Mission to the Unknown (webcast)
Mission to the Unknown was a recreation of the missing second serial of season 3 of Doctor Who. This story was notable for being the only one-part serial in the classic era and the only Doctor Who television story not to feature the Doctor, any of their companions, or the TARDIS.. Carefully remade by students, graduates and staff at the University of Central Lancashire on the basis of whatever scripts and production photos from the original lost version could be located, with original production values of the 1960s. It was released as a webcast on YouTube on 9 October 2019, 54 years after the original Mission to the Unknown first aired.
Summary
On the planet Kembel, Space Security Service agent Marc Cory is investigating a recent sighting of a Dalek spaceship. His suspicion that the creatures may have established a base proves well-founded. He learns of a plot by the Daleks to invade and destroy the Solar System, but he is discovered and exterminated. The Daleks and their allies vow to conquer the universe, beginning with the planet Earth.
Plot
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Cast
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Crew
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Story notes
- This one-episode recreation was made because the original story does not exist in the BBC Archives.
- In a Q&A session during filming of the University of Central Lancashire's remake of Mission to the Unknown, Edward de Souza stated that when they shot the original episode "None of us thought that it would mean anything at all. It was just another episode of Doctor Who… it didn't really impinge on us at the time; it wasn't much more than a week's work". He also remarked that he watched the original episode with his son sitting on his knee and that "when it came to the moment when the Dalek zapped me, he stiffened and spun round to make quite sure I was still alive." (DWM 537)
- One of the only intentional discrepancies between the webcast and the original TV story comes with the end credits, which feature a James Bond-esque statement that "THE DALEKS WILL RETURN".
- Two presumed line fluffs of of the original 1964 production were intentionally retained in this remake:
- When the Dalek Supreme asks for an update from Space Monitor Control, the Dalek replies that "the emissaries from the seven planets will arrive as arranged". However at the conference, there are six emissaries present.
- When Marc Cory starts to record his SOS message, Edward de Souza fluffs his line, announcing himself as "Marc Cory, Special Security Service" instead of "Space Security Service".
Filming locations
Production errors
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Home video and audio releases
- The story was recreated by The University of Central Lanchasire (UCLan), the Dalek voices were provided by Nicholas Briggs. It was released on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel on 9 October 2019.
