The Doctor Who Production Diary: 1970 Previous: 1969 Next: 1971 Jump: Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec January 3 Debut broadcast of Spearhead From Space episode one on BBC One, the first colour episode of Doctor Who 5 Caroline John is contracted for two serials beginning with The Ambassadors Of Death, although Barry Letts is unhappy with the character and ultimately decides to replace her for Season Eight 5 Recording for The Silurians takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 1 in White City, London 9 Don Houghton is commissioned to write Inferno 10 Debut broadcast of Spearhead From Space episode two on BBC One 12 Recording for The Silurians takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 1 in White City, London 17 Debut broadcast of Spearhead From Space episode three on BBC One 19 Recording for The Silurians takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 22 After a one-day delay due to mechanical issues, the Boeing 747 -- the world's first jumbo jet -- begins service between London and Los Angeles 23 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire 24 Debut broadcast of Spearhead From Space episode four on BBC One 26 Recording for The Silurians takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 26 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place in Southall, London 27 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place in London, at Southall and Acton 28 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place in Acton, London 29 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place in Buckinghamshire, at High Wycombe and Marlow 30 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place in Aldershot, Hampshire 31 Debut broadcast of The Silurians episode one on BBC One 31 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place in Aldershot, Hampshire February 2 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place in Beacon Hill, Hampshire and at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London 3 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place in Northfleet, Kent and at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London 4 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place in Northfleet, Kent and at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London 7 Debut broadcast of The Silurians episode two on BBC One 10 Birth of Robert Shearman (bio), writer 13 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 14 Debut broadcast of The Silurians episode three on BBC One 20 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 21 Birth of Shaun Dingwall (bio), who played Pete Tyler 21 Debut broadcast of The Silurians episode four on BBC One 23 John Levene is contracted for Inferno 27 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 28 Debut broadcast of The Silurians episode five on BBC One late Feb The BBC confirms that Doctor Who will return for Season Eight March 2 Birth of Alexander Armstrong (bio), who provided the voice of Mr Smith 5 The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons takes effect 6 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 7 Debut broadcast of The Silurians episode six on BBC One 9 Jon Pertwee is contracted for Season Eight 13 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 14 Debut broadcast of The Silurians episode seven on BBC One 20 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 4 in White City, London 21 Birth of Chris Chibnall (bio), co-producer, writer and executive producer 21 Debut broadcast of The Ambassadors Of Death episode one on BBC One 23 Roger Delgado is contracted to play the Master, the Doctor's new Time Lord arch-nemesis, in Season Eight 27 Recording for The Ambassadors Of Death takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 1 in White City, London 28 Debut broadcast of The Ambassadors Of Death episode two on BBC One 31 Recording for Inferno takes place in Hoo, Kent April 1 Recording for Inferno takes place in Hoo, Kent 2 Recording for Inferno takes place in Hoo, Kent 3 Recording for Inferno takes place in Hoo, Kent 4 Debut broadcast of The Ambassadors Of Death episode three on BBC One 6 Recording for Inferno takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London 6 “The Gift” is rejected, but Bob Baker and Dave Martin are immediately commissioned for a heavily revised storyline, which becomes The Claws Of Axos 7 Recording for Inferno takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London 8 Nicholas Courtney is contracted for Season Eight 8 Recording for Inferno takes place at the BBC Television Film Studios in Ealing, London 11 Debut broadcast of The Ambassadors Of Death episode four on BBC One 13 An oxygen tank explodes aboard Apollo 13 while it is en route to the Moon; the craft is able to return to Earth four days later 18 Debut broadcast of The Ambassadors Of Death episode five on BBC One 22 The first Earth Day is celebrated 24 Recording for Inferno takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 25 Debut broadcast of The Ambassadors Of Death episode six on BBC One 27 Director Douglas Camfield collapses during rehearsals for Inferno as a result of stress and a heart condition; Barry Letts assumes his duties for the remainder of the serial's production 28 Robert Holmes is commissioned to provide a storyline for Terror Of The Autons May 2 Debut broadcast of The Ambassadors Of Death episode seven on BBC One 4 In Ohio, four Kent State students are killed by National Guardsmen at a protest against the previous week's incursion by American troops into Cambodia 7 Recording for Inferno takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 8 Recording for Inferno takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 9 Debut broadcast of Inferno episode one on BBC One 16 Debut broadcast of Inferno episode two on BBC One 21 Recording for Inferno takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 22 Recording for Inferno takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 23 Debut broadcast of Inferno episode three on BBC One 29 Recording for Inferno takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 30 Debut broadcast of Inferno episode four on BBC One June 6 Debut broadcast of Inferno episode five on BBC One 12 Robert Holmes is commissioned to write Terror Of The Autons 13 Debut broadcast of Inferno episode six on BBC One 18 Edward Heath's Conservatives defy expectations and defeat Prime Minister Harold Wilson's Labour party in a General Election 20 Debut broadcast of Inferno episode seven on BBC One 22 John Levene is contracted for eighteen episodes of Season Eight 24 Charlotte and Dennis Plimmer are commissioned to write “The Cerebroids” 29 Don Houghton is commissioned to provide a storyline for The Mind Of Evil 29 Malcolm Hulke is commissioned to provide a storyline for Colony In Space 29 Charlotte and Dennis Plimmer's “The Cerebroids” is abandoned July 1 After Ian Marter refuses the role of Captain Yates due to other commitments, Richard Franklin is contracted to play the character in Season Eight 3 Katy Manning is contracted to play new companion Jo Grant in at least twenty episodes of Season Eight 5 Birth of Toby Whithouse (bio), writer and actor 10 Birth of John Simm (bio), the eighth actor to play the Master 21 In Egypt, the Aswan High Dam is completed after ten years of construction August 6 Don Houghton is commissioned to write The Mind Of Evil September 1 Malcolm Hulke is commissioned to provide a revised storyline for Colony In Space 11 Bob Baker and Dave Martin are commissioned to write the first episode of The Claws Of Axos 15 Malcolm Hulke is commissioned to write Colony In Space 17 Recording for Terror Of The Autons takes place in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire; Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire; and Hammersmith, London 18 Recording for Terror Of The Autons takes place in Leyton, London 21 Recording for Terror Of The Autons takes place in Dunstable, Bedfordshire 22 Recording for Terror Of The Autons takes place in Caddington, Bedfordshire 23 Recording for Terror Of The Autons takes place in Bedfordshire, at Caddington and Dunstable 24 A photocall is held to introduce Katy Manning as new companion Jo Grant October 9 Recording for Terror Of The Autons takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 10 Recording for Terror Of The Autons takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 8 in White City, London 16 Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau effectively declares martial law following political kidnappings committed by the militant Front de Libération du Québec 18 Bob Baker and Dave Martin are commissioned to write the second episode of The Claws Of Axos 19 Bill Strutton is commissioned to write a storyline for “The Mega” 23 Recording for Terror Of The Autons takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 24 Recording for Terror Of The Autons takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 26 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place in Dover, Kent 27 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place in Dover, Kent 28 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place in Kent, at Dover and Whitfield 29 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place in Manston, Kent 29 Bob Baker and Dave Martin are commissioned to write the final two episodes of The Claws Of Axos 30 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place in Kent, at Dover and Pineham 31 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place in Dover, Kent November 2 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place in Kensington, London 3 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place in Kensington, London 4 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place in Kensington, London 9 Ian Stuart Black is commissioned to provide a storyline for “The Space War” 21 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 22 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London December 4 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 5 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 6 in White City, London 17 Robert Sloman is commissioned to provide a storyline for The Daemons; it will be co-written with Barry Letts 18 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 19 Recording for The Mind Of Evil takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 3 in White City, London 22 Recording for The Claws Of Axos takes place at BBC Television Centre Studio 7 in White City, London 30 Birth of Saul Metzstein (bio), director

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