It’s always exciting to get brand-new old Doctor Who. Usually, that happens when missing episodes are discovered – which sadly hasn’t happened for quite some time – but with Mission to the Unknown, we have something pretty darn special. The episode, a prelude to The Daleks’ Master Plan, has been remade, and can be viewed on the official BBC YouTube channel.
Or, indeed, just here.
This was made available exactly 54 years after the story was originally broadcast on BBC1 – that is, 5.50pm BST on the 9th October.
Sometimes known as The Dalek Cutaway, the prelude was written by Dalek creator, Terry Nation, and is followed by The Myth Makers before we return to the narrative with The Daleks’ Master Plan, a 12-part epic with the First Doctor (William Hartnell).
In our review of the story, we said:
“It must’ve been a surprise for a 1965 audience to have the Daleks return again so soon after The Chase, but they nonetheless add some gravitas to a tale which began as a ‘base-under-siege’ story (where the whole planet is the enemy!). Their inclusion really gives Mission to the Unknown a sense of doom and it’s this fascinating and exhilarating dread that’s kept them popular for over 50 years. You can easily see how they prop up an episode without the Doctor.”
This remake was created by students, graduates, and staff of the University of Central Lancashire, spearheaded by Andrew Ireland, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Digital and Creative Industries at the educational institution. The aim was to recreate it as authentically as possible, as you can see from the making-of video by Josh Snares. We think they definitely achieved this!
Pleasingly, numerous members of the Doctor Who team got involved, including Peter Purves (who played original companion, Steven Taylor), Edward de Souza (Marc Cory), and, as the voice of the Daleks, Nick Briggs.
We’d very much like to see this included in an eventual Doctor Who: The Collection – Season 3 Blu-ray.
What do you think? EnjoyedMission to the Unknown? Would you like to see more serials recreated this way?
