UNIT dating controversy
Encyclopedia
The UNIT dating controversy is an ongoing debate in Doctor Who
fandom, concerning exactly when the stories featuring the fictional military organisation known as United Nations Intelligence Taskforce
, or more recently as the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, take place in the timeline of the television series.
The years during which UNIT operated in the original series run (it appeared in stories from 1968–1989) were not made clear and there has been much confusion and debate on the subject. Although there is strong evidence that at least some of the production team intended the UNIT stories to take place in the "near future", this policy was not consistently applied. Whether the stories take place contemporaneously with the broadcast dates, a few years in the future, or even a few years into the past is therefore arguable.
No television story from the original series which directly and literally features UNIT gives a clear date on screen. Dates are offered in several other stories but they have a habit of appearing at face value to contradict one another, whilst a host of unused dialogue and scenes, internal production memos, books by the contemporary creative team and other media have combined to confuse the matter further. It is not even clear when the contemporary production team intended the stories to be set, as different contributions on different occasions and people contradict each other.
stories in other media have also offered dates for the UNIT stories but have had little success in producing a clear answer:
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
fandom, concerning exactly when the stories featuring the fictional military organisation known as United Nations Intelligence Taskforce
United Nations Intelligence Taskforce
UNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
, or more recently as the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, take place in the timeline of the television series.
The years during which UNIT operated in the original series run (it appeared in stories from 1968–1989) were not made clear and there has been much confusion and debate on the subject. Although there is strong evidence that at least some of the production team intended the UNIT stories to take place in the "near future", this policy was not consistently applied. Whether the stories take place contemporaneously with the broadcast dates, a few years in the future, or even a few years into the past is therefore arguable.
No television story from the original series which directly and literally features UNIT gives a clear date on screen. Dates are offered in several other stories but they have a habit of appearing at face value to contradict one another, whilst a host of unused dialogue and scenes, internal production memos, books by the contemporary creative team and other media have combined to confuse the matter further. It is not even clear when the contemporary production team intended the stories to be set, as different contributions on different occasions and people contradict each other.
Established dates
The following precise, or near precise, dates are provided in dialogue:- In The Web of FearThe Web of FearThe Web of Fear is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 3 February to 9 March 1968. This serial — which marks the return of the Yeti, the Great Intelligence, and Professor Travers — is the sequel to The Abominable...
(1968), it is said in episode one by the museum curator Mr. Silverstein that the Yeti had been in the museum for thirty years, ever since he bought the Yeti from Professor Travers. In episode two, Anne Travers discusses her father's expedition to Tibet (depicted in the earlier serial The Abominable SnowmenThe Abominable SnowmenThe Abominable Snowmen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from September 30 to November 4, 1967. The story is notable for the introduction of recurring foes, the Yeti....
, 1967) with Victoria, asking: "And you met him - when was it you said? In 1935? In Tibet?", to which Victoria responds: "Yes!" Considering that the Yeti in the museum had been brought back from this expedition, the events of the Web of Fear took place in or after 1965 (30 years after 1935). But then Professor Travers says in a different scene that the original adventure was "over forty years ago." This apparent contradiction can be explained in one of two ways: 1) The Professor held the Yeti for ten years before giving it to the museum; or 2) the Professor remembered wrongly or misspoke. In an attempt to fix the apparent contradiction, Terrance Dicks, in his novelisation of the story, changed Mr. Silverstein's words from thirty years to forty, thus placing the events of the Web of Fear in or after 1975. In The InvasionThe Invasion (Doctor Who)The Invasion is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in eight weekly parts from 2 November to 21 December 1968...
(1968), the first story to feature UNIT, it is said that the events of The Web of Fear took place "about four years ago", which would set The Invasion in 1979 at the earliest, according to Terrance Dicks' chronology (and Professor Travers' comment). As a result the stories featuring UNIT and the ThirdThird DoctorThe Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....
and FourthFourth DoctorThe Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
Doctors would be set in the 1980s. However, if we use Mr. Silverstein's figure, the date for The Invasion would be circa 1969, thereby placing the stories featuring UNIT and the ThirdThird DoctorThe Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....
and FourthFourth DoctorThe Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
Doctors in the 1970s. - In Carnival of MonstersCarnival of MonstersCarnival of Monsters is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 27 January to 17 February 1973....
(1973), the Third Doctor's companion JoJo GrantJosephine "Jo" Grant is a fictional character played by Katy Manning in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
finds a copy of The Illustrated London News with a dateline of Saturday, April 3, 1926. She then says: "I just want you to admit the truth, that's all. Well, instead of swanning around some distant galaxy, we've slipped back about forty years in time and we're on a little cargo boat in the middle of the Indian Ocean". This would place the Third Doctor UNIT stories in the 1960s. - In Pyramids of MarsPyramids of MarsPyramids of Mars is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 25 October to 15 November 1975.-Synopsis:...
(1975), the Fourth Doctor's companion SarahSarah Jane SmithSarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running British BBC Television science-fiction series Doctor Who and its spin-offs K-9 and Company and The Sarah Jane Adventures....
states, "I'm from 1980". This would seem to place the Third and (most of the) Fourth Doctor UNIT stories in the late 1970s - or a very busy 1980 which contradicts references in several Third Doctor stories to previous adventures taking place "years" earlier. In RobotRobot (Doctor Who)Robot is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 28 December 1974 to 18 January 1975...
(1974/75), Sarah's Thinktank pass says "4th April" but omits a year. - In the spin-off K-9 and CompanyK-9 and CompanyK-9 and Company was a proposed television spin-off of the original programme run of Doctor Who . It was to feature former series regulars Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist played by Elisabeth Sladen, and K-9, a robotic dog. Both characters had been companions of the Fourth Doctor, but...
(28 December 1981), Sarah has been back on Earth for some years, with the Doctor having left K-9 Mark III as a present for her in 1978. Dialogue and a newspaper masthead confirm that the story is set in 18–25 December 1981. This would place the relevant UNIT stories in the mid 1970s at the very latest, unless the time-travelling Doctor left her at the end of The Hand of FearThe Hand of FearThe Hand of Fear is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 2 October to 23 October 1976...
at a point in time earlier than his adventures with her. The Fourth Doctor obtained K-9 Mark I and Mark II after Sarah Jane's departure. - In Four to DoomsdayFour to Doomsday*The working title for this story was Days Of Wrath.*Although Castrovalva was the first story aired which featured Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, this story was the first in the season to be produced....
(1982), the Fifth DoctorFifth DoctorThe Fifth Doctor is the fifth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison....
is attempting to get TeganTegan JovankaTegan Jovanka is a fictional character played by Janet Fielding in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An Australian airline stewardess and a native of Brisbane who was a companion of the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, she was a regular in the programme from 1981 to...
to her first day of work as an airline hostess on time and sets temporal coordinates for 28 February 1981, establishing the date she entered the TARDIS in LogopolisLogopolisLogopolis is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 28 February to 21 March 1981. It was Tom Baker's last story as the Doctor and marks the first appearance of Peter Davison in the role...
. Tegan is left behind at Heathrow in Time-FlightTime-FlightTime-Flight is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 22 March to 30 March 1982...
(1982) and when she rejoins the TARDIS in Arc of InfinityArc of InfinityArc of Infinity is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 3 January to 12 January 1983...
(1983) she states that she had worked that job for a time, implying that her return to the 20th Century was close in time to her initial departure. In Time-Flight, the Doctor wonders if Brigadier Lethbridge-StewartBrigadier Lethbridge-StewartBrigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Nicholas Courtney...
has become a General "by now", implying that it is several years since his last contact with UNIT and therefore setting the UNIT stories in the 1970s. - In Mawdryn UndeadMawdryn UndeadMawdryn Undead is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts from 1 February to 9 February 1983...
(1983), it is established that Lethbridge-Stewart retired in 1976 (and was not promoted to a General) and worked at a British public school from 1977 until at least 1983. Lethbridge-Stewart also states in dialogue that Sergeant BentonSergeant BentonSergeant Benton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by John Levene. He was the senior NCO of the British contingent of UNIT , an international organisation that defends the Earth...
left UNIT in 1979. The story features two timezones — 1977, which features celebrations of the Silver JubileeSilver Jubilee of Elizabeth IIThe Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth realms...
of Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, and 1983, which is repeatedly confirmed as taking place "six years" later. This is apparently incompatible with Sarah Jane Smith's "I'm from 1980" statement in Pyramids of Mars (above). - In BattlefieldBattlefield (Doctor Who)Battlefield is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from September 6 to September 27, 1989. It was the last appearance of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in Doctor Who....
(1989), the Brigadier has now retired from teaching and the Seventh DoctorSeventh DoctorThe Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
tells his companion AceAce (Doctor Who)Dorothy Gale McShane, better known by her nickname Ace, is a fictional character played by Sophie Aldred in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
(who is from the late 1980s) that they are "a few years in (her) future". The serial includes a few subtle hints (mostly relating to technology such as telephones) that it takes place later than the year of its transmission. The novelisation further confuses the issue by noting a car's tax disk is set to expire 30.6.99 and Elizabeth Shaw's UNIT ID was to expire 31.12.75. Other latter sources date the story to 1997. - UNIT is referenced in the 2007 episode, The Sound of DrumsThe Sound of Drums"The Sound of Drums" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 23 June 2007, and is the twelfth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series...
in which the President of the United States says the UN protocols for first contact with aliens were established in 1968; this date is consistent with The Invasion being broadcast in that year. - The Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
serials Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? is the fifth story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It forms the seventh and eighth episodes of the show's first series...
(2007) and The Temptation of Sarah Jane SmithThe Temptation of Sarah Jane SmithThe Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith is a story of The Sarah Jane Adventures which was broadcast on CBBC on 17 and 24 November 2008. It is the fifth serial of the second series.-Part 1:...
(2008) show Sarah Jane SmithSarah Jane SmithSarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running British BBC Television science-fiction series Doctor Who and its spin-offs K-9 and Company and The Sarah Jane Adventures....
as a 13-year-old in 1964 and as a baby in 1951 respectively. Sarah says that she is 23 in Invasion of the DinosaursInvasion of the DinosaursInvasion of the Dinosaurs is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 12 January to 16 February 1974.-Synopsis:...
(1974), making most of her stories contemporary with their original air dates. - At the end of The Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
story Revenge of the SlitheenRevenge of the SlitheenRevenge of the Slitheen is the second story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It comprises the first and second episodes of the show's first series, aired on BBC1, broadcast in two parts on September 24 and October 1, 2007, with the second being broadcast a...
, Sarah calls upon UNIT to clear up the mess left by the aliens. At the close of the phone call, she says "my love to the Brig", apparently confirming that the Brigadier is still alive in that time frame which is implied to be in 2008 or 2009 based on information given in the earlier story "Invasion of the BaneInvasion of the Bane-Sladen and Doctor Who:Elisabeth Sladen, who previously played Sarah Jane between 1973 and 1976. In 1981, she was offered the role again to ease the transition between the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, which she declined, but agreed to star in the pilot for the spin-off series K-9 and Company, which...
" and the main series. - The Brigadier appears in the Sarah Jane Adventures story Enemy of the BaneEnemy of the BaneEnemy of the Bane is a two-part story from the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures. It was broadcast on CBBC on 1 and 8 December 2008, and is the final serial of the second series...
which confirms the Brigadier is still alive and, though retired, still helps UNIT where possible. - In The Sontaran StratagemThe Sontaran Stratagem"The Sontaran Stratagem" is the fourth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 26 April 2008...
the Tenth DoctorTenth DoctorThe Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
tells Donna NobleDonna NobleDonna Noble is a fictional character played by Catherine Tate in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A secretary from Chiswick, London, she is a companion of the Tenth Doctor, appearing in one scene at the end of the final episode of the 2006 series,...
that he worked for UNIT "in the Seventies...or was it the Eighties?", a direct reference to (and avoidance of dealing with) the controversy. The succeeding episode, The Poison SkyThe Poison Sky"The Poison Sky" is the fifth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 3 May 2008. The episode features both former companion Martha Jones and the alien Sontarans...
also confirms that the Brigadier is still alive, and implies that he is still in service with UNIT. - A similar tongue-in-cheek reference is made in The Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
episode The Lost BoyThe Lost Boy (The Sarah Jane Adventures)The Lost Boy is the sixth story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It forms the ninth and tenth episodes of the show's first series...
part 1. A report about Sarah Jane and UNIT is shown which describes UNIT's "golden period that spanned the sixties, the seventies, and some would say, the eighties."
Contradictory clues
In addition, there are many other contradictory details that confuse the picture.- Some stories feature calendars, but these can contradict one another. The Green DeathThe Green DeathThe Green Death is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast in six weekly parts from 19 May 1973 to 23 June 1973. It was the last to feature Katy Manning as companion Jo Grant in Doctor Who...
(1973) features four such references. One in a leap yearLeap yearA leap year is a year containing one extra day in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year...
when February 29 falls on a Tuesday (1972 is the only one in the 1960s-1990s), another on Thursday 5 April (1973), a third sometime in May and a fourth on Sunday 28 April (1974). In The Android InvasionThe Android InvasionThe Android Invasion is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 22 November to 13 December 1975. It marks the last appearance of UNIT Character Sergeant Benton...
(1975) a calendar in a fake pub shows the date as Friday 6 July (1973, 1979, 1984 or 1990) but there is no indication whether this indicates when the fake pub was set up, when the information came from, when the invasion is scheduled for or is merely a random date. However, there is evidence that the days of the week in the Doctor Who universe may be out of sync with those in reality - the serial The War MachinesThe War MachinesThe War Machines is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in 4 weekly parts from 25 June to 16 July 1966...
quotes several cases of day and date, but these are wrong for 1966, the year the serial was later established as taking place (in The Faceless OnesThe Faceless OnesThe Faceless Ones is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from April 8 to May 13, 1967. The story concerns a race of identity-stealing aliens known as the Chameleons...
). - Where politics are concerned, the stories offer a very different picture from the real-life time when they were transmitted. The Prime Minister of the United KingdomPrime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
is called "Jeremy" in The Green Death (intended to be LiberalLiberal Party (UK)The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
leader Jeremy ThorpeJeremy ThorpeJohn Jeremy Thorpe is a British former politician who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976 and was the Member of Parliament for North Devon from 1959 to 1979. His political career was damaged when an acquaintance, Norman Scott, claimed to have had a love affair with Thorpe at a time...
who never attained that position) and is a woman in Terror of the ZygonsTerror of the ZygonsTerror of the Zygons is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 30 August to 20 September 1975...
(1975), four years before Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
became the first female to attain the position. In RobotRobot (Doctor Who)Robot is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 28 December 1974 to 18 January 1975...
(1974) a newspaper clipping refers to Edward HeathEdward HeathSir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
as a leading figure in opposition, defending the record of his government, implying a contemporary setting. In the much later BattlefieldBattlefield (Doctor Who)Battlefield is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from September 6 to September 27, 1989. It was the last appearance of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in Doctor Who....
, the monarch of the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is a King. Even later still, Queen Elizabeth is referenced in the revived series episode "DoomsdayDoomsday (Doctor Who)"Doomsday" is the thirteenth and final episode in the second series of the revival of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 8 July 2006 and is the conclusion of a two-part story; the first part, "Army of Ghosts", was broadcast on 1 July 2006...
", set sometime in 2007. The United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
is more interventionist than its 1970s real-life counterpart, whilst the Cold WarCold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
at times is on the verge of turning into World War IIIWorld War IIIWorld War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
in some of the earlier stories like Day of the DaleksDay of the DaleksDay of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 1 January to 22 January 1972.-Synopsis:...
(1972) but by Invasion of the DinosaursInvasion of the DinosaursInvasion of the Dinosaurs is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 12 January to 16 February 1974.-Synopsis:...
and RobotRobot (Doctor Who)Robot is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 28 December 1974 to 18 January 1975...
the Cold War is over. Supporting a contemporary date for Day of the Daleks would be the reference to the massing of troops on the Sino-Soviet border, which would had reflected memories of the then recent Sino-Soviet warSino-Soviet border conflictThe Sino–Soviet border conflict was a seven-month military conflict between the Soviet Union and China at the height of the Sino–Soviet split in 1969. The most serious of these border clashes occurred in March 1969 in the vicinity of Zhenbao Island on the Ussuri River, also known as Damanskii...
of 1969. - In The Mind of EvilThe Mind of EvilThe Mind of Evil is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 30 January to 6 March 1971.-Plot:...
(1971), Mao ZedongMao ZedongMao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
is described as the leader of ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, which would thus place the events of The Mind of Evil during the period when Mao was in power between 1949-1976. Since in the same story, Britain has abolished capital punishment, the events of The Mind of Evil would had to occur after 1964, when capital punishment was abolished in Britain and no later then 1976, the year that Mao died. In addition, the Chinese characters in The Mind of Evil wear the type of Mao suitMao suitThe modern Chinese tunic suit is a style of male attire known in China as the Zhongshan suit , and known in the West as the Mao suit...
that was abandoned in the early 1980s. Supporting a contemporary date for The Mind of Evil would be the fact that there is a peace conference (perhaps a reference to the then on-going Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
) in which representatives of the United States and China are to meet for the first time, which would have been a striking and unusual occurrence in early 1971, when the story was aired. This is reliant on events in the (Doctor Who) universe unfolding as per "our" world, something not at all assured, given the different political history of (for instance) Britain. - The Web of Fear (1968) and Invasion of the DinosaursInvasion of the DinosaursInvasion of the Dinosaurs is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 12 January to 16 February 1974.-Synopsis:...
(1974) have sequences set in the London UndergroundLondon UndergroundThe London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. The route maps and station names shown are consistent with the real life London Underground at the time of the broadcast of the story. Part of Invasion of the Dinosaurs takes place in a base hidden beneath Trafalgar Square station. In real life, the Bakerloo LineBakerloo LineThe Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
Trafalgar Square station combined with the Northern LineNorthern LineThe Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
Strand station and new Jubilee lineJubilee LineThe Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...
platforms in 1979 to form the present Charing Cross tube stationCharing Cross tube stationCharing Cross tube station is a London Underground station at Charing Cross in the City of Westminster with entrances located in Trafalgar Square and The Strand. The station is served by the Northern and Bakerloo lines and provides an interchange with the National Rail network at station...
. - With a few exceptions, no stories attempt to predict future fashions or technology, except when it is central to the plot. The result is that the stories made in the 1970s look very strongly like the 1970s.
- In The Ambassadors of DeathThe Ambassadors of DeathThe Ambassadors of Death is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from March 21 to May 2, 1970.-Plot:...
(1970), Sergeant BentonSergeant BentonSergeant Benton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by John Levene. He was the senior NCO of the British contingent of UNIT , an international organisation that defends the Earth...
comments that the distress signal SOSSOSSOS is the commonly used description for the international Morse code distress signal...
was done away with "years ago." - On the occasions that money is mentioned, most amounts given correspond to those in use at the time, such as Spearhead from SpaceSpearhead from SpaceSpearhead from Space is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 3 January to 24 January 1970. The serial opened Series 7 of the show and was the first to be produced in colour. The serial introduced Jon Pertwee as the...
and Doctor Who and the SiluriansDoctor Who and the SiluriansDoctor Who and the Silurians is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from January 31 to March 14, 1970. The story is the first appearance of a recurring family of Earth-dwelling reptiles...
(both 1970) featuring pre-decimal currency whilst it costs 2 pence for a telephone call in The Seeds of DoomThe Seeds of DoomThe Seeds of Doom is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 31 January to 6 March 1976...
(1976), even though in real life the United Kingdom adopted decimal currency in 1971 and was subject to significant inflation. In the later Battlefield, a vodka and Coke, a glass of lemonade and a glass of water in a village pub costs 5 poundsPound sterlingThe pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
(paid for with a £5 coin that, as of 2010, is not in common circulation). Compare The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
(1978), in which £5 is enough for Ford PrefectFord Prefect (character)Ford Prefect is a fictional character in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by the British author Douglas Adams. He is the only character other than the protagonist, Arthur Dent, to appear throughout the entire Hitchhiker's saga.-Name:Although Ford had taken great care to blend into Earth...
to buy six pints of beer and leave a generous tip. - The technology displayed on occasion is significantly more advanced than reality. In The Ambassadors of Death and The Android Invasion the United Kingdom has a fully functional space programmeHuman spaceflightHuman spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites....
that is able to send missions to MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and JupiterJupiterJupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, respectively. However, The Christmas Invasion, said to take place in 2006, depicts the UK has only having just sent its first unmanned probe to Mars. LaserLaserA laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
guns are in development in Robot and then used by UNIT in The Seeds of Doom. Many of the science establishments seen are engaged in extremely advanced research. On most occasions, however, UNIT personnel are armed and equipped with contemporary or slightly dated/surplus British military equipment (notably L1A1 SLR battle rifleBattle rifleA battle rifle is a military service rifle that fires a full power rifle cartridge, such as 7.62x51mm NATO. While the designation of battle rifle is usually given to post-World War II select fire infantry rifles such as the H&K G3, the FN FAL or the M14, this term can also apply to older military...
s and 58 pattern webbing58 pattern webbing1958 pattern webbing was a modular based personal equipment system issued to the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom from the 1950s up until the mid 80s. It replaced the 1937 Pattern Web Equipment that had served the UK's Armed Forces through the Second World War and the first decade of the cold war...
). - The BBC has a third channel, BBC 3, in The DæmonsThe DæmonsThe Dæmons is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in five weekly parts from May 22 to June 19, 1971.-Plot:...
(1971). In 1971, the BBC had only two terrestrialTerrestrial televisionTerrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
channels (though had aspirations to launch a third channel in subsequent years). The actual BBC ThreeBBC ThreeBBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
, a digitalDigital televisionDigital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
channel, was not launched until 2003.
Off-screen evidence
Published books, contemporary interviews, publicity material and behind the scenes documents all point to a degree of uncertainty amongst the production team as well. For example:- A document prepared during the making of The InvasionThe Invasion (Doctor Who)The Invasion is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in eight weekly parts from 2 November to 21 December 1968...
by director Douglas CamfieldDouglas CamfieldDouglas Gaston Sydney Camfield was an accomplished director for television from the 1960s to the 1980s. His programme credits include Z-Cars, Paul Temple, Van der Valk, The Sweeney, Shoestring, The Professionals, Out of the Unknown, The Nightmare Man, the BBC dramatisation of Beau Geste and...
states that he assumed the story was set in 1976. - The Radio TimesRadio TimesRadio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
and an announcement at the start of the original transmission of the first episode of The Invasion both state that the story takes place in 1975. Announcements and publicity material were normally produced by the series' production office, usually by the script editor. - In a pair of 1969 interviews then-producer Derrick SherwinDerrick SherwinDerrick Sherwin is a British television producer, writer, and actor. He is best known as the story editor and later producer of Doctor Who...
and newly cast Doctor Jon PertweeJon PertweeJohn Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
told the press that the series (and thus the UNIT stories) would be set in a near future time when things such as space stations would become reality, with Pertwee confirming this would be in the 1980s. - A recorded but unused line in The Claws of AxosThe Claws of Axos-Writing:In late 1969, script editor Terrance Dicks contacted new writing duo Bob Baker and Dave Martin after reading a draft script they had sent around the BBC for another production, A Man's Life. After offering the duo a seven-part story in November 1969 for Doctor Whos eighth season, Baker and...
(1971) discusses comets due in the period 1969–1975, strongly pointing to an early 1970s setting for the story. By this time Sherwin had moved on as producer. - The 1972 book The Making of Doctor Who, written by then-script editorScript editorA script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television programmes, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production...
Terrance DicksTerrance DicksTerrance Dicks is an English writer, best known for his work in television and for writing a large number of popular children's books during the 1970s and 80s.- Early career :...
and regular writer Malcolm HulkeMalcolm HulkeMalcolm Hulke was a British television writer and author of the industry "bible" Writing for Television in the 70s...
, dates Spearhead from Space to 1970. However the second edition of 1976 (rewritten by Dicks alone, after he had stepped down as Script Editor) does not specify a date. - In the original shooting script for The Time WarriorThe Time WarriorThe Time Warrior is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from December 15, 1973 to January 5, 1974. This serial introduced Elisabeth Sladen as new companion Sarah Jane Smith. It also marked the debut of the Sontarans...
, during Sarah Jane's interrogation by Linx, she was asked what year she had come from. The answer was an unequivocal "1974." The line was dropped from the script before the episode was filmed. - The 1974 novelisation of The Sea DevilsThe Sea DevilsThe Sea Devils is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from February 26 to April 1, 1972.-Synopsis:...
(1971), also by Hulke, refers to North Sea oilNorth Sea oilNorth Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid oil and natural gas, produced from oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea.In the oil industry, the term "North Sea" often includes areas such as the Norwegian Sea and the area known as "West of Shetland", "the Atlantic Frontier" or "the...
starting to be exploited in 1978, indicating an early 1980s setting for the story. - The 1981 Writers' Guide for the proposed series of K-9 and Company stated that Sarah's travels with the Doctor took place between 1973 and 1976, coinciding with the real-life tenure of actress Elisabeth SladenElisabeth SladenElisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen was an English actress best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series Doctor Who. She was a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, and reprised the role many times in subsequent decades, both on...
, who portrayed her. - Mawdryn Undead was originally written with a different former companion in mind (Ian ChestertonIan ChestertonIan Chesterton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and a companion of the First Doctor. He was played in the series by William Russell, and was one of the members of the programme's very first regular cast, appearing in the bulk of the first two...
) and much has been made of how this generated the UNIT dating "mistake", though other early 1980s stories and the above mentioned guide support Mawdryn Undeads dating of the story. - The "official" UNIT websiteDoctor Who tie-in websitesThe 2005 series revival of the long-running British science fiction television programme Doctor Who features several tie-in websites produced by the BBC website team that viewers can access on the Internet...
(http://www.unit.org.uk) produced by the BBC for the 2005 series notes in its history section that UNIT was formed in 1968 in response to the "London Underground" incident (The Web of Fear), and in its news section that January 25, 2005 was the 35th anniversary of UNIT's involvement in "Project Waxwork" (the concluding episode of Spearhead from Space was broadcast on January 24, 1970). These would date the stories as being contemporaneous with their original broadcast. With a joking nod to the fan controversy over dating of the original stories, the site also notes that "[UNIT] quickly expanded, making our presence felt in a golden period that spanned the sixties, the seventies, and, some would say, the eighties." A printed version of the document, with the joke still legible, appeared in Part 2 of The Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
episode The Lost BoyThe Lost Boy (The Sarah Jane Adventures)The Lost Boy is the sixth story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It forms the ninth and tenth episodes of the show's first series...
. - The "official" Guinevere One website (http://www.guinevere.org.uk/index.html), a tie-in to The Christmas Invasion, establishes that Britain did have a space programme that was active into the 70s; the British Rocket Group (brought from QuatermassQuatermassQuatermass may best be known as the surname of the title character of a British science fiction franchise of several television serials and films, and a radio production...
into Who in Remembrance of the Daleks) were the key force. It is mentioned the space program restarted after the change of government in 1997 (which could be a reference to the Who novel The Dying DaysThe Dying DaysThe Dying Days is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was last of that range to feature the Doctor and the only one of that range to feature Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor. Thereafter the series centred around...
, which featured the restarted British Mars Probe missions in 1997). - The website for The Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/sja/) includes a video clip that covers highlights from Sarah's career as a journalist. The clip gives the years for Invasion of the Dinosaurs and The Seeds of Doom as 1974 and 1976 respectively, making the stories contemporaneous with their year of broadcast.
Spin-offs
Spin-offDoctor Who spin-offs
Doctor Who spin-offs refers to material created outside of, but related to, the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
stories in other media have also offered dates for the UNIT stories but have had little success in producing a clear answer:
- The 1993 radio play The Paradise of DeathThe Paradise of DeathThe Paradise of Death is a radio audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced by the BBC and first broadcast in five episodes on BBC Radio 5 from 27 August to 24 September 1993. The original radio play was released on CD as part of the BBC...
by early 1970s producer Barry LettsBarry LettsBarry Leopold Letts was a British actor, television director, writer and producer best known for his work on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and for producing the BBC's Sunday Classic drama serials in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
is set at the time of the later Third Doctor stories and appears to have a 1990s setting, most notably references to virtual realityVirtual realityVirtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
. (In the 1994 novelisation, however, Letts limits these references.) - The sequel, 1996's The Ghosts of N-SpaceThe Ghosts of N-SpaceThe Ghosts of N-Space is a radio audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was recorded in 1994 and finally broadcast in six parts on BBC Radio 2 from January 20 to February 24, 1996. This was the second Third Doctor radio play, following The...
, which is set again around the last Third Doctor stories, sees the sighting of a comet which appears every "157 years" and which was last seen in "1818", making it 1975. - The novels in the New AdventuresVirgin New AdventuresThe Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
and the Missing AdventuresVirgin Missing AdventuresThe Virgin Missing Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which had been cancelled in 1989, featuring stories set between televised episodes of the programme. The novels were published from 1994 to 1997, and...
line written in the 1990s took the editorial view that the television stories were set some time in or around the 1970s and left it down to individual authors to decide on dates. This resulted in a number of contradictions: for example, the events of The Invasion have been variously dated to the late 1960s, mid-1970s and late 1970s. The novel Who Killed KennedyWho Killed KennedyWho Killed Kennedy is an original novel written by David Bishop and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
by David BishopDavid BishopDavid Bishop is a screenwriter and author. Born in New Zealand, he was a UK comics editor during the 1990s, running such titles as the Judge Dredd Megazine and 2000 AD, the latter between 1996 and the summer of 2000....
sets the UNIT stories at around the time of their original transmission. The Alternative History series of books (mostly Paul CornellPaul CornellPaul Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield....
's No FutureNo FutureNo Future is an original novel written by Paul Cornell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Cornell, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #209...
) establish that the Meddling MonkMeddling MonkThe Meddling Monk, or simply The Monk, was a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Played by the British comic actor Peter Butterworth, the character appeared in two stories: as an adversary of the First Doctor.Other than the...
has been tampering with proper history in the UNIT years, such as inventing the CD decades too early, providing a catch-all explanation for the dating controversy. The New Adventures novel Return of the Living DadReturn of the Living DadReturn of the Living Dad is an original novel written by Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris and Roz, Bernice and Jason....
by Kate OrmanKate OrmanKate Orman is an Australian author, best known for her books connected to the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who.-Biography:...
, parodies the dating controversy by introducing "fans" of the Doctor who, due to government censorship of alien invasions, know he worked for UNIT, but cannot work out exactly when. - The author's introduction to the Past Doctor AdventuresPast Doctor AdventuresThe Past Doctor Adventures were a series of spin-off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and published under the BBC Books imprint. For most of their existence, they were published side-by-side with the Eighth Doctor Adventures...
novel The Face of the EnemyThe Face of the Enemy (Doctor Who)The Face of the Enemy is a BBC Books original novel written by David A. McIntee and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.It is a sequel to the Third Doctor serial Inferno...
, by David A. McInteeDavid A. McIntee-Biography:McIntee has written many spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, as well as one each based on Final Destination and Space: 1999. He has also written a non-fiction book on Star Trek: Voyager and one jointly on the Alien and Predator movie franchises...
, suggests that Mawdryn Undead may take place in a parallel universeParallel universe (fiction)A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
where the Brigadier retired in 1976. Dave StoneDave Stone-Biography:Stone has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and Judge Dredd.Stone also contributed a number of comic series to 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, focusing on the Dreddverse...
's Past Doctors Adventures novel Heart of TARDISHeart of TARDISHeart of TARDIS is a BBC Books original novel written by Dave Stone and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
features a UNIT which is active under Lethbridge-Stewart's leadership in the 1980s, although there are further contradictions with established Doctor Who history and it is possible that Stone is less than serious. In Lawrence MilesLawrence MilesLawrence Miles is a science fiction author known for his work on original Doctor Who novels and the subsequent spin-off Faction Paradox...
's Interference: Book OneInterference: Book OneInterference: Book One is an original novel written by Lawrence Miles and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, Sarah comments to the Eighth Doctor about her uncertainty as to when she travelled with him. The Doctor replies that some "time slippage" occurred and that it was his fault, but does not elaborate further. - Ben AaronovitchBen AaronovitchBen Denis Aaronovitch is a London-born British writer who has worked on television series including Doctor Who, Casualty, Jupiter Moon and Dark Knight...
, author of Battlefield, in a chronology prepared in-house for New Adventures writers, states that the story is supposed to take place around 1997. - In the Big Finish ProductionsBig Finish ProductionsBig Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
audio play UNIT: The CoupUNIT: The CoupUNIT: The Coup is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It stars Nicholas Courtney reprising his role as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, the former commander of UNIT...
, the now-General Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart states that UNIT has been fighting alienExtraterrestrial lifeExtraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
invasions for forty years, and that he "put down" a SilurianSilurian (Doctor Who)The Silurians are a fictional race of reptile-like humanoids in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The species first appeared in Doctor Who in the 1970 serial Doctor Who and the Silurians...
base thirty years before. Of course, these could be approximations, and there is no indication in which year The Coup takes place. However, in UNIT: The Longest NightUNIT: The Longest NightUNIT: The Longest Night is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It continues the story of UNIT...
, the character of Captain Andrea Winnington is said to have been born in the 1980s, which would set the events of the audio plays in the mid-to-late 2000s at the very earliest, and therefore place the events that Sir Alistair speaks of in the mid-to-late 1970s. - It is stated that when Sam was released from prison in 1967Revolution ManRevolution Man is an original novel written by Paul Leonard and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Sam and Fitz.-Plot:...
, there was a document containing the Brigadier's initials and the UNIT call sign, although both the Doctor and Sam knew that the Brigadier was still a Colonel and UNIT didn't exist back then. This strongly applies to the dates of both The InvasionThe InvasionThe Invasion was a professional wrestling storyline in the World Wrestling Federation that began shortly after the WWF's purchase of World Championship Wrestling...
and The Web of FearThe Web of FearThe Web of Fear is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 3 February to 9 March 1968. This serial — which marks the return of the Yeti, the Great Intelligence, and Professor Travers — is the sequel to The Abominable...
in their respective order above.