Doctor Who (season 17)

Doctor Who season 17

Title card as used in this season
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of episodes 20 (aired)
Broadcast
Original channel BBC One
Original run 1 September 1979 (1979-09-01) – 12 January 1980 (1980-01-12)
Home video release
DVD release
Region 1 8 November 2005 - [1]
Region 2 7 November 2005 -
Region 4 1 December 2005 -
Series chronology
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Season 18
List of Doctor Who serials

The 17th season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 1 September 1979 with the story Destiny of the Daleks, and ended with The Horns of Nimon.

Contents

Casting

Main Characters

Tom Baker continued his role as The Fourth Doctor, and saw the introduction of Romana II.

Guest stars

Davros returns in Destiny of the Daleks this time played by David Gooderson.

Serials

Story No. Serial Title Directed by Written by UK viewers
(million)		 Original air date Production
code
104 1 "Destiny of the Daleks" Ken Grieve Terry Nation 13.5[2] 1-22 September 1979 5J
The TARDIS lands the Fourth Doctor and Romana on a strangely familiar planet. There, they meet the android Movellans, who are locked in a war with the Daleks. The planet is Skaro, and in a bunker sits an enemy long thought dead — Davros, creator of the Daleks. 
105 2 "City of Death" Michael Hayes David Agnew, Douglas Adams,
Graham Williams and David Fisher		 14.5[2] 29 September - 20 October 1979 5H
On Tigella, two opposing faction are irrevocably divided over one fundamental issue: the Dodecahedron, a mysterious object which provides the entire planet's energy. 
106 3 "The Creature from the Pit" Christopher Barry David Fisher 10.0[2] 27 October - 17 November 1979 5G
On the planet Chloris, the Doctor, soon find themselves caught up in a long and secret enmity between the Lady Adrasta, who rules the planet in fear, and the mysterious Creature she keeps in a Pit. 
107 4 "Nightmare of Eden" Alan Bromly Bob Baker 9.3[2] 24 November - 15 December 1979 5K
The TARDIS lands at the site of a hyperspatial collision between two spacecraft - as a result of which, neither ship is dimensionally stable, risking the lives of all those aboard. 
108 5 "The Horns of Nimon" Kenny McBain Anthony Read 8.8 [2] 22 December 1979 - 12 January 1980 6L
After colliding with a spaceship, The Doctor, Romana and K-9 learn young natives from a peaceful planet called Aneth are being transported into a great labyrinth called "The Power Complex". 
- 6 "Shada" Pennant Roberts Douglas Adams Unaired Unaired 6M
The story revolves around the lost planet Shada, on which the Time Lords built a prison for defeated would-be conquerors of the universe. Skagra, an up-and-coming would-be conqueror of the universe, needs the assistance of one of the prison's inmates, but finds that nobody knows where Shada is anymore except one aged Time Lord who has retired to Earth. 

Broadcast

DVD Release

All serials of season 17 are still being released individually.

References

  1. ^ "List of Doctor Who DVD releases - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". En.wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_DVD_releases#Fifth_Doctor_releases. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  2. ^ a b c d e "Doctor Who Ratings Audience Viewing Figures". Themindrobber.co.uk. http://www.themindrobber.co.uk/ratings.html. Retrieved 2011-10-09.