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Doctor Who

Doctor Who Season 16

The Key to Time

About Doctor Who Season 16 (1978-1979)

The Doctor meets the White Guardian who tells him that to restore the balance of the universe, he needs to use the Key to Time. The Key is so powerful that to prevent it falling in to the wrong hands, it has been split into six segments which have been disguised and scattered throughout space and time.

To assist him in his search for the Key to Time, the Doctor is given a new companion, the sophisticated but inexperienced Romanadvoratrelundar from Gallifrey. The Doctor decides to call his new companion Romana for short.

Media

Stories

Episodes

The Ribos Operation

Saturday
2nd September 1978
5:45PM
BBC 1 (25 mins)

Doctor Who - The Ribos Operation - Part One

The Doctor is given the task of reassembling the six parts of the Key to Time by the the White Guardian.

Saturday
9th September 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (24 mins)

Doctor Who - The Ribos Operation - Part Two

Trying to obtain the first segment of the Key to Time, the Doctor and Romana are swept up in an elaborate con.

Saturday
16th September 1978
6:30PM
BBC 1 (24 mins)

Doctor Who - The Ribos Operation - Part Three

Prisoners of the maniacal Graff Vynda K, the Doctor and Romana must break out and pursue the first segment.

Saturday
23rd September 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (24 mins)

Doctor Who - The Ribos Operation - Part Four

The Doctor and Romana work desperately to obtain the segment of the Key to Time - and escape alive.

The Pirate Planet

Saturday
30th September 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (25 mins)

Doctor Who - The Pirate Planet - Part One

Instead of landing on Calufrax, they arrive on a different planet and encounter the Mentiads.

Saturday
7th October 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (25 mins)

Doctor Who - The Pirate Planet - Part Two

The Doctor and Romana encounter the telepathic Mentiads and Zanak's ruler, the half man, half robot Captain.

Saturday
14th October 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (25 mins)

Doctor Who - The Pirate Planet - Part Three

The Doctor has discovered the sinister truth about Zanak and solved the mystery of the missing planet.

Saturday
21st October 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (25 mins)

Doctor Who - The Pirate Planet - Part Four

Time is running out for the Doctor and Romana in their struggle to defeat the Captain.

The Stones of Blood

Saturday
28th October 1978
6:25PM
BBC 1 (24 mins)

Doctor Who - The Stones of Blood - Part One

The Doctor and Romana arrive at a circle of standing stones in the English countryside.

Saturday
4th November 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (23 mins)

Doctor Who - The Stones of Blood - Part Two

The quest for the Third Segment has landed the Doctor in the midst of a druidic cult centered on a stone circle.

Saturday
11th November 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (24 mins)

Doctor Who - The Stones of Blood - Part Three

Chased by blood-thirsty stones, the Doctor must find a way to rescue Romana.

Saturday
18th November 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (23 mins)

Doctor Who - The Stones of Blood - Part Four

The Doctor must play for time while Romana tries to discover just who Vivian Fey really is.

The Androids of Tara

Saturday
25th November 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (24 mins)

Doctor Who - The Androids of Tara - Part One

Arriving on the techno-Ruritanian world of Tara, Romana easily obtains the Fourth Segment...

Saturday
2nd December 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (24 mins)

Doctor Who - The Androids of Tara - Part Two

The Doctor must employ a desperate gambit to keep the evil Grendel off the throne.

Saturday
9th December 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (23 mins)

Doctor Who - The Androids of Tara - Part Three

The Doctor must keep the android "king" running while Grendel plots to use Romana to destroy him.

Saturday
16th December 1978
6:20PM
BBC 1 (24 mins)

Doctor Who - The Androids of Tara - Part Four

Grendel plans two weddings and a funeral to cement his hold over Tara.

The Power of Kroll

Saturday
23rd December 1978
6:15PM
BBC 1 (23 mins)

Doctor Who - The Power of Kroll - Part One

Searching for the Key to Time lands the Doctor and Romana in trouble on the third moon of Delta Magna.

Saturday
30th December 1978
6:30PM
BBC 1 (23 mins)

Doctor Who - The Power of Kroll - Part Two

Things look bleak for the Doctor and Romana, particularly when Kroll awakes.

Saturday
6th January 1979
6:25PM
BBC 1 (21 mins)

Doctor Who - The Power of Kroll - Part Three

The massive Kroll is awake and killing anyone in its path. And the swampies are determined to appease it.

Saturday
13th January 1979
6:25PM
BBC 1 (21 mins)

Doctor Who - The Power of Kroll - Part Four

The Doctor and Romana are trapped between the monstrous Kroll and the insane refinery commander.

The Armageddon Factor

Saturday
20th January 1979
6:25PM
BBC 1 (24 mins)

Doctor Who - The Armageddon Factor - Part One

The Doctor and Romana land in the midst of a brutal nuclear war between the planets Atrios and Zeos.

Saturday
27th January 1979
6:25PM
BBC 1 (23 mins)

Doctor Who - The Armageddon Factor - Part Two

Swept up in an apocalyptic war, the Doctor must help the Marshall defend his planet.

Saturday
3rd February 1979
6:25PM
BBC 1 (24 mins)

Doctor Who - The Armageddon Factor - Part Three

The Doctor meets a new enemy, the Shadow, who wants the Key to Time.

Saturday
10th February 1979
6:25PM
BBC 1 (25 mins)

Doctor Who - The Armageddon Factor - Part Four

There is a desperate gambit to prevent a massacre...while it is getting harder to tell friend from foe.

Saturday
17th February 1979
6:20PM
BBC 1 (24 mins)

Doctor Who - The Armageddon Factor - Part Five

The Shadow appears to hold all the cards, but the Doctor has found an old friend.

Saturday
24th February 1979
6:25PM
BBC 1 (25 mins)

Doctor Who - The Armageddon Factor - Part Six

The Doctor and the Shadow have their final confrontation to take control of the Key to Time.

Credits

The Ribos Operation

Credits
  • Writer Robert Holmes
  • Director George Spenton-Foster
  • Producer Graham Williams
  • Script Editor Anthony Read
  • Doctor Who Tom Baker
  • Romana Mary Tamm
  • The Guardian Cyril Luckham
  • Garron Iain Cuthbertson
  • Unstoffe Nigel Plaskitt
  • Graff Vynda-K Paul Seed
  • Sholakh Robert Keegan
  • Captain Prentis Hancock
  • Shrieve Oliver Maguire
  • Shrieve John Hamill
  • Voice of K-9 John Leeson
  • Binro Timothy Bateson
  • The Seeker Ann Tirard

The Pirate Planet

Credits
  • Writer Douglas Adams
  • Director Pennant Roberts
  • Producer Graham Williams
  • Script Editor Anthony Read
  • Doctor Who Tom Baker
  • Romana Mary Tamm
  • Captain Bruce Purchase
  • Mr. Fibuli Andrew Robertson
  • Balaton Ralph Michael
  • Pralix David Sibley
  • Kimus David Warwick
  • Mula Primi Townsend
  • Citizen Clive Bennett
  • Mentiad Bernard Finch
  • Guard Adam Kurakin
  • Voice of K-9 John Leeson
  • Nurse Rosalind Lloyd

The Stones of Blood

Credits
  • Writer David Fisher
  • Director Darrol Blake
  • Producer Graham Williams
  • Script Editor Anthony Read
  • Doctor Who Tom Baker
  • Romana Mary Tamm
  • Professor Rumford Beatrix Lehmann
  • Vivien Fay Susan Engel
  • Voice of K-9 John Leeson
  • De Vries Nicholas McArdle
  • Martha Elaine Ives-Cameron
  • Megara Voice Gerald Cross
  • Megara Voice David McAlister
  • Camper James Murray
  • Camper Shirin Taylor

The Androids of Tara

Credits
  • Writer David Fisher
  • Director Michael Hayes
  • Producer Graham Williams
  • Script Editor Anthony Read
  • Doctor Who Tom Baker
  • Romana Mary Tamm
  • Count Grendel Peter Jeffrey
  • Zadek Simon Lack
  • Prince Reynart Neville Jason
  • Farrah Paul Lavers
  • Lamia Lois Baxter
  • Till Declan Mulholland
  • Voice of K-9 John Leeson
  • Archimandrite Cyril Shaps
  • Kurster Martin Matthews

The Power of Kroll

Credits
  • Writer Robert Holmes
  • Director Norman Stewart
  • Producer Graham Williams
  • Script Editor Anthony Read
  • Doctor Who Tom Baker
  • Romana Mary Tamm
  • Thawn Neil McCarthy
  • Ranquin John Abineri
  • Fenner Philip Madoc
  • Rohm-Dutt Glyn Owen
  • Varlik Carl Rigg
  • Skart Frank Jarvis
  • Dugeen John Leeson
  • Harg Grahame Mallard
  • Mensch Terry Walsh

The Armageddon Factor

Credits
  • Writer Bob Baker
  • Writer Dave Martin
  • Director Michael Hayes
  • Producer Graham Williams
  • Script Editor Anthony Read
  • Doctor Who Tom Baker
  • Romana Mary Tamm
  • Marshal John Woodvine
  • Princess Astra Lalla Ward
  • Shapp Davyd Harries
  • Merak Ian Saynor
  • Voice of K-9 John Leeson
  • Hero' Ian Liston
  • Heroine' Susan Skipper
  • Guard John Cannon
  • Guard Harry Fielder
  • The Shadow William Squire
  • Technician Iain Armstrong
  • Pilot Pat Gorman
  • Drax Barry Jackson
  • The Guardian Valentine Dyall