Destiny of The Daleks - Production

Production

This was Dalek creator Terry Nation's final script for Doctor Who; he declined several further offers due to the extensive (uncredited) story rewrite from script editor Douglas Adams (Ken Grieve, director of the episode, has claimed on the DVD commentary that Adams wrote "98% of" that script). He moved to the United States in 1980 and would go on to work for various television projects in America, most famously as a writer and producer for MacGyver.

Michael Wisher was unavailable to reprise the role of Davros, as he was on tour in Australia. David Gooderson replaced him, but the mask was originally fitted for the slightly smaller Wisher; as a result, it suffers in appearance. K-9 only appears near the start of the story, explained in-story as due to an electronic form of laryngitis - the croaking was provided by Roy Skelton. K-9's absence was because the prop was unsuitable for the large amount of location filming — the production team had suffered several problems using K-9 on a similar location in The Stones of Blood, and were not keen on repeating the experience. Terry Nation has said he had no desire to use K-9 in his storyline; the scene (as well as other continuity gestures to Season 16) was inserted during rewrites by Douglas Adams.

The serial was one of the first British productions to make use of a Steadicam; due to the high cost of such a set-up, nearly all the props and sets were reused, including the Davros mask.

The instalments of this serial are credited as episodes, rather than parts - the only serial made after The Green Death to do so. In the next story, City of Death, it was returned to parts.