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Urban Hat€monger ? · 08-22-2014, 11:34 AM

The Missing Episodes

One of these people is not a member of the outer galaxies but a genuine legend in British television.

Mission To The Unknown

Doctor : None
Companions : None
Series : 3
Originally Transmitted: 9th October 1965

I was going to feature in my first look at the missing episodes the sprawling 12 part epic The Daleks Master Plan, but before I get to that we need to cover the one episode long trailer for that series transmitted 5 weeks earlier otherwise known as.... Mission To The Unknown.

The name's Cory, Marc Cory

Space Security Agent Marc Cory and his crew have crash landed on the hostile jungle planet of Kemble. Cory has been sent there by the authorities of earth to report on a suspected Dalek presence on the planet, however the rest of his crew members, Jeff Garvey and Gordon Lowery know nothing of why they are there . While they are repairing their ship they are at risk from the Vaaga plants that inhabit the jungle. Garvey is infected by the sting of a Vaaga plant, Cory shoots him explaining to Lowery that Garvey would slowly be transformed into a Vaaga plant. Cory also explains that Vaaga plants only grow naturally on the planet Skaro. So if there are Vaaga plants on Kemble so must the Daleks. Garvey's hands begin to move again.

Sorry guv I got a lot on at the moment, I can have it ready for you a week on Thursday

As the Daleks prepare for their conference with delegates of the seven great powers of the outer galaxies the Dalek Supreme orders the Daleks to kill Cory and his crew. Meanwhile Cory & Lowery are in the jungle building a rescue beacon. They hear ships flying overhead and realise that the Daleks are planning something. As the work on the rescue beacon is completed the Daleks attack. Running into the jungle to escape them Lowery is stung by a Vaaga plant, Cory is forced to kill him.

A Vaaga plant, In trousers

The Daleks conference with the delegates of the seven great powers of the outer galaxies begins and they discuss their imminent take over of Earth's solar system. Cory finds the Dalek city and begins to record a message to relay back to earth. While he is doing so he is discovered by the Daleks & exterminated, his tape drops into the undergrowth.

The hero returns to his base and heroically...... oh wait. Shit.

The episode ends with all the members of the seven great powers of the outer galaxies pledging allegiance to the Dalek cause.

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 3999

Some facts about Mission To The Unknown

Mission To The Unknown is the only episode in the series entire run where no regular cast members appear. This was to give them an extra week's summer break.
-
Mission To The Unknown was original series producer Verity Lambert's final episode. Her successor John Wiles was more than thrilled to take over only to have a 12 part Dalek story dumped on his desk.
-
Mission To The Unknown is one of three Doctor Who stories where no film clips whatsoever exist of the episode. The other two being Marco Polo & The Massacre.
-
Mission To The Unknown is also the only standalone 25 minute episode in the series entire run.
-
Between Mission To The Unknown and The Daleks Masterplan was the 4 part story The Myth Makers set in ancient Troy. This story would see the departure of companion Vicki and have handmaiden Katarina join the Tardis crew in her place.
-
There is some confusion about which of the alien delegate is which, some can be established easily because they are named in the show. With only the soundtrack and photos surviving of both this story and Master Plan as well as changing actors playing these roles and various delegates appearing and then disappearing makes it difficult to establish just who is who.
I shall cover this more fully at a later date.

When asking 'Do you know who I am' Cory was banned from the Daleks party. Luckily for him he had backstage passes.

If this story had been done today it probably would have been a webisode much like Night Of The Doctor or the short prequels that have appeared online in various forms online since the series return rather than a full blown episode like this one. However in 1965 they didn't have that luxury and this is what we got, or had seeing it doesn't exist anymore.

To say I was watching this by listening to an audio soundtrack recorded by a fan and watching a few stills from the episode it moves along quite nicely. You can't really judge it on it's own, it has a compelling storyline, none of the actors sound really bad and despite some of the dodgy alien costumes there's a real sense of menace and foreboding. In fact it zips along at such a pace it barely even registers that Hartnell & crew are missing from this episode. It would also be nice if they bring back the Vaaga plants for the new series. With the technology the Doctor Who production team have access to now they could make them downright horrifying.

Putting myself in the place of a child watching this in the 1960s I would be really excited to see the Daleks again and begin wondering the following week what happened to them. As a single episode this is neither here nor there, as a way to draw you into the forthcoming 12 part epic it does it's job admirably, and lets face it. That's exactly what it was supposed to do.

---

Some press cuttings from the period

08-22-2014, 11:34 AM	#166 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	The Missing Episodes One of these people is not a member of the outer galaxies but a genuine legend in British television. Mission To The Unknown Doctor : None Companions : None Series : 3 Originally Transmitted: 9th October 1965 I was going to feature in my first look at the missing episodes the sprawling 12 part epic The Daleks Master Plan, but before I get to that we need to cover the one episode long trailer for that series transmitted 5 weeks earlier otherwise known as.... Mission To The Unknown. The name's Cory, Marc Cory Space Security Agent Marc Cory and his crew have crash landed on the hostile jungle planet of Kemble. Cory has been sent there by the authorities of earth to report on a suspected Dalek presence on the planet, however the rest of his crew members, Jeff Garvey and Gordon Lowery know nothing of why they are there . While they are repairing their ship they are at risk from the Vaaga plants that inhabit the jungle. Garvey is infected by the sting of a Vaaga plant, Cory shoots him explaining to Lowery that Garvey would slowly be transformed into a Vaaga plant. Cory also explains that Vaaga plants only grow naturally on the planet Skaro. So if there are Vaaga plants on Kemble so must the Daleks. Garvey's hands begin to move again. Sorry guv I got a lot on at the moment, I can have it ready for you a week on Thursday As the Daleks prepare for their conference with delegates of the seven great powers of the outer galaxies the Dalek Supreme orders the Daleks to kill Cory and his crew. Meanwhile Cory & Lowery are in the jungle building a rescue beacon. They hear ships flying overhead and realise that the Daleks are planning something. As the work on the rescue beacon is completed the Daleks attack. Running into the jungle to escape them Lowery is stung by a Vaaga plant, Cory is forced to kill him. A Vaaga plant, In trousers The Daleks conference with the delegates of the seven great powers of the outer galaxies begins and they discuss their imminent take over of Earth's solar system. Cory finds the Dalek city and begins to record a message to relay back to earth. While he is doing so he is discovered by the Daleks & exterminated, his tape drops into the undergrowth. The hero returns to his base and heroically...... oh wait. Shit. The episode ends with all the members of the seven great powers of the outer galaxies pledging allegiance to the Dalek cause. Tonight we're gonna party like it's 3999 Some facts about Mission To The Unknown Mission To The Unknown is the only episode in the series entire run where no regular cast members appear. This was to give them an extra week's summer break. - Mission To The Unknown was original series producer Verity Lambert's final episode. Her successor John Wiles was more than thrilled to take over only to have a 12 part Dalek story dumped on his desk. - Mission To The Unknown is one of three Doctor Who stories where no film clips whatsoever exist of the episode. The other two being Marco Polo & The Massacre. - Mission To The Unknown is also the only standalone 25 minute episode in the series entire run. - Between Mission To The Unknown and The Daleks Masterplan was the 4 part story The Myth Makers set in ancient Troy. This story would see the departure of companion Vicki and have handmaiden Katarina join the Tardis crew in her place. - There is some confusion about which of the alien delegate is which, some can be established easily because they are named in the show. With only the soundtrack and photos surviving of both this story and Master Plan as well as changing actors playing these roles and various delegates appearing and then disappearing makes it difficult to establish just who is who. I shall cover this more fully at a later date. When asking 'Do you know who I am' Cory was banned from the Daleks party. Luckily for him he had backstage passes. If this story had been done today it probably would have been a webisode much like Night Of The Doctor or the short prequels that have appeared online in various forms online since the series return rather than a full blown episode like this one. However in 1965 they didn't have that luxury and this is what we got, or had seeing it doesn't exist anymore. To say I was watching this by listening to an audio soundtrack recorded by a fan and watching a few stills from the episode it moves along quite nicely. You can't really judge it on it's own, it has a compelling storyline, none of the actors sound really bad and despite some of the dodgy alien costumes there's a real sense of menace and foreboding. In fact it zips along at such a pace it barely even registers that Hartnell & crew are missing from this episode. It would also be nice if they bring back the Vaaga plants for the new series. With the technology the Doctor Who production team have access to now they could make them downright horrifying. Putting myself in the place of a child watching this in the 1960s I would be really excited to see the Daleks again and begin wondering the following week what happened to them. As a single episode this is neither here nor there, as a way to draw you into the forthcoming 12 part epic it does it's job admirably, and lets face it. That's exactly what it was supposed to do. --- Some press cuttings from the period __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave. Last edited by Urban Hat€monger ?; 08-22-2014 at 09:17 PM.