Doctor Who: Season 8

1971 · 25 episodes · ★ 7.0

What Season 8 of Doctor Who

Season 8 of Doctor Who begins with the Doctor and his new companion, Jo Grant, aboard the TARDIS. It is the era with the largest number of regular characters in the series, and the UNIT cast grows with Sergeant Benton and Mike Yates, alongside the Brigadier. The Master, the Doctor's longtime rival, is a constant threat. His schemes lead the heroes to a circus, to a prison where a machine extracts the evil from its inmates, to an energy complex with a mineral that duplicates matter, to a 25th-century mining colony and to an English village, Devil's End, where an ancient power awakens.

25episodes

Jan 2, 1971premiered

Jun 19, 1971latest episode

10.4 hrtotal runtime

Season 8 Episodes

8x01 Terror of the Autons (1)
Jan 2, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.4
When a Nestene Energy Unit is stolen and a radio telescope sabotaged, the Doctor is contacted by a Time Lord who tells him his old rival the Master is responsible.
Directed by Barry Letts · Written by Robert Holmes · Starring: Michael Wisher, Harry Towb, David Garth, David Garth
8x02 Terror of the Autons (2)
Jan 9, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.1
Attempting to find out where Jo encountered the Master, the Doctor heads to the circus where he falls foul of Rossini.
Directed by Barry Letts · Written by Robert Holmes · Starring: Michael Wisher, Harry Towb, Christopher Burgess, John Baskcomb
8x03 Terror of the Autons (3)
Jan 16, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.5
The Doctor and the Brigadier head to Farrel's factory but the Master and the Autons have already left and are distributing plastic daffodils around the country.
Directed by: Barry Letts · Written by: Robert Holmes · Starring: Michael Wisher, Dermot Tuohy, Barbara Leake, Norman Stanley
8x04 Terror of the Autons (4)
Jan 23, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.1
The Doctor discovers the plastic daffodils are designed to fire a spray that asphyxiates people, causing havoc prior to the Nestene's arrival, but before he can alert anyone he and Jo are captured by the Master.
Directed by Barry Letts · Written by Robert Holmes · Starring: Michael Wisher, Pat Gorman, Hayden Jones
8x05 The Mind of Evil (1)
Jan 30, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.1
The Doctor and Jo head to Stangmoor Prison to investigate the Keller Machine, which drains the evil impulses from prisoners' minds, while UNIT are handling security at the first world peace conference.
Directed by: Timothy Combe · Written by: Don Houghton · Starring: Pik-Sen Lim, Raymond Westwell, Michael Sheard, Simon Lack
8x06 The Mind of Evil (2)
Feb 6, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.2
The Doctor is recalled by UNIT to help investigate Cheng-Tiek's murder but is unaware that Chin-Lee is under the control of the Master.
Directed by: Timothy Combe · Written by: Don Houghton · Starring: Pik-Sen Lim, Raymond Westwell, Michael Sheard, Fernanda Marlowe
8x07 The Mind of Evil (3)
Feb 13, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.0
Realising Chin-Lee has been using the power of the Keller Machine to carry out assassinations, the Doctor heads back to Stangmoor, only to find the Master has teamed up with Mailer to stage another riot.
Directed by: Timothy Combe · Written by: Don Houghton · Starring: Pik-Sen Lim, Raymond Westwell, Michael Sheard, Fernanda Marlowe
8x08 The Mind of Evil (4)
Feb 20, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.0
With the Doctor and Jo being held prisoner, the Master convinces Mailer to help him steal the Thunderbolt.
Directed by: Timothy Combe · Written by: Don Houghton · Starring: Michael Sheard, Fernanda Marlowe, Bill Matthews, Barry Wade
8x09 The Mind of Evil (5)
Feb 27, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.2
The Doctor is forced to help the Master control the mind parasite while Yates finds out where the Thunderbolt has been taken only to be captured by the Master's men.
Directed by: Timothy Combe · Written by: Don Houghton · Starring: William Marlowe, Patrick Godfrey, Johnny Barrs, Matthew Walters
8x10 The Mind of Evil (6)
Mar 6, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.3
The Brigadier has recaptured Stangmoor but the Master still has control of the Thunderbolt and the Doctor must find a way to stop him and destroy the Keller Machine.
Directed by Timothy Combe · Written by Don Houghton · Starring: Michael Sheard, Bill Matthews, Barry Wade, Dave Carter
8x11 The Claws of Axos (1)
Mar 13, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 6.8
When a mysterious object lands near the Nuton power complex, UNIT investigate and encounter the Axons, a group of aliens who offer the mineral axonite, which can duplicate matter, as a gift.
Directed by Michael Ferguson · Written by Dave Martin, Bob Baker · Starring: Fernanda Marlowe, Peter Bathurst, Paul Grist, Donald Hewlett
8x12 The Claws of Axos (2)
Mar 20, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 6.9
The Doctor and Winser begin to analyse axonite while Chinn plots to secure its use exclusively for Britain.
Directed by: Michael Ferguson · Written by: Dave Martin, Bob Baker · Starring: Peter Bathurst, Paul Grist, Donald Hewlett, David Savile
8x13 The Claws of Axos (3)
Mar 27, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 6.1
The Doctor and Jo are being held prisoner by Axos while Chinn is forced to organise the worldwide distribution of axonite and the Master returns to the power complex to try and steal the TARDIS.
Directed by Michael Ferguson · Written by Dave Martin, Bob Baker · Starring: Peter Bathurst, Paul Grist, Donald Hewlett, Bernard Holley
8x14 The Claws of Axos (4)
Apr 3, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 6.6
The Doctor and Jo escape from Axos but then the Doctor offers the Master a deal; if he helps him repair the TARDIS, they can flee Earth together.
Directed by Michael Ferguson · Written by Dave Martin, Bob Baker · Starring: Peter Bathurst, Paul Grist, Donald Hewlett, Bernard Holley
8x15 Colony in Space (1)
Apr 10, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 6.2
The Time Lords take control of the TARDIS and the Doctor and Jo arrive on an Earth Colony in the 25th century, where a ruthless mining company are using a dinosaur-like creature to force the colonists to leave the planet.
Directed by: Michael E. Briant · Written by: Malcolm Hulke · Starring: Graham Leaman, Nicholas Pennell, John Ringham, David Webb
8x16 Colony in Space (2)
Apr 17, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 6.2
The Doctor discovers an Interplanetary Mining Corporation ship has landed on the planet in order to mine its duralinium, while Norton begins causing trouble at the colony.
Directed by: Michael E. Briant · Written by: Malcolm Hulke · Starring: Nicholas Pennell, John Ringham, Roy Skelton, Helen Worth
8x17 Colony in Space (3)
Apr 24, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 6.0
The Doctor makes it back to the colony and warns Ashe what Dent is up to but when Jo and Winton try to find proof they are captured.
Directed by: Michael E. Briant · Written by: Malcolm Hulke · Starring: Nicholas Pennell, John Ringham, Roy Skelton, Helen Worth
8x18 Colony in Space (4)
May 1, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 6.6
The Doctor descends into the Primitive city to try and find Jo while the colonists receive a visit from the Adjudicator.
Directed by: Michael E. Briant · Written by: Malcolm Hulke · Starring: Nicholas Pennell, John Ringham, Roy Skelton, Helen Worth
8x19 Colony in Space (5)
May 8, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.0
The Master offers to help the colonists in exchange for information on the Primitive city and forces the Doctor to act as a guide by taking Jo hostage.
Directed by Michael E. Briant · Written by Malcolm Hulke · Starring: Nicholas Pennell, John Ringham, Helen Worth, Bernard Kay
8x20 Colony in Space (6)
May 15, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.0
The Doctor and the Master are taken into the Primitive city, where the Master hopes to find the doomsday weapon, while Dent forces the colonists to leave the planet even though their ship is likely to explode.
Directed by Michael E. Briant · Written by Malcolm Hulke · Starring: Nicholas Pennell, John Ringham, Helen Worth, Bernard Kay
8x21 The Dæmons (1)
May 22, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.1
Earth, the near future. When an archaological dig at the village of Devil's End goes disastrously wrong, an ancient power begins to revive. Can even the Doctor withstand the power of the Daemons? And just what is the local vicar up to in his spare time?
Directed by Christopher Barry · Written by Barry Letts, Robert Sloman · Starring: Damaris Hayman, Don McKillop, Rollo Gamble, Robin Wentworth
8x22 The Dæmons (2)
May 29, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.0
With the Doctor frozen by the energy release from the barrow, Jo calls Yates and Benton for help, but when the Brigadier tries to join them he finds the village surrounded by a heat barrier.
Directed by: Christopher Barry · Written by: Barry Letts, Robert Sloman · Starring: Damaris Hayman, Don McKillop, Rollo Gamble, James Snell
8x23 The Dæmons (3)
Jun 5, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.4
The Doctor explains to his friends that the Master is trying to gain the power of the last of the Daemons, a race who influenced Earth's development, while the Master brings the rest of the village under his control.
Directed by: Christopher Barry · Written by: Barry Letts, Robert Sloman · Starring: Damaris Hayman, Don McKillop, Rollo Gamble, Eric Hillyard
8x24 The Dæmons (4)
Jun 12, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.6
The Master orders Bert to set a trap for the Doctor at the village while a concussed Jo makes for the cavern.
Directed by: Christopher Barry · Written by: Barry Letts, Robert Sloman · Starring: Damaris Hayman, Don McKillop, Alec Linstead, John Owens
8x25 The Dæmons (5) Season Finale
Jun 19, 1971 · 25 min · ★ 7.6
The Master decides to sacrifice Jo to Azal and when the Doctor and his friends try to intervene they come under attack from Bok.
Directed by: Christopher Barry · Written by: Barry Letts, Robert Sloman · Starring: Damaris Hayman, Don McKillop, Stanley Mason, Alec Linstead