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Theory:Timeline - Fourth Doctor

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Index → Timey-wimey detector → Timeline - Fourth Doctor
Spoilers are strongly policed here.
If this thread's title doesn't specify it's spoilery, don't bring any up.

This page lists appearances of the Fourth Doctor in the order in which he experienced them. This timeline is based on observations of the Doctor Who universe and the events in each of these stories. From these observations we have attempted to build a concise timeline. It is assumed, much like their TV story counterparts, that for each novel or audio series their published/numbered order is the order they occur in. There are also many gaps between stories.

The layout of this timeline is based in part on the observations on Doctor Who Reference Guide and Doctor Who - The Complete Adventures, Lance Parkin's AHistory and other sources that allow us to make observations, such as DocOhoReviews, Doc Oho's Book Reviews, The History of the Doctor, The Discontinuity Guide, Clive Banks Databank, Whopix, the Big Finish forums and The Divergent Universe forums. None of these sources should be used solely as a source or considered a "true" timeline for stories.

Limiting factors

Companions

Any story with Sarah Jane Smith must take place before TV: The Hand of Fear.

Any story with Leela must take place after TV: The Face of Evil and before TV: The Invasion of Time.

Any story with K9 Mark I must take place after TV: The Invisible Enemy and before TV: The Invasion of Time. Any story with K9 Mark II must take place after TV: The Invasion of Time and before TV: Warriors' Gate.

Any story with Romana I must take place after TV: The Ribos Operation and before TV: Destiny of the Daleks. Any story with Romana II must take place after TV: Destiny of the Daleks and before TV: Warriors' Gate.

Any story with Adric must be set after TV: Full Circle.

Costume

The Fourth Doctor has an advantage when dating his stories due to his costume. The Doctor started out with a short red blazer, a rainbow scarf, and tweed trousers. He soon switched to longer frock coats, in colors of grey, dark red, and dark brown. Eventually, his costume turned into the "red" version. This makes dating very simple when looking at how the Doctor is dressed (with the exception of certain oddities, like PROSE: The Sinister Sponge).

Timeline

Previous page: Third Doctor

A new body

The Doctor regenerates from his previous incarnation inside his UNIT laboratory with the aid of Cho-Je.
Set immediately after Planet of the Spiders, with the Doctor recovering from his regeneration. Though he intends a fresh start by leaving UNIT behind, the Doctor agrees to help them confront the Scientific Reform Society and their mishandling of K1 in a bid to hold the world hostage with nuclear bombs. Once the crisis is resolved with K1's destruction, the Doctor asks Sarah to continue traveling with him, with UNIT doctor Harry Sullivan following them into the TARDIS.
Sneaking away from UNIT during the events of Robot, presumably during the overnight time-skip in Part Two, the Doctor visits the Mordee colony, and attempts to repair their supercomputer.

Helping the Nerva Beacon

Harry is taking his first trip in the TARDIS, setting this immediately after Robot.[quote 1] The TARDIS crew arrive at the Nerva Beacon due to Harry fiddling with the TARDIS, and assist its crew in fending off the Wirrn. However, the Wirrn attack damages the transmat receptors, so the TARDIS crew volunteer to beam down to Earth to do repairs, leading directly into The Sontaran Experiment.
Alternate account to The Ark in Space, where the Doctor intentionally travels to "Noah's Ark" directly from UNIT HQ accompanied by Sarah and Harry, intending to help revive the sleeping human race in preparation for their return to Earth. The TARDIS crew soon face Narib and mind-controlled members of the Ark crew, including Noah himself. After Narib is defeated, the Doctor and his companions depart the Ark in the TARDIS with the intention of returning to the Brigadier.
Despite the interference of the Sontaran Field Major Styre, the TARDIS crew manage to fix the faulty equipment on Earth and beam back to the Nerva Beacon.

Traveling by Time Ring

Set immediately after The Sontaran Experiment, with the Time Lords intercepting the transmat beam and giving the Doctor a mission to disrupt the creation of the Daleks to prevent them becoming a greater threat, and also giving him a Time Ring to allow him, Sarah and Harry to escape Skaro. The Doctor meets the Daleks' creator, Davros, for the first time, and, while he is unable to prevent their creation, he hypothesises that his interference has delayed the Daleks' development by a thousand years. After he watches the Daleks exterminate Davros, the Doctor uses the Time Ring to take him, Sarah and Harry away from Skaro.
Alternate account to Genesis of the Daleks.
The Doctor, Sarah and Harry are scattered across the Adelphine Cluster due to temporal disruption interfering with the Time Ring, setting this immediately after Genesis of the Daleks. The Doctor claims to be 748-years-old.
The Doctor, Sarah and Harry are still using the Time Ring, setting this shortly after Genesis of the Daleks.
Alternate account to Revenge of the Cybermen. In the original ending, the Doctor would learn from the Time Lord messenger that his involvement in Genesis of the Daleks has caused several time anomalies and that the Doctor would have to relieve an alternate version of the same events again when time rewinds and changes, leading directly into Revenge of the Cybermen. However, this ending was scrapped.[1]
The Time Ring brings the Doctor, Sarah and Harry back to the Nerva Beacon, though thousands of years too early, and then returns to the Time Lords. While they wait for the TARDIS to arrive, the crew help save Voga from being destroyed by the CyberNomads. Just as the TARDIS arrives, the Doctor receives a summons from the Brigadier, leading into Terror of the Zygons.

Returning to UNIT

The TARDIS is still recovering from solar flare radiation, setting this immediately after Revenge of the Cybermen. The Doctor takes Sarah and Harry to Prague for the first time.
The Doctor and his companions expect to find Loch Ness on exiting the TARDIS, setting this between Revenge of the Cybermen and Terror of the Zygons.
Harry is still considered a "new companion".
The Doctor recalls the events of Nanomorphosis as having occurred "not too long ago", and he is forced to make a detour and return to Prague.
The Doctor is attempting to travel to Scotland, setting this between Revenge of the Cybermen and Terror of the Zygons, but the TARDIS is knocked off course and arrives on the Zephyr instead.
The Doctor recalls the "rather recent" events of Revenge of the Cybermen, and he, Sarah and Harry have been on their way to Scotland for several months. The Doctor seems unconcerned about reuniting with the Brigadier, while Sarah suspects that he is intentionally steering them off course to avoid answering the summons.
The Doctor is wearing his clothes from Terror of the Zygons. After passing Mars, the Doctor decides to stop in London to watch a series of Disney films as a holiday. After watching Lady and the Tramp, he receives a message from the Brigadier and rushes off to see him, promising his audience we will see them "next Saturday", leading into Terror of the Zygons.
The Doctor, Sarah and Harry are wearing their costumes from Terror of the Zygons. The TARDIS is knocked off course after an attempt to get to Scotland. After returning Godric to the Arthurian times, the TARDIS makes its way to Scotland, leading into Terror of the Zygons.
After fending off Carrionites, the TARDIS lands in Scotland, leading directly into Terror of the Zygons. Harry confirms his first trip in the TARDIS was the arrival on Nerva Beacon in The Ark in Space, though he also claims it was his last trip, despite evidence to the contrary.
The TARDIS crew have followed the Brigadier's distress signal to the Devil's Punchbowl in Scotland, where they prevent Zygons from conquering the world. The Doctor offers to give Sarah, Harry and the Brigadier a lift back to the London UNIT HQ in the TARDIS; while Harry and the Brigadier decline in favour of the train, Sarah agrees to go in the TARDIS.

Journey to London

Set immediately after Terror of the Zygons, with the TARDIS having just left Scotland for London, but arriving on Zeta Minor in 37166 instead. The TARDIS control room is shown to have been redesigned with a smaller interior.
The Doctor and Sarah are trying to get to London, and the Doctor claims to have travelled over thirty-thousand years to get to the 17th century, implying a setting immediately after Planet of Evil. The Doctor is blamed for the Great Fire of London, setting this before Pyramids of Mars.
Set between Planet of Evil and Pyramids of Mars. Sarah mentions that they are supposed to be on their way back to UNIT HQ.
Sarah and the Doctor are still wearing the clothes they wore in Planet of Evil. Sarah asks the Doctor to take her home, suggesting that they are still trying to get back to London.
The Doctor and Sarah are still trying to get to London when the TARDIS is drawn off course while the Doctor sulks about returning to UNIT. The Doctor gives his age as "something about 750[-years-old]", and the TARDIS control room has been refurbished again. Sarah claims to be from 1980, and learns how history can be altered when she and the Doctor have to stop Sutekh escaping his imprisonment on Mars in 1911. The Doctor recalls being blamed for "starting a fire" in 1666.[quote 2]
The Doctor is wearing a burgundy coat, and Sarah observes that he has been moody as of late, setting this shortly after Pyramids of Mars.
After getting caught up in a Kraal plot take over the Earth, the Doctor is finally able to get Sarah back to the London area. Though she proclaims she will take a taxi back to her home, the Doctor is able to persuade her to rejoin him in the TARDIS.

Association with UNIT

(NOTE)
The Doctor and Sarah Jane return to UNIT HQ, and base themselves on Earth, with the Doctor staying at a cottage and resuming use of Bessie, (COMIC: Death Flower, Return of the Daleks) while Sarah Jane continues working as an investigative reporter. (COMIC: The Sinister Sea) However, they frequently take trips in the TARDIS, and are often accompanied by Harry. (PROSE: A New Life, The Hospitality on Hankus) While working with UNIT, the Doctor does research into Richard III for his book, Doctor Who Discovers Historical Mysteries. (AUDIO: The Kingmaker)
While the Doctor and Sarah Jane both comment on getting used to the Doctor's new face, it is implied that sometime has passed since Robot, as the Doctor mentions that he still gets surprised seeing himself when he shaves "each day". The Doctor and Sarah are investigating Vegpro on orders from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Doctor's TARDIS is stolen by the Renegade Time Lord Shazar for the Daleks. However, with the Time Lords' help, the Doctor is able to retrieve his ship.
The Doctor and Sarah are on their way back to Earth following the events of Return of the Daleks.
The Doctor and Sarah are still on their way back to Earth following the events of Return of the Daleks, with Sarah commenting that it feels like they have "been away for an eternity". They successfully arrive on Earth, albeit in the 19th century, which Sarah claims to have never visited before.
The Doctor is back on Earth and taking a holiday after all his recent excitement since Return of the Daleks.
The Doctor and Sarah leave UNIT HQ to take a trip in the TARDIS. The Brigadier is not happy, and questions Harry on their whereabouts.
The Doctor and Sarah have faced Sutekh, and the TARDIS has its primary interior, setting this between Pyramids of Mars and The Masque of Mandragora. The Doctor claims the Brigadier will be angry if he returns without Sarah, and Sarah is excited to see the look on Harry's face when they tell him they met his great-grandparents, but they are not journeying back to London, setting this after The Android Invasion.
While he was "dropping off [Sarah] for a family engagement", the Doctor is asked by the Brigadier to assist a UNIT team in Flat Holm, where they encounter the CyberMondans. The Doctor recalls the events of Terror of the Zygons as being "not that long ago".
Despite traveling with Sarah and Harry, the Doctor is inexplicably wearing his burgundy outfit from Season 18, and considers the events of The Three Doctors to be a recent happening. In the best ending, the Doctor sets the TARDIS for a holiday on Earth.
The Doctor alludes to the recent events of Terror of the Zygons and The Android Invasion. He, Sarah and Harry are taking a holiday on Earth.
The Time Lords take control of Bessie, and send the Doctor and Sarah on a mission to defeat the Daleks on the planet Ercos.
On the way back to Earth following The Dalek Revenge, the Time Lords direct the TARDIS to a synthetic jungle inside a space station.
Still on their way back to Earth, the Time Lords direct the TARDIS to a vineyard in Italy during World War II so that the Doctor and Sarah can save some art treasures.
The Doctor and Sarah are back on Earth and have been resting in the few days since Treasure Trail.
The TARDIS lands on Karn, causing the Doctor to complain about how the Time Lords keep "messing about with [his] TARDIS". He gives his age as 749-years-old. Sarah is temporarily blinded by Maren's ring when she and the Doctor help the Sisterhood of Karn reignite the Sacred Flame of the Elixir of Life, and stop Mehendri Solon from reviving the mad Time Lord Morbius.
Sarah refers to the recent events of The Brain of Morbius.
Sarah Jane was temporarily blinded on a recent adventure, setting this shortly after The Brain of Morbius.
According to the novelisation, Sarah Jane has been the Doctor's assistant for two years. The Doctor and Sarah assist UNIT with containing a Krynoid pod in Antarctica, and then follow a second pod to Chase Mansion when it is stolen by Harrison Chase.
Sarah's absence is uncommented on, but the Doctor is trying to "get away from the complexities that he always encounters" by "mind[ing] [his] own business", implying that he is taking some alone time. After defeating Professor Braun, the Doctor decides to take a holiday away from Earth, implicitly leading into Double Trouble.
Sarah implies that it is November in her time.[quote 3]
(REFERENCE)
The Doctor visits Pesca on his own and has his first encounter with Zor. (AUDIO: Doctor Who and the Pescatons)
The Doctor and Sarah visit Beta Osiris. Sarah recalls their encounter with Sutekh, setting this after Pyramids of Mars.
Sarah understands that it takes time for radio waves to travel between Mars and Earth, setting this after Pyramids of Mars.
Sarah claims it is Christmas in her time period.
The Doctor and Sarah celebrate Christmas with the UNIT team.
The Doctor and Harry's cameo takes place immediately after The Last Broadcast.

Leaving UNIT behind

Set between The Seeds of Doom and The Masque of Mandragora.[source needed]
Sarah's absence is left unexplained.
Sarah's absence is left unexplained.
Sarah's absence is left unexplained.
(REFERENCE)
The Doctor and Sarah visit Professor Chronotis at St Cedd's College in 1955. (PROSE: Cambridge Previsited)
Set between The Seeds of Doom and The Masque of Mandragora, according to the book's back cover. It has been one month, from her perspective, since Sarah Jane last saw Harry.
The Doctor and Sarah go back in time to save the Eighth Doctor after he fails to kill a dictator as a baby.
The Doctor is currently travelling with Sarah Jane, (DWM 475) and using the main console control room. He helps in the saving of Gallifrey on the last day of the Last Great Time War, and, in the novelisation, has a tea party with his other incarnations in the Under Gallery as a celebration.
The Doctor is depicted wearing his clothes from Season 12.
Sarah recalls the events of The Android Invasion.
The Doctor and Sarah attend the coronation of Elizabeth II.

Final adventures with Sarah

The Doctor begins using the secondary control room in the TARDIS, just as he inadvertently unleashes the Mandragora Helix on San Martino in 1492. He has not yet met Leonardo da Vinci. Sarah is given a quick explanation of the TARDIS' translation circuit.
Sarah is depicted with her clothes from The Masque of Mandragora.
The Doctor is using the secondary console room, setting this after The Masque of Mandragora, though Sarah Jane's absence goes unexplained.
Sarah recalls the events of The Masque of Mandragora.
The Doctor is using the secondary control room, setting this after The Masque of Mandragora.
The Brigadier has summoned the Doctor using the space-time telegraph. The Doctor is using the secondary control room, setting this after The Masque of Mandragora. According to this account, Harry hasn't travelled in the TARDIS since Terror of the Zygons. Although two months have passed since Harry and the Brigadier last saw the Doctor and Sarah, Sarah implies that years may have passed for them. The Doctor attempts to officially resign from UNIT and, although the Brigadier refuses to accept, makes it clear that he won't be returning to as their scientific adviser.
Sarah is wearing her Andy Pandy clothes, setting this shortly before The Hand of Fear.
After being possessed by the Kastrian Eldrad, Sarah decides she has had enough of life in the TARDIS, just as the Doctor receives a summons from Gallifrey, forcing him to leave Sarah behind as he journeys back to his home planet, leading directly into The Deadly Assassin.

Coping without Sarah

Upon arriving in the Capitol, the Doctor is framed for the assassination of Lord President Pandad IV and realises that the summons was actually the Decayed Master luring him back to Gallifrey to take the fall for the crime. With the aid of Spandrell and Engin, the Doctor escapes the death penalty by putting himself forward as a presidential candidate and enters the Matrix to battle the Master's thrall, Goth, and emerges victorious. However, the Master still tries to use the Eye of Harmony to heal his deformities, causing ruination in the Capitol until the Doctor stops him, though the Master manages to escape in Goth's TARDIS. Despite technically winning the presidency by default, the Doctor ops to leave Gallifey again.
Set immediately after The Deadly Assassin, with the Doctor travelling to the Cathedral of Contemplation directly from the Capitol, still upset by his farewell to Sarah Jane.
Inspired to visit one of Gallifrey's moons by his recent escapade on Gallifrey, the Doctor battles the "Inventor" Master, and mentions that he has now encountered the Master "twice in rapid succession", setting this almost immediately after The Deadly Assassin. Still not having adjusted to Sarah Jane's absence, the Doctor begins talking to himself in the absence of a companion to talk to.
The Doctor is still talking to himself, as he was in Blood of the Time Lords. He meets Margaret Hopwood for the first time.
The Doctor is travelling alone, and begins talking to an absent companion before quickly remembering that "she" is no longer with him.
The Doctor recalls the recent events of The Deadly Assassin.[quote 4]
In the extended adaptation called The Drosten's Curse, the Doctor mentions recently traveling through a virtual jungle, as he did in The Deadly Assassin, and the TARDIS's secondary control room is being used.
The Doctor mentions that he decided to visit Funworld to cheer himself up after his previous companion departed for "pastures new". Since authorial intent places this during the Philip Hinchcliffe era[2], he is most likely referring to Sarah Jane, setting this shortly after The Deadly Assassin.
Set in an alternate timeline where the Fourth Doctor is already married to River Song. The Doctor claims to have been on Gallifrey the previous week, most likely referencing the events of The Deadly Assassin. After the timeline is negated, the Doctor briefly encounters River, but fails to recognise her.
The Doctor calls out for Sarah Jane whilst unconscious.

Temporary companions

The Doctor is traveling with Joan Brown.
The Doctor is travelling alone and using the secondary console room, suggesting a setting between The Deadly Assassin and The Face of Evil. After he finishes running repairs on the TARDIS, the Time Lords send the Doctor on a mission to answer a distress call from the Craxons, and he is sent to find Diloona with the help of Andric. After recovering the Diloona ore, the Doctor takes Andric back to the TARDIS, where a fault develops amongst the circuits.
After investigating the cause of a mysterious forest fire on Earth with Detective Inspector Keel, the Doctor decides to take a relaxing trip in the TARDIS to another universe or galaxy.
The Doctor completes the repairs he started on the TARDIS in The False Planet, and a visit to the planet Earthos makes him feel homesick for Earth, so he decides to pay it a visit next.
The Doctor is being assisted by Miss Young while he takes Bessie to investigate a meteorite crash in Scotland.
As a favour to the ruler of Xenon, the Doctor takes Milena for a trip in the TARDIS.

Companionless travels

The Doctor is traveling alone in his bohemian attire. Images of Davros, the Second Morbius, and the Decayed Master are in his mind, setting this at least after The Deadly Assassin.
Set between The Deadly Assassin and The Face of Evil, according to the book's back.
The Doctor meets Nyssa for the first time, but she is already well acquainted with him due to a future encounter.

Travels with Oliver

(REFERENCE)
The Doctor meets Oliver Day and they begin travelling together. They visit Trafalgar Square, and encounter lots of monsters during their time together. Months into their travels, and during a visit to Oliver's native time, they defeat a monster and strand it on Earth, but at the cost of Oliver becoming injured and suffering some memory loss. The Doctor leaves him behind on Earth. (PROSE: Attachments)
The Doctor is reunited with Oliver when the monster they had previously defeated comes after Oliver for revenge. The Doctor takes the monster to another planet and he resumes his travels with Oliver, including a visit to Rio de Janeiro.
After being possessed by the Puppeteer, Oliver decides to stay on Gondovan with Annajin Valentin.

Travelling alone

The Doctor is travelling alone and believes he has been sent on a mission by the Time Lords, implying a setting before The Invasion of Time.
The Fourth Doctor unites with his other incarnations to help a group of people seal the Time Fracture.

First adventures with Leela

The Doctor returns to Mordee, though does not remember his previous visit, where he meets Leela, a warrior recently banished from the Sevateem tribe, and she forces her way into the TARDIS after helping the Doctor repair Xoanon, joining him in his travels.
Leela visits Earth for the first time, although her experience there is erased from the timeline.
The Doctor claims to be 750-years-old, and explains transdimensional engineering to Leela just before they arrive on Storm Mine 4, where they prevent Taren Capel from starting a Kaldor android revolution.
The TARDIS is drawn to 1981 Geneva when the Molai, a species affected by the Last Great Time War, interfere with history. Leela claims that she has been travelling "between boxes" for "what seem[s] like days" since leaving her tribe in the TARDIS, which was the last time she had been outside in the open air. On her previous trip in the TARDIS, the Doctor refused to allow Leela to bring the Tesh laser, setting this immediately after The Robots of Death. Leela sees a city for the first time, and meets the Brigadier, though she already knows of him from the Doctor's stories.
The Doctor and Leela spend a week holidaying on Earth, a planet which Leela appears unfamiliar with. The secondary console room is still in use, setting this before The Invisible Enemy. Leela has only recently joined the Doctor, and fears she will be abandoned after angering him. The Doctor laments that Leela has a lot to learn and knows little more than fighting, suggesting a setting before he began educating her in The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
Leela is still adjusting to life in the TARDIS, and is unfamiliar with stun rods as weapons, setting this before Corpse Marker. She and the Doctor have not yet visited any planets similar to Mordee.
Set between The Robots of Death and The Talons of Weng-Chiang, according to the book's back cover. The Doctor and Leela's relationship is on a strain due to both Leela's stubborn nature [quote 5] and the Doctor's patronising attitude[quote 6], though they both soon come to an understanding. Leela is still grappling with the idea that magic isn't real.
Leela makes several comparisons to her experience on Storm Mine 4, suggesting that the events of The Robots of Death are still fresh in her mind. According to this account, Leela sees snow for the first time.
The Doctor uses a Time Ring to send Leela back into his second incarnation's TARDIS. Leela's eyes are brown and she describes the Doctor as bearing "the face of the Evil One", setting this early in her travels.
While she is depicted with blue eyes on the cover, Leela says she has seen "little more than [her] home planet", setting this early in her travels. Indeed, she sees snow for the first time, and learns about seasons and art.
Leela still shows particularly violent tendencies, setting this early in her travels.
Though Leela is depicted dressed in her second attire, the book's cover places this between Last Man Running and The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
The Doctor recalls the events of The Robots of Death and implies that the events of Last Man Running, Corpse Marker and Psi-ence Fiction are all recent.
Leela learns about the concept of money and what it is used for for the first time. She still believes in magic over science, suggesting a setting before Horror of Fang Rock, and the Doctor alludes to regeneration to her without explaining it.
Leela is still new to travelling in the TARDIS, but has come to see the Doctor as part of her "tribe".
Leela has never seen a horse before, setting this before The Talons of Weng-Chiang. Her eyes are still brown.
Leela has only been travelling with the Doctor for a few weeks, but has seen spaceships.

Educating Leela

Wanting to teach Leela "how [her] ancestors enjoyed themselves", the Doctor takes her to 1892 London, in her first visit to the city, where they are aided by Henry Gordon Jago and Professor George Litefoot in battling Magnus Greel. The Doctor claims not to have visited China in "four-hundred years", and Leela fires a handgun for the first time.
The Doctor and Leela have just parted ways with Jago and Litefoot, setting this immediately after The Talons of Weng-Chiang. Leela asks the Doctor to begin educating her, as he suggested he would do in The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
The Doctor decides to begin Leela's education by taking her on a trip to the Morovanian Museum, suggesting a setting shortly after Destination: Nerva. Leela bemoans the idea of visiting Earth again after her recent visits in The Talons of Weng-Chiang and Destination: Nerva.
The Doctor decides to continue Leela's education by taking her to Earth to see her ancestors, but they wind up encountering Boudica. They have just visited the Morovanian Museum, setting this immediately after The Renaissance Man. Leela understands the concept of money, suggesting a setting after Death-Dealer. Leela learns about the dangers of interfering with history and has her faith in the Doctor tested for the first time. The Doctor decides to take Leela to visit the 21st century, leading directly into Energy of the Daleks.
The Doctor attempts to bring Leela to the year 2015, but they arrive in London 2025 instead and encounter the Daleks. Leela recalls that on their previous visit to London they could barely see through the fog, suggesting this visit was during The Talons of Weng-Chiang. Leela refers to horses simply as "beasts", suggesting a setting before Eye of Heaven.
Leela learns that wearing gum boots can protect her from electrocution, and encounters the Master for the first time. The Master opens a wormhole, welcoming his alien allies to come through and invade Earth, leading directly into The Oseidon Adventure.
The Master's allies arrive through the wormhole and are revealed to be the Kraals. Leela simply refers to horses as "earth beasts", suggesting a setting before Eye of Heaven. The Doctor and the Decayed Master meet for the first time since The Deadly Assassin.
The Doctor is currently using the secondary console room, setting this before it was disused in The Invisible Enemy. He indicates that he has had a recent encounter with the Master. Leela does not know about regeneration.
Leela is still learning from the Doctor, setting this early in her adventures with him.
The TARDIS is diverted by the Time Lords on its way to Earth and the Doctor and Leela instead arrive on an unknown planet populated by giant insects. The secondary console room is still in use, setting this before The Invisible Enemy.
Set between The Talons of Weng-Chiang and Horror of Fang Rock, according to the book's back cover. Leela learns what a horse is for the first time, although she believes she has seen them before. The Doctor and Leela visit London, and Leela is pleased to see a part of London that isn't full of "smoke and rot", suggesting their last visit was during The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
Leela mentions battling "Weng-Chiang" and the TARDIS' secondary console room is in use, setting this between The Talons of Weng-Chiang and The Invisible Enemy.
Leela has brown eyes, setting this before Horror of Fang Rock.
Leela still has brown eyes, setting this before Horror of Fang Rock.
Sets between The Talons of Weng-Chiang and Horror of Fang Rock, according to authorial intent.[3] The Doctor and Leela are sent on a mission by the Time Lords. Leela encounters Sontarans for the first time, though they are out of uniform and she does not learn the name of their species, in keeping with the continuity of The Invasion of Time. Despite having been through "a lot" together, the Doctor and Leela have a falling out when Leela chooses to detonate a vat of advanced Sontaran clones when the Doctor wished to let them live, and he tells her to take some time to think about whether she really wants to continue travelling with him.
A few days have passed since The King of Sontar. The Doctor and Leela having not spoken to each, with Leela having hidden herself away in the TARDIS library with a book of English fairytales. She wears gum boots to protect herself from electrocution, setting this after Trail of the White Worm, and decides that she will remain traveling with the Doctor.
Leela recalls her previous encounter with the Master in The Oseidon Adventure.
Leela encounters Zygons for the first time.
The Doctor and Leela visit Victorian London for the first time since The Talons of Weng-Chiang. Leela has a limited ability to read English. Leela is aware of the concept of money and the Doctor teaches her about Victorian currency.
Leela is still wearing Victorian clothing from The Ghosts of Gralstead.
The Doctor is educating Leela, setting this after Destination: Nerva. She learns about musical instruments, specifically violins for the first time.
Leela claims that she has never seen the Doctor sleeping.
Leela changes into a pullover and coat upon arriving in Shetland, and learns the Brigadier's full name for the first time.
Leela has advanced to reading the works of Jane Austen, but she finds a lot of the words hard to read. The Doctor mentions that Leela is still wearing her "Shetland gear", suggesting a setting immediately after The Helm of Awe.
(FLASHBACK)
In 18th century Japan, the Doctor and Leela fight Inek of the Orimsei as he tries to use a dimensional gateway to escape, at the risk of the Japanese population. (AUDIO: Time in Office)
In her travels with the Doctor, Leela has seen "false gods", metropolitan cities, and "Old Earth", but does not know about Christmas, setting this before Christmas Every Day. Leela still believes in magic, suggesting a setting before Horror of Fang Rock, though she does not react when the Rutans are mentioned in her presence. Leela encounters an Ice Warrior for the first time.
The Doctor is using the secondary control room. He hears the Sixth Doctor's voice through the temporal distortion and decides to make an emergency landing after spilling his ginger beer on the TARDIS console, leading directly into Collision Course.
The Doctor arrives on Henlan with Leela after making an emergency landing.
Sets between The Talons of Weng-Chiang and Horror of Fang Rock, according to authorial intent.[4]
Leela is still somewhat early on in her reading education, as the Doctor reads The Time Machine to her and she bemoans the fact that he is supposed to be teaching her to read that particular book.
(REFERENCE)
The Doctor and Leela visit Blackpool and thwart the Ice Warriors' attempt to freeze the city and dominate Earth. (AUDIO: Ice Heist!)

Joined by Margaret

Leela has brown eyes, setting this before Horror of Fang Rock. The Doctor returns to Margaret Hopwood and offers her a trip in the TARDIS to an art gallery. Leela is already an experienced TARDIS traveller, and recalls a previous encounter with the Ice Warriors in Blackpool. The Doctor invites Margaret to join him and Leela in the TARDIS permanently, and she accepts.
Leela shows Margaret to her room and the Doctor attempts to take them to another art gallery after the last attempt ended badly, setting this directly after Ice Heist!.
Margaret is still adjusting to life in the TARDIS.
After an encounter with the Weeping Angels, Margaret begins to wonder whether she wants to travel in the TARDIS anymore. The Doctor convinces her to think on her decision for a while.
The Doctor brings Margaret home, although they only make it back on their third attempt. The Doctor and Leela then plan to visit Michelangelo, but are brought back to Margaret instead.

After Fang Rock

While fighting a Rutan scout at the Fang Rock Lighthouse, Leela's eye colour changes from brown to blue due to a pigment dispersal caused by her witnessing the explosion that destroyed the Rutan mothership. From her travels with the Doctor, Leela has come to now embrace science over magic.
Leela has blue eyes and is wearing her costume from Horror of Fang Rock, suggesting a setting immediately afterwards.[quote 7]
Leela is wearing clothing similar to her clothes from Horror of Fang Rock.
The secondary console room is in use, setting this before The Invisible Enemy.
Leela is familiar with the planet Earth and the concepts of poverty and pollution, suggesting a setting at least after The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
Leela is depicted wearing jeans, setting this after Horror of Fang Rock.
Leela wears jeans and a jacket to blend in with 21st century Earth, though she still views jeans as ridiculous. Her eyes are blue, setting this after Horror of Fang Rock.
Leela's reading level has advanced to the point where the Doctor is having her read him the works of Shakespeare, setting this after Series 3 of The Fourth Doctor Adventures.
Leela refers to the events of Horror of Fang Rock.
Leela is depicted with blue eyes on the cover and there is no mention of K9, implying a setting between Horror of Fang Rock and The Invisible Enemy.
Leela does not know about regeneration, and the Doctor decides to take her to dinner at the home of Lord Joshua Douglas to teach her table manners, and it is mentioned that he is teaching Leela to read children's books. The Doctor starts a fire in the TARDIS to destroy all trace of the Z'nai virus.
Set directly after The Catalyst, with the Doctor putting out the fire started in the secondary console room. It is later confirmed in The Time Vampire that this was the reason they moved console rooms, setting this immediately before The Invisible Enemy. Leela learns about money and the exchange of goods for the first time in a similar and contradictory way as in Death-Dealer.

Adopting K9

The Doctor takes Leela to the "number two" console room for the first time as he moves back in to it just before he gets infected by the Swarm on Titan and used as a host for the Nucleus. With the aid of Professor Frederick Marius, the Doctor is able to expel the Nucleus from his body and destroy it. As he and Leela make their leave, Marius asks that they take his robot dog, K9, with them. Leela is still learning to write her name and uses her finger to aid in reading.
K9 has only just joined the TARDIS crew, with the Doctor initially referring to him as an "it" and being unconcerned with him, but grows to accept K9 as his "dog" after a battle with the Fendahl. Leela has changed into her second outfit for the first time, but changes back into her first outfit after the Fendahl's defeat.
(REFERENCE)
The Doctor attempts to destroy the Fendahl skull by firing it into the Canthares supernova. (AUDIO: The Dalek Trap)
The Doctor is hunting a second Fendahl skull, setting this shortly after Image of the Fendahl.
The Doctor warns Leela and K9 what they should do if they ever encounters the Pyromeths. Leela is in her second outfit, but the Doctor is shown as still using the secondary control room, despite moving back into the white control room shortly before meeting K9 in The Invisible Enemy.

Adventures with Leela and K9

The Doctor takes Leela and K9 to Prague to teach Leela about chess, and she appears to be unfamiliar with the game, suggesting a setting before The Sun Makers.
When the TARDIS lands on Pluto during a chess match between him and K9, the Doctor tells Leela they are "still" in the Solar System.
The Doctor takes Leela and K9 on a trip to Mars.
Leela recalls being temporarily blinded during Horror of Fang Rock. K9 does not appear, as he has been sent on an errand to the TARDIS library by the Doctor.
Leela mentions the Fendahl, setting this after Image of the Fendahl. K9's absence is unexplained.
Leela and K9 are kidnapped by Adam Mitchell, leading directly into Endgame.
The Doctor joins with his other incarnations to rescue Leela and K9 from Adam and the Tremas Master, and assists the other Doctors in saving their companions as well.
Leela recalls the events of The Sun Makers.
Leela decides to leave the TARDIS to remain with Marshall, but she is kidnapped by the Decayed Master after the Doctor leaves.
According to K9, it has been roughly five days since the events of Requiem for the Rocket Men, but the Doctor hasn't "heard the voice of another living being" in the interim. Leela returns to the TARDIS after Marshall is killed.
Leela recalls the recent death of Marshall in Death Match.
Ending leads directly into Return to Telos.

Final adventures with Leela

Months have passed since the secondary control room was destroyed by the fire in Empathy Games. When K9 begins behaving oddly, the Doctor decides to begin gathering the parts needed to build a new K9.
The Doctor is traveling with Leela, and depicted wearing his attire from Underworld. Leela is in her first outfit.
Leela resumes wearing her clothes from Image of the Fendahl.
The Doctor is wearing his beige coat from The Power of Kroll, and is residing in a space station while promoting the beauty of 1979 Australia. He is in contact with Leela.
Leela is wearing her second costume, setting this after Image of the Fendahl. However, no mention is made of K9.
Leela is wearing her second costume, setting this after Image of the Fendahl. However, no mention is made of K9.
The Doctor and Leela are searching for a part needed to help repair K9, who is currently out of action.
Colin Marshall is created from Leela's memories of Marshall, setting this after Death Match.
Ending leads directly into The Demon Rises.
K9 has broken down and requires a reboot, something Leela notes has been happening often.
Ending leads directly into The Age of Sutekh.
Originally meant to take place during Series 13 of the Fourth Doctor Adventures. (BFX: Shadow of the Sun)
The Doctor recalls the events of The Exxilons. Leela meets Anya Kingdom and learns that she will part ways with the Doctor at some point in the future, having previously believed that she would travel with him forever.

Brief tenure as Lord President

The Doctor returns to Gallifrey for the first time since The Deadly Assassin. After he uses his position as Lord President to propel an invasion of Gallifrey by the Vardans and the Sontarans, Leela decides to stay on Gallifrey to marry Andred, and K9 elects to stay with her. Alone in the TARDIS, the Doctor decides to begin work on K9 Mark II.
Set during The Invasion of Time: Part 2, when the Doctor is moving around the Capitol.
The Doctor makes a message about the Timewyrm as a warning for himself using information he learnt from the Matrix during The Invasion of Time.

Revisiting old adventures

Exploring discoveries

Continued solo exploits

Deciding that the TARDIS needs an overhaul, the Doctor sets course for 20th century England. The Doctor is travelling alone and using the white TARDIS console room, setting this after The Invasion of Time. After visiting the Himalayas, The Doctor decides that he'd like to go someplace warm for his next adventure.
After a series of "exacting" adventures, the Doctor steers the TARDIS towards the planet Maxus in hopes of a holiday with some peace and quiet, but gets diverted after a collision with a space station.
Set immediately after The Space Garden, with the Doctor returning to Earth to carry out the repairs he intended to begin in The Snow Devils, though he is distracted by strange meteorite activity.
After defeating an alien mist on 20th century Earth, the Doctor decides it is time for some peace and quiet, which he will find with the TARDIS in deep space.
The Doctor is travelling through deep space, trying to catch a break between adventures, setting this immediately after Guardian of the Tomb.
The Doctor is still building K9 Mark II, and stores him in a box on the TARDIS console room floor
The Doctor salutes the Brigadier with his other incarnations.
(FLASHBACK)
The Doctor shares a few adventures with Tiger Maratha, and becomes acquainted with his daughter, Priyanka. No mention is made by Tiger of him travelling with another companion. (COMIC: The Swords of Kali)
The Doctor has helped Shakespeare write Hamlet, setting this after The Stranger, The Writer, His Wife and the Mixed Metaphor.
The Doctor forms a band with his first, second and third incarnations.
(REFERENCE)
The Doctor assists four gods who rule over a different universe. (AUDIO: Doctors and Dragons)
The Doctor meets Albert Einstein for the first time, setting this before The Stones of Blood.
The Doctor is imprisoned at the Maximum security facility with his other incarnations.
The Doctor has Christmas dinner with his other incarnations.
The Doctor is travelling alone while using the TARDIS' white console room, setting this at least after The Invisible Enemy, and recalls the events of The Hand of Fear.

The Syndicate's master plan

The Doctor begins putting together K9 Mark II, but is distracted by a distress signal. He meets WPC Ann Kelso and she joins him as his companion.
Set immediately after The Sinestran Kill. The Doctor fully assembles and activates K9 MK II, and Ann takes her first trip to an alien planet.
K9 is still recharging after the recent events of Planet of the Drashigs.
Follows on directly from The False Guardian.
The Doctor and Ann have just ejected the Chronon Wave Front from the TARDIS and are pushed back in time, setting this immediately after Time's Assassin.
Following the revelation that Ann is in fact a brainwashed SSS agent called Anya Kingdom and "Ann Kelso" was merely a sleeper personality, the Doctor and K9 part ways with her. The Doctor resolves to fix K9's dog whistle, which he does by The Ribos Operation.

New adventures with K9

In an alternate timeline created by Rassilon and the Cybermen, K9 is cyber-converted during a Cyberman attack.
The Doctor is illustrated as traveling with K9 in the TARDIS.

Quest for the Key to Time

Just after he finishes building a dog whistle for K9, the Doctor is given a quest by the White Guardian to assemble the Key to Time before the Black Guardian can, and is assigned a Time Lady named Romana as an assistant. The Doctor claims to be 756-years-old, but Romana tells him he is really 759-years-old, and gives her own age as "nearly" 140-years-old. They find the First Segment disguised as some jethrik on Ribos.
Set between The Ribos Operation and The Pirate Planet, as the Doctor has only collected the First Segment, and it is misplaced after Romana decides to study it, though they soon find it again.
Set the morning after The Ribos Operation, with the Doctor sealing away the First Segment.[quote 8] The Doctor and Romana find that the Second Segment is the planet Calufrax, but discover that it and other planets have been super-compressed as trophies by the Captain and Queen Xanxia. In order to stop them doing the same to Earth, the Doctor has to fling the planets into the Time Vortex for him to find after he and Romana lead a rebellion against Xanxia.
The Doctor and Romana have recovered the shrunken remains of Calufrax from the Time Vortex. The Doctor tells Romana about the White Guardian and takes her to Earth for the first time in pursuit of the Third Segment, which they find in the possession of Cessair of Diplos, disguised as the Great Seal of Diplos. K9 is torn asunder by an Ogri, but is quickly repaired with an "entire circuit regeneration".
The Doctor and Romana have just left Earth after recovering the Third segment of the Key to Time, setting this immediately after The Stones of Blood.
The Doctor mentions the Guardians in Romana's presence, setting this after The Stones of Blood.
The Doctor and Romana are searching for the Fourth Segment, setting this shortly before The Androids of Tara.
(SEGMENT)
The Doctor and Romana stumble upon a deadly painting during a visit to an art gallery in 2002 Kensington while the Doctor is ignoring a "slightly more urgent mission", implied to be the search for the Key to Time. (AUDIO: Tales from the Vault)
(NOTE)
The Doctor and Romana decide to take a break from tracing the Key to Time segments. (PROSE: Heart of TARDIS)
The Doctor, K9 and Romana are celebrating Christmas in the TARDIS.
Throughout the Doctor Who Annual 1980, the Doctor is travelling with Romana I and K9, but is not trying to assemble the Key to Time, nor is the randomiser in use, setting these stories during the break from the quest that ended in Heart of TARDIS.
Set between The Stones of Blood and The Androids of Tara, according to the back cover. The Doctor and Romana visit Earth, definitively setting this after The Stones of Blood. They appear to be taking a break from their quest for the Key to Time and, after being sent on a mission by the Time Lords to aid the Doctor's second incarnation, Romana becomes keen to resume the search. However, the Doctor doesn't see the need to rush or take a proactive role, deciding that something will happen on its own eventually.
The Doctor is boring of his quest, and wishes to have a holiday for already collecting half the segments. While he indulges in some fishing on Tara, Romana finds the Fourth Segment disguised as a stone, only for it to be stolen by Count Grendel. Romana is then forced to masquerade as her doppelgänger, Princess Strella, in the Count's plot to assassinate Prince Reynart, until the Doctor is able to force the Count into fleeing.
The Doctor and Romana are searching for a segment to the Key to Time.
The Doctor and Romana are looking for the Fifth Segment, setting this shortly before The Power of Kroll.
The Doctor and Romana trace the Fifth Segment to moon Delta III, where they find it inside the stomach of the mutated giant squid Kroll. The Doctor claims that he is "nearly" 760-years-old.
(YOUNGER COUNTERPART)
In search of the Sixth Segment, the Doctor brings Romana to Ancient Rome. (AUDIO: Luna Romana)
The Doctor and Romana find the Sixth Segment in the form of Princess Astra of Atrios, and complete the Key to Time after ending the Shadow's machinations between Atrios and Zeos by destroying the third planet. However, the Doctor orders the Key to Time to disperse itself to stop the Black Guardian claiming it, and installs a randomiser into the TARDIS to elude the vengeful Black Guardian.

Hiding from the Black Guardian

The Doctor and Romana are hiding from the Black Guardian in 1929 Hampshire, while K9 pilots the TARDIS around the universe to throw the Black Guardian off the Doctor's trail, setting this shortly after The Armageddon Factor.
The Doctor and Romana are taking a holiday in 1929 Antibes without K9, setting this during The Auntie Matter.
The Doctor has only recently installed the randomizer, setting this shortly after The Armageddon Factor.
Ending leads directly into War Against the Laan.
K9 is damaged after being affected by the time slippage.
The Doctor bypasses the randomiser to track an alien spaceship that crashed to Earth in Victorian London. He gives his age as 760-years-old.
Set one month after War Against the Laan, with K9 fully repaired from the damage caused by the time spillage. Romana complains about the Doctor bypassing the randomiser and visiting Earth again, following their previous visits in The Auntie Matter, The Sands of Life, The War Against the Laan and The Justice of Jalxar. The Doctor, however, thinks the Black Guardian is still following the false trail K9 left during the events of The Auntie Matter.
Romana encounters the Daleks for the first time. Ending leads directly into The Final Phase.
Romana elects to continue travelling in the TARDIS instead of returning to Gallifrey.
The Doctor and Romana have recently completed their quest for the Key to Time, and Romana is still adjusting to travelling freely with the Doctor, suggesting a setting shortly after The Armageddon Factor. The Doctor and Romana discuss the Daleks, suggesting a setting after The Final Phase. The Doctor is in process of repairing K9, who is not currently functioning.
The Doctor is travelling with K9 and a female companion, who speaks to him in the same tones of the first incarnation of Romana.
The Doctor's companion is wearing "a neat designer dress straight from the pages of a magazine", a description matching the first incarnation of Romana.
The Doctor and Romana arrive in Prague due to the randomiser, setting this after The Armageddon Factor.

The new Romana

While having a rest, the Doctor is warned he will soon be facing the Daleks, setting this shortly before Destiny of the Daleks.
The TARDIS lands on Skaro right after Romana regenerates into a new body. K9 develops laryngitis, resulting in a change in his voice. The Doctor encounters Davros for the first time since Genesis of the Daleks when he finds the Daleks retrieving him to assist them in their war with the Movellans. Once the Doctor stops the Movellans from destroying Skaro and Romana frees the Dalek slaves, Davros is placed in suspended animation to await trial.
Set concurrently with Destiny of the Daleks.
Romana is still wearing her outfit from Destiny of the Daleks.
Romana's recent regeneration is referenced, setting this shortly after Destiny of the Daleks.
The Doctor plans to take Romana to Paris, leading into City of Death.
While having a holiday in 1979 Paris, the Doctor and Romana, with aid from Duggan, prevent the Jagaroth Scaroth from undoing the evolution of the human race. Romana gives her age 125-years-old.
Romana notes that she and the Doctor have been to Paris recently, setting this shortly after City of Death.
Romana encounters Ogrons with the Doctor for the first time, although she had already heard of them, setting this before The Romance of Crime.
Set between The Creature from the Pit and Nightmare of Eden, according to the book's back cover. Romana has her own sonic screwdriver.
Romana is still recovering from the events of The Romance of Crime, setting this immediately afterwards. Romana also refers to the recent events of The Armageddon Factor. In the audio adaptation, the Doctor mentions recently visiting Paris, setting this shortly after City of Death.
Set during Nightmare of Eden: Part 4.
The Doctor suggests that he and Romans need some rest following their encounter with the Mandrels and the CET machine, setting this immediately after Nightmare of Eden.
Romana reveals to the Doctor that she has built her own sonic screwdriver, but leaves it on the bridge of a spaceship during their encounter with the Nimon and doesn't appear to recover it.
Set between The Horns of Nimon and The Leisure Hive.[5] Romana doesn't have a sonic screwdriver, suggesting she hasn't yet replaced the one she lost in The Horns of Nimon.

The Shada conundrum

After some punting, the Doctor and Romana have an adventure with Chronotis in Cambridge that leads them to Shada. According to one account, the events of Shada are overwritten by The Five Doctors, and, upon returning to the TARDIS, the Doctor decides to go to Brighton, leaving Shada to be experienced by the Eighth Doctor. In the novelisation, set without the interference of The Five Doctors, the Doctor claims to be 760-years-old.
While they're punting, Borusa attempts to Time Scoop the Doctor and Romana to the Death Zone, but they get caught in a time eddy, overwriting the events of Shada. At the end of the special edition, they are returned to the events of Shada, allowing them to play out.
Set during The Five Doctors, when the Doctor and Romana are trapped by the time scoop. As with the special edition account, they are returned to the moment they were taken from Cambridge.
Set during Shada, shortly after the Doctor defeats Skagra, but before he and Romana depart in the TARDIS.
(FLASHBACK)
Wiping his own memory, the Doctor locks Shada away in a forgotten part of space, and does not return until his eleventh incarnation. (COMIC: The One)

Continued travels with Romana

The Doctor is trying to get to Brighton Pavilion, setting this shortly after Shada.
The Doctor, Romana and K9 attend the Queen's re-coronation, and are spotted by the Brigadier.
The Doctor, Romana and K9 attend the Mars Conference, and have a run in with Bernice Summerfield.
Set between Shada and The Leisure Hive, according to the back cover.
The Doctor reveals to Romana that he has acquired a chrono-historical stress gauge. Romana uses her sonic screwdriver in the presence of the Doctor, setting this after The Horns of Nimon.
The Doctor is still using the chrono-historical stress gauge.
The Doctor's chrono-historical stress gauge is broken.
Romana refers to the events of City of Death as being a year ago, before the Doctor spends a few weeks away from her.
The Doctor knows about Romana's sonic screwdriver, setting this after The Horns of Nimon.
The Doctor and Romana are still worried about the Black Guardian's revenge, and Romana possess a sonic screwdriver, setting this after The Horns of Nimon. K9 has regained his original voice after losing it to laryngitis, setting this after Shada. The Doctor sends K9 to visit one hundred different planets to evade the Black Guardian while he and Romana spend some time in the 60s.
Romana has a sonic screwdriver, setting this after The Horns of Nimon.
Ending leads directly into Legacy of Death.
The Doctor and Romana make it to Brighton, but arrive at too early a time in its history to see the opening of the Brighton Pavillion, making the journey unsuccessful. The Doctor has not seen K9 in "days".
The Doctor is aiming for Brighton again, but Romana is becoming concerned with his frequent bypassing of the randomiser and revisiting the same cities, suggesting a setting shortly after Gallery of Ghouls. The Doctor is beginning to think that the Black Guardian has grown bored of revenge on him and Romana.
Ending leads directly into Casualties of Time.
The Doctor recalls the events of Shada.
Romana has a sonic screwdriver, setting this after The Horns of Nimon.
(SEGMENT)
The Doctor and Romana visit Henlan. (AUDIO: Collision Course)
Romana has a sonic screwdriver, setting this after The Horns of Nimon. The Doctor has forgotten his true age, setting this before Doctor Who and the Star Beast, and settles on being in his early 750s.

Trapped in fiction

Set between Shada and The Leisure Hive, according to the book's back cover. The Doctor and Romana recall their previous encounter with Menlove Stokes in The Romance of Crime, which was "not so long ago". The Black Guardian tracks the Doctor and Romana down, but is defeated and entrapped in the Time Vortex by the Doctor, but the Doctor and Romana also get trapped in the vortex in the ordeal, with the Doctor fearing they will end up in a "fictional realm".
(NOTE)
The TARDIS crew wind up in a hazy and simplistic reality, where they are subjected to amnesia and continuously embark on endless and frivolous adventures, and becoming inanimate toys between adventures. (PROSE: Playing with Toys)
Romana recalls the events of City of Death as being recent, though the revelation in Playing with Toys clouds doubt on how accurate her recall is.
Set on the same day as The Not-So-Sinister Sponge, Do You Love Anyone Enough? and Better Watch Out, Better Take Care.

Separated from his friends

(NOTE)
According to one account, the Doctor drops Romana and K9 off at the Academia Stellaris on Sirius 5, while he continues to travel alone. (AUDIO: Doctor Who and the Star Beast) In the early Doctor Who Magazine issues, however, the Doctor is traveling with K9 Mark II, wearing his bohemian clothing and having the randomiser activated. In Timeslip, he expresses a desire to contact Romana, confirming their separation and suggesting that it was by forces beyond their control.
(FLASHBACK)
While the TARDIS travels past Yamado, K9 is taken by a tractor beam meant for the Doctor. (COMIC: K-9's Finest Hour)
After toppling the Malevilus rule over the Galactic Roman Empire in an alternate reality, the Doctor decides to take a holiday to Benidorm.
Set immediately after Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, with the Doctor trying to get to Benidorm before he landed in Zombos.
The Doctor gives his age as over 750-years-old in "Earth years", and then simply as 750-years-old.
The Doctor is traveling alone, and not using the secondary control room.
The Doctor has been in contact with Sarah Jane Smith, and is currently trapped in the TARDIS with "no Romana, [and] no K9". He uses the TARDIS tuner to contact his other incarnations.

Reunited with K9

The Doctor finds K9 after he has already defeated the Doctor's would-be assassins.
The Doctor wishes to get in contact with Romana, claiming that things have been moving slowly in her absence. The Movellans appear in the Doctor's vision as he undergoes a retro-regeneration, setting this after Destiny of the Daleks.

Telling tales

Adventures with Sharon

The Doctor and K9 fail to arrive in Benidorm again. After capturing war criminal Beep the Meep for the Wrarth Warriors, the Doctor offers Sharon Davies a trip home to Blackcastle in the TARDIS. The Doctor claims to be 730-years-old, but also admits to have lost track of his true age. According to the audio adaptation, in which K9 is absent, the Doctor is currently traveling with Romana, though she is currently attending to business elsewhere.
Set immediately after Doctor Who and the Star Beast, with the Doctor failing to return Sharon home and instead arriving on the Spacehog. When he gets infected with the Werelok virus, the Doctor leaves Sharon on the Spacehog for ten minutes while he spends three months creating a counter-agent in the TARDIS. After they save the New Earth System from the Daleks, Sharon decides to put off returning to Blackcastle for a while longer in favour of continuing her travels with the Doctor, reasoning that he can return her home a few minutes after she left.
Sharon changes her hairstyle and is aged four years by a malfunctioning chrono-compensator
Due to her ageing in Doctor Who and the Time Witch, Sharon is now unsure as to whether she wants to return home to Blackcastle.
Sharon, feeling her aging has made it impossible to return home, leaves the TARDIS to stay with Vernor Allen on Unicepter IV.

Living in Nest Cottage

The Doctor arrives in Hexford and begins investigating the Hornets, using Nest Cottage as his base of operations. He recalls his encounter with the Wrarth Warriors from Doctor Who and the Star Beast.
A week has passed since The Stuff of Nightmares. The Doctor meets Fenella Wibbsey and brings her back to 21st century Hexford, where she becomes his housekeeper at Nest Cottage. He discovers that the Hornets have encountered him before in 1832, and decides to go there to continue his investigation, leading directly into The Circus of Doom.
The Doctor rescues Captain the Wolfhound from the Hornets and brings him back to Nest Cottage.
(FRAMING DEVICE)
A few weeks after his arrival in Hexford, the Doctor invites Mike Yates to Nest Cottage. The Doctor begins to recount his encounters with the Hornets since his arrival at Nest Cottage to Mike, (AUDIO: The Stuff of Nightmares) such as his visit to Cromer in 1932, (AUDIO: The Dead Shoes) Blandford in 1832, (AUDIO: The Circus of Doom) and finally Northumbria in 1036. Once he has brought Mike up to speed with his encounters with the Hornets, the Doctor decides to seek out the Hornet Queen. (AUDIO: A Sting in the Tale)
The Doctor departs Nest Cottage and leaves Captain under the care of Mike. He alludes to having K9 waiting in the TARDIS.

Quest for the Demon

The Doctor returns to Nest Cottage after a year of traveling alone. Despite the events of The Wrath of the Iceni, the Doctor claims not to have visited the 1st century since his last regeneration, setting this before The Doctor's Cross Word. Ending leads directly into The Demon of Paris.
The Doctor and Mrs. Wibbsey follow their next clue to Paris in 1894, where they come face to face with the Demon once again. After returning to Nest Cottage, the Doctor and Wibbsey are met by Mike Yates, whom has returned to Hexford.
After recounting the events of The Relics of Time and The Demon of Paris to Mike, the Doctor takes him to Germany in 1847 for the next part of his quest. After another encounter with the Demon, they are summoned back to Nest Cottage by Mrs. Wibbsey, leading directly into Starfall.
Mrs. Wibbsey is kidnapped by the Demon, while the Doctor and Mike return to Nest Cottage.
Set shortly after Starfall, with the Doctor and Mike back at Nest Cottage, trying to figure out a way to rescue Mrs. Wibbsey. The Doctor saves Mrs. Wibbsey from the Demon and releases her from the Hornet's control once and for all. Ending leads directly into Tsar Wars.

Locating the Skishtari egg

The Doctor and Mrs. Wibbsey are kidnapped from Nest Cottage by the Robotovs, while Mike is left behind unconscious.
Follows on directly from Tsar Wars.
Follows on directly from The Broken Crown. The Doctor and Mrs. Wibbsey use the Skishtari gene egg to return to Nest Cottage. The Doctor parts ways with Mrs. Wibbsey, and leaves Nest Cottage once more.

Searching for Hexford

The Doctor returns to Hexford after spending much longer than nine months away from Nest Cottage. Hexford is sucked into a wormhole, leading the Doctor and Mrs. Wibbsey to go searching for it in the TARDIS.
The Doctor and Mrs. Wibbsey finally find Hexford after several months of searching due to issues with the TARDIS navigation system and some unexpected stop-offs. The Doctor departs from Nest Cottage once again.

More adventures with K9

The Doctor is wearing his bohemian attire and only traveling with K9, implying a setting prior to The Life Bringer!.
K9 has a brief adventure on his own while the Doctor rests in the TARDIS. While K9 makes use of his multi-coloured scarf, the Doctor himself is wearing his burgundy coat.
The Doctor has changed his clothes to the burgundy design from The Leisure Hive, and the randomiser is still in effect.
The Doctor meets Dr. Ivan Asimoff for the first time at the Festival of Five Planets, where they help the Freefall Warriors fight a platoon of Raiders.
Set directly after Junk-Yard Demon, with the Doctor claiming to have moved four months ahead in time, but not in space.
The Doctor is summoned by Merlin the Wise to help him defeat Catavolcus the Wolf and his Neutron Knights. Once they are victorious, Merlin tells the Doctor they will meet again, though in "some other form", alluding to the Doctor's upcoming regeneration.
The Doctor is wearing his burgundy coat. He sends a message to his other incarnations to warn them of the First Rani's plot. He appears to be travelling alone.
The Doctor is trying to get to Unicepter IV to attend Sharon Davies' wedding to Vernor Allen, but arrives in Blackcastle instead. He is travelling with K9 and is wearing his burgundy costume.
The Doctor is wearing "a suede burgundy coat, a wide-brimmed hat and a multi-coloured scarf", a description matching his clothing from The Leisure Hive. He appears to be traveling alone.
The Doctor is travelling alone.
The Doctor is wearing his burgundy coat.
The Doctor returns to Nest Cottage in his burgundy coat, which Mrs. Wibbsey sees for the first time, and claims that it has been "aeons" since he last visited. The Doctor takes Mrs. Wibbsey on a trip to 18th century Italy.
Set after The Thing from the Sea.[6] The Doctor visits Nest Cottage again ,and has Mrs. Wibbsey as a companion. He is wearing his brown coat.
The Doctor is recruited by Bernice Summerfield to help Romana to fly a TARDIS. He recognises both Leela and Romana II, setting this at least after Destiny of the Daleks.

Aided by the Prime Computer

(CONJECTURE)
The Doctor and K9 somehow reunite with Romana, and she resumes traveling with them.
The Doctor is wearing his beige coat from Destiny of the Daleks. Romana redecorates the TARDIS console room as a surprise for him, and adds a Prime Computer. The Doctor and Romana use their Prime Computer to calculate the orbital coordinates of nine-hundred planets in the constellation of Kasterborous to stop the end of the universe.
After his clothes are ruined taking down the Quoll Gevaunt, the Doctor suggests changing his style, implicitly to the burgundy design first seen in The Leisure Hive.
When he starts feeling his age, and worries his regeneration is nearing, the Doctor switches his old clothes for the burgundy design from The Leisure Hive. He decides to take Romana to Brighton.
Romana has noticed that the Doctor's clothes appear far more sombre lately.
Romana recalls defeating the Mandrels, setting this after Nightmare of Eden. According to this account, the Doctor started wearing his burgundy costume a month after Romana's regeneration in Destiny of the Daleks. Romana is concerned by his more sombre attitude.
The Doctor is using the Prime Computer console room, but is now wearing his burgundy coat. He becomes engaged to Romana.
The Doctor is wearing his burgundy coat. Romana is briefly captured by an alien who wants to know where he can buy a Prime Computer.

Final travels with Romana

The Doctor is wearing his burgundy outfit.
The Doctor is wearing his burgundy outfit.
The Doctor refers to the events of Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, and is wearing his burgundy outfit.
Set shortly before The Leisure Hive, according to authorial intent.[7]
The Doctor recalls bypassing the randomiser in his last few adventures, setting this immediately after The Beast of Kravenos, The Eternal Battle and The Silent Scream. The Doctor decides to try to get to Brighton again, setting this before The Leisure Hive.
K9 is still working, setting this before The Leisure Hive.
During a holiday attempt in Brighton, albeit in the wrong year intended, K9 is damaged after rolling into the sea without his water defenses. During a second holiday attempt at the Leisure Hive on Argolis, the Doctor has to completely remove the randomiser to fix the Tachyon Recreation Generator to rejuvenate the sterile Argolins and prevent their extinction. Despite Romana's insistence, he opts not to replace it, feeling the Black Guardian is no longer a threat. Romana gives her age 650-years-old.
K9 was recently damaged in Brighton, setting this shortly after The Leisure Hive. Ending leads directly into The Thief Who Stole Time.
The Doctor and Romana are repairing the damages K9 endured during The Leisure Hive. After stopping Meglos from unleashing the Dodecahedron upon Tigella, the TARDIS is contacted by the Time Lords, who order the Doctor and Romana back to Gallifrey, leading directly into Full Circle.

Trapped in E-Space

En route to Gallifrey, the TARDIS gets sucked into E-Space via a CVE, landing on the planet Alzarius in time for mistfall. K9 is destroyed by a Marshman. With the aid of Adric, the Doctor and Romana are able to prevent the Marshmen and Alzarians from destroying each other, though not before Adric's brother is killed. As the Doctor and Romana leave in the TARDIS, they begin repairing K9.
Set shortly after Full Circle, with the TARDIS crew discovering that Adric stowed-away in the TARDIS when it left Alzarius. K9 has been fully repaired. Looking for a way out of E-Space, the TARDIS crew arrive on the Vampire planet and face the Three Who Rule. After the Doctor kills the King Vampire and ends the vampire threat, he makes plans to return Adric to Alzarius.
Set during State of Decay: Part Four, just after the Doctor slays the King Vampire.
Romana mentions that the last planet the TARDIS visited was the vampire planet, setting this immediately after State of Decay.
The Doctor, Adric and K9 are still in E-Space. Romana's absence is left unexplained.
The Doctor and Romana have been in E-Space for two months. They encounter an artificially created CVE, but it closes before they are able to return to N-Space through it. Romana decides to stall returning to N-Space.
A Full Life implies that this is set after The Invasion of E-Space. Adric recalls the events of State of Decay.
Adric mentions the imprisonments he endured during The Invasion of E-Space and O, Darkness. The Doctor and Romana die, but, after some years, Adric is able to change time so that they live.
The Doctor has noticed that Romana is stalling their return to N-Space and questions her about it, setting this after The Invasion of E-Space. Ending leads directly into Chase the Night.
Romana's sonic screwdriver is destroyed, but she resolves to create a new one.
The TARDIS crew have been searching for a CVE for "months".
(FLASHBACK)
While in E-Space, the Doctor, Romana, and Adric board a ghost ship known as the Hermes, which is being sucked into a black hole. (AUDIO: Messages from the Dead)
As the Doctor and Adric use the Gateway to escape E-Space, Romana elects to remain and help the enslaved Tharils release themselves from captivity, with K9 staying with her due to damage from the time winds preventing him from crossing back into N-Space.

Return to N-Space

Adric is getting used to traveling with the Doctor, who is still saddened by Romana's departure, setting this shortly after Warriors' Gate. The Doctor sets about completing a task that he started while in E-Space, hinting that they have only recently returned to N-Space.
Set "a few days" after Warriors' Gate, with the Doctor still saddened by Romana's departure. Adric visits his first planet in N-Space, setting this before The Keeper of Traken. Controversially, it is mentioned that "a few days" have also passed since he stowed away in the TARDIS during Full Circle, despite other accounts stating that the TARDIS spent at least a few months travelling in E-Space afterwards.
Having recently returned to N-Space,[quote 9] the Doctor and Adric are summoned to Traken by the Keeper to deal with a Melkur, who turns out to be the Decayed Master in disguise. With the aid of Consul Tremas and his daughter, Nyssa, the Doctor and Adric foil the Master's plan to steal the Source.
The Doctor and Adric have recently visited Traken, and Adric is still getting used to travelling in the TARDIS, setting this shortly after The Keeper of Traken. The Doctor has given up jelly babies to preserve his teeth. After an adventure in the Time Vortex, the Doctor is significantly weakened, to the extent that Milady believes he will not last for much longer and may struggle to regenerate, so she puts in a request to the Department of Watchers to prepare for the moment of the Doctor's regeneration, setting up the events of Logopolis.

Adventures with Adric and K9

During Doctor Who Annual 1982, K9 Mark III has been assembled, and the Doctor is wearing his bohemian attire while traveling with Adric, but is illustrated in his burgundy coat for Just a Small Problem.

Final adventures

(NOTE)
Sensing his time drawing to a close, (PROSE: Still Need a Title!) the Doctor drops K9 off in 1978 South Croydon for Sarah Jane, (TV: A Girl's Best Friend) which saddens Adric. (PROSE: A Boy's Tale)
While reflecting on his life, the Doctor refers to Romana and K9 in the past tense, suggesting a setting after Warrior's Gate, and decides that he deserves a holiday.
The Doctor visits Sarah Jane to give her a proper farewell. He is familiar with K9, setting this at least after The Invisible Enemy.
Rather than continue the return trip to Gallifrey he started in Meglos, the Doctor instead takes Adric to Earth for the first time.[quote 10] Accidentally picking up Tegan Jovanka as a stowaway, the Doctor and Adric learn that the Master has stolen Tremas's body. Informed of his coming regeneration by the Watcher, the Doctor is reunited with Nyssa on Logopolis, where the Master accidentally starts the collapse of the universe. Forced to join forces to broadcast a CVE signal from the Pharos Project, the Doctor is critically injured after he falls from the antenna while stopping the Master's betrayal, and is forced to regenerate into his next incarnation with the assistance of the Watcher.
Next page: Fifth Doctor

Currently unplaced

These entries are placed here due to being part of ongoing storylines that have yet to offer sufficient enough evidence to be placed in a specific part of this Doctor's timeline, unless further evidence arises in the stories to come.
(YOUNGER COUNTERPART)
The Doctor, Sarah and Harry sneak away from UNIT to visit Mars, where they face the Ice Warriors. (GAME: Lost in Time)

Awaiting placement

These entries are placed here until a suitable position in the timeline can be determined based on the available evidence.

Quotes

  1. ↑ HARRY: "Oh, I say. We've gone!"
    SARAH: "Who's gone?"
    HARRY: "I mean, this isn't... we aren't where we were... when... I've gone mad."
  2. ↑ DOCTOR: "Perhaps it is time we were leaving. We don't want to be blamed for starting a fire, do we?"
    SARAH: "No."
    DOCTOR: "I had enough of that in 1666."
  3. ↑ SARAH: "I can't say I'll be sorry to see good ol' England again, Doctor—Even in chilly November!"
  4. ↑ "Was this, perhaps, an after-effect of my experiences within the Matrix on my recent visit to Gallifrey?"
  5. ↑ While an intelligent young primitive was potentially a delightful companion with whom to share the wonders the TARDIS could offer, an opinionated savage who could not recognise her own shortcomings was less appealing.
  6. ↑ "I watched you," Leela said, "and I copied what I saw you do." She found a piece of rotten wood and weighed it in her hand. It was too light and she discarded it. "The TARDIS is a machine – there is nothing magic about it. And you can stop calling it the travelling hut. It is not funny to mock people's lack of knowledge, Doctor. Especially when you are stuck up a tree."
  7. ↑ The Doctor's scarf was all sorts of different colours and Leela was wearing jeans Mum said later that "she must have been greased into" and a big grey jumper that smelt funny. She was always VERY serious but not in the way like teachers are. She had very bright blue eyes and nice dark hair.
  8. ↑ DOCTOR: "Good morrow, Romana. That looks interesting."
    ROMANA: "Good morning, Doctor."
  9. ↑ ADRIC: "So this in N-Space."
    DOCTOR: "Yes, the old home universe. It's many times larger than anything you're used to."
    ADRIC: "All those stars..."
  10. ↑ ADRIC: "So we don't get to go to Gallifrey."
    DOCTOR: "Yes. Let me put another question to you. I have a place in mind that's on the way, well, more or less, give or take a parsec or two. It's my home from home. It's called Earth."


Footnotes

  1. ↑ https://twitter.com/MrJohnDorney/status/1319930958179696640
  2. ↑ https://www.bigfinish.com/vortex/pdf/101
  3. ↑ https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/the-fourth-doctor-at-big-finish-part-3
  4. ↑ https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/dame-sian-phillips-is-pure-evil
  5. ↑ https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-companion-chronicles-the-pyralis-effect-480
  6. ↑ https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1117638/doctor-who--the-winged-coven/9781787534445.html
  7. ↑ https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/doctor-who-the-fourth-doctor-adventures-continue
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