Season 3 poster

Season 3

(1965)

Overview

At twelve episodes, The Daleks' Master Plan was the longest story in the show's history until superseded by the fourteen-episode The Trial of a Time Lord in 1986. The season also had the greatest number of different companions (seven) and producers (three). This was the longest season in the history of the franchise to date, at 45 episodes. It also featured the first appearance of actor Nicholas Courtney, although not in his most famous role as the Brigadier. The Daleks' Master Plan also saw th…

Cast

William Hartnell as The Doctor
William Hartnell

as The Doctor

Episodes

Four Hundred Dawns poster

Four Hundred Dawns 6.0

September 11, 1965

After an encounter with a hostile robot called a Chumblie, the Doctor and his companions are rescued by a group of fema…

Trap of Steel poster

Trap of Steel 5.7

September 18, 1965

With the knowledge that the planet will be destroyed in two days, the Drahvins instruct the Doctor to help them steal t…

Air Lock poster

Air Lock 5.5

September 25, 1965

The Doctor and Vicki encounter the Rills and learn the situation is more complex than they thought while Steven finds t…

The Exploding Planet poster

The Exploding Planet 5.7

October 2, 1965

The Doctor and Vicki enlist the aid of the Chumblies to rescue Steven from the Drahvins and then find a way off the pla…

Mission to the Unknown poster

Mission to the Unknown 6.5

October 9, 1965

Whilst The Doctor, Steven and Vicki are traveling to their next destination. On the planet Kembel, Marc Cory, a Space S…

Temple of Secrets poster

Temple of Secrets 5.7

October 16, 1965

The TARDIS lands in the middle of the Trojan War, where the Doctor is mistaken for the god Zeus.

Small Prophet, Quick Return poster

Small Prophet, Quick Return 5.3

October 23, 1965

While Odysseus forces the Doctor to find a way to win the war, Steven decides to get himself taken prisoner in order to…

Death of a Spy poster

Death of a Spy 5.7

October 30, 1965

With Steven and Vicki being held prisoner by the Trojans, the Doctor's only hope of seeing them again is to suggest the…

Horse of Destruction poster

Horse of Destruction 5.7

November 6, 1965

The Doctor waits inside the Trojan Horse for a chance to reach his companions but Steven's assumed identity as a Greek …

The Nightmare Begins poster

The Nightmare Begins 6.7

November 13, 1965

The Doctor runs afoul of the Daleks and Special Security Agent Bret Vyon on the planet Kembel.

Day of Armageddon poster

Day of Armageddon 6.0

November 20, 1965

The Doctor infiltrates the Daleks' conference to try and discover their plans, leaving Steven, Katarina and Bret to fin…

Devil's Planet poster

Devil's Planet 6.7

November 27, 1965

The Doctor and his friends escape Kembel in the Spar ship but the Daleks force them down on the planet Desperus, where …

The Traitors poster

The Traitors 6.7

December 4, 1965

With Katarina being held hostage, the Doctor, Steven and Bret are in danger of having to given in to Kirksen's demands,…

Counter Plot poster

Counter Plot 6.0

December 11, 1965

The Doctor, Steven and Sara are accidentally transported to the planet Mira where Chen sends the Daleks after them.

Coronas of the Sun poster

Coronas of the Sun 6.0

December 18, 1965

The Doctor, Steven and Sara escape Mira in a Dalek pursuit ship but when they find the ship is returning to Kembel, the…

The Feast of Steven poster

The Feast of Steven 5.3

December 25, 1965

The Doctor, Steven and Sara visit a Liverpool police station on Christmas Day and a Hollywood film set during the 1920s.

Volcano poster

Volcano 6.0

January 1, 1966

The Daleks realise the Doctor has given them a fake Taranium Core while, on the planet Tigus, the Doctor encounters the…

Golden Death poster

Golden Death 6.0

January 8, 1966

The Doctor, Steven and Sara travel to Ancient Egypt, pursued by both the Daleks and the Meddling Monk.

Escape Switch poster

Escape Switch 5.7

January 15, 1966

Steven, Sara and the Monk are captured by the Daleks in order to force the Doctor to hand over the Taranium Core.

The Abandoned Planet poster

The Abandoned Planet 6.0

January 22, 1966

The Doctor, Steven and Sara reach Kembel where they find the Daleks have betrayed their allies and imprisoned them.

Destruction of Time poster

Destruction of Time 6.7

January 29, 1966

With the Daleks poised to invade the solar system, the Doctor decides his only option is to activate the Time Destructo…

War of God poster

War of God 7.0

February 5, 1966

The TARDIS lands in sixteenth century Paris and Steven becomes involved with a group of Huguenots.

The Sea Beggar poster

The Sea Beggar 6.8

February 12, 1966

While trying to find the Doctor, Steven discovers a conspiracy to assassinate a man known as the Sea Beggar.

Priest of Death poster

Priest of Death 6.8

February 19, 1966

Steven has discovered the identity of the Sea Beggar, but can he warn the Huguenots in time?

Bell of Doom poster

Bell of Doom 7.2

February 26, 1966

Steven rejoins the Doctor and they leave Paris just ahead of the massacre, leaving Anne behind.

The Steel Sky poster

The Steel Sky 5.8

March 5, 1966

The Doctor, Steven and Dodo arrive on a giant spaceship millions of years in the future, transporting the last humans a…

The Plague poster

The Plague 5.7

March 12, 1966

With the Ark infected with a cold virus, the Doctor must convince the Guardians to trust him so he can find a cure.

The Return poster

The Return 6.0

March 19, 1966

The Doctor, Steven and Dodo have travelled 700 years into the future and find that the Ark is now under the control of …

The Bomb poster

The Bomb 5.3

March 26, 1966

The Monoids abandon the Ark, leaving Steven and the Guardians to die, but a mutiny in their ranks may give the Doctor a…

The Celestial Toyroom poster

The Celestial Toyroom 5.3

April 2, 1966

The Doctor, Steven and Dodo arrive in the realms of the Celestial Toymaker, who forces them to play his deadly games.

The Hall of Dolls poster

The Hall of Dolls 5.0

April 9, 1966

While the Doctor continues to play the Trilogic Game with the Toymaker, Steven and Dodo are involved in a deadly game o…

The Dancing Floor poster

The Dancing Floor 5.0

April 16, 1966

Steven and Dodo are forced to cross the dancing floor, where the Toymaker's dolls plan to force them to dance for etern…

The Final Test poster

The Final Test 5.3

April 23, 1966

As the Doctor nears the end of his game against the Toymaker, Steven and Dodo take on Cyril in a lethal game of hopscot…

A Holiday for the Doctor poster

A Holiday for the Doctor 5.2

April 30, 1966

The TARDIS arrives in Tombstone, Arizona in 1891. Where the Doctor is looking for a dentist when he has a toothache, wh…

Don't Shoot the Pianist poster

Don't Shoot the Pianist 6.0

May 7, 1966

With the Clantons believing the Doctor to be Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp takes him into protective custody but this leaves…

Johnny Ringo poster

Johnny Ringo 6.7

May 14, 1966

Earp comes to Steven's rescue and arrests Phineas Clanton, prompting the Clantons to decide to enlist the help of Johnn…

The O.K. Corral poster

The O.K. Corral 6.0

May 21, 1966

The Clantons have shot Warren Earp, leading to a showdown between the two families with the Doctor powerless to prevent…

The Savages (1) poster

The Savages (1) 5.7

May 28, 1966

The Doctor, Steven and Dodo arrive in the far future and are welcomed by the advanced civilisation of the Elders but so…

The Savages (2) poster

The Savages (2) 5.7

June 4, 1966

The Doctor, Steven and Dodo investigate why there are Savages in the Elders' city and uncover the true price of the Eld…

The Savages (3) poster

The Savages (3) 5.7

June 11, 1966

The Doctor has been subjected to the Elders' extraction process and Steven and Dodo must return to their city to rescue…

The Savages (4) poster

The Savages (4) 5.7

June 18, 1966

The Doctor urges the Savages to finally bring an end to the Elders' oppression and enlists the help of an unlikely ally…

The War Machines (1) poster

The War Machines (1) 7.0

June 25, 1966

The Doctor and Dodo return to London in the present day where the Doctor becomes concerned about WOTAN, a new super-com…

The War Machines (2) poster

The War Machines (2) 6.7

July 2, 1966

Dodo is under the control of WOTAN and attempts to lure the Doctor into a trap, while the rest of WOTAN's slaves begin …

The War Machines (3) poster

The War Machines (3) 6.7

July 9, 1966

Ben tries to escape from the warehouse but is captured by Polly, who is now also under WOTAN's control, and forced to w…

The War Machines (4) poster

The War Machines (4) 7.0

July 16, 1966

The first War Machine is defeated but the Doctor only has a matter of hours to destroy WOTAN before the rest of its arm…