Linx, an alien Commander of the Sontaran race, lands his starship, Gripped by the Rutans, in medieval times outside a castle belonging to the robber chief Irongron. Irongron offers shelter in exchange for modern weapons, including firearms and a robot knight. Linx uses a crude time machine to reach the 20th century to steal scientists and equipment to repair his starship. The Doctor, accompanied by a stowaway, journalist Sarah Jane Smith, who is investigating the disappearances, uses tracking instruments to find Irongron's castle. The Doctor is captured and interrogated by Linx, who discovers he is a Time Lord. The Doctor escapes and allies himself with the neighbouring people of Wessex Castle. Later, Sarah drugs Irongron's men while the Doctor shows the scientists how to return to their own time. But Linx's ship is now ready to leave. During the final assault, Irongron finds Linx fighting with the Doctor. Irongron is killed by Linx, who is himself shot in the probic vent by Hal, a Wessex archer. Linx's ship blows up, destroying Irongron's castle.
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The Doctor:  Jon Pertwee
Sarah Jane Smith: Elisabeth Sladen
Brig. Lethbridge-Stewart: Nicholas Courtney

Guest Appearances:
Linx: Kevin Lindsay
Irongron: David Daker
Bloodaxe: John J. Carney
Meg: Shelia Fay
Professor Rubeish: Donald Pelmear
Lady Eleanor: June Brown
Edward of Wessex: Alan Rowe
Eric: Gordon Pitt
Hal: Jeremy Bulloch
Sentry: Steve Brunswick
Mary: Jacqueline Stanbury
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Producer: Barry Letts.
Script Editor: Terrence Dicks.
Writer: Robert Holmes.
Director: Alan Bromly.
Designer: Keith Cheetham. 
Costume: James Acheson.
Make up: Sandra Exelby.
Visual Effects: Jim Ward, John Friedlander.
Music : Dudley Simpson.
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Novelized"Doctor Who and the GTime Warrior" by Terrance Dicks (0 426 20023 3) first publishes as Doctor Who and the Time Warrior by W H Allen (now Virgin Publishing Ltd) in 1978 with cover by Roy Knipe. New edition in 1993 with cover by Alister Pearson. Target library number 65.

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Released as "Doctor Who - The Time Warrior" in UK March 1989 and in Australia & New Zealand (BBC catalogue #4245) Released in US & Canada 1991 (CBS/FOX catalogue # 5423, reclassified as WHV #1165). Montage illustration cover by Sid Sutton.

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This is the first time we learn of the name of the Time Lords' planet: Gallifrey.
This story introduced the Sontarans, who would feature in several stories in the future.
It also introduced Elisabeth Sladen in the role of Sarah Jane Smith, a reporter for Metropolitan Magazine, the new Doctor's companion.

All four episodes exist in color as PAL 2" videotape, as held by the Film & Videotape Library when audited in 1978.

Studio recording in studio TC1. (11-12 June 1973)
Studio recording in studio TC6. (28-29 May 1973)
Peckforton Castle, Stone House Lane, Peckforton, Cheshire. (7-10 May 1973)

Episode 1 - The English county of "Wessex" did not exist after the Norman conquest in the 11th century, and so its mention in this story (set during the 12th century) is an anachronism.
Episode 1 - As Irongron's band ride out to the Sontaran spaceship, Bloodaxe barely manages to keep control of his horse.
Episode 1 - After Linx first meets Irongron and plants his flag (claiming Earth for the Sontaran Empire), Irongron and Bloodaxe suddenly turn their heads and look offstage to their right, for no apparent reason.
Episode 4 - The explosion of Irongron's castle is quite obviously just stock footage from a quarry blast.