Before becoming a film script writer Terry was a prolific writer of UK TV scripts in both action and science fiction genre. His scripts are noted for their depth, i.e. they usually have many sub-plots as well as the main plot. As a writer on the Dr Who TV series he created the DALEKs, the mechanical monsters who plan universal domination. On Earth ...
Survivors (1975) has its roots in the future, as it were, but it's not science-fiction. It's not going into the realms of the impossible; it's skating very close to the possible.
2
[on the Daleks] The letters came from the parents saying "How dare you put these things on?" but the letters came from the kids saying "Please don't stop!"
3
[on the success of the Daleks] I suppose it's the fact that it is totally non-humanoid. It has no arms or legs, no facial distinctions, so it's not something that's a man dressed up.
4
The function of people in television should be to take people away from all their daily toil.
5
I was, for that short time, the most famous writer on television... There was stuff coming to my house saying, 'Dalek Man - London'.
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Fact
1
Had a daughter called Rebecca.
2
He claimed that he based the Daleks on the SS and the Nazis. This was made particularly clear in what many consider his best script for the series, Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks: Part One (1975), in which the character of Davros made his debut as a Hitlerian megalomaniac willing to commit genocide and supported by a deputy, Nyder, who is eerily reminiscent of Heinrich Himmler.
3
Before his involvement in the development of Doctor Who (1963), Nation had been a comedian and a script writer for Tony Hancock on his ITV series Hancock (1963). He would recall that it was his split with the comic which prompted him to pen his first Dalek saga.
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Blake's 7
TV Series pre-production
Doctor Who
TV Series characters: "Daleks" - 10 episodes, 2006 - 2014 character: "The Daleks" - 4 episodes, 2005 - 2012 characters: Daleks - 3 episodes, 2008 - 2009 character "The Daleks" - 1 episode, 2007
And Soon the Darkness
2010
1970 film "And Soon the Darkness"
Survivors
TV Series novel "Survivors" - 12 episodes, 2008 - 2010 original series - 6 episodes, 2010 series - 6 episodes, 2008
TV Offal
1998
TV Series 1 episode
'Doctor Who': Daleks - The Early Years
1993
Video documentary archive footage
A Fine Romance
1989
TV Series writer - 1 episode
A Masterpiece of Murder
1986
TV Movie
MacGyver
1985
TV Series opening gambit written by - 2 episodes
Blakes 7
TV Series 33 episodes, 1979 - 1981 writer - 19 episodes, 1978 - 1980
Doctor Who
TV Series written by - 52 episodes, 1963 - 1975 from an idea by - 6 episodes, 1965 - 1966 by - 4 episodes, 1979 Daleks created by - 4 episodes, 1966 Daleks originated by - 3 episodes, 1972 characters: "Daleks" - 1 episode, 1972
Blake's 7: The Beginning
1978
Video
Survivors
TV Series 31 episodes, 1975 - 1977 written by - 7 episodes, 1975
London Conspiracy
1974
Thriller
1974
TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Protectors
1973-1974
TV Series writer - 4 episodes
The House in Nightmare Park
1973
original screenplay
The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night
1972
TV Movie
The Persuaders!
1971-1972
TV Series screenplay - 7 episodes
And Soon the Darkness
1970
original story / screenplay
The Avengers
1968-1969
TV Series teleplay - 6 episodes
Department S
1969
TV Series writer - 2 episodes
The Champions
1968-1969
TV Series writer - 2 episodes
The Saint
TV Series screenplay by - 10 episodes, 1964 - 1965 screenplay - 4 episodes, 1968
The Baron
1966-1967
TV Series screenplay - 17 episodes
Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.
1966
from the B.B.C. television serial
The Man in a Looking Glass
1965
TV Movie screenplay
Out of the Unknown
TV Series adaptation - 1 episode, 1965 writer - 1 episode, 1965
$13 Million