Season 26 (Doctor Who 1963): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Series
{{Infobox Series
|image            = Doctor Who logo 7.jpg
|image            = Doctor Who logo 7.jpg
|image2          =
|image2          =  
|broadcast year  = 1989
|broadcast year  = 1989
|broadcast year2  =
|broadcast year2  =  
|ep count        = 14
|ep count        = 14
|story count      = 4
|story count      = 4
|first ep        = Battlefield (TV story)
|first ep        = Battlefield (TV story)
|doctor          = Seventh Doctor
|doctor          = Seventh Doctor
|doctor2          =
|doctor2          =  
|companion        = Ace
|companion        = Ace
|companion2      =The Brig  
|companion2      = The Brig  
|producer        = John Nathan-Turner
|producer        = John Nathan-Turner
|script ed        = Andrew Cartmel
|script ed        = Andrew Cartmel
Line 54: Line 54:
|ref book5        = Ace! The Inside Story
|ref book5        = Ace! The Inside Story
|ref book6        = About Time 6
|ref book6        = About Time 6
|ref book7        = TCH 45{{!}}The Complete History 45
|ref book8        = TCH 46
|doc              = Doctor Who: Endgame
|doc              = Doctor Who: Endgame
|doc2            =  
|doc2            =  
|doc3            =
|doc3            =  
|doc4            =
|doc4            =  
|doc5            =
|doc5            =  
|mythmakers      = MM VHS 22
|mythmakers      = MM VHS 22
|mythmakers2      = MM VHS 23
|mythmakers2      = MM VHS 23
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|mythmakers8      =  
|mythmakers8      =  
|mythmakers9      =  
|mythmakers9      =  
|mythmakers10    =
|mythmakers10    =  
|prev            = season 25
|prev            = Season 25 (Doctor Who 1963)|
|next            = series 1 (Doctor Who)
|next            = Series 1 (Doctor Who 2005)
|trailer          =
|trailer          = Season 26 Trailer The Collection Doctor Who
|trailer2        =
|trailer2        =  
|clip            =
|clip            = Saved by the Brigadier - Doctor Who - Battlefield - BBC
|clip2            =
|clip2            = The Truth About Ace The Curse of Fenric Doctor Who
|clip3            =
|clip3            = Come on Ace, we've got work to do! - Last clip from the original series - Doctor Who - BBC
|bts              =
|bts              =  
|bts2            =
|bts2            =  
|bts3            =
|bts3            =  
}}
}}
'''Season 26''' of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' starred [[Sylvester McCoy]] as the [[Seventh Doctor]]. It aired between [[6 September (releases)|6 September]] [[1989 (releases)|1989]] and [[6 December (releases)|6 December]] 1989. This was the last season of the original BBC series. [[BBC Wales]] revived the show in [[2005 (releases)|2005]].  
'''Season 26''' of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' ran from [[6 September (releases)|6 September]] [[1989 (releases)|1989]] to [[6 December (releases)|6 December]] 1989. It starred [[Sylvester McCoy]] as the [[Seventh Doctor]] and [[Sophie Aldred]] as [[Ace]]. Season 26 was also the last season in the original run of the TV show. The season opened with ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'' and concluded with ''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]]''.
 
On [[23 November (releases)|23 November]] [[2019 (releases)|2019]], a special edition of the third story ''[[The Curse of Fenric (TV story)|The Curse of Fenric]]'' was shown at [[BFI Southbank]] along with a Q&A with [[Sophie Aldred]] and [[script editor]] [[Andrew Cartmel]].<ref>https://twitter.com/ruther2/status/1173160210346795009?s=21</ref><ref>https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=962456FA-D1C0-4A0D-9BCA-03FD65C7F2CE&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=51671194-4645-4614-A1AA-9FAC15E4B2DD</ref>
 
On [[23 December (releases)|23 December]] [[2019 (releases)|2019]] the [[Blu-ray]] Box Set for the season was released with rare restored extended cuts of ''The Curse of Fenric''; VHS extended version, ''The Curse of Fenric''; DVD special edition, ''Battlefield''; VHS extended version and ''Battlefield''; DVD special edition, 5.1 surround sound and isolated scores on all 14 broadcast episodes, plus 5.1 sound on all extended versions of ''The Curse of Fenric'' and ''Battlefield'', "Behind the Sofa"; new episodes with [[Sylvester McCoy]] and [[Sophie Aldred]], plus companions [[Janet Fielding]], [[Sarah Sutton]], [[Anneke Wills]] and [[Jodie Whittaker]]-era writers [[Pete McTighe]] and [[Joy Wilkinson]], ''[[Showman – the Life of John Nathan-Turner]]''; a feature-length look at the life and career of ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s longest-serving producer, who fought to keep the programme on-air during the [[1980s]]; Contributors include [[Peter Davison]] and [[Colin Baker]], Making ''The Curse of Fenric''; a brand new documentary featuring [[Sylvester McCoy]], [[Sophie Aldred]], [[Tomek Bork]], [[Nicholas Parsons]], [[Cory Pulman]], [[Marek Anton]], [[Ian Briggs]], [[Andrew Cartmel]], [[Mark Ayres]] and [[Ian Collins]] featuring unseen behind-the-scenes footage and photographs, ''In Conversation''; [[Matthew Sweet]] chats to companion [[Sophie Aldred]], ''[[The Writers' Room]]''; [[Ben Aaronovitch]], [[Marc Platt]], [[Ian Briggs]], [[Rona Munro]] and [[Andrew Cartmel]] discuss their work on Season 26, ''[[Becoming The Destroyer]]''; actor [[Marek Anton]] and prosthetics designer [[Stephen Mansfield]] recall the creation of one of ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s best-ever monsters, brand new ''Ghost Light'' extended workprint, unseen studio footage, rare archive treats, convention footage, HD photo galleries, scripts, costume designs, rare [[BBC]] production files and other gems from the archive in PDF. The trailer for the release, [[Ace Returns! (webcast)|Ace Returns!]], was created by [[Pete McTighe]].<ref>https://cultbox.co.uk/news/doctor-who-the-collection-season-26-blu-ray-available-in-december</ref>


== Overview ==
== Overview ==
The season consisted of four stories and fourteen twenty-five-minute episodes. It was the final season of the "classic" series; the BBC announced in [[1990 (production)|1990]] that it would not be producing a 27th season. However, Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred reprised their roles as the Doctor and Ace respectively for a special episode of ''Search Out Science'' entitled  
The season consisted of four stories comprised of fourteen episodes. It was the final season of the "classic" series; the BBC announced in [[1990 (production)|1990]] that it would not be producing a 27th season. However, Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred reprised their roles as the Doctor and Ace respectively for a special episode of ''Search Out Science'' entitled ''[[Search Out Space]]'', which aired that year. A one-off [[Children in Need]] special, ''[[Dimensions in Time (TV story)|Dimensions in Time]]'', appeared in [[1993 (releases)|1993]], after which a [[Doctor Who (TV story)|television film]], co-produced by an American network, followed in [[1996 (releases)|1996]]. The series finally returned in [[2005 (releases)|2005]]. However, the BBC chose to restart the season numbering with [[Series 1 (Doctor Who 2005)|Series 1]]. Season 26 featured the return of [[Nicholas Courtney]] as [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|the Brigadier]] and the last televised appearance of [[Anthony Ainley]] as {{Ainley}}. Unusually for a ''Doctor Who'' season, aside from some scenes in ''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]]'', all the stories took place on [[Earth]]. The only other season to do this was [[Season 7 (Doctor Who 1963)|Season 7]]. Apart from ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'', the stories followed a loose {{w|character arc}}, as [[Ace]] came to terms with her past. As for the Doctor, he had become darker in personality, treating others as pawns in the battle between good and evil while dressing in dark clothes to match his personality change. This was the first and so far only season to be produced entirely out of broadcast order.
''[[Search Out Space]]'', which aired during that same year. A one-off [[Children in Need]] special, ''[[Dimensions in Time]]'', appeared in [[1993 (releases)|1993]], after which a [[Doctor Who (1996)|television film]], co-produced by an American network, followed in [[1996 (releases)|1996]]. The series finally returned in [[2005 (releases)|2005]]. However, the BBC chose to restart the season numbering with [[Series 1 (Doctor Who)|Series 1]]. Season 26 featured the return of [[Nicholas Courtney]] as [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|the Brigadier]] and the last televised appearance of [[Anthony Ainley]] as {{Ainley}}. Unusually for a ''Doctor Who'' season, aside from some scenes in ''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]]'', all the stories took place on [[Earth]]. Apart from ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'', the stories followed a loose {{w|character arc}}, as [[Ace]] came to terms with her past. As for the Doctor, he had become darker in personality, treating others as pawns in the battle between good and evil while dressing in dark clothes to match his personality change.


== Television stories ==
== Television stories ==
{| {{prettytable}}
{| {{prettytable}}
|'''#''' || '''Title''' || '''Writer''' || '''Episodes''' || '''Notes'''
! # || Title || Writer || Episodes || Notes
|-
|-
|1 ||''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]''||[[Ben Aaronovitch]]||4||Reintroduction (and final appearance in ''Doctor Who'') of [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]]; first [[Unified Intelligence Taskforce|UNIT]] story since [[1976]] and last appearance of UNIT in the original series.
|1 ||''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]''||[[Ben Aaronovitch]]||4||Special guest appearance by [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]].
|-
|-
|2 ||''[[Ghost Light (TV story)|Ghost Light]]''||[[Marc Platt]]||3||Last story of the original series ever filmed.
|2 ||''[[Ghost Light (TV story)|Ghost Light]]''||[[Marc Platt]]||3||Last story of the classic series filmed.
|-
|-
|3 ||''[[The Curse of Fenric (TV story)|The Curse of Fenric]]''||[[Ian Briggs]]||4||Debut of [[Fenric]]; heavily examines [[Ace]]'s past and reveals the origins of the [[time storm]].  
|3 ||''[[The Curse of Fenric (TV story)|The Curse of Fenric]]''||[[Ian Briggs]]||4||First appearance of [[Fenric]].
|-
|-
|4 ||''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]]''||[[Rona Munro]]||3||Final appearance of [[Ace]] and [[the Master]] portrayed by [[Anthony Ainley]] in the original series; last serial in the original series. Story arcs which ended here would be picked up by both [[Virgin New Adventures]] novels and [[Big Finish Productions]], with varying degrees of canonicity and interchangeability.  
|4 ||''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]]''||[[Rona Munro]]||3||Last serial in the "Classic Series". Final regular appearance of [[Ace]], and final televised appearance by {{Ainley}}.  
|}
|}


== Cast ==
== Cast ==
* [[Seventh Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[Sylvester McCoy]]
* [[Ace]] - [[Sophie Aldred]]
=== Recurring ===
=== Recurring ===
* The [[Seventh Doctor]] - [[Sylvester McCoy]]
* [[Ace]] - [[Sophie Aldred]]
* [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]] - [[Nicholas Courtney]]
* {{Ainley|c}} - [[Anthony Ainley]]
* {{Ainley|c}} - [[Anthony Ainley]]
=== Guest ===
=== Guest ===
* [[Winifred Bambera]] - [[Angela Bruce]]
* [[Doris Lethbridge-Stewart]] - [[Angela Douglas]]
* [[Morgaine]] - [[Jean Marsh]]
* [[Morgaine]] - [[Jean Marsh]]
* [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]] - [[Nicholas Courtney]]
* [[Peter Warmsly]] - [[James Ellis]]
* Brigadier [[Winifred Bambera]] - [[Angela Bruce]]
* [[Mordred]] - [[Christopher Bowen]]
* [[Ancelyn]] - [[Marcus Gilbert]]
* [[Ancelyn]] - [[Marcus Gilbert]]
* [[Josiah Samuel Smith]] - [[Ian Hogg]]
* [[Doris Lethbridge-Stewart]] - [[Angela Douglas]]
* [[Pritchard (Ghost Light)|Lady Pritchard]] - [[Sylvia Syms]]  
* [[Pat Rowlinson]] - [[Noel Collins]]
* [[Elizabeth Rowlinson]] - [[June Bland]]
* [[Shou Yuing]] - [[Ling Tai]]
* Sergeant [[Zbrigniev]] - [[Robert Jezek]]
* Flight Lieutenant [[Lavel]] - [[Dorota Rae]]
* [[Knight Commander]] - [[Stefan Schwartz]]
* Major [[Husak]] - [[Paul Tomany]]
* [[The Destroyer]] - [[Marek Anton]]
* [[Josiah Samuel Smith|Josiah]] - [[Ian Hogg]]
* [[Pritchard (Ghost Light)|Mrs. Pritchard]] - [[Sylvia Syms]]
* [[Redvers Fenn-Cooper]] - [[Michael Cochrane]]
* [[Redvers Fenn-Cooper]] - [[Michael Cochrane]]
* [[Control (Ghost Light)|Control]] - [[Sharon Duce]]
* [[Gwendoline Pritchard|Gwendoline]] - [[Katharine Schlesinger]]
* [[Ernest Matthews|Reverend Ernest Matthews]] - [[John Nettleton]]
* [[Nimrod]] - [[Carl Forgione]]
* [[Mrs Grose]] - [[Brenda Kempner]]
* [[Alfred Mackenzie|Inspector Mackenzie]] - [[Frank Windsor]]
* [[Light (Ghost Light)|Light]] - [[John Hallam (actor)|John Hallam]]
* [[Judson|Dr. Judson]] - [[Dinsdale Landen]]
* [[Judson|Dr. Judson]] - [[Dinsdale Landen]]
* [[Millington|Commander Millington]] - [[Alfred Lynch]]
* [[Bates (The Curse of Fenric)|Captain Bates]] - [[Stevan Rimkus]]
* [[Leigh|Sgt Leigh]] - [[Marcus Hutton]]
* [[Perkins (The Curse of Fenric)|Perkins]] - [[Christien Anholt]]
* [[Sorin|Captain Sorin]] - [[Tomek Bork]]
* [[Prozorov|Sgt Prozorov]] - [[Peter Czajkowski]]
* [[Vershinin]] - [[Marek Anton]]
* [[Petrossian]] - [[Mark Conrad]]
* [[Wainwright (The Curse of Fenric)|Rev Wainwright]] - [[Nicholas Parsons]]
* [[Hardaker (The Curse of Fenric)|Miss Hardaker]] - [[Janet Henfrey]]
* [[Jean (The Curse of Fenric)|Jean]] - [[Joann Kenny]]
* [[Phyllis]] - [[Joanne Bell]]
* [[Crane (The Curse of Fenric)|Nurse Crane]] - [[Anne Reid]]
* [[Kathleen Dudman]] - [[Cory Pulman]]
* [[Kathleen Dudman]] - [[Cory Pulman]]
* [[Wainwright (The Curse of Fenric)|Rev Wainwright]] - [[Nicholas Parsons]]
* [[Audrey Dudman|Baby Audrey]] - [[Aaron Hanley]]
* [[Paterson]] - [[Julian Holloway]]
* [[Ancient One]] - [[Raymond Trickett]]
* [[Paterson (Survival)|Paterson]] - [[Julian Holloway]]
* [[Karra]] - [[Lisa Bowerman]]
* [[Karra]] - [[Lisa Bowerman]]
* [[Midge]] - [[William Barton]]
* [[Midge (Survival)|Midge]] - [[William Barton]]
* [[Shreela]] - [[Sakuntala Ramanee]]
* [[Harvey (Survival)|Harvey]] - [[Norman Pace]]
* [[Len (Survival)|Len]] - [[Gareth Hale]]
* [[Derek (Survival)|Derek]] - [[David John]]
* [[Stuart (Survival)|Stuart]] - [[Sean Oliver]]
* [[Ange]] - [[Kate Eaton]]
* [[Squeak]] - [[Adele Silva]]
* [[Woman (Survival)|Woman]] - [[Kathleen Bidmead]]
* [[Neighbour (Survival)|Neighbour]] - [[Michelle Martin]]
 
== Stories set before this season ==
 
==== Audio ====
* The Seventh Doctor and Ace's involvement in ''[[The Light at the End (audio story)|The Light at the End]]''
* ''[[Lesser Evils (audio story)|Lesser Evils]]''
 
== Stories set during this season ==
''to be added''


== Adaptations and merchandising ==
== Adaptations and merchandising ==
=== Home media ===
=== Home media ===
==== VHS ====
==== VHS releases ====
* ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'' (single episode version) (1998)
* ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'' (extended episodes version) (1998)
* ''[[Ghost Light (TV story)|Ghost Light]] ''(1994)
* ''[[Ghost Light (TV story)|Ghost Light]] ''(1994)
* ''[[The Curse of Fenric (TV story)|The Curse of Fenric]]'' (single episode version) (1991)
* ''[[The Curse of Fenric (TV story)|The Curse of Fenric]]'' (extended episodes version) (1991)
* ''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]] ''(1995)
* ''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]] ''(1995)


==== DVD ====
==== DVD & Blu-ray releases ====
All serials of season 26 were released individually between 2003 and 2009.
All serials of season 26 were released individually on DVD between 2003 and 2009. The complete season was upscaled in 1080i50 high definition and was released on Blu-ray as ''Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 26'' in the UK on [[27 January (releases)|27 January]] [[2020 (releases)|2020]].
 
It was later released in Australia on [[11 March (releases)|11 March]] [[2020 (releases)|2020]] and was released in the US under the title ''Doctor Who: Sylvester McCoy - Complete Season Three'' on [[24 March (releases)|24 March]] [[2020 (releases)|2020]]. The Blu-ray box set included the extended Special Edition cuts and VHS extended versions of ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'' and ''[[The Curse of Fenric (TV story)|The Curse of Fenric]]'' and a workprint cut of ''[[Ghost Light (TV story)|Ghost Light]].''
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
|-
! style="width:30%;"| '''Serial name'''  
! style="width:30%;" | '''Serial name'''  
! style="width:10%;"| '''Number and duration<br />of episodes'''
! style="width:10%;" | '''Number and duration<br />of episodes'''
! style="width:10%;"| '''R2 release date'''  
! style="width:10%;" | '''R2 release date'''  
! style="width:10%;"| '''R4 release date'''
! style="width:10%;" | '''R4 release date'''
! style="width:10%;"| '''R1 release date'''
! style="width:10%;" | '''R1 release date'''
|-
|-
| ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'' || 4 × 25 min. <br /><small> (Broadcast Version)</small><br /> 1 × 96 min. <br /><small> (Special Edition)</small> || 26 December 2008 || 5 February 2009 || 5 May 2009
| ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'' || 4 × 25 min. <br /><small> (Broadcast Version)</small><br /> 1 × 96 min. <br /><small> (Special Edition)</small> || 26 December 2008 || 5 February 2009 || 5 May 2009
Line 146: Line 203:
|-
|-
| ''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]]'' || 3 × 25 min. || 16 April 2007 || 6 June 2007 || 14 August 2007
| ''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]]'' || 3 × 25 min. || 16 April 2007 || 6 June 2007 || 14 August 2007
|-
|''[[The Collection]]'' - ''[[Season 26 (Doctor Who 1963)|Season 26]]''
|14 x 25 min.<br />1 x 96 min.<br /><small>(''Battlefield ''Special Edition)</small><br />1 x 104 min.<br /><small>(''The Curse of Fenric'' Special Edition)</small>
|27 January 2020
|11 March 2020
|24 March 2020
|}
|}


=== Download/streaming availability ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:25%;" | '''Serial name'''
!Amazon Video
!iTunes
|-
| ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'' (4 episodes)
|
|
|-
| ''[[Ghost Light (TV story)|Ghost Light]]'' (3 episodes)
|✓
|✓
|-
| ''[[The Curse of Fenric (TV story)|The Curse of Fenric]]'' (4 episodes)
|
|
|-
| ''[[Survival (TV story)|Survival]]'' (3 episodes)
|
|''[[Ghost Light (novelisation)|✓]]''
|}
=== Novels ===
=== Novels ===
* ''[[Battlefield (novelisation)|Battlefield]]''
* ''[[Battlefield (novelisation)|Battlefield]]''
Line 156: Line 242:
== Behind the scenes ==
== Behind the scenes ==
* The producers had already outlined basic plots for the next season of Doctor Who when the programme's cancellation hit. In that season, it was proposed that [[Ace]] should leave, and a [[Raine Creevy|new companion]] should join. Also planned was that the entire season should do more to explore the darker side of the Doctor. While the scripts never saw a TV screen (and in some cases did not exist beyond a rough outline), they were eventually completed and produced as full-cast audio plays in [[Big Finish Productions]]' collection ''[[The Lost Stories]]''.
* The producers had already outlined basic plots for the next season of Doctor Who when the programme's cancellation hit. In that season, it was proposed that [[Ace]] should leave, and a [[Raine Creevy|new companion]] should join. Also planned was that the entire season should do more to explore the darker side of the Doctor. While the scripts never saw a TV screen (and in some cases did not exist beyond a rough outline), they were eventually completed and produced as full-cast audio plays in [[Big Finish Productions]]' collection ''[[The Lost Stories]]''.
* This is the last series not to feature the [[Dalek]]s.


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/season26.shtml BBC website guide to Season 26]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/season26.shtml BBC website guide to Season 26]
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
{{DWTV}}
{{DWTV}}
{{season 26 aliens}}
{{season 26 aliens}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[cy:Hen Gyfres 26]]
[[de:Doctor Who Staffel 26]]
[[de:Doctor Who Staffel 26]]
[[es:Temporada 26 (DW-C)]]
[[es:Temporada 26 (DW-C)]]
Line 168: Line 257:
[[pt:26ª Temporada (SC)]]
[[pt:26ª Temporada (SC)]]
[[ru:26 сезон (классические серии)]]
[[ru:26 сезон (классические серии)]]
[[Category:Seasons]]
[[Category:Seasons]]
[[Category:Doctor Who seasons]]
[[Category:Doctor Who seasons]]

Latest revision as of 20:15, 3 November 2024

RealWorld.png

Season 26 of Doctor Who ran from 6 September 1989 to 6 December 1989. It starred Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor and Sophie Aldred as Ace. Season 26 was also the last season in the original run of the TV show. The season opened with Battlefield and concluded with Survival.

On 23 November 2019, a special edition of the third story The Curse of Fenric was shown at BFI Southbank along with a Q&A with Sophie Aldred and script editor Andrew Cartmel.[1][2]

On 23 December 2019 the Blu-ray Box Set for the season was released with rare restored extended cuts of The Curse of Fenric; VHS extended version, The Curse of Fenric; DVD special edition, Battlefield; VHS extended version and Battlefield; DVD special edition, 5.1 surround sound and isolated scores on all 14 broadcast episodes, plus 5.1 sound on all extended versions of The Curse of Fenric and Battlefield, "Behind the Sofa"; new episodes with Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, plus companions Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton, Anneke Wills and Jodie Whittaker-era writers Pete McTighe and Joy Wilkinson, Showman – the Life of John Nathan-Turner; a feature-length look at the life and career of Doctor Who's longest-serving producer, who fought to keep the programme on-air during the 1980s; Contributors include Peter Davison and Colin Baker, Making The Curse of Fenric; a brand new documentary featuring Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Tomek Bork, Nicholas Parsons, Cory Pulman, Marek Anton, Ian Briggs, Andrew Cartmel, Mark Ayres and Ian Collins featuring unseen behind-the-scenes footage and photographs, In Conversation; Matthew Sweet chats to companion Sophie Aldred, The Writers' Room; Ben Aaronovitch, Marc Platt, Ian Briggs, Rona Munro and Andrew Cartmel discuss their work on Season 26, Becoming The Destroyer; actor Marek Anton and prosthetics designer Stephen Mansfield recall the creation of one of Doctor Who's best-ever monsters, brand new Ghost Light extended workprint, unseen studio footage, rare archive treats, convention footage, HD photo galleries, scripts, costume designs, rare BBC production files and other gems from the archive in PDF. The trailer for the release, Ace Returns!, was created by Pete McTighe.[3]

Overview[[edit] | [edit source]]

The season consisted of four stories comprised of fourteen episodes. It was the final season of the "classic" series; the BBC announced in 1990 that it would not be producing a 27th season. However, Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred reprised their roles as the Doctor and Ace respectively for a special episode of Search Out Science entitled Search Out Space, which aired that year. A one-off Children in Need special, Dimensions in Time, appeared in 1993, after which a television film, co-produced by an American network, followed in 1996. The series finally returned in 2005. However, the BBC chose to restart the season numbering with Series 1. Season 26 featured the return of Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadier and the last televised appearance of Anthony Ainley as the Tremas Master. Unusually for a Doctor Who season, aside from some scenes in Survival, all the stories took place on Earth. The only other season to do this was Season 7. Apart from Battlefield, the stories followed a loose character arc, as Ace came to terms with her past. As for the Doctor, he had become darker in personality, treating others as pawns in the battle between good and evil while dressing in dark clothes to match his personality change. This was the first and so far only season to be produced entirely out of broadcast order.

Television stories[[edit] | [edit source]]

# Title Writer Episodes Notes
1 Battlefield Ben Aaronovitch 4 Special guest appearance by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.
2 Ghost Light Marc Platt 3 Last story of the classic series filmed.
3 The Curse of Fenric Ian Briggs 4 First appearance of Fenric.
4 Survival Rona Munro 3 Last serial in the "Classic Series". Final regular appearance of Ace, and final televised appearance by the Tremas Master.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Recurring[[edit] | [edit source]]

Guest[[edit] | [edit source]]

Stories set before this season[[edit] | [edit source]]

Audio[[edit] | [edit source]]

Stories set during this season[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Adaptations and merchandising[[edit] | [edit source]]

Home media[[edit] | [edit source]]

VHS releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

DVD & Blu-ray releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

All serials of season 26 were released individually on DVD between 2003 and 2009. The complete season was upscaled in 1080i50 high definition and was released on Blu-ray as Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 26 in the UK on 27 January 2020.

It was later released in Australia on 11 March 2020 and was released in the US under the title Doctor Who: Sylvester McCoy - Complete Season Three on 24 March 2020. The Blu-ray box set included the extended Special Edition cuts and VHS extended versions of Battlefield and The Curse of Fenric and a workprint cut of Ghost Light.

Serial name Number and duration
of episodes 		R2 release date R4 release date R1 release date
Battlefield 4 × 25 min.
(Broadcast Version)
1 × 96 min.
(Special Edition)		 26 December 2008 5 February 2009 5 May 2009
Ghost Light 3 × 25 min. 20 September 2004 3 February 2005 7 June 2005
The Curse of Fenric 4 × 25 min.
(Broadcast Version)
1 × 104 min.
(Special Edition)		 6 October 2003 11 February 2004 1 June 2004
Survival 3 × 25 min. 16 April 2007 6 June 2007 14 August 2007
The Collection - Season 26 14 x 25 min.
1 x 96 min.
(Battlefield Special Edition)
1 x 104 min.
(The Curse of Fenric Special Edition) 		27 January 2020 11 March 2020 24 March 2020

Download/streaming availability[[edit] | [edit source]]

Serial name Amazon Video iTunes
Battlefield (4 episodes)
Ghost Light (3 episodes) ✓ ✓
The Curse of Fenric (4 episodes)
Survival (3 episodes) ✓

Novels[[edit] | [edit source]]

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The producers had already outlined basic plots for the next season of Doctor Who when the programme's cancellation hit. In that season, it was proposed that Ace should leave, and a new companion should join. Also planned was that the entire season should do more to explore the darker side of the Doctor. While the scripts never saw a TV screen (and in some cases did not exist beyond a rough outline), they were eventually completed and produced as full-cast audio plays in Big Finish Productions' collection The Lost Stories.

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ https://twitter.com/ruther2/status/1173160210346795009?s=21
  2. ↑ https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=962456FA-D1C0-4A0D-9BCA-03FD65C7F2CE&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=51671194-4645-4614-A1AA-9FAC15E4B2DD
  3. ↑ https://cultbox.co.uk/news/doctor-who-the-collection-season-26-blu-ray-available-in-december
v • e
Doctor Who television stories
 
Seasons 1-4: William Hartnell
Season 1: 1963-1964
Season 2: 1964-1965
Season 3: 1965-1966
Season 4: 1966
 
Seasons 4-6: Patrick Troughton
Season 4: 1966-1967
Season 5: 1967-1968
Season 6: 1968-1969
 
Seasons 7-11: Jon Pertwee
Season 7: 1970
Season 8: 1971
Season 9: 1972
Season 10: 1972-1973
Season 11: 1973-1974
 
Seasons 12-18: Tom Baker
Season 12: 1974-1975
Season 13: 1975-1976
Season 14: 1976-1977
Season 15: 1977-1978
Season 16: 1978-1979
Season 17: 1979-1980
Season 18: 1980-1981
 
Seasons 19-21: Peter Davison
Season 19: 1982
Season 20: 1983
Children in Need 1983
Season 21: 1984
 
Seasons 21-23: Colin Baker
Season 21: 1984
Season 22: 1985
Season 23: 1986
 
Seasons 24-26: Sylvester McCoy
Season 24: 1987
Season 25: 1988-1989
Season 26: 1989
 
TV Movie & 2013 specials: Paul McGann
TV Movie: 1996
Specials: 2013
Minisodes
 
Series 1: Christopher Eccleston
Series 1: 2005
Regular episodes
 
Series 2-4: David Tennant
Series 2: 2005-2006
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Series 3: 2006-2007
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Animated special
Series 4: 2007-2010
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Minisodes
Animated special
Seasonal specials
 
Series 5-2013 specials: Matt Smith
Series 5: 2010
Regular episodes
Series 6: 2010-2011
Christmas Special
Minisodes
Regular episodes
(Part 1: Apr 2011)
Regular episodes
(Part 2: Aug 2011)
Minisode
Series 7: 2011-2013
Christmas Special
Minisodes
Regular episodes
(Part 1: 2012)
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
(Part 2: 2013)
Specials: 2013
 
Series 8-10: Peter Capaldi
Series 8: 2014
Regular episodes
Series 9: 2014-2015
Christmas Special
Minisode
Regular episodes
Christmas Special
Series 10: 2016-2017
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Christmas Special
 
Series 11-13: Jodie Whittaker
Series 11: 2018-2019
Regular episodes
New Year Special
Series 12: 2020-2021
Regular episodes
New Year Special
Series 13: 2021
Minisodes
Regular episodes
Seasonal specials
 
60th Anniversary Specials: David Tennant
Specials: 2023
Minisodes
60th Anniversary Specials
 
Season 1 (2023)-present: Ncuti Gatwa
Season 1: 2023-2024
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
v • e
Aliens and Enemies of Season 26
Battlefield
Ghost Light
The Curse of the Fenric
Survival
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