‘Dr Who and the Daleks’ and its sequel ‘Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 AD’ promised to bring Doctor Who to the big screen. While the story might be familiar and include the TARDIS there were many differences. The Doctor is suggested to be human (as was probably the assumption of the writers at the time), Susan is younger, Barbara is also the Doctor’s granddaughter and the interior of the time machine is also very different.
In the UK the first film was popular enough to be the 20th biggest money maker at the box office. Had there not already been a BBC television series might that popularity been enough to bring it to the small screen. Colour television was introduced in the UK at the end of 1967, the year after ‘Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 AD’ so it isn’t hard to imagine the bright colour scheme of the films transferred to a ITV series featuring the same cast.
Whether it featured Roy Castle reprising his role as Ian or Bernard Cribbins as Tom Campbell as the young male lead and whether they chose Barbara or Louise the format of the show might be different on a smaller budget. They might restrict themselves to a modern day setting, keeping most of the adventure in a suburban setting and embracing the comedy elements of the films. Travel to different planets and time periods could be conveyed through stock clips, photos and back lot sets.
This could form the basis for a different Doctor Who campaign. Below are some ideas for this hypothetical tv series/campaign:
RISE OF THE ROBO-MEN
TELOS Industries unveil their latest development, Robo-Men. Their invention enhance the the physical strength of test subjects and allowing their behaviour to be controlled. There are plans afoot to convert criminals to act as soldiers or police officers. Not only does Doctor Who find this distasteful but the technology is eerily similar to that he encountered in 2150 AD. Did the Daleks simply appropriate this technology or are they they behind TELOS Industries?
Meanwhile PC Tom Campbell finds his job at risk when new Robo-Men are tested at his station.
WHO IS WHO?
Susan’s genius hasn’t gone unnoticed at her school and she is recruited by mysterious new teacher, Mr Sate to help construct a super computer along with other bright pupils. The super computer, WOTAN, begins to exert an influence over Susan making her distant from her family. Doctor Who is heartbroken and it is left to Barbara to investigate.
She finds that Mr Sate has built WOTAN for a single purpose. To solve the mystery of who is Doctor Who?
IT’S NOT MY VAULT
Bank robbers trick Doctor Who into helping them break into a bank vault by convincing him that someone is trapped inside and running out of air. While Doctor Who uses his inventions to unwittingly help the criminals his granddaughters race to find him before he breaks the law.
NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT
When Doctor Who’s neighbour, Mr Benson, asks to borrow a garden tool he is unwittingly directed to the TARDIS rather than the garden shed by the distracted scientist. Whisked into the past and a variety of time periods he inadvertently changes time. Susan is the first to notice when she fails a history test due to the answers changing. Not only must they retrieve Mr Benson and the TARDIS but they must repair the damage he caused.
BY THE SEASIDE
Doctor Who takes his family to the seaside. While he is thrilled by the donkey rides and building sand castles Barbara is more concerned about the mysterious disappearances attributed to so called Sea Devils. Left unattended Susan befriends an infant Sea Devil. Their friendship could prove that the aquatic race isn’t all bad.
TAKING A GAMBLE
In order to raise funds for his next experiment the Doctor uses the TARDIS to learn the result of sporting events, making quick money at his local bookies. His good ‘luck’ doesn’t go unnoticed and soon East End villains are forcing him to select winners at the horse track or his family will suffer. Overhearing this Susan must find a way to ensure that her grandfather’s predictions come true.
THE LOST DALEK
A Dalek is discovered at Coal Hill school with amnesia. Doctor Who and Susan take up the challenge of educating the alien and teaching it to be good but Barbara and Ian suspect that this is a ploy by the Daleks to steal the TARDIS.
THE RIVAL
The inventor Doctor Meddler makes headlines when he claims to have created his own time machine. Doctor Who is certain that he is a fraud but how to prove it without revealing the existence of the TARDIS? Within the aforementioned time machine Susan and Louise begin mapping its larger interior and become hopelessly lost.
Bigger On The Inside 