Doctor Who: Daleks! Genesis of Terror (Lost Stories)

For many Tom Baker is the definitive Doctor and for many others the ultimate story is Genesis of the Daleks. With this in mind when a version of the first draft of Terry Nation’s script was discovered Big Finish decided to adapt the existing first episode with Tom Baker as part of its Lost Stories range.

The first episode is fully dramatised with sound design and music, and includes Terry Nation’s original stage directions, read by Nicholas Briggs. Terry Nation’s original storyline document is then read by members of the cast, the first episode is about 25-30 minutes. The whole disk is about 45-50 minutes and gives a hint of where Terry Nation’s original story could have went, but that means tha the other 5 episodes are told in a few minutes each so is really only a vague outline.

The story, in the first episode, is at points very similar to what ended up on the screen, and the changes there are seem often to be as a result of budgetary concerns. Tom is in good form and Christopher Naylor and Sadie Miller do a good job as Harry and Sarah-Jane, whilst I enjoy Samuel Clemens as Nyder he is missing the menace that Peter Myles was able to bring to the role originally, but it would seem a big ask to expect anyone to equal that role, and as always it’s a pleasure to see Terry Molloy back as Davros.

Second Disk

The second disk is an interview between BBC broadcaster and journalist Samira Ahmed interviews Philip Hinchcliffe. This was a fascinating chat between a science fiction fan and someone who oversaw some of the finest stories in Doctor Who history.

Conclusion

There is much to enjoy on this release, the acting is good, and as fans it is interesting to see what might have been, however I am left thinking something I don’t often think for Big Finish releases and that is what is the point? Whilst it’s good you just start to get into in and it stops, I understand that there is only a full version of the first script, but I wonder if I’d get almost as much out of it reading a facsimile of the original script. What does rescue this release is the interview between Samira Ahmed and Philip Hinchcliffe which is fascinating and for a Doctor Who geek like me gives me things I didn’t know and hadn’t heard on past DVD commentaries. If you’re interested in that time period there might be enough to interest you in this release, the hour long interview is well worth it for anyone whose is interested in this time period, and whether you’re willing to pay the price of the release for that is up to you.

This can be bought directly from Big Finish; available now.