1971 (releases)


 * 1 January - Actor Navin Chowdhry was born.
 * 2 January - Terror of the Autons Episode 1 was first broadcast, launching Season 8. It introduced the Master as played by Roger Delgado. Katy Manning debuted as new companion Jo Grant. Also debuting was Richard Franklin as recurring character Captain Yates. Season 8 marked the first time a full season followed a single theme, in this case stories involving the Master.
 * 9 January - Terror of the Autons Episode 2 was first broadcast.
 * 16 January - Terror of the Autons Episode 3 was first broadcast.
 * 23 January - Terror of the Autons Episode 4 was first broadcast.
 * 30 January - The Mind of Evil Episode 1 was first broadcast.
 * 6 February - The Mind of Evil Episode 2 was first broadcast.
 * 13 February - The Mind of Evil Episode 3 was first broadcast.
 * 20 February - The Mind of Evil Episode 4 was first broadcast. On the same day, the Polystyle comic strip began running in Countdown with the first instalment of Gemini Plan.
 * 25 February - Actor Christien Anholt was born.
 * 27 February - The Mind of Evil Episode 5 was first broadcast.
 * 6 March - The Mind of Evil Episode 6 was first broadcast.
 * 13 March - The Claws of Axos Episode 1 was first broadcast.
 * 20 March - The Claws of Axos Episode 2 was first broadcast.
 * 22 March - Actor Takuma Takewaka was born.
 * 27 March - The Claws of Axos Episode 3 was first broadcast.
 * 3 April - The Claws of Axos Episode 4 was first broadcast.
 * 10 April - Colony in Space Episode 1 was first broadcast.
 * 14 April - Jon Pertwee became the unwitting subject of This is Your Life.
 * 17 April - Colony in Space Episode 2 was first broadcast.
 * 18 April - Actor David Tennant was born.
 * 24 April - Colony in Space Episode 3 was first broadcast.
 * 1 May - Colony in Space Episode 4 was first broadcast.
 * 8 May - Colony in Space Episode 5 was first broadcast.
 * 15 May - Colony in Space Episode 6 was first broadcast.
 * 22 May - The Dæmons Episode 1 was first broadcast.
 * 25 May - Actor Terence de Marney died.
 * 29 May - The Dæmons Episode 2 was first broadcast.
 * 5 June - The Dæmons Episode 3 was first broadcast.
 * 10 June - Actor Michael Piccarilli was born.
 * 12 June - The Dæmons Episode 4 was first broadcast.
 * 19 June - The Dæmons Episode 5 was first broadcast, concluding Season 8.
 * 28 June - Actor Benito Martinez was born.
 * 4 August - Actor Fenella Woolgar was born.
 * 20 August - Actor David Walliams was born.
 * For reasons unknown, World Distributors cancelled plans for a 1972 Doctor Who Annual. This was the only year the book was skipped until its cancellation in the mid-1980s.
 * 4 November - Actor Robyn Moore was born.
 * 19 November - Actor Naoko Mori was born.
 * 4 December - Actor Alec Ross died.