On This Day... 30th October

The Time Lords may have been introduced in The War Games, but nearly everything we think of as Time Lord starts with The Deadly Assassin, whose first episode was broadcast today in 1976 - Rassilon, Prydonians, the Matrix, the Panopticon, Chancellery Guards, the big collar costume etc,

The story also left the door open for a future production team to bring back the Master in a different incarnation.

Back in 1965 The Myth Makers had continued with its third episode, "Death of a Spy".

The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith's concluding half was also first shown on this day in 2009.

Back in the 1970's the Ice Warriors were always classed as the bronze medal monsters of Doctor Who - thanks to their placement in Target's Doctor Who Monster Book.

The reason for this was simply because they had appeared more times than any other monster, after the Daleks and Cybermen. That was then, however, and since then the Sontarans and newer monsters like the Weeping Angels, Judoon, or even the Slitheen, have featured more times on TV. The Ice Warriors have returned, and are playing catch-up with two more recent appearances, but they've still got a way to go to get back to bronze medal position. 

I say all this because today happens to be the anniversary of the death of their creator, Brian Hayles. He passed away in 1978, at the age of only 48. Hayles also gave us the Celestial Toymaker, and all those Peladon character and creatures, as well as writing the historical story The Smugglers.

More significant than Hayles in the history of the programme was Sydney Newman - the creator of Doctor Who. He passed away on this day, at the age of 80, in 1997. We owe him everything.