'The Time Warrior' (4 Parts) Story Code 'UUU' by Robert Holmes

UNIT is called in to investigate the disappearance of top scientists from a high security research centre. The Doctor discovers that they have been kidnapped by Linx, a member of a cloned race of alien warriors known as Sontarans, and taken back in time to medieval England, where they have been hypnotised and forced to repair his crashed spaceship. Using tracking equipment, the Doctor follows in the TARDIS, along with a stowaway, Sarah Jane Smith, a journalist who has impersonated her aunt, Lavinia Smith, an eminent virologist, in order to gain access to the centre. Lynx is using a local castle for shelter, having struck a deal with Irongron, a local robber baron: in return for a base of operations, Linx has supplied the baron with technological weaponry and a robot knight, so that Irongron can attack neighbouring castles. The Doctor allies himself with Sir Edward of Wessex, and helps to fight off one such attack. Sarah sneaks into Irongron's castle and drugs his food, and while the baron and his men are unconscious, the Doctor removes the weaponry, and, aided by Rubesh, one of the kidnapped scientists, returns the others back to the 20th century using Linx's primitive time machine. Lynx kills Irongron, and prepares to leave in his repaired ship, but Hal, an archer, fires an arrow into Linx's probic vent, his only vulnerable area - at the back of his neck. Linx is killed, but he falls onto his controls, and the Doctor and Sarah escape from the castle just as the ship explodes.

Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart) , Kevin Lindsay (Linx), Donald Pelmear (Professor Rubeish), David Daker (Irongron), John J. Carney (Bloodaxe), June Brown (Eleanor), Alan Rowe (Edward of Wessex), Jeremy Bulloch (Hal), Sheila Fay (Meg), Gordon Pitt (Eric) , Steve Brunswick (Sentry)

Produced by Barry Letts
Directed by Alan Bromly

TX:
Part 1 - 15th December, 1973 @ 5.10pm - 5.35pm
Part 2 - 22nd December, 1973 @ 5.45pm - 6.10pm
Part 3 - 29th December, 1973 @ 5.10pm - 5.35pm
Part 4 - 5th January, 1973 @ 5.30pm - 5.55pm

Notes:
*Featuring the Third Doctor, the Brigadier and UNIT, and introducing Sarah Jane Smith

*First appearance the Sontarans

*First mention of Galifrey, the name of the Doctor's home planet

*A new opening title sequence and closing credits background, designed by Bernard Lodge and created using a process called 'slit scan' is introduced, featuring Jon Pertwee's face and a new, diamond-shaped logo