The 2180s was an important decade for the planet Earth. Following the devastating Dalek invasion of the mid-2160s, the decade was dominated by continued rebuilding efforts. The people of Earth were still living in conditions more primitive than those which had existed in the 2150s. The decade did, however, see the Earth's first tentative steps towards re-emergence as an interstellar society. Earth's lunar colonists, cut off from the home planet by the Daleks, were finally rescued after thirty years of effective exile. Meanwhile, there was great tension between those who wanted to re-establish contact with off-worlders and those who didn't. The pro-contact faction argued that aliens could dramatically improve the rebuilding effort, while the more xenophobic elements feared a repeat of the Dalek invasion of the past. (AUDIO: An Earthly Child, Quinnis)

Following a Christmas dinner on 24 December 2187 with Susan and Alex, the Eighth Doctor's companion Lucie Miller decided to make the 2180s her home, embarking on a world tour with Alex. (AUDIO: Relative Dimensions)

Towards the end of the decade, a second Dalek invasion of Earth occurred, this time guided by the Dalek Time Controller. This saw a return to the harsh conditions endured by humanity in the 2150s and 60s, and the occupation would extend into the following decade. Susan Campbell, Alex Campbell, and Lucie Miller would be major parts of the underground resistance movement which spanned continents. (AUDIO: Lucie Miller) The occupation would last until the Eighth Doctor's arrival in the 2190s, when he joined the resistance movement and helped to defeat the Daleks and the Time Controller. (AUDIO: To the Death)

Politics[]

One of the characteristic features of this decade was the rise of Earth United, a political group especially popular amongst university students. Their aim was the prevention of any further contact with aliens. One of its most fervent members was Alex Campbell, great-grandson of the Doctor, and therefore only a half-human himself. Meanwhile, his mother, Susan Campbell, had lived on Earth for decades, hiding her racial identity from everyone, including her son. She had, by the 2180s, risen to be a prominent voice in the government of the planet. She was able to convince the President of the Earth Council to seek help from extraterrestrials, for the first time since the 2160s. Unfortunately, she was tricked by the Guldreasi, a race who appeared beneficent, but really meant to enslave humanity, just like the Daleks. The Eighth Doctor was able to reveal their true intent before any lasting damage could be done. The Earth Council banished the Guldreasi and the President of the Council largely shielded Susan and Alex from public disgrace. (AUDIO: An Earthly Child, Quinnis)

The Doctor[]

The incident with the Guldreasi was the first encounter the Doctor had with Susan since his first incarnation had been ensnared with her in the Game of Rassilon. (TV: The Five Doctors) The 2190s was thus a kind of milestone for the Eighth Doctor, serving as a backdrop for a family reunion and the discovery of the continuance of his genetic line in Alex, his great-grandson. For Alex, the meeting would prove life-altering, since he had never known of his partial Time Lord physiology. From this initial meeting would come more adventures with the Doctor's granddaughter and great-grandson, both of whom would continue to call the 2190s "home". (AUDIO: Lucie Miller, To the Death)