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!

Barry Letts

Victor Pemberton

Bernard Venables

Adrian Mourby

Eric Saward

Nicola Bryant

Colin Baker

Elisabeth Sladen

Tom Baker

Jon Pertwee

3rd, 4th & 6th Doctor Audio Dramas

A new edition of the collection featuring each of the Doctor's full-cast BBC radio adventures - and more. 
 
 In The Paradise of Death and The Ghosts of N-Space, the Third Doctor reunites with Sarah Jane Smith and UNIT for adventures on Earth and beyond, first broadcast on BBC Radio in the 1990s. 
 
In Doctor Who and the Pescatons, made for LP release in 1976, the Fourth Doctor and Sarah fight alien invasion on present day Earth. 
 
The duo return in Exploration Earth: The Time Machine, for BBC Schools Radio, in which they witness the Earth's early development. 
 
Whatever Happened To...Susan? is a tongue-in-cheek look at how Susan Foreman's life might have turned out after her adventures with the Doctor, and Slipback is a full-throttle adventure for the Sixth Doctor and Peri, first broadcast on BBC Radio in 1985. 
 
Also included in this new edition is a 45 minute conversation with Elisabeth Sladen, recorded exclusively for BBC Audio in 2004. 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Bernard Venables

Books by Bernard Venables

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