1988

November

 * 23 - The Nemesis statue returns to Earth after 350 years. Lady Peinforte arrives to regain it. The Doctor uses it to destroy the Cyber-Fleet. (DW: Silver Nemesis)

Unknown date

 * The Doctor and Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart discover the secret of the Embodiment of Gris in Hong Kong. (NA: The Dying Days)


 * Construction of One Canada Square begins as part of the Canary Wharf redevelopment project in London. Unknown to the general public, the building, destined to become the tallest office tower in the UK, is secretly known as the Torchwood Tower and is built to house the Torchwood Institute in an instance of "hiding in plain sight". (DW: Army of Ghosts / Doomsday)

January

 * 16 - Robert Keegan dies.
 * 21 - Doctor Who - The Rescue First Published. This was the second and last novelisation by the late Ian Marter to be published posthumously, and the book includes a tribute to the actor/writer, who died soon after writing the book.
 * Titan Books launches a new line of books entitled Doctor Who: The Scripts, with the publication of the script for An Unearthly Child, which was published under the working title The Tribe of Gum. This series of books would continue until 1994, although the second volume would not be published for some 18 months.

February

 * 18 - Doctor Who - Terror of the Vervoids First Published. First of four novelisations based upon The Trial of a Time Lord, even though it was in fact the third chapter of the arc.
 * Doctor Who: The Early Years published in paperback.

March

 * Doctor Who - The Time Meddler First Published.
 * Encyclopedia of The Worlds of Doctor Who: E-K first published.

April

 * 21 - Doctor Who - The Mysterious Planet First Published.

May

 * 03 - David Garth, who played Grey in "The Highlanders" and the Time Lord in "Terror of the Autons"," dies.
 * 05 - Doctor Who - Time and the Rani First Published. First Seventh Doctor novelisation and the first to use the new Sylvester McCoy-era series logo (though it would not immediately replace the neon-tube logo on all Target Books releases). First photographic cover since Doctor Who - Enlightenment some four years earlier. Canadian fans notice a substantial (but ultimately temporary) jump in the cover price of Doctor Who books beginning with this release.

June

 * 5 - Michael Barrington dies.
 * 16 - Doctor Who - Vengeance on Varos First Published.

July

 * 21 - Doctor Who - The Underwater Menace First Published.

August

 * 18 - Doctor Who - The Wheel in Space First Published. Final Target Books release to use the neon-tube series logo established in 1980. All further releases use the McCoy era logo introduced in 1987. This book has an extremely low print run which results in it becoming a collector's item.
 * In an effort to boost sales of older novelisations, Target Books launches the Doctor Who Classics line of releases. These are omnibus reissues of novelisations, two per volume. Two books are released this date (with the original book titles shortened to their original TV titles in the case of those with Doctor Who and... in the original release): Dalek Invasion of Earth/The Crusaders and The Myth Makers/The Gunfighters.

September

 * 15 - Doctor Who - The Ultimate Foe First Published.
 * Doctor Who Classics - The Dominators/The Krotons published.
 * 20 - Doctor Who: 25 Glorious Years published in paperback.

October

 * Encyclopedia of The Worlds of Doctor Who: A-D published in paperback.
 * 01 - Roy Herrick dies.
 * 05 - Remembrance of the Daleks Episode 1 First Broadcast
 * 12 - Remembrance of the Daleks Episode 2 First Broadcast
 * 14 - Mary Morris dies.
 * 19 - Remembrance of the Daleks Episode 3 First Broadcast
 * 20 - Doctor Who - The Edge of Destruction First Published.
 * 26 - Remembrance of the Daleks Episode 4 First Broadcast

November

 * Doctor Who: Cybermen first published.
 * Doctor Who: It's Bigger on the Inside, a collection of Doctor Who-related humor, first published by Marvel Comics
 * 02 - The Happiness Patrol Episode 1 First Broadcast
 * 09 - The Happiness Patrol Episode 2 First Broadcast
 * 16 - The Happiness Patrol Episode 3 First Broadcast
 * Encyclopedia of The Worlds of Doctor Who: E-K published in paperback.
 * 17 - Doctor Who - The Smugglers First Published.
 * Doctor Who: 25 Glorious Years first published.
 * 23 - Silver Nemesis Episode 1 First Broadcast on the 25th anniversary of the first broadcast of Doctor Who.
 * 30 - Silver Nemesis Episode 2 First Broadcast

December

 * 01 - Doctor Who - Paradise Towers First Published. The cover art featuring an image of Sylvester McCoy marks the first time in 4 1/2 years that an image of the current Doctor has been included on a Target Books release.
 * 07 - Silver Nemesis Episode 3 First Broadcast
 * 14 - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy Episode 1 First Broadcast
 * 21 - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy Episode 2 First Broadcast
 * 25 - Terence Dudley, writer and director dies.
 * 28 - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy Episode 3 First Broadcast
 * The Official Doctor Who & the Daleks Book, a retrospective by John Peel and Terry Nation, is published.
 * Doctor Who Magazine Master Index published.

Unknown dates

 * Reg Lye dies.
 * Sylvester McCoy, appearing as himself, appears in the "Clown Court" segment of The Noel Edmunds Saturday Roadshow, which presents outtakes from Delta and the Bannermen, Silver Nemesis and a bonus blooper The Visitation with Peter Davison.