Doctor Who
Script Books: Television Stories: Titan Books
Somewhat surprisingly, it wasn't until 1988 — the penultimate year of Doctor Who's original television life — that the first script book based on the series was released. Even more surprising for many fans was the fact that for the first time a Doctor Who story would see print from a company other than WH Allen/Target, who had been publishing novelisations and factual books based on the series since 1973.

The story chosen to launch Titan Books' range of Doctor Who scripts was 100,000 BC, published under the title The Tribe of Gum. Written by Australian writer Anthony Coburn, this was the very first script to be produced for the television series way back in November 1963.

Titan's irregular series of releases eventually ran to ten volumes — the final title published, in November 1994, being The Crusade.

However, while Titan's script books had enabled fans to see the occasional story which had been out of circulation for decades — the novelisation of Power of the Daleks only being published four months after the release of the script book — it really was a missed opportunity as only the scripts to The Masters of Luxor, The Crusade and Galaxy 4 were as originally written. All others in the series were edited to reproduce exactly what was spoken on screen. Rather a silly decision as, by this time, the BBC had started to release the programme on video...

No further scripts were published until May 1996 when BBC Books decided to capitalise on the new Paul McGann TV movie by issuing a script book to accompany the novelisation and obligatory video.

Things then fell silent again until 2001 when BBC Books released The Scripts — Tom Baker 1974/5, the first in what was hoped would be a series of hardback volumes, each of which would contain the scripts to a complete season of the television series.

Unlike the Titan script books, this also included scenes which were edited prior to transmission and comprehensive background notes which were based on Andrew Pixley's in-depth articles which had previously been published in Doctor Who Magazine.

Unfortunately, despite reports that a volume containing the scripts to Season Seven was planned, nothing further was to be released.

More recently, in October 2005 BBC Books released The Shooting Scripts which collected together all thirteen scripts that had been produced for Season Twenty-Seven of Doctor Who earlier in the year. Like the earlier Tom Baker 1974/5 volume from BBC Books, the book failed to sell in sufficient quantities for a second volume to be released.

Doctor Who The Scripts: The Tribe of Gum

The Tribe of Gum cover image
by Anthony Coburn
  • UK
  • Paperback
  • Titan Books
  • January 1988
Back Cover Blurb
THE BIRTH OF A LEGEND...

A police box in a fog-shrouded junk-yard. A mysterious pupil who knows more than her teachers. A white-haired old man in an Edwardian frock-coat. These were the key elements in the first episode of what was to become the World's longest running science fiction series.

Read for the first time the complete script of the first-ever Doctor Who story together with background and technical information.

First of a new series.
Television Story
100,000 BC
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC / Black and White

23/11/63 An Unearthly Child
30/11/63 The Cave of Skulls
07/12/63 The Forest of Fear
14/12/63 The Firemaker

All episodes exist as 16mm telerecordings and have been released on Region 2 DVD in the UK, and on Region 1 DVD in the United States.
Regular Characters
First Doctor / Ian Chesterton / Barbara Wright / Susan Foreman
Book Contents
  • Introduction
    By John McElroy.
  • The Beginning
    A chapter on the creation of Doctor Who.
  • Behind the Scenes
    Behind-the-scenes information, written by John McElroy.
  • Cast / Technical Details / Production Credits
  • Scripts for all four episodes of 100,000 BC.
Notes
  • Like the majority of releases in Titan's series, The Tribe of Gum has been edited to reflect exactly what was spoken on screen.
  • Anthony Coburn's only other work for Doctor Who was the unproduced seven-part story The Masters of Luxor, released by Titan Books in August 1992.
  • Surprisingly the script for the untransmitted pilot episode of Doctor Who was not included in The Tribe of Gum — allegedly at the insistence of John Nathan-Turner who, at the time the book was published, was the producer of the television series.

    Needless to say, eyebrows were raised when that very episode was subsequently selected for inclusion on the Hartnell Years video release in 1992 by one John Nathan-Turner...
  • 100,000 BC was novelised by Terrance Dicks in 1981 as Doctor Who and An Unearthly Child.
Doctor Who The Scripts: The Tomb of the Cybermen

The Tomb of the Cybermen cover image
by Gerry Davis and Kit Pedler
  • UK
  • Paperback
  • Titan Books
  • August 1989
Click here to see the back cover.
Back Cover Blurb
SLUMBERING EVIL...

An archaeological expedition to a forgotten planet. A race of silver giants, frozen for centuries in an underground tomb...the Cybermen! Into the midst of this, unwittingly steps the Doctor and his two companions, Jamie and Victoria.

Read for the first time the complete script of this classic Doctor Who story, together with full cast list, production notes and an exciting look behind the scenes with writer Gerry Davis and script writer Victor Pemberton.

Read for the first time the complete script of this classic Doctor Who story, together with full cast list, production notes and an exciting look behind the scenes with writer Gerry Davis and script writer Victor Pemberton.
Television Story
The Tomb of the Cybermen
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Black and White

02/09/67 Episode 1
06/09/67 Episode 2
16/09/67 Episode 3
23/09/67 Episode 4

All four episodes exist as 16mm telerecordings and have been released on Region 2 DVD in the UK, and on Region 1 DVD in the United States.
Regular Characters
Second Doctor / Jamie McCrimmon / Victoria Waterfield

Familiar Faces / Returning Characters
The Cybermen / Cybermats
Book Contents
  • Introduction
    By John McElroy.
  • Background
    Behind the scenes information, written by John McElroy.
  • Cast / Technical Details / Production Credits
  • Scripts for all four episodes of The Tomb of the Cybermen.
Notes
  • Like the majority of releases in Titan's series, The Tomb of the Cybermen has been edited to reflect exactly what was spoken on screen.

    At the time the book was released, all four episodes of the story were missing from the BBC's archives. Miraculously, all four episodes were returned to the BBC from Hong Kong early in 1992 and were swiftly released on video.
  • The back cover of the script book contains an unfortunate mistake: Victor Pemberton was actually the script editor for The Tomb of the Cybermen, a mistake which is acknowledged inside the back cover.
  • The Tomb of the Cybermen was novelised by Gerry Davis in 1978 as Doctor Who and the Tomb of the Cybermen.
Doctor Who The Scripts: The Talons of Weng-Chiang

The Talons of Weng-Chiang cover image
by Robert Holmes
  • UK
  • Paperback
  • Titan Books
  • November 1989
Click here to see the back cover.
Back Cover Blurb
LONDON IN THE 1880's...

A master of illusion and hypnotism performing in a Victorian music hall. A ventriloquist's dummy that can kill. A masked figure desperately searching for something not of this time. The Doctor and his companion Leela are soon embroiled in another perilous adventure.

Read for the first time the complete script of this classic Doctor Who story, together with never-before published background and technical information.
Television Story
The Talons of Weng-Chiang
6 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour

26/02/77 Episode One
05/03/77 Episode Two
12/03/77 Episode Three
19/03/77 Episode Four
26/03/77 Episode Five
02/04/77 Episode Six

All episodes exist in their original format and have been released on Region 2 DVD in the UK, and on Region 1 DVD in the United States.
Regular Characters
Fourth Doctor / Leela
Book Contents
  • Background
    Behind the scenes information, written by John McElroy.
  • Cast / Technical Details / Production Credits
  • Scripts for all six episodes of The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
Notes
  • Like the majority of releases in Titan's series, The Talons of Weng-Chiang has been edited to reflect exactly what was spoken on screen.
  • Issue 213 of Doctor Who Magazine (08/06/94) revealed the artwork for a planned reprint of the book. The art was by Alister Pearson, who had worked on the majority of Titan's script books, but in the end the book wasn't re-issued.
  • The Talons of Weng-Chiang was novelised by Terrance Dicks in 1977 as Doctor Who and the Talons of Weng-Chiang.
  • A sequel to The Talons of Weng-Chiang was published as part of the Missing Adventures range in 1996. Written by David A McIntee, The Shadow of Weng-Chiang featured the return of Mr Sin and the hitherto unmentioned daughter of Li H'sen Chang, Hsien-Ko.
  • The character of Professor Litefoot re-appeared in Mark Morris's 1997 Eighth Doctor Adventures novel The Bodysnatchers.
  • The time period (and indeed war) from which Magnus Greel had fled was featured in Simon A Forward's Eighth Doctor Adventure novel Emotional Chemistry, published in October 2003.
Doctor Who The Scripts: The Daleks

The Daleks cover image
by Terry Nation
  • UK
  • Paperback
  • Titan Books
  • December 1989
Click here to see the back cover.
Back Cover Blurb
IN A GALAXY FAR AWAY...

A petrified jungle. A catastrophic nuclear war. A race of peace-loving aliens and another of indescribable evil...the Daleks! As the TARDIS lands for the first time on Skaro, the Doctor, his granddaughter Susan, and their unwilling companions Ian and Barbara are about to meet their most terrifying adversary.

Read the complete script of this classic Doctor Who story, together with never-before published background and technical information.
Television Story
The Daleks
7 × 25 Minutes / BBC / Black and White

21/12/63 The Dead Planet
28/12/63 The Survivors
04/01/64 The Escape
11/01/64 The Ambush
18/01/64 The Expedition
25/01/64 The Ordeal
01/02/64 The Rescue

All episodes exist as 16mm telerecordings and have been released on Region 2 DVD in the UK, and on Region 1 DVD in the United States.
Regular Characters
First Doctor / Ian Chesterton / Barbara Wright / Susan Foreman

Familiar Faces / Returning Characters
The Daleks
Book Contents
  • Introduction
    By John McElroy.
  • Background
    Behind-the-scenes information by John McElroy.
  • Cast / Technical Details / Production Credits
  • Scripts for all seven episodes of The Daleks.
  • Afterword
    By John McElroy.
Notes
  • Like the majority of releases in Titan's series, The Daleks has been edited to reflect exactly what was spoken on screen.
  • The Technical Details section manages to tie itself in knots over the recording dates of the first and fourth episodes.

    The Dead Planet was originally recorded on 15 November, but this was deemed untransmittable because messages from the studio gallery were clearly audible on the soundtrack. The episode was then re-recorded on 6 December, the date on which The Ambush was originally scheduled to be recorded.

    The only footage existing from the original recording of The Dead Planet is that used as the reprise of the cliffhanger at the start of the second episode, The Survivors.
  • The Daleks was novelised by David Whitaker in 1964 as Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks.
  • Terry Nation went on to create both Survivors and Blake's 7 for the BBC, as well as contributing to the early episodes of MacGyver in the United States.
Doctor Who The Scripts: The Masters of Luxor

The Masters of Luxor cover image
by Anthony Coburn
  • UK
  • Paperback
  • Titan Books
  • August 1992
Click here to see the back cover.
Back Cover Blurb
THE WAIT IS OVER...

A dark and silent planet. A magnificent crystal edifice, perched on a mountainside. A legion of dormant robots, waiting for the signal to bring them back to life. The Doctor and his granddaughter Susan, and their reluctant companions Ian and Barbara, are about to unleash forces which will threaten their very survival.

Read for the first time the complete script of this magnificent, but regrettably never produced, Doctor Who story.
Television Story
The Masters of Luxor
6 × 25 Minutes

1) The Cannibal Flower
2) The Mockery of a Man
3) A Light on the Dead Planet
4) Tabon of Luxor
5) An Infinity of Surprises
6) The Flower Blooms

The Masters of Luxor is an unproduced script which was originally intended to be made in the slot that was later taken by The Daleks.
Regular Characters
First Doctor / Ian Chesterton / Barbara Wright / Susan Foreman
Book Contents
  • Introduction
    By John McElroy.
  • Scripts for all six episodes of The Masters of Luxor.
  • Afterword
    By John McElroy.
Notes
  • Anthony Coburn's only other work on Doctor Who was writing the scripts for the very first story, 100,000 BC.
  • The Masters of Luxor is the only unproduced script ever to be released as a script book, although Issue 97 (January 1992) of the DWB fanzine did include scripts to Return of the Cybermen, which was heavily re-written and produced as Revenge of the Cybermen. It was also included in the DWB Compendium, which reprinted the best articles from the first hundred issues.

    Three stories which were dropped when Season Twenty-Three was postponed in 1985 have also been novelised: The Nightmare Fair, The Ultimate Evil and Mission to Magnus.
Doctor Who The Scripts: The Daemons

The Daemons cover image
by Robert Sloman and Barry Letts
  • UK
  • Paperback
  • Titan Books
  • October 1992
Click here to see the back cover.
Back Cover Blurb
DEVIL'S END...

An ancient archaeological barrow. A White Witch warning of impending doom. A trio of formidable foes — Azal, Boc and...The Master! The Doctor and Jo Grant, his assistant, are soon to come face-to-face with an evil almost as old as time itself.

Read the complete, classic script of a story voted by fans to be the best ever Doctor Who, together with fascinating background and technical information.
Television Story
The Daemons
5 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour

22/05/71 Episode One
29/05/71 Episode Two
05/06/71 Episode Three
12/06/71 Episode Four
19/06/71 Episode Five

Search (VHS) Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com
Episode 4 exists in its original format. The other four episodes exist as 16mm black and white telerecordings and as domestic NTSC off-air colour recordings. A re-colourised version using the colour signal from the off-air tapes has been released on video in the UK and United States.
Regular Characters
Third Doctor / Jo Grant / Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart / Captain Mike Yates / Sergeant Benton

Familiar Faces / Returning Characters
The Master
Book Contents
  • Introduction
    By John McElroy.
  • Background
    Behind-the-scenes information, written by Stephen James Walker.
  • Cast / Technical Details / Production Credits
  • Scripts for all five episodes of The Daemons.
Notes
  • The Daemons contains edited versions of the original camera scripts to the television story. The editing was carried out so that it was an accurate transcript of the dialogue on screen.
  • An error in the background notes on page fifteeen lists a recording date for Episode Six of the story. Unfortunately, The Daemons only has five episodes, something which was picked up and used as the basis for an April Fools joke in Issue 112 of the DWB fanzine in April 1993.

    The article, by Justin Richards, told the story of how Episode Six was banned after being recorded due to the offense that might be caused by the religious nature of the storyline, as well as including an in-depth synopsis for the 'missing' episode.

    Needless to say, some people believed it to be true...
  • The Daemons was novelised by Barry Letts in 1974 as Doctor Who and the Daemons.
Doctor Who The Scripts: The Power of the Daleks

The Power of the Daleks cover image
by David Whitaker
  • UK
  • Paperback
  • Titan Books
  • February 1993
Click here to see the back cover.
Back Cover Blurb
THE FIRST REGENERATION...

A mercury swamp on a distant Earth colony. A crashed spacecraft holding a deadly secret. An imposter in the TARDIS?

Polly and Ben watch in stunned disbelief as the unconscious body of the Doctor changes in front of their eyes. Before they can decide if he is genuine or fake, they are plunged into a deadly encounter with the Doctor's greatest foes...The Daleks!

Read the complete script of this classic Doctor Who story, together with background and technical information.
Television Story
The Power of the Daleks
6 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Black and White

05/11/66 Episode One
12/11/66 Episode Two
19/11/66 Episode Three
26/11/66 Episode Four
03/12/66 Episode Five
10/12/66 Episode Six

No complete episodes are known to exist. Off-air audio recordings of all six episodes have been released on CD.
Regular Characters
Second Doctor / Ben Jackson / Polly

Familiar Faces / Returning Characters
The Daleks
Book Contents
  • Introduction
    By John McElroy.
  • Background
    Behind-the-scenes information, written by Stephen James Walker.
  • Cast / Technical Details / Production Credits
  • Scripts for all six episodes of The Power of the Daleks.
Notes
  • Like the majority of releases in Titan's series of Doctor Who books, the scripts to The Power of the Daleks have been edited to reflect exactly what was spoken on screen.
  • Other than the unproduced Masters of Luxor, the Power of the Daleks script book was unique at the time of its release in being the only one without a corresponding Target novelisation. John Peel's adaptation of David Whitaker's scripts finally appeared in the shops four months later in July 1993 as The Power of the Daleks.
Doctor Who The Scripts: Ghost Light

Ghost Light cover image
by Marc Platt
  • UK
  • Paperback
  • Titan Books
  • June 1993
Click here to see the back cover.
Back Cover Blurb
A HAUNTED HOUSE...

Something sinister in the cellar. A Neanderthal manservant. A secret from Ace's past...or is it her future?

The seventh Doctor and his young companion land back on Earth in Victorian times and are soon caught up in mysterious goings-on at Gabriel Chase, a place the locals prefer to avoid.

Read the complete script of this classic Doctor Who story, together with background and technical information.
Television Story
Ghost Light
3 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour

04/10/89 Part One
11/10/89 Part Two
18/10/89 Part Three

All episodes exist and have been released on Region 2 DVD in the UK, and on Region 1 DVD in the United States.
Regular Characters
Seventh Doctor / Ace
Book Contents
  • Introduction
    By John McElroy.
  • Background
    Behind the scenes information, written by Stephen James Walker.
  • Cast / Technical Details / Production Credits
  • Scripts for all three episodes.
  • Creating Ghost Light
    A chapter by Marc Platt that includes edited scenes, scenes from earlier drafts of the script and scenes cut from the broadcast episodes.
Notes
  • Ghost Light contains edited versions of the original camera scripts to the television story. The editing was carried out so that it was an accurate transcript of the dialogue on screen.

    However, Ghost Light is, arguably, the only one of Titan's script books to make full use of the possibilities that a script book can afford.

    Although the decision was still taken to edit the script to exactly mirror what was spoken on screen, many of the scenes that were edited — both before recording and in post production — were included in Marc Platt's excellent chapter on the making of the story.

    Many of these scenes were included as extras on the Ghost Light DVD released by BBC Worldwide in 2003.
  • Ghost Light was novelised by Marc Platt in 1990 as Ghost Light.
Doctor Who The Scripts: Galaxy 4

Galaxy cover image
by William Emms
  • UK
  • Paperback
  • Titan Books
  • July 1994
Click here to see the back cover.
Back Cover Blurb
THE WEAKER SEX...?

A female dominated race of warriors. A peaceful race of aliens. A doomed world.

The Doctor and his companions, Vicki and Steven, land on a planet that is about to explode. They are soon caught up in a desperate race against time to thwart the evil plans of the Drahvins to save themselves at the expense of the peace loving Rills.

Read for the first time the complete script of this classic Doctor Who story, together with never before published background and technical information.
Television Story
Galaxy 4
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Black and White

11/09/65 Four Hundred Dawns
18/09/65 Trap of Steel
25/09/65 Airlock
02/10/65 The Exploding Planet

No complete episodes of Galaxy 4 are known to exist, although a six-minute extract from Four Hundred Dawns does survive and was included in the Missing Years documentary which has been released on video alongside the existing episodes of The Ice Warriors and on DVD as part of the Lost in Time box set in both the UK and United States. Off-air audio recordings exist for all four episodes and these were released on CD by BBC Worldwide in October 2000 with linking narration by Peter Purves.
Regular Characters
First Doctor / Vicki / Steven Taylor
Book Contents
  • Introduction
    By John McElroy.
  • Background
    Behind-the-scenes information, written by Stephen James Walker.
  • Cast / Technical Details / Production Credits
  • Scripts for all four episodes of Galaxy 4.
Notes
  • The original camera scripts were used in the Galaxy 4 script book because, at the time of publication, only the second episode, Trap of Steel, was known to exist as an off-air audio recording.
  • William Emms novelised the story in 1985 as Galaxy Four.

    Apart from the Mission to Venus Make Your Own Adventure book, Galaxy 4 was William Emms' only contribution to the world of Doctor Who.
Doctor Who The Scripts: The Crusade

The Crusade cover image
by David Whitaker
  • UK
  • Paperback
  • Titan Books
  • November 1994
Click here to see the back cover.
Back Cover Blurb
PERIL IN PALESTINE...

The TARDIS lands in twelfth century Palestine, near the city of Jaffa. Barbara is soon kidnapped by the mighty Saracen leader, Saladin, and Ian sets off to rescue her. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Vicki are taken to the court of Richard the Lionheart, who is leading the crusade against the Saracens.

Read for the first time the complete script of one of the great 'lost' Doctor Who stories, together with background and technical information.
Television Story
The Crusade
4 × 25 Minutes / BBC1 / Black and White

27/03/65 The Lion
03/04/65 The Knight of Jaffa
10/04/65 The Wheel of Fortune
17/04/65 The Warlords

The Lion and The Wheel of Fortune exist as 16mm telerecordings and have been released as part of the Lost in Time collection on Region 2 DVD in the UK and on Region 1 DVD in the United States. The Knight of Jaffa and The Warlords only exist as off-air audio recordings which were included on the DVD releases without accompanying narration. Audio recordings of the complete story were released on CD by BBC Worldwide in May 2005 with linking narration by William Russell.
Regular Characters
First Doctor / Ian Chesterton / Barbara Wright / Vicki
Book Contents
  • Introduction
    By John McElroy.
  • Background
    Behind-the-scenes information, written by Stephen James Walker.
  • Cast / Technical Details / Production Credits
  • Scripts for all four episodes of The Crusade.
Notes
  • The Crusade was the last of Titan's ten Doctor Who script books to be released. Unlike the majority of them, The Crusade contains the original camera scripts rather than exact transcriptions of what occurs on screen.

    The reason for this was that, at the time of publication, only the third episode, The Wheel of Fortune, existed in the BBC's archives and audio recordings of the remaining episodes were not known to be in existence.

    A 16mm film copy of The Lion was discovered in New Zealand in 1999, prompting the BBC to issue both existing episodes on video, accompanied by a CD containing the soundtracks to the two missing episodes which were by now circulating freely.

    The episodes and accompanying soundtrack have since been included as part of the Lost in Time DVD box set.

    Anyone wishing to follow the soundtrack with the aid of the script book should be aware that you'll have great difficulty...
  • The Crusade was novelised in 1966 by David Whitaker under the title Doctor Who and the Crusaders.