NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Magic Bullet Publishing is proud to announce that The Daleks’ Master Plan: The Making of a Television Serial is now available to pre-order. Scheduled for an August 2026 release, this volume represents the most comprehensive account ever produced of one of the most ambitious and turbulent eras of Doctor Who.

The project is the result of a meticulous investigation, drawing upon hundreds of internal memos, personal letters, and private interviews. After scrutinising the draft, rehearsal, and camera scripts, Alan Stevens provides an in-depth examination of the 1960s production office, revealing the immense strain the twelve-part epic placed on the cast and crew—most notably the series’ lead, William Hartnell.

Alongside exhaustive coverage of the production, this monograph includes a detailed analysis of the trailer episode Mission to the Unknown and the lost spin-off The Destroyers—Terry Nation’s proposed US co-production. For The Daleks’ Master Plan, Stevens deliberates over both the realpolitik of the broadcast version and the theological apocalypse contained in Nation’s first-draft scripts.

Going well beyond the television serial, the book also provides a thorough examination of the Daleks' fictional origins across television, comic strips, and prose and a comparative chapter on the Patrick Troughton-era classic, The Invasion.

The entire journey is brought to life with original illustrations by artist Tim Keable.

To celebrate the home stretch of this journey, Magic Bullet Publishing has opened pre-orders for a Special Limited 200 Hardback Edition. This exclusive version will be signed and numbered by the author.

With the recent discovery of missing episodes, there has never been a better time to re-evaluate The Daleks’ Master Plan.

  

Download and discover our collection of free Blake's 7 audios here:

 

Prelude
I, Travis
Gothic
Travis: The Final Line
You Fly, You Die
Scars

Premature Burial

The Next Life

Prodigal Sun

 

Also: 

 

Blake's 7 comic strips: Counterattack and Electronic Dream

 

Dalek audio play: Report from an Unknown Planet

Dalek Base on Kembel

Rare behind-the-scenes rehearsal shot from 'Volcano', episode eight of The Daleks' Master Plan, featuring Trantis in the foreground, the spotty Celation, and a beardless Mavic Chen. 

The Beast has Left the Building

Magic Bullet Productions has now sent out its final Horror of Fang Rock art card. 

A Decade in the Making: The Ultimate Look at The Daleks’ Master Plan

After more than ten years of exhaustive research and writing, I am thrilled to share the first look at the cover for my upcoming monograph on The Daleks’ Master Plan. This project has been a monumental archival undertaking, involving access to hundreds of documents, including internal memos, personal letters, and private interviews, to piece together the most comprehensive account of this epic production to date.

The book examines events both on-screen and behind the camera, reviewing draft, rehearsal, and camera scripts to provide new insights and information. It even details some of the shocks regarding the heavy toll the production took on those involved, including the series’ star, William Hartnell.

Altogether, the monograph provides in-depth coverage of 21 Doctor Who episodes, encompassing the one-off trailer episode Mission to the Unknown, the 12-part epic, and a comparative chapter on the classic Patrick Troughton Cyberman adventure The Invasion.

 Beyond the production history, the book features an extensive comparative analysis of the Daleks’ varied origins across television, comic strips, and short stories, tracing the evolution of the species as a symbol of universal malevolence. 

Furthermore, the book includes an extensive look at The Destroyers, the pilot for Terry Nation’s proposed Dalek spin-off series, revealing the grander ambitions for the pepper-pot terrors beyond the main show.

The journey is brought to life with both black-and-white and colour illustrations throughout by professional artist Tim Keable. As I move into the final stages of writing, I wanted to share this cover to mark the home stretch. With the recent discovery of missing episodes from this story, there has never been a better time to revisit the Master Plan. 

Please keep a close eye on this page for further updates as we head toward an August 2026 release. 

Past Master Plan!

With two more episodes of The Daleks' Master Plan recovered, we can now view five segments of this twelve-part epic. It is the ideal moment to revisit Magic Bullet’s 2001 review and see how our previous analysis fares against the newly restored visuals.

Mavic Chen Sings!

Shock wave goes through fandom as it's revealed that Devil's Planet, the newly discovered missing episode of The Daleks' Master Plan, has a musical number!

Daleks Returned

Two missing episodes of The Daleks' Master Plan have been found and returned to the BBC.

Episode 1 ('The Nightmare Begins') and Episode 3 ('Devil's Planet') are officially BACK.