Season 22 (Doctor Who 1963)

Season 22 — 1985
Doctor:	Sixth Doctor
Companions:	Peri
Key crew
Producer(s):	John Nathan-Turner
Script editors:	Eric Saward
Series details
Start date:	5 January 1985
End date:	30 March 1985
Premiere network:	BBC1
Typical episode length:	45'
More info
Main DWMSE coverage in issues:	3, 18
Key reference books about the season:	The Discontinuity Guide, The Sixth Doctor Handbook, The Eighties, JN-T: The Life and Scandalous Times, About Time 6
Relevant Myth Makers interviews:	Nicola Bryant, Colin Baker (1990), John Nathan-Turner, Eric Saward, Colin Baker (2005)
← Previous	21
Next →	23

Season 22 of Doctor Who ran between 5 January 1985 and 30 March 1985. It starred Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor.

Overview

The season consisted of six serials and thirteen episodes. With this season the BBC experimented with the format of the series, reducing the number of episodes to thirteen, but making each episode forty-five minutes long. The experiment did not result in improved ratings and at the end of the season the BBC announced it was cancelling the series; uproar from fans resulted in the BBC changing its mind and putting the series on an eighteen month hiatus instead. This season is notable for featuring the final appearance of Patrick Troughton as the beloved Second Doctor, in a storyline that gave rise to a popular fan theory known as Season 6B.

Television stories

#	Title	Writer	Episodes	Notes
1	Attack of the Cybermen	Paula Moore, aka Eric Saward Ian Levine (extent of contribution is currently debated) Paula Woolsey	2	Reappearance of Totters Lane junkyard, Lytton, and the Cybermen. First story to be produced in 45-minute episodes.
2	Vengeance on Varos	Philip Martin	2	First appearance of Sil.
3	The Mark of the Rani	Pip and Jane Baker	2	First appearance of the Rani; reappearance of the Master.
4	The Two Doctors	Robert Holmes	3	Reappearance of the Second Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, and the Sontarans. Last classic-era appearance for all of them. Last classic era multi-Doctor serial.
5	Timelash	Glen McCoy	2	Final classic serial to focus on a historical figure.
6	Revelation of the Daleks	Eric Saward	2	Final classic serial with 45-minute episodes; reappearance of Davros. Cliffhanger ending leads into AUDIO: The Nightmare Fair. Last serial produced before the series went on an eighteen-month hiatus. Final story of the classic series to be produced in 45-minute episodes.

Cast

Recurring

• The Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker
• Peri Brown - Nicola Bryant
• The Second Doctor - Patrick Troughton
• Jamie McCrimmon - Frazer Hines
• The Tremas Master - Anthony Ainley
• The Rani - Kate O'Mara

Stories set during this season

After Vengeance on Varos :

• PROSE: Shell Shock
• PROSE: Grave Matter
• PROSE: Burning Heart

After The Mark of the Rani :

• PROSE: Players

After The Two Doctors :

• AUDIO: Davros
• AUDIO: Cryptobiosis
• PROSE: Blue Box

After Timelash :

• AUDIO: Year of the Pig

After Revelation of the Daleks :

• AUDIO: The Nightmare Fair (takes place directly after Revelation of the Daleks)

Adaptations and merchandising

Home media

VHS

• Attack of the Cybermen (part of Cybermen Tin) (2000)
• Vengeance on Varos (1993)
• The Mark of the Rani (1995)
• The Two Doctors (1993)
• Timelash (1998)
• Revelation of the Daleks (part of Dalek Box Set) (1999)

DVD

All serials of season 22 were released individually between 2001 and 2009.

Serial name	Number and duration of episodes	R2 release date	R4 release date	R1 release date
Attack of the Cybermen	2 × 45 min.	16 March 2009	7 May 2009	7 July 2009
Vengeance on Varos	2 × 45 min.	15 October 2001	8 January 2002	4 March 2003
Vengeance on Varos – Special Edition	2 × 45 min.	10 September 2012	5 September 2012	11 September 2012
The Mark of the Rani	2 × 45 min.	4 September 2006	2 November 2006	7 November 2006
The Two Doctors Available individually or in the Bred for War box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.	3 × 45 min.	8 September 2003	7 January 2004	1 June 2004
Timelash	2 × 45 min.	9 July 2007	31 July 2007	1 April 2008
Revelation of the Daleks Available individually or in The Complete Davros Collection box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1.	2 × 45 min.	11 July 2005	1 September 2005	6 June 2006

Novels

• Attack of the Cybermen
• Vengeance on Varos
• The Mark of the Rani
• The Two Doctors
• Timelash

Target Books was unable to come to an agreement that would have allowed Revelation of the Daleks to be adapted as a novel; it remains one of a handful of classic-era stories not to be novelised.

External links

• BBC website guide to Season 22