Travel back in time

1981
Doctor Who: Warriors’ Gate, Part 4

Doctor WhoThe 545th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This story brings the E-space trilogy to a close and is written by science fiction novelist Stephen Gallagher. Clifford Rose and Kenneth Cope guest star. This episode is the final appearance of Lalla Ward as Romana. K-9 also permanently leaves the series as of this episode, but due to the character’s popularity, steps are already being taken to create a spinoff for him.

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

Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Episode 4

Hitchhiker's Guide To The GalaxyThe fourth episode of the TV adaptation of Douglas Adams’ science fiction comedy The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy airs on BBC2; Valentine Dyall provides the voice of Deep Thought. Read more (more…)

Sapphire & Steel: Assignment Four, Part 1

Sapphire & SteelITV airs the 21st episode of P.J. Hammond’s science fiction series Sapphire & Steel, starring David McCallum and Joanna Lumley.

This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could join theLogBook team and write this guide or support the webmaster’s efforts to expand the site.

Categories Television
Sapphire & Steel: Assignment Four, Part 2

Sapphire & SteelITV airs the 22nd episode of P.J. Hammond’s science fiction series Sapphire & Steel, starring David McCallum and Joanna Lumley.

This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could join theLogBook team and write this guide or support the webmaster’s efforts to expand the site.

Categories Television
Doctor Who: Keeper Of Traken, Part 1

Doctor WhoThe 546th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This is the beginning of a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Sarah Sutton makes her debut as Nyssa. Anthony Ainley guest stars. Read more (more…)

Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Episode 5

Hitchhiker's Guide To The GalaxyThe fifth episode of the TV adaptation of Douglas Adams’ science fiction comedy The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy airs on BBC2; Dave Prowse (Star Wars) and Peter Davison (Doctor Who) guest star. Read more (more…)

Sapphire & Steel: Assignment Four, Part 3

Sapphire & SteelITV airs the 23rd episode of P.J. Hammond’s science fiction series Sapphire & Steel, starring David McCallum and Joanna Lumley.

This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could join theLogBook team and write this guide or support the webmaster’s efforts to expand the site.

Categories Television
Sapphire & Steel: Assignment Four, Part 4

Sapphire & SteelITV airs the 24th episode of P.J. Hammond’s science fiction series Sapphire & Steel, starring David McCallum and Joanna Lumley. Again owing to scheduling conflicts with the two increasingly in-demand stars, the series will not resume until later in the year.

This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could join theLogBook team and write this guide or support the webmaster’s efforts to expand the site.

Categories Television
Doctor Who: Keeper Of Traken, Part 2

Doctor WhoThe 547th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This is the beginning of a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Sarah Sutton makes her debut as Nyssa. Anthony Ainley 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

Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Episode 6

Hitchhiker's Guide To The GalaxyThe sixth and final episode of the TV adaptation of Douglas Adams’ science fiction comedy The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy airs on BBC2. This ends the BBC’s attempt to turn Hitchhiker’s Guide into a TV franchise; after months of butting heads with the producer assigned to the series, Douglas Adams himself pulls the plug. Read more (more…)

Doctor Who: Keeper Of Traken, Part 3

Doctor WhoThe 548th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This is the beginning of a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Sarah Sutton makes her debut as Nyssa. Anthony Ainley 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

Revenge Of The Jedi

Star WarsGeorge Lucas completes his handwritten first-draft screenplay for the third Star Wars film, titled Revenge Of The Jedi at this early stage. Revisions to the script will continue throughout 1981, with The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders Of The Lost Ark co-writer Lawrence Kasdan once again contributing to the story and dialogue; a revision to the movie’s title will also be made, though merchandising with the early title will already be in circulation by that time.

Doctor Who: Keeper Of Traken, Part 4

Doctor WhoThe 549th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This is the beginning of a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Sarah Sutton makes her debut as Nyssa. Anthony Ainley 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

Doctor Who: Logopolis, Part 1

Doctor WhoThe 550th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1, continuing a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Janet Fielding joins the cast as new companion Tegan. Anthony Ainley guest stars as the Master. Read more (more…)

Doctor Who: Logopolis, Part 2

Doctor WhoThe 551st episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1, continuing a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Janet Fielding joins the cast as new companion Tegan. 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

Soyuz T-4

Soyuz T-4The Soyuz T-4 mission lifts off from the Soviet Union, carrying a two-man crew to space station Salyut 6. Cosmonauts Vladimir Kovalyonok and Viktor Savinykh remain about the station for 75 days, and are the last long-duration crew to occupy Salyut 6. Since they are still in orbit in April, they become the first Soviet crew to orbit the Earth at the same time as an American manned space vehicle since 1975, though the two never interact with each other at any point. The Soyuz T-4 capsule remains at the station as the escape vehicle until this crew departs in May.

Doctor Who: Logopolis, Part 3

Doctor WhoThe 552nd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1, continuing a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Janet Fielding joins the cast as new companion Tegan. 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

Scramble

ScrambleAmerican pinball manufacturer Stern Electronics releases a video game licensed from Japanese game maker Konami Industries, Scramble. Though it earns a small but loyal following among arcade gamers, Scramble‘s true claim to history will be in setting a legal precedent: it later becomes the first video game whose code is copyrighted as a literary work in its own right as Stern seeks to take down bootleggers who copy the game’s program and brazenly market it under the same name. Read more (more…)

Categories 1981, Arcade, Video GamesTags ,
The Greatest American Hero

The Greatest American HeroABC premieres the movie-length first episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp. Michael Paré and Faye Grant (V) guest star.

More about The Greatest American Hero in theLogBook.com Store

Categories Television
Pioneer Venus completes its map… for now

VenusNASA’s unmanned Pioneer Venus Orbiter completes its radar mapping survey of the planet Venus, having used radar to create the first-ever topographical map of that world, which is usually hidden behind a thick, toxic cloud deck. Launched in 1978, Pioneer Venus Orbiter is the only surviving component of the two-vehicle Pioneer Venus mission, but with its solar arrays still gathering adequate power and all of its instruments still functioning well, the orbiter is not deactivated or deorbited at this time; future tasks will be found for it in the years ahead.

Doctor Who: Logopolis, Part 4

Doctor WhoThe 553rd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1, continuing a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Janet Fielding joins the cast as new companion Tegan. Anthony Ainley guest stars as the Master.

This is Tom Baker’s final episode as the Doctor.

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

Soyuz 39

Soyuz 39Soyuz 39 lifts off from the Soviet Union, carrying its two-man crew on a week-long spaceflight including a visit to space station Salyut 6. The crew consists of cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Jugderdemidiin Gurragchaa, the first Mongolian in space. In conjunction with the resident Salyut 6/Soyuz T-4 crew, they conduct scientific and engineering experiments, some of them studying the state of Salyut 6 after several years in orbit. The Soyuz 39 crew returns to Earth on March 30th.

Star Wars: A Wind To Shake The Stars

Star Wars RadioThe first episode of Brian Daley’s radio drama adaptation of the science fiction blockbuster Star Wars airs on National Public Radio stations in the U.S. The series is produced by the NPR affiliate at the University of Southern California, where George Lucas attended film school (and to whom he sold the radio adaptation rights for the princely sum of one dollar). Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels are the only actors to reprise their movie roles, with the rest of the characters being recast. Read more (more…)

The Greatest American Hero: Hit Car

The Greatest American HeroABC airs the second episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.

More about The Greatest American Hero in theLogBook.com Store

Categories Television
Video Pinball (Atari 2600)

Video PinballAtari releases Video Pinball as a cartridge for the Atari 2600. Though sharing the same name as an earlier Atari arcade game, the home edition is a somewhat more elaborate simultaion of pinball. Read more (more…)

Categories 1981, Atari VCS, Video GamesTags
Pulsar

PulsarSega releases the arcade game Pulsar in American arcades. The coin-op video game is a maze game pitting the player’s tank against enemy tanks and the structure of the maze itself. Read more (more…)

Categories 1981, Arcade, Video GamesTags
Gareth David-Lloyd, Torchwood actor, born

Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto JonesFuture Torchwood series regular Gareth David-Lloyd is born in Wales. Showing an early aptitutde for acting, he will also make appearances on Warehouse 13, Holby City, and Doctor Who. Incidentally, the first time he plays a character named Ianto Jones – completely unrelated from the character who will later appear on Torchwood and Doctor Who – is in an episode of the drama Mine All Mine written by future Torchwood creator Russell T. Davies.