Monday, November 2, 2026
News Demo
Season 18

Doctor Who

Season 18

  • 1980

The season featured a story arc involving E-Space and the return of the Master who had stolen a new body rather than regenerate. The stories were darker and more adult in tone than those during the Graham Williams era. They also attempted to emphasise science, much to the satisfaction of both script editor Christopher H. Bidmead and executive producer Barry Letts. Notably, this season revolves around the theme of entropy, linking together all of its stories in a rare phenomenon for the show (while other story arcs would be linked together via people, objects, etc, the use of an overarching theme for a season was unprecedented). This theme would eventually foreshadow and culminate in the Doctor’s regeneration at the end of the season.

  1. The Leisure Hive (1) Episode 1 The Leisure Hive (1) August 30, 1980, 24 min The planet Argolis, around the year 2290. The Argolins live in a huge shielded city, protected from the irradiated wasteland outside. The planet's survival depends on the tourists their Leisure…
  2. The Leisure Hive (2) Episode 2 The Leisure Hive (2) September 6, 1980, 21 min Another man is found dead, strangled by the Doctor's scarf, so the Doctor is put on trial. By some of the archaic rules of law, he's made to "prove" his…
  3. The Leisure Hive (3) Episode 3 The Leisure Hive (3) September 13, 1980, 22 min With the Doctor suffering from the time experiment, the clandestine schemes of others start coming to light, along with the secreted purposes to which the tachyonic generator has been used.
  4. The Leisure Hive (4) Episode 4 The Leisure Hive (4) September 20, 1980, 22 min With the saboteur and murderer revealed and arrested, peace should now be restored, but a new threat emerges - a war-monger who's both ready and eager to aggress upon other…
  5. Meglos (1) Episode 5 Meglos (1) September 27, 1980, 25 min The desert planet Zolpha-Thura, the 1980s. Giant intelligent megalomaniac cactus Meglos is planning to conquer the galaxy but first it needs the dodecahedron, a powerful energy source currently on the…
  6. Meglos (2) Episode 6 Meglos (2) October 4, 1980, 22 min With the TARDIS occupants trapped in a chronic histeratic loop (forever reliving the same moment in time), the devious Meglos - disguised as the Doctor - gains the trust of…
  7. Meglos (3) Episode 7 Meglos (3) October 11, 1980, 22 min Can Romana escape the Gaztaks? What has become of the Dodecahedron? What pressing appointment awaits the Doctor?
  8. Meglos (4) Episode 8 Meglos (4) October 18, 1980, 20 min With the Doctor about to be ritualistically sacrificed to appease the god Ti for stealing the dodecahedron, Meglos and the pirates return to Zolfa-Thura with the dodecahedron to fire up…
  9. Full Circle (1) Episode 9 Full Circle (1) October 25, 1980, 25 min Deep space, an unknown time - on course for Gallifrey, the TARDIS passes through a strange disruption. When they materialise, the scanner shows the Time Lord homeworld... but the travellers…
  10. Full Circle (2) Episode 10 Full Circle (2) November 1, 1980, 23 min As the humanoid community takes refuge in their crashed spaceship, venomous marsh spiders begin to hatch from the local fruit while bestial marshmen emerge from the waters to walk the…
  11. Full Circle (3) Episode 11 Full Circle (3) November 8, 1980, 22 min Infection from a spider bite causes Romana's personality to change. Meanwhile the Doctor, after discovering that the spaceship society is in a perpetual state of repair and upgrade, has morality…
  12. Full Circle (4) Episode 12 Full Circle (4) November 15, 1980, 25 min Marshmen invade the Terradonian ship thanks to Romana, who seems to be in communion with them. While the ship's inhabitants flee for their lives, the Doctor discovers a crucial fact…
  13. State of Decay (1) Episode 13 State of Decay (1) November 22, 1980, 23 min Still trapped in negative E-Space, the TARDIS lands on an unnamed world to find a society sliding back into feudalism. What is the secret of the Three Who Rule? And…
  14. State of Decay (2) Episode 14 State of Decay (2) November 29, 1980, 24 min The Doctor and Romana are escorted to the tower to meet the royal leaders, hoping they can find answers to why this society evolves backwards. The Doctor recognizes the tower…
  15. State of Decay (3) Episode 15 State of Decay (3) December 6, 1980, 25 min The Doctor finds archive material in the TARDIS that tells him he's dealing with an ancient enemy of the Time Lords, a nearly indestructible king vampire who's ready to revive…
  16. State of Decay (4) Episode 16 State of Decay (4) December 13, 1980, 25 min The Doctor joins the villagers' revolt against their vampire rulers, unsure how to kill the king vampire. Meanwhile Adric is first in line to join the new vampire order while…
  17. Warriors’ Gate (1) Episode 17 Warriors’ Gate (1) January 3, 1981, 23 min The TARDIS is drawn into an empty white void, somewhere between universes. But they are not the only ones trapped there.
  18. Warriors’ Gate (2) Episode 18 Warriors’ Gate (2) January 10, 1981, 24 min When Rorvik learns that Romana is a time sensitive, he takes her prisoner, forcing her to find a way out of the void. The Doctor attempts to discover what lies…
  19. Warriors’ Gate (3) Episode 19 Warriors’ Gate (3) January 17, 1981, 23 min While Biroc leads the Doctor to a view of the Tharil's lordly past, Romana learns more about the damaged freighter and the cold-heartedness of its crew. Meanwhile Commander Rorvik, confounded…
  20. Warriors’ Gate (4) Episode 20 Warriors’ Gate (4) January 24, 1981, 25 min The Doctor deduces that the freighter is a slave ship loaded up with Tharils to be sold as time machine components, but the immense weight of Rorvik's damaged ship, designed…
  21. The Keeper of Traken (1) Episode 21 The Keeper of Traken (1) January 31, 1981, 25 min The planet Traken. The Traken union is a society living in perfect harmony, watched over by the powerful but benign Keeper. But now the Keeper is dying, and he senses…
  22. The Keeper of Traken (2) Episode 22 The Keeper of Traken (2) February 7, 1981, 25 min Tremas claims consular privilege to protect the Doctor and Adric from execution, though it binds his fate to theirs if they're found guilty of murder. Melkur strengthens his hold over…
  23. The Keeper of Traken (3) Episode 23 The Keeper of Traken (3) February 14, 1981, 24 min With Tremas falling under suspicion, due to his association with the Doctor, a new Keeper Nominate is named. Now, with everything in place, Melkur has only a short wait before…
  24. The Keeper of Traken (4) Episode 24 The Keeper of Traken (4) February 21, 1981, 26 min With the merciless Melkur in control of The Source, the Doctor and his allies have only a slim chance of deposing him, which also puts the peace of the Traken…
  25. Logopolis (1) Episode 25 Logopolis (1) February 28, 1981, 25 min Deciding to repair the TARDIS' chameleon circuit, the Doctor goes to Earth to find a real police box. But an old enemy is one step ahead of him.
  26. Logopolis (2) Episode 26 Logopolis (2) March 7, 1981, 25 min The Doctor, aware that his time may soon be ending, travels to the Logopolis where a series of fateful events are set in motion.
  27. Logopolis (3) Episode 27 Logopolis (3) March 14, 1981, 25 min With Nyssa from Traken unexpectedly rejoining the group, Adric aids the Monitor of Logopolis in trying to save the Doctor before time runs out. The Master, at liberty to prepare,…
  28. Logopolis (4) Episode 28 Logopolis (4) March 21, 1981, 26 min With the universe collapsing, the Doctor forms an uneasy alliance with the Master to save it. In case all does not go well, the Watcher takes the Doctor's companions to…