Read an interview with author Jonathan Bignell here

Published later this year, this new study of Terry Nation's screenwriting career will examine his work on Doctor Who, Blake's 7 and Survivors.

This is the first in-depth study of the science fiction television devised and written by Terry Nation. Terry Nation was the inventor of the Daleks and wrote a number of other episodes for Doctor Who; he also created the BBC's 1970s post-apocalyptic drama Survivors and the space adventure series Blake's 7.

Until now television science fiction in Britain has received little critical attention. This book fills the gap and places Nation's work in the context of its production. Using Terry Nation's science fiction work as a case study, the boundaries around the authorship and authority of the television writer are explored in detail. The authors make use of BBC's archival research and specially conducted interviews with producers and other production staff, to discuss how the programmes that Terry Nation created and wrote were commissioned, produced and brought to the screen. The book makes an important contribution to the study of British television history and will be of interest to enthusiasts of Terry Nation’s landmark drama series as well as students of Television Studies.

Jonathan Bignell is Reader in Television and Film at the University of Reading, and Director of the Centre for Television Drama Studies

Andrew O'Day has recently completed a PhD thesis on television science fiction at Royal Holloway, University of London

Contents

• List of illustrations

• Acknowledgements

• Authors' introduction

• Biographical sketch

• Collaboration at the BBC

• Science fiction genre and form

• Nation, space and politics

• Conclusion

• Appendix: Television programmes scripted by Terry Nation

• Bibliography

• Index