The Man Who Invented the Daleks

Terry Nation was one of the most successful writers for television to come out of Britain. Survivors, the show that was his vision of a post-apocalyptic England, so haunted audiences in the 1970s that the BBC revived it over thirty years on. Blake’s 7 endures as a cult sci-fi classic and his most fearsome creations, the Daleks, ensured - and at times, eclipsed - the success of Doctor Who. Almost half a century after their first appearance, new additions to Dalek… (more)

Terry Nation was one of the most successful writers for television to come out of Britain. Survivors, the show that was his vision of a post-apocalyptic England, so haunted audiences in the 1970s that the BBC revived it over thirty years on. Blake’s 7 endures as a cult sci-fi classic and his most fearsome creations, the Daleks, ensured - and at times, eclipsed - the success of Doctor Who. Almost half a century after their first appearance, new additions to Dalek mythology continue to top the Saturday-night TV ratings. But while his genocidal pepper pots brought him notoriety and riches, Nation played a much wider role in British broadcasting’s golden age. As part of the legendary Associated London Scripts, he wrote for Spike Milligan, Frankie Howerd and an increasingly troubled Tony Hancock, and was one of the key figures behind The Avengers, The Saint and The Persuaders! Now, The Man Who Invented the Daleks explores Nation’s work’s curious and contested origins, and sheds light on a strange world of ambitious young writers, producers and performers without whom British culture today would look very different.