7.6/10758 votes#1 - Terror of the Autons (1)
Season 8 Episode 1 - Aired 1/2/1971
When a Nestene Energy Unit is stolen and a radio telescope sabotaged, the Doctor is contacted by a Time Lord who tells him his old rival the Master is responsible.
Director: Barry Letts
Writer: Robert Holmes
7.6/10667 votes#2 - Terror of the Autons (2)
Season 8 Episode 2 - Aired 1/9/1971
Attempting to find out where Jo encountered the Master, the Doctor heads to the circus where he falls foul of Rossini.
Director: Barry Letts
Writer: Robert Holmes
7.6/10663 votes#3 - Terror of the Autons (3)
Season 8 Episode 3 - Aired 1/16/1971
The Doctor and the Brigadier head to Farrel's factory but the Master and the Autons have already left and are distributing plastic daffodils around the country.
Director: Barry Letts
Writer: Robert Holmes
7.6/10671 votes#4 - Terror of the Autons (4)
Season 8 Episode 4 - Aired 1/23/1971
The Doctor discovers the plastic daffodils are designed to fire a spray that asphyxiates people, causing havoc prior to the Nestene's arrival, but before he can alert anyone he and Jo are captured by the Master.
Director: Barry Letts
Writer: Robert Holmes
7.4/10626 votes#5 - The Mind of Evil (1)
Season 8 Episode 5 - Aired 1/30/1971
The Doctor and Jo head to Stangmoor Prison to investigate the Keller Machine, which drains the evil impulses from prisoners' minds, while UNIT are handling security at the first world peace conference.
Director: Timothy Combe
Writer: Don Houghton
7.3/10580 votes#6 - The Mind of Evil (2)
Season 8 Episode 6 - Aired 2/6/1971
The Doctor is recalled by UNIT to help investigate Cheng-Tiek's murder but is unaware that Chin-Lee is under the control of the Master.
Director: Timothy Combe
Writer: Don Houghton
7.3/10573 votes#7 - The Mind of Evil (3)
Season 8 Episode 7 - Aired 2/13/1971
Realising Chin-Lee has been using the power of the Keller Machine to carry out assassinations, the Doctor heads back to Stangmoor, only to find the Master has teamed up with Mailer to stage another riot.
Director: Timothy Combe
Writer: Don Houghton
7.3/10565 votes#8 - The Mind of Evil (4)
Season 8 Episode 8 - Aired 2/20/1971
With the Doctor and Jo being held prisoner, the Master convinces Mailer to help him steal the Thunderbolt.
Director: Timothy Combe
Writer: Don Houghton
7.3/10566 votes#9 - The Mind of Evil (5)
Season 8 Episode 9 - Aired 2/27/1971
The Doctor is forced to help the Master control the mind parasite while Yates finds out where the Thunderbolt has been taken only to be captured by the Master's men.
Director: Timothy Combe
Writer: Don Houghton
7.4/10570 votes#10 - The Mind of Evil (6)
Season 8 Episode 10 - Aired 3/6/1971
The Brigadier has recaptured Stangmoor but the Master still has control of the Thunderbolt and the Doctor must find a way to stop him and destroy the Keller Machine.
Director: Timothy Combe
Writer: Don Houghton
7.1/10668 votes#11 - The Claws of Axos (1)
Season 8 Episode 11 - Aired 3/13/1971
When a mysterious object lands near the Nuton power complex, UNIT investigate and encounter the Axons, a group of aliens who offer the mineral axonite, which can duplicate matter, as a gift.
Director: Michael Ferguson
Writer: Bob Baker, Dave Martin
7.1/10613 votes#12 - The Claws of Axos (2)
Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 3/20/1971
The Doctor and Winser begin to analyse axonite while Chinn plots to secure its use exclusively for Britain.
Director: Michael Ferguson
Writer: Bob Baker, Dave Martin
7.1/10600 votes#13 - The Claws of Axos (3)
Season 8 Episode 13 - Aired 3/27/1971
The Doctor and Jo are being held prisoner by Axos while Chinn is forced to organise the worldwide distribution of axonite and the Master returns to the power complex to try and steal the TARDIS.
Director: Michael Ferguson
Writer: Bob Baker, Dave Martin
7.2/10603 votes#14 - The Claws of Axos (4)
Season 8 Episode 14 - Aired 4/3/1971
The Doctor and Jo escape from Axos but then the Doctor offers the Master a deal; if he helps him repair the TARDIS, they can flee Earth together.
Director: Michael Ferguson
Writer: Bob Baker, Dave Martin
7.0/10585 votes#15 - Colony in Space (1)
Season 8 Episode 15 - Aired 4/10/1971
The Time Lords take control of the TARDIS and the Doctor and Jo arrive on an Earth Colony in the 25th century, where a ruthless mining company are using a dinosaur-like creature to force the colonists to leave the planet.
Director: Michael E. Briant
Writer: Malcolm Hulke
7.0/10534 votes#16 - Colony in Space (2)
Season 8 Episode 16 - Aired 4/17/1971
The Doctor discovers an Interplanetary Mining Corporation ship has landed on the planet in order to mine its duralinium, while Norton begins causing trouble at the colony.
Director: Michael E. Briant
Writer: Malcolm Hulke
6.8/10529 votes#17 - Colony in Space (3)
Season 8 Episode 17 - Aired 4/24/1971
The Doctor makes it back to the colony and warns Ashe what Dent is up to but when Jo and Winton try to find proof they are captured.
Director: Michael E. Briant
Writer: Malcolm Hulke
6.9/10531 votes#18 - Colony in Space (4)
Season 8 Episode 18 - Aired 5/1/1971
The Doctor descends into the Primitive city to try and find Jo while the colonists receive a visit from the Adjudicator.
Director: Michael E. Briant
Writer: Malcolm Hulke
6.8/10529 votes#19 - Colony in Space (5)
Season 8 Episode 19 - Aired 5/8/1971
The Master offers to help the colonists in exchange for information on the Primitive city and forces the Doctor to act as a guide by taking Jo hostage.
Director: Michael E. Briant
Writer: Malcolm Hulke
7.0/10534 votes#20 - Colony in Space (6)
Season 8 Episode 20 - Aired 5/15/1971
The Doctor and the Master are taken into the Primitive city, where the Master hopes to find the doomsday weapon, while Dent forces the colonists to leave the planet even though their ship is likely to explode.
Director: Michael E. Briant
Writer: Malcolm Hulke
7.8/10714 votes#21 - The Dæmons (1)
Season 8 Episode 21 - Aired 5/22/1971
Earth, the near future. When an archaological dig at the village of Devil's End goes disastrously wrong, an ancient power begins to revive. Can even the Doctor withstand the power of the Daemons? And just what is the local vicar up to in his spare time?
Director: Christopher Barry
Writer: Barry Letts, Robert Sloman
7.6/10619 votes#22 - The Dæmons (2)
Season 8 Episode 22 - Aired 5/29/1971
With the Doctor frozen by the energy release from the barrow, Jo calls Yates and Benton for help, but when the Brigadier tries to join them he finds the village surrounded by a heat barrier.
Director: Christopher Barry
Writer: Barry Letts, Robert Sloman
7.6/10604 votes#23 - The Dæmons (3)
Season 8 Episode 23 - Aired 6/5/1971
The Doctor explains to his friends that the Master is trying to gain the power of the last of the Daemons, a race who influenced Earth's development, while the Master brings the rest of the village under his control.
Director: Christopher Barry
Writer: Barry Letts, Robert Sloman
7.7/10606 votes#24 - The Dæmons (4)
Season 8 Episode 24 - Aired 6/12/1971
The Master orders Bert to set a trap for the Doctor at the village while a concussed Jo makes for the cavern.
Director: Christopher Barry
Writer: Barry Letts, Robert Sloman
7.7/10614 votes#25 - The Dæmons (5)
Season 8 Episode 25 - Aired 6/19/1971
The Master decides to sacrifice Jo to Azal and when the Doctor and his friends try to intervene they come under attack from Bok.
Director: Christopher Barry
Writer: Barry Letts, Robert Sloman
The Best Episodes of Doctor Who Season 8
Every episode of Doctor Who Season 8 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Doctor Who Season 8!
The adventures of The Doctor, a time-traveling humanoid alien known as a Time Lord. He explores the universe in his TARDIS, a sentient time-traveling spaceship....
Genres:DramaAction & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy
Season 8 Ratings Summary
"Terror of the Autons (1)" is the best rated episode of "Doctor Who" season 8. It scored 7.6/10 based on 758 votes. Directed by Barry Letts and written by Robert Holmes, it aired on 1/2/1971. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Terror of the Autons (2)".