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

Gallifrey Writers: Pip Baker and Jane Baker Notes: This was the first story to go into development after the yearlong postponement of production on Doctor Who's twenty-third season. The Bakers -- who had recently completed The Mark Of The Rani -- were commissioned to write the scripts on March 11th, 1985 (under the misspelt title “Gallifray”). However, no work appears to have ever been performed on the project, and it was soon supplanted by The Trial Of A Time Lord. Characters: The Sixth Doctor, Peri Episodes: 4 Planned For: Season Twenty-Three Stage Reached: Story idea Synopsis: May have involved the destruction of the Doctor's home planet, Gallifrey. References: Doctor Who: Magazine Special Edition #3, Doctor Who: The Eighties The Gaslight Murders Writer: Basil Dawson Notes: Dawson, a veteran screenwriter, was approached by script editor Robert Holmes to develop a story which would introduce a new companion to replace Sarah Jane Smith. The new character was a Cockney girl whom the Doctor would take under his wing and educate, in the manner of Eliza Doolittle in the George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion. “The Gaslight Murders” was quickly abandoned, however. Its spot in the schedule was ultimately filled by The Face Of Evil, while Holmes reused the general framework in The Talons Of Weng-Chiang. Characters: The Fourth Doctor Episodes: 4 Planned For: Fourth story of Season Fourteen Stage Reached: Probably storyline Synopsis: Involved murders in Victorian London. References: Classic Who: The Hinchcliffe Years Genesis Of The Cybermen Writer: Gerry Davis Notes: Former Doctor Who script editor Davis submitted this idea circa early 1981, intending it to be a prequel to his and Kit Pedler's original Cyberman serial, The Tenth Planet (which also featured Cyberman Krail). Davis wrote his storyline with only the Doctor and one female companion in mind; he called this character “Felicity” rather than writing with any particular companion in mind. Producer John Nathan-Turner and script editor Antony Root were not interested in “Genesis Of The Cybermen”. Characters: Presumably the Fifth Doctor Episodes: 4 Planned For: Probably Season Nineteen Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: The Doctor and his companion “Felicity” arrive on the planet Mondas, Earth's twin orbiting on the opposite side of the Sun. While the Doctor works on a piece of TARDIS equipment, Felicity encounters the gentle Prince Sylvan. Sylvan accidentally activates the TARDIS, sending him, the Doctor and Felicity fifty years into the future. There, Sylvan's brother, Dega, is now king and has used the Doctor's device to begin turning his people into Cybermen. He has constructed a space fleet with which he intends to invade the mineral-rich Earth, and plans to kill any unconverted Mondans with cyanide gas. Felicity appeals to Dega's partly-Cybernised wife, Queen Meta, and she shoots her husband dead -- only to be killed by Dega's chief of staff, Krail. In the confusion, Sylvan and a band of Mondan rebels flee in the spaceships to Earth; the massive concussion of take-off knocks Mondas out of its orbit into deep space. References: Doctor Who: Cybermen, Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #9 Ghost Planet Writer: Robin Squire Notes: Squire was commissioned to write a storyline for “Ghost Planet” on January 5th, 1983, followed by full scripts on May 20th. Characters: The Fifth or Sixth Doctors Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Twenty-One or Twenty-Two Stage Reached: At least partial script Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #1, DWM Special Edition #3, Doctor Who: The Eighties The Giants Writer: CE Webber Notes: The “miniscules” idea originated in Webber's earliest format guide for Doctor Who, which had been written by May 1963. The first episode was outlined in a subsequent iteration of the guide dated May 16th, with the description of the concluding episodes completed by June 4th. Rex Tucker was assigned to direct “The Giants”. Biddy, Cliff and Lola would eventually become Susan, Ian and Barbara, while the idea of the Doctor being explicitly referred to as “Dr Who” would go effectively unused. Doctor Who creator Sydney Newman disliked the use of the caterpillar and spider as “monsters” and felt the story lacked incident and character. However, it appears that it may have been the technical limitations of the outdated Lime Grove studio where Doctor Who was to be recorded which forced the abandonment of “The Giants” in favour of 100,000 BC. The miniaturisation idea was unsuccessfully reused in a treatment by Robert Gould before finally making it to the screen in the form of Planet Of Giants by Louis Marks. Characters: Dr. Who, Sue, Cliff, Lola Episodes: 4 Planned For: The first serial of Season One Stage Reached: Scripts for episodes one and two Synopsis: Teenager Sue and her teachers Lola and Cliff meet a strange old man in the fog. Calling him Dr. Who, they discover that his home appears to be a police box, and it is in fact a time machine larger on the inside than on the outside. Wrong buttons are pressed and the four are transported to Cliff's science class laboratory, but reduced to just an eighth of an inch in height. There, Cliff and Sue are separated from the Ship and are menaced by a caterpillar, a spider, a student's compass and a microscope lens. Finally, they manage to communicate with the students and their teacher and are returned to the time machine. References: Doctor Who Magazine #209, Doctor Who: The Handbook: The First Doctor The Guardians Of Prophecy aka The Place Of Serenity Writer: Johnny Byrne Notes: After completing work on Season Twenty-One's Warriors Of The Deep, Byrne was asked to develop a sequel to his 1981 story The Keeper Of Traken. He submitted his storyline around July 1983. However, discord had arisen between Byrne and script editor Eric Saward during the development of Warriors Of The Deep, and there was little enthusiasm from either Byrne or the production office to develop “The Guardians Of Prophecy” any further. In May 2012, Big Finish Productions released an audio adaptation of “The Guardians Of Prophecy” by Jonathan Morris. Characters: The Sixth Doctor Episodes: 2 (45-minute) Planned For: Season Twenty-Two Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: The Doctor and Peri arrive on the planet Serenity, which is part of the same Benign Union that once counted Traken as a member. Serenity is ruled by the aristocratic Elect, assisted by a mighty computer known as Prophecy. The Doctor is accused of stealing relics from the vaults of the Elect, but the true culprits are Auga, recorder to the court, and Mura, commander of the Guard. Aided by the mercenary Ebbko, who has kidnapped Peri, they have sabotaged Prophecy's power supply and used the relics to gain access to the tomb of Malador, the immortal creator of the Melkur. Auga and Mura hope that Malador will help them overthrow the Elect, but Malador has his own plans and kills them. Peri escapes only with Ebbko's aid. Malador is actually Prophecy's evil counterpart; once he has repaired their mutual power supply, he will transmit a signal that will corrupt all the worlds touched by Melkur. The Doctor manages to destroy the power supply, however, creating a dimensional fracture which consumes Malador. References: Doctor Who Magazine #170, DWM Special Edition #3, Doctor Who: The Sixties The Hands Of Aten Writer: Brian Hayles Notes: Hayles was commissioned to write a storyline for “The Hands Of Aten” 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 Harvesters aka The Vampire Planet Writer: William Emms Notes: A couple of years after submitting this story under the title of “The Harvesters” for the Second Doctor, Emms redrafted it in 1969 as “The Vampire Planet” to adhere to the new UNIT format. “The Vampire Planet” may have briefly been considered for the final slot of Season Seven -- ultimately taken by Inferno -- but was soon dropped. Characters: The Second Doctor (original submission); The Third Doctor, UNIT (resubmission) Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Troughton era (original submission); final story of Season Seven (resubmission) Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: The Masters pilot a purple planet into the solar system and despatch their Roboes to invade Earth. The Doctor defeats the Masters by frightening them with film of nuclear explosions. References: Doctor Who Magazine #299, DWM Special Edition #2 The Haunting Writer: Terrance Dicks Notes: Dicks submitted this idea around the start of November 1974, and was commissioned to turn it into a storyline on December 11th. Early in 1975, however, the production team concluded that it was not what they wanted, and it was formally abandoned on May 13th. In the meantime, Dicks was contracted to write The Brain Of Morbius instead. Some elements of the “The Haunting” were reused for Dicks' abortive 1977 script “The Vampire Mutation”, which finally became the Season Eighteen serial State Of Decay. Characters: The Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Episodes: 6 Planned For: Season Thirteen Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Involved the Doctor confronting vampires. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #8 The Hearsay Machine 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 The Heavy Scent Of Violence 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 Hebos Writer: Rod Beacham Notes: Beacham, an actor/writer who had played Corporal Lane in The Web Of Fear, was commissioned to write this storyline on December 5th, 1980. It 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: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #9 The Herdsmen Of Aquarius aka The Herdsmen Of Venus Writer: Donald Cotton Notes: Submitted by Cotton following the completion of The Gunfighters, it was likely not viewed by story editor Gerry Davis as being in line with his and producer Innes Lloyd's more serious vision of Doctor Who. Lloyd and Davis had also complained that Cotton was difficult to contact. “The Herdsmen” was apparently rejected on June 15th, 1966, although it still appears on documentation dated August of that year. Characters: The First Doctor, Steven, Dodo Episodes: 4 Planned For: Season Four Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Involved the revelation that the Loch Ness Monster was a type of cattle bred by Aquarian (or Venusian) farmers. References: Doctor Who Magazine #221, Doctor Who: The Sixties The Herdsmen Of Venus see The Herdsmen Of Aquarius Hex Writers: Peter Ling and Hazel Adair Notes: Ling (who had written Season Five's The Mind Robber) and Adair had cocreated the mid-Sixties soap opera Compact. In 1982, Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner began developing a relaunched version of Compact with Ling and Adair, called Impact. He hoped to leave Doctor Who to produce Impact, but when the project was shelved by the BBC, Nathan-Turner offered Ling and Adair a Doctor Who assignment as consolation. They were inspired to write “Hex” after observing some beehives that Adair had been asked to keep in her orchard. They also wanted to take advantage of the Fifth Doctor's youthful apparance by including a quasi-romantic subplot for the Time Lord. The storyline for “Hex” was commissioned on July 12th, 1983. Nathan-Turner liked the submission, but script editor Eric Saward grew gradually less impressed as work on “Hex” progressed. The story evolved from a six-part to a four-part version, and was then adapted as two 45-minute episodes for Season Twenty-Two, before finally being dropped. In November 2011, Big Finish Productions released an audio adaptation of “Hex” by Paul Finch under the title “Hexagora”. Characters: The Fifth Doctor (original version), the Sixth Doctor (later version), Peri Episodes: 6 (original version), 4 (revised version), 2 (45-minute; final version) Planned For: Seasons Twenty-One and Twenty-Two Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: The Earth's most brilliant minds are being kidnapped, and the Doctor traces the disappearances to the planet Hexagora. Confronting Queen Zafia, the Doctor learns that Hexagora is spiralling away from its sun, and the Hexagoran civilisation risks destruction. She claims that the kidnappings are intended to provide them with the brainpower to find a solution to the dilemma. The Doctor offers to help move the Hexagorans to an uninhabited planet, but Zafia will agree to this plan only if the Doctor agrees to a “marriage of state”. However, Peri discovers that the Hexagorans are actually bee-like creatures who are transforming themselves into clones of the kidnapped humans. Their plan is to infiltrate Earth, but Zafia will first absorb all of the Doctor's knowledge when they are married. A renegade Hexagoran named Jezz sets fire to the Hexagoran hives, and the Doctor and Peri grimly rescue the abducted humans while Hexagora burns. References: Doctor Who Magazine #s 213, 214, DWM Special Edition #3 The Hidden Planet Writer: Malcolm Hulke Notes: This was an idea submitted by Hulke on September 2nd, 1963, after being invited to contribute to Doctor Who in July. Although it was not initially pursued by the production team, on September 23rd, Hulke was asked to stop working on “Britain 408 AD” and begin developing “The Hidden Planet” instead. In mid-October, “The Hidden Planet” was pencilled in as the seventh story of Season One, then pushed back to eighth by the time of its formal commissioning on December 2nd, due to the insertion of Inside The Spaceship into the running order. A month later, “The Hidden Planet” had been promoted to the fifth spot, due to difficulties with two other serials. Unfortunately, when Hulke delivered his script for episode one in January 1964, the production team found it unacceptable and asked Hulke to undertake rewrites; The Keys Of Marinus was hastily commissioned to take its place. Hulke disputed the rewrites, arguing that the episode one script had adhered to the accepted storyline and that he should therefore be paid extra for any rewrites. This request was refused, and in March, Hulke agreed to revise his scripts. Subsequently, the second installment was given the title The Year Of The Lame Dog. In April, “The Hidden Planet” was a possible second story for Doctor Who's second recording block. By July, Hulke had rewritten the adventure as a five-parter, and consideration was given to making it first in the second block. However, it was felt that too much work would be needed to restructure “The Hidden Planet” following the departure of Susan, and there was also concern about the adventure's lack of monsters, now viewed as a key component of the programme's science-fiction serials. “The Hidden Planet” was therefore abandoned by story editor David Whitaker on September 24th, with its formal rejection coming on October 20th. Hulke resubmitted his storyline to the production office following Whitaker's departure from Doctor Who, but it was again rejected on April 2nd, 1965 by new story editor Dennis Spooner, because it still included Ian and Barbara, who were about to exit the series. Characters: The First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara (originally; the resubmission presumably replaced Susan with Vicki) Episodes: 6 (original submission); 5 (resubmission) Planned For: Seasons One, Two and Three Stage Reached: Probably partial script Synopsis: The TARDIS lands on “the Tenth Planet”, a world identical to the Earth but whose orbit around the Sun is diametrically opposite to our planet's, and which has therefore gone undetected. This world is very much like Earth, but there are subtle differences: four-leaf clovers are plentiful, for example, and glass refracts oddly. Most notably, women are the dominant sex while men struggle for equality. The leader of the planet is Barbara's double, and Barbara is kidnapped by rebels. Meanwhile, the Doctor, Susan and Ian are embroiled in the struggle for male suffrage. References: Doctor Who Magazine #310, DWM Special Edition #7, Doctor Who: The Handbook: The First Doctor The Hollow Men Writer: Brian Hayles Notes: “The Hollow Men” was discovered by Mark Hayles amongst his late father's files. Characters: The Third Doctor, UNIT Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Unknown Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Following the death of his wife from heart disease, the wealthy Sherman P Rayburn is determined to set up an institute to propel advances in medical science. However, his investments in this project have depleted his financial resources, and the government refuses to assist him. Enraged, Rayburn turns to a discovery made by one of his scientists, Professor Martin, who has found a way to turn a rabbit into a “negative” which can pass through normal, “positive” materials. Rayburn forces Martin to use the procedure to create a squad of commandos with which he can raid government treasuries. UNIT is helpless to stop them until, during their final assault on the Bank of England, the Doctor convinces the commandos that Rayburn has concealed the truth from them: the procedure is irreversible. The shadow squad turns on Rayburn and destroys him. References: Nothing At The End Of The Lane #3 The Horror Of Fang Rock Writer: John Leekley Notes: This was one of several storylines which appeared in Leekley's series bible for Philip Segal's version of Doctor Who, released on March 21st, 1994. It was based on Terrance Dicks' Horror Of Fang Rock. Characters: A reimagined version of the First Doctor Episodes: 1 (45 minutes) Planned For: 1995 series Stage Reached: Story idea Synopsis: The TARDIS follows mysterious streaks of light travelling through space to a lighthouse in 1906 England. A fog rises and the Doctor saves the passengers aboard a clipper which runs aground, only to be accused of the murder of the ship's captain. He must prove his innocence while stopping an alien which has crashlanded on Earth and has possessed the lighthouse keeper. References: Doctor Who: Regeneration Hostage Writer: Neil Penswick Notes: This was an unsolicited submission which script editor Andrew Cartmel deemed too expensive. However, he liked “Hostage” enough to prompt a meeting between himself and Penswick. However, it was not long afterward -- in September 1989 -- that Doctor Who was cancelled. Penswick later used some elements of “Hostage” for his Doctor Who: The New Adventures novel The Pit, released in March 1993 by Virgin Publishing. Characters: The Seventh Doctor Episodes: 3 Planned For: Season Twenty-Seven Stage Reached: Script Synopsis: Elite soldiers pursue shapeshifting criminals Butler and Swarfe, who have stolen advanced weapons technology and brought it to a jungle planet where the Time Lords once fought a race called the Scaroth. References: Doctor Who Magazine #255, DWM Special Edition #10 The Hounds Of Time Writer: Brian Hayles Notes: This storyline appears to have been submitted around the time that Hayles completed The Smugglers in mid-1966. It was discovered by Mark Hayles amongst his late father's files. Characters: The First or Second Doctor, Ben, Polly Episodes: 4 Planned For: Season Four Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: A scientist named Melloris has despatched robotic hunters to capture humans from throughout Earth's history and bring them to his laboratory on the planet Terrin. Amongst those kidnapped are Ben and Polly, but the Doctor pursues them to Terrin and confronts Melloris. He discovers that Terrin's warlord, Vartan, is studying mankind in order to determine the optimal point in history to invade and make Earth a vassal of Terrin. The controlling computer now identifies 1970 as the crucial year. Having second thoughts, Melloris tries to stop Vartan but is killed. However, Ben and Polly escape from the trap, and the Doctor sabotages the computer with a logical paradox, depriving Vartan of the power he needs to launch the invasion. References: Nothing At The End Of The Lane #3 The House That Ur-Cjak Built Writer: Andrew Stephenson Notes: A storyline was commissioned on June 10th, after which Stephenson's idea was apparently abandoned. Characters: Presumably the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Twenty-One Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #1, Doctor Who: The Eighties Iceberg aka Flipback Writer: David Banks Notes: Banks, who had played the Cyberleader since 1982's Earthshock, proposed this story idea around the time that he reprised the role for Attack Of The Cybermen. Also known as “Flipback”, it was not taken forward, but Banks later used it as the basis of a 1993 novel in Virgin Publishing's Doctor Who: The New Adventures range, featuring the Seventh Doctor. Characters: The Sixth Doctor, Peri Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Twenty-Three Stage Reached: Story idea Synopsis: In 2006, human scientists in Antarctica race to construct a device which will undo an imminent reversal of the Earth's magnetic field. However, the Cybermen are also present in Antarctica and are plotting to sabotage the device, giving them the opportunity to conquer the planet in the confusion caused by the reversal. The device is activated prematurely, crippling the Cybermen, and giving the Doctor the opportunity to stop the Cyber forces. References: Doctor Who: The New Adventures: Iceberg, Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #3, DWM Special Edition #10 Ice Time see Thin Ice Illegal Alien Writer: Robert Perry and Mike Tucker Notes: Tucker was a visual effects assistant on Doctor Who. He and Perry had already submitted one script under a pseudonym, and when this was rejected, Tucker admitted to script editor Andrew Cartmel that he was one of the writers responsible. Cartmel encouraged Perry and Tucker to try again, and they developed “Illegal Alien” in 1988. At this point, Ian Briggs was working on The Curse Of Fenric, which had a similar setting; as such, he advised the pair to wait before submitting their work. They finally did so in early 1989, having written two scripts and storylined the closing episode. However, any further development ceased when Doctor Who was cancelled in September of that year. Perry and Tucker later adapted “Illegal Alien” as a novel for BBC Books, published in October 1997. Characters: The Seventh Doctor, Ace Episodes: 3 Planned For: Seasons Twenty-Six and Twenty-Seven Stage Reached: Partial scripts Synopsis: The Doctor and Ace confront the Cybermen in World War II London. References: Doctor Who Magazine #255, DWM Special Edition #10 The Impersonators Writers: Malcolm Hulke Notes: Hulke was commissioned to write a storyline for “The Impersonators” on July 5th, 1968. It was planned that this adventure would form Serial ZZ, with a four-part Serial AAA by Derrick Sherwin then serving as the final story for the Second Doctor. However, when problems hit both projects, it was decided to instead conclude Season Six with a ten-part Serial ZZ, which became The War Games, cowritten by Hulke. “The Impersonators” was formally abandoned on December 30th. Characters: The Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe Episodes: 6 Planned For: Penultimate story of Season Six Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #4 The Imps Writer: William Emms Notes: A year after the transmission of his Galaxy 4, Emms was commissioned to write “The Imps” on October 17th, 1966. The story was rushed into production when it was decided that The Underwater Menace could not be suitably realised on Doctor Who's budget. Emms completed draft scripts and some rewrites before falling ill in November. Around this time, producer Innes Lloyd and story editor Gerry Davis decided to add the character of Jamie as a new companion in The Highlanders, the story preceding “The Imps”, meaning that the character would have to be incorporated into Emms' scripts. With the writer too sick to do the necessary work, The Underwater Menace was resurrected in its spot in the schedule. It was intended that “The Imps” would now follow it into production, but by mid-December, the spot had been given to The Moonbase. “The Imps” was formally rejected on January 4th, 1967, possibly because it would have needed substantial reworking to accommodate the planned exit of Ben and Polly, and the introduction of a new female companion. Emms later used elements of the story for his Sixth Doctor choose-your-own-adventure book, Mission To Venus, published in 1986. Characters: The Second Doctor, Polly, Ben (and later Jamie) Episodes: 4 Planned For: The fifth or sixth serial of Season Four Stage Reached: Complete scripts Synopsis: An interplanetary passenger liner lands at a remote spaceport on Earth, bearing with it imp-like creatures who can become intangible, and alien spores. They cause an aggressive form of vegetation to spring up around the spaceport and attack the humans within. References: Doctor Who Magazine #209, DWM #299, DWM #322, DWM Special Edition #4 In The Hollows Of Time Writer: Christopher H Bidmead Notes: On June 19th, 1984, Bidmead was commissioned to provide a storyline inspired by the writer's interest in physics and particularly string theory. By the time full scripts were requested on November 21st, the serial had gained the title “In The Hollows Of Time”. It was probably earmarked as the fifth story of Season Twenty-Three, to be directed by Matthew Robinson (who had recently worked on Attack Of The Cybermen and would also be the director of season premiere “The Nightmare Fair”) as Serial 7E. However, on February 27th, 1985, it was announced that production of Doctor Who was being suspended until Spring 1986, with the programme then returning for a season of twenty-five-minute episodes. Bidmead was asked to rework his storyline for this format. But then, at the end of May, it was decided that Season Twenty-Three would be only fourteen episodes long, leading to the development of The Trial Of A Time Lord and the abandonment of all of the original Season Twenty-Three serials. In February 2010, Bidmead's audio adaptation of his storyline was released by Big Finish Productions under the slightly amended title “The Hollows Of Time”. Characters: The Sixth Doctor, Peri Episodes: 2 (45-minute) Planned For: Probably the fifth story of Season Twenty-Three Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Forthcoming References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #3 Incident On Zeta Minor see Project Zeta-Sigma Into The Comet Writer: James Follett Notes: Follett was a novelist who pitched this idea circa September 1979, when it was rejected by script editor Douglas Adams. Follett resubmitted “Into The Comet” to new script editor Christopher H Bidmead around May 1980, but once again the storyline was not pursued. Characters: The Fourth Doctor, Romana, K-9 Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Eighteen Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Involved monsters attacking a race of beings who live inside Halley's Comet, unaware that there is anything beyond it. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #9, Doctor Who: The Eighties Invasion Of The Veridians Writer: Nabil Shaban Notes: Shaban was a longtime fan of Doctor Who, and had previously suggested himself to replace the late Roger Delgado as the Master. In offering this script to the production office in 1980, Shaban also put himself forward as a potential successor to Tom Baker as the Doctor. Nothing came of “Invasion Of The Veridians”, but Shaban later played Sil in 1985's Vengeance On Varos and 1986's The Trial Of A Time Lord. Characters: Presumably the Fourth Doctor Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Presumably Season Eighteen Stage Reached: Full(?) script Synopsis: Unknown References: Doctor Who Magazine #309 The Killer Cats Of Geng Singh see Killers Of The Dark Killers Of The Dark aka The Killer Cats Of Geng Singh Writer: David Weir Notes: Producer Graham Williams was enamoured with the way the Time Lords had been developed in The Deadly Assassin, and wanted a Gallifrey-related story to close Season Fifteen. Script editor Anthony Read approached Weir, with whom he had worked on The Troubleshooters. The result, “Killers Of The Dark”, was commissioned on July 18th, 1977, and was influenced by Weir's interest in Oriental cultures. (The adventure may also have been known as “The Killer Cats Of Geng Singh” or some variation thereof, although this appears to have been a title made up by Williams after the fact.) A month later, however, both Read and director Gerald Blake determined that Weir's scripts were impossible to realise on Doctor Who's limited budget, boasting set pieces such as a stadium full of cat people. Reluctantly, “Killers Of The Dark” was abandoned in mid-August, leaving Williams and Read to hurriedly write The Invasion Of Time in its place. Characters: The Fourth Doctor, Leela, K-9 Episodes: 6 Planned For: The sixth serial of Season Fifteen Stage Reached: Complete(?) script Synopsis: Concerned a race of cat people native to Gallifrey. References: Doctor Who Magazine Winter Special 1992, DWM Special Edition #8, Doctor Who: The Seventies The King's Bedtime Story 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: The Doctor and his companions are forced to perpetually enact the King's favourite story without changing any aspect of it. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #4, The Doctor Who Chronicles: Season Five Knight Fall Writer: Ben Aaronovitch Notes: This unsolicited idea was submitted in May 1987. Script editor Andrew Cartmel liked some of the concepts, but felt that there were too many supporting characters and that it was generally inappropriate for Doctor Who. However, he encouraged Aaronovitch to pitch more stories, and this soon led to Remembrance Of The Daleks. Characters: The Seventh Doctor Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Season Twenty-Five Stage Reached: Unknown Synopsis: Concerned privatisation. References: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition #10 The Krikkitmen Writer: Douglas Adams Notes: This was one of several ideas that Adams proposed to the production office around 1976. It was rejected by script editor Robert Holmes, who nonetheless encouraged Adams to continue submitting material; this ultimately led to his commission for The Pirate Planet. Later, in 1980, Adams revised “The Krikkitmen” for use by Paramount Pictures as a potential Doctor Who feature film, although nothing came of this project. Finally, Adams included many of the ideas from “The Krikkitmen” in his novel Life, The Universe And Everything, the second sequel to his fantastically popular The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Characters: The Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Episodes: Unknown Planned For: Probably Season Fifteen Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Two million years ago, the inhabitants of the planet Krikkit built a race of androids called the Krikkitmen to wipe out all life in the universe. They were stopped by the Time Lords, who trapped Krikkit within a temporal prison. Now, however, a group of Krikkitmen which escaped the Time Lords' sentence are trying to reassemble the components of a key which can free Krikkit -- components of which happen to resemble elements of the Earth game of cricket, itself actually a reflection of the ancient war. The Doctor and Sarah stumble upon this plot when they see the Krikkitmen steal the Ashes during a test match at Lords. They then travel to the planet Bethselamin to foil the next step in the Krikkitmen's quest. References: Doctor Who Magazine #253, DWM Special Edition #9, Doctor Who: The Seventies The Labyrinth see The Space-Part People The Lady Killers see The Prison In Space 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: Unknown Planned For: 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 Segal's version of Doctor Who, released on March 21st, 1994. It was based on Dennis Spooner's 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 The Last Adventure see Pinacotheca 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 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. After Finch's death in 2007, his son, Paul, offered these 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 Livanthian see Leviathan 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 is really an alien princess named Findooclare and she and the Doctor are being pursued by the mysterious Palladins. Wakeman's planned episode titles were Airfish, What Eats What?, The Living Planet, and 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 unsuccessfully offered “The Living Planet” to 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 2nd, 1968. 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 (with Jamie and Zoe?) Episodes: 6 Planned For: Season Six Stage Reached: Storyline Synopsis: Forthcoming References: Doctor Who Magazine #274 Lost In The Dark Dimension see The Dark Dimension 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 part 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 Lungbarrow Writer: Marc Platt Notes: Platt was working on “Lungbarrow” by the autumn of 1988, drawing elements from Mervyn Peake's 1950 fantasy novel Gormenghast and its sequels. “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 are sterile and maintain their population through the use of genetic Looms. The Doctor begins 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

	Return To
Main Page		Lost Stories

A-F

G-L

M-Q

R-Z

Untitled