Doctor Who: The Lost Stories (R-Z) Lost Main A-F G-L M-Q R-Z Untitled

The Red Fort Writer: Terry Nation Notes: The scripts were commissioned on September 24th, 1963. It appears that Nation, who had not particularly enjoyed writing The Daleks, did little work on “The Red Fort”, and may have even forgotten about it entirely. “The Red Fort” was intended to be the eighth story of Season One (then pushed back to ninth when Inside The Spaceship was added to the schedule in November), but was dropped altogether on January 21st, 1964. At this time, Nation was asked to write The Keys Of Marinus instead. Characters: The First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara Episodes: 7 Planned For: Season One Stage Reached: Storyline, possibly partial script Synopsis: The time travellers become embroiled in the Indian Mutiny of 1857, when Indian troops rose up against the colonial officers of the British East India Company. Presumably, the assault on the Red Fort -- a Moghul palace in Delhi -- on May 11th, 1857, would have featured prominently. References: Doctor Who Magazine #310, Doctor Who: The Handbook: The First Doctor The Return Of The Neanderthal Writer: Roger Dixon Notes: Dixon submitted this storyline on January 16th, 1967; the use of Polly without Ben was reflective of the fact that the pair would shortly be replaced by a single, as-yet-unknown female companion. Characters: The Second Doctor, Jamie, Polly Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Five Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: The TARDIS lands on the planet Terunda, where the Doctor learns that the highly-advanced Terundans have nurtured a Neanderthal culture. Some of the Neanderthals now wish to return to Earth, and the Terundans ask for the Doctor's help to facilitate this. The Doctor is reluctant because the Neanderthals are telepathic and he is suspicious of their motives, but the Terundans assure him that the Neanderthals are conditioned such that they will all die should any one of them commit an act of violence. However, once arriving on an island on 2016 Earth, the Neanderthals reveal that they intend to use their telepathy to force the humans to do their dirty work for them. They take over the island, and only the Doctor and his companions -- shielded from the Neanderthal telepathy thanks to Terundan technology -- are safe. They are cornered on a cliff edge by the Neanderthals, but one of the Neanderthals has been befriended by Jamie. She is injured trying to save them and, in a fit of rage, shoots her leader. This triggers the Terundan conditioning, and all the Neanderthals die. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #4, The Doctor Who Chronicles: Season Five Return To Sukannan Writer: Terry Nation Notes: Nation was contracted to provide the storyline for “Return To Sukannan” on February 13th, 1975. It was not taken further, and was presumably dropped when it was decided that Nation should expand The Android Invasion into full scripts. Characters: The Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Thirteen Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #8 The Revolutionaries see The Prison In Space The Robots see The Masters Of Luxor The Rogue TARDIS Writer: Barbara Clegg Notes: Clegg submitted this idea in late 1982 after completing Enlightenment, but it was not pursued. Characters: The Fifth Doctor Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Twenty-One Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: The Time Lords ask the Doctor to find a missing Time Lord named Ajon. Locating Ajon's TARDIS, the Doctor discovers it transformed into a nightmare world where cause follows effect. Eventually, it emerges that Ajon is half-human and, in response to the suppression of his human characteristics, has regenerated into a computer which is corrupting his TARDIS. The Doctor induces Ajon to regenerate again, ending the terror. References: Doctor Who Magazine #267, DWM Special Edition #3 Romanoids Writer: Geoff Lowe Notes: Lowe offered this idea to script editor Christopher H Bidmead around the summer of 1980. On December 9th, Bidmead submitted the proposal to producer John Nathan-Turner for his consideration, but it was not developed further. (It is not known if the development of “Romanoids” took into account Tom Baker's decision to leave Doctor Who at the end of Season Eighteen.) Characters: The Fourth Doctor or the Fifth Doctor Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Nineteen Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who: The Eighties The Rosemariners aka The Rosicrutians Writer: Donald Tosh Notes: Tosh, Doctor Who's former story editor, submitted the storyline for “The Rosicrutians” around March 1968. The idea came from research he was doing while planning his own rose garden, while the title was a variant of Rosicrucian, a secret religious society which flourished in the seventeenth century. Many of Tosh's character names were derived from rose-related terminology, such as Rugosa (from rosa rugosa, an oriental type of rose). After turning in his storyline, Tosh continued to work on a draft script of episode one -- with the title changing slightly to “The Rosemariners” -- but became busy on other work and did not maintain contact with the Doctor Who production team. By the time he was able to make significant progress on the story, it was already known that Patrick Troughton would be leaving Doctor Who and that the programme would be overhauled for Season Seven. Since it would not fit the new format, “The Rosemariners” was abandoned without ever being formally commissioned. Characters: The Second Doctor, Jamie, Victoria Episodes: 4 Planned For: Season Six Stage Reached: Script for episode one Synopsis: The TARDIS materialises on an Earth space station, which has been virtually abandoned as a result of subterfuge by Rugosa, leader of the Rosemariners whose spaceship, the Rosemarinus, is nearby. The Rosemariners are using a venom secreted by their special roses to brainwash people. It transpires that the Rosemarinus is actually a prison ship; Rugosa was an inmate who managed to overthrow the wardens. He now plans an invasion of Earth, but the Doctor manages to inject Rugosa with the venom, thereby incapacitating him and returning control of the Rosemarinus to the wardens. References: Doctor Who Magazine #211, DWM #212, The Doctor Who Chronicles: Season Six The Rosicrutians see The Rosemariners The SCI Writer: William Emms Notes: This was offered to the production office around 1983. Characters: The Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough Episodes: 4 Planned For: Season Twenty-One Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Involved the people of the planet Alden falling under mental domination. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #3 Sealed Orders Writer: Christopher Priest Notes: Priest originally began devising this idea with script editor Douglas Adams around October 1978. Little progress was made, but it was revived when Priest was independently approached by Adams' successor, Christopher H Bidmead, who was a fan of Priest's novels; they decided to resurrect “Sealed Orders”. A storyline was commissioned on February 27th, 1980, followed by full scripts on March 24th. By this time, “Sealed Orders” was planned to conclude a trilogy of stories set in the pocket universe of E-Space, and would feature the departures of Romana and K-9. However, Priest was not accustomed to writing for television, and it became clear that his scripts were not suitable for production. Bidmead provided the author with heavily-edited samples as guidance for what he wanted, but Priest objected to these, and their relationship deteriorated. Priest stopped working on “Sealed Orders” in April, and Warriors' Gate took its place. “Sealed Orders” was formally abandoned in June, although Bidmead and producer John Nathan-Turner still hoped that it could be revisited in the future. Characters: The Fourth Doctor, Romana, K-9, Adric Episodes: 4 Planned For: Fifth story of Season Eighteen Stage Reached: Complete script Synopsis: A political thriller set on Gallifrey in which the Doctor is seemingly ordered to kill Romana by the Time Lords. A complex plot involving time paradoxes would result in the appearance of a second Doctor (who dies) and lead to Romana's departure; it also involved the idea of time running into itself, resulting in one TARDIS existing inside another. References: Doctor Who Magazine #292, DWM #315, DWM Special Edition #9 The Sea Of Fear Writer: Brian Hayles Notes: Hayles submitted this storyline on March 9th, 1974, after completing work on The Monster Of Peladon. Characters: The Fourth Doctor Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Twelve Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who: The Monster Of Peladon DVD production notes The Secret Of Cassius Writer: Andrew Smith Notes: Although “The Secret Of Cassius” was rejected by script editor Anthony Read in August 1978, Read encouraged Smith to continue writing. Read was unaware that Smith was a Doctor Who fan in his mid-teens, but this eventually led to Smith's commission for Full Circle eighteen months later. Characters: The Fourth Doctor Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Seventeen Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #9 The Shadow People Writers: Charlotte and Dennis Plimmer Notes: The Plimmers submitted their storyline to the Doctor Who production office on November 10th, and it was given serious consideration for the final slot of Season Seven. However, a subsequent pay dispute with the Plimmers meant that “The Shadow People” was abandoned shortly thereafter. Characters: The Third Doctor, Liz Episodes: 7 Planned For: Final story of Season Seven Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #2 The Shape Of Terror Writer: Brian Hayles Notes: This idea was submitted during the spring of 1971. It was rejected by script editor Terrance Dicks, but the idea of an Agatha Christie-style mystery was attractive and was incorporated into The Curse Of Peladon. Characters: The Third Doctor, Jo Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Nine Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: A rescue team led by Commander Hallett is summoned to research station Pi Delta 6 on the planet Medusa Centaurus. Hallett arrives to find the station deserted, and his security officer, Garford, believes it has been attacked by pirates. Indeed, when the TARDIS brings the Doctor and Jo to Pi Delta 6, Garford accuses them of being associated with the pirates. In fact, the station has fallen victim to the Energid, a shapeshifting protoplasmic entity which can absorb people's brains. The Energid wishes to merge with the Doctor, but when the Energid attempts the fusion, the Doctor manages to rally the minds of those whom the Energid had previously consumed, and the creature is destroyed. References: Doctor Who Magazine #219 Shield Of Zarak aka The Doppelgangers, Shield Of Zareg Writer: Ted Lewis Notes: Lewis, whose novel Jack's Return Home was filmed as the 1971 Michael Caine hit Get Carter, had worked with Doctor Who producer Graham Williams on Z Cars. Williams was eager to bring Lewis onto Doctor Who, and so “The Doppelgangers” was commissioned in storyline form on January 7th, 1978, and as full scripts as “Shield Of Zarak” on February 24th. However, Lewis was not well-acquainted with Doctor Who, and as his scripts began to arrive in late April, it was clear that they needed work. Sadly, Lewis had begun a descent into alcoholism amidst marital difficulties, and was drunk when he met with Williams and script editor Anthony Read to discuss “Shield Of Zarak” (which may also have gone by “Shield Of Zareg”). By the middle of May, the serial had been abandoned, and was ultimately replaced by The Androids Of Tara; it was formally rejected on January 11th, 1979. Lewis never worked for the BBC again. Characters: The Fourth Doctor, Romana, K-9 Episodes: 4 Planned For: Fourth story of Season Sixteen Stage Reached: Partial script Synopsis: Dealt with the notion that legendary heroes might, in reality, have been the antithesis of the way history would ultimately portray them. Apparently, the specific example planned was to have the Doctor and Romana encounter Robin Hood in their search for the fourth segment of the Key To Time, only to discover that the alleged hero was actually a blackhearted villain. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #9 Shield Of Zareg see Shield Of Zarak Shylock see The Doomsday Contract The Silent Scream Writer: Chris Boucher Notes: This was an unsolicted submission made by Boucher to the production office in early 1975. It was not felt to be suitable for Doctor Who, but encouraged producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes to work with Boucher on further ideas. Characters: Presumably the Fourth Doctor Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Thirteen Stage Reached: Story idea Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #8 The Six Doctors Writer: Robert Holmes Notes: Holmes' involvement in Doctor Who's twentieth-anniversary special was encouraged by script editor Eric Saward, despite producer John Nathan-Turner's preference to avoid using writers associated with the programme's past. Holmes was skeptical that a good story could be written which would involve all five Doctors, plus their companions, as well as the Master and the Cybermen, but agreed to develop a suitable storyline, commissioned on August 2nd, 1982. He came up with three ideas, the first of which he was told to develop as “The Six Doctors”. (The cyborg element in this version was introduced to account for the absence of William Hartnell, the First Doctor, who had died in 1975.) One of Holmes' alternatives followed the same basic plot, but saw the Cybermen's surgeries cause the Fifth Doctor to regress back through his past incarnations; Holmes was dubious about including other companions in this scenario. A second, less well-formed idea, involved the TARDIS itself conjuring images of former Doctors and companions to help the current Doctor battle an ancient supercomputer (Holmes was unsure how to involve the Cybermen in this version). By the autumn, however, it became clear to Saward that Holmes was making little headway with “The Six Doctors”, and asked former script editor Terrance Dicks to prepare a back-up storyline. Holmes formally withdrew from the anniversary special on October 13th, although his renewed contact with the production office did lead to a commission for Season Twenty-One's The Caves Of Androzani. Elements of his ideas for “The Six Doctors” were later reused in Season Twenty-Two's The Two Doctors. Characters: The Fifth Doctor, the Fourth Doctor, the Third Doctor, the Second Doctor, Tegan, Jamie, Susan Episodes: 1 (90 minutes) Planned For: Between Seasons Twenty and Twenty-One Stage Reached: Partial script Synopsis: The Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Doctors (with their companions, including Jamie and Tegan) are drawn to the planet Maladoom, where they meet the First Doctor and Susan. They are trapped by the Master, who is working for the Cybermen. The Cybermen want to isolate the genetic component which permits Time Lords to travel freely in time and space; they will incorporate this factor into their own biology and conquer the time vortex. The Doctors manage to escape, but the First Doctor and Susan are really cyborgs created by the Cybermen. The other Doctors manage to destroy the duplicates and discover that it is the Master's TARDIS which has brought them to Maladoom. It is now operating out of control and threatens the universe, but the Doctors are able to deactivate it and return to their proper places in the timeline. References: Doctor Who Magazine #313, Doctor Who: The Handbook: The Fifth Doctor The Sleepwalkers Writer: Roger Dixon Notes: Dixon submitted this storyline on January 16th, 1967; the use of Polly without Ben was reflective of the fact that the pair would shortly be replaced by a single, as-yet-unknown female companion. Characters: The Second Doctor, Jamie, Polly Episodes: 6 Planned For: Season Five Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: The TARDIS lands on far-future Earth, where a great conflict has reduced the world's populace to only a few hundred, living in isolated communities ignorant of each others' existence. One such community is made up of quarrelling Elders and young people who are dependent upon robots for their subsistence; however, these robots have recently stopped functioning. The Doctor realises that the robots are powered by hydroelectricity, and uses a fire and some silver iodine powder to bring about a rainstorm. This solves the problem, but also attracts the attention of another community, whose more warlike denizens attack. The Doctor is finally forced to modify some robots for use as weapons. Pacified, the attackers soon agree to work together with the Elders and their younger counterparts. However, before the Doctor can deactivate all the modified robots, two of them manage to construct a primitive TARDIS and escape. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #4, The Doctor Who Chronicles: Season Five The Slide Writer: Victor Pemberton Notes: Pemberton's storyline was rejected on September 24th, 1964, by story editor David Whitaker, who felt that “The Slide” was a “stewpot” of earlier Doctor Who science-fiction ideas with a hint of Nigel Kneale's Quatermass serials. However, Pemberton had also submitted a version of “The Slide” to BBC Radio on August 17th; this audio treatment saw the Doctor replaced by Chilean seismologist Professor Joseph Gomez. This seven-part version of “The Slide” was transmitted weekly on the BBC Light Programme beginning on February 13th, 1966. The following year, Pemberton adapted “The Slide” as the Doctor Who adventure Fury From The Deep. Characters: The First Doctor, Susan, Ian Barbara Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Two Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: A sentient form of mud emerges from a fissure and begins to take over the minds of British townsfolk. References: Doctor Who Magazine #277, Doctor Who: The Handbook: The First Doctor Soldar And The Plastoids Writer: John Bennett Notes: Bennett's storyline was commissioned on April 10th, 1980. It may have been intended for Season Nineteen only; at this point, Tom Baker had not yet decided to leave Doctor Who. Characters: The Fourth Doctor Episodes: 4 Planned For: Season Nineteen (possibly also Season Eighteen) Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who: The Eighties The Son Of Doctor Who Writer: None (originated by William Hartnell) Notes: Hartnell was interested in playing characters other than the Doctor in Doctor Who. As a mechanism for achieving this, he suggested that he could also play the Doctor's son, who would be an adversary for the Doctor. This does not appear to have been seriously pursued. Characters: The First Doctor Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Presumably Seasons Two or Three Stage Reached: Story idea Synopsis: The Doctor encounters his evil time-travelling son, to whom he bears an uncanny physical resemblance. References: Doctor Who Magazine #233 The Song Of The Space Whale Writers: Pat Mills and John Wagner Notes: Mills and Wagner were writing comics for Doctor Who Weekly when they devised this concept. Mills' wife, Angie, felt that it was too good for the comic, and should be offered to the Doctor Who production team instead. Although Wagner was skeptical, it was submitted in late 1980, alongside three other ideas Mills had conceived. The storyline was commissioned on September 9th, 1981 under the title “Space-Whale” (which saw the Fourth Doctor replaced by the Fifth), followed by the full scripts on December 2nd as “The Song Of The Space Whale”. Around this time, Wagner decided that he was not interested in remaining on the project, and Mills forged ahead alone. It was decided that “The Song Of The Space Whale” would be the introductory story for new companion Turlough. He replaced Rina's original boyfriend, John, and would now leave with the Doctor instead of Rina because he claims that space travel is in his blood. Soon thereafter, however, the scripts ran into problems when script editor Eric Saward objected to Mills' working-class depiction of Greeg, and his portrayal of the castaways as a colony of mystics. The writer was unable to develop an alternative which was acceptable to Saward, and so “The Song Of The Space Whale” was replaced by Mawdryn Undead. Mills and Saward continued to work on the scripts -- now simply called “The Space Whale” -- and Mills eventually replacing the castaways with a marooned family. The Sixth Doctor and Peri became the main characters, and the scripts were rewritten as two forty-five minute episodes in accordance with the new format for Season Twenty-Two. Saward continued to have misgivings about the serial, however, and around the middle of May 1984, “The Space Whale” was replaced in the schedule by Vengeance On Varos. It appears that further development of Mills' scripts was undertaken, but they were finally abandoned around July 1985. Mills later wrote an audio adaptation of his story, released as Song Of The Megaptera by Big Finish Productions in 2010. Characters: The Fourth Doctor (original submission); the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan (revised version); the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough (second revision); the Sixth Doctor, Peri (third revision) Episodes: 4 (2 45-minute episodes, third revision) Planned For: Third story of Season Twenty; second story of Season Twenty-Two Stage Reached: Complete script Synopsis: The TARDIS is captured by Captain Greeg of the spaceship Orkas when the Doctor interferes with his attempts to hunt a massive Ghaleen -- a “space whale” with the ability to travel in time. Also on the Orkas are Krakos, an alien Tuthon who wants to steal the orb which powers the Ghaleen's time travel, and Rina, who believes that a community of castaways is living in the belly of the Ghaleen, and who has stowed away aboard Greeg's vessel in the hope of rescuing them. In fact, the castaways have constructed a “raft-ship” which would permit them to escape, but their leader, Waldron, has not disclosed the fact that the device works, because he believes that by remaining within the Ghaleen, they are living a life safe from the outside universe. Krakos succeeds in seizing the orb, however, causing temporal energy -- which induces “time necrosis” -- to flood out of the Ghaleen. The Doctor uses the raft-ship to reverse the damage, and Krakos is killed trying to escape the Ghaleen's belly. The castaways are rescued, but Waldron has been inside the Ghaleen for so long that when he attempts to leave, he dies of time necrosis. Greeg is overthrown by his second-in-command, Stennar, and the Ghaleen is allowed to return to its pod. Buy: Canada · UK References: Doctor Who Magazine #s 228, 229, DWM Special Edition #s 1, 3, 9, Doctor Who: The Eighties Space Sargasso Writer: Philip Martin Notes: Martin submitted this idea on December 28th, 1983, while awaiting feedback on Season Twenty-Two's Vengeance On Varos. On March 9th, 1984, script editor Eric Saward noted that more development would be needed before he could properly assess “Space Sargasso”; the notion was not pursued further. Characters: The Sixth Doctor, Peri Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Twenty-Three Stage Reached: Story idea Synopsis: The TARDIS is drawn to an area of space filled with wrecked ships. A creature called the Engineer, who is in thrall to the Master, is using parts from the vessels to construct an immense warship. References: Doctor Who Magazine #309 Space Station Writer: Christopher Langley Notes: Langley's storyline was submitted on December 30th, 1973, and he was commissioned on January 24th, 1974. Season Twelve was largely constructed around “Space Station”, with Revenge Of The Cybermen designed to use the same sets and The Sontaran Experiment intended to continue the story thread of Earth's abandonment by humanity. “Space Station” and The Sontaran Experiment would also have been made as essentially one large recording block -- since the former was entirely confined to the studio and the latter would be made only on location -- sharing the same director and crew. Around late May, however, it was clear that Langley's scripts were unacceptable, and the decision was made to replace “Space Station” with The Ark In Space. “Space Station” was officially dropped on June 17th. Characters: The Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Harry Episodes: 4 Planned For: Second story of Season Twelve Stage Reached: Complete script Synopsis: Apparently set on a far-future space station during a period when mankind is no longer living on Earth. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #8 The Space War aka The Furies Writer: Ian Stuart Black Notes: Nearly four years after The Macra Terror, his last contribution to Doctor Who, Black was commissioned to write a storyline entitled “The Space War” (later changed to “The Furies”) on November 9th. Although Black delivered this toward the end of the month, it did not proceed to script form. Characters: The Third Doctor Episodes: 6 Planned For: Season Eight Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine #308, DWM Special Edition #2 The Space Whale see The Song Of The Space Whale Space-Whale see The Song Of The Space Whale The Spare-Part People aka The Brain Drain, The Labyrinth Writer: Jon Pertwee and Reed de Rouen Notes: Submitted around the summer of 1970, it does not appear that the storyline was seriously considered by the production team. Characters: The Third Doctor Episodes: 7 Planned For: Season Eight Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: The Doctor poses as Cambridge don Dr John Madden to investigate a spate of celebrity disappearances. He is kidnapped by mummy-like beings who take him to Antarctica, where a hidden civilisation exists. There the Doctor participates in brutal games and combats a monster which dwells in a labyrinth. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #2 Strange Encounter see Volvok The Strange Suffragettes see The Prison In Space The Suicide Exhibition Writer: Mark Gatiss Notes: Gatiss began working on this script around the start of 2006, at which point it was sent during World War I. By early 2007, the setting had been shifted to the Second World War and “The Suicide Exhibition” was intended to be the third episode of Doctor Who's 2008 season. Some thought was given to filming in the Natural History Museum itself, but executive producer Russell T Davies gradually became concerned about revisiting the World War II period so soon after it was showcased in 2005's The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances. Furthermore, Davies was becoming excited by the possibility of setting an adventure around the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Finally, near the end of April 2007, it was decided to replace “The Suicide Exhibition” with The Fires Of Pompeii. Later that summer, scripting problems on this episode and Partners In Crime led Davies to consider abandoning The Fires Of Pompeii and reinstating Gatiss' script, but this did not come to pass. Characters: The Tenth Doctor, Donna Episodes: 1 (45-minute) Planned For: Third episode of Season Thirty Stage Reached: Complete script Synopsis: During the Second World War, a Nazi task force assaults the Natural History Museum in London, which has been overrun by monsters. Later action would have involved the discovery of a secret chamber beneath the museum. References: Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale, Doctor Who Magazine #431, DWM Special Edition #26 The Tearing Of The Veil Writer: Alan Drury Notes: Drury was commissioned by script editor Douglas Adams on April 2nd, 1979. He delivered his first two scripts in early May, at which point it was decided that “The Tearing Of The Veil” was not working out. Nonetheless, Adams continued to discuss the story with Drury over the summer, and by September 19th an acceptable draft had been completed. “The Tearing Of The Veil” was then passed to Adams' successor, Christopher H Bidmead, for possible use in Season Eighteen. However, Bidmead disliked the whimsical science-fiction favoured by Adams, and since Drury's story was in line with this approach, it was discarded by the new production team. Characters: The Fourth Doctor, Romana, K-9 Episodes: 4 Planned For: Seasons Seventeen and Eighteen Stage Reached: Complete script Synopsis: An evil force pursues the TARDIS to a Victorian vicarage, where the vicar's widow is being defrauded by phoney spiritualists. As supernatural phenomena grip the vicarage, the con artists are killed off one by one. Even K-9 is apparently torn apart by a poltergeist, while much of the Doctor's life force is drained from him, turning him into a disinterested crank wandering about in his nightgown. References: Doctor Who Magazine #292, DWM Special Edition #9 The Torson Triumvirate Writer: Andrew Smith Notes: Smith, who had recently completed Full Circle, was commissioned to provide a storyline on November 25th, 1980. This was submitted on December 9th and was still being considered in April 1981, but was ultimately not pursued. Characters: The Fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan Episodes: 4 Planned For: Season Nineteen Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Set on present-day Earth. References: Doctor Who Magazine #432, DWM Special Edition #9 Twin World Writer: Roger Dixon Notes: This idea was submitted on January 16th, 1967. Characters: The Second Doctor Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Five Stage Reached: Story idea Synopsis: On a planet in a binary star system, every birth produces twins who are the polar opposites of one another. The power of the ruling twins is governed by the prominence in the sky of the planet's two suns. As the Doctor arrives, the sun related to the evil twin is about to enter a prolonged period of ascendancy, and the good people of the world fear that by the time this period ends, their planet may be doomed. The Doctor saves the day with the use of a simple invention. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #4, The Doctor Who Chronicles: Season Five The Underworld Writer: Barbara Clegg Notes: Clegg submitted this idea in late 1982 after completing Enlightenment, but it was not pursued. Several elements of the storyline were inspired by Greek mythology. The Hadeans were a reference to Hades, the name of both the Greek Underworld and the god who ruled it. Styx was the river which formed the boundary between Earth and Hades. Orfeo and Erdiss were analogues for Orpheus and Eurydice; in legend, Eurydice dies of a snakebite, and her husband Orpheus travels to Hades to bring her back (albeit unsuccessfully). Herm's name was derived from the god Hermes, one of whose roles was to guide lost souls to Hades. Charon, the ferryman who transports the newly dead across the Styx, became the bargeman Kairon, an accomplice of Herm. A Hadean digging machine was inspired by Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guards the gates to Hades and prevents those who have travelled down the Styx from escaping. Characters: The Fifth Doctor Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Twenty-One Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: In Ancient Greece, the Doctor learns that many young women have recently perished from snake bites. Instead of having them buried, however, a medicine man named Herm has encouraged the population to send their bodies by barge down the river Styx. With the help of a musician named Orfeo whose girlfriend, Erdiss, is one of the victims, the Doctor convinces Herm to confess the truth: the girls are not dead but have been drugged, and have been conveyed to a hidden underground city. There, the Doctor confronts aliens called the Hadeans, who have been kidnapping women because their own female population has been made infertile. The Doctor counsels the Hadeans on a genetic solution to their problem. References: Doctor Who Magazine #267, DWM Special Edition #3 The Vampire Planet see The Harvesters Valley Of Shadows Writer: Philip Martin Notes: Martin submitted this idea on December 28th, 1983, while awaiting feedback on Season Twenty-Two's Vengeance On Varos. On March 9th, 1984, script editor Eric Saward noted that more development would be needed before he could properly assess “Valley Of Shadows”; the notion was not pursued further. Characters: The Sixth Doctor, Peri Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Twenty-Three Stage Reached: Story idea Synopsis: While visiting an excavation in Egypt, Peri is seemingly crushed to death. To save her, the Doctor embarks on a journey to the Egyptian underworld. He finds himself in ancient Egypt, where the Pharoah Akhenaton rules with the aid of alien power. References: Doctor Who Magazine #309 Valley Of The Lost Writer: Philip Hinchcliffe Notes: Hinchcliffe submitted “Valley Of The Lost” around November 1978. It was rejected on January 3rd, 1979, both on the grounds of cost and because other stories under consideration at the same time (including The Armageddon Factor and “Child Prodigy”) also dealt with frozen-time concepts. Characters: The Fourth Doctor, Romana Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Seventeen Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: The Doctor and Romana travel to the jungles of Brazil, where they come upon a Luron scout ship which crashlanded in 1870. The vessel emits a bubble of time which has kept the surroundings preserved as they were then -- including a lost city of gold, inhabited by Maygor savages who worship the only Luron survivor, Godrin, as their deity. Godrin convinces the Doctor to bring him to London, but once there uses modern technology to send a signal to the Luron fleet to commence an invasion of Earth. The Doctor and Romana manage to infiltrate the Luron mothership and take control of its power source. Faced with destruction, the Lurons agree to abandon their invasion. References: Doctor Who Yearbook 1996, Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #9 Volvok aka Strange Encounter Writer: Ian Marter Notes: Marter had played companion Harry Sullivan during Season Twelve, and had also written several Doctor Who novelisations for Target Books. On February 2nd, 1984, he was commissioned to write a storyline for “Strange Encounter”. A script for the first episode was later commissioned under the title “Volvok”, but the adventure was ultimately dropped. Characters: Presumably the Sixth Doctor, Peri Episodes: 2 (45-minute) Planned For: Season Twenty-Two Stage Reached: Script for episode one Synopsis: Apparently involved hospital overcrowding. References: Doctor Who: The Eighties, Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #3 Warmongers Writers: Marc Platt and Jeremy Bentham Notes: Platt and Bentham submitted this unsolicited idea during 1983. Both were longtime Doctor Who fans; Bentham, who used the pseudonym “Charles M Stevens”, was a cofounder of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society. “Warmongers” was rejected, but Platt later wrote Ghost Light for Season Twenty-Six. Characters: The Fifth Doctor Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Twenty-One Stage Reached: Story idea Synopsis: The Sontarans and the Rutans battle each other in England during the Blitz. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #3 Way Down Yonder Writer: Lesley Elizabeth Thomas Notes: Nathan-Turner was inspired to develop a serial which could be partly filmed in the United States after vacationing in New Orleans during February 1981. Thomas, an American writer living in the UK, was commissioned to prepare a storyline on April 23rd, 1981. This would have included filming in the southern US, but Nathan-Turner and script editor Eric Saward felt that Thomas' idea did not work as a Doctor Who concept, and “Way Down Yonder” was abandoned sometime after November 1981. Characters: The Fifth Doctor, presumably with Nyssa and Tegan Episodes: 4 Planned For: Season Twenty Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who: The Eighties, Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #s 1, 3 The White Witch Writer: Brian Hayles Notes: Hayles was commissioned to write a storyline for “The White Witch” on November 16th, 1965. It was abandoned on January 17th, 1966 because departing story editor Donald Tosh felt that it did not fit the vision espoused by the incoming production team of Innes Lloyd and Gerry Davis. Characters: The First Doctor, Steven, Dodo Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Three Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine #196, Doctor Who: The Handbook: The First Doctor The Zeldan Writer: William Emms Notes: This was offered to the production office around 1983. Characters: The Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough Episodes: 4 Planned For: Season Twenty-One Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #3 Zeta Plus One see Project Zeta-Sigma

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