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'''1979''' was a [[year]].


While the [[Fourth Doctor]] described '''1979''' as a "[[Wine|table wine]] year", at least in regards to [[Paris]], ([[TV]]: ''[[City of Death]]'') his [[Tenth Doctor|tenth incarnation]] later referred to it as "a hell of a year". The Tenth Doctor elaborated that [[China]] invaded [[Vietnam]], and the [[Muppet|Muppet Movie]] came out. During this year, [[Margaret Thatcher]] was [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]], and an unspecified incarnation of [[the Doctor]] helped [[Skylab]] fall to [[Earth]] — he claimed that it "nearly took off [his] thumb." ([[TV]]: ''[[Tooth and Claw (TV story)|Tooth and Claw]]'')
== Events ==
=== Dated ===
==== January - August ====
On [[17 February]], the [[Sino-Vietnamese War]] began as [[China]] [[invade]]d [[Vietnam]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)}})


At some point in this year, the Fourth Doctor and [[Romana II|Romana]] visited Paris, and [[Scaroth|Count Scarlioni]] stole the [[Mona Lisa]] from the [[Louvre]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[City of Death]]'')
On [[4 May]], [[Margaret Thatcher]] led the [[Conservative Party]] to [[victory]] in the [[United Kingdom]]'s [[1979 United Kingdom general election|General Election]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)}})


== Events ==
On [[11 July]], the [[United States]] [[space station]] ''[[Skylab]]'' began its return to [[Earth]], several [[year]]s ahead of [[schedule]], with the assistance of [[the Doctor]], who nearly lost his [[thumb]] in the process. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)}}, [[TV]]: {{cs|Tooth and Claw (TV story)}}) The [[Tenth Doctor]] parked [[The Doctor's TARDIS|his TARDIS]] in Earth's [[orbit]] to watch the descent. In the early hours of [[12 July]], ''Skylab'' would collide with a [[Zalphon]] [[scout ship]] before crash-landing near the [[town]] of [[Esperance]] in [[Western Australia]]. On [[15 July]], the Doctor would finally thwart the attempted Zalphon invasion of Earth by re-directing [[Sydney Opera House|their mothership]] to [[Antarctica]], where the [[gas]]eous-[[ectoplasm]]ic [[species]] [[Freezing|froze]] into [[ice crystal]]s. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Bennelong Point (short story)}})
=== January ===
 
* [[4 January|4]] - [[Phil Tyson]] was born at 3:50pm. The [[Vandosian]]s believed that [[Shogalath]] had [[Reincarnation|reincarnated]] in his body. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Mr Nobody (comic story)|Mr Nobody]]'')
[[File:The Persistence of Memory.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Twelfth Doctor]] and [[Clive Finch]] at [[Loch Ness]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Persistence of Memory (short story)}})]]
In [[August]], [[The Monk (The Persistence of Memory)|the Monk]] came to [[Loch Ness]] with an abandoned spaceship full of [[Time Scoop]] technology. Although he eventually planned on using the scoop to depopulate Earth, the Monk instead meddled with history by bringing a [[Plesiosaurus]] to the Loch which led to a large number of [[Loch Ness Monster]] sightings. The [[Twelfth Doctor]] and [[Clive Finch]] came to the Loch to investigate the sightings and discovered the Monk's presence. The Doctor made the Monk forget about his scheme with a [[memory worm]] and returned the Plesiosaurus to the past. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Persistence of Memory (short story)}})
 
On [[16 August]], [[Edward Grainger]] and his granddaughter [[Linda Grainger|Linda]] helped the [[First Doctor]] and [[Susan Foreman]] stop several [[Slarvian]] eggs from gestating near the [[English Channel]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Childhood Living (short story)}})
 
On [[18 August]], [[AC/DC]] opened for [[the Who]] at [[Wembley Stadium]]. Peri attended the concert with [[Janine Foster|her mother]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Church of Football (short story)}})
 
==== September - December ====
[[Skagra]] went to [[Earth]] in search of [[Salyavin]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Shada (TV story)}})
 
In late [[October]], a [[Kaftakkrofakian]] called [[Cecil (Zombie Motel)|Cecil]] transformed everyone at a [[Halloween]] party into [[zombie]]s, leaving only one survivor. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Zombie Motel (short story)}})
 
From [[5 November|5]] to [[10 November]], [[ABBA]] [[perform]]ed at [[Wembley Arena]] in [[London]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)}}) [[Rose Tyler]] was among those who saw ABBA, having been dropped off by the [[Tenth Doctor]]. ([[GAME]]: {{cs|Attack of the Graske (video game)}}, [[COMIC]]: {{cs|Opera of Doom! (comic story)}})
 
On [[21 November]], [[Ian Dury]] and [[the Blockheads]] performed in [[concert]] at [[Sheffield]], [[England]]. The Tenth Doctor attempted to take Rose Tyler to this concert. They instead ended up in [[Scotland]] in [[1879]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Tooth and Claw (TV story)}})


=== August ===
In [[December]], [[Erimem]], [[Helena (The Last Pharaoh)|Helena]], and [[Ibrahim Hadmani]] visited [[Sydney Seaside Lodgings]] and saved [[Charlotte Sydney]] from [[Parasite (Serpent's Child)|an alien parasite]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Serpent's Child (short story)}})
* [[16 August|16]] - [[Edward Grainger]] and his granddaughter [[Linda Grainger|Linda]] helped the [[First Doctor]] and [[Susan Foreman]] stop several [[Slarvian]] eggs from gestating near the [[English Channel]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Childhood Living (short story)|Childhood Living]]'')


=== October ===
On [[24 December]], [[Clive Finch]] encountered the Twelfth Doctor in a London newsagents and followed him back to his TARDIS. As it was Christmas Eve, the Doctor gave Clive the gift of a journey in the TARDIS. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Persistence of Memory (short story)}})
* [[Skagra]] went to [[Earth]] in search of [[Salyavin]]. ([[HOMEVID]]: ''[[Shada (TV story)|Shada]]'')
* A [[Kaftakkrofakian]] called [[Cecil]] transformed everyone at a [[Halloween]] party into [[zombie]]s, leaving only one survivor. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Zombie Motel (short story)|Zombie Motel]]'')
* [[12 October|12]] - [[Izzy Sinclair]] was born. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[TV Action!]]'')


=== November ===
=== Undated ===
* [[21 November|21]] - [[Ian Dury]] and the Blockheads performed in concert at [[Sheffield]], [[England]]. The [[Tenth Doctor]] attempted to take [[Rose Tyler]] to this concert. They instead ended up in [[Scotland]] in [[1879]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Tooth and Claw (TV story)|Tooth and Claw]]'')
[[John Benton]] left the army and [[UNIT]]. He took a job selling second-hand cars. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Mawdryn Undead (TV story)}})


=== Unknown dates ===
[[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]] and a team from the British division of UNIT travelled to [[Canada]], where they investigated sentient electricity pylons which were stalking the Canadian countryside. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Oseidon Adventure (audio story)}})
* Dr [[Lavinia Smith]] moved from [[South Croydon]] to [[Moreton Harwood]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Girl's Best Friend]]'')
* [[John Benton]] left the army and [[Unified Intelligence Taskforce|UNIT]]. He took a job selling second-hand cars. ([[TV]]: ''[[Mawdryn Undead]]'')
* [[Paul Brown]], the father of [[Peri Brown]], died in a [[boat]]ing accident. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Synthespians™]]'')
* [[James Callaghan]] was the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Oseidon Adventure (audio story)|The Oseidon Adventure]]'') Later in the year, he was succeeded by [[Margaret Thatcher]] of the [[Conservative Party]] ([[TV]]: ''[[Tooth and Claw (TV story)|Tooth and Claw]]'', [[AUDIO]]: ''[[Rat Trap (audio story)|Rat Trap]]''), who held that office until at least [[1987]] ([[TV]]: ''[[Father's Day (TV story)|Father's Day]]'').
* The last surviving members of the [[Luron]] attempted to invade [[Earth]] but their plan was thwarted by the Fourth Doctor and [[Leela]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Valley of Death (audio story)|The Valley of Death]]'')
* [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]] and a team from the British division of UNIT travelled to [[Canada]] where they investigated sentient electricity pylons which were stalking the Canadian countryside. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Oseidon Adventure (audio story)|The Oseidon Adventure]]'')
* [[Patricia Ryder]] met her future husband [[Trevor (The Zygon Who Fell to Earth)|Trevor]], in actuality the [[Zygon]] [[Warlord]] [[Haygoth]], at a [[Folk Festival]] in [[Kendal]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Zygon Who Fell to Earth (audio story)|The Zygon Who Fell to Earth]]'')
* [[Eugene Jones]] was born to [[Shaun Jones|Shaun]] and [[Bronwen Jones]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Random Shoes (TV story)|Random Shoes]]'')
* The nine-year-old [[Ace|Dorothy "Ace" McShane]] was given an [[ABBA]] record as a reward for being a brave girl when she went to the dentist. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Tragedy Day (novel)|Tragedy Day]]'')
* [[Tegan Jovanka]] went on holiday to [[Hong Kong]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Cold Fusion (novel)|Cold Fusion]]'')


=== Parallel universe ===
The last surviving members of the [[Luron]] attempted to invade [[Earth]], but their plan was thwarted by the Fourth Doctor and [[Leela]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Valley of Death (audio story)}})
* [[12 October]] - [[Beep|Beep the Meep]] travelled to a [[Meta-Fiction universe|parallel universe]], in which the Doctor's universe existed only as part of a [[BBC]] science fiction television series called ''[[Doctor Who]]'', and took control of the [[BBC Television Centre]]. The [[Eighth Doctor]] and his companion [[Izzy Sinclair]] defeated Beep with the help of the actor [[Tom Baker]], who infuriated him with his endless rambling. Strangely, Baker both physically resembled the [[Fourth Doctor]] and played him on the television series. The Doctor learned the truth when he discovered the [[DWM 1|first issue]] of ''[[Doctor Who Magazine|Doctor Who Weekly]]''. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[TV Action! (comic story)|TV Action!]]'')


== Behind the scenes ==
[[File:Cityofdeathmonalisamuseum.jpg|thumb|left|The Doctor and Romana observe the Mona Lisa. ([[TV]]: {{cs|City of Death (TV story)}})]]
=== January ===
At some point in this year, the Fourth Doctor and [[Romana II]] visited Paris, and [[Scaroth]] stole the [[Mona Lisa]] from the [[Louvre]]. After the Doctor defeated Scaroth and left Paris, ([[TV]]: {{cs|City of Death (TV story)}}) one of Scaroth's copies of the ''Mona Lisa'' was recovered and taken to the [[Leamington Spa Lifeboat Museum]]. ([[GAME]]: {{cs|Security Bot (video game)}})
* [[6 January|06]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Power of Kroll]]'' Part 3 was first broadcast.
* [[13 January|13]] -[[TV]]: ''[[The Power of Kroll]]'' Part 4 was first broadcast.
* [[16 January|16]] - Actor [[Peter Butterworth]] died from an apparent heart attack in {{w|Coventry}}.
* [[18 January|18]] - [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Hand of Fear]]'' was first published.
* [[20 January|20]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Armageddon Factor]]'' Part 1 was first broadcast. [[Lalla Ward]] made her first appearance on ''Doctor Who'', playing [[Astra of Atrios|Princess Astra]]. This part was promoted as the five hundredth episode of ''Doctor Who''.
* [[21 January|21]] - Actor [[Kevin Wickenden]] was born.
* [[27 January|27]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Armageddon Factor]]'' Part 2 was first broadcast.


=== February ===
[[Sarah Jane Smith]] and [[Bill Pollock|Commander Bill Pollock]] met for the first time. ([[TV]]: {{cs|A Girl's Best Friend (TV story)}})
* [[3 February|03]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Armageddon Factor]]'' Part 3 was first broadcast.
* [[10 February|10]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Armageddon Factor]]'' Part 4 was first broadcast.
* [[17 February|17]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Armageddon Factor]]'' Part 5 was first broadcast. Twenty-three minutes into transmission, the episode went off the air for approximately twenty seconds due to a technical fault on the playback equipment. BBC continuity apologised to the viewers for the breakdown in transmission, displaying a ''TEMPORARY FAULT'' caption slide and playing music, "Gotcha" by Tom Scott, until the fault was rectified. When the episode restarted, the videotape had been slightly rewound so there was a repeat of the action immediately prior to the break.
* [[24 February|24]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Armageddon Factor]]'' Part 6 was first broadcast, concluding Season 16 and the [[Key to Time]] arc. [[Mary Tamm]] left the series after this episode as did, temporarily, [[John Leeson]]. (Another actor took over the voiceovers for [[K9]] for Season 17, although the character didn't appear on screen again until [[TV]]: ''[[The Creature from the Pit]]''. Leeson returned for [[Season 18]].)


=== March ===
Dr [[Lavinia Smith]] moved from [[South Croydon]] to [[Moreton Harwood]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|A Girl's Best Friend (TV story)}})
* [[2 March|02]] - Actress [[Jocelyn Jee Esien]] was born.
* [[20 March|20]] - Actress [[Freema Agyeman]] was born.
* [[29 March|29]] - [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Invisible Enemy]]'' was first published.


=== April ===
[[Patricia Ryder]] met her future husband [[Trevor (The Zygon Who Fell to Earth)|Trevor]], in actuality the [[Zygon]] [[Warlord]] [[Haygoth]], at a [[Folk Festival]] in [[Kendal]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Zygon Who Fell to Earth (audio story)}})
* American editions of [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks]]'' and [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Doomsday Weapon]]'' were published by [[Pinnacle Books]]. Over the next year, Pinnacle published US editions of ten [[Target Books]] novelisations, most slightly reedited for American readers, with some of the more British terms (such as "[[jelly baby]]") replaced with American terms. Each book included an introduction by SF author [[Harlan Ellison]], as well as a brief primer on the Doctor and his companions.


=== April/May ===
The nine-year-old [[Ace]] was given an [[ABBA]] record as a reward for being a brave girl when she went to the dentist. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Tragedy Day (novel)}})
* [[30 April]] to [[3 May]] - Filming for [[TV]]: ''[[City of Death]]'' took place in [[Paris]], marking the first time ''Doctor Who'' was filmed outside the United Kingdom.


=== May ===
[[Tegan Jovanka]] went on holiday to [[Hong Kong]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Cold Fusion (novel)}})
* [[24 May|24]] - [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Robots of Death]]'' was first published.
* 24 - [[PROSE]]: ''[[Junior Doctor Who and the Giant Robot]]'' was first published. It was the first of two attempts by [[Terrance Dicks]] at releasing versions of his novelisations for young readers.
* American editions of [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion]]'' and [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks]]'' were published by [[Pinnacle Books]].
* [[31 May|31]] - [[Cinematographer]] [[John Wilcox]] died.


=== June ===
''[[The Muppet Movie]]'' was released. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Tooth and Claw (TV story)}})
* American editions of [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster]]'' and [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen]]'' were published by [[Pinnacle Books]].


=== July ===
=== Parallel universes ===
* [[6 July|06]] - Writer [[Malcolm Hulke]] died.
[[File:TomBakerBeep.jpg|thumb|Tom Baker irritates Beep the Meep. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|TV Action! (comic story)}})]]
* [[26 July|26]] - [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Image of the Fendahl]]'' was first published.
[[Beep|Beep the Meep]] travelled to a [[Parallel universe (TV Action!)|parallel universe]] on [[12 October]] 1979, in which the Doctor's universe existed only as part of a [[BBC (in-universe)|BBC]] science fiction television series called ''[[Doctor Who]]'', and took control of the [[BBC Television Centre (TV Action!)|BBC Television Centre]]. The [[Eighth Doctor]] and his companion [[Izzy Sinclair]] defeated Beep with the help of the actor [[Tom Baker (TV Action!)|Tom Baker]], who infuriated him with his endless rambling. Strangely, Baker both physically resembled the [[Fourth Doctor]] and played him on the television series. The Doctor learned the truth when he discovered the [[DWM 1|first issue]] of ''[[Doctor Who Weekly (TV Action!)|Doctor Who Weekly]]''. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|TV Action! (comic story)}})
* [[31 July|31]] - Actress [[Beatrix Lehmann]] died.


=== August ===
== Births and deaths ==
* [[3 August|3]] - Actor [[Jason May]] was born.
=== Dated ===
* [[8 August|8]] - Actress [[Rosanna Lavelle]] was born.
At 3:50pm on [[7 January]], [[Phil Tyson]] was born. The [[Vandosian]]s believed that [[Shogalath]] had [[Reincarnation|reincarnated]] in his body. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Mr Nobody (comic story)}})
* [[22 August|22]] - Actress [[Megan Duffy]] was born.


=== September ===
On [[25 April]], [[Sally Lamont]] was born. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Adrift (TV story)}})
* The ''[[Doctor Who Annual 1980]]'' was published.
* [[1 September|01]] - [[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks]]'' Part 1 was first broadcast, marking the debut of [[Season 17]]. [[Lalla Ward]] returned to the series as the newly regenerated [[Romana]]. Although a new voice actor for [[K9]] had been cast, the character did not appear in the serial.
* [[2 September|2]] - Actor [[Derek Seaton]] died.
* [[8 September|08]] - [[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks]]'' Part 2 was first broadcast.
* [[9 September|09]] - [[REF]]: ''[[The Adventures of K9 and Other Mechanical Creatures]]'' by [[Terrance Dicks]] was published.
* [[15 September|15]] - [[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks]]'' Part 3 was first broadcast.
* [[22 September|22]] - [[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks]]'' Part 4 was first broadcast. It was the last ''Doctor Who'' episode written by [[Terry Nation]].
* [[25 September|25]] - [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the War Games]]'' was first published.
* [[29 September|29]] - [[TV]]: ''[[City of Death]]'' Part 1 was first broadcast. Partially filmed in [[Paris]], it was the first ''Doctor Who'' episode to be produced outside the UK.
* The American edition of [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'' was published by [[Pinnacle Books]].
* Prior to October, the ''Doctor Who'' comic strip in ''TV Comic'' was discontinued to make way for the strip to be featured in the new ''[[Doctor Who Weekly]]''.


=== October ===
On [[12 October]], [[Izzy Sinclair]] was born. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|TV Action! (comic story)}})
* A (vinyl) story record version of [[TV]]: ''[[Genesis of the Daleks]]'', with original TV dialogue, sound effects and newly recorded narration by [[Tom Baker]], was released.
* [[6 October|06]] - [[TV]]: ''[[City of Death]]'' Part 2 was first broadcast.
* [[12 October|12]] - In the midst of his TV script for ''[[City of Death]]'' being broadcast, [[Douglas Adams]]' first novel, ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', was first published.
* [[13 October|13]] - [[TV]]: ''[[City of Death]]'' Part 3 was first broadcast.
* [[17 October|17]] - Actor [[John Stuart]] died in [[London]].
* 17 - The [[DWM 1|first issue]] of ''[[Doctor Who Weekly]]'' (later ''Doctor Who Monthly'' and ''Doctor Who Magazine'') was released; the long-running DWM comic strip also made its debut. Both were still published more than thirty years later.
* [[20 October|20]] - [[TV]]: ''[[City of Death]]'' Part 4 was first broadcast. This episode received the highest viewing figures ever for a ''Doctor Who'' episode, with 16.1 million viewers. The increase in ratings was due to the ITV networks being blacked out by industrial action at the time.
* [[24 October|24]] - [[DWM 2]] was released.
* [[27 October|27]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Creature from the Pit]]'' Part 1 was first broadcast. [[David Brierley]] debuted as the new voice of [[K9]], the character having been absent since the end of [[TV]]: ''[[The Armageddon Factor]]''.
* [[30 October|30]] - Actor [[Graham Ashley]] died.


=== November ===
=== Undated ===
* Early November - [[John Nathan-Turner]] officially began his ten-year stint as producer of ''Doctor Who'' (he was not involved in the production of the season then underway). Among the changes he implemented for the coming season were the introduction of [[Doctor Who theme#The 1980s|a new arrangement]] of the theme song by [[Peter Howell]], an updated opening credits sequence, and the announcement that the [[Season 18|1980-81 season]] would be [[Tom Baker]]'s last as the Doctor.
[[Paul Brown]], the father of [[Peri Brown]], died in a [[boat]]ing accident. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Synthespians™ (novel)}})
* [[3 November|03]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Creature from the Pit]]'' Part 2 was first broadcast.
* [[7 November|07]] - ''[[Totally Doctor Who]]'' presenter [[Barney Harwood]] was born.
* [[10 November|10]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Creature from the Pit]]'' Part 3 was first broadcast.
* [[17 November|17]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Creature from the Pit]]'' Part 4 was first broadcast.
* [[20 November|20]] - [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks]]'' was first published.
* [[24 November|24]] - [[TV]]: ''[[Nightmare of Eden]]'' Part 1 was first broadcast.
* The American edition of [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Masque of Mandragora]]'' was published by [[Pinnacle Books]].


=== December ===
== Other ==
* [[1 December|01]] - [[TV]]: ''[[Nightmare of Eden]]'' Part 2 was first broadcast.
While the [[Fourth Doctor]] described 1979 as a "[[Wine|table wine]] year" at least in regards to [[Paris]], ([[TV]]: {{cs|City of Death (TV story)}}) his [[Tenth Doctor|tenth incarnation]] later referred to it positively as a "hell of a year". ([[TV]]: {{cs|Tooth and Claw (TV story)}})
* [[7 December|07]] - {{wi|Star Trek: The Motion Picture}} was released. It was the first in a series of ''[[Star Trek]]'' films and the first of six to feature the cast of {{wi|Star Trek: The Original Series|the original series}}.
* [[8 December|08]] - [[TV]]: ''[[Nightmare of Eden]]'' Part 3 was first broadcast.
* [[11 December|11]] - [[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Ribos Operation]]'' was first published.
* [[15 December|15]] - [[TV]]: ''[[Nightmare of Eden]]'' Part 4 was first broadcast.
* [[22 December|22]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Horns of Nimon]]'' Part 1 was first broadcast.
* [[29 December|29]] - [[TV]]: ''[[The Horns of Nimon]]'' Part 2 was first broadcast.
** [[Lalla Ward]] appeared on ''Multi-Coloured Swap Shop''.


=== Unknown dates ===
[[James Callaghan]] was the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] at the beginning of this year, ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Oseidon Adventure (audio story)}}) before being succeeded by [[Margaret Thatcher]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Tooth and Claw (TV story)}})
* Labour action forced production to be halted on the six-part serial [[HOMEVID]]: ''[[Shada (TV story)|Shada]]''. Ultimately, it was decided to abandon the serial, which signalled a premature end for the 1979-80 season with [[TV]]: ''[[The Horns of Nimon]]''.
* [[REF]]: ''[[Terry Nation's Dalek Special]]'' was first published. This [[Target Books]] trade paperback release, edited by [[Terrance Dicks]], included the novella ''[[Daleks: The Secret Invasion]]'', written by [[Terry Nation]], which was the first piece of original ''Doctor Who''-related fiction to be published by Target, as well as Nation's only fiction writing for the company. As the book included a synopsis of [[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks]]'', it can be surmised it was probably published after that serial was broadcast.
[[Category:DWU years]]


[[Category:Years]]
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Latest revision as of 03:21, 22 October 2024

1979 in

the DWU • production history • vital statistics • releases

Timeline for 1979
20th century | 1970s
1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985
WikipediaInfo.png

1979 was a year.

Events

Dated

January - August

On 17 February, the Sino-Vietnamese War began as China invaded Vietnam. (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"])

On 4 May, Margaret Thatcher led the Conservative Party to victory in the United Kingdom's General Election. (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"])

On 11 July, the United States space station Skylab began its return to Earth, several years ahead of schedule, with the assistance of the Doctor, who nearly lost his thumb in the process. (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"], TV: Tooth and Claw [+]Loading...["Tooth and Claw (TV story)"]) The Tenth Doctor parked his TARDIS in Earth's orbit to watch the descent. In the early hours of 12 July, Skylab would collide with a Zalphon scout ship before crash-landing near the town of Esperance in Western Australia. On 15 July, the Doctor would finally thwart the attempted Zalphon invasion of Earth by re-directing their mothership to Antarctica, where the gaseous-ectoplasmic species froze into ice crystals. (PROSE: Bennelong Point [+]Loading...["Bennelong Point (short story)"])

The Twelfth Doctor and Clive Finch at Loch Ness. (PROSE: The Persistence of Memory [+]Loading...["The Persistence of Memory (short story)"])

In August, the Monk came to Loch Ness with an abandoned spaceship full of Time Scoop technology. Although he eventually planned on using the scoop to depopulate Earth, the Monk instead meddled with history by bringing a Plesiosaurus to the Loch which led to a large number of Loch Ness Monster sightings. The Twelfth Doctor and Clive Finch came to the Loch to investigate the sightings and discovered the Monk's presence. The Doctor made the Monk forget about his scheme with a memory worm and returned the Plesiosaurus to the past. (PROSE: The Persistence of Memory [+]Loading...["The Persistence of Memory (short story)"])

On 16 August, Edward Grainger and his granddaughter Linda helped the First Doctor and Susan Foreman stop several Slarvian eggs from gestating near the English Channel. (PROSE: Childhood Living [+]Loading...["Childhood Living (short story)"])

On 18 August, AC/DC opened for the Who at Wembley Stadium. Peri attended the concert with her mother. (PROSE: The Church of Football [+]Loading...["The Church of Football (short story)"])

September - December

Skagra went to Earth in search of Salyavin. (TV: Shada [+]Loading...["Shada (TV story)"])

In late October, a Kaftakkrofakian called Cecil transformed everyone at a Halloween party into zombies, leaving only one survivor. (PROSE: Zombie Motel [+]Loading...["Zombie Motel (short story)"])

From 5 to 10 November, ABBA performed at Wembley Arena in London. (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"]) Rose Tyler was among those who saw ABBA, having been dropped off by the Tenth Doctor. (GAME: Attack of the Graske [+]Loading...["Attack of the Graske (video game)"], COMIC: Opera of Doom! [+]Loading...["Opera of Doom! (comic story)"])

On 21 November, Ian Dury and the Blockheads performed in concert at Sheffield, England. The Tenth Doctor attempted to take Rose Tyler to this concert. They instead ended up in Scotland in 1879. (TV: Tooth and Claw [+]Loading...["Tooth and Claw (TV story)"])

In December, Erimem, Helena, and Ibrahim Hadmani visited Sydney Seaside Lodgings and saved Charlotte Sydney from an alien parasite. (PROSE: Serpent's Child [+]Loading...["Serpent's Child (short story)"])

On 24 December, Clive Finch encountered the Twelfth Doctor in a London newsagents and followed him back to his TARDIS. As it was Christmas Eve, the Doctor gave Clive the gift of a journey in the TARDIS. (PROSE: The Persistence of Memory [+]Loading...["The Persistence of Memory (short story)"])

Undated

John Benton left the army and UNIT. He took a job selling second-hand cars. (TV: Mawdryn Undead [+]Loading...["Mawdryn Undead (TV story)"])

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and a team from the British division of UNIT travelled to Canada, where they investigated sentient electricity pylons which were stalking the Canadian countryside. (AUDIO: The Oseidon Adventure [+]Loading...["The Oseidon Adventure (audio story)"])

The last surviving members of the Luron attempted to invade Earth, but their plan was thwarted by the Fourth Doctor and Leela. (AUDIO: The Valley of Death [+]Loading...["The Valley of Death (audio story)"])

The Doctor and Romana observe the Mona Lisa. (TV: City of Death [+]Loading...["City of Death (TV story)"])

At some point in this year, the Fourth Doctor and Romana II visited Paris, and Scaroth stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. After the Doctor defeated Scaroth and left Paris, (TV: City of Death [+]Loading...["City of Death (TV story)"]) one of Scaroth's copies of the Mona Lisa was recovered and taken to the Leamington Spa Lifeboat Museum. (GAME: Security Bot [+]Loading...["Security Bot (video game)"])

Sarah Jane Smith and Commander Bill Pollock met for the first time. (TV: A Girl's Best Friend [+]Loading...["A Girl's Best Friend (TV story)"])

Dr Lavinia Smith moved from South Croydon to Moreton Harwood. (TV: A Girl's Best Friend [+]Loading...["A Girl's Best Friend (TV story)"])

Patricia Ryder met her future husband Trevor, in actuality the Zygon Warlord Haygoth, at a Folk Festival in Kendal. (AUDIO: The Zygon Who Fell to Earth [+]Loading...["The Zygon Who Fell to Earth (audio story)"])

The nine-year-old Ace was given an ABBA record as a reward for being a brave girl when she went to the dentist. (PROSE: Tragedy Day [+]Loading...["Tragedy Day (novel)"])

Tegan Jovanka went on holiday to Hong Kong. (PROSE: Cold Fusion [+]Loading...["Cold Fusion (novel)"])

The Muppet Movie was released. (TV: Tooth and Claw [+]Loading...["Tooth and Claw (TV story)"])

Parallel universes

Tom Baker irritates Beep the Meep. (COMIC: TV Action! [+]Loading...["TV Action! (comic story)"])

Beep the Meep travelled to a parallel universe on 12 October 1979, in which the Doctor's universe existed only as part of a BBC science fiction television series called Doctor Who, and took control of the BBC Television Centre. The Eighth Doctor and his companion Izzy Sinclair defeated Beep with the help of the actor Tom Baker, who infuriated him with his endless rambling. Strangely, Baker both physically resembled the Fourth Doctor and played him on the television series. The Doctor learned the truth when he discovered the first issue of Doctor Who Weekly. (COMIC: TV Action! [+]Loading...["TV Action! (comic story)"])

Births and deaths

Dated

At 3:50pm on 7 January, Phil Tyson was born. The Vandosians believed that Shogalath had reincarnated in his body. (COMIC: Mr Nobody [+]Loading...["Mr Nobody (comic story)"])

On 25 April, Sally Lamont was born. (TV: Adrift [+]Loading...["Adrift (TV story)"])

On 12 October, Izzy Sinclair was born. (COMIC: TV Action! [+]Loading...["TV Action! (comic story)"])

Undated

Paul Brown, the father of Peri Brown, died in a boating accident. (PROSE: Synthespians™ [+]Loading...["Synthespians™ (novel)"])

Other

While the Fourth Doctor described 1979 as a "table wine year" at least in regards to Paris, (TV: City of Death [+]Loading...["City of Death (TV story)"]) his tenth incarnation later referred to it positively as a "hell of a year". (TV: Tooth and Claw [+]Loading...["Tooth and Claw (TV story)"])

James Callaghan was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the beginning of this year, (AUDIO: The Oseidon Adventure [+]Loading...["The Oseidon Adventure (audio story)"]) before being succeeded by Margaret Thatcher. (TV: Tooth and Claw [+]Loading...["Tooth and Claw (TV story)"])

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