TV Action Doctor Who competition

[tony ingram]

A guy named Steven Clark is, according to the ever reliable Daily Mail, claiming that he (aged 13), not Terry Nation, created the character of Davros and the story title 'Genesis of the Daleks' back in 1972 as an entry in a Doctor who competition in TV Action, and is apparently suing the BBC for breach of copyright . It sounds frankly ridiculous, particularly since Davros has been a recurring character since 1975 when Genesis aired, and he's only now making an issue of it. But was there any such competition in TV Action in that year? Anyone remember?

[Kremmen]

Sounds like the competition to design a Doctor Who monster. Round about April, 1972, AFAIK, with the winner being an Ugraak! IIRC, the competition form was a picture (drawn) of the Tardis, then a photo of Jon Pertwee with a speech balloon, then a space on which to draw your monster.

As it's over thrtyfive years ago, this bloke sounds like he's taking a chance!

Hope I've been of some help!

[tony ingram]

Got it! Issue #59. According to the rules, the entry had to be drawn in the box provided, not on any old bit of paper, and of course, entries would not be returned so there's no way this bloke could have found his entry at home. A nice try, though...

[Lew Stringer]

Got it! Issue #59. According to the rules, the entry had to be drawn in the box provided, not on any old bit of paper, and of course, entries would not be returned so there's no way this bloke could have found his entry at home. A nice try, though...

The results of the contest were in issue 72. (The Ugrakk, by Ian Fairnington won.) There are also 25 runners up whose entires are shown. All impressive stuff really.

There are photos of the judging panel which included Jon Pertwee, Dennis Hooper (editor), Barry Letts (then producer of Doctor Who), Terrance Dicks (Dr.Who script editor) and Roger Perry (TV Action art editor).

Therefore representatives of the series did actually see the entries, but the only way Terry Nation would have seen it is if a BBC producer had smuggled out a reader's drawing to give to Terry Nation to develop a character. Then they also showed it to the costume/effects people who copied the Davros design EXACTLY as the kid drew it, with no variations whatsoever. Sounds preposterous to me.

If they'd been that impressed by an entry imagine the great publicity they could have gained for the BBC by saying a reader had designed a new Doctor Who character. It's more likely they'd have made such a story public, with appearances on Blue Peter etc., than resort to covert action.

All in all, this case doesn't add up. Then again, the Daily Mail could just be making it up (or at least egging on this chap) as yet another of their anti-BBC stories.

[stevezodiac]

If he did create Davros I'd like to sue him as i hated that character. He never appeared in the TV21 Daleks strip so as far as I'm concerned was never a part of their history. Besides the Daleks would never be ruled by a humanoid.

[felneymike]

Well they did exterminate him. More than once, actually XD