Doctor Who Season 16

Doctor Who - Season 16

1978 • 26 episodes

6.5
26 episodes
Sep 02, 1978

About this season

This season saw the introduction of the Black and White Guardians as well as the companion Romana, who became only the second female Time Lord companion since Susan. This season is sometimes colloquially known as The Key to Time season after the story arc involving the Key to Time. Although not the first season to consist of linked stories (Season 8 in 1971 was the first, as all the stories that year featured the Master), it was the first to be recognised as having a series long arc. Although multi serial arcs would occur again, such a full- season experiment wouldn't be attempted again until Season 23. The arc has a number of similarities to the Season 1 story The Keys of Marinus. The storyline was originally proposed for Season 15, but it required more planning.

Episodes

Seasons & Episodes

26 episodes
The Ribos Operation (1)
Episode 1

The Ribos Operation (1)

Episode 1 • Sep 02, 1978

The Magellanic Clouds, the planet Ribos, an unknown time. Ordered by the White Guardian to collect the pieces of the omnipotent Key to Time, The Doctor, K-9 and his new assistant Romana arrive. Collecting the first segment is not going to be easy…

6.0
25m
The Ribos Operation (2)
Episode 2

The Ribos Operation (2)

Episode 2 • Sep 09, 1978

Trying to obtain the first segment of the Key to Time, the Doctor and Romana are swept up in an elaborate con. The target – the homicidal Graff Vynda K.

6.0
25m
The Ribos Operation (3)
Episode 3

The Ribos Operation (3)

Episode 3 • Sep 16, 1978

Prisoners of the maniacal Graff Vynda K, the Doctor and Romana must break out and pursue the first segment – even as Unstoff takes it into the most dangerous place on Ribos.

6.0
25m
The Ribos Operation (4)
Episode 4

The Ribos Operation (4)

Episode 4 • Sep 23, 1978

Trapped in the catacombs between a mad warlord and ravenous monsters, the Doctor and Romana work desperately to obtain the segment of the Key to Time - and escape alive.

6.0
25m
The Pirate Planet (1)
Episode 5

The Pirate Planet (1)

Episode 5 • Sep 30, 1978

Planet Zanak, unknown time. The Doctor and Romana are seeking the planet Calufrax where the second segment waits. They are in the right place and the right time… but on the wrong planet.

7.2
25m
The Pirate Planet (2)
Episode 6

The Pirate Planet (2)

Episode 6 • Oct 07, 1978

The Doctor begins to investigate the mysteriously wealthy planet Zanak. Mentiads, a deranged Captain, strange omens, miraculous mines – what does it all mean? And what does it have to do with the Key to Time?

7.4
25m
The Pirate Planet (3)
Episode 7

The Pirate Planet (3)

Episode 7 • Oct 14, 1978

The Mentiads take the Doctor, Romana and Kimus to a reunion with K9 and Mula, where they set about trying to defeat the Captain.

7.4
25m
The Pirate Planet (4)
Episode 8

The Pirate Planet (4)

Episode 8 • Oct 21, 1978

The Captain and Xanxia work toward their secret goals. Both depends on the pirate planet consuming one more victim - Earth.

7.2
25m
The Stones of Blood (1)
Episode 9

The Stones of Blood (1)

Episode 9 • Oct 28, 1978

England, the late 1970s. The Doctor and Romana arrive in search of the third segment. But the Tracer readings are erratic and something ominous is happening with an ancient stone circle...

7.5
25m
The Stones of Blood (2)
Episode 10

The Stones of Blood (2)

Episode 10 • Nov 04, 1978

The quest for the Third Segment has landed the Doctor and Romana in the midst of a druidic cult centred on a stone circle. But the stones are not what they seem, and somewhere out there is a blood-thirsty Celtic goddess.

7.2
25m
The Stones of Blood (3)
Episode 11

The Stones of Blood (3)

Episode 11 • Nov 11, 1978

Chased by blood-thirsty stones, the Doctor must find a way to rescue Romana. What awaits him in the theoretical absurdity of hyperspace?

7.2
25m
The Stones of Blood (4)
Episode 12

The Stones of Blood (4)

Episode 12 • Nov 18, 1978

Facing a sentence of death from merciless justice machines, the Doctor must play for time while Romana tries to discover just who Vivian Fey really is.

7.4
25m
The Androids of Tara (1)
Episode 13

The Androids of Tara (1)

Episode 13 • Nov 25, 1978

Arriving on Tara, Romana locates the fourth segment of the Key to Time with ease. But getting it away proves more difficult, as she is captured by the scheming Count Grendel who wants the throne of Tara for himself.

6.6
25m
The Androids of Tara (2)
Episode 14

The Androids of Tara (2)

Episode 14 • Dec 02, 1978

The Doctor must employ a desperate gambit to keep the evil Grendel off the throne. And the Count has a new pawn to play - Romana.

6.2
25m
The Androids of Tara (3)
Episode 15

The Androids of Tara (3)

Episode 15 • Dec 09, 1978

The battle for control of Tara turns into a duel of wits between the Doctor and Grendel. But the Count shows he has more treacherous tricks up his sleeve.

6.5
25m
The Androids of Tara (4)
Episode 16

The Androids of Tara (4)

Episode 16 • Dec 16, 1978

Grendel plans two weddings and a funeral to cement his hold over Tara. The Doctor and K-9 race to foil him and save the Time Lady's life.

6.5
25m
The Power of Kroll (1)
Episode 17

The Power of Kroll (1)

Episode 17 • Dec 23, 1978

The Third Moon of Delta Magna, The Future. The Doctor and Romana arrive in search of the fifth segment and are immediately swept up in a conflict between the crew of a new refinery and the embittered natives…

5.2
25m
The Power of Kroll (2)
Episode 18

The Power of Kroll (2)

Episode 18 • Dec 30, 1978

The Doctor and Romana try to avoid being sacrificed to Kroll – just in time for the real monster to appear.

5.3
25m
The Power of Kroll (3)
Episode 19

The Power of Kroll (3)

Episode 19 • Jan 06, 1979

The massive Kroll is awake and killing anyone in its path. And the swampies are determined to appease it – by sacrificing the Doctor and Romana.

5.3
25m
The Power of Kroll (4)
Episode 20

The Power of Kroll (4)

Episode 20 • Jan 13, 1979

The Doctor and Romana are trapped between the monstrous Kroll and the insane refinery commander. And there is no sign of the fifth segment of the Key to Time.

5.3
25m
The Armageddon Factor (1)
Episode 21

The Armageddon Factor (1)

Episode 21 • Jan 20, 1979

Searching for the sixth segment, the Doctor and Romana land in the midst of a brutal nuclear war between the planets Atrios and Zeos.

6.7
25m
The Armageddon Factor (2)
Episode 22

The Armageddon Factor (2)

Episode 22 • Jan 27, 1979

Swept up in an apocalyptic war, the Doctor must help the Marshal defend his planet. But who or what controls the Marshal?

6.6
25m
The Armageddon Factor (3)
Episode 23

The Armageddon Factor (3)

Episode 23 • Feb 03, 1979

The Doctor meets a new enemy – the Shadow – who wants the Key to Time. And the Atrian-Zeon war is approaching an awful climax.

6.8
25m
The Armageddon Factor (4)
Episode 24

The Armageddon Factor (4)

Episode 24 • Feb 10, 1979

The Doctor is forced into a desperate gambit to prevent a massacre. But it is getting harder to tell friend from foe.

6.4
25m
The Armageddon Factor (5)
Episode 25

The Armageddon Factor (5)

Episode 25 • Feb 17, 1979

The Doctor and Romana finally venture into the Shadow's lair. The Shadow appears to hold all the cards but the Doctor has found an old friend.

6.2
25m
The Armageddon Factor (6)
Episode 26

The Armageddon Factor (6)

Episode 26 • Feb 24, 1979

The Doctor and the Shadow have their final confrontation to take control of the Key to Time. Completing it may entail an awful sacrifice. And the Black Guardian will do anything to obtain it and plunge the Universe into chaos.

6.6
25m