CELEBRATING FORTY YEARS OF SEASON TWENTY!

With the huge success of his debut season with both the British viewing public and the series growing fan base, Peter Davison's second year as the Doctor may have been plagued with industrial action/rescheduling problems towards the end of its run, but there was no denying that the selection of stories this 1983 season were just as diverse and interestingly chosen as before, including a very special and interesting spin on sailing competitions in Barbara Clegg's effective fantasy, Enlightenment. 

This special Anniversary year promised much and delivered for the most part: there was a fun run-around on Gallifrey and in the streets of picturesque Amsterdam celebrating the return of the tragic anti-matter villain Omega (a deliberate nod to his first appearance in the series' Tenth Anniversary season opener, The Three Doctors), plus the return of other implacable old foes: the mysterious Black Guardian, once more played by Valentine Dyall, obsessed with the destruction of the Doctor over a three adventure arc, plus one fun short duration bout with the Master (Cheshire cat grinning Anthony Ainley) set in England's past unintentionally ending the season's run early. Plus antagonistic power-grabbing from a more recent but no less deadly foe in the evil Mara creature, once more taking mental control of returned companion Tegan Jovanka (and giving us the chance to relish another fine performance from Janet Fielding) in the fan-praised Snakedance.

The Doctor, Tegan and new companion Turlough in the spruced up TARDIS set during Terminus.

As young biochemist Nyssa (the always delightful Sarah Sutton) departed from her skirt and the TARDIS to assist in the running of a galactic leper colony in the under-rated hard concept sci-fi drama Terminus, new companion Turlough (a strong and edgy performance from Mark Strickson) would make his mark in three middle tales as the anti-hero Turlough, coerced into trying to kill the youthful Doctor by the returned, vengeance-fuelled the Black Guardian (Valentine Dyall). One final addition to the Time Lord's gang would be in place by the end of the season: the Kamelion android, capable of shape-changing into anyone in his task as a former invader weapon (an idea that was great but beyond the capabilities of the BBC's then effects teams in realising adequately) and whom was pretty much forgotten about (deliberately) until its demise at the near end of the following year. Other old friends returning from the show's notable past would include the much welcome Nicholas Courtney playing two sides of his iconic Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the effective time mystery Mawdryn Undead, and a brief appearance from Cyril Luckham as the Black Guardian's antithesis for good, the White Guardian, in the aforementioned seminal fantasy tale, Enlightenment.

Sadly, the return of the Daleks and their evil creator Davros, planned to appear in a glorious and action-packed celebratory season closer, The Return (aka Warhead), written by series script editor Eric Saward, was shockingly cancelled due to the infernal vagaries of BBC politics and in-fighting, eventually appearing in Davison's third and last season instead. The idea of at least one Dalek appearing in the Anniversary year did thankfully happen, however, what with its incorporation into that glorious ninety-minute special wrapping up this never to be forgotten time of nostalgia, from the trusted stalwart Terrance Dicks: The Five Doctors. But more on that another time...

Doctor Who: Take a glimpse behind-the-scenes 40 years ago | Radio Times

Look out for more celebrations of Season Twenty on this site during the show's landmark Sixtieth Anniversary...