The Doctor Who Production Diary: 1981 Previous: 1980 Next: 1982 Jump: Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec January 3 Debut broadcast of Warriors' Gate episode one on BBC One 8 Recording for Logopolis takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 9 Recording for Logopolis takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 10 Debut broadcast of Warriors' Gate episode two on BBC One 17 Debut broadcast of Warriors' Gate episode three on BBC One 22 Recording for Logopolis takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 23 Recording for Logopolis takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 24 Debut broadcast of Warriors' Gate episode four on BBC One 24 Recording for Logopolis takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 26 Director Paul Joyce writes to John Nathan-Turner to apologise for the chaos surrounding the production of Warriors' Gate 31 Debut broadcast of The Keeper Of Traken episode one on BBC One February 6 Christopher Priest is commissioned to write “The Enemy Within”, which is planned to culminate in the death of Adric, while Tanith Lee is commissioned to write an untitled story 7 Debut broadcast of The Keeper Of Traken episode two on BBC One 9 Terence Dudley is commissioned to write Black Orchid 14 Debut broadcast of The Keeper Of Traken episode three on BBC One 18 Sarah Sutton's contract is extended to include twenty-four episodes during Season Nineteen 18 Janet Fielding is contracted for the whole of Season Nineteen 19 Practical considerations force John Flanagan and Andrew McCulloch's “Project Zeta-Sigma” to be dropped from the schedule; it is subsequently abandoned 20 Peter Davison's contract for Season Nineteen is amended to reflect its reduction from twenty-eight episodes to twenty-six, accommodating the production of the special K·9 & Company 21 Debut broadcast of The Keeper Of Traken episode four on BBC One 25 Matthew Waterhouse's contract is extended to include a minimum of twenty episodes during Season Nineteen 28 Debut broadcast of Logopolis episode one on BBC One March early Mar John Nathan-Turner decides to keep Nyssa through at least the end of Season Nineteen, but write out Adric during the year 7 Debut broadcast of Logopolis episode two on BBC One 9 Christopher H Bidmead is commissioned to provide a storyline for Castrovalva 14 Debut broadcast of Logopolis episode three on BBC One 21 Debut broadcast of Logopolis episode four on BBC One 28 Birth of Gareth David-Lloyd (bio), who played Ianto Jones 30 American President Ronald Reagan and three others are shot and wounded by would-be assassin John Hickley, Jr April 8 Christopher H Bidmead is commissioned to write Castrovalva 12 The space shuttle era begins as Columbia is launched; it returns to Earth two days later 13 Recording for Four To Doomsday takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 14 Recording for Four To Doomsday takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 15 Recording for Four To Doomsday takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London mid Apr Eric Saward replaces Antony Root as the interim script editor of Doctor Who 23 Lesley Elizabeth Thomas is commissioned to provide a storyline for “Way Down Yonder”, which was intended to feature location filming in the southern United States 28 Recording for Four To Doomsday takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 29 Recording for Four To Doomsday takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 30 Recording for Four To Doomsday takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London May 1 Recording for The Visitation takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London 5 Bobby Sands dies in prison following a 66-day hunger strike over the rights of Irish Republican Army convicts, during which he was elected to Parliament 5 Recording for The Visitation takes place in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire 6 Recording for The Visitation takes place in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire 7 Recording for The Visitation takes place in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire 8 Recording for The Visitation takes place in Hurley, Berkshire 13 Turkish assassin Mehmet Ali Ağca shoots Pope John Paul II four times, though the pontiff survives 15 John Nathan-Turner circulates a character outline for new companion Turlough 20 Recording for The Visitation takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 21 Recording for The Visitation takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 27 Death of Kit Pedler (bio), writer June 3 Recording for The Visitation takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 4 Recording for The Visitation takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 5 Recording for The Visitation takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 12 Raiders Of The Lost Ark, starring Harrison Ford as archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones, is released in theatres 27 The Sun is the first to report on the BBC's decision, made in the spring, to move Doctor Who away from Saturday teatime; it will now air twice-weekly on Monday and Tuesday evenings 29 By now, Antony Root has decided not to return to Doctor Who and Eric Saward has agreed to a permanent appointment as script editor; permission is sought for Saward to write Earthshock in the gap between contracts, as a replacement for Christopher Priest's “The Enemy Within” July 17 Christopher Priest's “The Enemy Within” is formally abandoned 24 Eric Saward is commissioned to write Earthshock 29 Prince Charles weds Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral 29 Recording for Kinda takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 30 Recording for Kinda takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 31 Recording for Kinda takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London August 3 With Doctor Who airing during the winter for Season Nineteen, John Nathan-Turner asks Head of Series and Serials David Reid to reschedule Season Twenty to an autumn start to concide with the programme's twentieth anniversary in November 1983 10 Stephen Gallagher is commissioned to provide a storyline for Terminus 12 Recording for Kinda takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 13 Recording for Kinda takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 14 Recording for Kinda takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 25 In response to John Nathan-Turner's memo of August 3rd, the Controller of Programmes for BBC One, Alan Hart, suggests that Doctor Who's twentieth anniversary be commemmorated with a celebratory special September 1 Recording for Castrovalva takes place in Duddleswell, East Sussex 2 Recording for Castrovalva takes place in Withyham, East Sussex 3 Recording for Castrovalva takes place in Withyham, East Sussex 4 Recording for Castrovalva takes place in Groombridge, East Sussex 7 Pat Mills and John Wagner are commissioned to provide a storyline for “The Song Of The Space Whale” 15 Recording for Castrovalva takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 16 Recording for Castrovalva takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 22 Barbara Clegg is commissioned to provide a storyline for Enlightenment 22 Bill Lyons is commissioned to provide a storyline for “Parasites” 28 Christopher Bailey is commissioned to provide a storyline for Snakedance 29 Recording for Castrovalva takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 30 Recording for Castrovalva takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 30 Christopher Bailey is asked to provide four minutes' worth of extra material for Kinda after the final episode is found to be severely underrunning October 1 Anthony Ainley is contracted for Time-Flight 1 Recording for Castrovalva takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 5 Recording for Black Orchid takes place in Quainton, Buckinghamshire 6 Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is killed by soldiers who oppose diplomatic relations with Israel; he is succeeded by Hosni Mubarak 6 Recording for Black Orchid takes place in Withyam, East Sussex 7 Recording for Black Orchid takes place in Withyam, East Sussex 8 Recording for Black Orchid takes place in Withyam, East Sussex 9 Recording for Black Orchid takes place in Withyam, East Sussex 15 Stephen Gallagher is commissioned to write episode one of Terminus 20 Recording for Black Orchid takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 21 Recording for Black Orchid takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 22 Barbara Clegg is commissioned to write the first episode of Enlightenment 29 Recording for Earthshock takes place in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire November 9 Christopher Bailey is commissioned to write Snakedance 10 Recording for Earthshock takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 11 Recording for Kinda takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 11 Recording for Earthshock takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 12 Recording for Earthshock takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 23 Ronald Reagan authorises CIA support of rebels in Nicaragua, beginning what would become known as the Iran-Contra Affair 24 Recording for Earthshock takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 25 Recording for Earthshock takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 26 Recording for Earthshock takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London late Nov John Nathan-Turner and Eric Saward are given a demonstration of a prototype android developed by Chris Padmore and Mike Power; they consider writing the robot into Doctor Who as a new companion December 2 Pat Mills and John Wagner are commissioned to write “The Song Of The Space Whale”; John Wagner subsequently withdraws from the project, which is revised as the introductory story for new companion Turlough 3 Stephen Gallagher is commissioned to write the final three episodes of Terminus 15 Johnny Byrne submits a storyline for Arc Of Infinity late Dec Terence Dudley is given a demonstration of Chris Padmore and Mike Power's android as he develops The King's Demons

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