Mission to the Unknown

"I suppose you've heard of the Daleks."

Writer: Terry Nation
Format: Webisode
Broadcast: 9th October 2019
Season: 3.02

Featuring: The Daleks

Synopsis

On the planet Kembel, Space Security Service agent Marc Cory is investigating a recent sighting of a Dalek spaceship. His suspicion that the creatures may have established a base proves well-founded. He learns of a Dalek plot to invade and destroy the Solar System, but is discovered and exterminated. The Daleks and their alleys vow to conquer the universe, beginning with the planet Earth. Could Cory leave a warning message in time?

Verdict

Mission to the Unknown was a wonderful reconstruction of the long lost missing episode from 1965! I remember being hugely intrigued by the announcement and the features in DWM a few months back and I'll admit I was a little sceptical about the remake due to the fact that there were none of the original cast featuring. That was obviously impossible and I think in one of my comic strip blog entries where I give my thoughts on the current issue of Doctor Who Magazine, I stated that I would rather there be an animated reconstruction. Well, how wrong I was! This was absolutely delightful and huge credit must go to everyone involved at the University of Central Lancaster. It was just wonderful from start to finish and a real addition to the Doctor Who catalogue. This will absolutely fall in place instead of the missing episode as there will be no real recognisable differences worthy of an irk, at least in my opinion, because none of the regular cast featured. It's a unique episode and probably the only one of the fifty-four year history where a remake like this would get the backing of the BBC and the YouTube publicity. It was really was just magical. I was hugely impressed with how much the atmosphere felt like a genuine 1960s episode which is about as big of a compliment that I can give. I found myself smiling almost immediately and even the acting and directing, which was not perfect, felt like it had taken place when the original episode was first broadcast. I'm sure that must have been a big aim of the team behind it as evoking that feeling was just sublime. It really was. The story itself is a good one and a great prequel for The Daleks' Master Plan with Marc Cory getting his message out there of the Dalek plan for the Doctor and co to pick up five weeks later following the broadcast of The Myth Makers. The Daleks used here were intriguing with their little design differences and it was nice to have Nicholas Briggs voice them for a First Doctor-era adventure. I think the limitations were a little obvious when it came to the Daleks suddenly halting their movement, but that was the only noticeable slip. Marc Cory was played very well and I liked how he sold the threat of the Varga plants. His killing of both Garvey and Lowery was sudden and it showed that he was ruthless in the desire to stay alive. He knew the Daleks were present on Kembal and needed to know what they were up to after a millennium of invisible activity in the Solar System. Now they had conjured up an alliance to take over the entire system, starting with Earth of course. I liked the introduction of the Space Security Service and the ending with the Daleks and their new alliance was just terrific. There is no Doctor in this one, and even though it's just setting things up, we end with the bad guys quite victorious which is an unusual but great move. Overall, this was just a fascinating little watch and a joy to have available to us to fill in one of Doctor Who's most obscure gaps in the archives. I am delighted to have been able to watch it and I congratulate the university team behind it for a resounding success!

Rating: 9/10