2000

The year 2000 was — as evidenced by statements by American news outlets and world-renowned chronologist, Professor Wagg — the start of the 3rd millennium. (DW: Doctor Who) This view was shared by at least one incarnation of the Doctor. (DWN: Doctor Who - The Novel of the Film) Despite the predilection of most humans to celebrate it as the beginning of the millennium, however, at least one other incarnation of the Doctor regarded it as the final year of the 2nd millennium. (MA: Millennial Rites) This tug-of-war between pedantic and common conception of the year was reflected in an argument had between Anji Kapoor and her boyfriend Dave Young. He held fast to the technically correct view that 1st January 2001 was the beginning of the millennium, whereas she found this an example of why she was seriously considering leaving him. (EDA: Escape Velocity)

Doctor Who Universe

January

• 1 - The Doctor departed San Francisco, Earth after preventing the Master from destroying the planet at the start of the 3rd millennium. Grace Holloway declines an invitation to travel with him. (DW: Doctor Who)

Spring

• The Doctor and Romana visited Paris (IDW: The Forgotten), much to Romana's chagrin as they had only just visited the city, albeit 20 years earlier. (DW: City of Death)

August

• 15 - The Doctor, Ace, and Bernice Summerfield encountered The Scourge at the Pinehill Crest Hotel in Kent. (BFA: The Shadow of the Scourge)

December

• 25 - Almost a year prior to this date, the Eighth Doctor warned Chang Lee not to be in San Francisco for Christmas 2000, suggesting knowledge of of an unknown incident to take place at this time. The Doctor recommends Chang Lee "take a vacation" on this date, but it's not known if he followed his advice. (DW: Doctor Who)
• 31st December, end of the 20th century. (DW: Doctor Who)

Unknown dates

• Sometime after the departure of the Doctor, Grace Holloway discovered residue left over from her encounter with the Master. Seeking out the possibility of developing a Human/Time Lord hybrid capable of regeneration, she began working for a genetics lab (later she learned she was actually working for a branch of MI6). (DWM: The Glorious Dead)
• One account claims that it was during the year 2000 that the First Doctor regenerated rather than 1986. (DWN: Doctor Who and the Tenth Planet)

Behind the scenes

References in the Doctor Who Universe tend to indicate the year 2000 is the start of the millennium, rather than 2001, the technical start of that millennium.

Real World

January

• BFA: The Land of the Dead was first released.
• 03 - EDA: Parallel 59 was first published.
  • PDA: Last of the Gaderene was first published.
• 13 - Eric Dodson, who portrayed the role of the headman in DW: The Visitation, died.

February

• BFA: The Fearmonger was first released. First solo Seventh Doctor audio adventure.
• BBV: Punchline was first released. With Big Finish Productions having now signed Sylvester McCoy to play the official Seventh Doctor, BBV retires The Time Travellers series after this release, with McCoy playing "The Dominie" for the last time.
• 01 - Reginald Jessup, who played a servant in DW: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve and Lord Savar in DW: The Invasion of Time, died.
• 07 - EDA: The Shadows of Avalon was first published. This novel introduces the third incarnation of Romana.
  • PDA: Tomb of Valdemar was first published.

March

• BFA: The Marian Conspiracy was first released. This Sixth Doctor adventure features the introduction of Evelyn Smythe, the first companion to be created exclusively for audio.
• 06 - EDA: The Fall of Yquatine was first published.
  • ST: Short Trips and Side Steps anthology was first published. This was the third and last Short Trips release by BBC Books; Big Finish Productions will later continue the series.
  • BBC Audio releases an audio recording of DW: The Web of Fear.

April

• BFA: The Genocide Machine was first released. This was the first Daleks story produced by Big Finish..
• 03 - EDA: Coldheart was first published.
  • PDA: Verdigris was first published.

May

• BFA: Red Dawn was first released.
• 01 - EDA: The Space Age was first published.
  • PDA: Grave Matter was first published.
• 15 - Publication of Jon Pertwee: The Biography by Bernard Bale.

June

• BFA: The Spectre of Lanyon Moor was first released.
• CP: Tales of the Solar System, a Doctor Who short story collection for charity, was first published.
• REF: The Pocket Essential Doctor Who was first published.
• 05 - EDA: The Banquo Legacy was first published.
  • PDA: Heart of TARDIS was first published.
  • BBC Audio releases an audio recording of DW: Galaxy 4.
• 18 - Derek Sydney, who played Sevcheria in DW: The Romans, died from a heart attack in San Marcos, California.
• 28 - David Neal (The President in DW: The Caves of Androzani) died from natural causes.
• 29 - John Abineri, who had roles in DW: Fury from the Deep, DW: The Ambassadors of Death, DW: Death to the Daleks and DW: The Power of Kroll, died from motor neurone disease.

July

• BFA: Winter for the Adept was first released.
• 03 - EDA: The Ancestor Cell was first published. Romana III returns. Final appearance of Compassion as a companion.
  • PDA: Prime Time was first published.
• 11 - Roy Purcell (Chief Prison Officer Powers in DW: The Mind of Evil and the President of the Council in DW: The Three Doctors) died as a result of complications from an operation.

August

• BFA: The Apocalypse Element was first released. Lalla Ward returns as Romana II and will make many more Big Finish audio dramas in the years ahead.
• BBC Audio releases an audio recording of DW: The Highlanders, plus a new edition of the 1993 release, DW: The Macra Terror.
• 07 - EDA: The Burning was first published, launching a six-book story arc entitled the Earth Arc. For the next four books, the Doctor has no companions (although this book contains a reference to Compassion).
  • PDA: Imperial Moon was first published.

September

• BFA: The Fires of Vulcan was first released. Muriel Frost appears, becoming the first character from the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip to appear in a Big Finish Productions audio drama.
• BFBS: Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Dead Men Diaries was first published, returning Bernice Summerfield to the literary arena and launching the Big Finish Bernice Summerfield Series of books. This was the first of numerous Summerfield short story collections.
• Enlightenment, the magazine published by the Canadian fan club, the Doctor Who Information Network, publishes its 100th issue.
• 4 - EDA: Casualties of War was first published.
  • PDA: Festival of Death was first published.
  • UK release of the remastered and unedited version of DW: An Unearthly Child on home video.
• 10 - DW: The Five Doctors was released to DVD in Region 4, becoming the first non-UK DVD release from the series.
• 20 - Mary Ridge, who directed DW: Terminus, died.

October

• BFA: The Shadow of the Scourge was first released.
• CP: Campaign, a First Doctor novel rejected for the Past Doctor Adventures line, was self-published by its author, Jim Mortimore. According to REF: Howe's Transcendental Toybox, the book was dated May 2000, but did not begin actually circulating until October.
• 02 - Future Doctor Who co-star Billie Piper releases her second and final album, Walk of Life. After the release of this album, Piper decides to concentrate on her acting career.
• 12 - EDA: The Turing Test was first published.
  • PDA: Independence Day was first published.
• 14 - Lawrence Davidson, who appeared as the Draconian First Secretary in DW: Frontier in Space died.
• 21 - Alan Rowe, who played numerous guest roles on Doctor Who, died.
• 25 - REF: Doctor Who: Regeneration was first published.
• The dance group Dizzy releases a dance track called "Dr. Who" on Doubledown Recordings.
• Who was Dr. Who, a compilation CD produced by Mark Ayres, was released on the Cherry Red/RPM label. The CD compiles assorted singles and other recordings based on or inspired by Doctor Who dating back to the 1960s. Included was a previously unissued Frazer Hines recording, "Time Traveller".

November

• BFA: The Holy Terror was first released. Frobisher appears, becoming the first companion from the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip to appear in a Big Finish Productions audio drama.
• BFBS: Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Doomsday Manuscript was first published, the first full-length novel in the Big Finish Bernice Summerfield Series of books.
• BBV: The Rani Reaps the Whirlwind was first released.
• Morris Barry, who directed DW: The Moonbase, DW: The Tomb of the Cybermen and DW: The Dominators, as well as playing Tollund in DW: The Creature from the Pit, died.
• 06 - EDA: Endgame was first published.
  • PDA: The King of Terror was first published.
• 13 - DW: The Robots of Death becomes the second Doctor Who story (and the first solo Fourth Doctor story) to be released to DVD in the UK (a year after the previous release).
• 23 - REF: Howe's Transcendental Toybox was first published.

December

• BFA: 'The Mutant Phase was first released.
• 17 - Maurice Quick, who played the Gold Usher in DW: The Deadly Assassin, died.
• 21 - John Lee, who portrayed Alydon in DW: The Daleks, died in Melbourne, Australia.