Doctor Who (season 19)


The nineteenth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 4 January 1982 with Castrovalva, and ended with Time-Flight.

Casting

Main cast

Season 19 saw the introduction of Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor. Tegan Jovanka, Nyssa and Adric were his companions. Adric is killed off in the climax of Earthshock; a rare instance in the series of a companion dying.

Recurring stars

Anthony Ainley returns again in Castrovalva and Time-Flight as the Master.

Guest stars

makes the first of four appearances in the show as a Cyber-leader beginning in Earthshock.

Serials

took over from Bidmead as script editor for Four to Doomsday and The Visitation, after which he was replaced by Eric Saward. The show moved from its traditional once-weekly Saturday broadcast to being broadcast twice-weekly primarily on Monday and Tuesday, although there were regional variations to the schedule.
Black Orchid was the first purely historical story, with no science-fiction elements save for the TARDIS and its crew, since The Highlanders from Season 4; it was also the first two-part serial since The Sontaran Experiment in Season 12, and the first of a regular run of a two-parter every season until the change of format to 45 minute episodes in Season 22.

Broadcast

The entire season was broadcast from 4 January to 30 March 1982. For the first time in the series' history, episodes were not broadcast on Saturdays, but in a twice weekly format on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Home media

VHS releases

DVD and Blu-ray releases

In print

Serial nameNovelisation titleAuthorFirst published
CastrovalvaCastrovalvaChristopher H. Bidmead17 March 1983
Four to DoomsdayFour to DoomsdayTerrance Dicks14 April 1983
KindaKindaTerrance Dicks8 December 1983
The VisitationDoctor Who and the VisitationEric Saward19 August 1982
Black OrchidBlack OrchidTerence Dudley18 September 1986
EarthshockEarthshockIan Marter19 May 1983
Time-FlightTime FlightPeter Grimwade20 January 1983