The thirteenth season of Doctor Who ran between 30 August 1975 and 6 March 1976. It starred Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor. With this season, Doctor Who returned to launching new seasons in the autumn, something that had not been done since Season 6.
Overview
Season 13 consisted of six serials and twenty-six episodes. It was during this season that the Doctor cut ties to UNIT (After Terror of the Zygons, the Brigadier would not appear again until Mawdryn Undead in 1983, and The Seeds of Doom marked the last occasion to date that the Doctor was explicitly said to be working for UNIT -- as opposed to working with them as occasions warranted). Several of the serials in this season, particularly Pyramids of Mars and The Brain of Morbius, are among the best-known of the 1970s-era storylines. Though it was aired as a part of Season 13, Terror of the Zygons was actually filmed as part of the previous season; this holdover allowed the series to switch back to an autumn season start.
Television stories
| # | Title | Writer | Episodes | Notes |
| 1 | Terror of the Zygons | Robert Banks Stewart | 4 | Final regular appearance of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart |
| 2 | Planet of Evil | Louis Marks | 4 | |
| 3 | Pyramids of Mars | Stephen Harris, aka Robert Holmes Story by Lewis Greifer |
4 | |
| 4 | The Android Invasion | Terry Nation | 4 | Final appearances of Harry Sullivan and John Benton |
| 5 | The Brain of Morbius | Robin Bland, aka Terrance Dicks Robert Holmes |
4 | |
| 6 | The Seeds of Doom | Robert Banks Stewart | 6 | Final regular UNIT-based story until 1989 |
Main cast
Regular
Recurring
- Harry Sullivan - Ian Marter
- Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart - Nicholas Courtney
- Warrant Officer Benton - John Levene
Notes
- The Brigadier and Benton had appeared in a more prominent role in previous seasons.
- Harry Sullivan left as a companion in Terror of the Zygons, and later returned in The Android Invasion.
- Three stories featured UNIT: Terror of the Zygons, The Android Invasion and The Seeds of Doom. None of the regular UNIT characters appeared in the latter, which marked the final notable appearance of or reference to UNIT until Time-Flight.
- This series has been voted Best All-Round Series in DWM's Mighty 200 Poll
Stories set during this season
- MA: Managra (between Planet of Evil and Pyramids of Mars)
- MA: Evolution (between The Brain of Morbius and The Seeds of Doom)
Adaptations and merchandising
Home media
VHS
- Terror of the Zygons
- Planet of Evil
- Pyramids of Mars
- The Android Invasion
- The Brain of Morbius
- The Seeds of Doom
- The Tom Baker Years (extracts from each of the stories)
DVD
The stories have been released on DVD individually since 2004. Terror of the Zygons is the only remaining story yet to come out on DVD with a release date in 2012.
| Serial name | Number and duration of episodes |
R2 release date | R4 release date | R1 release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terror of the Zygons | 4 × 25 min. | 2012 | TBA | TBA |
| Planet of Evil | 4 × 25 min. | 15 October 2007 | 5 December 2007 | 4 March 2008 |
| Pyramids of Mars | 4 × 25 min. | 1 March 2004 | 10 June 2004 | 7 September 2004 |
| The Android Invasion Only available as part of the U.N.I.T. Files box set in Regions 2 and 4. Only available individually in Region 1. |
4 × 25 min. | 9 January 2012 | 5 January 2012 | 10 January 2012 |
| The Brain of Morbius | 4 × 25 min. | 21 July 2008 | 2 October 2008 | 7 October 2008 |
| The Seeds of Doom | 6 × 25 min. | 25 October 2010 | 2 December 2010 | 8 March 2011 |