1981 (releases)

January

 * January - DWM 49 was published.
 * 3 January - Warriors' Gate Part One debuted on BBC1.
 * 10 January - Warriors' Gate Part Two debuted on BBC1.
 * 15 January - Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit was first published.
 * 17 January - Warriors' Gate Part Three debuted on BBC1.
 * 24 January - Warriors' Gate Part Four debuted on BBC1.
 * 31 January - The Keeper of Traken Part One debuted on BBC1.

February

 * February - DWM 50 was published.
 * February - Marvel Comics published Marvel Premiere issue 58.
 * 7 February - The Keeper of Traken Part Two debuted on BBC1.
 * 14 February - The Keeper of Traken Part Three debuted on BBC1.
 * 21 February - The Keeper of Traken Part Four debuted on BBC1.
 * 28 February - Logopolis Part One debuted on BBC1.

March

 * 7 March - Logopolis Part Two debuted on BBC1.
 * 12 March - DWM 51 was published.
 * 14 March - Logopolis Part Three debuted on BBC1.
 * 21 March - Logopolis Part Four debuted on BBC1.

April

 * April - Marvel Comics published Marvel Premiere issue 59.
 * 9 April - DWM 52 was published.
 * 17 April - Doctor Who and the Enemy of the World was first published.

May

 * May - DWM 53 was published.
 * 21 May - REF: The Doctor Who Programme Guide, Volumes 1 and 2, were first published in hardcover.

June

 * June - Marvel Comics published Marvel Premiere issue 60.
 * 11 June - DWM 54 was published.

July

 * Summer - Doctor Who Magazine Summer Special 1981 was published.
 * 9 July - DWM 55 was published.

August

 * August - The Doctor Who Annual 1982 was published.
 * 13 August - DWM 56 was published.

September

 * September - DWM 57 was published.

October

 * October - Paperback editions of REF: The Doctor Who Programme Guide Volumes 1 and 2 was published.
 * 15 October - Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child, an adaptation of the very first Doctor Who serial, was first published.
 * 8 October - DWM 58 was published.

November

 * 2 November - "The Five Faces of Doctor Who" special re-broadcast series commenced with the third television broadcast of the first part of An Unearthly Child, the first episode of Doctor Who. It aired in the UK on BBC Two.
 * 12 November - DWM 59 was published.
 * 14 November - The Lord Mayor's Show was first broadcast.

December

 * December - DWM 60 was published.
 * Winter - Doctor Who Magazine Winter Special 1981 was published.
 * 10 December - REF: The Doctor Who Quiz Book by Nigel Robinson was published.
 * 28 December - A Girl's Best Friend, a pilot episode for the proposed spin-off K9 and Company, debuted on BBC1.