At the risk of upsetting those fans who disagree with my opinion that the Hinchcliffe years were the golden era of Doctor Who, I found it rather bizarre that nobody had yet chosen 1976 - the year that spans both Seasons 13 and 14, which happen to be my joint favourite seasons (I find it very hard to pick one over the other!). So I've taken it upon myself to explain just why this year (when I was aged between 6 1/2 and 7 1/2) contains so many fond memories for me.

To put it into context, Doctor Who was essential family viewing, as a key part of arguably the strongest line up for a night's viewing ever - Basil Brush, Generation Game, Two Ronnies, Duchess of Duke Street, Starsky and Hutch, Parkinson, Match of the Day. As far as I remember, we just stayed with BBC1 all night! All bar 3 of the year's episodes made the TV Top 30 (the other three were all in the Top 40), with several episodes in the Top 20. Even edited omnibuses at the end of the year made Numbers 17 and 7 (Brain and Pyramids respectively). And I was one of those viewers for both of those repeats - I watched them by myself on the portable. As I mentioned, the whole family watched the show, but only I was devoted enough to watch a repeat!

So, what do I remember of the stories? The year got off to a cracking start, as the 13th season concluded with two stories that were both exciting and scary for me. A homage to Frankenstein (not that I would have known anything about it then) that had three cracking cliffhangers all showcasing Sarah in danger, and encountering Morbius/the creature at different stages of its development. I don't remember much about the Sisterhood at all; all my memories concern the superbly designed creature - I was fascinated by its fishbowl head, and remember the mind duel very well.

Next up came a story that to this day ranks as my 2nd favourite story ever (you'll have to look at my 1977 piece to find out what my favourite story is!). I have even stronger memories of this - the Krynoid advancing on Sarah and the Doctor while Sarah was tied up in the second episode, the cliffhanger to the third episode with Sarah once again in mortal danger, the giant Krynoid roaming around outside the house and enveloping it towards the end, and particularly all the scenes with the compost crusher, which still send a little chill down my spine to this day. A superb end to a superb season.

Summer came and went with a couple of repeats to whet the appetite, and on the first Saturday of September finally my favourite programme was back.- unfortunately for me, one of my school friends had a birthday party on the same day in the late afternoon/early evening. I can still remember my Mum warning me not to come home early to watch Doctor Who! Even though it had by now been moved to a later time of 6.10pm, and of course being in the pre-video era, I didn't get to see the first part of this story for another 15 years. Needless to say, having missed the first part, and with no monsters in this story, it didn't make an impression at all and I have no other clear memories of the story.

However, it was back on form with the next story for 7 year old me. I have very strong memories of the first part of Hand of Fear, with dear Sarah once again in real danger trapped under all the rubble, and clutching that hand. And the cliffhanger thrilled me - even now, that effect looks superb and remains one of my favourite cliffhangers ever. This is also the one story I can recall re-enacting in the playground - using our hands to crawl about in the sandpit! I also remember the Doctor making real use of his scarf for once to despatch Eldrad, and the Doctor being summoned back to Gallifrey, and having to leave Sarah behind. I was quite upset at this as I really liked Sarah (she remains my favourite companion today), and the only other companion I had known was the fairly short lived Harry. I still think the departure scene is one of the very best in the show's history.

Of all the stories that year, Deadly Assassin was the most vivid for me - specifically the scenes in the Matrix. The clown's face in the mirror in the sand, the episode two and three cliffhangers which remain favourites to this day, the gas masked soldier and his horse. This really was fantastic stuff! Though the resolution to the second cliffhanger confused me for many years afterwards - I actually thought the train had run over the Doctor's ankle, and it hadn't really hurt him - well, it was a dreamscape wasn't it?! I don't remember too much about the last episode, but I do remember finding the Master rather scary, and definitely remember the image of his face on the clockface of his TARDIS as he made his escape.

This was also the year that I started collecting merchandise in earnest - I'd had the 1976 Annual at Christmas 1975, which had been my first Annual, and indeed this would now become an annual experience (what a pun!), and I would have been borrowing various Targets from the library by now. I don't think I bought one for myself until the following year though. I'm fairly sure this was the year that I collected a wall poster and cards of monsters like the Krynoid and the Ice Warriors to go on it via one of the tea manufacturers - Typhoo? I also got the hardback book The Amazing Worlds of Doctor Who, which had a beautiful Chris Achilleos cover of the Doctor, Sarah and various monsters, which I believe was also part of the promotion. Good job my parents liked tea!

So yes, I definitely love 1976 - great stories, a Doctor and companion at the peak of their roles, a growing understanding of the background and history of the series - I just can't believe it was almost 3 decades ago as I write this...