doctor and fellow rogue Time Lord.

S08E05 - Planned Obsolescence - Four episodes. The Cybermen have returned, though rather than outright invasion, they have begun influencing electronics manufacturer Chambers to create new products, which include such fantastic things as "portable music players" and "portable radio-phones" so as to spread their way of mechanization around the world. The Doctor, Kurt and ILIAD must race against time before the Cybermen begin their world-wide processing and upgrading of humanity...

With Frank Welker as the voice of the Cybermen, Ernest Borgnine as Dr. Pauling and Edward Platt as Mr. Chambers.

S09E01 - The Mists Of Madness - Four episodes. The Doctor and Kurt arrive in the small-town of Willoughby (a nod to now-departed show-runner Serlings favorite Twilight Zone episode), a town which seems to be an average American small-town by outward appearances. However after the Doctor and Kurt accidentally get into a fight with the local sheriff following his request for their papers, they discover that all the adults in Willoughby have been replaced by robot duplicates, which one of the children in the community says happens when the mysterious mists come in from the sea....

One of several stories during the Third Doctors era in America based on either broadcast British Who serial stories or discarded scripts. The special effects to create the robot-people were based on the ones used to create the character of Hymie the Robot on Get Smart. Indeed, the Sheriff (both human and robot) is played Richard Gautier.

S09E02 - The War Machines - Four episodes. The Doctor and Kurt find themselves in the middle of the American Civil War, at the bloody battle of Knapfords Crossing. However the Union forces they see are routed by the appearance of three-fearsome looking devices, the so-named War Machines. Knowing that these machines could prove to not only be problematic for the war, but also potential source of contamination to the time-line, the two work with government spy and officer Col. John North to find and destroy the source of the war-machines....

Starring Hal Holbrook as President Lincoln and Robert Conrad as Colonel John North with Richard Kiel as Mavorlo. Despite having a similar title, the story of The War Machines has little in common with the British serial of the same name, aside from having mechanical war-machines. In a nod to Ross Martins role as Artemus Gordon on the Wild Wild West, the character of Col. John North was written for fellow TWWW veteran Robert Conrad, and much of the episode plays out like Doctor Who meets the Wild Wild West, with fans even dubbing it The Night of the War Machines, an unofficial secondary title which even NET would use later on. The war machines themselves were based off of the Turtle-tank from TWWW season 1 episode Night of the Freebooters.

S09E03 - War of the Daleks - Six episodes. The Doctor and Kurt encounter the Daleks in the midst of a Civil War brought about by his actions during Terror of the Cybermen. With one side pure Daleks and the others rebels who seek to enjoy life in all its forms and promote peace. However, their civil war has thrown much of the galaxy into chaos as their vast battle fleets engage one another. The Doctor must choose between deciding whether to let them destroy each other, or whether he should side with the peace Daleks...

With Paul Frees and Hans Conreid as the Daleks. This story borrows some of its elements from David Whitakers Evil of the Daleks, who is credited for attributing story elements.

S09E04 - Facets - Three episodes. The Collector returns as he and the Doctor have a psychological show-down in the ruins of an ancient civilization. As the two have a deadly game of cat and mouse, revelations about both their histories come to light. And will one of them be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice for the other...?

Starring Burgess Meredith as the Collector. A Kurt light episode (much as the following Shadow People was a Doctor light episode as well as planned to be an action-light episode, having the Doctor and the Collector face off on a dying world for three episodes in a cat-and-mouse game. It was also written as a potential last episode for Meredith, who wanted to take a break from the role. However, the character would appear again in Season 12.

S09E05 -The Shadow People - Four episodes. Something is whispering in the walls of St. Leibowitz Hospital. Orderlies have begun to disappear and only a man known as Kurt Strickland knows what is going on with the shadows in Room 1310. With the Doctor out of commission doing an overhaul of the TARDIS de-mat circuit, Kurt finds himself fighting against time as more and more people at the hospital start to disappear, and the shadows grow longer...

A Ross Martin light episode due to increasing health problems, this episode features Kurt primarily as the main character, with Martin appearing only in a few pre-shot insert shots. Ernest Borgnine appears briefly as Dr. Pauling in episode three.

S09E06 - The Three Doctors (American Version) - Four episodes. In an adapted version of the British serials shooting script, the Doctor is faced with perhaps his deadliest threat, as the homeworld of the Time Lords is under threat by Ohm, a former stellar engineer in the early history of Time Lord society, who was long thought dead following the destruction of a star essential for TARDIS time-travel to work. The gravity of the situation is so great, that the Doctor is joined by his First and Second incarnations, brought out of the time-stream by the Time Lords to solve the problem at hand because of the high-stakes involved. Though the Doctor/s and friends manage to contain Ohm to his anti-world at the end, the strain of the encounter forces the Doctor to change form once more...

With Orson Welles as the voice of Ohm and Whit Bissell as Brigadier General Latimer-Stuart, Ernest Borgnine as Dr. Pauling and George Takei as Captain Fujiwara. British Who guest star John Levene as Sgt. Benton. Unlike the British production, which had Hartnell only appear on the TARDIS view-screen due to increasingly bad health in his final years, Frid appeared alongside West and Martin in the episode in equal parts. It would also be Ross Martins final story, following a several further scares regarding his heart condition. Unfortunately, he would die before the 1984 anniversary special could be put together, and had to be replaced by Robert Herron, his stunt double from The Wild Wild West.

As well, this had an unofficial crossover with British Who with the appearance of John Levene as Sergeant Benton playing a version of himself from the show as "a liaison from a special United Nations Intelligence Group." It would not be the last time that Levene would appear on American Who, and was considered a fan favorite at American conventions starting in the mid-80's, and became an unofficial "companion" in several of the DC Comics licensed comics at the same time.

Chapter Text

Back in the Super-Bad Seventies...

Watergate. If there was a word that marked a clear delineation between tones in the Classic Doctor Who series, then Watergate would be that word. With Watergate came a flood of other issues. Corruption. Distrust. Power. Ratfucking. Words that for Americans would change how they viewed their government and those elected to office. Popular media would soon jump onto the social wagon-train of cynicism and bitterness that was to follow. Shows like M*A*S*H* which turned ever more away from the general anti-war message mixed with comedy and drama, began to head down the trail towards more and more special episodes about various topics, and characters began to feel the impact of the war and the seemingly uncaring directive of those above them more and more. M*A*S*H* and other shows which began to ponder what those above us were really thinking and doing. Doctor Who would be among those shows as it geared up for its Tenth Season in 1974. It would also have the first actor to break the three season "rule" of his predecessors.

The effect Watergate had on Doctor Who during the Fourth Doctor era might seem overstated at first, but accounts from many in the production crew, especially the writers, state that it did indeed shape much of the early seasons with the Fourth Doctor. A government conspiracy involving the President, political machinations behind the scenes, a distrust of authority and the rejection of America itself, all play out in key episodes of the tenth season. ILIAD, the agency which had saved the world from the Daleks and Cybermen with the Doctor, had its own darkness as higher ups planned and ordered those beneath them to become involved in these machinations. Indeed, the season ends with the Doctor refusing the idea of returning to modern day America, and indeed remains absent from both American and Earth through Season Eleven and part of Twelve. This rejection of America itself may be seen as the writers commenting on the rejection many Americans had towards their government for what had happened.

This was helped by the writing of Richard Matheson. Though long since departed from the show as a full-time writer and script-editor, Matheson still kept in contact, and still wrote story ideas to be sent in. One idea he had for another network was The Night Stalker, a TV movie about a reporter who finds himself fighting vampires. The movie, starring Darren McGavin, was a moderate success, but not enough to warrant a sequel. However, he did send a rough idea for a sequel to NET and Doctor Who, who felt the idea of a Doctor who was "outside authority." Kolchak is a man who goes from some stability and security, to losing his job, his allies, and his credibility when the local city government covers up the vampires murders and threatens him if attempts to publish the truth, also driving away his girlfriend. Released in 1972, the film would act as a general character design for McGavin when he played the Fourth Doctor, and indeed, the costume is kept. The Doctor is Kolchak in all but name, especially in regards to his continued problems with authority. Another inspiration for McGavin's portrayal, aside from Kolchak, was of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, with the Doctor keeping a personal journal, the writing style of which in one episode is show to heavily resemble that of Thompsons.

The show changed in other areas. As the association with Jim Henson Company grew closer, the shows general special effects began to improve in the creature and alien design department. In the United Kingdom, British Who would eventually gain special-effects assistance from Derek Meddings, whose team of special effects artists had worked on several Gerry Anderson productions, as well as work on several James Bond films. While Meddings mainly assisted in providing a team for the BBC, and did not work on any episodes personally, this influx of high-quality model work would become a recognizable part of the mid-period era of the Classic series in Britain. However the expenses of the models would be a factor in the series eventual end in the late 1980's, as well as meddling from higher ups at the BBC.

The Seventies would also see the return of Star Trek, however briefly. The show that would become American Who's longest lasting "rival," had managed four seasons between 1966 and 1970. However, network interest in it had dimmed, even with the fan response and the competition from NET, and it would not be until 1973 that fans would see the series again, this time following the adventures of another ship and crew. While ideas at first had been bandied about regarding continuing the voyage of the good Federation starship Enterprise, executives were concerned regarding the production expense of bringing back the original cast and the payments required to the big three of Leonard Nimoy, Will Shatner and DeForest Kelly. Instead, several minor characters from the series would be brought back to serve on this series, many of whom had been former Enterprise crewmen and women.

The main issue with the new series, soon to be named Star Trek: Lexington was getting Gene Rodenberry's approval. He would agree only after the studio agreed to a series of conditions regarding his ability to oversee scripts and gain executive producer credit. Rodenberry would however be minimally involved in Lexington, assuming that the series would not be as popular as the original had been, as well as attempting to gain interest from a film studio to produce a feature film with the original cast, though he would not succeed until 1979. He was partially correct, with Lexington managing to last through three seasons before ultimately being cancelled in 1975. The series was perhaps not as loved as the original series was, but gained a respectable audience, and was noticeable for its diverse cast as the Lexington crew, and repeat appearances by William Campbell as Trelane in several episodes. Lexington did face an issue of looking cheaper, resembling in some ways fan films to come, due to the reduced budget the network was willing to spend and imposed heavily on the show during its existence.

Capt. Robert Wesley - Barry Russo
Science Officer Lt. Commander Daniel Alden - Lloyd Haynes
Navigator Ens. Keiko Tamura - Miko Mayama
Helmsman Lt. John Kyle - John Winston
Communications Officer Lt. John Farrelll - Jim Goodwin
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph M'Benga - Booker Bradshaw
Chief Engineer Lt. Janet MacLachlan - Charlene Masters

Lexington however would be overshadowed by both the eventual film series and the eventually longer last Star Trek: A New Era series in the late 1980's and early 1990s'. But it would provide an example that the Star Trek universe could exist beyond Kirk and company, and would set the ground for future series. As recently as 2013, there were rumors of a spin-off of the new Star Trek movie series set aboard the Lexington of the new series universe.

The 1970's would see many changes in television and elsewhere as the decade wore on. By 1977, NET was no longer gunning for a place as America's Fourth Network, it had finally managed to achieve it, receiving a viewership draw comparable with the Big Three. But stormy weather was ahead for the network and its flagship show in the next decade, as the beginnings of what would be called the Excessive Eighties marked what would become the end of an era for NET and others...

Chapter Text

Overview: With the longest tenure in the classic series, Darren McGavin has long been the most remembered Doctor for many Americans. His trademark straw hat and seersucker suit became iconic of the show, and later on the official addition of the sonic screwdriver into American Who canon would be another addition. The Fourth Doctor as portrayed by McGavin would also be an example of the general emotional and social zeitgest of an uncertain America in the 1970's. As the fallout from both Watergate and eventually the failure to win in Vietnam emotionally gut-punched the country, Doctor Who was getting in on that feeling through its stories. Season 10, McGavins first season, would see him deal with a government conspiracy and cover-up in the vein of a fantastic Watergate. This conspiracy would effectively drive him away from Earth for over a season, partially due to the writers feeling this was a natural evolution of the character, and also to feel less Earthbound than previous seasons. Season 11 and part of Season 12 would see the Doctor only deal with Earth through its future colonies across the galaxy, and would not return to it until Season 12, Episode 4.

Doctor Who was also being courted for a movie, though the series would not see a return to the silver screen until the early 1980's. Instead, the closest fans got would be 1979's Times Up, a science-fiction film parody made by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder, an actor who had been considered for the role, but who was out of the expense budget of the production. Wilders character, Professor Chronos, is largely a parody of the Doctor. The film was a modest success, though Brooks would have to wait until the late 1980's to skewer the genre again, after the Doctor Who film finally was made.

One of the big changes production wise was the changing of the TARDIS control room back towards a design similar to the first two Doctors eras, after troubles with the "Verne" set throughout the Third Doctors era in upkeep and production (the heavy wood was a pain in both lighting and moving in and out of storage.) The Verne set would be dismantled, and it would be placed in storage. It would also be the only TARDIS set from the first decade that would survive mostly intact from the Classic series, and would like the original Dalek trio, become part of the Doctor Who exhibit at the American Science Fiction Museum following two years of restoration work on some of the less secure bits. The new set would last throughout McGavins tenure, but changes would again occur down the line.

During McGavins tenure as the Doctor, the pop culture of the time also began to shift and change as the show did. M*A*S*H* would become on the shows biggest rivals throughout the decade, and would run through McGavins predecessor to the year the last classic Doctor began. Star Trek would briefly return, only to fade away again from TV screens until the end of the next decade, with only the upcoming films being a hope of the series being seen again. Meanwhile, another science-fiction staple would appear on the scene in 1977, and would spark the eventual need for Doctor Who to once again bring their hero to the big screen. As well, nearly a decade after the show went off the air, Batman returned to the TV screens in the form of an animated TV movie, based on a far out script where the Dynamic Duo and company face off against the King of the Monsters. It would not be the last time American studios cooperated with Toho on a project regarding Gojira.

Doctor Who itself was improving in quality, though this would see the beginning of the financial issues the show would face for the remainder of the Classic series. Location shooting in several episodes would eventually force this to be cut back in the next Doctors era, seeing only establishing footage and a few tightly planned episodes see the action take place beyond the studio. Doctor Who had a future, but the clock was ticking, and few had yet to notice.


Personality: The Fourth Doctor was a seeker of the truth, whether it was the hard truth or the intangible truth, he sought it. Played as being a version of the character Kolchak, only with quite a bit of a chip on his shoulder, the character of the Doctor as portrayed by McGavin was somewhat controversial at first for fans, seemingly being the darkest Doctor yet. It was hard to argue, considering this was a Doctor who wasn't afraid to cross lines his predecessors hadn't. While the Doctor in previous incarnations hadn't been adverse to ending an enemy, most of the time they rarely did the deed themselves. The Fourth Doctor at some times seemed more willing, perhaps even glad to shut down an enemy as hard as possible.

He never seemed to take joy in ending a life, it must be said, but a sort of positive feeling regarding ending another threat to his life and the galaxy at large could be seen. However, sometimes he used his anger to horrifying degrees, such as his systematic destruction of the Creche in Alas, Alas, Poor Babylon, where his rage at the death of a companion sees the organization which has plagued him for several seasons meet what appears to be a very destructive end. His anger at the injustices he experiences in this and previous episodes explodes, as he uses a combination of manipulation and physical action to dismantle the Creche.

The Fourth Doctor also had a dark humor, one which seemed to be almost gallows humor most of the time. Where other Doctors had been dry or witty in their approaches, the Fourth seemed, at least for most of his first few seasons, to relish in jokes and quips which were very dark indeed. It was only by Season Fourteen that he lightened up in both humor and general attitude, by which point it was his last season.

Perhaps the biggest change was a distrust of authority, one which unfortunately came about due to the Season 10 story arc which saw ILIAD and the U.S. Government corrupted, and the Doctor swearing off returning to Earth out of disgust. Partially written as a way to move beyond ILIAD and Earth based stories, and partially out of a general anger towards Watergate, Season 10 proved divisive with fans for this character change. However, the season and the character built from the ashes of the fallout, have been praised since. As well, the overall arc of the Fourth Doctor is seen as a disillusioned person eventually learning to deal with their disillusionment and move on, and even regain some of his faith in others and to a degree authority. These traits would be still be seen when McGavin finally left, to be replaced by comedian Robin Williams, though his Doctor would be...different.

Companions:

• Kurt Strickland (Steve Martin) S10E01 to S10E02
• Dr. Pauling (recurring Season 10)
• Elizabeth Blanche (Dixie Carter) S10E05 to S12E04
• Denella (Shelley Long) - Recurring
• Alydon (Mark Harmon) - S13E02 to S014E07
• Rebec (Susan Sarandon) - S13E02 to S013E05
• Shauna Addison (CCH Pounder) - S014E03 to S015E07 (Fifth Doctor)

Episodes to Watch:

• S10E01 Death to the Doctor - The opening story of the era, Death to the Doctor involves the fallout from Ohms return in the previous season, and its hidden effects on the home-world of the Time Lords and the Doctors own troubled regeneration.

• S10E07 All The Presidents Men - The story which solidifies the distrust of authority for the Fourth Doctor, following the revelations earlier in the season, this story shows the fallout of an apparent betrayal by ILIAD, and the Doctors severance of connections with Earth. One of the few stories to also have no explicit science-fiction elements aside from the Doctor and the TARDIS, taking on a political thriller instead.

• S11E01 Fractures - The story which would begin the process of fleshing out the American series Daleks backstory, it is noticeable for borrowing elements from the old British Doctor Who comic strip which had featured the Daleks in the 1960's.

• S11E04 The Creche - The introductory episode of the Fourth Doctors most persistent villains, the Creche is a classic episode and a classic villain, by making an amoral "company that makes your dreams come true" become very sinister indeed.
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• S11E07 Past Regrets - A classic in the sense it helps explain Time Lord history and culture (at least for the American series version of the Time Lords), it also was used to introduce the Doctors family, a controversial move on both sides of the pond. However, the story has gained increased attention for its well done plotting and emotional journey of McGavin as the Doctor.

• S12E04 The Awakening - The Doctor returns to Earth after several stories away, only to find that beneath New York City, a hidden colony of the Aptians is awakening. A bit horrific at times, this episode would be among several episodes decried for violent content (the death of the sewer works at the start of episode 1 being an especially remarked upon example), though it the series violence was only beginning to increase.

• S12E07 A Quiet Place to Rest - An homage to the British series The Prisoner, this story features the Doctor trapped in a village and being hounded for information. While not as violent as The Awakening, the intense imagery, use of drugs (truth serums and so on) and other such things, provided an outcry even worse than The Awakeing, and would see the production team attempt to reign in such things in future seasons.

• S13E02 Demise of the Daleks - Intended as a farewell for the Daleks due to increased licensing issues with Terry Nation, the Daleks would not appear again until Season 18. As well, the story is appropriately expansive, and was the most expensive episode of the season for its extensive special effects.

• S13E05 Alas, Alas, Poor Babylon - The Creche are finally brought down (for now) after a three episode arc leading up to this, though there had been episodes with ancilliary Creche involvement. Controversial for some, the episode nonetheless remains a fan favorite for the Doctor smashing the Creche hard after several seasons of having them interfere and threaten him.

• S14E04 Pyramids of Venus - An Americanized version of Pyramids of Mars, the story shifts the original from its 1911 British manor house setting, to 1930's former plantation house in Louisiana during the Depression, as well as taking inspiration not from Egyptian gods, but Aztec ones. Known as "the one with Ricardo Montalban shirtless in it."

• S14E07 Nightcap - The final McGavin story, the episode is known for its rather frank discussion regarding the nature of war, politics and the uncertainty of ones actions, during the long scene between the Doctor and the planets leader over drinks. It would also feature the second companion death during the Fourth Doctor era, and also the end of the Fourth Doctor, following a new regeneration spurred on by a fatal knife blow.

Chapter Text

S10E01 - Death to the Doctor - Four episodes - The ailing Doctor is helped around Gallifrey by Kurt and Dr. Pauling. The new Doctor finds that Ohm had followers amongst the Time Lord populace, and he's now their prime target following his securing of the mad god in the anti-matter plane. He's soon shot, putting his renewal in dire jeopardy. Aided by the Time Lords' Covert Operations Precinct (COP), Kurt and Pauling try to find the culprits... only to discover that members of COP itself are responsible, a revelation that sets the tone for the Fourth Doctor's character and era – that of a distrust of government.

Guest starring Ernest Borgnine as Dr. Pauling, Lloyd Bochner as Captain Benedictus, Gerald McRaney as Lieutenant Escari, Jean Smart as Lieutenant Denella, and Alice Ghostley as Nurse Dix.


S10E02 - The Evil Truth - Four episodes - The Dalek Civil War continues to heat up, with the latest battleground being the far reaches of the Crab Nebula. The peaceful Daleks are losing, and things begin to grow grim as two allied factions opens fire on both Dalek factions. They are the Thals (who appear more or less like they do in British Doctor Who, save for uniform dark hair instead of blonde) and the Zolfians (named after the humanoid Daleks' war minister, Zolfian), blue creatures who are loyal to the crippled creator of the Daleks, Yarvelling. Yarvelling now wishes to destroy his creations as they have deviated to far from their original purpose. The Daleks' origins begin to be revealed...

Final story to feature Steve Martin (Kurt Strickland) as a regular. Guest starring Ernest Borgnine as Dr. Pauling, Roddy McDowall as Yarvelling, Mark Harmon as Alydon, Susan Sarandon as Rebec, and Frank Welker as the Allies' Battle Computer. With Paul Frees and Hans Conried as the Daleks. This story borrows some of its elements from David Whitaker's The Dalek Chronicles and The Evil of the Daleks, plus Terry Nation's The Mutants (OTL's The Daleks) and Destination: Daleks (OTL's Planet of the Daleks). As such, they are credited with attributing story elements.


S10E03 - The Unspoiled Planet - Three episodes - The TARDIS lands in what should be the middle of Times Square, but outside is unspoiled wilderness as far as the eye can see. No humans can be seen, nor any civilization. The planet is pristine, unspoiled... except for the temple just over the ridge. The temple that's host to visiting aliens that view the Earth as a holy site and the sacrilege of the Doctor and Pauling being present inexcusable.

Guest starring Ernest Borgnine as Dr. Pauling, Judd Hirsch as Ilkalta, Eartha Kitt as the High Priestess, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Enforcer (credited as "Arnold Strong"). Ethel Merman was in line for the part of the High Priestess, but Borgnine - who had been unhappily married to Merman for short time in 1964 - said he would walk if she was cast. Merman, who had wanted to appear on the show and was renowned for her love of profanity, was reportedly furious (famously calling Borgnine "an absolute f***ing piece of God d*** s***") until the producers guaranteed her a role later in the season.


S10E04 - Christmas Story - Four episodes - "It's the holiday season, so hoop-de-doo and dickory-dock..." Unfortunately, for the Doctor, Pauling, and ILIAD, it's not a happy holiday. Children are going missing, and no one can figure out just what's going on until someone catches the perpetrator in the act. The Krampus, a holiday demon from old folklore, has been stealing the children. However, this is a front for a government operation to create super soldiers. The President, being fully aware this was happening, is swiftly impeached, putting a damper on holiday cheer across the nation. What's not immediately obvious (until the season finale) is that ILIAD was in on the whole thing, and tried throughout to distract or manoeuvre the Doctor elsewhere. The Doctor is suspicious, and leaves on rather estranged terms with ILIAD.

Guest starring Ernest Borgnine as Dr. Pauling, Whit Bissell as Brigadier General Latimer-Stuart, George Takei as Captain George Fujiwara, Arthur O'Connell as ILIAD General Daniels, Frank Langella as the Krampus/Major John Kramp, and James Earl Jones as the President. Dr. Pauling departs at the end of this story, but would make occasional return appearances throughout the series.


S10E05 - Thrall of the Grolom - Two episodes - Gerald Peach-Palmer, a politician on a meteoric rise, murders his opposition through a pact with a race of aliens known as the Grolom (who are never seen beyond the gnarled, clawed hand of their emissary). Their experimentation gives him the ability to turn into an invulnerable berserker - one that's increasingly under their thrall. At the story's conclusion Peach-Palmer's fiancee, a young political activist and Southern belle Elizabeth Blanche, joins the Doctor.

First appearance of Dixie Carter (Elizabeth Blanche) on the series. Guest starring Tom Skerritt as Peach-Palmer and Lucille Bliss as the voice of the Grolom Emissary. TTL's version of the OTL Kolchak: The Night Stalker episode The Devil's Platform.


S10E06 - The Integralismos - Three episodes - A group of Rigelites known as the Integralismos manage to hijack the TARDIS, forcing the Doctor and Elizabeth into the interior of the ship. A game of cat and mouse ensues between the Integralismos and the travelers, culminating in a breach of the TARDIS's outer shell that sucks the invaders out - and nearly takes Elizabeth with them!

Guest starring Stefanie Powers as Commandant Hyal, Michael Ansara as Ostur, and Larry Storch as Kephim.


S10E07 - All the President's Men - Four episodes - The President is on trial after the events of Christmas Story, and seems that he'll be convicted and removed from office. However, several senators are swayed to vote in favor of not convicting and he walks free. The Doctor soon discovers that ILIAD forced the senators to vote the way they did, to his utter disgust. He confronts Latimer-Stuart, who says the nation couldn't handle the president being removed from office in such a way but that it wasn't on his orders that this happened but General Daniels on orders from the secretary of defense. The Doctor effectively gives up on ILIAD and the US government, declaring that he will never again step foot on US soil.

Guest starring James Earl Jones as the President, Arthur O'Connell as ILIAD General Daniels, Whit Bissell as Brigadier-General Latimer-Stuart, George Takei as Captain Fujiwara, and Ethel Merman as Senate president pro tempore Amanda Bennett-Walsh.

S11E01 - Fractures - Four episodes - The peaceful Daleks, after being blown out of the sky in The Evil Truth, have sequestered themselves in the large cave system on the planet Initolini. The pure Daleks are searching for them, with a portion of the Allies in hot pursuit. As tempers flare, the peaceful Daleks split into technical pacifist and total pacifist factions, with both factions beginning to demonstrate ire towards the Doctor for his interference. In this story, more about the Daleks' origins are revealed.

Guest starring Roddy McDowall as Yarvelling, Mark Harmon as Alydon, Susan Sarandon as Rebec, and Eddie Albert as Zolfian (in flashback). With Paul Frees and Hans Conried as the Daleks. This story borrows some of its elements from David Whitaker's The Dalek Chronicles and The Evil of the Daleks, plus Terry Nation's The Mutants (OTL's The Daleks) and Destination: Daleks (OTL's Planet of the Daleks). As such, they are credited with attributing story elements.

S11E02 - Nightmare Planet - Four episodes - Cheraakis: a planet where the populace is unknowingly subjugated with drugs in their food and water by the world government. Misdeeds are punished with the temporary suppression of the drugs, which causes the people to see terrible monsters all around them. The Doctor and Elizabeth are powerless to stop this atrocity, as the withdrawal from the drugs causes the people to go insane. Generally considered one of the darkest chapters in the Fourth Doctor's history, and is particularly soul-crushing to the character.

Guest starring Lee J. Cobb as the Leader. Based on a rejected British Doctor Who script by Dennis Spooner.

S11E03 - A Full Body Hijacking - Two episodes - A dying Time Lord, Alraine, swaps bodies with the Doctor so that they can escape the dullness of Gallifrey. Trapped in a body not his own with time running out, the Doctor must put this situation right lest he die permanently!

Guest starring John Carradine as Alraine.

S11E04 - The Creche - Three episodes - The Doctor encounters the Creche ("Nurturing your ideas so you don't have to!"), a shady organization who are currently trying to make a man named Heritz's dream of Grow Your Own Warships (JUST ADD WATER!) a reality, only to take all the profits and patents for themselves, leaving him penniless. They are quickly stopped by the Doctor and Elizabeth, putting them firmly on the Creche's Persons of Interest list.

First appearance of the recurring Creche organization. Guest starring Lyle Waggoner and Diane Keaton as the Public Faces of the Creche and Randolph Mantooth as Heritz. Initially criticized as being somewhat out of step with the rest of the season, but this story would have far-reaching influence throughout the Fourth Doctor's run and beyond.

S11E05 - The Conquering of the Cybermen - Three episodes - The Cybermen attempt to invade the planet Vytash, only to be conquered by the Vytashians' superior technology. However, it seems the Vytashians' may be using the Cybermen for worse ends than the cyborgs usually work towards independently. It's up to the Doctor to save his old enemies.

Guest starring Frank Welker as the voice of the Cybermen and Patrick Duffy as Reakin.

S11E06 - Secret of the Vertisols - Two episodes - The Vertisols return, having created a massive golem-like creature to block access through a mountain pass. This is hampering the development of a small Denemite colony nearby, and so the time travellers investigate. The Doctor and Elizabeth soon discover what's going on - this is the Vertisol homeworld and they have returned here to breed. The foot traffic from the colony was disturbing their mating season, so they blocked the Denemites. At the end of this story, a prominent Denemite, Tragor, is revealed to be an agent of the Creche who brought the Doctor here in the first place. He places a tracker on the Doctor's TARDIS when no one's looking...

Guest starring Jack Klugman as Tragor. Notably, the Vertisols seem out of character here, but this is explained away by their mating season altering their behavior.

S11E07 - Past Regrets - Six episodes - The Doctor returns to Gallifrey by himself, seeking to deal with issues from his past before his departure. However the political machinations of his homeworld drag him into the seedy underbelly of Time Lord politics as he finds a powerplay between the Secretariat of Time, Galatea - a woman who was practically his second mother growing up - and Redoras, the High Chamberlain to the Lord President - his brother-in-law (and Anna's father, which raises deep ire when he finds out her fate). As the Doctor's two relatives vye for control of the politics of the Time Lords, several thefts regarding ancient artifacts of the Time Lords threaten to upheave the delicate balance of power entirely. At the same time, facts come to light that expose a dark secret buried by the Doctor's family for generations... At the end of this story, Lieutenant Denella of the Covert Operations Precinct (now played by Shelley Long, and stated to be in her fourth incarnation) is sent along to keep an eye on the Doctor by the Lord President.

First regular appearance of Denella (Shelley Long) on the series. Guest starring Elsa Raven as Galatea, Arlen Dean Snyder as Redoras, and Val Avery as the Lord President. Elizabeth (Dixie Carter) is absent in this story. "Controversial", "landmark", and "classic" are all terms used to describe this story, which establishes much about the Doctor's family and Gallifreyian society.

S12E01 - Absolutely Positive - Four episodes - The Doctor begins behaving erratically, to the concern and dismay of his companions. He insists that the Collector has invaded the TARDIS, and abandons his companions in the bowels of the ship when they tell him he's hallucinating. Things soon spiral out of control, with the Doctor flinging the TARDIS into a black hole to expel and deal with the Collector "once and for all". Before the time machine is utterly destroyed, Elizabeth is able to knock the Doctor out to buy Denella enough time to save the TARDIS. Later, in sickbay, it's revealed that the Doctor had been poisoned with a drug that is patented, produced, and distributed by the Creche...

Guest starring Burgess Meredith as the Collector... or, rather, hallucinations of him. Somewhat of a bottle show, this story takes place entirely inside the TARDIS, with only four new sets (sickbay, two hallway junctions, and a library) being built. They would be featured occasionally throughout the remainder of the series, being refurbished as needed.

S12E02 - Clash at Kemestra - Four episodes - The Dalek Civil War is continuing to heat up, with the two Dalek factions clashing at a remote Seluyvan outpost near the planet Kemestra. The Seluyvans are being incidentally slaughtered by the pure Daleks, and the Doctor knows he cannot save everyone, much to his increasing frustration. While this is occurring, Denella learns a secret about the peaceful Daleks that shakes the foundations of the faction - the leaders have been slaughtering dissenting peaceful Daleks behind the others' backs. When this is revealed, the peaceful Daleks fracture into loyalist and truly peaceful factions. In the end, the battle at Kemestra ends in a stalemate, and the TARDIS crew quietly mourns for the Seluyvans lost in the senseless and ultimate pointless conflict.

Guest starring Phillip Pine as Station Commander Olmin. With Paul Frees and Hans Conried as the Daleks. This story borrows some of its elements from David Whitaker's The Evil of the Daleks. As such, he is credited with attributing story elements.

S12E03 - From Rigel with Love - Three episodes - The Doctor, Elizabeth, and Denella are hunted down by a Rigelite assassin who wants revenge for the deaths of the invaders from The Integralismos. However, the Rigelites' perennial foes the Trigannon Assembly are keen to assist the Doctor and his friends, ultimately helping them escape. It's then revealed that this is due to the Creche having a "vested interest" in keeping the Doctor alive. The Doctor sends the Assembly's representatives packing with a message to the Creche: "Stay OUT of my affairs!"

Guest starring Brock Peters as Grisugal the Assassin and Frank Welker as the voices of the Assembly's Representatives. Firmly establishes the Rigelites (which resemble humanoid lizards) as a sort of American counterpart to the Sontarans, and the Trigannon Assembly as the American counterpart to the Rutan Host. (Who have not yet appeared in the British show, but will be influenced somewhat by the Assembly.)

S12E04 - The Awakening - Five episodes - The TARDIS lands in the heart of New York City, and the Doctor is miffed. He really hadn't intended to arrive back on Earth, but the TARDIS was brought down by an energy disruption. Meanwhile, Elizabeth runs into an old flame who wants to rekindle their relationship. He quickly gets swept up in the TARDIS crew's hunt for the source of the disruption. As it's coming from below the city, the Doctor and company descend into the sewers, only to find that it's not alligators down below... it's a colony of Aptians planning to destroy New York.

Final story to feature Dixie Carter (Elizabeth Blanche) as a regular. Guest starring Hal Holbrook (Carter's eventual real-life husband) as James "Jimmy" Parker and Gary Combs as Iparil.

S12E05 - A Glitch in Time - Four episodes - The Doctor has been given orders by Gallifrey to resolve a time loop occurring on Geretha, the home-world an allied time-active race known as the Stitchites. It transpires that the Stitchites have accidentally reverted themselves back to a non-time-active race, and the one man who realized this was about to be executed by the government. The hail of gunfire damaged the console of his time machine and killed him, causing his body to land on top of and further damage the console, creating the time loop. The Doctor and Denella are able to stop the time loop, but are not able to help the Stitchites to return to their former glories. The Time Lords are pleased with this, having never liked the Stitchites anyway, and congratulate the pair on a job well done. They then send Denella on a secret mission, much to the Doctor's annoyance.

Guest starring Malachi Throne as the Eyes and Ears of Geretha, Brad Weston as Ultimas, and Jessica Walter as the Time Lord Agent. Denella appears to leave in this story. In reality, Shelley Long had been holding out for a raise, which NET bigwigs were not willing to give. After protracted negotiations, Long walked, forcing producers to hastily re-plan the next season.

The Collector, as played by Burgess Meredith, returns to the series briefly in an extended flashback in Part One, recounting how he and the Doctor met. However, since Meredith was busy, the role was played by Star Trek alumni Walter Koenig and the younger First Doctor was played by Bruce Hyde, another Star Trek alumni.

S12E06 - The Joy Machine - Two episodes - Timshel was once the vacation spot of the galaxy, full of culture, natural beauty, and friendly, hospitable inhabitants. But now Timshel has cut itself off from the universe. No one is allowed to enter or leave. Concerned, Earth authorities have sent agents to investigate, but none have returned. The crew of the Spaceship Venture have been dispatched and encounter the Doctor already on the planet. They elect to join forces to solve the mystery. All are shocked to discover the truth: the people of Timshel have succumbed to an insidious new technology that guarantees every citizen total pleasure, a soul-destroying ecstasy that has enslaved their entire civilization. The Doctor has faced many threats before, but now he must face the most seductive menace of all: perfect happiness.

Guest starring James Coburn as Captain Kerne, David Gautreaux as Commander Spoll, David Opatoshu as Doctor MacKearn, and Frank Welker as the voice of the Joy Machine. Shelley Long (Denella) is absent in this episode, after having been sent on a mission for the Time Lords in A Glitch in Time.

An adaptation by Meyer Dolinsky of an outline by Theodore Sturgeon for Star Trek. This story was offered to the series by Dolinsky with Sturgeon's blessing. Sturgeon had wanted to write for Doctor Who for a while, but hadn't the time to work for the series. Gene Roddenberry is noted as being amused by the affection parodies of the Star Trek cast seen in this story, as was the original cast themselves. Several would later appear in Doctor Who itself.

S12E07 - A Quiet Place to Rest - Four episodes - The Doctor wakes up to find himself in an isolated small town called the Community. Here everyone seems overly cheerful and friendly, but a sinister edge skirts the apparent jollity and wholesomeness. With surreal mind-games between himself and the hidden "authorities of the Community", he now finds himself facing a test of whether he can continue to hold onto the ideals he holds dear... or whether this will be the breaking point for him.

Guest starring Martin Landau as the Community Leader and Betty White (uncredited) as the voice of the Creche CEO. Shelley Long (Denella) is absent in this episode, after having been sent on a mission for the Time Lords in A Glitch in Time.

An homage to the British series The Prisoner, this episode features the American Fourth Doctor facing some of his most difficult personal conflict to date, with the machinations of the Community Leader seeking to break him. The psychological torment seen in the episode caused some considerable outcry, and would see the show reigning in the darker elements for the next few seasons (though still retaining their mature themes).

Location filming was done in Lakeside, Ohio, due to its unique Chautauqua community nature.

S13E01 - The Mad Goddess - Four episodes - The forest-dwelling natives of the planet Kurashlin are beset by a mad goddess that lives in the caves near the edge of the barbaric Sekurti tribe's territory. The caves are forbidden due to this, and the fact that the rival Brichcoo tribe dwell there, learning from their "false goddess". The one called Dinla. The Doctor is befriended by a young warrior named Lena, who takes him to the depths of the caves. In the depths of the caves - which turn out to be a buried ship - the Doctor discovers Denella, weakened, maddened, and on her last incarnation from being plugged into the computer core for so long. She warns him that the Creche did this and they're coming after him before expiring. Lena attempts to join the Doctor before he leaves, but is rebuked. He takes off alone, determined to outrun the Creche.

Guest starring Diana Muldaur as Dinla/Denella and Richard Hale as the Sekurti Chief.

A loose adaptation of Chris Boucher's The Day God Went Mad (OTL's The Face of Evil) is credited as attributing story elements. Similar elements such as linguistic corruption of normal terms (Kurashlin = "crash landing", Sekurti = "security", Brichcoo = "bridge crew", and Dinla = "Denella") and tribal regression are prominent.

S13E02 - Demise of the Daleks - Seven episodes - In his flight from the Creche, the Doctor lands slap-bang in the middle of the Dalek Civil War yet again. Just as the Thals and Zolfians are about to land a decisive, finishing blow to the Daleks, a Creche operative reveals himself amongst the Thal ranks and manages to utilize a strange remote to make the Doctor's TARDIS transport the whole event back to a time before the Daleks were conceived on Skaro, severely damaging it. The future begins to pervert the past, with Yarvelling and the Thals trying to convince Yarvelling's previous self not to create the Daleks, while the pure Daleks begin to create new Daleks anyway. The truly peaceful and loyalist Daleks are unsure of how to proceed, and mainly quarrel amongst themselves. The Doctor, meanwhile, confronts the Creche operative, who states the Doctor can't make him talk and commits suicide by jumping in front of a Dalek laser. Things grow worse and worse, with time beginning to collapse, before finally the Doctor manages to jury-rig the ailing TARDIS to fix the damage as best as possible... In the end, the Daleks' fate is left unsaid, but it is implied that they no longer exist as the TARDIS cannot find any traces of them. All that's left of the whole affair is two confused Thals who elect to join the Doctor.

First regular appearance of Mark Harmon (Alydon) and Susan Sarandon (Rebec) on the series. Guest starring Roddy McDowall as Yarvelling, John Winston as the Creche Operative, and Frank Welker as the Allies' Battle Computer. With Paul Frees and Hans Conried as the Daleks. This story borrows some of its elements from David Whitaker's The Dalek Chronicles and The Evil of the Daleks, plus Terry Nation's The Mutants (OTL's The Daleks), Destination: Daleks (OTL's Planet of the Daleks), and Genesis of Terror (OTL's Genesis of the Daleks). As such, they are credited with attributing story elements.

S13E03 - The Christmas Conspiracy - Five episodes - Drawn back to Earth, the Doctor introduces his new companions to Christmas. However, it quickly becomes evident that things are not what they seem. The TARDIS crew is being monitored everywhere they go, through security cameras, toys, television sets... even ILIAD is under the thumb of the mysterious enemy. The Doctor realizes that the Creche's influence has grown so strong that not even leaving the planet will allow them to escape. The organization is omnipresent, and wants the Doctor out of the way.

Guest starring Whit Bissell as Brigadier-General Latimer-Stuart, George Takei as Captain Fujiwara, and Betty White as the Creche CEO.

S13E04 - The Heart of the Matter - Four episodes - The Doctor resolves to discover the origins of the Creche. He follows their timeline back down to its start... and finds a driven young girl who's tired of being told she can't do anything because of her gender. As the years pass, she grows more devious and powerful, eventually founding her own company and making waves in the business world. It's revealed the Creche CEO (the little girl in question) was able to make the Creche into what its become by stolen Stitchite technology. She's virtually untouchable now, and it's almost impossible to take her down. Alydon attempts to do so, but the Doctor stops him. They've contaminated the timeline too much already. It's time to take the fight to the heart of things. Just as they are about to set the plan in motion, however, the crew is captured by the Creche.

Guest starring Betty White as the Creche CEO and DeForest Kelley as the CEO's Father.

S13E05 - Alas, Alas, Poor Babylon - Six episodes - Captured by the Creche, the TARDIS crew is being tortured. The organization finally has what it wants - the Doctor is quite out of the way. But when Rebec is killed, the Doctor has finally had more than enough. In a fit of rage, he manages to break himself and Alydon free, and begins to take the Creche down from within. At the end of this story, it appears as though the Creche is no more, and the Doctor is finally feeling like his old self once more. He reaffirms that he wants to actively explore the universe, help others, and accepts that he cannot save everyone all of the time. In the end, the Doctor and Alydon walk off into the sunset, missing Rebec, but still quite happy.

Guest starring Betty White as the Creche CEO, Jack Klugman as Tragor, and Lyle Waggoner, Diane Keaton, and Martin Landau as Creche Operatives.

S14E01 - Bad Business - Three episodes - The Doctor and Alydon arrive on the planet Morto, which turns out to be the home planet of the Death Pushers. They were clients of the Creche, and proceed to capture the travelers and put them on trial. It's a kangaroo court, the guilty verdict for the charge of gravely endangering the Pushers' economy (which isn't even accurate, as they can sustain themselves without the Creche) having already been decided. The Doctor and Mark need to show the public that the court is a sham, and perhaps change their society forever...

Guest starring Frank Welker as the Prosecutor, Thurl Ravenscroft as the Judge, Morgan Freeman as Lhinok (the crew's lawyer, and notably the first Death Pusher given a name), and Richard Moll as the Bailiff.

Notably, this is the first story to feature the sonic screwdriver in the American production, with it first appearing in episode three. The Doctor uses it to on a communications relay to broadcast his voice over every radio and television station on Morto. The handy implement had been in use in the British production since The Colony of Devils (OTL's Fury from the Deep) in 1968.

S14E02 - The Society of the Damned - Four episodes - A society of formerly abandoned time travelers led by a man named Abraxus Kline kidnaps the Doctor at a key point in history. The resulting shift ends up killing Alydon and throwing half the universe into dire turmoil. The Society seems not to care, more intent on exploiting the Doctor's technological finesse to reverse engineer a chrono-bomb out of a TARDIS... the Collector's TARDIS. Forced to work together, the two Time Lords are able to outwit the Society and escape. They admit that they make a great team, but in future will return to being sworn enemies. The Doctor slips back in before he can be missed, and history rights itself with Alydon asking the Doctor if he's missed something. The Doctor just grins and tells him not to worry about it.

First appearance of the recurring Society of the Damned. Guest starring Burgess Meredith as the Collector and James Doohan as Abraxus Kline.

S14E03 - Attack of the Imaginary Friends - Three episodes - Shauna Addison is a nursery school teacher who's begun to notice changes in her students. They're becoming meaner, and more violent. When asked why, they say their imaginary friends did it. The Doctor and Alydon intervene, and reveal that the children are being manipulated by an incorporeal race called the Vialux. They dispel the threat, and Shauna quits her job to travel with the pair.

First appearance of CCH Pounder (Shauna Addison) on the series. A late addition, Pounder was not able to be written effectively into the next story, but would appear in the rest of the season.

S14E04 - Pyramids of Venus - Four episodes - The TARDIS lands in Louisiana around the beginning of the Great Depression. The remote plantation house is surrounded on all sides by swamp, and strange figures lurk in the shadows. The local reptiles and birds are riled up as well. The house itself has been taken over by several Mexican nationals who want to summon the ancient Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. They succeed, and all hell breaks loose. The shadowy figures are revealed to be the energy of Aztec people sacrificed to the serpent god long ago and they willing sacrifice the last vestiges of their existence to form a portal in the swamp. Quetzalcoatl rises from it, freed from his prison on Venus. This time, the Doctor may really have lost...

First appearance of the recurring Tocian race. Guest starring Ricardo Montalban as Quetzalcoatl (both in human form and the voice of the serpent), Pedro Armendáriz, Jr. as Carlos Hernandez, and Larry Hagman as Curtis D. Forsythe III. CCH Pounder (Shauna) only appears briefly in episodes one and four.

Somewhat of a parallel to Pyramids of Mars, a story from the first season of the British Fourth Doctor (Bernard Cribbins), this story focuses in the opposite direction with the Aztec civilization having been influenced by a race native to Venus called the Tocians. These new aliens were named after the Aztec goddess Toci, whose name literally translates to "our grandmother". "Stephen Harris" is credited as attributing material.


S14E05 - Auld Lang Syne - 60-minute New Year's Eve Special - The Doctor, Alydon, and Shauna are on Earth in the present, spending time with Shauna's family on New Year's Eve. Alydon is not gelling well with Shauna's family, and leaves to "get some fresh air". He is promptly abducted. The Doctor and Shauna track him down, where he's being held hostage by a dying alien who cannot accept its own mortality. The Doctor talks it down and the alien dies at peace. The group return to the house and partake in the festivities, counting down to midnight.

Guest starring Brock Peters as Charles "Chuck" Addison, Beah Richards as Delia May Addison, Pam Grier as Rhonda Addison, and Helen Martin as Gramma Louise.

Notably, this episode was broadcast on Sunday, December 31st, at 9pm, as opposed to Thursday, December 28th and January 4th.

S14E06 - Vreeks Bearing Gifts - Five episodes - The Vreeks offer a gift to both the Rigelites and the Trigannon assembly, promising that each side will win the war. Secretly, they want to wipe both species out for the betterment of the universe. The Doctor must decide if killing two species outright and averting millions of other deaths is worth it. He eventually decides to keep the status quo, sending the Vreeks packing.

Guest starring Tom Baker as Hurmis, the Vreek Representative.

S14E07 - Nightcap - Five episodes - On an Earth-like planet in the Pleiades Cluster, the Doctor finds his recurring issue with the universe: corrupt governments. Having broken off from the Earth government, Avaran IV plans to nuke the approaching Earth fleet. However, the Doctor realizes that the bombs are not going to make it to the fleet. They're going to just destroy the planet and the fleet with it. He confronts the insane leader of the planet, and they have a long discussion on the futility of war over a bottle of Saurian brandy which the leader calls the planet's final nightcap. Meanwhile, Alydon and Shauna are trying to defuse the bombs. The Doctor is eventually able to slip away to help them, put is soon pursued by the drunken, knife-brandishing leader. The leader accidentally activates the detonation early, and in doing so, stabs both Alydon and the Doctor in the chest before Shauna knocks him over the railing and into the pit below. Alydon is too weak to do much of anything, and urges Shauna to save the Doctor instead of him. She does so, and the Doctor manages to dematerialize the TARDIS as his last act...

Final story to feature Mark Harmon (Alydon) as a regular. Last regular appearance of Darren McGavin as the Fourth Doctor, and introducing Robin Williams as the Fifth Doctor. Guest starring George C. Scott as the Leader.

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Eighties Daze

Pastels, shoulder pads, the death of disco, leg-warmers, slicked back or permed hair, suspenders. All these are seen as evocative of the 1980's. But the 1980's were more than simply being a decade of fashion excess. They were a decade of other things as well, both culture wise and socially. The Soviet Union was beginning its final slide towards collapse, talk was being bandied about of the idea of a united Germany being an actual reality, and in America, Ronald "Raygun" Reagan had taken office in 1981 following the embarrassing (to the Carter Administration) Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979-80. Reagan would oversee drastic changes in Americas political and socio-economic structure, as well as changes in culture during his time in office. The Excessive Eighties as they would be called by some, emphasized the excesses of modern American consumerist culture, and would also see the speeding up of the economic problems in places in the so-called "Rust Belt." Indeed, the situation was growing bad enough that popular entertainment was quite willing to satirize the situation in a dark fashion. Robocop in particular was pointed in its satire, with its crime ridden Detroit, status symbol gas-guzzling autos, and take down of corporate American culture.

For Doctor Who, the decade would prove to be a changing point for the show. The 1970's were giving way to what some saw as a newer, less depressing decade, though for others, there were signs that underneath the bright veneer and consumer excess culture, things weren't much better. The show would reflect that feeling with the new series, with the comedic style of Robin Williams as the new Doctor, meshed with some of his predecessors personality traits. While the show would also move to make the distrust of authority not as severe as with McGavins, the show would take shots at authority which did little to be of use to the people it was supposed to serve. The 1980's would also see the shows writing shift more towards the left politically, with Reaganomics and Reaganism being skewered in various ways. It would be a culmination of this political skewering, violence, and intense themes that would see the series facing trouble in the late 1980's, and eventually end up being put on indefinite hiatus. NET was also doing well, and had begun a partnership with a new fledgling private network, the American Animation Network.

In the world of games, Doctor Who had entered the arcades as early as 1973 with the popular Doctor Who: Infinity pinball game, however the first official American video game was 1985's Doctor Who: Crusade of the Doctor arcade game by Atari Games. Design wise, the game is similar to Atari's Gauntlet, released the same year (though while Gauntlet supported four-person play, Doctor Who only supported two person.) In it, The Doctor and a Companion (who could be civilian or I.L.I.A.D. depending on character choice) braved through five dangerous levels (Ancient Rome, Victorian London, Contemporary Chicago, Futuristic Moon Base, Dalek Spaceship) fighting various human and alien enemies in a top down perspective. The Doctor could either use his sonic-screwdriver ability (which could open doors/fix certain machines) or use a form of "extraterrestrial martial-arts" as his attacks, while companions, based on whether they were civilian or military, had either stun guns/rocket launchers as their main weapons/abilities.

Crusade of the Doctor was one of the more challenging arcade games, and arcade gamers of the time spent much of their time (and tokens/quarters) trying to beat the levels. But when the graphics of the Six Doctors beckoned you to test yourself, it was hard to say no. Due to the use of actual audio files, rather than a voice chip like in Gauntlet, only 5,485 cabinets were made. However, the game would eventually be ported to the era's home console systems in one of the more successful ports, which also added a bonus level (Wild West). In 1986, Simon & Schuster Interactive published the first official American Doctor Who home computer game, Doctor Who: Faces of the Future, which was fairly well received for the type of game it was. In it, the Doctor (presumed to be the Sixth Doctor, though it is vague enough to be any of them) meets a future incarnation of himself that warns of a terrible event to come involving the Daleks and the Collector. The player must then investigate the mystery behindthis event and stop whatever the event is from happening. Text based computer games were created as well, such as the 1988 joint Anglo-American production Doctor Who: Parallels featured guest writing from noted British author Terry Pratchett, who himself was a fan of computers and computer games. Full of humor poking fun at both series, Parallels was a much more comedic game than its predecessors. As well, both American and British toy companies were introducing new action figures and board games based on the show.

The 1980's also saw the Doctor, or at least an American film version of the Doctor, return to the big screen. There had been some wrangling over further licensing of the characters by the studios, and it would be released in 1982. Actor Harrison Ford would be the actor to portray the movie Doctor in a planned trilogy of films, featuring the three classic American Doctor foes (The Collector, the Cybermen, and the Daleks). Ford, who was no stranger to science fiction, had only recently finished work on Indiana Jones when he had been scooped up for the role by Universal. The trilogy would unfortunately face competition from several other film series running throughout the 1980's, and never received the critical success as the others, though it managed to at least make back the money and then some for it to be completed.

The decade would also see Doctor Who gain its first success in a country outside the so-called "Anglosphere," as the show began to broadcast in the late 1970's in Japan. Somewhat fractured at first, the American series would surprisingly catch on with a segment of the Japanese viewing public. But the Whovian Invasion of Japan was only just beginning to gain ground by the mid-1980's. The 1990's would see it grow even more....

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Overview: It has been said that Robin Williams was the only alien ever actually cast as the Doctor, though this is often attributed to comment from his appearance at a casting call for the popular sitcom Happy Days, where he would play the character Mork the alien in 1978. Mork was popular with the audiences, and plans were made by ABC to spin-off the character into his own show, but found that NET had scooped them in the months since the February 1978 appearance of Williams on Happy Days. It would be a lucky scoop for NET and Doctor Who, and a career booster for Williams. His tenure as the American Fifth Doctor came at a time when the show was now coasting along at decent numbers ratings wise, and for those licensed toy manufacturers, was still a moneymaker. But it would also spell the eventual end of the show before the decades end, though it was not the fault of either Williams or his successor.

Williams at the time of the casting, was just beginning to make his way into film and television. Having gained attention for his stand-up comedy, Williams was at that point looking to use his comedic talents without the emotional and physical burnout of the traveling stand-up comedian. The constant traveling, substance abuse, and emotional drain and bitterness from comedic rivalry had not helped him personally or in his home-life. Williams in particular was hit hard because of the amount of personal energy he threw into his performances. 'People think they know you. They expect you to be literally like you are on TV or in the movies, bouncing off the walls. A woman in an airport once said to me, "Be zany!" People always want zany, goofy sh-t from me. It takes a lot of energy to do that. If you do that all the time, you'll burn out'." His casting as the newest Doctor came as a surprise, but in reality, the production team had been looking for a comedian to take the role since McGavin had made mention of wanting to depart.

A variety of comedians had been considered, including Jonathan Winters, John Candy, Joe Flaherty and Phil Hartman. Problems arose regarding the potential casting of Winters, as he was widely considered a liability in the entertainment industry at this point, even to a fairly receptive place like NET. As well, Winters himself was not interested in such a high profile and demanding role. Both Candy and Flaherty were currently committed to their roles on SCTV. and were therefore unavailable to work on the series. Hartman as well as busy with other projects, but would later join the series as the Doctors brother Shan after Season 16. Williams casting had come about due to the popularity of Mork, as well as the production team desirous of a younger, more energetic Doctor.

Williams was afforded a privilege few who had played the role were allowed, that of improvisation and ad-libbing. This would allow him to showcase his talents, though obviously his more mature comedy would be one of the few things he'd have to tamper down a bit for the more family oriented Doctor Who. His physicality was also something that was used quite often, and he would do several of his own stunts, once breaking two fingers on his right hand during a mishap with a prop during a rehearsal.

The show at the time was at its peak in a technical sense. Assistance from the Jim Henson Company, and the Creature Workshop meant that the various alien races were portrayed by elaborate costumes and sometimes puppets, but at least were good quality costumes and puppets. But this arrangement was still a drain on the budget, even with Henson agreeing to a cooperative discount for their services. As well, the show production team felt trapped at the studio in New York, which was constrained somewhat by the fact that expanding needs and storage for the show was outpacing what they had started with in 1964. This confluence of issues would come to a head during the Sixth Doctor era, and would see changes between the end of the classic series and the first revival in the 1990's. Williams tenure would also see the movies come to the screen starring Harrison Ford, a year before his departure from the role, and would also see the first official crossover between the British and American shows.

Personality: The American Fifth Doctor could be seen as a take on the British Second Doctor. A sort of cosmic clown, as opposed to hobo, the Fifth was surprisingly also a bit of a manipulator as Troughtons Doctor had been. However, he seemed less likely to coldly manipulate his compatriots (and even enemies) in regards to plans, and genuinely feel remorse at having to end someones life. In some ways, he might have seemed a sort of sad clown, outwardly happy but inwardly hurting, as a reaction against his previous incarnations brusque persona, while dealing with the fallout of the Fourth Doctors farewell story. Indeed, his first season as the Doctor presents him as swinging moods a bit between very comedic and very self-reflective and reserved, before settling down at the end of that season and going into the rest of his tenure.

This mood swing and gradual maturation might be attributed partially to the painful regeneration Four suffers in Nightcap and the follow up Five has in his introductory story Feeling Poorly. Throughout Season Fifteen, Five wears a very 80's style white suit with blue pinstripes and blue pastel tie, along with various accoutrements such as a pineapple pin or sunglasses. However, with the maturation of the character, the style shifted to what some might call "Ivy League Professor," with subdued browns, a scarf which the Doctor explains was from his Class at the Academy back home, and a more professional appearance all round. This costume change was actually something both Williams and the production team agreed on, feeling that the character was more mature than his uncertain persona at the start of the season. The character would still retain his humor, however, and the sad-clown aspect became less of the defining trait, and he became more determined and perhaps, joyful.

Initially, viewers were uncertain of what to expect with the Fifth Doctors personality, after five seasons with McGavin. But the shows writing and Williams own humor and charm allowed them Fifth Doctor to gain a good presence and respect from the viewers. While only lasting four seasons, the Fifth Doctor had several memorable stories and was a breather after the intense McGavin years (though this was in spite of the fact that show continued to press the envelope at times in terms of intensity and even violence during the final two Doctors of the Classic era). Five remains a favorite today, for both fans of the show normally, and those who are a fan of Williams work.

Companions:

• Shauna Addison (CCH Pounder) S15E01 to S15E07
• Soledad Ortega (Rachel Ticotin) S16E01 to S17E05
• Shran (Phil Hartman) - Recurring
• Imelda "Mose" Moseby (Katey Sagal) S16E03 to S17E05
• Lisa Chao (Jean Marie Hon) S18E01 to S18E06

Episodes to Watch:

• S15E01 Feeling Poorly - First episodes to star Williams, and also the introductory episode of the villainous Administrator, a female Time Lord with a grudge against the Doctor and his classmates due to an incident at the Academy. Watch Williams and Bea Arthur verbally spar against each other in a scene both menacing and humorous.
• S15E04 Sundown - The ancient aliens who inspired the Aztec religion return, this time with Xolotl, played by Victor Buono as the scenery chewing villain in what has been described as Buonos King Tut x 6. Perhaps not the strongest story, but certainly one of the more funny ones, even with the human sacrifice elements...
• S15E07 Spectres of War - A rather sad story dealing with the effects of war on a person, we see the Doctor and Shauna (who leaves this story) deal with her cousins mental projections of his time in Vietnam threaten those around him, all because of a medication which was meant to help him. Despite the somewhat odd premise, it still manages to be a difficult story for some who have gone through a traumatic experience and find themselves hurting those around them, even if not with mental projections.
• S16E02 The Academic Epidemic - Another comedic episode with not even a real "villain," the story is notable for its humor and generally lighter tone than previous stories in the Fifth Doctors first season.
• S16E06 The Two Doctors - The first official crossover between the two series, this story is well received for its pacing, plotting, and the interaction between the two Doctor Who shows casts, allowing everyone a chance to shine. The story would also allow for future contradictions in canon to not only be explained away as being of time travel, but also dimensional bleed where part of one reality rewrites another.
• S17E01 Dark Avatar - The first episode in what might be called the Return of the Ancients saga and an attempt to create a season long arc similar to the Key to Time saga in British Who, is rightly considered a classic, especially with the introduction of the titular Dark Avatar, played by future voice actor, Kevin Conroy. Another recurring villain, even after the sagas end, the Dark Avatar proved popular with audiences.
• S17E05 The Wrath of the Ancients - The longest story filmed in the American series (ten episodes), it matches Troughtons The War Games in terms of length. While some have criticized it with being padded out too much, others point out the character send-offs and need to give characters needed personal advancement and character are helped by the long time.
• S18E03 A Day at the Beach - Another light hearted story, the Doctor and new companion Lisa manage to through an accidental separation, foil a pair of alien invasions unbeknownst to each other or the invaders. Especially amusing is Jeffery Tambor as the stressed out mayor.
• S18E04 Filling The Vacuum - The Daleks return after seasons away, and it turns out they are from the other Doctors universe. New Dalek models and an imperfect Davros clone, played by actor Raymond Burr certainly make the wait worth waiting for the creatures return.
• S18E06 A Dance of Light and Shadow - The Doctor faces off against the Society of the Damned again, and this time, he doesn't win. In a bittersweet ending, he manages a Pyrrhic victory, but loses a companion, and is forced to regenerate, begging his brother Shran to help him. Calling Dr. Phibes, Dr. Phibes, you're wanted as the Doctor...