Doctor Who: The Lost Stories (A·B)
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The Aliens In The Blood |
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Writer: Robert Holmes |
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Notes: Holmes submitted this idea
on October 22nd, 1968, shortly after completing work on The Krotons. It was drawn from a
proposed series Holmes had developed in 1967 called Schizo.
Script editor Terrance Dicks was wary, feeling that OSCOC bore
similarities to the eponymous facility of The Wheel In Space. He was also
concerned that Holmes' notion of the Mark II Humans being distinguished
by a physical feature like an extra-long thumb was reminiscent of the
American TV series The Invaders. “The Aliens In The
Blood” was rejected soon thereafter. Years later, however, Holmes
was commissioned to write an amended version of the serial -- now set in
present-day Chile and with the Doctor and his companions replaced by Dr
John Cornelius and Prof Curtis Lark -- for BBC Radio 4. Co-written with
René Basilico, it was transmitted in six weekly episodes as
Aliens In The Mind from January 2nd, 1977.
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Characters: The Second Doctor,
Jamie, Zoe |
Episodes: Unknown |
Planned For: Season
Six |
Stage Reached:
Storyline |
Synopsis: In the 22nd century, the Outer
Space Commission Of Control (OSCOC) regulates the flow of traffic in the
spacelanes. OSCOC is located on an island in the Indian Ocean, and its
staff -- led by Dean Thawne -- are in frequent conflict with the
primitive natives. The TARDIS materialises on the island in the midst of
a rash of sabotage which has resulted in the loss of many Earth
spaceships. Although the natives are suspected, it transpires that the
culprits are actually mutant “Mark II” humans, who have
infiltrated OSCOC. These mutants have gained the power of ESP but are
cold and emotionless, and now intend world conquest. The Doctor defeats
the mutants by constructing a device which broadcasts along their
psychic wavelength and burns out their superhuman abilities.
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References: Doctor
Who Magazine #242, DWM Winter Special 1994, DWM Special
Edition #4 |
Alixion |
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Writer: Robin Mukherjee |
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Notes: Mukherjee was new to
television when he was commissioned to provide a storyline for
“Alixion” on November 18th, 1987. It was still being worked
on a year later and was a candidate for inclusion in Season Twenty-Six,
but development was slow due to Mukherjee's inexperience. It then became
a strong possibility for the final slot of Season Twenty-Seven, before
the cancellation of Doctor Who in 1989.
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Characters: The Seventh
Doctor, Ace |
Episodes: 3 |
Planned For: Seasons
Twenty-Six and Twenty-Seven |
Stage Reached: Partial(?)
scripts |
Synopsis: The giant beetles of the planet
Alixion, led by their Queen, produce an intelligence-boosting elixir.
However, the Doctor discovers that this is because the Abbot of a human
monastery on Alixion is feeding people to the beetles. The Abbot now
intends to see what happens when the beetles consume a Time Lord.
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References: Doctor
Who Magazine #255, DWM Special Edition #10 |
The Angarath |
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Writer: Eric Pringle |
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Notes: On August 11th, 1975,
Pringle was commissioned for the first two episodes of “The
Angarath” by producer Philip Hinchcliffe. They were delivered on
September 27th butm after receiving no reply from the Doctor Who
production office as to their suitability, Pringle eventually decided to
complete the serial regardless. He submitted the final two parts on
March 10th, 1976. Hinchcliffe had no intention of proceeding further
with the story, however, and the situation was finally dealt with on
June 23rd. Several years later, Pringle would write The Awakening for Season
Twenty-One.
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Characters: The Fourth
Doctor |
Episodes: 4 |
Planned For: Season
Fourteen |
Stage Reached:
Complete script |
Synopsis: Concerned a race of people
offering human sacrifices to sentient rocks.
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References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #8 |
The Ants |
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Writer: Roger Dixon |
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Notes: This idea was submitted on
January 16th, 1967.
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Characters: The Second
Doctor |
Episodes: Unknown |
Planned For: Season
Five |
Stage Reached: Story
idea |
Synopsis: The TARDIS brings the Doctor
and his companions to the Nevada Desert, where they discover they have
been shrunk to a tenth of an inch in height. To make matters worse, they
learn that the local ants have been made super-intelligent by atomic
bomb tests and plan to take over the Earth.
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References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #4, The Doctor Who Chronicles:
Season Five |
Ark In Space |
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Writer: John Leekley |
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Notes: This was one of several
storylines which appeared in Leekley's series bible for Philip David
Segal's version of Doctor Who, released on March 21st, 1994. It
was based on Robert Holmes' 1975 serial The Ark In Space.
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Characters: A reimagined
version of the First Doctor |
Episodes: 1 (45
minutes) |
Planned For: 1995
series |
Stage Reached:
Story idea |
Synopsis: The TARDIS lands aboard a space
station which houses all of humanity in suspended animation, waiting
until the disease-ravaged Earth is hospitable again. However, a
malfunction has extended their slumber for aeons and, in the interim, an
insectoid alien species has invaded the station. Now they have infected
the humans' leader, Noah, as a first step towards the conquest of the
Earth.
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References: Doctor
Who: Regeneration |
Attack From The Mind |
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Writer: David Halliwell |
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Notes: Halliwell was part of the
original writing team for what would become The Trial Of A Time Lord. He and
Jack Trevor Story were asked to develop the “future” element
of the evidence against the Doctor. These would be two linked two-part
adventures, which would share most of their sets (as had also been done
in 1975 with The Ark In Space
and Revenge Of The Cybermen).
Halliwell's story would introduce new companion Melanie Bush. After an
initial meeting of the writers with script editor Eric Saward on July
9th, 1985, Halliwell quickly set to work; Saward assigned his segment
the title “Attack From The Mind” in mid-August. In
mid-September, Saward requested various changes to the scripts. The
planet Fred (which stood for FRee Equal Democracy, with Penelope an
acronym for PENultimate ELegance Order and PoisE) would now be planet
Trike, and the Trikes would not speak with the East End accents
Halliwell had intended. Conflict would be generated amongst the Trikes
by dividing them into militaristic and visionary camps. Several elements
were excised, such as the Doctor being willing to use the TARDIS to
change history, he and Mel being miniaturised by the Penelopeans, and
the Doctor shooting his enemies dead. The story would now end with the
Penelopeans losing their powers and the Trikes in control, to segue into
Story's “The Second
Coming”. However, Story was struggling mightily, and Saward
found “Attack From The Mind” listless. Consequently, after
five drafts, Halliwell's scripts were abandoned on October 18th. The
“future” segment of The
Trial Of A Time Lord was ultimately written by Pip and Jane
Baker.
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Characters: The Sixth Doctor,
Mel |
Episodes: 2 |
Planned For: The third segment
of The Trial Of A Time Lord for
Season Twenty-Three |
Stage Reached: Full
scripts |
Synopsis: At the Doctor's trial for
meddling, the Valeyard presents evidence from the future to show that
the Doctor will not learn the error of his ways. The TARDIS is lured to
the planet Fred, where tunnels are being excavated by the rodent-like
natives, who are plagued by vivid mirages. The Doctor and Mel are
captured by the Freds, but the Doctor is freed by the lemurine
Penelopeans, beings who now dwell within their own imagination. The
Freds are hunting for their control centre to prevent them from
returning to corporeal form; the hallucinations are the Penelopeans'
defense system. The Doctor agrees to bring a Fred back in time so that
the Penelopeans can devise a form of protection against them. However,
he is recaptured by the Freds, who complete their excavation. In fact,
the Penelopeans are homicidal beings who retreated into their own minds
so that they would not wipe themselves out. They have been toying with
the Freds -- a peaceful race -- out of boredom. The Doctor and Mel
escape to the TARDIS as war breaks out between the Penelopeans and the
Freds. The Valeyard explains that the intervention of the High Council
would be required deal with the consequences of the Doctor's meddling.
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References: Doctor
Who Magazine #201, DWM Special Edition #3 |
The Automata |
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Writer: Robert Holmes |
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Notes: Holmes was commissioned to
write a storyline for “The Automata” on January 16th, 1973.
It
did not find favour with producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance
Dicks, however, and was rejected ten days later. Holmes was commissioned
to write The Time Warrior instead.
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Characters: The Third
Doctor |
Episodes: 4 |
Planned For: Season
Eleven |
Stage Reached:
Storyline |
Synopsis: Unknown
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References: Doctor
Who Magazine #246, DWM Special Edition #2 |
Avatar |
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Writer: David A McIntee |
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Notes: “Avatar” was
inspired by the works of horror pioneer HP (Howard Phillips) Lovecraft,
creator of the Cthulhu Mythos in the early twentieth century. The
serial's Arkham setting was a fictional town created by Lovecraft, and
indeed a supporting character was called “Howard Phillips”.
Since location filming in New England was not feasible, McIntee was
asked to rewrite “Avatar” for Cornwall; he also anticipated
that lack of content would result in the story being trimmed from four
episodes to three. He had completed the script for Episode One when
Doctor Who was cancelled in September 1989, resulting in the
story's abandonment. McIntee would later write numerous Doctor
Who novels for Virgin Publishing and BBC Books, beginning with
another Lovecraft-inspired tale, White Darkness, published in
June 1993.
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Characters: The Seventh
Doctor |
Episodes: 4 |
Planned For: Season
Twenty-Seven |
Stage Reached: Partial
script |
Synopsis: In 1927 Arkham, Massachusetts,
aliens with the ability to possess and reanimate cadavers plan to clone
the fossilised remains of a Silurian god.
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References: Doctor
Who Magazine #255, DWM Special Edition #10 |
Bar Kochbar |
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Writer: Roger Dixon |
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Notes: This idea was submitted on
January 16th, 1967.
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Characters: The Second
Doctor |
Episodes: Unknown |
Planned For: Season
Five |
Stage Reached: Story
idea |
Synopsis: In early 2nd century
Palestine, the Doctor and his companions become involved with the
efforts of the Jewish leader Bar Kokhba to organise an army against the
Romans.
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References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #4, The Doctor Who Chronicles:
Season Five |
The Beasts Of Manzic |
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Writer: Robin Smyth |
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Notes: This storyline was formally
rejected on May 13th, 1975.
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Characters: The Fourth Doctor,
Sarah Jane |
Episodes: 6 |
Planned For: Season
Thirteen |
Stage Reached:
Storyline |
Synopsis: Unknown
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References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #8 |
The Big Store |
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Writers: David Ellis and Malcolm
Hulke |
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Notes: Ellis and Hulke were writing
“The Big Store” by the fall of 1966, the department store
setting having been suggested by story editor Gerry Davis. Their
storyline was submitted on November 15th. Davis and producer Innes Lloyd
liked the ideas, but felt that they would work more effectively in an
airport setting; Lloyd also desired a six-part serial. “The Big
Store” was therefore abandoned, and Ellis and Hulke reworked the
concept into The Faceless Ones.
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Characters: The Second
Doctor, Polly, Ben |
Episodes: 4 |
Planned For: Season
Four |
Stage Reached:
Storyline |
Synopsis: The TARDIS lands in a
department store in 1973 London. The store has been taken over by two
species of aliens -- a master race and a faceless slave race. The store
employees have been abducted to the aliens' spacecraft, while some of
the faceless aliens have been transformed into their duplicates, and the
unprocessed slaves pose as mannequins. The master aliens intend to
colonise the Earth, subjugating humanity by releasing a new strain of
bubonic plague. The Doctor convinces the aliens to leave the Earth in
peace.
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References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #4, Doctor Who: The Handbook: The
Second Doctor |
The Brain-Dead |
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Writer: Brian Hayles |
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Notes: This idea was submitted in
early 1971. It was rejected by script editor Terrance Dicks, but its
inclusion of the Ice Warriors inspired the development of The Curse Of Peladon.
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Characters: The Third Doctor,
Jo, UNIT |
Episodes: Unknown |
Planned For: Season
Nine |
Stage Reached: Story
idea |
Synopsis: The Ice Warriors, led by
Commander Kulvis, plan to invade modern-day Earth using a weapon called
the ‘Z’ beam, which is capable of freezing anything it
touches to absolute zero. In particular, the Ice Warriors can use it to
freeze a human brain, turning the afflicted individual into a
subservient Brain-Dead. The Ice Warriors hijack a communications
satellite and use it to take over the crew of its receiving station,
whom they set to work constructing a giant ‘Z’ beam
transmitter. They plan to use the satellite network to broadcast the
‘Z’ beam around the world, enslaving mankind and adjusting
the Earth's climate to something suitable for Martian habitation.
Realising that metals are extremely conductive at absolute zero, the
Doctor overloads the ‘Z’ beam transmitter just at the point
of broadcast, destroying the Ice Warriors and the Brain-Dead.
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References: Doctor
Who: The Seventies, Nothing At The End Of The Lane #3 |
Britain 408 AD |
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Writer: Malcolm Hulke |
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Notes: “Britain 408 AD”
was first submitted on September 4th, 1963. Story editor David Whitaker
asked Hulke to revise his original storyline, however; he felt that the
plot -- with its many opposing factions -- was too complicated, and also
that the serial's conclusion echoed that of 100,000 BC too closely. It was hoped
that an amended version of “Britain 408 AD” might occupy the
sixth slot of Season One (Serial F), to be directed by Christopher
Barry, but on September 23rd it was decided that the production block
did not need another historical story and Hulke's serial was abandoned.
The spot in the schedule was ultimately occupied by The Aztecs, while Hulke began work
on “The Hidden
Planet” instead. Following Whitaker's departure, Hulke
resubmitted “Britain 408 AD”. It was rejected on April 2nd,
1965 by Whitaker's successor, Dennis Spooner, because the Romans had
already featured in his own The
Romans.
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Characters: The First Doctor,
Susan, Ian, Barbara (original submission; the resubmission presumably
replaced Susan with Vicki) |
Episodes: 6 |
Planned For: Seasons One and
Three |
Stage Reached:
Storyline |
Synopsis: Involved the departure of the
Romans from Britain around the start of the fifth century in the midst
of clashes against the Celts and the Saxons, culminating with the time
travellers fleeing the local peoples back to the safety of the TARDIS.
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References: Doctor
Who: The Handbook: The First Doctor, Doctor Who Magazine Special
Edition #7 |
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