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Season 16 – Doctor Who

Play trailer Poster for Season 16 – Doctor Who 1978 Sci-Fi Fantasy Adventure Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
"Doctor Who" is a classic science-fiction series with a cult following. The Doctor is called a "Time Lord," a time-traveling scientist from a far-off planet who travels through time and space in a shop known by the acronym TARDIS. A TARDIS is a machine that is larger on the inside than the outside and is supposed to change its appearance based on its surroundings. The Doctor is also able to evolve his biology, so he appears as many different people throughout the series. The Doctor loves Earth, so he makes many trips here to save the planet, or to enlist earthlings to help him with tasks in the galaxy.
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Doctor Who — Season 16

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Christopher Bahn AV Club Although the season has its moments, in the final analysis the story of the Key quest itself is so thin and underdeveloped that there is very little actually connecting the six individual serials. Mar 5, 2019 Full Review Mark Braxton Radio Times There have been other attempts to marry piracy with science fiction, both within and without the domain of the Doctor, but none is a patch on this one. Ahem. Mar 5, 2019 Full Review Evan Sawdey PopMatters As with the best Who episodes, a very simple archetype is given a slight sci-fi tweak, and the end result is some of the most thrilling tales in the Who canon Mar 5, 2019 Full Review Patrick Mulkern Radio Times A commendable start to a season but no pause for breath... Back in the Tardis the Doctor lets his comely new assistant transform the jethrik. Mar 5, 2019 Full Review Cameron K. McEwan GQ Magazine [UK] Tom Baker was always fantastic value for money and none more so than this moment right bang at the end of the season when the key to time had been assembled and the Time Lord realised that he was in control of everything! Mar 5, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (3) audience reviews
Wolfgang B No standout stories here, but no MAJOR stinkers either. All told it's just a bit boring rather than actively bad Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/02/23 Full Review Matt V Ace and 7! What a pair. I'd have loved to have seen more of them. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/14/22 Full Review Audience Member This season is a bit more consistent story wise, with 'The Ribos Operation', 'The Stones of Blood' and 'The Pirate Planet' being amongst the few that give it some decent stature. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Doctor Who — Season 16

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 2, 1978 The Ribos Operation The Doctor and Romana set out to collect the six segments of the "Key to Time." Their first stop: Ribos, a planet where the inhabitants have reached a Middle Ages stage of development. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 9, 1978 The Ribos Operation The Doctor finds the first segment, but he and Romana are threatened by trickery. Details Episode 3 Aired Sep 16, 1978 The Ribos Operation The Doctor, Romana and K9 are caught between deadly weapons and savage beasts. Details Episode 4 Aired Sep 23, 1978 The Ribos Operation The Doctor and Romana are trapped in the catacombs, hunted by both Vynda-K's men and the Ribans. Details Episode 5 Aired Sep 30, 1978 The Pirate Planet The Doctor and his companions land on the planet Calufrax but they discover another planet, Zanak, is in its place. Details Episode 6 Aired Oct 7, 1978 The Pirate Planet The Doctor's efforts to rescue Romana lead him to a startling discovery. Details Episode 7 Aired Oct 14, 1978 The Pirate Planet The Doctor enlists the aid of the powerful Mentiads in attacking the Captain. Details Episode 8 Aired Oct 21, 1978 The Pirate Planet The Doctor's only hope in vanquishing the Captain and Queen Xanxia involves risking the destruction of the Tardis. Details Episode 9 Aired Oct 28, 1978 The Stones of Blood The TARDIS materializes on Earth. Details Episode 10 Aired Nov 4, 1978 The Stones of Blood The Doctor and Romana encounter strange monsters as they explore the connection between the stone circle and the missing Key segment. Details Episode 11 Aired Nov 11, 1978 The Stones of Blood The Doctor unmasks the villain, but he and Romana may be trapped forever in another dimension. Details Episode 12 Aired Nov 18, 1978 The Stones of Blood The Doctor's only hope is to turn the adversity at hand to his advantage. Details Episode 13 Aired Nov 25, 1978 The Androids of Tara The Doctor becomes involved in identity problems while trying to get away with the fourth segment of the Key to Time. Details Episode 14 Aired Dec 2, 1978 The Androids of Tara The evil Count Grendel holds Romana, the Princess and the Prince hostage as part of his plan to usurp the throne of Tara. Details Episode 15 Aired Dec 9, 1978 The Androids of Tara The Doctor and Grendel engage in a duel of wits with a kingdom hanging in the balance. Details Episode 16 Aired Dec 16, 1978 The Androids of Tara Only a last-minute rescue can save Romana, the fourth segment and the kingdom from Grendel's infamy. Details Episode 17 Aired Dec 23, 1978 The Power of Kroll The hunt for the fifth segment of the Key to Time embroils the Doctor in gunrunning with primitive swamp dwellers. Details Episode 18 Aired Dec 30, 1978 The Power of Kroll The Doctor and his companions are caught between Swampies and technicians as the monster Kroll awakes. Details Episode 19 Aired Jan 6, 1979 The Power of Kroll The Swampies decide that Kroll must be appeased with human sacrifice, and guess who they select as the victims. Details Episode 20 Aired Jan 13, 1979 The Power of Kroll Kroll embarks on a rampage and Thrawns efforts to defeat the monster only make things worse. Details Episode 21 Aired Jan 20, 1979 The Armageddon Factor The Doctor begins a perilous mission to save all humankind from destruction. Details Episode 22 Aired Jan 27, 1979 The Armageddon Factor The Doctor and his companions are trapped on Zeos, which has been programmed to self-destruct. Details Episode 23 Aired Feb 3, 1979 The Armageddon Factor The Doctor discovers the bizarre truth about the Zeons. Details Episode 24 Aired Feb 10, 1979 The Armageddon Factor Armageddon approaches as nothing seems to stand in the way of the Shadow's dark purpose. Details Episode 25 Aired Feb 17, 1979 The Armageddon Factor The Doctor visits the Shadow's lair. Details Episode 26 Aired Feb 24, 1979 The Armageddon Factor The truth about the sixth segment is discovered, but Armageddon is only seconds away. Details
Doctor Who 90% 64% Doctor Who Watchlist TRAILER for Doctor Who Atlantis 62% 60% Atlantis Watchlist The Adventures of Merlin 85% 88% The Adventures of Merlin Watchlist The Outer Limits % % The Outer Limits Watchlist Star Trek 80% 89% Star Trek Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Season Info

Director
Michael Hayes, Pennant Roberts, Norman Stewart, George Spenton-Foster, Darrol Blake
Screenwriter
Robert Holmes, David Fisher, Bob Baker, Douglas Adams, Dave Martin
Network
BBC
Rating
TV-PG
Genre
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adventure, Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date
Sep 2, 1978