Sumaran Era

The Sumaran Era was a historical epoch on the planet Manussa during the reign of the Mara, known as the Sumaran Empire. When the Mara manifested from the Great Crystal in 2326, it enslaved the Manussans and ruled for three hundred years until 2626 when a Federator banished it to the Dark Places of the Inside.

In Manussan year 3126, Ambril studied artefacts from the Sumaran Era, including the Six Faces of Delusion which dated from the middle Sumaran Era, During the middle era, carvings of the Mara resembled a rearing snake, consistent with other imagery from that period with only "insignificant variation." However, in "Sumaran three period," the head had a tendency to be less pronounced. (TV: Snakedance)

The Eighth Doctor steered the TARDIS towards the Jovian Fold at the Sumaran Era timeline 9235.3, planning to drop off his companion Charley Pollard for the Millennium Mardi-Gras, a thousand-year party to celebrate the billionth span of the Jovian civilisation. (AUDIO: The Girl Who Never Was) Troubles with the Time Lords and a time distortion caused by anti-time waylaid their passage on a previous adventure. (AUDIO: Neverland)

K9 Mark II mentioned this era whilst scanning for the Eighth Doctor's TARDIS across time/space. (AUDIO: Zagreus)

Behind the scenes

• The TARDIS console prop built for Doctor Who had the Sumaron [sic] Era displayed on one of the instruments, but this was not visible in the finished film. (DWMSE 5)