The seventh season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 3 January 1970 with Jon Pertwee's first story Spearhead from Space and ended with Inferno. The first season to be made in colour, it marked the beginning of Barry Letts's five seasons as series producer, but it has been described as "essentially devised" by his predecessor, Derrick Sherwin, who produced the opening story.[1] The season sees the beginning of the Doctor's exile to Earth by the Time Lords and his attachment to UNIT as its scientific advisor.
| Doctor Who | |
|---|---|
| Season 7 | |
 Cover art of the Region 2 DVD release for the first serial of the season | |
| Starring | |
| No. of stories | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 |
| Original release | 3 January – 20 June 1970 |
| Season chronology | |
Casting
Main cast
- Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor
- Caroline John as Liz Shaw
Jon Pertwee makes his first appearance as the Third Doctor, replacing Patrick Troughton in the role. Caroline John makes her first appearance as companion and assistant Liz Shaw in Spearhead from Space and last in Inferno.
Recurring cast
Nicholas Courtney returns as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and he would continue to make regular appearances in Doctor Who until season 13.
John Levene also makes his first appearance as Sergeant Benton since The Invasion in The Ambassadors of Death and would continue to make regular appearances until season 13.
Serials
From this season onwards the programme was produced in colour. Barry Letts also took over as producer, beginning with the second serial, Doctor Who and the Silurians, when Derrick Sherwin left to co-produce another BBC series, Paul Temple. The number of episodes in a season was cut to accommodate the new production methods: season 6 has 44 episodes; season 7 has 25 episodes. The seasons would continue to have between 20 and 28 episodes until season 22. Following the opening four parter, the remaining episodes were divided into three serials each of seven episodes.
Setting the entire season on Earth had been the choice of Sherwin, who had introduced the military organisation UNIT in his earlier serial The Invasion (1968), which he had written and Peter Bryant had produced. Sherwin had also produced the final black-and-white serial, The War Games (1969), in which the Second Doctor had been put on trial by the Time Lords and exiled to Earth in the 20th century. In Spearhead from Space the Doctor becomes, despite his initial reluctance, UNIT's scientific advisor on a regular basis, which would continue into Tom Baker's first two seasons as the Fourth Doctor. According to Sherwin on his DVD commentary for Spearhead from Space, the BBC had considered replacing Doctor Who with a new Quatermass serial, but this fell through because Nigel Kneale was not interested in that, nor writing for Doctor Who when Sherwin had approached him about it.[2] The plan did, however, have an effect on the Earth-based style of the programme, with Quatermass cited as an influence on season 7.[3]
Spearhead from Space was intended to be produced identically to previous serials and others in the season, with a mixture of location material shot on 16mm film and studio material on videotape. Owing to industrial action by studio technicians at the BBC, the planned studio recording sessions were cancelled, with instead all four episodes being shot on location on 16mm film.
| No. story | No. in season | Serial title | Episode titles | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | UK viewers (millions) [4] | AI [4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 1 | Spearhead from Space | "Episode 1" | Derek Martinus | Robert Holmes | 3 January 1970 | AAA | 8.4 | 54 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 2" | 10 January 1970 | 8.1 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 3" | 17 January 1970 | 8.3 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 4" | 24 January 1970 | 8.1 | 57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The newly regenerated Doctor is exiled to Earth in the 20th century. The Doctor has to devise a way to destroy the Autons before they kill humanity. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 52 | 2 | Doctor Who and the Silurians | "Episode 1" | Timothy Combe | Malcolm Hulke | 31 January 1970 | BBB | 8.8 | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 2" | 7 February 1970 | 7.3 | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 3" | 14 February 1970 | 7.5 | 57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 4" | 21 February 1970 | 8.2 | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 5" | 28 February 1970 | 7.5 | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 6" | 7 March 1970 | 7.2 | 57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 7" | 14 March 1970 | 7.5 | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Silurians, the original inhabitants of the Earth, have been awakened from their hibernation in the caves. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 53 | 3 | The Ambassadors of Death | "Episode 1" | Michael Ferguson | David Whitaker and Trevor Ray (uncredited) | 21 March 1970 | CCC | 7.1 | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 2" | David Whitaker and Malcolm Hulke (uncredited) | 28 March 1970 | 7.6 | 61 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 3" | David Whitaker and Malcolm Hulke (uncredited) | 4 April 1970 | 8.0 | 59 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 4" | Malcolm Hulke (credited to David Whitaker) | 11 April 1970 | 9.3 | 58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 5" | Malcolm Hulke (credited to David Whitaker) | 18 April 1970 | 7.1 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 6" | Malcolm Hulke (credited to David Whitaker) | 25 April 1970 | 6.9 | 61 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 7" | Malcolm Hulke (credited to David Whitaker) | 2 May 1970 | 6.4 | 62 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The British space programme oversees the launch of the Recovery Seven probe that has been sent to Mars to make contact with the missing Mars Probe Seven and its two astronauts, who lost contact with Earth eight months earlier. Van Lyden makes contact with the Probe but is then silenced by a piercing unearthly sound. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 54 | 4 | Inferno | "Episode 1" | Douglas Camfield | Don Houghton | 9 May 1970 | DDD | 5.7 | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 2" | Douglas Camfield | 16 May 1970 | 5.9 | 61 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 3" | Douglas Camfield and Barry Letts (uncredited) | 23 May 1970 | 4.8 | 60 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 4" | Douglas Camfield and Barry Letts (uncredited) | 30 May 1970 | 6.0 | 60 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 5" | Douglas Camfield and Barry Letts (uncredited) | 6 June 1970 | 5.4 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 6" | Douglas Camfield and Barry Letts (uncredited) | 13 June 1970 | 6.7 | 58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Episode 7" | Douglas Camfield and Barry Letts (uncredited) | 20 June 1970 | 5.5 | 60 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Inferno is the nickname given to a project to penetrate the Earth's crust. The project, however, has its own problems and the Doctor is sent to an alternate universe. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Home media
VHS releases
| Season | Story no. | Serial name | Number and duration of episodes | UK release date | Australia release date | USA/Canada release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 51 | Spearhead from Space | 4 x 25 1 × 100 min. | February 1995[5][6] (Unedited) February 1988[6][7] (Edited) | April 1990[6] | April 1991[6] |
| 52 | Doctor Who and the Silurians | 7 × 25 min. | July 1993[8][9] (2 x VHS) | November 1993[9] | June 1995[9] (2 x VHS) | |
| 53 | The Ambassadors of Death | 7 × 25 min. | May 2002[10][11] | July 2002[11] | October 2003[11] (2 x VHS) | |
| 54 | Inferno | 7 × 25 min. | May 1994[12][13] (2 x VHS) | July 1994[13] | September 1995[13] (2 x VHS) |
DVD and Blu-ray releases
All releases are for DVD unless otherwise indicated
| Season | Story no. | Serial name | Number and duration of episodes | R2 release date | R4 release date | R1 release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 51 | Spearhead from Space | 4 × 25 min. | 29 January 2001[14][15] | 7 September 2001[16] | 11 September 2001[17] |
| Spearhead from Space (Special Edition)[a] | 4 × 25 min. | 9 May 2011[18][19][20] | 2 June 2011[21][22][23] | 14 August 2012[24] | ||
| Spearhead from Space (Blu-ray Edition)[b] | 4 × 25 min. | 15 July 2013[14][25][26] | 17 July 2013[27] | 13 August 2013[28] | ||
| 52 | Doctor Who and the Silurians[c] | 7 × 25 min. | 14 January 2008[29][30] | 5 March 2008[31] | 3 June 2008[32] | |
| 53 | The Ambassadors of Death | 7 × 25 min. | 1 October 2012[33][34][35] | 3 October 2012[36][37][38] | 9 October 2012[39] | |
| 54 | Inferno | 7 × 25 min. | 19 June 2006[40][41][42] | 6 July 2006[43] | 5 September 2006[44] | |
| Inferno (Special Edition) | 7 × 25 min. | 27 May 2013[41][45][46] | 5 June 2013[47][48] | 11 June 2013[49] |
In print
| Season | Story no. | Library no.[a] | Novelisation title | Author | Hardcover release date[b] | Paperback release date[c] | Audiobook release date[d] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 051 | 6 | Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion | Terrance Dicks | 17 January 1974 | 12 June 2008 | |
| 052 | 9 | Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters | Malcolm Hulke | 17 January 1974 | 3 September 2007 | ||
| 053 | 121 | The Ambassadors of Death | Terrance Dicks | 21 May 1987 | 15 October 1987 | 4 January 2018 | |
| 054 | 89 | Inferno | 19 July 1984 | 18 October 1984 | 7 April 2011 | ||
References
Bibliography
- Smith, Paul (2014). The Classic Doctor Who DVD Compendium. United Kingdom: Wonderful Books. ISBN 978-0-9576062-2-7.
- Smith, Paul MC (July 2021). Based on the Popular BBC Television Serial. Wonderful Books.