The Doctor Who Production Diary: 1968

January
early
Jan
With Peter Bryant having replaced Innes Lloyd as producer, Derrick Sherwin becomes Doctor Who's story editor, and Terrance Dicks is hired as his assistant The Second Doctor
2 Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln are commissioned to provide a storyline for The Dominators The Dominators
3 Recording for The Web Of Fear takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Web Of Fear
6 Recording for The Enemy Of The World takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Enemy Of The World
6 Debut broadcast of The Enemy Of The World episode three on BBC One The Enemy Of The World
8 Recording for The Web Of Fear takes place at the BBC Television Centre Puppet Theatre in White City, London The Web Of Fear
13 Debut broadcast of The Enemy Of The World episode four on BBC One The Enemy Of The World
13 Recording for The Web Of Fear takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Web Of Fear
14 Recording for The Web Of Fear takes place in Covent Garden, London The Web Of Fear
19 Frazer Hines is contracted for sixteen episodes beginning with The Wheel In Space Jamie
McCrimmon
20 Debut broadcast of The Enemy Of The World episode five on BBC One The Enemy Of The World
20 Recording for The Web Of Fear takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Web Of Fear
27 Debut broadcast of The Enemy Of The World episode six on BBC One The Enemy Of The World
27 Recording for The Web Of Fear takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Web Of Fear
30 The Vietnam War intensifies as the Viet Cong forces launch the Tet Offensive
31 Peter Ling is commissioned to write The Mind Robber The Mind Robber

February
early
Feb
Wendy Padbury is cast as new companion Zoe Heriot Zoe 
Heriot
2 Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln are commissioned to write The Dominators The Dominators
2 Brian Hayles is commissioned to provide a storyline for “The Lords Of The Red Planet” The Second Doctor
3 Recording for The Web Of Fear takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Web Of Fear
3 Debut broadcast of The Web Of Fear episode one on BBC One The Web Of Fear
4 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place in Broadstairs, Kent and at the Red Sands Sea Fort in the Thames Estuary Fury From The Deep
5 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place in Broadstairs, Kent and at the Red Sands Sea Fort in the Thames Estuary Fury From The Deep
6 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place in Broadstairs, Kent and at the Red Sands Sea Fort in the Thames Estuary Fury From The Deep
7 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London Fury From The Deep
8 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London Fury From The Deep
9 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London Fury From The Deep
10 Recording for The Web Of Fear takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Web Of Fear
10 Debut broadcast of The Web Of Fear episode two on BBC One The Web Of Fear
12 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place in Denham, Buckinghamshire Fury From The Deep
17 Recording for The Web Of Fear takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Web Of Fear
17 Debut broadcast of The Web Of Fear episode three on BBC One The Web Of Fear
23 Paul Wheeler is commissioned to provide a storyline for “The Dreamspinner” The Second Doctor
24 Debut broadcast of The Web Of Fear episode four on BBC One The Web Of Fear
24 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London Fury From The Deep
27 Wendy Padbury is contracted for The Wheel In Space and The Dominators, with an option for twelve additional episodes Zoe 
Heriot

March
2 Debut broadcast of The Web Of Fear episode five on BBC One The Web Of Fear
2 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London Fury From The Deep
5 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London Fury From The Deep
6 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London Fury From The Deep
9 Debut broadcast of The Web Of Fear episode six on BBC One The Web Of Fear
9 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place in Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London Fury From The Deep
13 Paul Wheeler is commissioned to write the first episode of “The Dreamspinner” The Second Doctor
14 A photocall is held to introduce Wendy Padbury as new companion Zoe Heriot Zoe 
Heriot
15 Patrick Troughton is contracted for twenty-four episodes beginning with The Wheel In Space The Second Doctor
16 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place in Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London Fury From The Deep
16 Debut broadcast of Fury From The Deep episode one on BBC One Fury From The Deep
18 Recording for The Wheel In Space takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Wheel In Space
19 Recording for The Wheel In Space takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Wheel In Space
20 Recording for The Wheel In Space takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Wheel In Space
21 Recording for The Wheel In Space takes place at the BBC Television Centre Puppet Theatre in White City, London The Wheel In Space
22 Recording for The Wheel In Space takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Wheel In Space
22 Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln are instructed to cease work on the sixth episode of The Dominators The Dominators
23 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London Fury From The Deep
23 Debut broadcast of Fury From The Deep episode two on BBC One Fury From The Deep
29 Recording for Fury From The Deep takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 1 in White City, London Fury From The Deep
29 By now, it has been decided to truncate The Dominators from six episodes to five; the remaining episode will be appended to the start of The Mind Robber The Dominators
30 Debut broadcast of Fury From The Deep episode three on BBC One Fury From The Deep

April
4 Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr is slain in Memphis, Tennessee
5 Recording for The Wheel In Space takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Wheel In Space
6 Debut broadcast of Fury From The Deep episode four on BBC One Fury From The Deep
9 Paul Wheeler's “The Dreamspinner” is abandoned The Second Doctor
12 Recording for The Wheel In Space takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London The Wheel In Space
13 Debut broadcast of Fury From The Deep episode five on BBC One Fury From The Deep
18 American oilman Robert McCulloch purchases the London Bridge constructed in 1831, and has it rebuilt in Arizona
19 Recording for The Wheel In Space takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 1 in White City, London The Wheel In Space
19 Derrick Sherwin is commissioned to write a new first episode for The Mind Robber, extending it from four episodes to five The Mind Robber
20 Debut broadcast of Fury From The Deep episode six on BBC One Fury From The Deep
24 Wendy Padbury is issued a revised contract for stories from The Dominators through to the first serial of the sixth recording block Zoe 
Heriot
24 Dick Sharples is commissioned to provide a storyline for “The Prison In Space” The Second Doctor
25 Recording for The Dominators takes place in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire The Dominators
26 Recording for The Wheel In Space takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London The Wheel In Space
26 Recording for The Dominators takes place at the BBC Television Centre Puppet Theatre in White City, London The Dominators
27 Debut broadcast of The Wheel In Space episode one on BBC One The Wheel In Space
28 Recording for The Dominators takes place in Trottiscliffe, Kent The Dominators
29 Recording for The Dominators takes place in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire The Dominators
30 Frazer Hines is contracted for two stories beginning with The Invasion, and decides that he will then leave Doctor Who Jamie
McCrimmon
30 Recording for The Dominators takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Dominators

May
1 Recording for The Dominators takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Dominators
2 Recording for The Dominators takes place in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire The Dominators
3 Recording for The Wheel In Space takes place at Riverside Studio 1 in Hammersmith, London The Wheel In Space
3 Recording for The Dominators takes place in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire The Dominators
4 Debut broadcast of The Wheel In Space episode two on BBC One The Wheel In Space
6 Derrick Sherwin is commissioned to write The Invasion, from an idea by Kit Pedler The Invasion
10 Recording for The Wheel In Space takes place at Riverside Studio 1 in Hammersmith, London The Wheel In Space
11 Debut broadcast of The Wheel In Space episode three on BBC One The Wheel In Space
17 Recording for The Dominators takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 4 in White City, London The Dominators
18 Debut broadcast of The Wheel In Space episode four on BBC One The Wheel In Space
22 All five episodes of The Mind Robber are trimmed from twenty-five minutes in length to twenty minutes, in order to ease the workload of the regular cast The Mind Robber
24 Recording for The Dominators takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 4 in White City, London The Dominators
25 Debut broadcast of The Wheel In Space episode five on BBC One The Wheel In Space
28 Birth of Kylie Minogue (bio), who played Astrid Peth
29 Manchester United becomes the first English team to win the European Cup Final
31 Recording for The Dominators takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London The Dominators
31 Roberts Holmes is commissioned to provide a storyline for The Krotons The Krotons

June
early
Jun
Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln begin work on a third Yeti adventure, “The Laird Of McCrimmon”, which may have written out Jamie McCrimmon; however, conflict with the production office scuppers the story The Second Doctor
1 Debut broadcast of The Wheel In Space episode six on BBC One The Wheel In Space
4 Dick Sharples is commissioned to write “The Prison In Space” The Second Doctor
5 American presidential candidate Robert Kennedy is shot in Los Angeles, and dies the next day
5 Birth of Andy Goddard (bio), director
5 Birth of Gareth Roberts (bio), writer
7 Recording for The Dominators takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London The Dominators
8 A rebroadcast of The Evil Of The Daleks episode one heralds the first-ever repeat of a complete Doctor Who story The Evil Of The Daleks
9 Recording for The Mind Robber takes place in Groombridge, East Sussex and Kenley, London The Mind Robber
10 Recording for The Mind Robber takes place at the BBC Television Centre Puppet Theatre in White City, London The Mind Robber
11 Recording for The Mind Robber takes place at the BBC Television Centre Puppet Theatre in White City, London The Mind Robber
12 Recording for The Mind Robber takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Mind Robber
13 Recording for The Mind Robber takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Mind Robber
14 Recording for The Dominators takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London The Dominators
14 Recording for The Mind Robber takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Mind Robber
21 Recording for The Mind Robber takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London The Mind Robber
25 Roberts Holmes is commissioned to write The Krotons The Krotons
28 Recording for The Mind Robber takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London; Frazer Hines is suffering from chickenpox, so the script is rewritten to allow Hamish Wilson to play Jamie The Mind Robber

July
early
Jul
Derrick Sherwin is increasingly sharing the producer's duties with Peter Bryant, so Terrance Dicks is promoted to script editor (as the post of story editor is now known) The Second Doctor
5 Recording for The Mind Robber takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Mind Robber
5 Malcolm Hulke is commissioned to write a storyline for “The Impersonators” The Second Doctor
8 Derrick Sherwin is retroactively granted permission for a staff contribution to write The Invasion The Invasion
12 Recording for The Mind Robber takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Mind Robber
15 Brian Hayles is commissioned to provide a storyline for The Seeds Of Death The Seeds Of Death
19 Recording for The Mind Robber takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London The Mind Robber

August
5 Birth of Matt Jones (bio), writer
10 Debut broadcast of The Dominators episode one on BBC One The Dominators
mid
Aug
An exhausted Patrick Troughton decides to leave Doctor Who after Season Six The Second Doctor
17 Debut broadcast of The Dominators episode two on BBC One The Dominators
20 To halt political reforms, the Soviet Union and most of its Warsaw Pact allies invade Czechoslovakia
24 Debut broadcast of The Dominators episode three on BBC One The Dominators
28 Brian Hayles is commissioned to write The Seeds Of Death The Seeds Of Death
30 Recording for The Invasion takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Invasion
31 Debut broadcast of The Dominators episode four on BBC One The Dominators
late
Aug
John Levene is promoted from a Cyberman to Corporal Benton in The Invasion after the original performer proves chronically tardy Sergeant 
John Benton

September
3 Recording for The Invasion takes place in Gloucestershire, at Fairford and Coln St Aldwyns The Invasion
4 Recording for The Invasion takes place in Coln St Aldwyns, Gloucestershire The Invasion
5 Frazer Hines' forthcoming departure is announced to the press, although he is convinced by Patrick Troughton to stay on Doctor Who to the end of Season Six; this results in the abandonment of new companion Nik Jamie
McCrimmon
5 Recording for The Invasion takes place in Kempsford, Gloucestershire The Invasion
6 Recording for The Invasion takes place in Wallingford, Oxfordshire The Invasion
7 Debut broadcast of The Dominators episode five on BBC One The Dominators
7 Recording for The Invasion takes place in Westminster, London The Invasion
8 Recording for The Invasion takes place in London, at Camden and the City of London The Invasion
9 Recording for The Invasion takes place in Acton, London The Invasion
10 Recording for The Invasion takes place in Acton, London The Invasion
11 Recording for The Invasion takes place in London, at Notting Hill, Kensington and Acton The Invasion
12 Recording for The Invasion takes place in Acton, London The Invasion
13 Recording for The Invasion takes place in London, at Westminster and the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing The Invasion
14 Debut broadcast of The Mind Robber episode one on BBC One The Mind Robber
20 Recording for The Invasion takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Invasion
21 Debut broadcast of The Mind Robber episode two on BBC One The Mind Robber
26 Patrick Troughton is contracted for twenty-two episodes beginning with The Krotons The Second Doctor
27 Recording for The Invasion takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Invasion
28 Debut broadcast of The Mind Robber episode three on BBC One The Mind Robber

October
4 Recording for The Invasion takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Invasion
5 A clash between police and demonstrators in Derry, Northern Ireland is a starting point of The Troubles
5 Debut broadcast of The Mind Robber episode four on BBC One The Mind Robber
9 Frazer Hines is contracted for The Seeds Of Death Jamie
McCrimmon
11 Recording for The Invasion takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Invasion
12 Debut broadcast of The Mind Robber episode five on BBC One The Mind Robber
15 Dick Sharples' “The Prison In Space” is abandoned The Second Doctor
17 Wendy Padbury is contracted for three additional serials beginning with The Krotons Zoe 
Heriot
18 Recording for The Invasion takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Invasion
22 Robert Holmes proposes “Aliens In The Blood” The Second Doctor
25 Recording for The Invasion takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Invasion

November
1 Recording for The Invasion takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Invasion
2 Debut broadcast of The Invasion episode one on BBC One The Invasion
4 Patrick Troughton is contracted for his final four episodes The Second Doctor
8 Recording for The Invasion takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London; by now, Nicholas Courtney has accepted an offer to return to Doctor Who as a series regular for Season Seven The Invasion
9 Debut broadcast of The Invasion episode two on BBC One The Invasion
9 Roberts Holmes is commissioned to provide a storyline for The Space Pirates The Space Pirates
10 Recording for The Krotons takes place in Malvern, Worcestershire The Krotons
11 Recording for The Krotons takes place in Malvern, Worcestershire The Krotons
12 Recording for The Krotons takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Krotons
13 Recording for The Krotons takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Krotons
14 Recording for The Krotons takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Krotons
15 Recording for The Krotons takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Krotons
16 Debut broadcast of The Invasion episode three on BBC One The Invasion
20 Frazer Hines is issued his final contract, for The Space Pirates and The War Games Jamie
McCrimmon
22 Recording for The Krotons takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Krotons
23 Debut broadcast of The Invasion episode four on BBC One The Invasion
29 Recording for The Krotons takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Krotons
30 Debut broadcast of The Invasion episode five on BBC One The Invasion

December
3 Roberts Holmes is commissioned to write The Space Pirates The Space Pirates
6 Recording for The Krotons takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Krotons
7 Debut broadcast of The Invasion episode six on BBC One The Invasion
13 Recording for The Krotons takes place at Lime Grove Studio D in Shepherd's Bush, London The Krotons
13 Terrance Dicks retroactively receives permission to rewrite the final four episodes of The Seeds Of Death The Seeds Of Death
13 Recording for The Seeds Of Death takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Seeds Of Death
14 Debut broadcast of The Invasion episode seven on BBC One The Invasion
16 Recording for The Seeds Of Death takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Seeds Of Death
17 Recording for The Seeds Of Death takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Seeds Of Death
18 Recording for The Seeds Of Death takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Seeds Of Death
19 Recording for The Seeds Of Death takes place in Hampstead, London The Seeds Of Death
20 Recording for The Seeds Of Death takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Seeds Of Death
21 Debut broadcast of The Invasion episode eight on BBC One The Invasion
23 Recording for The Seeds Of Death takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Seeds Of Death
23 Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke are commissioned to write The War Games The War Games
24 The Apollo 8 is the first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon
28 Debut broadcast of The Krotons episode one on BBC One The Krotons
30 Malcolm Hulke's “The Impersonators” is abandoned The Second Doctor