BEHIND THE SCENES - UNIT in the 70s or 80s...

A Guide to Classic Who references.

Stories set on Earth during the classic era were often set "in the near future" but many things contradict that.

After 1975 - "The Web of Fear" (1968).

In the Second Doctor story "The Web of Fear" (Season 5), a 1968 episode, the Doctor's companion Victoria Waterfield had a conversation with Anne Travers about the events of "The Abominable Snowman" (also Season 5) in which Victoria met Anne's father.  Anne noted:

"Yes. Yes, he seems to. And you met him, when was it you said? In 1935? In Tibet?"

 Later Professor Edward Travers states:

"But it can't be. Why, that's over forty years ago." 

Simple maths, of course, tells us that the episode is set after 1975.  Also appearing in that episode was British Army Colonel Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart.

After 1979 - "The Invasion" (1968).

Season 6 saw Lethbridge-Stewart return this time as a Brigadier in the newly formed United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT).  Referring to the events of "The Web of Fear", the Brig remarked:

"That's right, McCrimmon, in the underground. Must be four years ago now."

The 70s or the 80s - The Third Doctor Era (1970 - 1974).

Most of the Third Doctor's era saw him exoled to Earth by the Time Lords and working with the Brig and UNIT as their scientific adviser.  While no solid dates are given, it is suggested by some of the plotting that it is set in the "near future" but, obviously, the setting sometimes has references to the year it was produced (such as Sarah Jane Smith's UNIT pass contradictory calenders)  Sarah Jane Smith joined the Third Doctor in his final season, and stayed on with when he became the Fourth Doctor.

Before 1980 - Pyramids of Mars (1975)

Although the episode is set in 1911, Sarah Jane is ask when she comes from and answers that she comes from 1980, with the usually assumption that she that is the year she left with the Fourth Docto.

Before 1977 - Mawdryn Undead (1983)

The episode is set in 1983 and 1977.  In this story the Brigadier retired from UNIT in 1977 and was working as a maths teacher.  At this point he met himself from 1983 and had a mental breakdown, but that's neither here nor there.  The story also mentions that another UNIT member, Benton, left UNIT in 1979.

~ DUG.