| (untitled) |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Paul Abbott |
|
Notes: After being approached by his
friend, executive producer Russell T Davies, Abbott agreed to write this
episode. Following a month's development, however, Abbott came to the
conclusion that he was too busy with other projects to devote the
necessary time to his Doctor Who script. This story was
consequently abandoned, and Davies himself wrote Boom Town to replace it.
|
| Characters: The Ninth Doctor,
Rose, Jack |
| Episodes: 1
(45-minute) |
| Planned For: Eleventh episode of
Season Twenty-Seven |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Involved the revelation that the
Doctor had been manipulating Rose's life in order to turn her into the
ideal companion.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine #360 |
| (untitled) |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Douglas Adams |
|
Notes: Adams submitted this idea
around the middle of 1974. He later reused elements of it in his hugely
successful 1978 radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
and its myriad adaptations into other media.
|
| Characters: Presumably the
Fourth Doctor |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Twelve |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Included a spaceship called the
‘B’ Ark leaving Earth with the affluent but useless
members of society aboard.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #8 |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: Douglas Adams |
|
Notes: Adams had apparently toyed
with this idea for a while, and when a final story was needed for Season
Seventeen (for which he served as script editor), he suggested expanding
it into a six-part serial. Producer Graham Williams nixed the idea,
however, which he thought would be seen as mocking Doctor Who.
Instead, Adams developed the abortive Shada.
|
| Characters: The Fourth Doctor,
Romana, K-9 |
| Episodes: 2 |
| Planned For: Season
Seventeen |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Fed up with saving the
universe, the Doctor goes into retirement, but is constantly summoned
back from seclusion to resolve various troubles.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine #267 |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: Chris Boucher |
|
Notes: Boucher began discussions
with the production team about a new serial shortly after completing Image Of The Fendahl. However, by this
time Boucher was script editing science-fiction series Blake's 7,
and BBC Head of Drama Ronnie Marsh did not want writers contributing to
both shows. Consequently, Boucher's Doctor Who story did not
proceed further.
|
| Characters: The Fourth
Doctor |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Sixteen |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Involved a remote Earth outpost
under attack.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine #197 |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: John Brosnan |
|
Notes: Shortly after becoming
Doctor Who's script editor in January 1980, Christopher H Bidmead
appealed to serious science-fiction authors to submit ideas for
Doctor Who. Brosnan, who at the time was writing for genre
magazine Starburst and would later pen more than a dozen novels,
subsequently contacted Bidmead with this unusual suggestion, but it was
not pursued.
|
| Characters: The Fourth
Doctor |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Eighteen |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: The Doctor lands at BBC
Television Centre, where he meets Tom Baker -- the actor who plays him
on television -- and the two work together to combat a threat.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #9 |
| (untitled) |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Douglas Camfield |
|
Notes: Camfield, who had recently
directed Inferno, submitted this in
late 1970.
|
| Characters: The Third
Doctor |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Eight |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Set in a hidden Amazon city.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #2 |
| (untitled) |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Russell T Davies |
|
Notes: Davies began considering
this notion while on holiday in July 2007. He had unsuccessfully
approached Rowling -- author of the hugely popular Harry Potter
novels -- about writing for Doctor Who in 2004, and now hoped to
persuade her to appear in the programme instead, as the focus of the
2008 Christmas special. Although she was not an actress, Davies felt
that Rowling was one of the few celebrities who might be even more
famous than Kylie Minogue, who was appearing in the 2007 Christmas
special Voyage Of The Damned.
However, David Tennant indicated that he felt the idea veered to close
to being a Doctor Who spoof, and Davies was already becoming
concerned about the likelihood of Rowling accepting the role. In
mid-August, he decided to return to his original idea for the 2008
special, which would evolve into The
Next Doctor.
|
| Characters: The Tenth
Doctor |
| Episodes: 1
(60-minute) |
| Planned For: 2008 Christmas
special |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: On Christmas Eve, an alien
creature attaches itself to author JK Rowling. Suddenly, the real world
is replaced by a magical reality influenced by the writer's own
imagination. The Doctor must battle witches and wizards to reach Rowling
and put the world to rights.
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who: The Writer's Tale |
| (untitled) |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Roger Dixon |
|
Notes: Dixon submitted this
suggestion for one or more Doctor Who stories in January 1967 under
the heading “General”.
|
| Characters: The Second
Doctor |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Five |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Would have concerned a planet
much like Earth but missing some fundamental aspect of our world, such as
money, the wheel or eyesight.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #4, The Doctor Who Chronicles: Season
Five |
| (untitled) |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Robert Gould |
|
Notes: With the abandonment of CE
Webber's “The Giants”, Gould was asked to make a fresh attempt
at a “miniscules” story. By mid-September 1963, this was
intended to be the fourth serial of Season One (following Marco Polo); it was pushed back one slot
following the insertion into the schedule of Inside The Spaceship in November. In
early January 1964, however, Gould's story was removed from the schedule
and the writer met with story editor David Whitaker on February 4th to
discuss the difficulties he was having. At this time, it was agreed that
Gould would stop working on the miniaturisation concept and try his hand
at something else. A third attempt at the “miniscules” idea
was made by Louis Marks, and this finally saw production as Planet Of Giants.
|
| Characters: The First Doctor,
Susan, Ian, Barbara |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Season
One |
| Stage Reached: Storyline;
possibly partial script |
| Synopsis: The TARDIS crew are shrunk to
one-sixteenth of an inch in size. They are menaced by carpet dust
“storms”, falling cigarette ash, and other creatures, and must
figure out how to obtain food and water.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who:
The Handbook: The First Doctor |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: Robert Gould |
|
Notes: On February 4th, 1964, Gould
and story editor David Whitaker agreed to abandon the
“miniscules” idea Gould had been working on for some months.
Whitaker offered to entertain another storyline from the writer, and Gould
suggested this concept. Producer Verity Lambert subsequently noted her
concern that this might be too similar to the John Wyndham novel The
Day Of The Triffids. On the 9th, Gould informed Whitaker that he had
decided against taking the idea any further. However, on March 26th,
Whitaker was forced to defend episode three of The Keys Of Marinus against Gould's
assertion that it made use of his “plants vs people” notion.
Whitaker successfully demonstrated to BBC Head of Serials Donald Wilson
that no plagiarism had occurred.
|
| Characters: The First Doctor,
Susan, Ian, Barbara |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Presumably Seasons
One or Two |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Would have concerned a planet
where plants treat people the way people on Earth treat plants.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine #310, Doctor Who: The Handbook: The First Doctor |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: Matthew Graham |
|
Notes: When meeting with executive
producers Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner in late August 2005 about
writing a back-up script for Doctor Who (which would be used in
the 2006 season in case of emergency, and otherwise would be retained
for the next year), Graham offered this story idea. It was decided that
he would instead pursue a concept suggested by Davies, which became Fear Her.
|
| Characters: The Tenth Doctor,
Rose |
| Episodes: 1
(45-minute) |
| Planned For: Seasons
Twenty-Eight and Twenty-Nine |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Involved a villain who has
discovered how to drain things of their beauty, and has reduced his
planet to a sterile grey landscape.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #14 |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: Robert Holmes |
|
Notes: In the autumn of 1976, it
appeared that the team of producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor
Robert Holmes would continue to guide Doctor Who during Season
Fifteen. One of the stories they considered at this time was a
Holmes-written serial inspired by Joseph Conrad's 1899 novel Heart Of
Darkness. These plans were scuppered in late October when the BBC
decided to instead replace Hinchcliffe with Graham Williams.
|
| Characters: The Fourth Doctor,
Leela |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season Fifteen
|
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #8 |
| (untitled) |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Tanith Lee |
|
Notes: Lee was a well-known writer
of science-fiction and fantasy, whose novels included The Dragon
Hoard and Night's Master; she had also contributed to the
science-fiction programme Blake's 7. She was commissioned to
script a Doctor Who serial on February 6th, 1981, but this was
ultimately abandoned.
|
| Characters: The Fifth Doctor,
presumably with Adric, Nyssa and Tegan |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Season Twenty
|
| Stage Reached: Partial(?)
script |
| Synopsis: Unknown
|
|
| References: Doctor
Who: The Eighties |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: Barry Letts |
|
Notes: Letts submitted this idea to
story editor Gerry Davis around November 1966. Three decades later, Letts
revived this idea as the basis for his Third Doctor radio drama, The
Paradise Of Death.
|
| Characters: The Second
Doctor |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Presumably Seasons
Four or Five |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Would have featured the Doctor
confronting an evil organisation which used an amusement park as its
front.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #4 |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: Peter Ling |
|
Notes: Shortly after completing The Mind Robber, Ling discussed this
idea with script editor Terrance Dicks, but it soon became clear that the
concept was too complex to be adequately realised.
|
| Characters: The Second
Doctor |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Probably Season
Six |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Would have concerned a planet
where time ran backwards.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine #245 |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: John Lucarotti |
|
Notes: On February 26th, 1965,
Lucarotti agreed to develop an idea for an historical story set in India.
He contacted former Doctor Who director Waris Hussein, who
indicated that such a story would probably have to be set within the past
couple of centuries, and suggested the 1857 Indian Mutiny as a
possibility. Lucarotti was keen on the idea, but story editor Dennis
Spooner informed him that a new policy forbade historicals set after 1600.
Lucarotti would ultimately write The Massacre
Of St Bartholomew's Eve in its place.
|
| Characters: The First Doctor,
Ian, Barbara, Vicki |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Three |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Would have involved the time
travellers in the events of the 1857 Indian Mutiny (see the entry on
“The Red Fort” for more information on this incident).
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine #233 |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: John Lucarotti |
|
Notes: In the spring of 1965, after
his initial proposal of an historical set around the 1857 Indian Mutiny
was rejected, Lucarotti gained agreement from story editor Dennis Spooner
to instead write a storyline for a serial involving the Vikings, and
particularly Erik the Red (whom Lucarotti confused with his offspring,
Leif Eriksson). Lucarotti began writing his storyline for Ian, Barbara and
Vicki, although he knew that Ian and Barbara would likely have to be
replaced. When Donald Tosh succeeded Spooner, he was unaware of
Lucarotti's project, and contacted him independently. Tosh and incoming
producer John Wiles were initially satisfied with the Viking storyline,
asking only that Lucarotti make a few changes to bring it in line with
their vision of Doctor Who. On June 24th, shortly after making
these changes, Lucarotti was surprised to learn his storyline had been
rejected. Frustrated at having two proposals turned down, Lucarotti
contacted his agents, who soon earned him a commission to write The Massacre Of St Bartholomew's Eve. In
1992, Lucarotti turned his Viking storyline into a short story for
Doctor Who Magazine, entitled “Who Discovered
America?”.
|
| Characters: The First Doctor,
Ian, Barbara, Vicki |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Season
Three |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: After landing in 1002 Greenland,
the time travellers are captured by Leif Eriksson and his Vikings. The
Doctor needs some plutonic rock to repair the TARDIS, but knows that this
can only be found in Newfoundland. He convinces Eriksson to lead an
exploration party across the ocean. After acquiring the necessary
minerals, he then takes Eriksson further on to Nova Scotia, where the
Viking orders the time travellers to remain to help start a settlement.
The Doctor uses the unusual tidal properties of the nearby Bay of Fundy to
convince Eriksson that he is a magician, and the companions are returned
to the TARDIS.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine #184, DWM #233 |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writers: Pat Mills and John
Wagner |
|
Notes: This was submitted around
the start of 1979, but was not taken forward. Wagner and Mills
subsequently reworked it as Doctor Who and The Iron Legion, their
first comic strip for Doctor Who Weekly, published in issues one
to eight from October 1979. The artwork was by Dave Gibbons, who later
rose to fame as the illustrator of the seminal comic book miniseries
Watchmen.
|
| Characters: The Fourth Doctor,
Romana, K-9 |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Seventeen |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Set in a parallel universe
where the Roman Empire persisted into the present day.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #9, Doctor Who Weekly #s 1-8 |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: Trevor Ray |
|
Notes: Around the time that he became
Doctor Who's assistant story editor in late 1968, Ray spent three
days carrying out research on this story with the Marines. He eventually
decided his idea was too technical to be accomplished in Doctor
Who.
|
| Characters: Presumably the Third
Doctor |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Presumably Season
Seven |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Would have been set underwater.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #4 |
| (untitled) |
|
 |
|
| Writer: Gareth Roberts |
|
Notes: Roberts began developing
this script at the behest of executive producer Steven Moffat in
September 2008. Several drafts were written through July 2009, at which
point the episode was abandoned and Roberts was instead commissioned to
write The Lodger.
|
| Characters: The Eleventh
Doctor, Amy |
| Episodes: 1 |
| Planned For: Season
Thirty-One |
| Stage Reached:
Full script |
| Synopsis: Unknown |
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #27 |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: Derrick Sherwin |
|
Notes: Sherwin -- at the time making
the transition from being script editor to producer of Doctor Who
-- was apparently planning to write this story, designated Serial AAA,
from about October 1968. (It also seems that he was intending to write for
Doctor Who during the previous June; this may have been a different
story idea, however). It appears that problems hit both this adventure and
the preceding Serial ZZ, “The Impersonators”, and so in
November the decision was made to conclude the Second Doctor's era with a
single ten-part Serial ZZ, which became The
War Games. Sherwin's story, which was never formally commissioned,
was dropped at this point.
|
| Characters: The Second Doctor,
Jamie, Zoe |
| Episodes: 4 |
| Planned For: Final story of
Season Six |
| Stage Reached: Unknown |
| Synopsis: Would have ended the adventures
of the Second Doctor and set up the Third Doctor being trapped on Earth.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #4, The Doctor Who Chronicles: Season
Six |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: Martin Worth |
|
Notes: This was apparently considered
in late 1970.
|
| Characters: The Third
Doctor |
| Episodes: Unknown |
| Planned For: Season
Eight |
| Stage Reached: Story
idea |
| Synopsis: Concerned plant life taking over
the Earth.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #2 |
| (untitled) |
|
|
|
| Writer: Unknown |
|
Notes: Over the course of 2004,
executive producer Russell T Davies developed the idea of a Doctor
Who story intertwining Queen Victoria, werewolves, and warrior monks
like those in the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; the first
two elements were partially inspired by The Unquiet Dead, a ghost story
featuring Charles Dickens. Davies gave this concept to an unknown writer
to develop as an unslotted story (to be used either in an emergency
during the 2006 season or possibly for the 2007 season). With the
resulting storyline eschewing both the werewolf and monk elements,
however, the production team determined that the writer had not
delivered the pitch they desired. Davies ended up tackling the scripting
duties himself, and the result became Tooth And Claw.
|
| Characters: The Tenth Doctor,
Rose |
| Episodes: 1
(45-minute) |
| Planned For: Seasons
Twenty-Eight and Twenty-Nine |
| Stage Reached:
Storyline |
| Synopsis: Set at Buckingham Palace, this
story concerned Queen Victoria getting an alien insect in her eye.
|
|
| References: Doctor Who
Magazine Special Edition #14 |
|