Editing Mission to the Unknown (section)

== Production ==
=== Conception and writing ===
In October 1964, [[BBC]] Head of Drama and ''[[Doctor Who]]'' co-creator [[Sydney Newman]] had granted producer [[Verity Lambert]] an additional episode in the second production block to compensate for the [[Doctor Who (season 2)|second season]]'s ''[[Planet of Giants]]''—the penultimate serial of the first production block—being cut from four episodes to three. As most stories were generally structured as four or six parts, this extra episode failed to fit the regular schedule.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=49}} Outgoing [[story editor]] [[Dennis Spooner]] commissioned [[Terry Nation]]—creator of the Daleks and the writer of the [[Doctor Who (season 1)|first season]]'s ''[[The Daleks]]'' (1963–1964) and second season's ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]'' (1964) and ''[[The Chase (Doctor Who)|The Chase]]'' (1965)—to co-write the [[Doctor Who (season 3)|third season]]'s ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan]]'' (1965–1966), and it was decided the extra episode would be used as a [[Cutaway (filmmaking)|cutaway]] to set up the 12-part story.{{sfn|Wright|2017|pp=49–50}} By April 1965, [[Donald Tosh]] was in the process of replacing Spooner as story editor.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=50}}

The episode was produced by the same team as its predecessor, ''[[Galaxy 4]]''; they were the final to be filmed in the show's second production block, but were held back to open its third season in September.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=50}} [[Mervyn Pinfield]]—an experienced BBC figure who acted as the show's associate producer from its origins to January 1965—was originally assigned to direct both serials,{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=24}} but his failing health prevented him from continuing, and Lambert brought on new director [[Derek Martinus]] to direct the five episodes.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=26}}{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=52}} Martinus had recently completed the BBC's internal directors' course and had no previous experience leading a television production. Having only seen a few episodes of ''Doctor Who'', Martinus reviewed some of the previous stories with Lambert; he found them disappointing, which shocked Lambert,{{sfn|Walker|1994|page=12}} but stated that he wanted to aim for higher standards.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=26}} Though Lambert was credited as producer on "Mission to the Unknown"—the final story for which she was credited{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=61}}—her role had essentially been replaced by [[John Wiles]].{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=51}}

Nation was commissioned to write the episode on 25 February 1965; he delivered the script by 14 May, having been writing for ''[[The Saint (TV series)|The Saint]]'' at the time. He approached the episode as a technical problem, requiring a small cast and self-contained narrative. The success of the Daleks—particularly due to their imminent American debut in the film ''[[Dr. Who and the Daleks]]'' (1965)—led Nation to consider the viability of a Dalek-focused [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]]. In writing "Mission to the Unknown", he realised such a story would need a hero and wrote Marc Cory as a "space-age [[James Bond|Bond]]", inspired by the recent release of ''[[Goldfinger (film)|Goldfinger]]'' (1964).{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=50}} The episode was originally set on the planet Varga, home of the Varga plants, but this was renamed Kemble (later spelled Kembel) during script revisions for ''The Daleks' Master Plan''.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=50}} The episode's draft script was titled "Dalek Cutaway", while the rehearsal script received the name "Mission to the Unknown";{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=51}} the names were alternated and combined in internal documentation, and the final title has been the subject of much debate.{{sfn|Wright|2017|pp=56–57}}

=== Casting and filming ===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-16196, Nürnberg, Reichsparteitag, SA- und SS-Appell.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|For the design of the Daleks' conference room, [[Raymond Cusick]] was inspired by the [[Nuremberg rallies]].{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=53}}{{sfn|Pixley|1998|p=25}}|alt=A distant photograph of a Nazi rally, with large crowds on either side of a long empty stretch with Nazi flags at the end.]]

"Mission to the Unknown" was unique in that it does not feature any of the main cast or the [[TARDIS]]{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=46}}{{sfn|Muir|1999|p=116}}—the only serial in the show's history not to feature [[The Doctor (Doctor Who)|the Doctor]] at all{{sfn|Muir|1999|p=116}}—a decision made partly to save money on their fees.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=50}} Despite not appearing in the episode, [[William Hartnell]] was still credited for portraying [[First Doctor|the Doctor]], while [[Maureen O'Brien]] and [[Peter Purves]] received credits in ''[[Radio Times]]'' as [[Vicki (Doctor Who)|Vicki]] and [[Steven Taylor (Doctor Who)|Steven Taylor]], respectively, but not in the episode itself.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=59}} Young had previously starred as Kal in the first ''Doctor Who'' serial, ''[[An Unearthly Child]]''; he was excited to work with Hartnell again but disappointed when he discovered his absence.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=52}} Cartland had also appeared in ''Galaxy 4'', directed by Martinus. The Dalek voices—provided by regular actors [[David Graham (actor)|David Graham]] and [[Peter Hawkins]]—were pre-recorded in [[Lime Grove Studios]] on 4 August 1965.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=52}}

The episode was Richard Hunt's first on ''Doctor Who'' as set designer; he made the jungle design, while series veteran [[Raymond Cusick]] on the rocket and message launcher, made both from stock set elements and by Shawcraft Models. For the Daleks' conference room, Cusick was inspired by the [[Nuremberg rallies]].{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=53}}{{sfn|Pixley|1998|p=25}} The episode used [[stock music]] composed by [[Trevor Duncan]].{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=53}} Pre-filming for "Mission to the Unknown" took place on 25 June 1965 at [[Ealing Studios]]; the scene in which Garvey mutates into a Varga plant was recorded on [[35 mm movie film|35 mm film]]. Rehearsals for the episode began on 2 August at the Territorial Army Drill Hall on [[Uxbridge Road]],{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=52}} and the episode was recorded in Studio TC4 of the [[Television Centre, London|Television Centre]] on 6 August. The final scene of ''Galaxy 4'' was recorded alongside the episode so as to avoid re-hiring Jackson and rebuilding the set;{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=53}} the scene was later inserted into ''Galaxy 4'' during editing.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=33}} Four of the Dalek props from ''The Chase'' were used in the episode.{{sfn|Wright|2017|p=53}} Recording for "Mission to the Unknown" cost {{GBP|2,440}}.{{sfn|Howe|Walker|Stammers|1994|p=206}}