|
Doctor Who: The Lost Stories (L·M)
|
| The Laird Of McCrimmon |
|
 |
|
| Writers: Mervyn Haisman and Henry
Lincoln |
|
Notes: By late April 1968, it was
clear that Frazer Hines would be leaving Doctor Who sometime during
Season Six. One candidate for his departure story was Haisman and
Lincoln's third Yeti serial, which they were working on around the start
of June. Over the summer, however, the writers became embroiled in a
dispute over copyright with the BBC regarding the Quarks, robot monsters
which had appeared in their previous Doctor Who commission, The Dominators. The ensuing acrimony
resulted in the abandonment of “The Laird Of McCrimmon” during
August.
|
| Characters: The Second
Doctor, Jamie, Victoria |
| Episodes: Probably 6 |
| Planned For: Probably the
penultimate serial of Season Six |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: A possessed Jamie pilots the
TARDIS to 1746 Scotland and his ancestral home, Castle McCrimmon. There,
he finds the current Laird, Sir James, is on his deathbed. Yeti appear and
surround the castle while the local villagers fall under the influence of
the Great Intelligence; the only person who seems to be immune is a girl
named Fiona, with whom Jamie falls in love. The Great Intelligence wants
to inhabit Jamie's body and become the Laird once Sir James dies. However,
the Intelligence is defeated by the Doctor, and Jamie decides to stay
behind and become Laird himself.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine #262, DWM Special Edition #4 |
| The Land Of Fear |
|
 |
|
| Writer: John Leekley |
|
Notes: This was one of several
storylines developed for, but dropped from, Leekley's series bible for
Philip David Segal's version of Doctor Who, released on March
21st, 1994. It was based on Dennis Spooner's 1964 serial The Reign Of Terror.
|
| Characters: A reimagined
version of the First Doctor |
| Episodes: 1 (45
minutes) |
| Planned For: 1995
series |
| Stage Reached:
Story idea |
| Synopsis: The Doctor knows that his lost
father, Ulysses, was acquainted with Robespierre, and so he travels to
1790 Paris. There he meets an English spy named James Stirling, who is
plotting Robespierre's assassination.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who: Regeneration |
| League Of The Tandreds |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Peter Grimwade |
|
Notes: Grimwade submitted this idea
after completing Planet Of Fire in
1983, at a time when his relationship with both producer John
Nathan-Turner and script editor Eric Saward was in decline. A storyline
was commissioned on August 13th, 1984. On November 8th, however,
Nathan-Turner decided to drop “League Of The Tandreds”,
apparently for budgetary reasons.
|
| Characters: The Sixth Doctor,
Peri |
| Episodes: 2
(45-minute) |
| Planned For: Season
Twenty-Two or Twenty-Three |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Unknown |
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #3, Doctor Who: The
Eighties |
| Leviathan |
|
|
| aka Livanthian, Lords Of Chaos |
|
| Writer: Brian Finch |
|
Notes: Finch was a veteran writer
who was known to producer John Nathan-Turner from his scripts for All
Creatures Great & Small, on which Nathan-Turner had served as
production unit manager; Finch's other credits included episodes of the
science-fiction classic The Tomorrow People. Finch was
commissioned to write “Livanthian” (a misspelling of
“Leviathan”) on August 14th, 1983. His scripts were
submitted in November -- with the title appropriately amended -- but
they were apparently deemed too costly to make. It appears that Finch
was paid for the work he had completed to date in September 1985, by
which time the story was known as “Lords Of Chaos”; however,
it's possible that this was a separate submission. After Finch's death
in 2007, his son, Paul, offered the scripts to Big Finish Productions
for their forthcoming range of Doctor Who audio plays based upon
unmade serials. Paul himself performed the necessary rewrites on
“Leviathan”, which was released in January 2010.
|
| Characters: The Sixth Doctor,
Peri |
| Episodes: 2
(45-minute) |
| Planned For: Season
Twenty-Two |
| Stage Reached: Complete
script |
| Synopsis: Forthcoming |
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #3 |
| The Living Planet |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Alan Wakeman |
|
Notes: Wakeman was part of an
early set of writers approached in summer 1963 to contribute to
Doctor Who, which was still in development. Wakeman's storyline,
“The Living Planet”, was deemed to have sufficient potential
that the script for the first episode was commissioned on July 31st.
(References on some production documents which described this script as
a “pilot” would later provoke erroneous speculation that
Wakeman's episode may have been considered as an alternative to launch
Doctor Who in lieu of 100,000
BC.) At this point, the Doctor's granddaughter was still known
as Suzanne (rather than Susan) and her female teacher was Barbara
Canning (instead of Barbara Wright). Wakeman also used ideas for the
programme's backstory developed by 100,000
BC writer Anthony Coburn but ultimately discarded, in which
Suzanne was really an alien princess named Findooclare and she and the
Doctor were being pursued by the mysterious Palladins. Wakeman's planned
episode titles were 1. Airfish, 2. What Eats What?, 3.
The Living Planet, 4. Just In Time. “The Living
Planet” was deemed to be too sophisticated for the intended child
audience and abandoned. In 2005, following Doctor Who's
successful return to television, Wakeman offered “The Living
Planet” for use by executive producer Russell T Davies.
|
| Characters: The First Doctor,
Suzanne, Ian, Barbara |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Season
One |
| Stage Reached: Script for
episode one |
| Synopsis: The TARDIS lands on a planet
whose surface is largely covered with a pattern of small, edible
hexagonal structures. The travellers are attacked by flying metallic
fish which also surround the TARDIS. The Doctor fears that the
mysterious Palladins have finally caught up to himself and Suzanne, but
they are saved when long stems extend out from the hexagons, spearing
the animals. They realise that the fish are part of the planet's bizarre
ecosystem. Drawn by a strange, maddening sound, they discover a series
of holes, down which Suzanne becomes trapped. Ian ventures into a hole
to rescue her, and they deduce that the entire planet is a gigantic
living organism -- the hexagons are like skin cells and the holes permit
respiration. The planet tries to absorb the TARDIS, but its alien
construction is incompatible and the planet is forced to release it,
allowing the travellers to escape.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine Summer Special 1994, DWM Special Edition #4,
Doctor Who: The Handbook: The First Doctor, Nothing At The End
Of The Lane #3 |
| The Lords Of Misrule |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Ted Willis |
|
Notes: One of the founding fathers
of British television drama, Dixon Of Dock Green creator Willis
had worked with Doctor Who script editor Anthony Read during the
Sixties. Read commissioned Willis to write “The Lords Of
Misrule” in late 1977 or early 1978, but it does not appear that
it proceeded past the storyline stage. Its spot was eventually taken by
The Power Of Kroll.
|
| Characters: The Fourth
Doctor, Romana, K·9 |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Fifth story of
Season Sixteen |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: The people of the planet
Tetran are enslaved by the cruel Shadowlords, who rule from an orbiting
castle. The Shadowlords hunt their subjects using wolf-life Prowlers,
and force them to duel one another. The Doctor discovers that the
Tetrans are actually descended from the survivors of a crashed mining
ship, while the Shadowlords are security robots, disguised and maddened
due to their connection with the pilot, who is held on the brink of
death by the vessel's computer. K·9 severs the pilot's link with the
ship, deactivating the Shadowlords. The Doctor and Romana recover the
fifth segment of the Key To Time, concealed as a massive crystal
powering the Shadowlords' castle.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine Summer Special 1995 |
| The Lords Of The Red Planet |
|
|
|
| Writer: Brian Hayles |
|
Notes: Producer Peter Bryant
requested a second Ice Warrior adventure from their creator, Brian Hayles,
both to capitalise on the popularity of the monsters following their debut
in The Ice Warriors, and to get
additional use out of the expensive costumes. “The Lords Of The Red
Planet” was commissioned on February 15th, 1968. It was Hayles'
intent that the Ice Warriors seen in their debut serial would be a group
of genetically-engineered Martians despatched by Zaadur as an
expeditionary force. Since the new companion, ultimately called Zoe, was
still being developed, Hayles referred to the character as
“Dolly” in his early notes. A revised storyline was
submitted on March 27th which, amongst other changes, removed the
distinction between the Gandorian and Saurian races. However, no further
development seems to have taken place and, on July 15th, a new Ice
Warrior storyline -- The Seeds Of
Death -- was commissioned from Hayles. In November 2013, Big
Finish Productions released an audio adaptation of “Lords Of The
Red Planet” by John Dorney.
|
| Characters: The Second Doctor,
Jamie, Zoe |
| Episodes: 6 |
| Planned For: Season
Six |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe land
in the city of Gandor on Mars, where they discover that the planet is
home to two sentient races: the more evolved Gandorians and their
Saurian slaves. However, the Gandorians have become unable to reproduce,
and their lives are being artificially extended. A scientist named
Quendril is performing genetic experiments, and the time travellers
recognise his enhanced Saurians as Ice Warriors. One of the Gandorian
rulers, Zaadur, plans to use the Ice Warriors as an invasion force.
However, the TARDIS crew is aided by an enhanced Saurian named
Vargason, who sacrifices himself to stop Zaadur.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine #274, Doctor Who: The Complete History #14 |
| The Lost Legion |
|
|
|
| Writer: Douglas Camfield |
|
Notes: After directing The Seeds Of Doom for Season Thirteen,
Camfield approached producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert
Holmes about the possibility of writing a serial for the next block of
episodes, as Camfield also had some scripting credits to his name.
Holmes harboured doubts about the idea, but Hinchcliffe was enthusiastic
and so “The Lost Legion” was commissioned on January 22nd,
1976. The story idea stemmed from Camfield's fascination with military
history, and his admiration of the 1924 novel Beau Geste by PC
Wren. By this point, Elisabeth Sladen had already indicated that she
would be leaving Doctor Who after the second story of Season
Fourteen, and so “The Lost Legion” was developed with the
intention of dramatically writing Sarah Jane Smith out of the programme
by killing her off. It was anticipated that Camfield would also direct
his own serial. When he submitted his first script on February 9th,
however, it did not meet Holmes' approval, and he began to groom The Hand Of Fear as a possible
replacement. Camfield thereafter became increasingly late with his
submissions, and “The Lost Legion” was taken off the
schedule by the end of March. Camfield continued working on the story --
finally submitting the script for Episode Four on September 24th -- but
by this time the production team had no interest in developing it
further.
|
| Characters: The Fourth
Doctor, Sarah Jane |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Second serial of
Season Fourteen |
| Stage Reached: Complete
script |
| Synopsis: An isolated North African
outpost of the French Foreign Legion becomes the focal point of a
confrontation between the Skarkel and the Khoorians, two factions of an
alien race. At the story's conclusion, the last of the aliens shoots
Sarah Jane as it dies, and she expires in the Doctor's arms. The
Legionnaires build a funeral pyre for Sarah, which burns as the TARDIS
dematerialises.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #8 |
| The Lost Power Of Abraxis |
|
 |
|
|
|
| Writer: Unknown |
|
Notes: Reference to “The Lost
Power Of Abraxis” was found in the archives of producer John
Nathan-Turner after his death.
|
| Characters: The Fifth or
Sixth Doctors |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Unknown |
| Stage Reached:
Unknown |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine #575 |
| Lungbarrow |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Marc Platt |
|
Notes: Platt was working on
“Lungbarrow” by the autumn of 1988, drawing elements from
Mervyn Peake's 1946 fantasy novel Titus Groan and its 1950
sequel Gormenghast. “Lungbarrow” was meant to be a
milestone in script editor Andrew Cartmel's redevelopment of the
Doctor Who mythos, introducing the notion that Time Lords were
sterile and maintained their population through the use of genetic
Looms. The Doctor began to realise that he is related, through the Loom
at Lungbarrow, to the Other -- a mysterious figure in Gallifreyan
prehistory who was part of a triumvirate of Time Lord pioneers with
Rassilon and Omega. However, producer John Nathan-Turner was wary of
rushing into such a major revelation, and so “Lungbarrow”
was reworked as Ghost Light.
Platt later used his original storyline as the basis for the final
Seventh Doctor release in Virgin Publishing's Doctor Who: The New
Adventures range; this Lungbarrow was published in March
1997.
|
| Characters: The Seventh
Doctor, Ace |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Twenty-Six |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: The Doctor confronts his
bizarre family of cousins at Lungbarrow, his sentient ancestral home in
South Gallifrey.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #10 |
| The Macro Men |
|
|
|
|
| aka The Macros |
|
| Writers: Ingrid Pitt and Tony
Rudlin |
|
Notes: Pitt had just appeared in
1984's Warriors Of The Deep when
she and her husband, Rudlin, submitted several story ideas to the
Doctor Who production office. Of those, only “The Macro
Men” -- inspired by the 1979 conspiracy theory text The
Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility by William L Moore and
Charles Berlitz -- seems to have been pursued. It was conceived as a
Fifth Doctor story, but was refashioned for the Sixth Doctor by the time
the script for the first episode was commissioned on January 19th, 1984.
During the drafting stage, the adventure's title was amended to
“The Macros”. Although Pitt and Rudlin worked closely with
script editor Eric Saward, the tone of their work was deemed to be too
much like that of a comic strip, and the project was abandoned on March
9th. Big Finish Productions released an audio adaptation of “The
Macros” in June 2010.
|
| Characters: The Fifth Doctor
(original version), the Sixth Doctor (later version), Peri |
| Episodes: 4 (original
version), 2 (45-minute; revised version) |
| Planned For: Season
Twenty-Two |
| Stage Reached: Script for
episode one |
| Synopsis: Forthcoming
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who: The Eighties, Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #3,
DWM #575 |
| The Man From The Met |
|
|
|
| Writer: George Kerr |
|
Notes: This idea was submitted
around the start of April 1966 and rejected by story editor Gerry Davis
on June 15th.
|
| Characters: The First Doctor
(with Steven and Dodo?) |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Four |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: The
Doctor Who Chronicles: Season Four, Doctor Who Magazine Special
Edition #7 |
| Mark Of Lumos |
|
|
|
| Writer: Keith Miles |
|
Notes: This storyline was
commissioned on March 14th, 1980.
|
| Characters: The Fourth
Doctor |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Season
Eighteen |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who: The Eighties |
| The Masters Of Luxor |
|
|
| aka The Robots |
|
| Writer: Anthony Coburn |
|
Notes: When Coburn's 100,000 BC, Doctor Who's
original second serial, was brought forward to replace “The Giants” in June 1963,
Coburn was commissioned on June 18th to supply a replacement second
story as well, to be directed by Rex Tucker. When Coburn left the BBC to
become a freelance writer, the serial had to be recommissioned; this
happened on July 3rd, by which time it had gained the title “The
Robots” and had been expanded from four to six episodes.
“The Robots” was originally set on thirtieth-century Earth,
but by the end of the month its location had been shifted to an alien
planet. The production team grew increasingly unhappy with “The
Robots”, however, and on September 23rd decided to switch it in
the running order with the intended fifth story, The Daleks. The following month, the
scripts gained a new title: “The Masters Of Luxor”. Around
the start of 1964, “The Masters Of Luxor” was postponed
until Season Two, at one point being considered for the sixth slot of
Doctor Who's second production block. By the end of the year,
however, the decision had been made to drop “The Masters Of
Luxor” from the schedule altogether. The episode titles for the
serial were: 1. The Cannibal Flower, 2. The Mockery Of A
Man, 3. A Light On The Dead Planet, 4. Tabon Of Luxor,
5. An Infinity Of Surprises, 6. The Flower Blooms
(originally The Flower In Bloom). In August 1992, Titans Books
published “The Masters Of Luxor” as a script book, edited by
John McElroy. Then, in August 2012, Big Finish Productions released an
audio adaptation by Nigel Robinson.
|
| Characters: The First Doctor,
Susan, Ian, Barbara |
| Episodes: 4 (original
submission); 6 (resubmission) |
| Planned For: Seasons One and
Two |
| Stage Reached: Complete
script |
| Synopsis: The TARDIS is drawn by a signal
to one of the moons of Luxor. There they discover the world dominated by
robots led by the Perfect One. The Perfect One has been experimenting on
people to discover the secret of life, and kidnaps Barbara and Susan; he
plans to use them as test subjects before draining their life force. The
Doctor and Ian escape to the wilderness, where they find and reawaken
Tabon, the scientist who invented the Perfect One. Tabon confronts the
Perfect One, sending the robots out of control. The robots kill Tabon
and destroy the Perfect One, while the time travellers escape in the
TARDIS.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who: The Scripts: The Masters Of Luxor, Doctor Who: The Handbook:
The First Doctor, Doctor Who Magazine #331, DWM Special
Edition #7 |
| The Mega |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Bill Strutton |
|
Notes: In 1970, more than five
years after completing The Web
Planet, Strutton approached the Doctor Who production
office about writing for the series again. On September 25th, he
submitted the storyline for “The Mega”, which was
retroactively commissioned on October 19th. Although Strutton worked on
the project for a number of weeks, the idea was eventually discarded. In
December 2013, Big Finish Productions released an audio adaptation of
“The Mega” by Simon Guerrier.
|
| Characters: The Third Doctor,
Jo |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Season
Eight |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: When the British government
unveils a new gas weapon which can target its victims by their genetic
make-up, a mysterious message is transmitted via television which warns
Western governments to disarm, or face violent consequences. The Doctor
traces the message to a small European nation whose ruler, Prince
Cassie, has allied himself with alien energy beings called the Mega.
Although the Doctor disagrees with the Mega's methods, he sympathises
with their goals, and finds himself declared a traitor to Britain.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine #286, DWM Special Edition #2 |
| The Menday Fault |
|
|
|
| Writer: David Wiltshire |
|
Notes: In late 1975 or early 1976,
Wiltshire, a dentist and magazine editor, submitted a detailed but
unsolicited storyline for “The Menday Fault” to the
Doctor Who production office. The idea was not pursued.
|
| Characters: The Fourth Doctor
and Sarah Jane |
| Episodes: 6 |
| Planned For: Season
Thirteen or Fourteen |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: The Doctor and Sarah Jane join
the crew of the Thor, an experimental nuclear submarine
attempting to set a new depth record by entering the Fault of Menday in
the Bermuda Triangle. The Fault turns out to be a passageway to a
subterranean world, and the Thor is captured by a race called the
Suranians, led by Zorr. The Suranians' world is lit by a glowing cloud
of gas that is beginning to fade, and so Zorr wants to use the Polaris
missiles aboard the Thor to invade the surface world. He
threatens Sarah's life to force the Doctor's cooperation, but she is
saved by Nephus, a merman-like Trelw. Nephus' people are being
mind-controlled by the Suranians, but the Doctor manages to destroy the
transmitter, inciting a rebellion. Nephus kills Zorr, and the
Thor is able to the return to the surface world.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine #292, DWM Special Edition #8 |
| The Metraki |
|
|
|
| Writer: Andrew Smith |
|
Notes: This was an unsolicited
submission to the Doctor Who production office circa 1983 from
the writer of Full Circle. Script
editor Eric Saward was impressed enough to commission “The First Sontarans”.
|
| Characters: The Fifth
Doctor |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Probably Season
Twenty-One |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine #432 |
| A Midwinter's Tale |
|
 |
|
| Writers: Russell T Davies,
Phil Ford |
|
Notes: A potential storyline
conceived by Davies for the 2008 Christmas special involved the father
of a family suddenly finding himself alone in a deserted hotel at
Christmas. However, the spot was eventually taken by The Next Doctor. Some months
later, Davies decided to revisit the concept for what was intended to be
the 2009 Christmas special, which he would be co-writing with Ford.
Davies also drew upon elements of a second Christmas 2008 idea, in which
the Earth was transformed into a fantasy landscape generated by the
dormant mind of Harry Potter author JK Rowling. The replacement
of the father with a grandmother grew out of Davies' desire to include a
strong, older female as one of the temporary companions featured in the
2009 specials; he hoped to cast Helen Mirren in the role, while Dame
Judi Dench was touted as another possibility. Following a meeting on
July 11th, 2008, Ford took these ideas and developed a storyline called
“A Midwinter's Tale”. However, Davies was already beginning
to have misgivings about the adventure; he feared that it would be
impractical to effectively stage a deserted London, and he was unsure
that the notion could generate enough incident for a one-hour special.
After reading Ford's treatment, Davies decided that the fantasy element
was too strong, and concluded that “A Midwinter's Tale”
represented a “dead end” for the special. He had already
devised a replacement idea, which evolved into The Waters Of Mars. The
essential idea for “A Midwinter's Tale” was ultimately used
as the basis for The Empty
Planet, part of the fourth season of The Sarah Jane
Adventures.
|
| Characters: The Eleventh
Doctor, “Gran” |
| Episodes: 1
(60-minute) |
| Planned For: Second 2009
special |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: A grandmother is trapped in a
posh hotel with her unruly family. Wishing that they'd all just
disappear, she storms out of their suite to fetch some ice, only to find
the corridors deserted. Returning to her room, she discovers that her
family has indeed disappeared -- but so has all of humanity. Finally,
she comes upon the TARDIS and the Doctor. Investigating, they discover
eight-legged centaur-like creatures abroad in London. It transpires that
aliens from another dimension, the Shi'ar, have frozen time on Earth in
order to hold a festival celebrating the marriage of their queen. Should
the Doctor and the grandmother be caught, the Earth will be forfeited to
the Shi'ar. The Doctor and the grandmother prevail after a race through
secret tunnels beneath Buckingham Palace.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who: The Complete History #61, Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale --
The Final Chapter |
| Mind Of The Hodiac |
|
|
|
| Writer: Russell T Davies |
|
Notes: Davies was likely writing
“Mind Of The Hodiac” in 1987, after the revelation that
Colin Baker would not be returning as the Sixth Doctor but prior to the
announcement that Sylvester McCoy had been cast as the Seventh Doctor.
However, the story was formatted as two forty-five-minute episodes, as
per Baker's first full season in 1985. Ultimately consisting of a script
for Episode One and an outline of Episode Two, “Mind Of The
Hodiac” was submitted to the Doctor Who production office,
much as Davies had also offered the narrative which would eventually
become 2005's The Long Game.
In 1989, script editor Andrew Cartmel responded encouragingly about the
quality of Davies' work but, by that time, it was known that the BBC
was winding down the production of Doctor Who. Nonetheless,
Davies would go on to spearhead the programme's revival in 2005. During
the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, during an online event organised by Emily
Cook of Doctor Who Magazine, Davies revealed that he had
rediscovered his materials for “Mind Of The Hodiac”. Cook
subsequently produced an audio adaptation for Big Finish Productions,
with Scott Handcock completing Davies' script; it was released in 2022.
|
| Characters: The Sixth Doctor,
Mel |
| Episodes: 2
(45-minute) |
| Planned For: Presumably Season
Twenty-Four |
| Stage Reached: Partial
script |
| Synopsis: The ruthless Hodiac is
manipulating the Galactic Stock Exchange. His goal is to raise funds to
hire mercenaries, in order to help him find his missing half. Meanwhile,
on modern-day Earth, the Maitland family is plagued by poltergeist-like
activity. These events attract the attention of Mrs Chinn, a sinister
researcher into psychic phenomena.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine #574 |
| Mission To Magnus |
|
|
| aka Planet Of Storms |
|
| Writer: Philip Martin |
|
Notes: Producer John Nathan-Turner
was happy with the villain Sil whom Philip Martin had created for 1985's
Vengeance On Varos. He quickly
asked Martin for a sequel, and “Mission To Magnus” was
commissioned on August 29th, 1984. (The title “Planet Of
Storms” may also have been considered.) It was decided that this
story would feature the return of the Ice Warriors, last seen in 1974's
The Monster Of Peladon.
“Mission To Magnus” was probably intended to be the fourth
story of Season Twenty-Three, directed by Ron Jones, who had handled Vengeance On Varos. On February
27th, however, it was announced that production of Doctor Who was
being suspended until Spring 1986; ultimately, all of the stories
originally planned for Season Twenty-Three were abandoned in favour of
The Trial Of A Time Lord. Martin
was instead commissioned to write The Trial Of A Time Lord (Segment
Two). Target Books published Martin's novelisation of “Mission
To Magnus” in July 1990, while December 2009 saw the release of
Martin's audio adaptation from Big Finish Productions.
|
| Characters: The Sixth Doctor,
Peri |
| Episodes: 2
(45-minute) |
| Planned For: Probably the
fourth story of Season Twenty-Three |
| Stage Reached: Partial
scripts |
| Synopsis: The Doctor is lured to the
planet Magnus Epsilon by Anzor, a Time Lord who used to bully him at the
Academy. The planet has been ravaged by a virus which is fatal to any
male exposed to sunlight. However, Zandusia, ruler of Magnus Epsilon,
believes that the neighbouring planet Salvak has found a cure and plans
an invasion. She petitions the Time Lords to travel back in time and
prevent the virus from ever being released. When Anzor refuses, Zandusia
tries to steal the secrets of time travel. Meanwhile, the Doctor's old
enemy Sil is on Magnus Epsilon, apparently in Zandusia's employ. The
Doctor lays a trap for Zandusia in Anzor's TARDIS, but it snares the
other Time Lord, who is locked into a slow course back to the origin of
the universe. Peri join forces with a runaway boy named Vion to rescue
the Doctor. Together, they investigate ice tunnels and discover that Sil
is really working with the Ice Warriors, led by Ice Lord Vedikael, who
set off a series of explosions to change the tilt of the planet's axis.
This will make Magnus Epsilon an arctic world suitable for the Ice
Warriors, and Sil will profit by selling cold weather gear to the
natives. However, when the Ice Warriors decide to eliminate Sil now that
his usefulness is at an end, he reveals the existence of back-up
explosives. The Doctor sets these off, restoring Magnus Epsilon's
orientation. The Ice Warriors are killed by the return of the heat, and
the Salvakans arrive to help rebuild the planet.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #3 |
| The Mists Of Madness |
|
|
|
| Writer: Brian Wright |
|
Notes: Script editor Terrance Dicks
commissioned the storyline from Wright on February 17th, 1969, and it
was submitted on May 9th. Subsequently, however, Wright took up an
academic writing post in Bristol, leaving him with no time to complete
work on “The Mists Of Madness”, which was then dropped from
the schedule.
|
| Characters: The Third Doctor,
Liz |
| Episodes: 7 |
| Planned For: Final story of
Season Seven |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: The Doctor discovers an
artificially-created human community.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #2 |
| Mouth Of Grath |
|
|
|
| Writers: Malcolm Edwards and
Leroy Kettle |
|
Notes: This storyline was
commissioned on March 18th, 1980.
|
| Characters: The Fourth
Doctor |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Season
Eighteen |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who: The Eighties |
| Music Of The Spheres |
|
|
|
| Writers: Paul Norris and
David Gottlieb |
|
Notes: Norris and Gottlieb
submitted their idea on July 19th, 1984. It was accompanied by a bottle
of champagne, prompting script editor Eric Saward to rebuke them for an
unprofessional act that could be construed as an attempt at bribery. The
champagne was donated for use in a charity auction at a Doctor
Who convention.
|
| Characters: Presumably the
Sixth Doctor, Peri |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Twenty-Two |
| Stage Reached:
Story idea |
| Synopsis: Unknown |
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine #575 |
| The Mutant |
|
|
|
| Writer: Barry Letts |
|
Notes: Letts submitted this idea
around November 1966, when it was rejected by story editor Gerry Davis.
Later, when Letts was the producer of Doctor Who, he suggested
that writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin incorporate elements of this
concept into a story of their own, which became The Mutants.
|
| Characters: The Second
Doctor |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Presumably
Seasons Four or Five |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Concerned a race of creatures
which underwent dramatic mutations, like a caterpillar evolving into a
butterfly, over the span of their lifetimes.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine #230, DWM Special Edition #4 |
| Multiface |
|
|
|
| Writer: Godfrey Harrison |
|
Notes: This was an experimental
storyline commissioned by producer Barry Letts on July 19th, 1971 while
script editor Terrance Dicks was on holiday. Although considerable
development was undertaken, Letts eventually decided that
“Multiface” was turning out to be more fantastical than he
felt appropriate for Doctor Who, and it was abandoned on February
25th, 1972.
|
| Characters: The Third Doctor,
Jo |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Seasons
Nine or Ten |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #2, Doctor Who: The
Seventies |
|