1985

Events

 * Lytton contacted the Cybermen in the London's sewers. (DW: Attack of the Cybermen)


 * The second and sixth Doctors prevented the Sontarans from gaining time travel. (DW: The Two Doctors)


 * 10th October - Orson Welles died.

January

 * 05 - DW: Attack of the Cybermen Part 1 was first broadcast, launching the ill-fated Season 22. Beginning with this Part, the series moves to 45-minute episodes and returns to once-a-week broadcasts.
 * 12 - DW: Attack of the Cybermen Part 2 was first broadcast.
 * 19 - DW: Vengeance on Varos Part 1 was first broadcast.
 * 26 - DW: Vengeance on Varos Part 2 was first broadcast.

February

 * 02 - DW: The Mark of the Rani Part 1 was first broadcast. First appearance of Kate O'Mara as The Rani.
 * 04 - Studio production concludes on DW: Revelation of the Daleks, concluding Doctor Who production for the season just prior to the announcement of 27th February, which would appear to make this the final production session ever; instead, production eventually resumes more than a year later.
 * 06 - Neil McCarthy (George Patrick Barnham in DW: The Mind of Evil and Thawn in DW: The Power of Kroll) died from motor neurone disease.
 * 09 - DW: The Mark of the Rani Part 2 was first broadcast.
 * 14 - DWN: Doctor Who - Planet of Fire was first published.
 * 16 - DW: The Two Doctors Part 1 was first broadcast, marking the return of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor and Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon. Certain elements in this Part later give rise to the Season 6B theory among fans and writers of spin-off media.
 * 23 - DW: The Two Doctors Part 2 was first broadcast.
 * A Fix with Sontarans was first broadcast as a segment of Jim'll Fix It, and features a young viewer who gets to participate in a short scene with Colin Baker. Janet Fielding returned as Tegan Jovanka.
 * 27 - The BBC announces that it was suspending Doctor Who after the conclusion of the current season, effectively cancelling the series. Fan protest would ultimately result in the series returning in 1986 after an 18-month hiatus.

March

 * 02 - DW: The Two Doctors Part 3 was first broadcast. Final appearance of Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. This was also the final Part of the 1963-89 series to be filmed abroad. Discounting the 1996 TV movie, the next story to involve major filming outside the UK would be DW: The Fires of Pompeii in 2008.
 * 09 - DW: Timelash Part 1 was first broadcast.
 * 14 - DWN: Doctor Who - The Caves of Androzani was first published.
 * 15 - "Doctor in Distress", a single recorded by cast members of Doctor Who in order to raise money for charity and to call upon the BBC not to cancel the series, was released in the UK.
 * 16 - DW: Timelash Part 2 was first broadcast.
 * 23 - DW: Revelation of the Daleks Part 1 was first broadcast.
 * 30 - DW: Revelation of the Daleks Part 2 was first broadcast, concluding Season 22, believed by some to be the show's last. Final 45-minute Part until 2005. Also final use of the Peter Howell arrangement of the theme music.

April

 * Severn House publishes Doctor Who Book of Space, a hardcover version of Doctor Who Quiz Book of Space aimed at libraries.
 * 11 - DWN: Doctor Who - Marco Polo was first published.

May

 * Doctor Who Magazine publishes its 100th issue.
 * REF: Doctor Who: The TARDIS Inside Out was first published.
 * 1 - George Pravda, who appeared as Alexander Denes in DW: The Enemy of the World, Jaeger in DW: The Mutants and Castellan Spandrell in DW: The Deadly Assassin died.
 * 16 - REF: The Doctor Who Cookbook was first published.
 * REF: The Doctor Who Monster Book was republished nearly 10 years after its first issue. A poster included in the first release was omitted in the reprint.
 * 17 - Hugh Burden died.
 * 28 - Carey Mulligan (Sally Sparrow) was born.

June

 * Doctor Who 1985 Summer Special Classic, a reprinting of Doctor Who Magazine comic strips, published by Marvel Comics.
 * 11 - Norman Claridge, who played the Priest in DW: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve, died in London.
 * 13 - DWN: Doctor Who - The Awakening was first published.
 * Mid-June - An original Doctor Who radio play, BBCR: Slipback, was recorded for BBC Radio, with Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant reprising their roles.
 * 24 - Valentine Dyall died after recording a role for the upcoming radio play BBCR: Slipback.

July

 * Severn House publishes Doctor Who Book of Science, a hardcover version of Doctor Who Quiz Book of Science aimed at libraries.
 * 7 - Ewen Solon, who played Chal in DW: The Savages and Vishinsky in DW: Planet of Evil, died in Addleston, England.
 * 11 - DWN: Doctor Who - The Mind of Evil was first published.
 * 25 - BBCR: Slipback Parts 1 and 2 are first broadcast on BBC Radio. The first radio play based upon Doctor Who and the first original audio drama since Doctor Who and the Pescatons a decade earlier, this serial was produced as a stopgap during the enforced hiatus for the televised series.

August

 * Doctor Who Annual 1986 published. This was the final annual to be published by World Distributors, ending a series that began in 1965. The annual format would be revived by Marvel Comics in the 1990s.
 * 8 - BBCR: Slipback Parts 3 and 4 are first broadcast on BBC Radio.
 * 22 - BBCR: Slipback Parts 5 and 6 are first broadcast on BBC Radio.
 * 29 - Patrick Barr, who played Jack Hobson in DW: The Moonbase, died in London.

September

 * 09 - The BBC launches "Children's BBC", a dedicated block of programming aimed at children. Later rebranded CBBC, beginning in 2007 the block would become the broadcast home for the spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures.
 * 12 - DWN: Doctor Who - The Myth Makers was first published.
 * REF: The Doctor Who Illustrated A to Z was first published.

October

 * US edition of REF: Doctor Who: The TARDIS Inside Out published.
 * REF: Doctor Who: Timeview was first published.
 * 10 - DWN: Doctor Who - The Invasion was first published.
 * 14 - REF: The Third Doctor Who Quiz Book by Nigel Robinson was first published. Final book in the series.

November

 * 14 - DWN: Doctor Who - The Krotons was first published.
 * 22 - Numerous Doctor Who actors reunite for a special appearance during the annual Children in Need appeal, including Colin Baker, Patrick Troughton, Peter Davison, Jon Pertwee, Nicola Bryant, Nicholas Courtney, Janet Fielding, Carole Ann Ford, Richard Franklin, Adrienne Hill, Louise Jameson, Caroline John, John Levene, Ian Marter, Maureen O'Brien, Peter Purves, Elisabeth Sladen, Mark Strickson, and Matthew Waterhouse.

December

 * 05 - DWN: Doctor Who - The Two Doctors was first published. First Sixth Doctor novelisation. Promoted as the 100th Doctor Who novelisation by Target Books. Although the TV series logo had been modified slightly for the new Doctor, the Target line left the logo unchanged.