The Doctor Who Production Diary: 1996

January
10 Paul McGann is announced to the press as the Eighth Doctor The Eighth Doctor
15 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
16 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
17 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
18 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
19 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
22 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
23 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
24 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
25 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
26 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
29 France announces that it will end all nuclear testing
29 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
30 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
31 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)

February
1 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
2 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
5 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
6 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
7 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
8 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place in British Columbia, Canada, at Vancouver and a studio in Burnaby Doctor Who (1996)
9 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
10 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
12 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
13 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
14 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
15 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
16 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
19 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
20 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
21 Recording for Doctor Who (1996) takes place at a studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Doctor Who (1996)

March
16 In Dunblane, Scotland, Thomas Hamilton shoots and kills sixteen students and a teacher before committing suicide

April
3 Domestic terrorist Theodore Kaczynski, nicknamed the “Unabomber”, is arrested at a remote cabin in Montana

May
10 Australia bans personal possession of automatic and semi-automic rifles following the murder of thirty-five people at Port Arthur by Martin Bryant
12 Debut broadcast of Doctor Who (1996) on CITV in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Doctor Who (1996)
14 Doctor Who (1996) is broadcast on the FOX network for the first time Doctor Who (1996)
20 Death of Jon Pertwee (bio), who played the Third Doctor
21 The FOX network announces its Fall 1996 schedule; Doctor Who is not included, with poor ratings prompting the network to drop the programme The Eighth Doctor
27 Doctor Who (1996) is broadcast on BBC One for the first time Doctor Who (1996)

June

July
27 A bomb explodes and results in two deaths at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia; domestic terrorist Eric Rudolph later admits his culpability

August
10 Death of Rex Tucker (bio), director
28 Prince Charles and Princess Diana are divorced

September
27 Taliban forces capture Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan

October

November

December
30 Birth of Vivian Oparah (bio), who played Tanya Adeola
31 Bill Watterson publishes the last installment of his comic strip Calvin And Hobbes
31 Universal Television's licence for Doctor Who is originally due to expire; the BBC grants an extension into 1997, but Universal is unable to drum up interest in Doctor Who, and the rights eventually revert back to the BBC The Eighth Doctor