Yeti, Cybermen, Daleks, Nestenes... the list of attempted alien invasions of that small blue/green world called Earth have been endless over the decades, but thankfully there's been a dedicated group of humans able to repel such dreaded menaces, working alongside the talents of a certain mysterious Time Lord. The steadfast and reliable military/scientific organisation comprising these humans is U.N.I.T. (the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce), their British sector's leader is the stern but reliable Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. The Earth is indeed protected by the best of their world, and beyond, as superbly represented in this great cover and poster art for the 1991 Doctor Who Magazine Winter Special.
Introducing Wendy Padbury as Zoe Heriot, in a rather bizarre BBC photo shoot taken around various London sites. Colourisation by Clayton Hickman.
Back in April 1968, Deborah Watling may have made a sad departure from the Troughton Who era, but an equally attractive and no less spirited replacement would soon board the TARDIS in the pixie-esque, shapely form of the delightful Wendy Padbury, playing the keen, young, at first logically aloof astro physicist Zoe Heriot, one of the human team stationed on The Wheel in Space, helping the second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon fight off the invading Cybermen, then heading off into all kinds of memorable adventures with the duo during the close of the classic monochrome era. On and offscreen, this new trio would be one of the finest seen in the entire series.
Still as lovely, radiant and fun as ever, Miss Padbury has been both an actor and an agent in the profession, and remains a convention favourite worldwide.
London calling! Out and about as Zoe.
Posing for the press on the bridge of the Silver Carrier spaceship.
A specially shot image of Padbury as Zoe, used for a specific Cyberman-related scene from The Wheel in Space. Colourisation by Clayton Hickman.
London and the Swinging Sixties are about to be invaded by the ominous arrival of The War Machines, computer-controlled monsters that soon prove a challenge for the newly arrived Doctor and Dodo, who go on to make soon friends with new adventurers able seaman Ben Jackson and secretary Polly Wright in their battle against emotionless evil.
Great image composition by Lee Johnson for the Doctor Who - The Complete History partwork series, now available on digital download.
A vital behind the scenes talent emergent from 1963 who still doesn't get enough of the credit she deserves with her incredible work realising the now legendary arrangement to Ron Grainer's enduring Doctor Who theme: the late, great Delia Derbyshire's evolving, passionate interest in sound and sound technology were soon a tremendous asset to both the series (the musician sharing a strong dynamic with the show's then first producer Verity Lambert, both keen to create a memorable and unforgettable title sequence) and the corporation's vast input requiring the distinctive services of the one-of-a-kind Radiophonic workshop.
When not bringing destructive chaos both onscreen and off to the Waterloo area and all other surrounding parts of London being used for location filming, the dreaded Daleks, back in their impressive white paint scheme, pose for publicity alongside their onscreen human/Gallifreyan enemies in a great image for the then upcoming Remembrance of the Daleks, and, as equally important, the opening celebrations of the show's eagerly awaited twenty-fifth anniversary season, way back in 1988.
The new Sixth Doctor's regeneration emergence has already seen him display a wide range of emotions, from mercurial to monstrous, and now his taste in clothes is surely turning schizophrenic, as seen in this fun posed publicity image of Colin Baker in hybrid incarnation wardrobe showcasing for The Twin Dilemma.
The locked-in costume design by Pat Godfrey.
Promotional feature in the Radio Times of the day.
An old friend and a new adversary for the Doctor in fan-favourite time drama Mawdryn Undead.
He promised death against the Doctor in his previous confrontation with the Time Lord during the Key to Time business, now the dreaded evil force that is the Black Guardian is ready to spring his ultimate revenge against our hero in his fifth incarnation, deliberately trapping him in a warp ellipse cut-out linked to an Earth orbiting ship full of scientific fools, fools who tried to turn themselves into Time Lords, of which the results of their work went disastrously wrong - as companions Tegan and Nyssa will soon find out. Additionally, the Black Guardian has also recruited an Earth-stranded young alien humanoid, the enigmatic and singularly allegiant Turlough, to his cause in killing the Time Lord when the right opportunity arises. But how does the now retried Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, living the life of a school teacher at the Brendan public school alongside Turlough, factor into the situation? And not just in the current 1983 time zone, but also linked to his other, younger self in 1977?
Proving his worth as a solid and imaginative script writer the previous season (for Time-Flight) alongside his prior outstanding directorial credits, Peter Grimwade, easily one of the greatest things to happen to eighties Who, would come up with a fine sci-fi slant on the disturbing Flying Dutchman ghost story legend, whilst also capably bringing in the new companion (eerily played by relative newcomer Mark Strickson) and handling characters from the series own building mythos, namely the Brigadier (once more played with gusto and likability by Nicholas Courtney, successfully replacing the originally hoped-for return of monochrome era companion Ian Chesterton to the series for the anniversary) and the fierce Black Guardian.
Original BBC title card for the new adventure.
The opening salvo of the Black Guardian trilogy (his return conceived by John Nathan-Turner, a big supporter of trilogy story arcs during the start of his producing era), Mawdryn Undead, also featuring some nice location filming (from 'safe pair of hands' director Peter Moffatt), pleasing set design and funky music from regular Paddy Kingsland, is generally the best story of the season when it comes to nostalgia celebrations...
The Black Guardian (Valentine Dyall) returns, consumed with revenge on the Doctor.
A new friend for the Doctor in Turlough (Mark Strickson)? Or a new foe.
The Doctor must solve the puzzle of the alien spaceship in Earth orbit between 1977 and 1983.
"You're not the Doctor!" Tegan and Nyssa are briefly taken in by the emergent menace of renegade scientist Mawdryn (David Collings).
Turlough inside the transmat cap going between Earth and the alien ship.
The Brigadier of 1977 encounters Tegan and Nyssa as the mystery stranger Mawdryn poses as the Doctor.
The Doctor must unlock the mystery of the 1983 Brigadier's 'amnesia' from 1977.
The side effects of being with Mawdryn are revealed to Tegan and Nyssa inside the TARDIS.
The arrival of the 1977 Brigadier causes problems on the ship for Maydryn and his allies...
Mawdryn and his followers prepare to absorb the Doctor's regenerational lifeforce.
... but ultimately the two Brigadier's will save the Doctor's regeneration abilities.
The new companion officially joins the TARDIS team.
Behind the scenes of the ageing make-up for Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton.
Original Radio Times clippings.
The Doctor Who Monthly cover seeing-in the new companion.
Excellent VHS cover release art.
The US DVD release art composition by Clayton Hickman.
Art by Alister Pearson for the Target books reprint.
The striking composition for the BBC Audiobook translation.
Intergalactic holiday cruises aren't the glorious things they used to be, as the Doctor and Romana (plus K9) find out when they are caught in a terrifying space-age crisis that sees the hyperspace fusion of two collided vessels followed by the unleashing of brutal alien creatures intent on ravaging any human they come into contact with. Plus, a little bit of murder, sabotage and drug dealing thrown into the already heady mix, during the memorable events of Season 17's The Nightmare of Eden.
Terrance Dicks' original Target novel adaptation may have been thin on pages but it was nonetheless briskly paced and was of even more of a serious nature than the TV version. It's transfer to BBC AUDIO is well handled, read by modern series supporting actor favourite Dan Starkey.
The concept of the Jon Pertwee colour era seeing our hero confined to Earth in exile by the Time Lords may not have been considered a wise idea by the series then script editor Terrance Dicks, but the seventh season of 1970 was nonetheless consistently excellent and produced a fine set of long but well-crafted and very serious tales, featuring lots of memorable threats to our planet, including the reptilian Silurians and those eerie Ambassadors of Death...
A truly very 1970 visual composition above, but a wonderfully nostalgic one, from the Radio Times, celebrating the ongoing season in its pages. Though it's indeed a genuine shame that Pertwee never got to face the emotionless Cybermen on TV properly within his own distinctive era.
