Theory:Timeline - Third Doctor

This page lists appearances of the Third Doctor in the order in which he experienced them. This timeline is based upon observations of the Doctor Who universe and the events that occur during each of these stories. From these observations we have attempted to build a concise timeline. It is assumed, much like its TV story counterparts that for each novel or audio series their published/numbered order is the order they occur in. This does not apply to short stories which are often ambiguous about their placement. There are also many gaps between stories.

The layout of this timeline is in part based on the observations on Doctor Who Reference Guide and Doctor Who - The Complete Adventures, as well as 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.

Additionally there are statements on the back of Virgin Missing Adventures and many BBC Past Doctor Adventures novels that state between which TV stories the novel takes place between. These can be used to narrow the field, and should be viewed as the only placing for these novels.

Limiting factors
Any stories involving the Doctor travelling around several destinations in his TARDIS should take place following TV: The Three Doctors, prior to this he is limited to travels "on assignment" for the Time Lords. Any limited trip with Jo Grant must take place after TV: Colony in Space. Any story where he is not on assignment but travelling freely with Jo must take place after TV: The Three Doctors and before TV: The Green Death. Any story with Sarah Jane Smith must take place after TV: The Time Warrior and before TV: Planet of the Spiders.

Series basics
The Third Doctor's stories can be roughly grouped together by which companion he is travelling or featured alongside and/or what medium/series the stories are produced for.

TV created

 * Liz Shaw
 * Jo Grant
 * Sarah Jane Smith

Annual created

 * Arnold (Children of the Evil Eye)

Mediums

 * TV stories
 * Virgin Missing Adventures
 * BBC Past Doctor Adventures
 * TV Action
 * Doctor Who Annuals
 * Virgin Decalogs
 * BBC Radio Plays
 * BBC Books Short Trips
 * Big Finish Publishing Short Trips (books and audio)
 * The Companion Chronicles
 * Anything else

UNIT career begins

 * TV: Spearhead from Space / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion
 * PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy
 * Starts during Spearhead From Space and runs parallel to most of the events of Season 7, ending after The Sea Devils.
 * AUDIO: The Last Post
 * Starts during Spearhead From Space and runs parallel to most of the events of Season 7, ending just before Inferno.


 * PROSE: Prelude White Darkness
 * Given how the Doctor and the Brigadier refer to the TARDIS and the lack of Liz likely this takes place early in their relationship.


 * COMIC: The Arkwood Experiments
 * COMIC: The Multi-Mobile
 * COMIC: Insect
 * Liz and Bessie, which is heavily featured in later TV Action comics, are absent.


 * AUDIO: Walls of Confinement
 * The Doctor is still worried about the TARDIS.


 * AUDIO: A Home From Home
 * Features Liz, early in her relationship with the Doctor.


 * TV: Doctor Who and the Silurians / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters

After the Wenley Moor massacre

 * AUDIO: Vengeance of the Stones
 * The Doctor has had Bessie for a relatively short period of time.


 * PROSE: The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back
 * Not long after Doctor Who and the Silurians.


 * AUDIO: Old Soldiers
 * A few weeks after Doctor Who and the Silurians.


 * PROSE: UNIT Christmas Parties: First Christmas
 * AUDIO: Shadow of the Past
 * The Doctor is still unhappy about the Silurians.


 * COMIC: The Metal Eaters
 * COMIC: The Fishmen of Carpantha
 * COMIC: Assassin from Space
 * COMIC: Undercover
 * COMIC: Doctor Who and the Rocks from Venus
 * TV: The Ambassadors of Death / PROSE: The Ambassadors of Death
 * PROSE: The Mind Extractors
 * PROSE: Soldiers from Zolta
 * PROSE: The Ghouls of Grestonspey
 * PROSE: Caught in the Web
 * PROSE: Invaders Invisible
 * PROSE: The Dark Planet
 * PROSE: Caverns of Horror
 * PROSE: A Universe Called Fred
 * Given the familiarity between the Doctor and Liz in Inferno these stories likely take place prior to it.


 * TV: Inferno / PROSE: Inferno
 * PROSE: Still Lives
 * Immediately after Inferno.


 * PROSE: The Science of Magic
 * PROSE: The Devil Goblins from Neptune
 * PROSE: The Eye of the Giant

Liz resigns

 * PROSE: Reconnaissance
 * Liz makes a decision to leave UNIT after encountering (and having her memory wiped of the encounter) the Master.


 * AUDIO: The Blue Tooth
 * Liz decides to leave UNIT at the end of the story.


 * AUDIO: Binary
 * Liz announces her intentions to leave UNIT.


 * PROSE: Prisoners of the Sun
 * Liz has decided to leave UNIT.


 * PROSE: Country of the Blind
 * Liz has decided to leave UNIT, and has decided to tell the Doctor, placing it after Prisoner of the Sun where the Doctor finds out from the Brigadier.


 * PROSE: The Scales of Injustice
 * Liz leaves UNIT at end of The Scales of Injustice.


 * AUDIO: The Rings of Ikiria
 * COMIC: Change of Mind
 * COMIC: Castaway
 * COMIC: Levitation
 * COMIC: Doctor Who and the Robot
 * COMIC: Trial of Fire
 * COMIC: The Kingdom Builders
 * PROSE: Danse Macabre
 * The Doctor is alone and meets Nelson, whom he refers to as a good friend in The Sea Devils.

Battles with the Master

 * TV: Terror of the Autons / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons
 * AUDIO: Find and Replace (part 2)
 * The Doctor is making a device to track the Master.


 * AUDIO: Tales From The Vault (Jo's story)
 * For Jo just after Find and Replace.


 * AUDIO: The Mega
 * PROSE: Dark Intruders
 * PROSE: War in the Abyss
 * PROSE: Hunt to the Death
 * PROSE: Doorway into Nowhere
 * PROSE: The Claw
 * PROSE: Saucer of Fate
 * PROSE: The Phaser Aliens
 * PROSE: Deadly Reunion
 * Leads into The Mind of Evil.


 * PROSE: UNIT Christmas Parties: Christmas Truce
 * The Doctor last encountered the Master in Hob's Haven.


 * TV: The Mind of Evil / PROSE: The Mind of Evil
 * PROSE: Angel
 * TV: The Claws of Axos / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Claws of Axos
 * PROSE: The Thousand Years of Christmas
 * The Doctor has just discovered that even if he can now depart with the TARDIS, he will be drawn back to Earth.


 * AUDIO: The Doll of Death (flashback)
 * The Brig and Jo believe that the Doctor might do anything to end his exile.


 * AUDIO: The Mists of Time (flashback)
 * The Doctor and Jo's previous adventure involved Mrs Killebrew. The TARDIS is sent to Zayin Eight by the Time Lords.


 * TV: Colony in Space / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Doomsday Weapon
 * PROSE: The Tip of the Mind
 * The Doctor believes that the Time Lords have lifted his exile.
 * AUDIO: The Other Woman
 * Jo has been to another planet and hasn't begun dating Mike Yates.


 * TV: The Dæmons / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Dæmons
 * AUDIO: Degrees of Truth
 * COMIC: The Man in the Ion Mask
 * The Dæmons is the most recent adventure.


 * AUDIO: The Sentinels of the New Dawn
 * It has been a year since Liz left.


 * TV: Day of the Daleks / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks
 * COMIC: Time & Time Again
 * Ace sword fights with the Doctor in Sir Reginald's mansion.


 * PROSE: Honest Living
 * Shortly after Day Of The Daleks.


 * PROSE: Jigsaw
 * PROSE: Verdigris
 * The TARDIS has never fallen off a cliff on Peladon. The beginning of chapter 24 takes place many months later, directly before The Three Doctors. Chapter 25 takes place even later when the Doctor's TARDIS is working. Verdigris leads into events of The Three Doctors and Frontier in Space.


 * AUDIO: The Magician's Oath (flashback)
 * Jo forgets some of her recent adventures, possibly explaining why she doesn't recognize Iris Wildthyme in Find and Replace.


 * PROSE: Freedom
 * Set between The Master's arrest and trials, so after The Dæmons and before The Face of The Enemy.

Missions for the Time Lords

 * TV: The Curse of Peladon / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Curse of Peladon
 * PROSE: The Face of the Enemy
 * The Doctor leaves for Peladon at the start of The Face of the Enemy.


 * PROSE: The Sommerton Fetch
 * The Doctor has the same outfit he wore in The Curse of Peladon.


 * PROSE: The Switching
 * The Master changes his TARDIS control room and he’s sent to the island prison, so the story is set between The Curse of Peladon and Death to the Doctor!


 * COMIC: Death to the Doctor!
 * The Doctor is seen with Jo and the Brigadier and the Master is in a maximum security prison on an island.


 * TV: The Sea Devils / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Sea-Devils
 * PROSE: The Eight Doctors
 * The Third Doctor's segment occurs immediately after The Sea Devils.
 * The Master escapes from prison and retrieves his TARDIS from Devil's End.


 * TV: The Mutants / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Mutants
 * PROSE: Where the Heart Is
 * The Doctor lists his work for the Time Lords, Solos being the last one he mentions placing this story after The Mutants. This is also where UNIT acquires the manor house seen in The Three Doctors.


 * PROSE: The Touch of the Nurazh
 * The events of The Mutants are mentioned.


 * COMIC: Target Practice
 * The budget cuts mentioned in Where the Heart Is cause the closure of UNIT base 43, seen in The Sea Devils.


 * COMIC: Gemini Plan
 * COMIC: Timebenders
 * COMIC: The Vogan Slaves
 * COMIC: The Celluloid Midas
 * COMIC: Backtime
 * COMIC: The Plant Master
 * COMIC: The Eternal Present
 * COMIC: *Sub Zero
 * COMIC: The Planet of the Daleks
 * COMIC: A Stitch in Time
 * COMIC: The Enemy from Nowhere
 * COMIC: The Ugrakks
 * COMIC: Steelfist
 * COMIC: Ride to Nowhere
 * COMIC: Zeron Invasion
 * PROSE: Countdown to TV Action
 * COMIC: Deadly Choice
 * COMIC: Who is the Stranger
 * TV: The Time Monster / PROSE: The Time Monster
 * PROSE: Morphology
 * PROSE: Listen - The Stars
 * PROSE: Out of the Green Mist
 * COMIC: The Time Thief

Freedom

 * TV: The Three Doctors / PROSE: The Three Doctors
 * PROSE: '' Future Imperfect
 * After having his knowledge of time travel restored the Doctor begins traveling in the TARDIS with Jo Grant, but will still spend periods of time on Earth.


 * PROSE: The Wages of Sin
 * The Doctor goes on his first test flight since his time travel knowledge is returned.


 * PROSE: Verdigris (Chapter 25)
 * One of Jo Grant's first trips in the fully-functional TARDIS.


 * PROSE: Hiccup in Time
 * Shortly after The Three Doctors.


 * PROSE: Losing Track of Time
 * Jo is still new to time travel.


 * PROSE: Deep Stretch
 * The exile has ben recently lift.


 * PROSE: The Fathom Trap
 * The Doctor has recently had his memory of time travel restored.


 * COMIC: Menace of the Molags
 * PROSE: Talons of Terror
 * PROSE: Old Father Saturn
 * PROSE: Galactic Gangster
 * PROSE: The House That Jack Built
 * PROSE: Revenge of the Phantoms
 * COMIC: Dead on Arrival
 * PROSE: Fugitives from Chance
 * COMIC: After the Revolution
 * PROSE: The Battle Within
 * The Doctor and Jo have been travelling in the TARDIS for some time, but Jo is not familiar with the Doctor's trances.
 * The Doctor still wears his red velvet smoking jacket and his exile has been lifted.


 * TV: Carnival of Monsters / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Carnival of Monsters
 * The Doctor attempts to visit Metebelis III.


 * PROSE: The Suns of Caresh
 * The Doctor tries to recalibrate the TARDIS’ navigational system and Jo mentions having accidentally visited Inter Minor.


 * AUDIO: The Scorchies
 * The Scorchies mention Metebelis III in one of their songs.


 * PROSE: Salt of the Earth
 * Jo has pale skin from spending lots of time inside the Doctor's lab.


 * AUDIO: The Defectors
 * The Third Doctor briefly appears in the final scene.


 * PROSE: Rock Star
 * PROSE: Lost and Founded
 * PROSE: Once upon a Time Machine
 * TV: Frontier in Space / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Space War
 * TV: Planet of the Daleks / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Planet of the Daleks
 * PROSE: Catastrophea
 * Continues immediately on from Planet of the Daleks.


 * PROSE: Nightdreamers
 * Jo is still musing on her romance with Latep.


 * PROSE: The Piper
 * The Doctor has recently been to a planet full of invisible aliens and Daleks.


 * AUDIO: The Many Deaths of Jo Grant
 * In one of the simulations created from the recent memories of Jo Draconia is mentioned.


 * AUDIO: Ghost in the Machine
 * Jo refers to the when the Doctor went into a coma and left her an audio log for her to use in Planet of the Daleks.


 * PROSE: Hidden Talent
 * Latep is mentioned.


 * PROSE: Last of the Gaderene
 * PROSE: Dancing the Code
 * Set beforeSpeed of Flight.


 * PROSE: Echoes
 * Jo is absent but the Doctor began taking solo trips in Last of the Gaderene and is seen returning from one of them in Speed of Flight.


 * PROSE: Speed of Flight
 * PROSE: The Bad Guy
 * PROSE: ...And Eternity in an Hour
 * Jo is familiar with the Doctor's comas where he goes cold and the TARDIS is operating normally.


 * PROSE: The Seismologist's Story
 * The Doctor and Jo are traveling to modern day Earth when they're pulled into the time loop.


 * AUDIO: Pop-Up
 * Set between Planet of The Daleks and The Green Death.


 * PROSE: Come Friendly Bombs...
 * Leads into The Green Death.


 * TV: The Green Death / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Green Death

Travelling alone

 * PROSE: She Knew
 * Immediately after The Green Death.


 * GAME: Destiny of the Doctors
 * The Doctor has the Metebelis Crystal in his TARDIS.
 * Jo has left the Doctor. Most stories where the Doctor is travelling alone and freely can be placed after Jo and before Sarah Jane.


 * AUDIO: The Prisoner of Peladon
 * The Doctor is still missing Jo after she "moved on".


 * AUDIO: Council of War
 * The majority of this story takes place after The Green Death, the ending takes place just after Invasion of the Dinosaurs.

Exploits with Sarah

 * TV: The Time Warrior / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Time Warrior
 * Sarah Jane's first trip in the TARDIS.


 * AUDIO: The Paradise of Death / PROSE: The Paradise of Death
 * Set just after The Time Warrior, as that is Sarah Jane's only adventure with the Doctor before this story.


 * TV: Invasion of the Dinosaurs / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion
 * TV: Death to the Daleks / PROSE: Death to the Daleks
 * PROSE: The Hungry Bomb
 * Between Death to the Daleks and The Monster of Peladon.


 * AUDIO: The Ghosts of N-Space / PROSE: The Ghosts of N-Space
 * The most recent article Sarah Jane has written is about Daleks.

Alternate timeline created by the War
 * TV: The Monster of Peladon / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Monster of Peladon
 * PROSE: Alien Bodies
 * Sarah Jane and the Doctor have just left Peladon.
 * PROSE: Interference - Book One
 * PROSE: Interference - Book Two
 * The Doctor and Sarah have just finished with Laika and the asteroid as seen in Alien Bodies,
 * Interference presents an alternate regeneration scene in which the Third Doctor regenerates in this novel. The paradox of this is resolved in PROSE: The Ancestor Cell.


 * COMIC: Prisoners of Time
 * AUDIO: Glorious Goodwood
 * Sarah Jane has been to Peladon at least once.


 * PROSE: Amorality Tale
 * PROSE: An Overture Too Early

A slow demise

 * TV: Planet of the Spiders / PROSE: Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders
 * PROSE: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Time Traveller
 * PROSE: Ancient Whispers
 * The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Time Traveller and Ancient Whispers takes place during Planet of the Spiders when the Doctor tries to get back to UNIT HQ.
 * The Doctor regenerates into his next incarnation.

Unplaced

 * TV: The Five Doctors / PROSE: The Five Doctors
 * The Doctor is travelling with Sarah Jane, albeit not the Sarah Jane in this story.


 * PROSE: ''Harvest of Time
 * This takes place sometime between The Claws of Axos and The Green Death


 * AUDIO: The Three Companions
 * AUDIO: A True Gentleman
 * AUDIO: Seven to One
 * Between The Three Doctors and The Green Death.


 * AUDIO: Lost in the Wakefield Triangle
 * AUDIO: The Light at the End
 * PROSE: Downtime
 * PROSE: Legacy (flashback cameo)
 * PROSE: All-Consuming Fire
 * PROSE: Rags
 * PROSE: Island of Death
 * Sarah’s vacation from The Ghosts of N-Space is mentioned.


 * PROSE: The Time Thief
 * PROSE: Before the Legend
 * PROSE: Scorched Earth


 * PROSE: The Thing from Outer Space
 * PROSE: And Now for My Next Trick...
 * PROSE: The One Second Hour
 * PROSE: Signal S.O.S.


 * PROSE: Smash Hit


 * PROSE: The Dragon of Hyacinth Lodge
 * After The Sea Devils.


 * PROSE: A Visit to the Cinema
 * PROSE: Five Card Draw
 * PROSE: The Discourse of Flies
 * PROSE: The Glass Princess
 * PROSE: Primitives
 * PROSE: The Dead Man's Story
 * PROSE: The Juror's Story
 * PROSE: Categorical Imperative
 * PROSE: /Carpenter/Butterfly/Baronet/
 * PROSE: Neptune
 * PROSE: Sedna
 * PROSE: The Lampblack Wars
 * PROSE: Separation Day
 * PROSE: Dream Devils
 * PROSE: Ancient Whispers
 * PROSE: Hide and Seek
 * PROSE: Midnight in the Café of the Black Madonna
 * PROSE: Spoilsport
 * PROSE: Faithful Friends: Part 1
 * PROSE: Numb
 * PROSE: Generation Gap
 * PROSE: Link
 * PROSE: Potential
 * PROSE: A Visit from Saint Nicholas
 * PROSE: Dateline to Deadline
 * PROSE: Interesting Times


 * COMIC: Children of the Evil Eye
 * COMIC: Nova
 * COMIC: The Amateur
 * COMIC: The Disintegrator
 * COMIC: Is Anyone There?
 * COMIC: Size Control
 * COMIC: The Magician
 * COMIC: The Metal-Eaters
 * COMIC: Petrified
 * COMIC: Lords of the Ether
 * COMIC: The Wanderers


 * COMIC: The Glen of Sleeping
 * COMIC: The Threat from Beneath
 * COMIC: Back to the Sun
 * COMIC: The Labyrinth
 * COMIC: The Spoilers
 * COMIC: The Vortex
 * COMIC: The Unheard Voice


 * COMIC: Who's Who?
 * COMIC: The Hungry Planet


 * COMIC: Fogbound
 * COMIC: Secret of the Tower
 * COMIC: Doomcloud
 * COMIC: Perils of Paris


 * COMIC: Under Pressure
 * COMIC: The Forgotten
 * TV: ''The Day of the Doctor