Dalek Audio Annual

Dalek Attack: Blockade & Other Stories from the Doctor Who universe

The Daleks are back! The ruthless creatures or hate return to menace the galaxy in a further collection of vintage stories from Terry Nation’s Dalek Annuals of the 1970s.

Terry Nation (Author) Terry Nation was born in Llandaff, near Cardiff, in 1930. As a child, he loved reading and making up stories, and on leaving school he became interested in the theatre, writing and appearing in plays for his local theatrical society. In the early 1950s, he left home and moved to London, where he attempted to launch a career in stand-up comedy. However, he soon found that he lacked performing skills, and hearing that a local agency was looking for comedy scriptwriters he decided to take his material to them. Associated London Scripts liked his work, and hired him to write a 13-week comedy radio show called All My Eye And Kitty Blewitt. This launched his writing career, and throughout the 1950s he produced over 200 scripts for comedians such as Terry Scott, Eric Sykes, Harry Worth and Frankie Howerd. His TV breakthrough came in 1963, when he wrote several episodes for Tony Hancock’s ITV series Hancock. The same year, he was asked to write the second serial for a newly-launched BBC science fiction series, Doctor Who, and the Daleks were born. Nation’s inspiration for the creation of his iconic mechanical monsters came partly from a TV programme. He realised that the creatures had to truly look alien, and ‘In order to make it non-human what you have to do is take the legs off. That's the only way you can make it not look like a person dressed up.’ After watching the Georgian State Dancers perform, he realised how this could be achieved. He explained: ‘the girls do this wonderful routine. They wore floor-brushing skirts and took very tiny steps and appeared to glide, really glide across the floor. That's the movement I wanted for the Daleks.’ He once said that the name ‘Dalek’ came from the letters DAL-LEK on the spine of an encyclopedia, but later admitted that this was just an attempt to satisfy persistent journalists. When asked the reason for the phenomenal success of the Daleks, Nation answered simply 'Kids love to be frightened'. He went on to write several more Dalek stories for Doctor Who, including ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ (1964), The Chase' (1965), 'The Daleks' Master Plan' (with Dennis Spooner, 1965-1966) and 'Genesis of the Daleks' (1975), and also penned two non-Dalek episodes, 'The Keys of Marinus' (1964) and 'The Android Invasion' (1979). As well as Doctor Who, Terry Nation’s TV work also includes The Saint, Department S, The Persuaders and The Avengers. He also created two other sci-fi cult hits. Survivors began as a novel, published in 1970. It was televised five years later and ran for three series between 1975 and 1977, and a 2008 remake was broadcast by the BBC in 2008. Blake’s 7, described by Nation as ‘Robin Hood in space’, ran for four series from 1978-1981. It was an international success, and continues to have a huge fan following today. Terry Nation died in LA in 1997. Nicholas Briggs (Reader) Nicholas Briggs has been a prolific Doctor Who contributor since 1999, when he began work on the Big Finish Doctor Who audio dramas, for which he has written and directed extensively and is now Executive Producer. Nick is also an actor, and since Doctor Who’s return to television in 2005, he’s worked on set with all four of the new Doctors as the voice of the Daleks (also providing the voice of the Cybermen, and other aliens). Having spent most of his life in London, Nick now lives in Dorset with his wife and son, where he hopes life will be more peaceful... But, so far, London keeps dragging him back. Matthew Waterhouse (Reader) Matthew Waterhouse played Adric, companion to Tom Baker and Peter Davison's Doctors from 1980 to 1982. Since then, he has worked extensively as an actor in theatre. His published writing includes a memoir, Blue Box Boy, three novels and a book of stories. Recently he's appeared in episodes of the audio version of Dark Shadows and numerous Doctor Who audio projects, including an award-winning one-man play, Doctor Who: A Full Life, and a forthcoming quartet of new adventures starring alongside Tom Baker. Louise Jameson (Reader) An award-winning actress and director, Louise Jameson is best known to Doctor Who fans as Leela, Warrior of the Sevateem and companion to the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker). Among her many other TV appearances are The Omega Factor, Tenko, Bergerac, EastEnders and Doc Martin. She has numerous theatre credits including Absurd Person Singular and A Murder is Announced, and has performed on stage with both the National and Royal Shakespeare Companies.

The Daleks are back! The ruthless creatures of hate return to menace the galaxy in a further collection of vintage stories from Terry Nation’s Dalek Annuals. 
 
 Urgent message to all Anti-Dalek Force agents: the battle continues! Vital examples of the continued defence effort are included in this new volume of stories featuring Daleks and the brave humans who fight against them. 
 
Special ADF agents Nicholas Briggs, Matthew Waterhouse, Louise Jameson and Jon Culshaw read five tales of adventure - The Fugitive, Assassination Squad, Blockade, The Planet That Cried 'Wolf!' and Nightmare - alongside factual briefings including Anatomy of a Dalek and Davros: Genius or Madman. All material is authenticated from Terry Nation's Dalek Annuals of the 1970s. 
 
Remember, it is your duty to stay informed of progress in the ongoing battle between humans and Daleks!

1st Doctor TV Soundtracks

Doctor Who: The Lost TV Episodes Collection Two

Four more thrilling soundtrack adventures from the early days of Doctor Who, featuring serials lost from the TV archive. 
 
The pictures may be lost, but each of these stories survives as a soundtrack recording. Remastered, and with additional linking narration, they can be enjoyed once more. 
 
 In The Daleks' Master Plan, the Daleks have stolen the Time Destructor, and are threatening to destroy the fabric of Time itself. Pursued across Time and Space, the TARDIS crew are in grave danger. 
 
In The Massacre, the TARDIS materialises in Paris, 1572, a time of danger and religious strife. When Steven witnesses an execution, he believes the Doctor has been executed in front of his eyes. 
 
In The Celestial Toymaker, the travellers arrive in the domain of the Toymaker, where failure to win a series of games could result in them becoming playthings for eternity. 
 
In The Savages, the TARDIS arrives on a distant and seemingly idyllic world, but the Doctor, Steven and Dodo discovers that it hides a terrible secret. 
 
Special linking narration is provided by Peter Purves, who also recalls his time making the original episodes in a bonus interview. Also included is an edition of BBC Radio's Archive on 4 from 2009. 
 
In 'Doctor Who -- The Lost Episodes' Shaun Ley investigates what happened to the missing episodes of Doctor Who from the 1960s. 
 
The CD editions also feature PDF files featuring high quality scans of the original BBC TV camera scripts. Duration: 10 hours 20 mins approx 
 
(P) &amp; © 2019 BBC Studios Distribution For cast and credits see accompanying PDF booklet available on purchase.

Dalek Stories from the Doctor Who universe

The Dalek Audio Annual

The Daleks rampage in this collection of vintage stories from Terry Nation’s Dalek Annuals of the 1970s

The Daleks rampage in this collection of vintage stories from Terry Nation’s Dalek Annuals of the 1970s. 
 
 "Exciting sci-fi adventures in their own right...beautifully pitched sound design...this is a great piece of work from BBC Audio." Doctor Who Magazine "If you’re a Dalek fan of any description, then you need to get hold of this. Before the Daleks arrive…" scifibulletin.com 
 
Urgent message to all Anti-Dalek Force agents: the Daleks are coming! Defend yourself with The Dalek Audio Annual, packed with exciting tales of galactic terror, global invasion and the adventures of plucky human resistance fighters. 
 
Special ADF agents Nicholas Briggs, Louise Jameson and Matthew Waterhouse will read five stories of battlefield reportage — Terror Task Force, Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!, Timechase, The Doomsday Machine and Report from an Unknown Planet — alongside factual updates on the Dalek War: Dalek Genius, Mark 7 Humanoid Robot, Special Report: Secret Meeting on Skaro and more. All material is authenticated from Terry Nation’s Dalek Annuals of the 1970s. 
 
Order your copy now. It is your duty to remain informed of progress in the ongoing battle between humans and Daleks! 
 
Text © Terry Nation 1976-77 
Daleks as seen in the BBC TV series Doctor Who 
Terry Nation’s Dalek Annuals first published by World Distributors by arranged with the BBC 
Readings produced by Neil Gardner at Ladbroke Audio 
Sound design by David Darlington 
Executive Producer: Michael Stevens 
Cover by Minty Design/images © BBC Studios 2018

Doctor Who: Destiny Of The Daleks

Tom Baker stars as the Fourth Doctor in this TV soundtrack adventure by Terry Nation, with linking narration by Lalla Ward.

On Skaro, the home world of the Daleks, the Doctor encounters the militaristic Movellans - who have come to Skaro on a secret mission - whilst his companion Romana falls into the hands of the Daleks themselves. It soon becomes apparent that the Daleks have returned to their abandoned home city with a crucial objective, one which they hope will give them the advantage in a strategic war. When the Doctor realises what the Daleks are up to, he is compelled to intervene. But he has not bargained for the Movellans having a few secrets of their own, and soon he, Romana and the human refugee Tyssan are wondering who exactly they can trust. Moreover, will they be able to avert the Daleks from their self-proclaimed destiny? Lalla Ward narrates this classic full-cast TV adventure, written by Terry Nation, and in a special bonus interview she recalls her time as Romana in the BBC TV series.

Doctor Who: Genesis Of The Daleks And Exploration Earth

Tom Baker as the Doctor and Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith witness first the creation of their deadliest enemies and then the birth of our planet in these two thrilling full-cast stories.

THE PROGRAMMES: Commissioned in 1973 by Doctor Who’s outgoing series producer and script editor, Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks respectively, Genesis of the Daleks was one of the first stories to be developed by Philip Hinchcliffe and Robert Holmes. Both favoured a bold and gritty approach to the programme, and the story which emerged bore the hallmarks of their new regime. Encouraged to break new ground with his latest script, Terry Nation took the opportunity to explore the raison d’etre for the ruthless mechanical creatures he had originated in 1963. It had long been realised that their unique speech patterns didn’t lend themselves easily to lengthy scenes of dialogue, and so Nation invented the character of Davros - a crippled humanoid whose blind ambition for supremacy would be passed on to his creations. The six-part serial was filmed on location at Betchworth Quarry in Surrey and at Ealing Studios in January 1975, with studio interiors then being recorded at BBC Television Centre. Its strong material, which in part explored the ethics of racial purity and war, drew criticism from the National Viewers and Listeners’ Association which believed it to be unsuitable for teatime audiences. Such was the popularity of Davros, due in no small part to Michael Wisher’s compelling portrayal, that the character appeared in every subsequent Dalek story – albeit played by different actors. The serial has been repeated on television many times, both in full and as a compilation. 
 
Exploration Earth: The Time Machine, the third instalment of a BBC schools radio series exploring the geography of our planet, was recorded in half a day on 27 April 1976. The overriding educational brief meant that the key elements of Doctor Who were being used as tools with which to demonstrate the creation of Earth and so, with studio time at a premium and minimal rehearsals allocated, the cast were allowed little input into the script or their characterisations. The episode was broadcast on 4 October 1976, two days after Episode One of The Hand of Fear was transmitted on BBC1. With teachers encouraged to utilise such programmes as part of their lessons, it provided a unique opportunity for Ron Grainer’s familiarly eerie theme tune to echo around school corridors.

'We're talking about the Daleks, the most evil creatures ever invented. You must destroy them - you must complete your mission for the Time Lords!' Genesis of the Daleks: Tom Baker narrates an abridged version of this 1975 television adventure in which the Doctor, Sarah and Harry are sent to Skaro, home world of the Thals and the Kaleds. As a thousand-year war of attrition reaches its climax, the crippled scientist Davros has created protective casings for the genetic mutations which his race will become. Only the Doctor knows what fear and misery these 'Daleks' will inflict upon the Universe - but with time running out, can he prevent the birth of such evil? Exploration Earth: In this special BBC schools radio episode, not heard since its original 1976 broadcast, the TARDIS takes the Doctor and Sarah back in time to witness stages of the Earth's development. However, as the planet evolves from a mass of heat and gas, Megron the High Lord of Chaos has his own designs on our homeworld. If his threats to endanger the stability of Earth have any substance, the existence of mankind itself is in question!

Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan

William Hartnell is the original Doctor in the most epic Doctor Who story ever made, in which his arch-enemies, the Daleks, threaten to destroy the fabric of Time itself!

THE PROGRAMME: ' "The year is 4000 A.D., the planet is Kembel and the Daleks have created the utlimate weapon of destruction." This is the basis of the longest and most exciting Dalek serial to date; twelve weeks of narrow escapes for humanity, with the evil machines at their most menacing and the Doctor and his companions at their most heroic and ingenious.' (BBC promotional document for The Daleks' Master Plan). Received wisdom has it that when Huw Wheldon was Managing Director of BBC television in the 1960s, he viewed his mother-in-law's tastes as a barometer for those of the general public at large. Her fondness for the Daleks, therefore, led him in 1965 to call for their increased presence in Doctor Who. Wheldon's relative was indeed not alone. As soon as they first glided onto the nation's television screens, the Daleks captured the imagination of children everywhere - and within two years the shops were filled with Dalek soap, slippers, toys, games and playsuits. Their fourth serial was already in commission, but Wheldon's influence ensured that its episode count doubled from six to twelve. With Terry Nation working as script supervisor on the ITV series The Baron, the writing duties for Master Plan would be split between himself and Dennis Spooner (who had recently stepped down as Doctor Who's regular editor.) The two collaborated on the overall storyline, with Nation then scripting episodes 1-5 and 7 and Spooner tackling episodes 6 and 8-12. The fact that episode 7 was scheduled to be transmitted on Christmas Day 1965 was noted at the early stage of planning, and for one week only the continuing plot was put on hold whilst the Doctor and friends visited present-day Earth. In a highly unusual move, the Doctor would turn to address the viewers at home at the episode's conclusion. Director Douglas Camfield was enthusiastic about the project, and in a letter dated 7 September 1965 producer John Wiles put some of Camfield's script suggestions to Terry Nation. These included variations on commonplace names to make them more futuristic - thus Ronald would become Roald and Walton became Vyon. The name Spar (space car) was story editor Donald Tosh's idea. Nation's response was positive, although he was keen to retain the names Sara Kingdom and Mavick Chen (sic), for which he said he had 'the greatest affection'. Taranium was originally to be called vitaranium, but Wiles' comment that 'Bill Hartnell will certainly have great difficulty in saying it' saw that it was shortened. A publicity document created for the serial gave a brief story synopsis, a list of episode titles, and biographies of the main actors and production staff. Of 'the beautiful Space Agent Sara Kingdom' it said, 'Sara is a new kind of character for Dr. Who, strong, dangerous, but capable of warmth and sincerity.' With Maureen O'Brien having departed as Vicki in the previous serial, and Katarina's stay in the TARDIS destined to be brief, the female companion's place was vacant. It is possible, therefore, that Kingdom was initially viewed as a long-running character. Filming for special effects sequences began at Ealing studios in September, and during the course of the next two months the serial would be recorded at BBC Television Centre. For Camfield the undertaking was colossal, and his frenetic schedule led to complaints from the design department that they weren't being briefed properly on each episode's requirements. Meanwhile tensions were running high between the producer and the show's star; William Hartnell's health was poor for many of the sessions, and Verity Lambert's recent departure had left him ill at ease. During the production period for The Daleks' Master Plan, both John Wiles and Donald Tosh resigned from the programme. Two years later Nicholas Courtney would return to become one of the series' most popular recurring characters, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Kevin Stoney and Jean Marsh would also make one-off return appearances. On 13 November 1965 Radio Times warned its readers to 'stand by, then, for twelve weeks of narrow squeaks for humanity...' If anything could test the Daleks' dominion over Saturday teatimes, this would be it.

'We at this table pledge our allegiance to the Dalek cause. Our armies will reduce the galaxies to ashes, their people to dust. And Earth we will conquer first!' In their quest to gain control of the Solar System, the Daleks have taken possession of the Time Destructor, a weapon which threatens the safety of all who stand in their way. As they head up an alliance of alien races bent on destroying the human race, in their midst is none other than the treacherous Guardian of the Solar System, Mavic Chen. A dangerous chase ensues across volcanoes, jungles, deserts and futuristic cities, as the Doctor and his companions struggle to prevent the Daleks' plans coming to fruition. The stakes are high, and for the first time in the programme's history the lives of two TARDIS travellers are lost... Peter Purves (who played Steven in the story) narrates these thirteen episodes, only two of which survive in the television archives. Included is the special 'teaser' Mission to the Unknown, which was transmitted some weeks before the master plan itself was unleashed. This story marks the first appearance, here playing space agent Bret Vyon, of Nicholas Courtney who would later create the recurring role of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Jean Marsh and Adrienne Hill also star as companions Sara Kingdom and Katarina.

Terry Nation

Nicholas Briggs

Terry Molloy

Steven Pacey

Jon Culshaw

From the Worlds of Doctor Who?

Dalek invasion is imminent! 
 
Attention: the war against the Daleks continues apace in this new collection of vintage stories from the pen of their creator, Terry Nation. 
 
Our successful defence of the galaxy depends on all Anti-Dalek Force agents staying informed of the latest events, in outer space and on a variety of alien planets. That information can be found here! 
 
Intrepid ADF agents Nicholas Briggs, Terry Molloy, Steven Pacey and Jon Culshaw relate a series of terrifying adventures - The Castaway, The Solution, The Secret Invasion and The Seeds of Destruction - and issue special briefings including Dalek Terminology, Dalography of Skaro, Recent Findings on the Moon and The Dalek War Machines. All material is authenticated from Terry Nation's Dalek Annuals and other books. 
 
Whether in present day London or on further-flung shores, the battle with the Daleks is all around us. Listen now or be exterminated! 
 
? 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
Text © Terry Nation 1965, 1978, 1979 
Cover images © BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 2020

Terry Nation

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