after leaving Doctor Who in 1973, Manning presented her own ten-part TV series for the BBC on crafts, entitled Serendipity shown in the daytime schedules. She then appeared as one of the first lesbians on television in an episode of Armchair Theatre before starring in her first film Don't Just Lie There, Say Something! (1974) alongside Leslie Phillips, Joan Sims and Joanna Lumley; the film was written by Pertwee's brother Michael. Manning followed this with a role in the comedy film Eskimo Nell (1975) as Rosalind Knight's rebellious daughter before she was reunited with Jon Pertwee when she appeared in Whodunnit? on ITV; at the time that Pertwee was chairing the panel. In 1976, Manning aroused controversy when she posed nude with a Dalek for the Girl Illustrated magazine. She responded to critics by saying "you'd need a magnifying glass to see anything". In 1977, she appeared topless as a drug addict in the hard-hitting crime drama Target with Patrick Mower. Manning starred with Sion Probert in a BBC Wales comedy pilot entitled How's Business? in 1979. After leaving Doctor Who, Manning appeared predominantly on stage consistently. From 1973 to 1975, she appeared opposite Derek Nimmo in Why Not Stay For Breakfast? in the West End, as well as appearing in There's a Girl in My Soup with Gerald Flood. She then starred in the play French Without Tears in 1975 and So Who Needs Men with Peter Denyer and Jeff Rawle in 1976 before joining the Young Vic for a time in 1977 and taking part in many of Shakespeare's works including playing Ophelia in Hamlet. From 1977 to 1978, she toured in Doctor in the House, a production that also starred Jimmy Edwards, Bob Grant and future Doctor Who actor Colin Baker, before starring as Myra alongside Lionel Blair in The Monkey Walk in 1978. In 1978, she toured Rhodesia in a run of Bedroom Farce. From 1979 to 1980, Manning toured in the thriller play The Gentle Hook, then in 1980 toured in Peter Terson's VE Night alongside Ian Cullen and Jane Goddard before appearing on stage in Thark alongside Brian Murphy and Reginald Marsh in 1981. Australia and the U.S. After moving to Australia in 1982, she appeared as Mary Smith in the first run of the play Run for Your Wife with Bernard Cribbins before appearing in Otherwise Engaged opposite Martin Shaw in 1983, The