Doctor Who (Season 3)

The third season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who was broadcast on BBC1 from 11 September 1965 to 16 July 1966. Spanning 45 episodes across ten distinct serials, the season continued the adventures of the First Doctor, portrayed by William Hartnell.

Production

The production team underwent significant transitions during the season. Verity Lambert, the programme's original producer, departed and was succeeded by John Wiles. Wiles worked closely with story editor Donald Tosh, though both eventually left the production. They were replaced by Innes Lloyd and Gerry Davis, respectively. These changes in leadership influenced the creative direction of the later serials in the season.

Recording for the season took place primarily at Riverside Studios and the BBC Television Centre. The first five episodes were produced within the same production block as the second season, with the remainder of the season's production spanning approximately ten months.

Cast

William Hartnell continued his portrayal of the First Doctor. The season saw several changes to the Doctor's companions. Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) and Steven Taylor (Peter Purves) began the season as the Doctor's traveling companions. O'Brien departed after The Myth Makers, and was briefly replaced by Katarina (Adrienne Hill). Following her departure, Sara Kingdom (Jean Marsh) joined the crew for The Daleks' Master Plan. Dodo Chaplet (Jackie Lane) joined the series in The Massacre. By the end of the season, both Steven and Dodo had departed, with Ben (Michael Craze) and Polly (Anneke Wills) joining the TARDIS crew in the final serial, The War Machines.

Reception and Legacy

The season achieved an average viewership of 7.65 million. While the season opened with strong figures for Galaxy 4, viewership experienced a gradual decline, reaching a low point during The Savages. Critical reception was generally positive regarding the performances and direction, though opinions on the ambition and execution of the stories were mixed.

A significant portion of the season's history is marked by the BBC's 1967 policy of wiping archive tapes. Consequently, 26 of the 45 episodes are currently missing. Various recovery efforts and reconstruction techniques, including animation and the use of off-air audio recordings, have been employed to preserve these stories for modern audiences.