BBC1 premieres the 40th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7, the first episode of the series’ fourth season. Due to a last-minute pickup by the BBC, the series has to reboot from this point with a new ship, new sets, costumes, props, and a new direction decided on without significant input from series creator Terry Nation. Jan Chappell provides a voice-over for Cally, who doesn’t appear in person. Glynis Barber is introduced as new series regular Soolin. 
A musical ode to video gaming starts climbing the charts as Buckner & Garcia issue their single Pac-Man Fever (a full album, filled out with other video game tribute songs, will follow in 1982). Shortly before the album’s release, the “Pac-Man Fever” single peaks in the Billboard Hot 100 at #9, having sold over a million copies.
BBC1 premieres the 41st episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7, concluding the opening two-episode story of Avon and crew securing a new ship and base for themselves.
BBC1 premieres the 42nd episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Jacqueline Pearce returns as Servalan, attempting to hide her identity as Federation Commissioner Sleer. (Sleer was devised as a new character during pre-production for the fourth season when it appeared that Pearce would not return to the series; upon the actress’ return, Sleer is rewritten as Servalan’s alias after her fall from the presidency.)
General Computer Corp., a small company making “grey market” modification kits to freshen up Pac-Man and Missile Command arcade games, cuts a deal with Midway, the American licensee for Pac-Man, handing over the code to its Pac-Man modification kit Crazy Otto. Midway contracts GCC to continue work on the kit, but now under license. The first thing to go are the kit’s name and its modified Pac-Man character, who now has legs. A few changes and a few months later, the game’s central character has no legs, but will now sport lipstick and a pink bow, as Midway prepares to officially release the new game as an authorized Pac-Man sequel, Ms. Pac-Man – amazingly good luck for a small business that could just as easily have been sued into oblivion.
BBC1 premieres the 43rd episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Barbara Shelley guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the 44th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Jacqueline Pearce and Kevin Stoney guest star.
BBC1 premieres the 45th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Lynda Bellingham (All Creatures Great & Small) guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the 46th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Richard Hurndall guest stars; Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner is so impressed with Hurndall’s “Hartnell-esque” performance that he casts the actor in the late William Hartnell’s role of the first Doctor in the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors in 1983.
BBC1 premieres the 47th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Jacqueline Pearce and Stratford Johns guest star.
BBC1 premieres the 48th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Jacqueline Pearce guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the 49th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Roy Kinnear guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the 60th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. John Savident guest stars.
Midway releases the arcade video game Kick, a whimsical game which is later updated to include a “guest starring” appearance by Pac-Man (to which Midway also holds the North American license).
BBC1 premieres the 60th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This is Jacqueline Pearce’s final appearance as Servalan in the series.
BBC1 premieres the 52nd and final episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. By all accounts one of the most memorable and unsettling television finales ever, the final episode hints strongly that evil has triumphed, and some viewers already experiencing depression as the Christmas holiday closes in are extremely disturbed by the series’ conclusion. Gareth Thomas guest stars as Blake, bringing the series full circle.
The pilot episode of a potential Doctor Who spin-off series, K-9 & Company, airs on BBC1, starring Elisabeth Sladen reprising her role of former TARDIS traveler Sarah Jane Smith. John Leeson returns to voice K-9. Though the curious combination of a family-viewing-time schedule slot and a sinister black-magic plotline – not to mention a transmitter outage that keeps the show away from the eyes of a significant part of its potential audience – factor into the pilot not leading to a series, its plot developments (Sarah Jane receiving her own K-9 sent by the Doctor) are honored by later entries in the franchise, meaning this one-off adventure is canonical. Both Sarah Jane Smith and K-9 will get their own spinoffs – both aimed at younger audiences – in the 21st century.
The 554th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1, ending a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Peter Davison makes his debut as the fifth Doctor, and Anthony Ainley guest stars as the Master. The 19th season sees Doctor Who’s first move away from Saturday nights on the BBC’s schedule, with the series now airing on Monday and Tuesday nights. 
The 555th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1, ending a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Anthony Ainley guest stars as the Master.
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
The 556th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1, ending a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Anthony Ainley guest stars as the Master.
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
The 557th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1, ending a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Anthony Ainley guest stars as the Master.
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
Midway delivers the long-anticipated sequel to Pac-Man to eager arcade operators. Ms. Pac-Man – a game which originated not from Pac-Man’s creators in Japan, but from an American “enhancement kit” maker called General Computer Corporation – arrives in arcades and immediately starts to break earnings records, eventually becoming the top-earning coin-op video game in American history.
The 558th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Stratford Johns guest stars.
The 559th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Stratford Johns guest stars.
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
The 560th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Stratford Johns guest stars.
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
The 561st episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Stratford Johns guest stars.
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
The 562nd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Richard Todd, Nerys Hughes and Simon Rouse guest star.
The 563rd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Richard Todd, Nerys Hughes and Simon Rouse guest star.
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
The 564th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Richard Todd, Nerys Hughes and Simon Rouse guest star.
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
The 565th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Richard Todd, Nerys Hughes and Simon Rouse guest star.
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