| KINDA |
| A revered yet contested text, Kinda (1982) touches on the perennial Doctor Who themes of colonialism and religion. Frank Collins investigates its conception and production, drawing on new conversations with scriptwriter Christopher Bailey. |
| BLACK ORCHID |
| Vintage cars, cricket and a country house murder: Black Orchid (1982) appears to offer the comforts of a familiar genre. But, argues Ian Millsted, it also mines older traditions to look at issues of race and colonialism, class and identity, and physical and mental disfigurement. |
| EARTHSHOCK |
| Revisiting the Cybermen after seven years, and killing off a long-term companion for the first time, Earthshock (1982) represents Script Editor Eric Saward’s vision for Doctor Who, and kickstarts a trend of reviving ‘old monsters’ for effect. Brian J Robb explores its influence and implications. |
| THE AWAKENING |
| The Awakening (1984) draws from a rich tradition of British cinema and television that explores time at odds with itself, creating a village on the threshold of social and temporal collapse. David Evans-Powell examines the influence on the story of hauntology, timeslip telefantasy and real-world historical re-enactment. |
| FRONTIOS (coming in 2024) |
| A story of environmental catastrophe and humanity’s place in the universe, Frontios (1984) remains an underexamined part of Christopher H Bidmead’s work for Doctor Who. Paul Driscoll looks at its imagery of infestation, its treatment of race memory and its representation of politics in extremis |