Doctor Who (Season 2)

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Doctor Who season 2
DVD box
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of episodes 39: 9 serials
Broadcast
Original channel BBC One
Original run 31 October 1964 –
24 July 1965
Season chronology
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Season 1
Next →
Season 3
List of Doctor Who serials

The second season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who (TV Series)Doctor Who] began on 31 October 1964 with the story Planet of Giants and ended on 24 July 1965 with The Time Meddler.

Contents

Casting

See also: List of Doctor Who cast members

Main characters

William Hartnell continued his role as the First Doctor accompanied by his original companions: his granddaughter Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford), and schoolteachers Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill).

Susan departed at the end of the second story The Dalek Invasion of Earth, and was soon replaced by Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) in The Rescue.

The penultimate story The Chase saw the departure of Ian and Barbara, and the arrival of Steven (Peter Purves) as a regular member of the TARDIS crew. At the end of the season, aside from the Doctor, the main cast had changed and would do so the following season when it finished.

Guest stars

Peter Butterworth makes his first of two appearances as the Meddling Monk in the serial The Time Meddler.

Serials

Dennis Spooner replaced David Whitaker as script editor after The Dalek Invasion of Earth, and edited the remainder of the season apart from The Time Meddler, which was edited by Donald Tosh. Verity Lambert continued in her role as producer for the entire season while Mervyn Pinfield served as associate producer until the end of The Romans. This season was originally intended to have 40 episodes with Planet of Giants originally shot and edited as 4 x 25 minute episodes. After viewing the episodes, Head of series and serials Donald Wilson found them to be lacking in action and ordered that the final two episodes be edited into 1 episode. The episode left over was later used to produce the single-episode teaser "Mission to the Unknown" in Season 3.

The Time Meddler is the first example in the series of what became known as "pseudo-historical" stories - these are serials that are set in the past, but have a story that involves significant science-fiction elements (beyond the presence of the TARDIS and its crew).

Season 2 is the most complete season of Doctor Who during its black-and-white era, as only two episodes, both from The Crusade, are missing from the BBC archive.

Story Serial Title Directed by Written by Original air date Production
code
UK viewers
(million)
AI
009 1 Planet of Giants
"Planet of Giants"
"Dangerous Journey"
"Crisis"
Mervyn Pinfield and Douglas
Camfield
Louis Marks
31 October 1964
7 November 1964
14 November 1964
J
8.4
8.4
8.9

57
58
59
Following a malfunction on the TARDIS console, the Doctor leads his companions Ian, Barbara and Susan to the world beyond. After some deduction, the travellers realise they have arrived on Earth but have shrunk in size to about an inch.
010 2 The Dalek Invasion of Earth
"World's End"
"The Daleks"
"Day of Reckoning"
"The End of Tomorrow"
"The Waking Ally"
"Flashpoint"
Richard Martin Terry Nation
21 November 1964
28 November 1964
5 December 1964
12 December 1964
19 December 1964
26 December 1964
K
11.4
12.4
11.9
11.9
11.4
12.4

63
59
59
59
58
63
The TARDIS materialises in London only to find it devastated and in ruins. The TARDIS crew discover that they have landed in the 22nd century and the Earth has been invaded by the Daleks.
011 3 The Rescue
"The Powerful Enemy"
"Desperate Measures"
Christopher Barry David Whitaker
2 January 1965
9 January 1965
L
12.0
13.0

57
59
The Doctor, Barbara and Ian encounter two survivors of a space crash, Vicki Pallister and Bennett on the planet Dido, who are awaiting a rescue ship, due to arrive in three days time. Vicki and Bennett live in fear of Koquillion, a bipedal inhabitant, which is stalking the area.
012 4 The Romans
"The Slave Traders"
"All Roads Lead to Rome"
"Conspiracy"
"Inferno"
Christopher Barry Dennis Spooner
16 January 1965
23 January 1965
30 January 1965
6 February 1965
M
13.0
11.5
10.0
12.0

53
51
50
50
While enjoying a holiday at a Roman villa in the year 64AD , the Doctor and Vicki decide to visit the city of Rome while Ian and Barbara are kidnapped and sold into slavery.
013 5 The Web Planet
"The Web Planet"
"The Zarbi"
"Escape to Danger"
"Crater of Needles"
"Invasion"
"The Centre"
Richard Martin Bill Strutton
13 February 1965
20 February 1965
27 February 1965
6 March 1965
13 March 1965
20 March 1965
N
13.5
12.5
12.5
13.0
12.0
11.5

56
53
53
49
48
42
An unknown force pulls the TARDIS off course and onto the planet Vortis. The TARDIS crew find two species, The Zarbi and the Menoptra at battle with each other.
014 6 The Crusade
"The Lion"
"The Knight of Jaffa"[1]
"The Wheel of Fortune"
"The Warlords"[2]
Douglas Camfield David Whitaker
24 April 1965
1 May 1965
8 May 1965
15 May 1965
P
10.5
8.5
9.0
9.5

61
53
56
49
The TARDIS materialises in 12th century Palestine, during the time of the Third Crusade. When the Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki emerge, they find themselves in the middle of a Saracen ambush.
015 7 The Space Museum
"The Space Museum"
"The Dimensions of Time"
"The Search"
"The Final Phase"
Mervyn Pinfield Glyn Jones
24 April 1965
1 May 1965
8 May 1965
15 May 1965
Q
10.5
9.2
8.5
8.5

61
53
56
49
The TARDIS arrives near a vast Space Museum on the planet Xeros, but has jumped a time-track. The TARDIS crew have a series of bizarre experiences as they venture into the Museum – not least that they see but cannot be seen by the militaristic Moroks who run the museum, or the servile indigenous Xerons who work for them. The crew find the four travellers themselves encased and on display.
016 8 The Chase
"The Executioners"
"The Death of Time"
"Flight Through Eternity"
"Journey into Terror"
"The Death of Doctor Who"
"The Planet of Decision"
Richard Martin and Douglas Camfield Terry Nation
22 May 1965
29 May 1965
5 June 1965
12 June 1965
19 June 1965
26 June 1965
R
10.0
9.5
9.0
9.5
9.0
9.5

57
56
55
54
56
57
sing a Time-Space Visualiser, The TARDIS crew find that the Daleks now have a time machine, and are pursuing the TARDIS in order to exterminate its crew. This begins a deadly pursuit through time and space, leading to locations, such as the Mary Celeste, the Empire State Building and a haunted house attraction.
017 9 The Time Meddler
"The Watcher"
"The Meddling Monk"
"A Battle of Wits"
"Checkmate"
Douglas Camfield Dennis Spooner
3 July 1965
10 July 1965
17 July 1965
24 July 1965
S
8.9
8.8
7.7
8.3

57
49
53
54
The Doctor and Vicki are amazed to find Steven Taylor aboard the TARDIS, after thinking he perished following their chase from the Daleks. They arrive in 1066 on the coast of Northumbria, and their arrival has been witnessed by a mysterious Monk who is somehow aware of what the TARDIS really is...

Production

Missing episodes

DVD releases

In print

See also

References

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