There have been hundreds of Doctor Who episodes over the years, and even more episode titles. But many of them never made it onto the screen. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most obscure names in the Whoniverse…
Inside the Spaceship
With the earliest Doctor Who episodes, it’s a bit harder to work out what constitutes an official title. The overall serials were never given a proper name (at least, not on screen) because each individual episode had its own title. It wasn’t until 1966 that the naming became standardised, such as ‘The Savages – part one‘ or ‘The War Machines – part two,’ and so on.
‘Inside the Spaceship’ was the unofficial name given to a two part adventure from 1964, and it’s one that didn’t really stick. The two episodes in question were ‘The Edge of Destruction’ and ‘The Brink of Disaster,’ and interestingly it was ‘The Edge of Destruction’ which was chosen to represent the whole story.
Arguably, this is a much more exciting and evocative title than ‘Inside the Spaceship,’ although it could be argued that both Doctor Who episode titles are valid. This adventure has also erroneously been referred to as ‘Beyond the Sun,’ which was apparently the working title for the preceding adventure ‘The Mutants’ (later referred to as ‘The Daleks’!)
Dalek Cutaway
It is unclear whether ‘Dalek Cutaway’ was ever intended to be a true Doctor Who episode title or not. Certainly, it never appeared on screen; the episode in question was ‘Mission to the Unknown,’ which acted as a prelude to the 12 part ‘Daleks’ Master Plan‘ in 1966. It’s possible that ‘Dalek Cutaway’ was simply an internal reference, alluding to the fact that this sole episode would effectively ‘cutaway’ from the main cast for a week. In fact, to date this is the only episode in Doctor Who history not to feature any of the series’ regulars, who were all enjoying a much-needed holiday.
Years of Doom
No one does a hyperbolic episode title like Doctor Who! ‘Years of Doom’ was the original name for the 1972 story ‘Day of the Daleks’ – an epic, four part adventure that saw the metal mutants returning to our TV screens after a five year absence. They had seemingly been written out of the series for good in their last story ‘The Evil of the Daleks‘ as their creator Terry Nation (who shared the rights with the BBC) was hoping to give the Daleks their own series on the other side of the Pond.
But which Doctor Who episode title do you prefer? Both have their advantages. ‘Day of the Daleks’ is perhaps more effective from a marketing point of view, but ‘Years of Doom’ has a bit more punch.
The Wasting
This was a Doctor Who episode title that script editor Christopher H. Bidmead was keen to retain. It was the original name for the 1981 story ‘State of Decay’ by Terrance Dicks but, alas, the title never made it onto the screen. Dicks was concerned that he was handing an obvious joke to his critics; he feared that unkind fans would use the title to berate the story for ‘wasting everyone’s time,’ and insisted on an alternative.
Interestingly, few people have ever criticised ‘State of Decay’ for wasting people’s time, and it’s a fondly-remembered serial from Tom Baker’s final season.
Too Clever By Far
This interesting Doctor Who episode title was the original name for the 1985 story ‘The Mark of the Rani,’ penned by series newcomers Pip and Jane Baker. The adventure (as its final title suggests) introduced the character of the Rani – a renegade Time Lord and biological engineer who chose the human race to conduct her unethical experiments – in this case, in Victorian England.
But which character is ‘too clever by far’? Is it the Rani, who so deftly manages to outpace the Doctor, the Master and the famous scientist George Stephenson? Or is it the Doctor, who manages to defeat two of his oldest enemies in one fell swoop?
We may never know, especially as this Doctor Who episode title never made it onto the screen. But do leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Catflap
‘Catflap’ was very nearly the title of the final classic Doctor Who story. Broadcast in 1989, this adventure was penned by Rona Munro and ended the series’ record-breaking run on British television, and saw the Seventh Doctor take on his old enemy the Master on the planet of the Cheetah People.
Ultimately, of course, the story was renamed ‘Survival’ at the request of the script editor Andrew Cartmel, and indeed it was he who came up with the name. Certainly, this is the more dramatic Doctor Who episode title, but ‘Catflap’ does generate more enigma, and makes complete sense for the story.
The Enemy Within
As you probably know, the Doctor Who TV movie is one of the only stories in the Whoniverse which doesn’t have an official title. To viewers in 1996, this adventure was simply Doctor Who, and for the people who were encountering the franchise for the very first time, nothing else mattered.
Of course, if you’re a long-time fan, Doctor Who episode titles really matter, and the producer Philip Segal later revealed that if fans wanted a name for this particular story then they could always call it ‘The Enemy Within.’ Which makes sense, as this adventure is all about a well-known baddie concealed within the TARDIS.
But as yet, this sub-title has yet to find its way onto any of the story’s official releases.
Every Tick of my Heart
Could this be the most romantic Doctor Who episode title ever? It may well have been, had it been used. ‘Every Tick of my Heart’ was one of the names considered by Steven Moffat for the 2006 story ‘The Girl in the Fireplace.’ Others included ‘Madame de Pompadour,’ ‘Renette and the Lonely Angel’ and even ‘Loose Connection.’
Which one is your favourite?
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