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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. The only televised instance where the chameleon circuit on the Doctor's TARDIS is shown functioning. |
| 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. |
Cast
Recurring
Stories set during this season
After Vengeance on Varos :
After The Mark of the Rani :
After The Two Doctors :
After Timelash :
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 |
Download/streaming availability
| Serial name | Amazon Video | BBC Store | iTunes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attack of the Cybermen (2 episodes) | |||
| Vengeance on Varos (2 episodes) | ✓ | ||
| The Mark of the Rani (2 episodes) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| The Two Doctors (3 episodes) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Timelash (2 episodes) | ✓ | ||
| Revelation of the Daleks (2 episodes |
Novels
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.