1988
An achievement that even The Simpsons hasn't yet reached, still going somewhere more middling than strong, the 25th anniversary of the show brought deadly enemies the Cybermen against the Royal Family. Although Prince Edward was invited to appear in Silver Nemesis, it was declined along with a suggestion that such an appearance would be "inappropriate". Despite the show finding it's stride with the new double act of Doctor and Ace, the BBC still saw the show as something of an embarrassment, especially when comparing the 'special' effects to American shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation.
1989
After an impressive 26 consecutive years, it was decided that Doctor Who would finally come to end, with the last serial somewhat ironically being called Survival. Perhaps fitting for the final classic adventure, the Doctor once again battles the Master who was this time aided by the Cheetah People, but the only acknowledgement to the ending to such a long lived show came courtesy of script editor Andrew Cartmel. As the Doctor and Ace were walking off to the distance, a small monologue by the Doctor was included to reassure fans the Doctor was still out there travelling through time and space, in a way that only the Doctor could....
"There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, and the sea's asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea's getting cold! Come on, Ace - we've got work to do!"
1990
Not the best year for the series, as the first of the so called "wilderness years" began with the BBC officially closing the Doctor Who production office. Tie-in media sales also decreased after the end of the show, and the Encyclopaedia Of The Worlds Of Doctor Who series finished with the L-R volume. VHS releases of the Doctors adventures continued however, enabling younger fans to watch adventures made before they were born, and this year saw the release of the first serial, An Unearthly Child.