Only one episode has ever made its debut on 8th June - but it is a very significant one. Planet of the Spiders Part Six, broadcast today in 1974, marks the end of an era.
This is the episode where Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor regenerates into Tom Baker's Fourth. Barry Letts will stick around for one further story as Producer, but Terrance Dicks officially relinquishes the Script Editor role to Robert Holmes after this.
Today we wish Colin Baker - the Sixth Doctor - a very happy 79th birthday.
We also remember Roy Skelton, who passed away on this date in 2011, at the age of 79.
He joined the series in 1966 as a voice artist initially - providing the voices of the Monoids in The Ark. He then produced the distinctive vocals for the first Cybermen in The Tenth Planet. From The Evil of the Daleks onwards he voiced the titular monsters. His last Dalek vocals were for The Curse of Fatal Death. His other voices were for The Krotons, and for the computer in The Ice Warriors.
Skelton made a number of on screen appearances as well. These included the IMC agent Norton in Colony in Space; Wester the Spiridon in Planet of the Daleks; Mr James in The Green Death; General Chedaki in The Android Invasion; and King Rokon in The Hand of Fear.
When K9 was required to croak in Destiny of the Daleks, the job went to Skelton as he was already on the payroll for the Daleks, and there was no point getting David Brierly in as K9 wasn't going to feature in the story.
We also remember the original Borusa, Angus MacKay. He played the role in The Deadly Assassin, but was unavailable to reprise it for The Invasion of Time. He was available for the part of the Headmaster in Mawdryn Undead. MacKay died in 2013, aged 86.
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