<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Although the first few episodes of Doctor Who, Season 3 still credited original producer Verity Lambert, a handover to new producer John Wiles was already in its final stages. A new script editor, Donald Tosh, would replace Dennis Spooner around the same time. Wiles and Tosh decided that they wanted to take the show in a more adult direction: making it darker, scarier. This would be the first season in which companion characters would actually die. It would not be the last time that a production team would attempt to take the show in a more adult direction - nor the last time that such an attempt would be met with fierce resistance.

Wiles immediately had to deal with cast problems. Virtually the entire cast hated the scripts for season debut serial, Galaxy 4. Discussions with lead actor, William Hartnell at one point became so heated that Wiles threatend to fire Hartnell. He effectively did fire actress Maureen O'Brien (Vicki) by having her written out at the end of the next story. To replace her, the production team added the character of Trojan handmaiden Katarina. But, it quickly became obvious that a denizen of ancient Troy might be more difficult for the audience to relate to than the Doctor himself. Katarina would also be written out after only a few episodes. Yet another temporary companion, Sara Kingdom, would be created to accompany the Doctor during the course of the epic "The Daleks' Master Plan." However, it wasn't until the following story that a permanent replacement in the form of modern teenager Dorothea "Dodo" Chaplet was finally added.

Wiles would remain on icy terms with Hartnell, who disliked the production team's attempts to make the show more adult in nature. By the time the season was half completed, their working relationship had become completely untenable. Wiles went to his superiors at the BBC for permission to fire his lead actor. When his request was denied, Wiles resigned. In what Wiles would later call an act of unnecessary loyalty, Tosh would also resign.

For the last several stories a new producer, Innes Lloyd, and script editor, Gerry Davis, would be working behind the scenes. Lloyd, who was not a fan of science fiction, accepted the job only reluctantly and would soon petition for a transfer to another program.

In the meantime, the new team had ideas of their own. Lloyd and Davis felt that the show was too old fashioned and wanted to make it more in tune with the mid 1960s. To this end, they would write out companions Steven and Dodo, Steven in "The Savages," Dodo in "The War Machines." A new pair of companion characters, Ben Jackson and Polly Wright, who were seen as more current, would make their debut in the season's final story. Also, more stories would now be set on present day Earth.

Additionally, Lloyd and Davis felt the purely historical stories (those stories in which the Doctor himself was the only science fiction element) were unpopular and should be phased out.

The season is remembered chiefly for the massive epic, "The Daleks' Master Plan," which is well remembered by fans, but caused many viewers to tire of seeing the Daleks every week. Also, "The Celestial Toymaker" is considered a great classic. However, it is clear that the chaos behind the scenes this season led to inconsistant quality on screen. The stories this season are thought to range from outstanding to terrible.

This season began airing September 10, 1965. Ratings fell precipitously throughout the season, sinking to near cancellation levels by season close.

• Galaxy 4 (4 episodes)
• Mission to the Unknown (1 episode)
• The Myth Makers (4 episodes)
• The Daleks' Master Plan (12 episodes)
• The Massacre (4 episodes)
• The Ark (4 episodes)
• The Celestial Toymaker (4 episodes)
• The Gunfighters (4 episodes)
• The Savages (4 episodes)
• The War Machines (4 episodes)