Theory:Timeline - Fourth Doctor

This page lists appearances of the Fourth Doctor in the order in which he experienced them. This timeline is based on observations of the Doctor Who universe and the events in each of these stories. From these observations we have attempted to build a concise timeline. It is assumed, much like their TV story counterparts, that each novel or audio series their published/numbered order is the order they occur in. There are also many gaps between stories.

The layout of this timeline is based in part on the observations on Doctor Who Reference Guide and Doctor Who - The Complete Adventures, Lance Parkin's AHistory and other sources that allow us to make observations. None of these sources should be used solely as a source or considered a "true" timeline for stories.

Companions
Due to the nature of travel throughout season 12, any story featuring TARDIS travel with Harry Sullivan (other than TV: The Ark in Space) must take place after TV: Revenge of the Cybermen and before TV: Terror of the Zygons. Any story with Sarah Jane Smith must take place before TV: The Hand of Fear. Any story with Leela must take place after TV: The Face of Evil and before TV: The Invasion of Time. Any story with K9 Mark I must take place after TV: The Invisible Enemy and before TV: The Invasion of Time. Any story with K9 Mark II must take place after TV: The Invasion of Time and before TV: Warriors' Gate. Any story with Romana I must take place after TV: The Ribos Operation and before TV: Destiny of the Daleks. Any story with Romana II must take place after TV: Destiny of the Daleks and before TV: Warriors' Gate. Any story with Adric must be set after TV: Full Circle.

Costume
The Fourth Doctor has an advantage when dating his stories due to his costume. The Doctor started out with a small red coat, a rainbow scarf, and blue geans. His coat soon grew to a larger deep brown coat. Eventually, his costume turned into the "red" version. This makes dating very simple when looking at how the Doctor is dressed.

Series basics
The Fourth Doctor's stories can be sorted roughly by which companions he travels with and also the medium in which the companions first appeared together.

TV created

 * Sarah Jane Smith, Harry Sullivan
 * Sarah Jane Smith
 * Leela
 * Leela, K9 Mark I
 * K9 Mark II
 * K9, Romana I
 * K9, Romana II
 * K9, Romana II, Adric
 * Adric
 * Adric, Nyssa, Tegan Jovanka

Short story created

 * Oliver Day

Comic created

 * Andric
 * Miss Young
 * Sharon Davies

Audio created

 * Fenella Wibbsey

Timeline

 * TV: Planet of the Spiders / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders
 * The Doctor regenerates from his previous incarnation.


 * TV: Robot / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Giant Robot / Junior Doctor Who and the Giant Robot
 * COMIC: Death Flower


 * TV: The Ark in Space / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Ark in Space
 * TV: The Sontaran Experiment / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Sontaran Experiment
 * TV: Genesis of the Daleks / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks
 * PROSE: A Device of Death
 * A Device of Death occurs just after Genesis of the Daleks


 * PROSE: The Last Thing You Ever See
 * The Last Thing You Ever See occurs just before Revenge of the Cybermen


 * TV: Revenge of the Cybermen / PROSE: The Revenge of the Cybermen
 * PROSE: Wolfsbane
 * Chronicles all of the Doctor's adventures between Revenge of the Cybermen and Black Destiny.


 * COMIC: Black Destiny
 * The Doctor and his companions expect to find the Loch Ness at the start of the story, so this must take place directly before Terror of the Zygons.


 * TV: Terror of the Zygons / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster
 * TV: Planet of Evil / PROSE: The Planet of Evil
 * AUDIO: Exploration Earth
 * TV: Pyramids of Mars / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars
 * PROSE: Scarab of Death
 * TV: The Android Invasion / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Android Invasion
 * TV: The Brain of Morbius / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius / Junior Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius
 * PROSE: UNIT Christmas Parties: Ships That Pass
 * COMIC: Woden's Warriors
 * COMIC: The Hoaxers
 * COMIC: The Tansbury Experiment
 * PROSE: Only Connect
 * TV: The Seeds of Doom / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Seeds of Doom
 * PROSE: System Shock
 * PROSE: Autaia Pipipi Pia
 * TV: The Masque of Mandragora / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Masque of Mandragora
 * TV: The Hand of Fear / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Hand of Fear
 * TV: The Deadly Assassin / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin
 * PROSE: Ghost Ship
 * COMIC: Assimilation²
 * The Doctor is alone.


 * PROSE: The Doctor's Cross Word
 * TV: The Face of Evil / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Face of Evil
 * TV: The Robots of Death / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Robots of Death
 * TV: The Talons of Weng-Chiang / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Talons of Weng-Chiang
 * COMIC: The Time Machination
 * The Time Machination occurs during The Talons of Weng-Chiang


 * AUDIO: Destination: Nerva
 * Set directly after The Talons of Weng-Chiang


 * AUDIO: The Ghost Trap
 * Leela has only been traveling with the Doctor for a few weeks, but has seen spaceships before.


 * AUDIO: The Renaissance Man
 * AUDIO: The Wrath of the Iceni
 * AUDIO: Energy of the Daleks
 * AUDIO: Trail of the White Worm
 * AUDIO: The Oseidon Adventure
 * AUDIO: The Catalyst
 * Leela is still learning basic reading.


 * AUDIO: Empathy Games
 * Leela is unfamiliar with the concept of money. The TARDIS' secondary console room is destroyed in a fire.


 * AUDIO: Death-Dealer
 * The Doctor teaches Leela about money for the first time.


 * AUDIO: The Child
 * AUDIO: Night of the Stormcrow
 * AUDIO: The Light at the End
 * AUDIO: The King of Sontar
 * AUDIO: White Ghosts
 * Leela is able to read Grimms' Fairy Tales on her own.


 * AUDIO: The Crooked Man
 * AUDIO: The Evil One
 * AUDIO: Last of the Colophon
 * AUDIO: Destroy the Infinite
 * AUDIO: The Abandoned
 * AUDIO: Zygon Hunt
 * AUDIO: The Foe from the Future
 * Leela knows who policemen are and her reading level has advanced to the point where the Doctor is having her read the works of Shakespeare.


 * TV: Horror of Fang Rock / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Horror of Fang Rock
 * Leela is relatively unfamiliar with water-faring ships.


 * AUDIO: The Valley of Death
 * AUDIO: The Ghosts of Gralstead
 * AUDIO: The Devil's Armada
 * TV: The Invisible Enemy / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Invisible Enemy
 * TV: Image of the Fendahl / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Image of the Fendahl
 * TV: The Sun Makers / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Sunmakers
 * COMIC: Prisoners of Time
 * PROSE: The Roots of Evil
 * TV: Underworld / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Underworld
 * AUDIO: The Exxilons
 * AUDIO: The Darkness of Glass
 * AUDIO: Requiem for the Rocket Men
 * AUDIO: Death Match
 * AUDIO: Suburban Hell
 * AUDIO: The Cloisters of Terror
 * AUDIO: The Fate of Krelos
 * AUDIO: Return to Telos
 * AUDIO: The Time Vampire
 * Leela and the Doctor have been traveling with K9 for quite some time; the Doctor begins work on K9 Mark II.


 * TV: The Invasion of Time / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Invasion of Time
 * PROSE: Timevault
 * AUDIO: The Stuff of Nightmares
 * AUDIO: The Dead Shoes
 * AUDIO: The Circus of Doom
 * AUDIO: A Sting in the Tale
 * AUDIO: Hive of Horror
 * AUDIO: The Relics of Time
 * AUDIO: The Demon of Paris
 * AUDIO: A Shard of Ice
 * AUDIO: Starfall
 * AUDIO: Sepulchre
 * AUDIO: Tsar Wars
 * AUDIO: The Broken Crown
 * AUDIO: Aladdin Time
 * AUDIO: The Hexford Invasion
 * AUDIO: Survivors in Space
 * COMIC: Doctor Who and the Iron Legion
 * COMIC: City of the Damned
 * COMIC: K-9's Finest Hour
 * PROSE: The Two-Timer
 * PROSE: Stowaway
 * PROSE: Evil Egg
 * TV: The Ribos Operation / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Ribos Operation
 * PROSE: Tomb of Valdemar
 * PROSE: The Shadow of Weng-Chiang
 * COMIC: Death to the Doctor! (flashback)
 * PROSE: Heart of TARDIS
 * TV: The Pirate Planet
 * TV: The Stones of Blood / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Stones of Blood
 * AUDIO: Ferril's Folly
 * TV: The Androids of Tara / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Androids of Tara
 * TV: The Power of Kroll / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Power of Kroll
 * AUDIO: Luna Romana
 * Part 1 and most of Part 3 take place during this time.


 * TV: The Armageddon Factor / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Armageddon Factor
 * AUDIO: The Auntie Matter
 * AUDIO: The Stealers from Saiph
 * The Doctor and Romana are still on holiday in 1929.


 * AUDIO: The Sands of Life
 * AUDIO: War Against the Laan
 * AUDIO: The Justice of Jalxar
 * AUDIO: Phantoms of the Deep
 * AUDIO: The Dalek Contract
 * AUDIO: The Final Phase
 * COMIC: Timeslip
 * COMIC: Doctor Who and the Star Beast
 * PROSE: Sands of Time
 * PROSE: Mind-Jump
 * PROSE: The Hole Truth
 * COMIC: Doctor Who and the Dogs of Doom
 * COMIC: Doctor Who and the Time Witch
 * COMIC: Dragon's Claw
 * COMIC: The Collector
 * COMIC: Dreamers of Death
 * TV: Destiny of the Daleks / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks
 * PROSE: The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe
 * The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe occurs during Destiny of the Daleks


 * TV: City of Death / PROSE: City of Death
 * TV: The Creature from the Pit / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit
 * AUDIO: The Pyralis Effect
 * Romana does not yet have a Sonic Screwdriver.


 * TV: Nightmare of Eden / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden
 * COMIC: Time & Time Again
 * Time & Time Again occurs during Nightmare of Eden


 * AUDIO: The Beautiful People
 * TV: The Horns of Nimon / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Horns of Nimon
 * AUDIO: Babblesphere
 * HOMEVID: Shada / PROSE: Shada
 * PROSE: Glass
 * Glass takes place directly after Shada


 * AUDIO: Luna Romana
 * Part 2, part of Part 3, and Part 4 take place during this time.


 * COMIC: The Life Bringer
 * COMIC: War of the Words
 * TV: The Leisure Hive / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Leisure Hive
 * TV: Meglos / PROSE: Meglos
 * TV: Full Circle / PROSE: Full Circle
 * TV: State of Decay / PROSE: Doctor Who and the State of Decay
 * PROSE: The Eight Doctors
 * The Eight Doctors occurs just after State of Decay


 * PROSE: O, Darkness
 * PROSE: Pathfinders
 * AUDIO: The Invasion of E-Space
 * TV: Warriors' Gate / PROSE: Doctor Who and Warriors' Gate'
 * TV: The Keeper of Traken / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Keeper of Traken
 * PROSE: Inter-Galactic Cat
 * PROSE: Conundrum
 * PROSE: Planet of Paradise
 * COMIC: Plague World
 * PROSE: Just a Small Problem
 * PROSE: Mauritz
 * COMIC: Spider-God
 * COMIC: The Deal
 * COMIC: End of the Line
 * COMIC: The Free-Fall Warriors
 * COMIC: Junkyard Demon
 * COMIC: The Neutron Knights
 * TV: Logopolis / PROSE: Logopolis
 * The Doctor regenerates into his next incarnation.

Unplaced

 * AUDIO: Exploration Earth
 * AUDIO: Doctor Who and the Pescatons / PROSE: The Pescatons
 * GAME: Destiny of the Doctors
 * The Doctors mental image of the Master is that of Deadly Assassin, not Trail of the White Worm, setting it between the two stories.


 * PROSE: Evolution
 * PROSE: The Romance of Crime
 * PROSE: Managra
 * PROSE: The English Way of Death
 * PROSE: The Well-Mannered War
 * PROSE: The Dying Days
 * PROSE: Beige Planet Mars
 * PROSE: Eye of Heaven
 * PROSE: Last Man Running
 * PROSE: Millennium Shock
 * PROSE: Corpse Marker
 * PROSE: Festival of Death
 * PROSE: Asylum
 * PROSE: Psi-ence Fiction
 * PROSE: Drift
 * PROSE: Match of the Day
 * PROSE: Wonderland
 * PROSE: A New Life
 * PROSE: The Hospitality on Hankus
 * COMIC: The Psychic Jungle
 * PROSE: The Sinister Sponge
 * COMIC: Neuronic Nightmare
 * PROSE: Avast There!
 * PROSE: The Mission
 * PROSE: War on Aquatica
 * PROSE: Cyclone Terror
 * PROSE: The Time Snatch
 * COMIC: The Body Snatcher
 * PROSE: The Eye-Spiders of Pergross
 * PROSE: Detour to Diamedes
 * PROSE: Double Trouble
 * COMIC: Menace on Metalupiter
 * PROSE: Secret of the Bald Planet
 * PROSE: The Sleeping Beast
 * PROSE: The Sands of Tymus
 * COMIC: The Rival Robots
 * PROSE: A New Life
 * COMIC: The Traitor
 * PROSE: The Sea of Faces
 * PROSE: Famine on Planet X
 * PROSE: The Planet of Dust
 * PROSE: Terror on Tantalogus
 * COMIC: The Power
 * PROSE: Flashback
 * COMIC: Emsone's Castle
 * PROSE: The Crocodiles from the Mist
 * PROSE: X-Rani and the Ugly Mutants
 * PROSE: Light Fantastic
 * COMIC: Terror on Xaboi
 * PROSE: Reluctant Warriors
 * COMIC: The Weapon
 * PROSE: Return of the Electrids
 * PROSE: The Sleeping Guardians
 * PROSE: Colony of Death
 * PROSE: Alien Mind Games
 * PROSE: A Midsummer's Nightmare
 * COMIC: Every Dog Has His Day
 * PROSE: The Voton Terror
 * PROSE: Sweet Flower of Uthe
 * PROSE: The Vampires of Crellium
 * PROSE: On the Slippery Trail
 * PROSE: Doctor Who and the Hell Planet
 * PROSE: The Living Wax
 * PROSE: Breakdown
 * PROSE: The Final Analysis
 * COMIC: Under Pressure
 * PROSE: The Changeling Years
 * PROSE: The Beast Inside
 * PROSE: The Stranger, The Writer, His Wife and the Mixed Metaphor
 * PROSE: Down to Earth
 * PROSE: Farewells
 * PROSE: Under Reykjavik
 * PROSE: The Duke of Dominoes
 * PROSE: Crimson Dawn
 * PROSE: People of the Trees
 * PROSE: UNITed We Fall
 * PROSE: Old Flames
 * PROSE: Rights
 * PROSE: One Bad Apple
 * PROSE: Return of the Spiders
 * PROSE: The Not-So-Sinister Sponge
 * PROSE: The Android Maker of Calderon IV
 * PROSE: Special Occasions: 2. Do You Love Anyone Enough?
 * PROSE: Special Occasions: 3. Better Watch Out, Better Take Care
 * PROSE: Special Occasions: 4. Playing with Toys
 * PROSE: I Was a Monster!!!
 * PROSE: The Fear
 * PROSE: The Brain of Socrates
 * PROSE: The Glass Princess
 * PROSE: Doing Time
 * PROSE: Eternity
 * PROSE: All Done with Mirrors
 * PROSE: To Kill a Nandi Bear
 * PROSE: The Northern Heights
 * PROSE: The Destroyers
 * PROSE: The Bushranger's Story
 * PROSE: The Republican's Story
 * PROSE: Categorical Imperative
 * PROSE: Observer Effect
 * PROSE: The Baron Wastes
 * PROSE: The Little Things
 * PROSE: The Clanging Chimes of Doom
 * PROSE: Present Tense
 * PROSE: It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow
 * PROSE: Suitors, Inc.
 * PROSE: The Sooner the Better
 * PROSE: The Last Broadcast
 * PROSE: Earth
 * PROSE: The Prodigal Sun
 * PROSE: Ode to Joy
 * PROSE: Callahuanca
 * PROSE: The Very Last Picture Show
 * PROSE: Into the Silent Land
 * PROSE: Direct Action
 * PROSE: Checkpoint
 * PROSE: Life from Lifelessness
 * PROSE: The Dogs of War
 * PROSE: Nanomorphosis
 * PROSE: The End of Now
 * PROSE: The Dragons of Prague
 * PROSE: Attachments
 * PROSE: My Hero
 * PROSE: Plight of the Monkrah
 * PROSE: In Case of Emergencies
 * PROSE: Puppeteer
 * PROSE: The Glarn Strategy
 * PROSE: The Nobility of Faith
 * PROSE: Dear Great Uncle Peter
 * PROSE: All Snug in Their Beds
 * PROSE: Machine Time
 * PROSE: Mutiny
 * PROSE: Stanley
 * PROSE: Good Queen, Bad Queen, I Queen, You Queen
 * PROSE: Breadcrumbs
 * PROSE: Child's Play
 * PROSE: The Monster in the Wardrobe
 * PROSE: Those Left Behind
 * PROSE: Time Shear
 * PROSE: Insider Dealing
 * PROSE: Planet of the Elves
 * PROSE: Christmas Every Day
 * PROSE: Conscription
 * PROSE: Shamans
 * PROSE: Hello Goodbye
 * PROSE: Blessed Are the Peacemakers
 * PROSE: Dark Horizons
 * COMIC: Return of the Daleks
 * COMIC: The Wreckers
 * PROSE: The Magic Box
 * COMIC: The Emperor's Spy
 * COMIC: The Sinister Sea
 * COMIC: The Space Ghost
 * COMIC: The Dalek Revenge
 * COMIC: Virus
 * COMIC: Treasure Trail
 * COMIC: Hubert's Folly
 * PROSE: Which Way Out?
 * COMIC: Counter-Rotation
 * COMIC: Mind Snatch
 * COMIC: The Mutant Strain
 * COMIC: Double Trouble
 * COMIC: Dredger
 * COMIC: Jackals of Space
 * COMIC: The False Planet
 * COMIC: The Fire Feeders
 * COMIC: Kling Dynasty
 * COMIC: The Sky Warrior
 * PROSE: Master of the Blackhole
 * COMIC: The Orb
 * COMIC: The Mutants
 * COMIC: The Devil's Mouth
 * COMIC: The Aqua-City
 * COMIC: The Snow Devils
 * COMIC: The Space Garden
 * COMIC: The Eerie Manor
 * COMIC: Guardian of the Tomb
 * COMIC: The Image Makers
 * COMIC: The Sea Devil
 * PROSE: Milena
 * COMIC: Party Animals
 * COMIC: Victims
 * COMIC: Touchdown on Deneb-7
 * COMIC: Rest and Re-Creation
 * COMIC: The Naked Flame
 * COMIC: Star Beast II
 * COMIC: Junkyard Demon II
 * COMIC: The Seventh Segment
 * COMIC: The Forgotten
 * AUDIO: The Kingmaker
 * AUDIO: Tales from the Vault
 * AUDIO: Chain Reaction
 * AUDIO: Seven to One
 * AUDIO: The Wondrous Box
 * AUDIO: The Old Rogue
 * TV: ''The Day of the Doctor