"The Daleks' Master Plan" Documentary - Doctor Who

One of Doctor Who's longest ever serials is missing from the archive. A twelve-part epic, featuring The Doctors greatest enemy, The Daleks!
But the story behind the story is just as interesting. This is the making of The Daleks' Master Plan.
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Doctor Who clips are owned by the BBC, and music licensed from Artlist
Thanks for watching!

[@BabelColour]

That is such an impressive piece of work. The only time I've ever sat and watched a 40 minute documentary on KZbin! Professional, informative, at times hilarious. Well done!

[@finnsempire5671]

BabelColour this makes the doctor and the brigadier friendship anniversary

[@JAProductions494]

Imagine if all episodes of the Daleks Master Plan, Power of the Daleks and Evil of the Daleks were just sorta hanging around in Terry Nation’s loft 😂 I know that will never happen but I can dream 😊

[@J.R8765]

Probably are. I mean he is the creator of the Daleks so I just imagine the BBC give every Dalek episodes and he just put them in the loft because he didn't care

[@darkstardavros]

It's a nice thought but I doubt it. The Terry Nation Estate would have found them by now and would have probably released them to the public.

[@pauldonald4676]

And of course Terry Nation had nothing to do with Evil of the Daleks.

[@unleashed1237]

Evil of the private collectors

[@Mandeley100]

As someone old enough to remember watching this serial when it was first broadcast (and being shocked by the demise of Sara Kingdom) I must congratulate you on an excellent and fascinating documentary. A masterful job which brought back some 50+ year old memories.

[@jackskellingtonsora]

It must have been something to see on tv. I just watched the reconstruction for the first time and now I desperately want the actual last episode back.

[@Funniguy2011]

Do you remember the screamer bats and the visians? If you do, then pls tell me what they looked like

[@KororaPenguin]

Mavic Chen's expression must have been priceless when the Daleks punched his ticket to Antenora, am I right?

[@penninefilms4714]

The current series of Doctor Who is 10 episodes long and this one serial from season 3 is 12 or 13 episodes long if you count Mission to the Unknown. I think this highlights the quality of what we get today, but also the massive work load the original team were under to make Doctor Who nearly all year round. So I hope one day this story arrives out of the mists of time or gets the animation treatment, so we can appreciate the epic adventure that is The Daleks Master Plan!

[@J.R8765]

Would you stand for one episode missing

[@DucksFor4]

Evil of the daleks would be cool because it’s a bit shorter and it has the dalek emperor in it

[@flaggerify]

Feast of Steven doesn't count. And perhaps not even Volcano. The story goes haywire after it. The War Games is a true epic.

[@Jordan3DS]

To be fair, the modern episodes of Who are twice as long as the classic ones, so 12 episodes then is 6 episodes now.

[@DalekPrimeProductions]

Man this making of would fit right on a full animation BBC 😉

[@LloydEWatson1983]

It would be great if animated reconstructions of the missing episodes were made. There must be a high demand for it.

[@jamesattenbourgh]

There’s mission to the unknown at the very least.

[@timothybarnett1006]

Really want the Daleks to have eyebrows over their dome lights so one could be raised when it turns around in response to 'It came from Uranus, I know it did'.at the start of the vid...

[@JoshSnares]

😂😂

[@DoctorWhoAdventures]

Absolutely excellent! And now I'm even more gutted it's missing because it looks so good!!! D: But it was great to see original footage and recreations! Thank you so much for making this :D You've done a stellar job putting this together!!! :)

[@JAProductions494]

That comment about Terry Nation and Dennis Spooner creating impossible cliffhangers for the other one to figure out a solution to genuinely made my day 😊

[@theloyalorderofclassictv5435]

I've heard a theory about why DMP #4 never made it back to the Film Library - It was accidentally returned to Enterprises with Tenth Planet #4 also used on that same episode - and TP #4 was still "on offer" for another year by ENT, and it was never held by the Film Library.

[@HectorGonzalez-qx9nk]

I’m honestly surprised that a Dalek story would have missing episodes. I would think Terry Nation would’ve asked for copies considering he would want documentation of his characters being used along with the fact he had rights of first refusal to Dalek stories.

[@TheDigitalApple]

Guess it time to get a Tardis and sneakily write in his contracts that he should receive a copy of every Doctor Who Dalek story he either helped write or work on, under the condition they are not to be destroyed!

[@deuce5546]

You think this got the short end of the stick? Wait until you check out Power of the Daleks and Evil of the Daleks.

[@deuce5546]

You think this got the short end of the stick? Wait until you check out Power of the Daleks and Evil of the Daleks.

[@DanTheMan2150AD]

Can’t wait to hear about Graham Strong again. Fantastic work as usual Josh.

[@jackpittorino]

I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm on the big screen in 2018 and it was an experience I will never forget

[@tomconnor8686]

Amazing documentary as usual. However, I didn't expect to see the Time Destructor I built at 35:15. Very surprised at that and was lovely to see. 😊

[@shortangel333]

Thank You. This video kept me captivated for the last 42 minutes. Truly amazing and a real treat. Keep doing what you're doing, it's great.

[@ForThePrince]

We really need an animation version of this,just like how Evil Of The Daleks was masterfully handled.

[@BB-it3ks]

Fantastic documentary! It’s so professionally done! The powers that be should get you to do dvd/blu-ray features!

[@Kytori95]

I'm actually surprised how much surviving footage there is, it gives me hope that there are complete episodes out there somewhere!

[@J.R8765]

Given the fact that this has three episodes while Marco Polo has none, Daleks Master Plan had one copy sent out which was even aired while Marco Polo had a bunch of copies, anything could happen

[@JulesBurt]

Just re-watched this for a second time, absolutely superb Josh. You have to say it's a superb blueprint for future 'making of' videos. Hope to see these soon🙂

[@jeffreywoosley960]

If I ever win the Powerball, I'll make sure to commission a full animated version of this one. I first listened to it in one marathon session while on a flight from Detroit to Germany and couldn't stop listening to it!

[@wonderboy76]

This was hugely impressive work - I was fascinated by the story you told. Thanks for putting this together - it's a commerical quality documentary that should appear on a official release.

[@DanTheMan2150AD]

Must have watched this about 5 times now. Just thanks for the amazing effort Josh.

[@timdailey2690]

Just watched the LC reconstruction for the first time. This is an excellent supplement!! I was introduced to Pertwee through McCoy episodes over 35 years ago here in the US. FF to 2021, I’m finally discovering the mysterious and lost Hartnell Troughton era serials. Excellent work!!!

[@JarrodCook93]

Thank you for mentioning how Katarina's death was filmed because I had wondered about it.

[@bazaul]

What a marvellous thing you have created here. Stunning stuff.

[@ohmydinosare]

This is excellent work, if they ever put out a dvd release, be it animated, or some beyond-miraculous recovery of the original, then this ought to be on the special features. You couldn't get a more thorough and insightful documentary.

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

As a reminder DW fans 'I know you already know' at the time of this video's release, Eps 2 5 and 10 still exist, Not to mention Mission to the Unknown has already been remade.

[@DarkDaysOfficial]

Not going to lie, I prefer the Ian Levine animated reconstruction of Mission to the Unknown.

[@jamesattenbourgh]

Damien Wade do you have a link to it? I can only find the first ten minutes of it online?

[@DarkDaysOfficial]

@@jamesattenbourgh No. It's on my laptop. But I can upload it to dailymotion or put it on my google drive or something then send you a link.

[@jamesattenbourgh]

Damien Wade either works great. Thanks man 👍

[@Solidsnakeprime501]

Fantastic documentary! Really interesting! I love masterplan! Also awesome to hear the voice of the Cyberplanner sneaking in there.

[@doctorwhom8294]

This is absolutely AMAZING! I love all of these documentaries as they are so good and professional. I have also been enjoying your old reconstructions and they have given me a new love for these missing episodes. You really need to be hired by the BBC in some capacity either for the animation range or the collection Blu-ray's!

[@billsilver6429]

Absolutely amazing! Well done Josh.

[@dreadchest7770]

Saw this on my recommended and my day got instantly better

[@servalan65]

Brilliant and insightful. Thank you!!

[@dudstep]

Wouldn't it be funny if the Australian prints of the serial just turned up one day. I know they were probably sent back to the UK for destruction, but one can dream, right? Nice work Josh!

[@dudstep]

@IVAN KRAWEC All but episode 7 were sent to Australia for evaluation, but the ABC thought there was too much violence, so the serial wasn't screened. Presumably the episodes were shipped back to the UK for destruction, but they might not have been. That's what I'm getting at.

[@RangaTurk]

Canada only bought the first and second seasons of this programme. So most of the junked episodes never went to air there. I am surprised that The Daleks Master Plan never went to air in Australia. It would be interesting to know what else was not shown.

[@JAProductions494]

I actually properly watched the Dalek’s Master Plan today and having full context of the story makes this documentary even better

[@alexfletcher5192]

Great work as ever. Should we ever get the bloody thing animated, this should go on it.

[@funbricks1]

My cousin, who is around 40 years old, had a friend record the first and second doctor's episodes on a television, for the reason that they would not have to find the tapes, instead just watching them via the recording. This was before they went missing. Among these episodes includes the Daleks' Master Plan. I am enraged to the fact that he won't get into contact with this friend to get the recordings

[@ShameleonFactor]

What a great documentary. Won’t lie, Land of the Pharaohs would’ve been a better title for Episode 9 in my opinion.

[@simonjames3990]

Land of the Pharaohs was great

[@J.R8765]

Yeah! What does a beer brand have to do with Egyptians

[@ianscales4347]

Thank you. That was very entertaining. I love the insertions of humour into it all. Sad though that so many episodes are still missing - watching this makes me realise just what we have all lost.

[@sampletext8229]

Yes yes I see I click Also 7:58 not disturbing at all

[@blobfish5730]

Wow, this seems like an official BBC documentary

[@scottythescotty]

Once again SUPER AWESOME AMAZING BRILLIANCE. We stan Snosh Jares in this household.

[@governorblack]

I dare say this is your best one yet! Excellent work!

[@dubliam8064]

Okay, that is hilarious that Katarina was doomed from the very beginning lmao.

[@danielwilliamson6180]

It's a shame Katarina was killed off. She was a wasted character and she never got to develop as a character and Katerina could stayed until William Hartnell left the show.

[@Joey15811]

Daniel Williamson i agree. Possibly up to the War Machines. She should have been given a few stories to have a chance atleast. A story on this scale probably abit much to start though. Her quick writting out makes her on of the most interesting and by far the most overlooked companion

[@fadikhoory5350]

I think both her and Sara was a plot device for one story: The Massacre. The Daleks' master plan and the Massacre are key Steven stories which teach him and the audience that travelling through time, especially with the doctor, isn't always fun. But anyway, we could have had at least one full story with Katarina, perhaps if Vicki left in the Mythmakers and that was the season opener, perhaps Galaxy 4 was just Katarina and Steven as companions.

[@paulohagan3309]

I read that immediately they wrote in Katrina from the previous episode, the writers realised that someone from so long ago (Troy) would be lost in the 1960s never mind all the futuristic stuff that was going to happen in Dr Who. So out the airlock she went ...

[@Jim-qv6tt]

Thanks. Really enjoyed. I read those novels over Xmas in 89 Bring back Chen!

[@bailey.mckinlay]

You’re absolutely brilliant, genuinely, thank you for all the quality content, literally cannot count how many boring days you’ve helped me through 😂

[@darrenhale2351]

Josh has also done some excellent work on motion animating episodes of this except the Feast of Steven I watch those and Ian Levine's Mission To The Unknown - Thanks Josh.

[@leveragebeverage566]

By Far My Favourite Story of The Show, It was Fascinating to Learn more about it so Thanks for The Best History Lesson

[@finalfantasyfan222]

What’s crazy is, this serial has more episodes than the latest season of Doctor Who.

[@JulesBurt]

Great stuff Josh, good to see you back🙂

[@stimulusrespond]

Great work as always. Very pleasurable experience! Welcome back.

[@evontill2294]

I like how at the end of the serial the doctor says “well we finally rid this planet of Daleks!” Completely ignorant on how sara literally just died

[@J.R8765]

Steven: Sarah's dead. Doctor: The Daleks are gone. Steven: She's dead. Doctor: The Daleks. Steven: Sarah!

[@azarothshadowsoul]

It would be a tall order, but I really hope The Daleks' Master Plan gets an animated completion since 2025 will be the 60th anniversary of the story's original broadcast. I personally love the surviving episodes of this story, I even bought the Lost In Time DVD just to see them (and the remnants of Power of the Daleks)

[@thomasstevens2746]

Great documentary Honestly I clicked play and it flown by

[@SleepyLestatSF]

Well done Josh! You have a knack for correlating well tread history and making it into an interesting narrative!

[@MarkClowes75]

This is brilliant, Josh!! Always been fascinated by this story and I love how you have brought it to life. I also like the steadier pace of your narration, it makes it easier for me to keep up with you ☺️ Hope you get to do some work for the BBC one day (if you haven't already had the call...)

[@ollitom3000]

Take a shot every time you hear “bbc television center” 😂😂

[@lunapaloma_8127]

You just won the Internet with this vid

[@tonymichael4531]

Josh, Excellent work as always. Thank you.

[@kingcoffee01]

This is a nice surprise to start the day

[@MekQuarrie]

Why have I called this "The Dalek Master Plan" my whole life..?!

[@DarrenMHembrowCoach]

Best one yet. Amazing work

[@christopherwilson3754]

Your videos are epic, fun and very professional. On a personal note the one story I most want to be found is Marco Polo.

[@android65mar]

Excellent documentary, so well researched and put together, well done!

[@robrob8258]

Really enjoyed.I think this serial was the one where they decided they needed a new leading man

[@dreamfeaster]

The daleks master plan can be painful to watch with the telesnaps. But if you watch all the daleks master plan episodes and listen to all the audios set in between. the daleks master plan arc is 14 HOURS LONG

[@sdbultimateproductions9299]

That was an amazing insight into this lost gem!

[@johnleggett5054]

Brilliant! Well done Josh!

[@marklafrance8141]

That was an amazing documentary. Outstanding job. Very thorough and informative. It will be interesting to see how this episode is dealt with on the upcoming blu-ray release. ✌️❤️🙂

[@harryalphascrapper5525]

Intriguing! Outstanding!

[@paulohagan3309]

'Incidentally a merry Christmas to you all.' Ok, it's in the original script. However, it seems to me it's possible Hartnell was supposed to say that to his companions, somewhat ironically. Then for devilment he turned to the camera and said 'And a very merry Christmas to you all at home'. So it seems that it's possible that it was in the original script and also Hartmell improvised upon it to break the fourth wall. 'It came from Uranus'. Well scriptwriters like to have fun and (especially for a children's programme in the 60s) playfully push the envelope a little. An impressive piece of documentary work, Joshua, really.

[@endofthelane1]

The camera script specifies that the Doctor steps forward towards the camera and away from Steven and Sara when he says the final line, so that the line is being addressed directly to the audience.

[@paulohagan3309]

@@endofthelane1That settles the matter then.

[@CruciumGiger]

Great documentary, rally enjoyed the insights to the episodes.

[@marky437]

Excellent!!! Very informative worth the wait :-) can't wait for the next video :-

[@MecdiAn]

Sarah Kingdom, *wrotes that down*

[@mekhimays9599]

In my version of Doctor Who The Daleks' Master Plan: Katarina of Troy and Bret Vyon, Sara Kingdom survived and stayed with the first doctor and Steven Taylor

[@Alia-bc3rc]

I read (or heard from one of Big Finish audio stories, can't recall) that Jean Marsh used to keep sandwich in her costume's pouch.

[@georgepoliachik]

"You make your incompetence sound like an achievement." Truly Fantastic! Had me laughing so hard...

[@hifive789]

Best Documentary Ever!

[@iLikeTheUDK]

God this serial was such an epic. I hope most of it is found soon

[@FrankNFurter1000]

'IT CAME FROM URANUS, I KNOW IT DID.'

[@RageofCrom]

Excellent!! More please!!

[@octaviusfooks7194]

15:52 - I prefer the emergency recording from Mission to the Unknown over TDMP (Corey was played by Edward de Souza)

[@lyndseythomas115]

Are we at the place of perfection so soon?

[@themoxcast]

Hi Josh, just letting you know 1. Great job as usual and 2. I didn't get a notification for this video and it's absent from my subscription feed. Might just be a glitch.

[@Keyboardeater1]

Given the popularity of the Daleks, it's baffling that any of them would be junked. Even if overseas buyers turned it down once, they might bite later, or another market might have opened up?

[@TheCyberman1966]

Very good and informative the only flub is that the ship in episode 3 wasn’t braking down its stated the daleks had taken control

[@ElliottSargent2]

To be fair, if Bill Hartnell made KZbin videos, I would watch every single one of those.

[@ZachMatthews-bz1dj]

We need an animation for mission to the unknown and the rest of masterplan!!!

[@AstileDohertyProductions]

I have gone many, many, many months without hearing Cardi B's coronavirus song (because I'm not very fond of her or her music), and this wonderful documentary finally introduced me to it. Soooo... thank you, I think..?

[@realPhali]

Oh sweet baby Jebus, it's over 42 minutes :o Beatrice, hold all calls and lock the doors. I am busy this evening.

[@chrisdavie8163]

If it's going to get the animation treatment then no doubt it'll be the last to do with all of those episodes missing.

[@octaviusfooks7194]

Josh, as there are possibly 6 missing episodes looming to be returned, what if they are 6 episodes of the Daleks' Master Plan?

[@MrJ.Smith1234]

Even though this is a good story, l think the first couple of episodes at the beginning were the best part of the story but it then got a bit carried away with episodes like the feast of Steven and the golden death with the meddling monk.

[@darrylnevels6141]

Had to get this on bootleg especially since I have to watch William series.

[@blackphoenix77]

Woot, forty two minutes; this is gonna be good!

[@Nibbles69]

It's a shame the BBC won't make the missing stories into a video game or something.

[@brianartillery]

Excellent stuff! Bloody Mary Whitehouse. Interfering old cow. Philip Hinchcliffe did say though, that the Doctor Who production team always liked it if she made a complaint about the show to the media, as it meant that more people would watch the next week, to see what had riled her. For someone so opposed to sex, violence and profanity, Mrs Whitehouse seems to have gone out of her way to watch as much as she could, to be offended by it. Odd, that.

[@rayvenkman2087]

brianartillery This is the same person who give Jimmy that medel...

[@jonpertwee4208]

Well done!

[@supacharredmatt6799]

You know, I've always wondered about this ever since Josh's *Animation Speculation* video: If the Daleks' Master Plan is such a beast to animate, then why not make volumes containing four episodes each (which would make three volumes)? I mean, sure, it would probably not work out when it comes to the general audience (AKA not me), but I think it *could* help deal with the enormous nature of this lost classic (unless, of course, there are a bajillion characters in four episodes, as well. In which case, I would suggest scrapping the idea).

[@matthewduncan8523]

Or they could just find it

[@supacharredmatt6799]

@@matthewduncan8523 True.

[@AtelierGod]

If they got a decent budget they could probably make a 12 episode show, such as most modern anime seasons are.

[@Hawkeye26]

11:11 Douglas Camfield did not cast Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadier in the Web of Fear, he cast him as a Colonel.

[@AtelierGod]

As a proud Norse man I’ve grown up by the sagas of old and they are for all ages, but they doesn’t mean they hold back on deaths and tragedies.