Season 16



The sixteenth season of Doctor Who ran between 2nd September 1978 and 24th February 1979. It consisted of 6 serials and 26 epsiodes. This season saw the introduction of the Black and White Guardians as well as the companion Romana. This season is sometimes colloquially known as The Key to Time season after the story arc involving the Key to Time. Although not the first season to consist of linked stories (Season 8 in 1971 was the first, as all the stories that year featured The Master), it was the first to be recognized as having a series-long arc. Although multi-serial arcs would occur again, such a full-season experiment wouldn't be attempted again until Season 23.

Season 16 marked a triple milestone for Doctor Who: the 100th story (The Stones of Blood), the 500th episode (episode 1 of The Armageddon Factor) and the 15th anniversary of the first broadcast, on November 23, 1978.

In 2002 (Region 1) it became the first Doctor Who season to be released to DVD in its entirety in a single box set; it remained the only "classic series" season to be available as a single set until the release of Season 23, The Trial of a Time Lord to DVD in 2008.

Stories

 * The Ribos Operation (4 episodes)
 * The Pirate Planet (4 episodes)
 * The Stones of Blood (4 episodes)
 * The Androids of Tara (4 episodes)
 * The Power of Kroll (4 episodes)
 * The Armageddon Factor (6 episodes)

Main Cast

 * The Doctor - Tom Baker
 * Romana - Mary Tamm (introduced The Ribos Operation)
 * K-9 - John Leeson (voice) (absent during The Power of Kroll)

VHS

 * The Ribos Operation
 * The Pirate Planet
 * The Stones of Blood
 * The Androids of Tara
 * The Power of Kroll
 * The Armageddon Factor
 * The Tom Baker Years (excerpts from all stories)

DVD

 * The Key to Time (box set containing all stories)


 * Region 1 1st October 2002
 * NTSC -
 * Bare-bones version consisting of the six stories in individual clam-shell boxes, with extras limited to commentaries, photo galleries, and productin factoid subtitles.


 * Region 2 24th September 2007
 * PAL -
 * Expanded edition featuring copious extras for each serial.


 * Region 4 7th November 2007
 * PAL -

The Key to Time: Special Edition
 * Region 1 3rd March 2009
 * NTSC - Same as 2007 Region 2 version, only published in a single book-like DVD case (similar to that used for the release of Torchwood Series 2 in Region 1) rather than each serial packaged individually (although separate releases of the serials are planned).

Novelisations

 * Doctor Who and the Ribos Operation
 * Doctor Who and the Stones of Blood
 * Doctor Who and the Androids of Tara
 * Doctor Who and the Power of Kroll
 * Doctor Who and the Armageddon Factor

Target Books was unable to come to an agreement with Douglas Adams to novelise his script, The Pirate Planet, leaving it one of only a half-dozen classic-series episodes never adapted as a book.