Timeline for 1988

20th century | 1980s

1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994

In 1988, a number of things set in or relevant to the Doctor Who universe were released or published.

January

• January - Titan Books launched a new line of books entitled Doctor Who: The Scripts, with the publication of the script for An Unearthly Child, which was published under the working title The Tribe of Gum.
• 14 January - DWM 133 was released by Marvel.
• 21 January - The novelisation of The Rescue was first released in paperback by Target Books.

February

• 11 February - DWM 134 was released.
• 18 February - Doctor Who - Terror of the Vervoids was first published.
• 18 February - REF Doctor Who: The Early Years was published in paperback.

March

• 10 March - DWM 135 was released.
• 17 March - Doctor Who - The Time Meddler was first published.
• 30 March - REF: Encyclopedia of The Worlds of Doctor Who: E-K was first published.

April

• 14 April - DWM 136 was released.
• 21 April - Doctor Who - The Mysterious Planet was first published.

May

• 5 May - Doctor Who - Time and the Rani was first published.
• 12 May - DWM 137 was released.

June

• 9 June - DWM 138 was released.
• 16 June - Doctor Who - Vengeance on Varos was first published.

July

• 14 July - DWM 139 was released.
• 21 July - Doctor Who - The Underwater Menace was first published.

August

• 11 August - DWM 140 was released.
• 18 August - Doctor Who - The Wheel in Space was first published.
• 18 August - Target Books launched the Doctor Who Classics line of releases with The Dalek Invasion of Earth/The Crusaders and The Myth Makers/The Gunfighters.

September

• 8 September - DWM 141 was released.
• 15 September - Doctor Who - The Ultimate Foe was first published.
• 15 September - Doctor Who Classics - The Dominators/The Krotons was published.
• 20 September - REF: Doctor Who: 25 Glorious Years was published in paperback.

October

• October - REF: Encyclopedia of The Worlds of Doctor Who: A-D was published in paperback.
• 5 October - Remembrance of the Daleks Part One debuted on BBC1.
• 12 October - Remembrance of the Daleks Part Two debuted on BBC1.
• 13 October - DWM 142 was released.
• 19 October - Remembrance of the Daleks Part Three debuted on BBC1.
• 20 October - Doctor Who - The Edge of Destruction was first published.
• 26 October - Remembrance of the Daleks Part Four debuted on BBC1.

November

• November - Doctor Who 25th Anniversary Special was published.
• November - REF: Doctor Who: Cybermen was first published.
• 2 November - The Happiness Patrol Part One debuted on BBC1.
• 7 November - BBC Audio issued the 1986 radio play AUDIO: Slipback and the 1979 audio version of Genesis of the Daleks on cassette.
• 9 November - The Happiness Patrol Part Two debuted on BBC1.
• 10 November - DWM 143 was released.
• 15 November - The World of Doctor Who Exhibition opened in London.
• 16 November - The Happiness Patrol Part Three debuted on BBC1.
• 16 November - REF: Encyclopedia of The Worlds of Doctor Who: E-K was published in paperback.
• 17 November - Doctor Who - The Smugglers was first published.
• 17 November - REF: Doctor Who: 25 Glorious Years was first published.
• 23 November - Silver Nemesis Part One debuted on BBC1.
• 30 November - Silver Nemesis Part Two debuted on BBC1.

December

• December - DWM 144 was released.
• 1 December - Doctor Who - Paradise Towers was first published.
• 7 December - Silver Nemesis Part Three debuted on BBC1.
• 14 December - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy Part One debuted on BBC1.
• 21 December - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy Part Two debuted on BBC1.
• 28 December - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy Part Three debuted on BBC1.
• 31 December - REF: The Official Doctor Who & the Daleks Book, a retrospective by John Peel and Terry Nation, was first published.

Unknown dates

• Unknown - It's Bigger on the Inside!, a collection of Doctor Who-related humour, was first published by Marvel Comics.
• Unknown - REF: Doctor Who Magazine Master Index was published.