Works by Terry Nation

A Dalek, the creation for which Terry Nation is best known.

Terry Nation (1930–1997) was a Welsh screenwriter and novelist known for his work on British science fiction television programmes in the 1960s and 1970s. He created the Daleks, a fictional extraterrestrial race in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.

Nation began his media career as a radio comedy writer. He wrote gags for the Welsh-produced BBC radio series Welsh Rarebit before moving to London in 1955 with writing partner Dick Barry. Nation subsequently joined Spike Milligan's writers' co-operative Associated London Scripts, through which he wrote comedy material for Frankie Howerd, Ted Ray, Eric Sykes Peter Sellers, Jimmy Logan, Elsie and Doris Waters and Harry Worth. After Barry left the UK in 1956, Nation often co-wrote with John Junkin and Johnny Speight. Nation transitioned from comedy to science fiction television writing by contributing three episodes to Irene Shubik's anthology series Out of This World in 1962. Nation began writing for comedian Tony Hancock in 1962, but was allegedly sacked by Hancock the following year.

Nation's seven-part Doctor Who serial The Daleks, which aired from December 1963 to February 1964, introduced the eponymous xenophobic aliens to the series. The Daleks were highly popular with audiences, and as Nation owned their copyright, he became very wealthy through licensing and merchandising deals. He contributed further Dalek stories to the series from 1964 to 1965. Nation subsequently worked on various science fiction, thriller and espionage television series, beginning with The Saint in 1964. He contributed episodes to the ITV series The Champions (1968–1969), Department S (1969–1970) and The Persuaders! (1971–1972), the latter of which he served as associate producer and script associate. Nation became script supervisor and writer on the series The Baron; this commitment meant that David Whitaker wrote the final two Dalek serials of the 1960s. After the broadcast of The Evil of the Daleks (1967), Nation withdrew the villains' rights from the programme and sought to develop a Dalek spin-off series.

Nation created the science fiction television series Survivors (1975) and Blake's 7 (1978–1980), aimed at a more adult audience than Doctor Who. Nation moved to Los Angeles in 1980, though this period of his career produced less notable work. He contributed three 1985 episodes to MacGyver and was a consultant on the 1996 Doctor Who television film during its early development.

Television

Year Title Broadcaster Notes Ref.
1956 The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d Associated-Rediffusion 5 episodes; co-written with Dave Freeman, John Junkin, and Spike Milligan
1957 Friday the 13th BBC One-off sketch programme; co-written with John Junkin
1958 Val Parnell's Startime ATV for ITV Variety show; contributions by Nation and John Junkin
1958–1959 The Ted Ray Show BBC 8 episodes; co-written with John Junkin
1959 Hi, Summer! 14 episodes; co-written with George Wadmore, Hugh Woodhuose, and John Junkin)
1959–1960 The Jimmy Logan Show BBC 9 episodes; co-written with John Junkin
1962 Out of This World ABC for ITV
No Hiding Place Associated-Rediffusion "Run for the Sea"
1963 Hancock ATV for ITV 4 episodes:
  • "The Assistant"; written by Nation, based on a story by Ray Whyberd (Ray Alan)
  • "The Night Out"
  • "The Reporter"
  • "The Writer"
Wish You Were Here BBC Variety special; Linking material
1963–1979 Doctor Who 11 serials:
1964 Play of the Week ITV "Uncle Selwyn"
1964 Story Parade BBC 2 episodes:
1964–1968 The Saint ATV for ITV 14 episodes:
  • "Lida" (1964)
  • "Jeannine" (1964)
  • "The Revolution Racket" (1964)
  • "The Contract" (1965)
  • "The Inescapable Word" (1965)
  • "The Sign of the Claw" (1965)
  • "Sibao" (1965)
  • "The Crime of the Century" (1965)
  • "The Crooked Ring" (1965)[citation needed]
  • "The Man Who Could Not Die" (1965)
  • "Invitation to Danger" (1968)
  • "The Desperate Diplomat" (1968)
  • "The Time to Die" (1968)
  • "Where the Money Is" (1968)
1965 Out of the Unknown BBC "The Fox and the Forest"; written by Nation, based on Ray Bradbury's short story, with additional material by Meade Roberts
1966–1967 The Baron ATV for ITV 17 episodes:
  • "Epitaph for a Hero" (1966)
  • "Something for a Rainy Day" (1966)
  • ‘Red Horse, Red Rider’ (1966)
  • "Masquerade"/"The Killing" (1966)
  • "And Suddenly You’re Dead" (1966); co-written with Dennis Spooner
  • "Portrait of Louisa" (1966)
  • "There’s Someone Close Behind You" (1966); co-written with Dennis Spooner
  • "Storm Warning"/"The Island" (1967)
  • "A Memory of Evil" (1967); co-written with Dennis Spooner
  • "The Seven Eyes of Night" (1967)
  • ‘"Night of the Hunter" (1967)
  • "So Dark the Night" (1967); co-written with Dennis Spooner
  • "Roundabout" (1967)
  • "The Man Outside" (1967)
  • "Countdown" (1967)
1968–1969 The Avengers Thames for ITV 6 episodes:
  • "Legacy of Death" (1968)
  • "Noon-Doomsday" (1968)
  • "Invasion of the Earthmen" (1968)
  • "Take Me to Your Leader" (1969)
  • "Thingumajig" (1969)
  • "Take-Over" (1969)
1968–1969 The Champions ITV 2 episodes:
  • "The Fanatics" (1968)
  • "The Body Snatchers" (1969)
1969 Department S ATV for ITV 2 episodes:
  • "A Cellar Full of Silence"
  • "The Man in the Elegant Room"
1971–1972 The Persuaders! 7 episodes:
  • "Take Seven" (1971)
  • "Someone Like Me" (1971); written by Nation from a story by Robert S. Baker
  • "Chain of Events" (1971)
  • "A Home of One’s Own" (1971)
  • "Five Miles to Midnight"
  • "A Death in the Family" (1972)
  • "Someone Waiting" (1972)
1972 The Incredible Robert Baldick BBC "Never Come Night"; Television pilot in the series Drama Playhouse
1973–1974 The Protectors ATV for ITV
  • "Bagman" (1973)
  • "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" (1973)
  • "Route 27" (1974)
  • "A Pocketful of Posies" (1974)
1974 Thriller "K is for Killing" (known as "Color Him Dead" in the US); co-written with Brian Clemens
1975 Survivors BBC 7 episodes:
  • "The Fourth Horseman"
  • "Genesis"
  • "Gone Away"
  • "Garland's War"
  • "The Future Hour"
  • "Something of Value"
  • "A Beginning"
1978–1980 Blake's 7 19 episodes:
  • "The Way Back" (1978)
  • "Space Fall" (1978)
  • "Cygnus Alpha" (1978)
  • "Time Squad" (1978)
  • "The Web" (1978)
  • "Seek-Locate-Destroy" (1978)
  • "Mission to Destiny" (1978)
  • "Duel" (1978)
  • "Project Avalon" (1978)
  • "Breakdown" (1978)
  • "Bounty" (1978)
  • "Deliverance" (1978)
  • "Orac" (1978)
  • "Redemption" (1979)
  • "Pressure Point" (1979)
  • "Countdown" (1979)
  • "Aftermath" (1980)
  • "Powerplay" (1980)
  • "Terminal" (1980)
1985 MacGyver ABC (US)
  • "The Golden Triangle"; opening gambit written by Nation
  • "Thief of Budapest"; opening gambit co-written with Stephen Downing
  • "Target MacGyver"; opening gambit written by Nation
1986 A Masterpiece of Murder NBC Television film; co-written with Andrew J. Fenady
1989 A Fine Romance ABC (US) "The Tomas Crown Affair"

Feature films

Year Title Production company Director Notes Ref.
1959 And the Same to You Monarch Productions George Pollock Screenplay by John Paddy Carstairs, adapted from The Chigwell Chicken by A.P. Dearsley, with additional material by John Junkin and Nation
1961 What a Whopper Viscount Films Gilbert Gunn Based on an idea by Trevor Peacock and Jeremy Lloyd
1965 Dr. Who and the Daleks Amicus Gordon Flemyng Screenplay by Milton Subotsky, based on Nation's The Daleks (1963-4)
1966 Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. Screenplay by Milton Subotsky with additional material by David Whitaker, based on Nation's The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964)
1970 And Soon the Darkness Associated British Productions Robert Fuest Screenplay by Brian Clemens and Nation
1973 The House in Nightmare Park Associated London Films/Extonation Peter Sykes Screenplay by Clive Exton and Nation

Radio

Year Title Broadcaster Producer Notes Ref.
1955 All My Eye and Kitty Bluett BBC Alastair Scott Johnston 13-week series written by Nation and Dick Barry
The Frankie Howerd Show Nation and Dick Barry contributed to the 1955 series
1956–1957 Floggit's Alastair Scott Johnston and Bill Gates 35 episodes written by Nation, John Junkin and Dave Freeman
1957 Calling the Stars John Simmonds One episode written by Nation and John Junkin
1957–1958 Variety Playhouse Alastair Scott Johnston 1957 series written by Nation and John Junkin; wrote further sketches in 1958 series
1958 Fine Goings On Bill Worsley 1958 series written by Nation and John Junkin
1961 It's a Fair Cop Herbert Smith 8-week series written by John Junkin and Nation

Literature

Year Title Fist edition publisher Notes Ref.
1964 The Dalek Book Souvenir/Panther Co-written with David Whitaker
1965 The Dalek World
The Dalek Pocketbook and Space-Travellers Guide
1966 The Dalek Outer Space Book Co-written with Brad Ashton
1975 Rebecca's World: Journey to the Forbidden Planet G. Whizzard/Andre Deutsch
1976 Doctor Who and the Daleks Omnibus Artus Co-written with Terrance Dicks
Survivors Weidenfeld & Nicolson
1988 The Official Doctor Who and the Daleks Book St Martin's Press Co-written with John Peel

Short stories

Year Title First edition publisher Notes Ref.
1973 We Are the Daleks! BBC Radio Times Doctor Who Special
1974 Daleks: The Secret Invasion Evening News Republished in Terry Nation's Dalek Special (Target, 1979)

Stage

Year Title Venue Notes Ref.
1956 Off the Cuff Irving Theatre, London 15-minute sketch as part of revue
1965 The Curse of the Daleks Wyndham's Theatre Co-written with David Whitaker

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Nation wrote episodes 1–5 and 7 of The Daleks' Master Plan, whereas Dennis Spooner wrote episodes 6 and 8–12.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Ainsworth 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Kilburn 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Oliver 2003.
  4. ↑ Ainsworth 2016.
  5. ↑ Scoones, Paul (September 1987). "Gerry Davis Interview". Time/Space Visualiser. No. 2. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  6. ↑ Martin, Andrew (5 November 2016). "Doctor Who: The Regeneration Game". BBC. Archived from the original on 2025-03-06. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  7. 1 2 Oliver 2003, 3rd paragraph; Turner 2011, Appendix.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Turner 2011, Appendix.
  9. ↑ Wright 2017, p. 151.
  10. ↑ Turner 2011, Appendix; Wright 2016, pp. 101–102, 119.
  11. ↑ Oliver 2003, 7th paragraph; Turner 2011, Appendix.

Sources