The Avengers: Death On The Slipway

The AvengersThe 17th episode of Sydney Newman’s spy series The Avengers, starring Ian Hendry and Patrick Macnee, airs on UK broadcaster ABC. This episode is now missing from the archives, but will be recreated in audio form in the 21st century by Big Finish Productions.

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Armchair Theatre: Dumb Martian

Out Of This WorldBritish broadcaster ABC airs an episode of the play anthology series Armchair Theatre, Dumb Martian, adapted by Clive Exton from a story by John Wyndham. Originally intended to be the pilot of an all-science-fiction anthology called Out Of This World, this episode is aired as an episode of Armchair Theatre by a decision from producer (and future Doctor Who creator) Sydney Newman, whose protege, Irene Shubik, will be the new anthology’s story editor. Out Of The World begins its short run on ABC a week later. This episode no longer exists in the archives.

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Doctor Who: The Evil Of The Daleks, Part 6

Doctor WhoThe 168th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is the second Doctor’s second and final encounter with the Daleks, and this story also introduces Deborah Watling as new companion Victoria Waterfield. This episode is now missing from the BBC’s archives.

This timeline entry leads to an entry covering this entire Doctor Who serial; there are plans to write new episodic entries in the future. You can support this effort!
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Doctor Who: The Time Monster, Part 6

Doctor WhoThe 329th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Roger Delgado guest stars as the Master; future Star Wars star David Prowse appears as the Minotaur. This episode ends the ninth season.

This timeline entry leads to an entry covering this entire Doctor Who serial; there are plans to write new episodic entries in the future. You can support this effort!
Order Earl Green’s book VWORP!1 from theLogBook.com Store

Star Fleet Battles

Star Fleet BattlesTask Force Games publishes the tabletop wargame Star Fleet Battles, based on the 1960s TV series Star Trek (though not initially released as a licensed product). The game is created by Allen D. Eldridge & Stephen V. Cole, working under the collective name of the “Amarillo Design Bureau”, and will be reissued and updated in many guises in the years to come, taking in future additions to Star Trek lore from movies and television series yet to be released. Star Fleet Battles will also inspire later computer games such as Interplay’s Star Trek: Starfleet Command.

Soyuz T-6

Soyuz T-6The Soviet Union launches the Soyuz T-6 mission on a week-long flight into orbit, including a visit to space station Salyut 7. Cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Aleksandr Ivanchenkov and Jean-Loup Chretien – the latter being the first Frenchman in space – spend several days aboard Salyut 7 performing experiments. Chretien would fly on later missions aboard Mir and the American Space Shuttle.

Doctor Who Unbound: Sympathy For The Devil

Doctor Who UnboundBig Finish Productions releases the second Doctor Who Unbound audio drama, a limited series of unconnected audios that are also unconnected to the larger continuity of the Doctor Who universe. David Warner (Tron, Time Bandits) stars as an alternate Doctor, with Nicholas Courtney returning as the Brigadier; David Tennant guest stars. Read more

Risky spacewalk called off

International Space StationA risky spacewalk at the International Space Station is called off hurriedly, with astronaut Mike Fincke already through the open hatch. The oxygen container on Fincke’s spacesuit is the cause for concern, as mission controllers in Russia note that its pressure is rapidly dropping. Fincke and mission commander Gennady Padalka were en route to replace a circuit breaker, but due to a variety of other problems aboard the station they were exiting the station via the Russian-built airlock at the opposite end of the station from the breaker’s destination, requiring a 45-minute journey from one end of the station to the other. The spacewalk, rescheduled for a later date, will leave the station unoccupied with its entire crew outside for only the second time since the station became operational.

Richard Matheson, writer, dies

Richard MathesonSF/horror/fantasy author Richard Matheson dies at the age of 87. His novels and short stories have been fodder for Hollywood for over half a century, including I Am Legend (which, in addition to the Will Smith adaptation, had also been translated into The Last Man On Earth and The Omega Man, and is often credited as a primary influence in zombie fiction), What Dreams May Come, Somewhere In Time (inspired by the story “Bid Time Return”), A Stir Of Echoes and Duel (which inspired a TV movie which was Steven Spielberg’s first major directorial effort). Matheson also wrote episodes of The Twilight Zone (including Nightmare At 20,000 Feet, which was remade for Twilight Zone: The Movie), Star Trek (The Enemy Within), Amazing Stories, The Outer Limits and The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler (the pilot movies for what became the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker). Other movies inspired by his work included Trilogy Of Terror and The Box.

Doctor Who: World Enough And Time

Doctor WhoThe 840th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 141st episode since the series’ revival), starring Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, and Matt Lucas. Michelle Gomez and John Simm guest star in part one of a two-part story.

This entry is forthcoming.