The Doctor Who Production Diary: 1974
Previous: 1973 Next: 1975

Jump: Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

January
5 Debut broadcast of The Time Warrior episode four on BBC One The Time Warrior
12 Debut broadcast of Invasion Of The Dinosaurs episode one, Invasion, on BBC One Invasion Of The Dinosaurs
14 Malcolm Hulke lodges a formal protest of the decision to air Invasion Of The Dinosaurs episode one under the title Invasion; both Barry Letts and BBC Head of Serials Ronnie Marsh subsequently apologise Invasion Of The Dinosaurs
14 Recording for The Monster Of Peladon takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Monster Of Peladon
15 Recording for The Monster Of Peladon takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Monster Of Peladon
16 Recording for The Monster Of Peladon takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Monster Of Peladon
17 Recording for The Monster Of Peladon takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Monster Of Peladon
18 Recording for The Monster Of Peladon takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London The Monster Of Peladon
19 Debut broadcast of Invasion Of The Dinosaurs episode two on BBC One Invasion Of The Dinosaurs
24 Christopher Langley is commissioned to write “Space Station” The Fourth Doctor
26 Debut broadcast of Invasion Of The Dinosaurs episode three on BBC One Invasion Of The Dinosaurs
28 Recording for The Monster Of Peladon takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London The Monster Of Peladon
29 Recording for The Monster Of Peladon takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London The Monster Of Peladon

February
2 Debut broadcast of Invasion Of The Dinosaurs episode four on BBC One Invasion Of The Dinosaurs
4 In Berkeley, California, heiress Patty Hearst is kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, and is later convicted of helping her captors commit bank robbery
5 Head of Serials Bill Slater receives a letter from an actor named Tom Baker, which prompts him to recommend Baker as a candidate to play the Fourth Doctor The Fourth Doctor
9 Debut broadcast of Invasion Of The Dinosaurs episode five on BBC One Invasion Of The Dinosaurs
11 Recording for The Monster Of Peladon takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London The Monster Of Peladon
12 Recording for The Monster Of Peladon takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London The Monster Of Peladon
15 Tom Baker is announced to the press as the Fourth Doctor The Fourth Doctor
16 Debut broadcast of Invasion Of The Dinosaurs episode six on BBC One Invasion Of The Dinosaurs
19 Tom Baker is contracted for twenty-six episodes (at the time, the intended length of Season Twelve) The Fourth Doctor
23 Debut broadcast of Death To The Daleks episode one on BBC One Death To The Daleks
26 Recording for The Monster Of Peladon takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London The Monster Of Peladon
27 Recording for The Monster Of Peladon takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London The Monster Of Peladon

March
early
Mar		 Philip Hinchcliffe prepares to take over from Barry Letts as producer of Doctor Who The Fourth Doctor
2 Debut broadcast of Death To The Daleks episode two on BBC One Death To The Daleks
5 Birth of Matt Lucas (bio), who played Nardole
9 Debut broadcast of Death To The Daleks episode three on BBC One Death To The Daleks
9 Brian Hayles submits a storyline entitled “The Sea Of Fear” The Fourth Doctor
11 Recording for Planet Of The Spiders takes place in Berkshire, at Stratfield Mortimer and Tidmarsh Planet Of The Spiders
12 Recording for Planet Of The Spiders takes place in Membury, Wiltshire Planet Of The Spiders
12 Robert Banks Stewart is commissioned to provide a storyline for Terror Of The Zygons Terror Of The Zygons
13 Recording for Planet Of The Spiders takes place in Wiltshire, at Membury and Devizes Planet Of The Spiders
14 Recording for Planet Of The Spiders takes place near Westbury, Gloucestershire Planet Of The Spiders
15 Recording for Planet Of The Spiders takes place near Westbury, Gloucestershire Planet Of The Spiders
16 Debut broadcast of Death To The Daleks episode four on BBC One Death To The Daleks
18 OPEC nations end a five-month oil embargo against the United States, Europe and Japan triggered by the Yom Kippur War
23 Debut broadcast of The Monster Of Peladon episode one on BBC One The Monster Of Peladon
27 Robert Banks Stewart is commissioned to write Terror Of The Zygons Terror Of The Zygons
30 Debut broadcast of The Monster Of Peladon episode two on BBC One The Monster Of Peladon

April
2 Recording for Planet Of The Spiders takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 1 in White City, London Planet Of The Spiders
3 Recording for Planet Of The Spiders takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 1 in White City, London Planet Of The Spiders
4 Terry Nation is commissioned to write Genesis Of The Daleks Genesis Of The Daleks
5 Stephen King begins his dominance of the horror genre with the publication of his first novel, Carrie
6 Debut broadcast of The Monster Of Peladon episode three on BBC One The Monster Of Peladon
13 Debut broadcast of The Monster Of Peladon episode four on BBC One The Monster Of Peladon
16 Elisabeth Sladen is contracted for an additional twenty-six episodes beginning with Robot Sarah Jane Smith
16 Ian Marter is contracted to play new companion Harry Sullivan for twenty-six episodes beginning with Robot Harry Sullivan
16 Recording for Planet Of The Spiders takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London Planet Of The Spiders
17 Nicholas Courtney is contracted for Robot Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
17 John Levene is contracted for Robot Sergeant John Benton
17 Recording for Planet Of The Spiders takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London Planet Of The Spiders
20 Debut broadcast of The Monster Of Peladon episode five on BBC One The Monster Of Peladon
25 The Carnation Revolution restores democracy to Portugal after almost half a century
27 Birth of Joseph Millson (bio), who played Alan Jackson
27 Debut broadcast of The Monster Of Peladon episode six on BBC One The Monster Of Peladon
28 Recording for Robot takes place in Wood Norton, Hereford and Worcester Robot
29 Recording for Robot takes place in Wood Norton, Hereford and Worcester Robot
30 Recording for Planet Of The Spiders takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London Planet Of The Spiders
30 Recording for Robot takes place in Wood Norton, Hereford and Worcester Robot

May
1 Recording for Planet Of The Spiders takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London Planet Of The Spiders
1 Recording for Robot takes place in Wood Norton, Hereford and Worcester Robot
2 Recording for Robot takes place in Wood Norton, Hereford and Worcester Robot
4 Debut broadcast of Planet Of The Spiders episode one on BBC One Planet Of The Spiders
5 Recording for Robot takes place in Wood Norton, Hereford and Worcester Robot
6 Recording for Robot takes place in Wood Norton, Hereford and Worcester Robot
9 Gerry Davis is commissioned to provide a storyline for Revenge Of The Cybermen Revenge Of The Cybermen
11 Debut broadcast of Planet Of The Spiders episode two on BBC One Planet Of The Spiders
18 Debut broadcast of Planet Of The Spiders episode three on BBC One Planet Of The Spiders
21 Birth of Juliet Cowan (bio), who played Chrissie Jackson
21 A labour dispute cancels recording for Robot at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London Robot
22 Recording for Robot takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London Robot
23 Terrance Dicks is retroactively commissioned to write Robot Robot
23 Bob Baker and Dave Martin are commissioned to provide a storyline for The Sontaran Experiment The Sontaran Experiment
23 Due to the labour dispute, Blue Peter is recorded on the set for Robot Robot
25 Debut broadcast of Planet Of The Spiders episode four on BBC One Planet Of The Spiders

June
1 Debut broadcast of Planet Of The Spiders episode five on BBC One Planet Of The Spiders
1 Recording for Robot takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London Robot
2 Recording for Robot takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London Robot
5 John Lucarotti is commissioned to write the first episode of The Ark In Space The Ark In Space
5 Bob Baker and Dave Martin are commissioned to write the first episode of The Sontaran Experiment The Sontaran Experiment
6 Recording for Robot takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London Robot
6 John Lucarotti is commissioned to write the final three episodes of The Ark In Space The Ark In Space
6 Gerry Davis is commissioned to write Revenge Of The Cybermen Revenge Of The Cybermen
7 Recording for Robot takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London Robot
8 Debut broadcast of Planet Of The Spiders episode six on BBC One Planet Of The Spiders
17 Christopher Langley's “Space Station” is abandoned The Fourth Doctor

July
6 Bob Baker and Dave Martin are commissioned to write the second episode of The Sontaran Experiment The Sontaran Experiment
8 Lewis Greifer is commissioned to provide a storyline for Pyramids Of Mars Pyramids Of Mars
16 Birth of Mark Tonderai (bio), director
20 Turkiye invades Cyprus, five days after a Greek coup d'état sponsored by Greece
23 Lewis Greifer is commissioned to write Pyramids Of Mars Pyramids Of Mars

August
8 In response to the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon becomes the first American president to resign from office

September
1 Birth of Burn Gorman (bio), who played Owen Harper
12 In Ethiopia, the first Australopithecus afarensis skeleton is discovered and nicknamed “Lucy”
26 Recording for The Sontaran Experiment takes place in Postbridge, Devon The Sontaran Experiment
27 Recording for The Sontaran Experiment takes place in Postbridge, Devon The Sontaran Experiment
28 Recording for The Sontaran Experiment takes place in Postbridge, Devon The Sontaran Experiment
29 Recording for The Sontaran Experiment takes place in Manaton, Devon; Tom Baker slips and breaks his collarbone, although he is able to return to the production the following day The Sontaran Experiment
30 Recording for The Sontaran Experiment takes place in Manaton, Devon The Sontaran Experiment

October
1 Recording for The Sontaran Experiment takes place in Manaton, Devon The Sontaran Experiment
8 Retroactive approval is given for Robert Holmes to rewrite The Ark In Space The Ark In Space
16 Recording for The Ark In Space takes place at the BBC Television Centre Puppet Theatre in White City, London The Ark In Space
24 Recording for Robot takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 7 in White City, London Robot
28 Recording for The Ark In Space takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London The Ark In Space
29 Recording for The Ark In Space takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London The Ark In Space
30 In Kinshasa, Zaire, Muhammad Ali regains his heavyweight boxing championship by defeating George Foreman in the “Rumble In The Jungle”

November
11 Recording for The Ark In Space takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 1 in White City, London The Ark In Space
12 Recording for The Ark In Space takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 1 in White City, London The Ark In Space
12 Recording for Revenge Of The Cybermen takes place at the BBC Television Centre Puppet Theatre in White City, London Revenge Of The Cybermen
18 Recording for Revenge Of The Cybermen takes place in Wookey Hole, Somerset Revenge Of The Cybermen
19 Recording for Revenge Of The Cybermen takes place in Wookey Hole, Somerset Revenge Of The Cybermen
20 Recording for Revenge Of The Cybermen takes place in Wookey Hole, Somerset Revenge Of The Cybermen
21 Recording for Revenge Of The Cybermen takes place in Wookey Hole, Somerset Revenge Of The Cybermen
29 Terry Nation is commissioned to provide a storyline for The Android Invasion The Android Invasion

December
3 Recording for Revenge Of The Cybermen takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 1 in White City, London Revenge Of The Cybermen
11 Terrance Dicks is commissioned to provide a storyline for “The Haunting” The Fourth Doctor
17 Recording for Revenge Of The Cybermen takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London Revenge Of The Cybermen
28 Debut broadcast of Robot episode one on BBC One Robot
29 Birth of Mekhi Phifer (bio), who played Rex Matheson

Return To
Main Page Diary

Previous: 1973 Next: 1975