1986 (releases)


 * 9 January - Doctor Who - The Gunfighters was first published.
 * 13 February - Doctor Who - The Time Monster was first published.
 * 13 March - Doctor Who - The Twin Dilemma was first published.
 * 10 April - Doctor Who - Galaxy Four was first published.
 * 15 May - Doctor Who - Timelash was first published.
 * 15 May - Turlough and the Earthlink Dilemma was first published.
 * 15 May - REF: Doctor Who: The Early Years was first published.
 * Severn House launched Make Your Own Adventure with Doctor Who.
 * 12 June - Doctor Who - The Mark of the Rani was first published.
 * 10 July - Doctor Who - The King's Demons was first published.
 * 17 July - REF: Travel Without the TARDIS was first published.
 * Garden of Evil and Race Against Time, books three and four of the Make Your Own Adventure with Doctor Who line, were first published.
 * 21 August - Doctor Who - Slipback was first published.
 * Marvel Comics in the United States published the 23rd and final issue of Doctor Who, a monthly series of reprints of comic strips and other material from Doctor Who Magazine.
 * 6 September - The Mysterious Planet Part One debuted on BBC1, launching the belated Season 23.
 * 11 September - Doctor Who - The Savages was first published.
 * 11 September - Harry Sullivan's War was first published. This was the second of three released under the Companions of Doctor Who spin-off line. It was written by Ian Marter, who had portrayed Harry Sullivan in the TV series more than a decade earlier. Marter died a few weeks later, making this the final book released (but not the final book written) in his lifetime.
 * 13 September - The Mysterious Planet Part Two debuted on BBC1.
 * 18 September - REF: The Doctor Who File was first published.
 * 20 September - The Mysterious Planet Part Three debuted on BBC1.
 * 27 September - The Mysterious Planet Part Four debuted on BBC1.
 * 29 September - Doctor Who Collected Comics, a reprinting of several Doctor Who Magazine strips, was published by Marvel Comics.
 * Mission to Venus and Invasion of the Ormazoids, books five and six of the Make Your Own Adventure with Doctor Who line, were first published. Severn House discontinued the line after these books.
 * 4 October - Mindwarp Part One debuted on BBC1.
 * 11 October - Mindwarp Part Two debuted on BBC1.
 * 16 October - Doctor Who - Fury from the Deep was first published. It was promoted as a "bumper volume" due to a higher word count than most Target Books released up to this time.
 * 18 October - Mindwarp Part Three debuted on BBC1.
 * 25 October - Mindwarp Part Four debuted on BBC1. Nicola Bryant left the series with this episode.
 * November - REF: The Companions was first published.
 * 1 November - Terror of the Vervoids Part One debuted on BBC1.
 * 8 November - Terror of the Vervoids Part Two debuted on BBC1.
 * 11 November - REF: The Doctor Who Cookbook was published in paperback.
 * 15 November - Terror of the Vervoids Part Three debuted on BBC1.
 * 20 November - Doctor Who - The Celestial Toymaker was first published.
 * 22 November - Terror of the Vervoids Part Four debuted on BBC1.
 * 29 November - The Ultimate Foe Part On debuted on BBC1.
 * December - The US edition of REF: The Companions was first published.
 * 4 December - Doctor Who - The Seeds of Death was first published.
 * 6 December - The Ultimate Foe Part Two debuted on BBC1, concluding Season 23.