Season 21 (Doctor Who 1963)

Season 21 — 1984
Doctor:	Fifth Doctor
Secondary Doctor:	Sixth Doctor
Companions:	Tegan, Turlough, Peri, Kamelion
Key crew
Producer(s):	John Nathan-Turner
Script editors:	Eric Saward
Series details
Start date:	5 January 1984
End date:	30 March 1984
Premiere network:	BBC1
Typical episode length:	mix of 25' and 45'
More info
Main DWMSE coverage in issues:	1, 3, 18
Key reference books about the season:	The Discontinuity Guide, The Fifth Doctor Handbook, The Sixth Doctor Handbook, The Eighties, JN-T: The Life and Scandalous Times, About Time 5, The Complete History 38, TCH 39, TCH 40
Key documentaries about the season:	Being Doctor Who, Mouth on Legs
Relevant Myth Makers interviews:	Janet Fielding, Nicola Bryant, Peter Grimwade, Colin Baker (1990), John Nathan-Turner, Mark Strikcson, Eric Saward, Colin Baker (2005)
Memorable moment
▶︎ YouTube YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy UnderstoodDismiss
Another memorable moment
▶︎ YouTube YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy UnderstoodDismiss
One more memorable moment
▶︎ YouTube YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy UnderstoodDismiss
← Previous	20
Next →	22

Season 21 of Doctor Who ran from 5 January 1984 to 30 March 1984. It starred Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, Janet Fielding as Tegan Jovanka and Mark Strickson as Turlough for the majority, whilst the final serial featured Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor and Nicola Bryant as Peri Brown. The season opened with Warriors of the Deep and concluded with The Twin Dilemma.

Overview

The season consisted of seven serials comprised of twenty-four episodes. The Twin Dilemma, the first story with Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, aired last in the season. This season saw the departure of companions Tegan, Turlough and Kamelion and introduced Peri. Most episodes were the traditional twenty-five minute length. However, due to coverage of the 1984 Winter Olympics, Resurrection of the Daleks was re-edited before airing and shown as two forty-five minute episodes.

Colin Baker's first story, The Twin Dilemma, introduced a modified version of the opening credits including a slight modification to the series logo (although the theme arrangement was not changed). This was the first time since Season 4 that such a change occurred during a season.

Along with Season 4, it was one of only two seasons of the classic series to have a completely different cast in the final story of the season than in the first story. In this case, Janet Fielding, Mark Strickson and Peter Davison, respectively, departed their roles in three consecutive serials.

Television stories

#	Title	Writer	Episodes	Notes
1	Warriors of the Deep	Johnny Byrne	4	Final story to be written by Johnny Byrne.
2	The Awakening	Eric Pringle	2	Last 2-part Doctor Who story to be broadcast with 25-minute episodes.
3	Frontios	Christopher H. Bidmead	4	Final story to be written by former script editor Christopher H. Bidmead.
4	Resurrection of the Daleks	Eric Saward	2	First story broadcast in 45-minute episodes. Final appearance of Tegan Jovanka.
5	Planet of Fire	Peter Grimwade	4	First appearance of Peri Brown, and final appearances of Vislor Turlough and Kamelion. Final story to be written by Peter Grimwade, and also the final to be directed by Fiona Cumming.
6	The Caves of Androzani	Robert Holmes	4	First appearance of the Sixth Doctor and final regular appearance of the Fifth Doctor.
7	The Twin Dilemma	Anthony Steven	4

Cast

• The Doctor - Peter Davison
• Tegan Jovanka - Janet Fielding
• Vislor Turlough - Mark Strickson

Recurring

• Peri Brown - Nicola Bryant
• The Doctor - Colin Baker
• Lytton - Maurice Colbourne
• Davros - Terry Molloy
• Dalek Voices - Brian Miller, Royce Mills
• Kamelion (voice) - Gerald Flood
• The Tremas Master - Anthony Ainley
• Nyssa - Sarah Sutton
• Adric - Matthew Waterhouse

Guest

• Solow - Ingrid Pitt
• Nilson - Ian McCulloch
• Vorshak - Tom Adams
• Bulic - Nigel Humphreys
• Preston - Tara Ward
• Icthar - Norman Comer
• Sauvix - Christopher Farries
• Jane Hampden - Polly James
• Sir George Hutchinson - Denis Lill
• Colonel Wolsey - Glyn Houston
• Joseph Willow - Jack Galloway
• Will Chandler - Keith Jayne
• Andrew Verney - Frederick Hall
• Brazen - Peter Gilmore
• Norna - Lesley Dunlop
• Range - William Lucas
• Plantagenet - Jeff Rawle
• Cockerill - Maurice O'Connell
• Gravis - John Gillett
• Stien - Rodney Bewes
• Styles - Rula Lenska
• Colonel Archer - Del Henney
• Timanov - Peter Wyngarde
• Professor Howard Foster - Dallas Adams
• Sorasta - Barbara Shelley
• Amyand - James Bate
• Malkon - Edward Highmore
• Sharaz Jek - Christopher Gable
• Morgus - John Normington
• Salateen - Robert Glenister
• Stotz - Maurice Roëves
• Chellak - Michael Cochrane
• Krelper - Roy Holder
• Timmin - Barbara Kinghorn
• President - David Neal
• Professor Edgworth / Azmael - Maurice Denham
• Hugo Lang - Kevin McNally
• Mestor - Edwin Richfield
• Romulus - Gavin Conrad
• Remus - Andrew Conrad
• Noma - Barry Stanton
• Drak - Oliver Smith

Stories set before this season

• TV / HOMEVID: The Five Doctors / The Five Doctors

Stories set during this season

• AUDIO: Nightmare Country (unspecified place between The Five Doctors and Frontios)
• PROSE: Deep Blue (between Warriors of the Deep and The Awakening)
• AUDIO: And You Will Obey Me (between The Awakening and Frontios)
• PROSE: The King of Terror (between The Awakening and Frontios)
• PROSE: Life After Queth (during Frontios)
• PROSE: Perfect Day (during Frontios)
• PROSE: Keeping It Real (during Frontios)
• AUDIO: Excelis Dawns (during Frontios)
• PROSE: The Creation of Camelot (during Frontios)
• AUDIO: Nocturne (during Frontios)
• AUDIO: Time in Office (during Frontios)
• PROSE: Encounter on Burnt Snake Flat (shortly after Resurrection of the Daleks)
• PROSE: Lords of the Storm (between Resurrection of the Daleks and Planet of Fire)
• AUDIO: Phantasmagoria (between Resurrection of the Daleks and Planet of Fire)
• AUDIO: Loups-Garoux (between Resurrection of the Daleks and Planet of Fire)
• AUDIO: Singularity (between Resurrection of the Daleks and Planet of Fire)
• PROSE: Imperial Moon (between Resurrection of the Daleks and Planet of Fire)
• AUDIO: I, Kamelion (between Resurrection of the Daleks and Planet of Fire)
• AUDIO: Red Dawn (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• PROSE: The Ultimate Treasure (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• PROSE: Superior Beings (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• PROSE: Warmonger (directly after Superior Beings)
• AUDIO: Exotron (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: Urban Myths (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Eye of the Scorpion (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Church and the Crown (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: No Place Like Home (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: Nekromanteia (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• PROSE: Blood and Hope (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Axis of Insanity (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• PROSE: Graham Dilley Saves the World (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Roof of the World (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• PROSE: The Gangster's Story (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: Three's a Crowd (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Council of Nicaea (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Kingmaker (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Veiled Leopard (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Gathering (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: Cuddlesome (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Mind's Eye (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• PROSE: Far Away in a Manger (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The 100 Days of the Doctor (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Bride of Peladon (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: Mission of the Viyrans (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Judgement of Isskar (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Destroyer of Delight (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Chaos Pool (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Garden of Storms (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The Moonrakers (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: The People Made of Smoke (between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: Peri and the Piscon Paradox (immediately before The Caves of Androzani)
• AUDIO: Winter (during The Caves of Androzani)

Adaptations and merchandising

Home media

VHS releases

• Warriors of the Deep (1995)
• The Awakening/Frontios (1997)
• Resurrection of the Daleks (1993/2001)
• Planet of Fire (1998)
• The Caves of Androzani (1992)
• The Twin Dilemma (1992)

DVD & Blu-ray releases

All serials of season 21 were released individually in between 2001 and 2011.

Serial name	Number and duration of episodes	R2 release date	R4 release date	R1 release date
Warriors of the Deep Only available as part of the Beneath the Surface box set in Regions 2 and 4. Available individually or in the box set in Region 1.	4 × 25 min.	14 January 2008	5 March 2008	3 June 2008
The Awakening Only available as part of the Earthstory box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.	2 × 25 min.	20 June 2011	4 August 2011	12 July 2011
Frontios	4 × 25 min.	30 May 2011	7 July 2011	14 June 2011
Resurrection of the Daleks Available individually or in The Complete Davros Collection box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.	4 × 25 min. (Original Version)	18 November 2002	3 February 2003	1 July 2003
Resurrection of the Daleks – Special Edition Only available as part of the Revisitations 2 box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.	4 × 25 min. (Original Version) 2 × 46 min. (Broadcast Version)	28 March 2011	5 May 2011	12 June 2012
Planet of Fire Only available as part of the Kamelion Tales box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1. Includes remastered "movie version" with new footage.	4 × 25 min. (Broadcast Version) 1 × 66 min. (Special Edition)	14 June 2010	5 August 2010	7 September 2010
The Caves of Androzani	4 × 25 min.	18 June 2001	7 January 2002	2 April 2002
The Caves of Androzani – Special Edition Only available as part of the Revisitations 1 box set in Regions 2 and 4.	4 × 25 min.	4 October 2010	2 December 2010	14 February 2012
The Twin Dilemma	4 × 25 min.	7 September 2009	3 December 2009	5 January 2010

Download/streaming availability

Serial name	Amazon Video	iTunes
Warriors of the Deep (4 episodes)	✓	✓
The Awakening (2 episodes)
Frontios (4 episodes)	✓	✓
Resurrection of the Daleks (2 episodes)
Planet of Fire (4 episodes)	✓	✓
The Caves of Androzani (4 episodes	✓	✓
The Twin Dilemma (4 episodes)		✓

Novels

• Warriors of the Deep
• The Awakening
• Frontios
• Resurrection of the Daleks
• Planet of Fire
• The Caves of Androzani
• The Twin Dilemma

Target Books was originally unable to come to an agreement that would have allowed Resurrection of the Daleks to be adapted as a novel. However, Eric Saward eventually novelised the story in collaboration with BBC Books in 2019, 35 years after the story first premiered on television.

External links

• BBC website guide to Season 21