On This Day... 16th March

Today in 1984 the Fifth Doctor died - the final word on his lips being "Adric". 

Exactly three years previously, the young Alzarian had met his doom on a crashing space freighter in the fourth, concluding, chapter of Earthshock.

No companion had been killed since the mid 1960's - and then it was in barely remembered episodes which no-one had seen since that time - so it was a huge shock to the viewers. The episode ended with a silent rolling of the credits, over a shot of Adric's broken badge for mathematical excellence - inspired by the death of a regular character on Coronation Street which had particularly moved producer JNT.

So three years later, the Fifth Doctor gave up his life to save companion Peri, someone whom he had only just met. This was the fourth episode of The Caves of Androzani. It was not the end of the season, however, as JNT had decided to let the new Doctor, Colin Baker, have a whole story prior to the break.

Another debut today was the Sonic Screwdriver. It first featured in Part One of Fury From The Deep which was broadcast in 1968.

In 1974 Death to the Daleks reached its conclusion with its fourth instalment.

The 20th Anniversary season ended prematurely with the second part of The King's Demons. A planned Dalek finale had to be held over for the following year thanks to industrial action which meant its studio time was needed to complete other stories.

Finally, the much maligned Timelash ended with its second instalment in 1985.

Today we wish actor John Leeson a very happy 79th birthday. He's best known for voicing K9 ever since 1977. He made one on screen appearance in The Power of Kroll - a story where the swampy location meant that K9 was stuck in the TARDIS.

He also voiced the Nucleus of the Swarm in his debut story, and later that of the Dalek battle computer in Remembrance of the Daleks. Outside of Doctor Who, in 1972 Leeson played Bungle, the bear from ITV children's show Rainbow. 

Before becoming a regular on The Bill, Graham Cole appeared as a variety of monsters in Doctor Who - such as the Melkur in The Keeper of Traken. He is 70 today.

Lastly, Tristan de Vere Cole, director of The Wheel in Space, turns 87.