| 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 |
| The Masters Of Luxor |
|
|
| aka The Robots |
|
| Writer: Anthony Coburn |
|
Notes: When Coburn's 100,000 BC, Doctor Who's original
second serial, was pushed ahead 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, “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).
|
| Characters: The First Doctor,
Susan, Ian, Barbara |
| Episodes: 4 (original
submission); 6 (rewritten version) |
| 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 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.
|
| Characters: The Third Doctor,
Jo |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Season
Eight |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| 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. Wiltshire
would go on to write several science-fiction novels, including The
Nightmare Man.
|
| 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 Mentor Conspiracy |
|
|
|
| Writer: Chris Boucher |
|
Notes: After “The Silent
Scream” was rejected in early 1975, this was one of the storylines
Boucher worked on with producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor
Robert Holmes. It included the characters of Leela and Andor, who would
eventually appear in The Face Of
Evil. “The Mentor Conspiracy” underwent some
development, but was ultimately turned down on October 30th, 1975.
|
| Characters: The Fourth
Doctor, Leela |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Fourteen |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Set on a colony ship which has
been home to a civilisation spanning many generations.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine #229, DWM Special Edition #8, Doctor Who: The
Seventies |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| The Nazis |
|
|
|
| Writer: Brian Hayles |
|
Notes: Hayles was commissioned to
write a storyline for “The Nazis” on March 8th, 1966. Shortly
thereafter, however, he was engaged to write The Smugglers, which he was told should
take a higher priority. “The Nazis” was ultimately abandoned
on June 15th, with the sentiment being that the events it portrayed were
too close to the present day.
|
| Characters: The First Doctor
(with Steven and Dodo?) |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Four |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine #321, DWM Special Edition #7, Doctor Who: The
Handbook: The First Doctor |
| The New Armada |
|
|
|
| Writer: David Whitaker |
|
Notes: By late February 1964, story
editor Whitaker had decided to write one of the first recording block's
final serials himself. Gerald Blake was allocated to direct. Not long
after, though, he began casting about for a replacement for this untitled
Armada story, eventually finding it in the form of The Reign Of Terror. By mid-April,
Whitaker was considering using his Armada tale as the first serial of
Doctor Who's second production block (so that it would have been
broadcast after The Dalek Invasion Of
Earth), although this did not ultimately come to pass. Long
afterward, having since left the programme, Whitaker submitted a storyline
entitled “The New Armada” -- presumably a revised version of
his original idea -- to the Doctor Who production office. This was
rejected on January 17th, 1966 by then-story editor Gerry Davis, who felt
it was too complex, with a preponderance of characters and subplots.
Nonetheless, Davis invited Whitaker to submit further ideas, eventually
leading to Whitaker writing The Power Of The
Daleks.
|
| Characters: The First Doctor,
Susan, Ian, Barbara |
| Episodes: 6 |
| Planned For: Seasons One, Two
and Three |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Set in sixteenth-century Spain
after the Armada.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who:
The Handbook: The First Doctor |
| The New Machines |
|
|
|
| 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: A race of people created powerful
robots but were subsequently wiped out. The robots have now become so
advanced that they are, in turn, able to create a new race of people. They
fear that these new humans will dominate them, and see the arrival of the
Doctor on their planet as confirmation of their fears.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #4 |
| Nightmare Planet |
|
|
|
| Writer: Dennis Spooner |
|
Notes: Spooner's storyline commission
came on January 31st, 1975, followed by a request for full scripts on
February 4th. The Doctor Who production team ultimately became
unhappy with Spooner's serial, and it was dropped.
|
| Characters: The Fourth Doctor,
Sarah Jane Smith |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Season
Thirteen |
| Stage Reached: Script |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #8, Doctor Who: The Seventies |
| The 1920s |
|
 |
|
| Writer:Stephen Fry |
|
Notes: Fry had been associated with
Doctor Who via his role as the Minister of Chance in the webcast
Death Comes To Time before being invited to contribute to the new
Doctor Who series' second season. The 1920s setting was inspired
by his screenplay for the 2003 feature film Bright Young Things.
In development from about June 2005, “The 1920s” was
intended to form part of the season's sixth production block. By
November, however, it was realised that Fry's script would be too much
of a drain on the programme's budget late in the year, and the decision
was made to defer it to the 2007 season; it was replaced by Fear Her. However, the script would
have to undergo rewrites -- not least to replace Rose Tyler with Martha
Jones -- and Fry was now occupied with other commitments. By mid-2006,
“The 1920s” was withdrawn from the schedule altogether.
|
| Characters: The Tenth Doctor,
Rose |
| Episodes: 1 |
| Planned For:
Eleventh episode of New Series Season Two, New Series Season
Three |
| Stage Reached:
Script |
| Synopsis: Concerned a popular British
legend which turns out to have an extraterrestrial connection.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who Magazine Special Edition #14 |
| Nothing At The End Of The Lane |
|
|
|
| Writer: CE Webber |
|
Notes: Barely even rating as a
“lost” story, this was the title for Doctor Who's first
episode suggested by Webber in the programme's developing format guide,
circa early May 1963. Biddy, Lola and Cliff would eventually become Susan,
Barbara and Ian, while the idea of the Doctor being explicitly referred to
as “Dr. Who” would go effectively unused. Series creator
Sydney Newman also disliked the idea of the Ship being invisible.
“Nothing At The End Of The Lane” would be replaced by
“The Giants”.
|
| Characters: Dr. Who, Biddy,
Cliff, Lola |
| Episodes: 1 |
| Planned For: The first episode
of Season One |
| Stage Reached: Brief
summary |
| Synopsis: Teenager Biddy and her teachers
Lola and Cliff meet a strange, amnesiac old man and discover his invisible
time machine.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine #208, Doctor Who: The Handbook: The First Doctor |
| The Ocean Liner |
|
|
|
| Writer: David Ellis |
|
Notes: “The Ocean Liner”
was rejected by story editor Gerry Davis on April 4th, 1966.
|
| Characters: The First Doctor
(with Steven and Dodo?) |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Four |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: A spy thriller.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who:
The Handbook: The First Doctor, Doctor Who Magazine Special
Edition #7 |
| Operation Werewolf |
|
|
|
| Writers: Douglas Camfield and Robert
Kitts |
|
Notes: Camfield, who had most
recently directed The Daleks' Master
Plan, worked on the storyline with Kitts during 1965. It was
finally submitted to the Doctor Who production office on September
18th, 1967, inviting response from producer Innes Lloyd on October 3rd.
Taking on board Lloyd's suggestions, Camfield and Kitts composed a script
for episode one, but “Operation: Werewolf” was thereafter
dropped. Although the practise had been abandoned by that point in time,
the authors nonetheless allocated an individual title to each installment;
these were The Secret Army, Chateau Of Death, Lair Of The
Werewolf, Friend Or Foe, Village Of The Swastika and
Crossfire.
|
| Characters: The Second Doctor,
Jamie, Victoria |
| Episodes: 6 |
| Planned For: Season
Five |
| Stage Reached: Draft script for
episode one |
| Synopsis: The TARDIS lands in Normandy,
France on June 1st, 1944 -- five days before D-Day. The Doctor discovers
that the Nazis are developing a way to teleport troops across the English
Channel: the so-called “Operation Werewolf”. To stop the
Nazis, the Doctor allies himself with the Resistance -- including Fergus
McCrimmon, a descendant of Jamie's -- but must first uncover the traitors
within.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #4 |
| The People Who Couldn't Remember |
|
|
|
| Writers: David Ellis and Malcolm
Hulke |
|
Notes: After being submitted in April
1966, the satirical “The People Who Couldn't Remember” was
rejected by story editor Gerry Davis on June 15th. Davis wanted to avoid
outright comedies in the wake of the poor reception of The Gunfighters.
|
| Characters: The First Doctor
(with Polly and Ben?) |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Four |
| Stage Reached: Script |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine #212, DWM Special Edition #7, Doctor Who: The
Handbook: The First Doctor |
| Pompeii |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Russell T Davies |
|
Notes: In casting about for a
budget-saving storyline for the penultimate adventure of Doctor
Who's first season back on the air, executive producer Davies briefly
considered “Pompeii” after watching the BBC broadcast of the
documentary Pompeii: The Last Day. It was eventually replaced by Boom Town, while the notion of
setting a story in Pompeii was later given to James Moran to develop for
The Fires Of Pompeii three years
later.
|
| Characters: The Ninth Doctor,
Rose, Jack |
| Episodes: 1 |
| Planned For: New Series Season
One |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Involved the destruction of the
Roman city of Pompeii following the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in
AD 79. |
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #11 |
| The Prisoner Of Time |
|
|
|
| Writer: Barry Letts |
|
Notes: Letts was commissioned to
write this storyline on January 21st, 1975, exactly one day before he was
contracted to direct The Android
Invasion. Letts based “The Prisoner Of Time” on the
audition piece he had written for the purpose of casting the role of Sarah
Jane Smith in 1973. Although scripts were subsequently requested, producer
Philip Hinchcliffe was unhappy with Letts' initial draft of episode one,
demanding numerous alterations. Letts was unable to come up with a
revised version which was acceptable to the production team, and
“The Prisoner Of Time” was abandoned.
|
| Characters: The Fourth Doctor,
Sarah Jane Smith |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Season
Thirteen |
| Stage Reached: Script |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #8, Doctor Who: The Seventies |
| The Prison In Space |
|
|
| aka The Amazons, The Female Of The Species, The
Lady Killers, The Masters Of Zenos, More Deadly Than The Male, The
Revolutionaries, The Strange Suffragettes (whew!) |
|
| Writer: Dick Sharples |
|
Notes: Concerned that Doctor
Who was becoming too serious, producer Peter Bryant asked humour
writer Dick Sharples to contribute to the series. A story breakdown for
“The Amazons” -- intended to be the first outright Doctor
Who comedy since 1965's The Romans
-- was commissioned on April 24th, 1968. It was intended to be made as
Serial WW, replacing an unknown story which had, in turn, replaced
“The Dreamspinner”. After suggesting a host of alternative
titles, Sharples' adventure became “The Prison In Space” in
May; the scripts were commissioned on June 4th. Sharples was told that
Frazer Hines intended to leave Doctor Who with Serial WW and so
“The Prison In Space” should now write out Jamie and introduce
a new companion, Nik, who had been created by producer Peter Bryant and
story editor Derrick Sherwin. In September, Hines changed his mind about
how early he would be leaving Doctor Who, and Sharples agreed to
rewrite the scripts appropriately. Both the production team and the
assigned director, David Maloney, were now becoming unhappy with
“The Prison In Space”, however, particularly scenes such as
one where Jamie dresses up in drag to masquerade as a Dolly Guard. In late
September, Sharples informed Bryant that he would not perform any further
rewrites on the serial, as he felt he had already done the work requested
of him and the production office was now changing their expectations. On
October 7th, The Krotons was chosen
to replace “The Prison In Space” as Serial WW, despite the
fact that Barrie Gosney had already been cast in the latter (possibly as
Albert). Despite a series of discussions with Sharples, Bryant finally
elected to abandon “The Prison In Space” on October 15th.
|
| Characters: The Second Doctor,
Jamie, Zoe |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Fourth story of
Season Six |
| Stage Reached: Complete
script |
| Synopsis: The TARDIS materialises on a
planet where women have ruled for the past five centuries; they have
disenfranchised men, banned war, and developed a way to extend their
lifespans so that procreation is no longer imperative. The Doctor and
Jamie are arrested and sentenced by President Babs to a prison satellite
controlled by the Dolly Guards. They quickly recruit their cellmates --
Albert, Garth and Mervyn -- into helping them foment a resistance
movement. Meanwhile, Babs brainwashes Zoe and sends her to the satellite
as an ostensible ambassador. Once there, though, Zoe betrays the Doctor
and Jamie, and they and their collaborators are put on a rocket destined
for a remote planet. However, prior to her conditioning, Zoe told other
women about the way males and females coexist on Earth, and this incites a
revolution against Babs. The newly enlightened women rescue the Doctor;
Jamie frees Zoe from her brainwashing by smacking her behind.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine #198, DWM #199, DWM Special Edition #4, The
Doctor Who Chronicles: Season Six |
|