1981 (releases)

== January ==
* January - DWM 49 was published.
* 3 January - Warriors' Gate Part One debuted on BBC1.
* 10 January - Warriors' Gate Part Two debuted on BBC1.
* 15 January - Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit was first published.
* 17 January - Warriors' Gate Part Three debuted on BBC1.
* 24 January - Warriors' Gate Part Four debuted on BBC1.
* 31 January - The Keeper of Traken Part One debuted on BBC1.
== February ==
* February - DWM 50 was published.
* February - Marvel Comics published Marvel Premiere issue 58.
* 7 February - The Keeper of Traken Part Two debuted on BBC1.
* 14 February - The Keeper of Traken Part Three debuted on BBC1.
* 21 February - The Keeper of Traken Part Four debuted on BBC1.
* 28 February - Logopolis Part One debuted on BBC1.
== March ==
* 7 March - Logopolis Part Two debuted on BBC1.
* 12 March - DWM 51 was published.
* 14 March - Logopolis Part Three debuted on BBC1.
* 21 March - Logopolis Part Four debuted on BBC1.
== April ==
* April - Marvel Comics published Marvel Premiere issue 59.
* 9 April - DWM 52 was published.
* 17 April - Doctor Who and the Enemy of the World was first published.
== May ==
* May - DWM 53 was published.
* 21 May - REF: The Doctor Who Programme Guide, Volumes 1 and 2, were first published in hardcover.
== June ==
* June - Marvel Comics published Marvel Premiere issue 60.
* 11 June - DWM 54 was published.
== July ==
* Summer - Doctor Who Magazine Summer Special 1981 was published.
* 9 July - DWM 55 was published.
== August ==
* August - The Doctor Who Annual 1982 was published.
* 13 August - DWM 56 was published.
== September ==
* September - DWM 57 was published.
== October ==
* October - Paperback editions of REF: The Doctor Who Programme Guide Volumes 1 and 2 was published.
* 15 October - Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child, an adaptation of the very first Doctor Who serial, was first published.
* 8 October - DWM 58 was published.
== November ==
* 2 November - "The Five Faces of Doctor Who" special re-broadcast series commenced with the third television broadcast of the first part of An Unearthly Child, the first episode of Doctor Who. It aired in the UK on BBC Two.
* 12 November - DWM 59 was published.
* 14 November - The Lord Mayor's Show was first broadcast.
== December ==
* December - DWM 60 was published.
* Winter - Doctor Who Magazine Winter Special 1981 was published.
* 10 December - REF: The Doctor Who Quiz Book by Nigel Robinson was published.
* 28 December - A Girl's Best Friend, a pilot episode for the proposed spin-off K9 and Company, debuted on BBC1.