Doctor Who — The Key to Time
26 episodesFirst aired 2 September 1978
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.
E1The Ribos Operation (1)
6.7Sept 197825m
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…
E2The Ribos Operation (2)
6.6Sept 197825m
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.
E3The Ribos Operation (3)
6.6Sept 197825m
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.
E4The Ribos Operation (4)
6.6Sept 197825m
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.
E5The Pirate Planet (1)
7.4Sept 197825m
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.
E6The Pirate Planet (2)
7.7Oct 197825m
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?
E7The Pirate Planet (3)
7.6Oct 197825m
The Mentiads take the Doctor, Romana and Kimus to a reunion with K9 and Mula, where they set about trying to defeat the Captain.
E8The Pirate Planet (4)
7.4Oct 197825m
The Captain and Xanxia work toward their secret goals. Both depends on the pirate planet consuming one more victim - Earth.
E9The Stones of Blood (1)
7.8Oct 197825m
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...
E10The Stones of Blood (2)
7.7Nov 197825m
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.
E11The Stones of Blood (3)
7.4Nov 197825m
Chased by blood-thirsty stones, the Doctor must find a way to rescue Romana. What awaits him in the theoretical absurdity of hyperspace?
E12The Stones of Blood (4)
7.4Nov 197825m
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.
E13The Androids of Tara (1)
6.9Nov 197825m
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.
E14The Androids of Tara (2)
6.6Dec 197825m
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.
E15The Androids of Tara (3)
6.8Dec 197825m
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.
E16The Androids of Tara (4)
6.8Dec 197825m
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.
E17The Power of Kroll (1)
6.1Dec 197825m
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…
E18The Power of Kroll (2)
5.9Dec 197825m
The Doctor and Romana try to avoid being sacrificed to Kroll – just in time for the real monster to appear.
E19The Power of Kroll (3)
5.7Jan 197925m
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.
E20The Power of Kroll (4)
5.7Jan 197925m
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.
E21The Armageddon Factor (1)
6.7Jan 197925m
Searching for the sixth segment, the Doctor and Romana land in the midst of a brutal nuclear war between the planets Atrios and Zeos.
E22The Armageddon Factor (2)
6.7Jan 197925m
Swept up in an apocalyptic war, the Doctor must help the Marshal defend his planet. But who or what controls the Marshal?
E23The Armageddon Factor (3)
6.8Feb 197925m
The Doctor meets a new enemy – the Shadow – who wants the Key to Time. And the Atrian-Zeon war is approaching an awful climax.
E24The Armageddon Factor (4)
6.6Feb 197925m
The Doctor is forced into a desperate gambit to prevent a massacre. But it is getting harder to tell friend from foe.
E25The Armageddon Factor (5)
6.4Feb 197925m
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.
E26The Armageddon Factor (6)
6.7Feb 197925m
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.
