The Five Doctors ( TV story ) The Five Doctors was a ninety - minute story which celebrated the twentieth anniversary of " Doctor Who " . It was part of neither season 20 nor 21 , but an original Children in Need special , presaging a connection between " Doctor Who " and the charity that became more regularised by Russell T Davies in the 21st century . The story featured an unprecedented four incarnations of the Doctor on - screen at once . Incumbent Peter Davison of course appeared as the Fifth Doctor , with Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee returning as the Second and Third Doctor s , respectively . The role of the First Doctor , however , was given to Richard Hurndall , a look - alike actor and spiritual successor for the late William Hartnell . Although the title billed five Doctors , Tom Baker declined to return as the Fourth Doctor . His Doctor ' s part in the special would be downplayed from a personal appearance to a limited role using previously - filmed , but never broadcast , footage from the then abandonned story " Shada " . " The Five Doctors " also featured a record number of returning actors who had played companion s to the Doctor over the years , although a few of the actors only appeared as illusions of these companions . Notable was Carole Ann Ford ' s return as a much older Susan Foreman , the first time she would play her character in an adult portrayal until her career in Big Finish Productions . Other appearances included Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury as Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot , Caroline John and Richard Franklin as Liz Shaw and Mike Yates , and Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge - Stewart . Finally , the story saw the return of Elizabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith , along with K9 Mark III , a character introduced in the " K9 and Company " pilot " A Girl ' s Best Friend " . Though he originated from a show which was never picked up for a full season , he was ported over to " Doctor Who " as the newest iteration of K9 . It was also the first story co - produced with overseas broadcasters . Though such arrangements have been commonplace since the 1996 telemovie , John Nathan - Turner ' s ( JNT ) ' s procurement of money from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was a financial innovation . Even more impressively , the Australians paid AUD 60 , 000 towards the production while agreeing to " forgo onscreen credit " . It was similarly unique in that it was broadcast to American audiences on the actual anniversary date of the series , 23 November — two days " before " being aired to British audiences . ( REF : " The Fifth Doctor Handbook " ) Its location work was completed in North Wales , with the area doubling for Gallifrey . Though Wales inevitably provides the backdrops for most BBC Wales " Doctor Who " location work , it was at the time an unusual choice for the " Doctor Who " production team based in London . It was one of the first " Doctor Who " serials to make extensive use of matte painting s . With the new Quantel Paintbox — whose use in " Doctor Who " had only hesitantly begun in season 18 — designer Malcolm Thornton replaced several model shots and glass shot s with matte paintings via Paintbox . This became especially important , given the less - than - optimal weather in windy Wales . ( REF : " The Fifth Doctor Handbook " ) This story premiered the new Mike Kelt - designed TARDIS console , which would be used through the rest of the 1980s . It further introduced a re - design of the entire console " room " , which would become the final control room design to be used during the run of the classic series . Thornton argued that , since a new console had been ordered by JNT , the entire set should be regularised . He made each facet of the console correspond to a particular wall of the set and each TARDIS wall more angular . This made the set assemble in only one way , reducing assembly time . Designers from Barry Newbery forward had long complained that the TARDIS set was overly complicated and needlessly hard to assemble . Finally , this story set into motion a long - delayed plot thread through the Third Doctor ' s acquisition of the Seal of the High Council from the Master . At the time of the seal ' s first appearance , it served a minor purpose , until it resurfaced much later in 2013 during " The Time of the Doctor " . The seal remained in the Doctor ' s possession all the way to the end of his original regenerative cycle , and was narratively used to begin the Siege of Trenzalore , the ( temporary ) return of the Time Lords as a presence in the story , and ultimately the continuation of the Doctor ' s life - and , indeed , the series - as they granted him a new cycle of regenerations . Synopsis . " I am being diminished , whittled away piece by piece . A man is the sum of his memories you know , a Time Lord even more so . . . " Plot . The Fifth Doctor , Tegan and Turlough are taking a break at the Eye of Orion , one of the most tranquil spots in the universe . In the TARDIS control room , the Doctor has just finished renovating the control console , which now has a more hi - tech look . Turlough is sketching . Tegan is enjoying the peaceful atmosphere . It ' s a change from their non - stop adventures that leave them no time to relax . The Doctor goes outside to join his companions and enjoy the peace and quiet . When Tegan wonders why it is so restful there , the Doctor explains that it is because of the bombardment of positive ion s . Elsewhere , in a hidden chamber , a dark figure — who shall be referred to as the Player — manipulates the controls of a forbidden device called the Time Scoop and kidnaps the First Doctor as he walks through a rose garden . The Player takes a figurine of the First Doctor from a window - shaped wall alcove and places it on one of five spots on a diorama , which lights up in response . Back on the Eye of Orion , the Fifth Doctor feels a pain in his chest , but dismisses the thought that anything is wrong with him as Turlough and Tegan look worriedly at him . Elsewhen , Brigadier Lethbridge - Stewart is at a UNIT reunion . He talks to his replacement , Colonel Crichton , about his former scientific adviser , the Doctor ; it seems that UNIT had been unable to track him down for the reunion . The Brigadier says , " Wonderful chap — all of them " , which confuses the Colonel . Suddenly , the Second Doctor bursts through the door , having barged past the sergeant on duty , happy to see his old friend . They take a walk . As they walk and talk in the yard about their times together , the Second Doctor tells the Brigadier that he must go as he is bending the Laws of Time . However , they are snatched up by the Time Scoop . Models of them appear in the wall alcove and the Player puts them in the spot next to the First Doctor . The Fifth Doctor feels another pain and collapses after reassuring Tegan and Turlough that everything ' s all right . Elsewhen , the Third Doctor is driving his vintage car , Bessie . He notices the Time Scoop coming towards him . He tries to evade it , but is taken anyway , appearing as a figure in the wall alcove and placed into the next spot on the diorama . The Fifth Doctor tells his companions he must get back to the TARDIS . There is something definitely wrong with his past and he is in immediate danger . As he puts it , " A man is the sum of his memories , a Time Lord even more so " . He is nearly to the TARDIS when he collapses in pain as his third incarnation is snatched . He tells his companions he has to find " my other selves . . . " Sarah Jane Smith is about to leave home . K9 warns her not to . He senses there is danger , and it somehow involves the Doctor . He suggests she take him with her . Unfortunately , her car is out of action and she has to take the bus . Believing K9 is overreacting , she dismisses his worry and heads off . Somewhen else , the Fourth Doctor and Romana II are enjoying a punt along the River Cam in Cambridge . They are Time Scooped by the Player as well . However , to the growing anger of whoever is taking the Doctor ' s incarnations out of time , he cannot take the Fourth Doctor and Romana from the wall alcove as figures . They have been trapped in a time eddy in the time vortex and do not rematerialise . The Player angrily slams a black - gloved fist onto the control panel . Waiting at the bus stop , Sarah is snatched by the Time Scoop , and her figurine placed in the diorama alongside the Third Doctor . The Fifth Doctor and his companions have entered the TARDIS . After setting a destination on the console and starting the TARDIS off he collapses . He begins fading into the Time Stream , but Tegan and Turlough keep him in existence by encouraging him . The TARDIS lands , and the scanner shows a desolate , rocky landscape — the Death Zone on Gallifrey . All the Doctors and their companions , save the Fourth Doctor and Romana , have actually been deposited on a desolate , rocky landscape — the Death Zone on Gallifrey . Figures of the Fifth Doctor , Tegan and Turlough have been placed on the diorama section next to the First Doctor — the spot where the Fourth Doctor and Romana should have gone is flashing . Meanwhile , in the Capitol on Gallifrey , the Inner Council of Time Lord s , headed by Lord President Borusa and consisting of Chancellor Flavia and the Castellan , are in session . Despite the regenerated and still arrogant Borusa ' s misgivings , the High Council has voted unanimously to call in the Master to go into the Death Zone to help the Doctor , who has been taken out of time and no longer exists in any of his regenerations . They explain that the Eye of Harmony is being drained by whomever is taking the Doctors out of time , endangering all of Gallifrey . Offered a pardon and a new cycle of regenerations if he rescues the Doctors , the Master accepts . He is given a copy of the Seal of the High Council by the Castellan to prove his credentials and a transmat recall device . He is transmatted to the Death Zone . In the Zone , the Doctors face many dangers . The First Doctor finds himself in a hall of mirrors and is reunited with his granddaughter , Susan . Their reunion is cut short when a Dalek arrives and tries to kill them . They trick the Dalek into destroying itself by pushing it into a dead end , where its energy weapon ricochets and destroys it ; as the Doctor points out , " It ' s very dangerous to fire energy weapons in an enclosed space ! " The Second Doctor and the Brigadier escape from a squad of Cybermen , and the Third Doctor rescues Sarah from her fall down an embankment . Sarah is confused ; she had watched the Third Doctor regenerate into the Fourth ( " Planet of the Spiders " ) , but is glad to see the Doctor she once knew . The Second and Third Doctors explain to their companions that in Gallifrey ' s past , known as the Dark Time , the Time Lords greatly misused their powers . A device called the Time Scoop plucked beings out of their times and placed them in the Death Zone , where they fought each other in a sort of gladiatorial game for the Time Lords ' amusement and entertainment . The Doctors ' goal now is to reach the Dark Tower , where the Time Lord founder Rassilon is entombed , although there is some doubt as to whether Rassilon is actually dead . The Master meets and fails to convince the Third Doctor he is there to help . The Doctor thinks the Master ' s Seal of Rassilon is a forgery , and when the Master hands it over to try and prove it is genuine , the Doctor confiscates it , thinking the Master has stolen it , and says " I ' ll return it at the first opportunity ! " . The Master flees when thunderbolts flash down from the sky . The Third Doctor only sees this as confirmation that this is all a plot of the Master ' s , especially when another thunderbolt disables Bessie . The Doctor and Sarah are forced to continue their journey on foot . The First Doctor and Susan find the TARDIS ; the presence of the First Doctor seems to stabilise the Fifth for the moment . Together , they scan the tower and find three entrances — one at the apex of the tower , the main gate at the base and one underground , but a force field prevents the TARDIS ' s entry , or even it moving within the Death Zone . The Fifth Doctor takes Tegan and Susan towards the main gate , but encounters the Master , who has no better luck convincing the Fifth Doctor of his " bona fides " than he had the Third . At that moment , the two are confronted by Cybermen . When they try to run away , the Master is knocked out by an explosion caused by a Cyber - gun blast . The Fifth Doctor finds the Master ' s recall device on his unconscious body and transmats himself to the Capitol . Tegan and Susan start back to the TARDIS to warn the others , but Susan trips and sprains her ankle and needs Tegan ' s help . In the Capitol , the Fifth Doctor is informed of the situation by the High Council . The Doctor realises he has done the Master an injustice and that they were found too easily by the Cybermen . Like the Daleks , the Cybermen were never brought to the Death Zone in the Dark Times because they fought too well . He opens the recall device and finds a homing beacon inside . The Castellan — who had given the device to the Master — is arrested , and Borusa orders the Commander to search the Castellan ' s office and living quarters . Tegan and Susan have told the First Doctor what happened to the Fifth Doctor . The First Doctor decides to head for the main gate himself . Tegan insists on accompanying him , much to his dismay . Susan and Turlough remain in the TARDIS to wait for the Tower forcefield to be deactivated so they can move the ship there . The Master , confronted by the Cybermen , offers himself as a guide to the Tower in order to save his own life . While waiting for the First Doctor and Tegan to get to the Tower , thumping is heard outside the TARDIS ; the scanner reveals a squad of Cybermen carrying a coffin - like box and lots of cables . A box containing Black Scrolls of Rassilon , forbidden knowledge from the Dark Times , has been found , supposedly in the Castellan ' s quarters . The scrolls spontaneously combust before anyone can examine them , and Borusa orders the Castellan to be taken for interrogation , authorising the use of the mind probe — much to the Castellan ' s horror . However , as the Castellan is escorted outside , there is the sound of a staser shot and a cry . The Doctor rushes out to find the Castellan dead , a gun by his hand ; the Commander reports he was shot while trying to escape . President Borusa refuses to allow the Doctor to return to the Death Zone and orders Flavia to look after him . The Second Doctor and the Brigadier are exploring a series of caves in the hope of reaching the lower entrance to the Tower when they encounter a Yeti , apparently left over from the previous games . Taking refuge in an alcove , the Doctor tries to chase the Yeti off with a firework , but only maddens it , causing it to collapse the entrance to the alcove . However , the Doctor detects a breeze blowing further back , and discovers the underground entrance to the Tower . The Fifth Doctor voices his concerns to Chancellor Flavia . He says that while the Castellan was stubborn , he was devoted to his oath of office and could never have been a traitor and that his reaction to the Scrolls was not that of a guilty man , but sheer disbelief . He suspects that the traitor is still at large . Flavia decides to have a word with the Captain , while the Doctor will speak with Borusa . On the surface , the Third Doctor and Sarah come across a Raston Warrior Robot . According to the Doctor , it is " the most perfect killing machine ever devised " . Able to move with blinding speed and fire bolts of metal at its targets , it detects its victims by motion . The Doctor and Sarah cannot move without attracting the robot ' s attention , but luck is on their side when a squad of Cybermen come over the ridge . The robot quickly eliminates by the entire squad . Taking advantage of the distraction , the Doctor and Sarah run past the robot , taking some rope and spare bolts from its cave . The First Doctor and Tegan reach the main door and open it using an entry coder hidden under a large bell . After climbing a cliff , much to Sarah ' s dismay , the Doctor and Sarah find that there is no clear way across the empty space to the top of the tower . The Doctor uses the rope and bolts for a grappling hook . He and Sarah abseil across the gap to the top of the Tower , to the amusement of the Master far below . On the main floor of the Tower , the First Doctor and Tegan find a chessboard floor blocking their way . The Doctor quickly determines the chessboard is a trap — electrical bolts will destroy anyone attempting to cross unless they find the safe path . The Master appears at this point , warning them the Cybermen are close behind . While the Doctor and Tegan hide , the Master lures the Cybermen onto the chessboard , where all but the Cyber - Leader ( who waited behind ) are killed by the trap . He also tricks the Cyber - Leader into trying to cross with him before fatally blasting him with a Cyber - weapon . Enjoying this little piece of butchery , the Master blithely steps across the board , moving into the Tower after telling the Doctor that " it ' s as easy as pie . " The Doctor realises that the Master means the Greek letter " pi " and the safe path is calculated by means of the mathematical constant . Armed with this knowledge , the Doctor and Tegan make their way across the trap . In the Death Zone , the TARDIS is now surrounded by Cybermen , who start to assemble a bomb to blow it up . Inside , Turlough and Susan watch helplessly , not knowing what to do . The Second and Third Doctors encounter more obstacles while moving separately through the Tower , with the mind of Rassilon emitting intensifying fear . They also encounter what appear to be their previous companions , the Third meeting Captain Mike Yates and Liz Shaw and the Second Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot . The Doctors soon realise they are just phantoms to impede their progress through the Tower and the spectres vanish with a scream . The First Doctor blithely ignores the fear as an illusion , considering that " at my age , there ' s little left to fear ! " Finally , the first three Doctors reach the tomb : Rassilon ' s sepulchre . While the Brigadier , Sarah and Tegan get reacquainted , the three Doctors try to translate an inscription in Old High Gallifreyan on a pedestal near a control panel — squabbling amongst themselves as usual . The Fifth Doctor finds Borusa has vanished from the Council Chamber , but the guards insist the President could not have gotten by them at the only entrance . The transmat is out of power , so the Doctor deduce s there must be a secret door and orders the guards to notify Flavia that the President has disappeared . After an intensive search , he realises that the Harp of Rassilon , standing in the Council Chamber , is the key and that a tune will open the door . He starts experimenting . In the tomb , the Doctors have deciphered the inscription . Rassilon had discovered the secret of immortality . He was willing to share it with whoever overcame the obstacles to the tomb and took the ring from his body and put it on . However , a line troubles the First Doctor , who wonders just what it means : " To lose is to win and he who wins shall lose . " The Master steps out of the shadows , brandishing his tissue compression eliminator , to claim immortality himself and to kill the Doctor " three times over " , but the Brigadier moves up behind the Master and surprises him . The Third Doctor kicks the weapon out of the Master ' s hand , while the Brigadier delivers a hefty blow to the Master ' s chin . The Master falls to the floor , out cold , and is tied up by Sarah and Tegan . The Fifth Doctor realises that the tune is shown in a painting of Rassilon playing the Harp , where the sheet music is clearly depicted . He plays the tune , which opens the door . The Doctor enters the secret chamber and finds the dark figure of the Player who has taken his other selves out of time : Borusa . The Lord President is not satisfied with ruling Gallifrey for all his remaining regenerations — he wants to be President Eternal and rule forever . Like the first three Doctors , Borusa has determined that Rassilon discovered the secret of immortality and he means to claim it , sending the Doctors into the Zone to clear the way of obstacles for him . Using the Coronet of Rassilon , Borusa overwhelms the Fifth Doctor ' s will , forcing him to obey his commands . The Third Doctor fixes the control panel by reversing the polarity of the neutron flow , allowing the TARDIS to transport itself to the tomb just seconds before the Cybermen ' s bomb detonates . The Second Doctor contacts the Capitol . The Fifth Doctor answers , still under Borusa ' s control , and tells his other selves to await his and Borusa ' s arrival . The First and Third Doctors are suspicious , but the Second doesn ' t believe them . Transmatting to the tomb with the Fifth Doctor , Borusa paralyzes the Doctors ' companions with the command " Be silent ! Be silent , all of you ! Do not move or speak until I give you leave ! " Then , Borusa tries to control the minds of the First , Second and Third Doctors . However , they combine their wills against him to free the Fifth Doctor . As Borusa declares that Gallifrey will believe its President ' s word over that of the notorious renegades , a booming voice echoes through the chamber . It is Rassilon , who appears as a large face in the air , demanding to know who disturbs him . Borusa steps forward to claim his prize of immortality and , while the other Doctors protest , the First Doctor holds them back , telling Rassilon that Borusa deserves the prize . Rassilon instructs Borusa to take the ring from the body and put it on . Borusa does so , but finds himself paralyzed as three stone faces carved into the side of Rassilon ' s bier briefly come to life ; they are the others who sought immortality , and received it : they are now frozen in stone forever . The ring vanishes from Borusa ' s finger and returns to Rassilon , while Borusa himself disappears and reappears as a stone face in an empty space on the bier . The faces , including Borusa ' s , then become stone once more . Borusa has found his immortality , but not the way he wanted it . Rassilon asks the Doctors if they want immortality too — all four frantically say " No ! " The Fifth Doctor asks that they all be returned to their proper time and the Fourth Doctor be freed from the time vortex . Rassilon does so , and the Fourth Doctor departs in the TARDIS with Romana . Then , Rassilon sends the Master — who is just coming to , and is grinning — back to his own time , saying " His sins will find their punishment in due time . " After telling the Doctors to say their goodbyes , and that they have chosen wisely , Rassilon vanishes , returning to his eternal rest as the companions find themselves released from Borusa ' s psychic hold . The First Doctor smugly tells the Fifth that he finally understood the proverb " To lose is to win and he who wins shall lose " . The prize was yet another trap — a means for Rassilon to discover who wanted immortality ( and were thus a danger to Gallifrey ) and get them out of the way . The Doctors and their companions say their goodbyes to each other — with a few snipes between the Doctors — and re - enter the TARDIS , save for the Fifth Doctor , Tegan and Turlough . As the three watch , the Doctors and their companions are transported back to their proper times in offshoots of the TARDIS splitting off from the original ; Rassilon has used temporal fission to send them home . Chancellor Flavia arrives with guards and tells the Doctor that with Borusa ' s disappearance , the Council has appointed the Doctor as President . The Doctor orders Flavia back to the Capitol , saying that he will follow in his TARDIS and she has full deputy powers until his return . Once in the ship , however , he tells Tegan and Turlough he has no intention of returning . Tegan asks if the Doctor really intends to go on the run from his own people in a " rackety old TARDIS . " The Doctor replies , smiling , " Why not ? After all , that ' s how it all started . . . " Home video and audio releases . VHS Releases . " The Five Doctors " had three separate VHS releases : It was released on video by BBC Enterprises in 1985 . This was the edited version screened in the USA and had two minutes of footage edited out . It was released again by BBC Worldwide in 1990 in an unedited format . Box set . It was released on video by BBC Worldwide in 1995 as part of a boxed set in the UK , Australia and the US . This was the Extended / Special Edition version of the story . In all regions , this edition was notable for being twinned with " The King ' s Demons " , which was never released on VHS on its own . DVD release . " The Five Doctors " was the first " Doctor Who " DVD to be released by BBC Worldwide . It introduced several features that remain with the range today . The intro - theme music used into the DVDs was the Davison - era theme music , and remains for all DVDs . While the original release of the DVD had no special features , it did feature a CGI created TARDIS console room ( based on the one featured in this story ) . First release . In 1999 " The Five Doctors " was released on DVD by BBC Worldwide . This was the same Extended / Special Edition as the 1995 VHS release , with no additional features . It was released in Australia 2000 . Only the North America release had commentary and the Who ' s Who features . Second release . In 2008 " The Five Doctors " was re - released celebrating the story ' s 25th anniversary . In this case it was a dual DVD release showcasing the original version of the story and the Extended / Special Edition . Editing for the Special Edition VHS and DVD releases and 25th Anniversary DVD release was completed by the Doctor Who Restoration Team . Audio release . Silva Screen Records released a CD , " The Five Doctors : Classic Music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 2 " ( FILMCD 710 ) , which contains a suite of music from this story . ( The rest of the album contains music from other Fifth Doctor stories . )