The Man Who Invented the Daleks (55 page)

E.
 
Stage

Off the Cuff
– 15-minute sketch as part of revue staged at the Irving Theatre, London in 1956

The Curse of the Daleks
– written by Terry Nation and David Whitaker, first staged at Wyndham’s Theatre, London in December 1965

Material derived from interviews – whether in person, by telephone or by email – is indicated as being personal communications with the mark ‘PC’.

Quotes taken from files in the BBC Written Archives Centre are indicated by the preface BBC WAC and then the file reference number.

Many of the novels cited that are out of copyright – by H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle and others – are available in so many editions that page references would be less than helpful; instead any references are to chapters.

Quotes from television, film and radio are my own transcriptions – my apologies for any misquoting or wayward spelling.

The following abbreviations are used for television shows and stories written by Terry Nation:

‘Android’ –
Doctor Who
: ‘The Android Invasion’ (1975)

Baron
–
The Baron
(1966–7)

B7
-
Blake’s 7
(1978–81)

‘Chase’ –
Doctor Who
: ‘The Chase’ (1965)

‘Daleks’ –
Doctor Who
: ‘The Daleks’ (1963)

‘Death’ –
Doctor Who
: ‘Death to the Daleks’ (1974)

‘Destiny’ –
Doctor Who
: ‘Destiny of the Daleks’ (1979)

Dept S
–
Department S
(1969)

‘Genesis’ –
Doctor Who
: ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ (1975)

‘Invasion’ –
Doctor Who
: ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ (1964)

‘Marinus’ –
Doctor Who
: ‘The Keys of Marinus’ (1964)

Persuaders
–
The Persuaders!
(1971–2)

‘Plan’ –
Doctor Who
: ‘The Daleks’ Master Plan’ (1965)

‘Planet’ –
Doctor Who
: ‘Planet of the Daleks’ (1974)

Saint
–
The Saint
(1962–9)

INTRO: Vote Dalek!

*
Terry ‘Daleks’ Nation
– Peel,
Starburst
, 1995

*
I have always been
– Cook and Wright,
British Science Fiction Television
, p. 121

*
I set out to write
–
Daily Mirror
, 11 December 1964

*
Stories must be strong
– Nation, ‘Blake’s 7: Series Two’

*
If he’d been writing
– Molesworth,
Terror Nation
.

*
I thought he was
– ‘Invasion’, DVD commentary ep. 4

*
an encyclopaedia
–
Daily Mirror
, 11 December 1964

*
absolute rubbish
-Frost,
Today
, 1973

*
notices of his death
–
Sun
, 12 March 1997;
Times
, 13 March 1997

*
more TV scripts
–
South Wales Echo
, 2 March 1974

*
what people want
–
Guardian
, 31 January 1966

*
heroes constantly on the move
– Usborne,
Clubland Heroes
, p. 89

*
too much character
– Symons,
Bloody Murder
, p. 238

*
exaltation of idea
– Amis,
New Maps of Hell
, p. 28

*
he had read the novels
– Buchan,
Huntingtower
, ch. 1

*
a story-telling medium
– Ferris,
Sir Huge
, p. 249

*
the nicest guy
– Terrance Dicks, PC

*
I’ve never really met
– Molesworth,
Terror Nation

*
He was an intelligent
– Roger Moore, PC

*
lovely, rich, pastoral voice
– Molesworth,
Terror Nation

*
Tall, handsome, relaxed
–
Guardian
, 31 January 1966

*
Look, we’re just about
– Terrance Dicks, PC

*
Terry was larger
– Deb Boultwood, PC

*
Saturday afternoon
– Butler,
The Durable Desperadoes
, p. 162

*
I work directly
– Ophir, Gies and Best,
Horizon
, 1989

*
Terry’s first drafts
– Molesworth,
Terror Nation

*
I’ve known him
– Stevens and Brown, ‘Chris Boucher’,
DWB
108

*
He had a habit
– Terrance Dicks, PC

*
Terry had talent
– Brian Clemens, PC

*
Terry was very ambitious
– Groves,
The Terry Nation Story

*
I have never
– ibid.

*
Between the mid ’60s
– Cornell, Day
and Topping,
The Avengers Dossier
, p. 4

*
the same problem
– Peel,
Starburst
, 1995

*
same social experiences
– Brian Clemens, PC

1 A Boy’s Own Story

*
to be an actor
–
TV Times
, 7 February 1964

*
unemployment descended
– Lewis and Lewis,
The Land of Wales
, p. 57

*
foraging parties
– Summers,
Edge of Violence
, p. 64

*
a time of soup
– ibid., p. 73

*
stiff and starchy
– Elsie White, quoted by Harry Greene, PC

*
a different planet
– Pill, A
Cardiff Family in the Forties
, p. 94

*
far-left socialism
–
Guardian
, 31 January 1966

*
There were all sorts
– Stan Stennett, PC

*
I’m a prolific writer
– Groves,
The Terry Nation Story

*
three halfpence
– Orwell,
The Road to Wigan Pier
, ch. 5

*
He played truant
– Groves,
The Terry Nation Story

*
I grew up
– Fleming,
Starburst
, 1979

*
horror fiction
– Ophir, Gies and Best,
Horizon
, 1989

*
quiet islands
– Quicke,
Tomorrow’s Television
, p. 29

*
I do not pretend
– Blythe,
The Age of Illusion
, p. 46

*
very influential
– Brian Clemens, PC

*
For over five hours
–
South Wales Echo and Express
, 2 January 1942

*
read a newspaper
–
Times
, 4 January 1941

*
common Nation trait
– Cornell, Day and Topping,
The Avengers Dossier
, p. 260

*
a wartime child
– Ophir, Gies and Best,
Horizon
, 1989

*
round the compartment
– Buchan,
The Island of Sheep
, ch. 1

*
as the hero
– Ophir, Gies and Best,
Horizon
, 1989

*
what was credible
– Harry Greene, PC

*
lack of imagination
– DVD production text, ‘Daleks’ ep. 3: ‘The Rescue’

*
the American shows
– Ophir, Gies and Best,
Horizon
, 1989

*
We listened closely
– Muir,
A Kentish Lad
, p. 146

*
personal pantheon
– Monkhouse,
Crying With Laughter
, p. 102

*
Youngsters with an ambition
– Wyn Calvin, PC

*
there they were
– Ophir, Gies and Best,
Horizon
, 1989

*
The glossy paper
– Pickard,
I Could a Tale Unfold
, p. 116

*
England I dream of
– Thompson,
Sunshine on Putty
, p. 23

*
reputation for comedy
– Wyn Calvin, PC

*
to be a comedian
– Ophir, Gies and Best,
Horizon
, 1989

*
dressed beautifully
– Harry Greene, PC

*
turn out more cogs
– Summers,
The Raging Summer
, p. 83

*
instant recognition
– Harry Greene, PC

*
he was the epitome
– ibid.

*
a rather good comedian
– Nazarro,
Doctor Who Magazine
, 1989

*
I used to be a member
–
South Wales Echo
, 2 March 1974

*
Terry was doing
– Groves,
The Terry Nation Story

2 Goings On

*
I auditioned
– Nazarro,
Doctor Who Magazine
1989

*
His first break
–
Guardian
, 31 January 1966

*
writing comedy scripts
– Harry Greene, PC

*
encourage new writers
– Beryl Vertue, PC

*
tenacity, initiative and guts
–
South Wales Echo
, 27 May 1955

*
encouragement and advice
– BBC WAC RCONT1

*
many a humorist
– Sykes,
If I Don’t Write It, Nobody Else Will
, p. 216

*
We never heard the names
–
Times
, 30 March 1963

*
novel in every respect
– Askey,
Before Your Very Eyes
, p. 93–4

*
one hundred gags
– Kavanagh,
Tommy Handley
, p. 110

*
I never got a credit
– Wilmut,
Kindly Leave the Stage!
, p. 131

*
Pre-Ted Kavanagh
– Muir,
A Kentish Lad
, p. 120

*
their ambition
–
South Wales Echo
, 27 May 1955

*
When Ray and I started
– Alan Simpson PC

*
the advent of television comedy
– Sykes,
If I Don’t Write It, Nobody Else Will
, p. 326

*
mutual protection society
– McCann,
Spike & Co
, p. 19

*
usual agency commission
– ALS contract for Dave Freeman dated 26 September 1955, signed by Eric Sykes

*
If you got stuck
– McCann,
Spike & Co
, p. 33

*
an altruistic manner
– Beryl Vertue, PC

*
the great value
– McCann,
Spike & Co
, p. 33

*
a rotten show
– Ophir, Gies and Best,
Horizon
, 1989 op. cit.

*
ordeal by fire
– Peel,
Starburst
, 1995

*
Everybody wrote
– Alan Simpson, PC

*
very double-barrelled
– Beryl Vertue, PC

*
a lovely man
– Ray Galton, PC

*
hairy tweeds
– McCann,
Spike & Co
, p. 32

*
Terry tried to be
– this and following quotes: Alan Simpson, Beryl Vertue, Ray Galton, PC

*
not cut out
– Keith Waterhouse,
Daily Mail
, 9 March 2006

*
you can write
– McCann,
Spike & Co
, p. 32

*
We feel that
– Nation’s letter and Alastair Scott Johnston’s covering note, BBC WAC RCONT1

*
We were beginning
– McCann,
Spike & Co
, p. 38

*
They were unafraid
– Groves,
The Terry Nation Story

*
Peter Sellers series
– ALS letter to Dave Freeman dated 16 February 1956, signed by Beryl Vertue

*
They cleared the potato sacks
– McCann,
Spike & Co
, p. 33

*
You’d go to lunch
– ibid., p. 34

*
Nice cupper tea
–
Observer
, 26 August 1956

*
I should like you to know
– BBC WAC RCONT1

*
a small pier
–
Observer
18 May 1958

*
He has been in and out
–
Radio Times
, 18 May 1961

*
Ealing-film-type music
–
Observer
, 28 May 1961

*
voracious appetite
– Sykes,
If I Don’t Write It, Nobody Else Will
, p. 268

*
It did okay
– McCann,
Spike & Co
, p. 98

*
witty and topical
– BBC WAC T12/391/5 The Ted Ray Show

*
He didn’t like me
– Logan,
It’s a Funny Life
, p. 158

*
They made me sick
– ibid., p. 159

*
at least two years
– ibid., p. 162

*
very depressed state
–
South Wales Echo
, 2 March 1974

3 The Lads Themselves

*
progressive comedy
– Carpenter,
Spike Milligan
, p. 186

*
This is shit –
Monkhouse,
Crying With Laughter
, p. 97

*
inclined by stage experience
–
Times
, 1 January 1958

*
crudely farcical
– Bignell and O’Day,
Terry Nation
, p. 13

*
sweetness and naivety
–
TV Times
, 7 February 1964

*
The play sucked
– Tony Tanner, PC

*
proved very successful
–
South Wales Echo
, 2 March 1974

*
incredibly well received
– Peel,
Starburst
, 1995

*
a queer jumble
–
Guardian
, 11 February 1964