The Production Diary is great but to give credit where it's due, Richard Bignell uncovered it all for a massively detailed feature in Nothing At the End of the Lane in 2012.

Thanks John. Glad you liked it!

Thanks for ordering it. I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you Bruce. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks David.

Thanks!

OMFG I had to go and check that this ACTUALLY happened.

Since when does the BBC ever do chyrons with a political party's branding, rather than their own? Not to mention this is during a pre-election campaign purdah.

(h/t @iainsol.bsky.social)

Thanks, I'm pleased to hear it!

Buy the book in hardcopy or electronic format via the link below and use code tenyearanniversary to get 10% off during April. Any reposts of the top post would be much appreciated. Thank you. (9/9 FIN!)

obversebooks.co.uk/product/82-t...

If any of that sounds like your sort of thing, please give it a go – especially if you don’t think there’s anything new to say about The Daleks. I hope to prove you wrong. (8/9)

… a potential previously unknown source of Terry Nation’s plot elements involving a famous name in British SF (aside from Wells!), a possible new origin of the word ‘Dalek’, and an explanation for why the story was briefly known as Beyond the Sun via little-known contemporary documentation. (7/9)

Along the way I have, I hope, revealed some interesting new insights into the crafting of the serial and raised some intriguing, if not contentious, thoughts about the story’s interpretation. These include the origins of the Thals in a different programme… (6/9)

These aspects are not segregated but naturally overlap across a series of brisk, mostly short thematic chapters, which themselves also overlap, with earlier themes recurring and being built upon as the book progresses. That’s the idea anyway! (5/9)

Thirdly, I examine the story’s world-building as a piece of televisual fantasy fiction, particularly around the nature and backstory of the Daleks and the Thals, asking a few awkward questions and drawing a few conclusions which I hope will be novel. (4/9)

Secondly, I analyse the story’s mixed authorship and the ways in which varied contributors – story editor, directors, designer, composer and others – shaped it and the Daleks themselves, giving them meanings that were not necessarily there in Nation’s scripts. (3/9)

In the book, I analyse the serial from three angles. Firstly, I look at the influences and inspirations from Terry Nation’s life (his Cold War fears, boyhood experiences, inclinations to pacifisms and his diet of film and literature) and how these were reflected in his scripts. (2/9)

An image from production of The Daleks showing William Hartnell, Carole Ann Ford and William Russell, playing Dr Who, Susan and Ian Chesterton, respectively, confronted by three Daleks in their metallic city on Skaro.

My book about the #DoctorWho story The Daleks (Serial B, whatever you like to call it) came out this week in Obverse Books’ Black Archive range. Here’s a short thread explaining what it covers, in the hope that it might interest a few of you. Link to buy the book and discount code at the end. (1/9)

A monochrome image from newsprint. A photograph shows William Hartnell as Dr Who and Carole Ann Ford as Susan being menaced by a Dalek while manacled to a wall, from ‘Doctor Who’. Below, text publicises the episode called ‘The Rescue’.

Look at this gorgeous photo from The Daleks used in the Radio Times. I haven’t seen the original of the image so I assume it’s long lost and this is the only version we have, which is a shame.

From my #DoctorWho blog last Sunday, a bit of love for Lizan and Roald in The Nightmare Begins...

🚨NEW EPISODE! 🚨

A conversation with friend of Gerry Davis, Anthony Clark, including a never before published interview with Gerry Davis himself!

The archive interview has him sharing his memories of The Highlanders and The Moonbase. What a treat!

Shares are much appreciated x

Link ⬇️

Quiet? Here's someone to change that...

If you’re following @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social's run of excellent early #ZCars (starring @brianblessed.bsky.social), there are 20 missing episodes (a five-month chunk) between last week’s Nov 1962 ep and this week’s April 63 ep. If you’re curious about cast changes...

I'm glad you shared that, thank. I'll start watching this soon and would have been very confused, having never seen the Miami flag.

Thank you!

Several identical copies of the book The Black Archive: The Daleks by Oliver Wake.

This is an exciting day for me. My book has arrived! I hope it's arriving with a few of you too.

Also, you've still got the 'closed for holidays' text up. I was assuming you're back as books are going out.

Excellent. First sight of mine in the wild. Thanks for buying it.

The title page of Dennis Potter's manuscript of Blue Remembered Hills.

Had a look at the manuscript of Dennis Potter’s Blue Remembered Hills last week while it was awaiting auction. Interesting to see what didn’t make it to screen.

Firstly, the supertitle: ‘Further Adventures Of The Secret Seven’. Potter could never entirely hide his desire to be taken flippantly.

Just look at them in that image above - they're clearly in love.