It has long been reported that Robert Shearman's episode of Doctor Who season 1, Dalek, could have been radically different, due to a rights issue surrounding the use of the Daleks themselves.
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Now, the writer has opened up about what the episode could have entailed if the issue wasn't resolved, in a version of the episode he was jokingly calling Absence of the Daleks.
In an interview with the latest Doctor Who magazine, which is out now, Shearman said of the alternate version of the script: "I think it was quite fun, really. The monster in Van Statten's cage was now this mysterious sphere, that had come out of nowhere and destroyed the Time Lords - and the anguish the Doctor felt was that he had never found out what they were.
"I remember a scene where the Doctor is at last forced to kill it to save Rose - and even as it's dying, he's cradling it and begging it to tell him what it is. 'Shan't,' says the sphere.
"They were Russell's [T Davies, showrunner] idea - we would later find out they were human heads in a ball, the future of mankind. He called them the Toclafane and used them in series 3."
The Toclafane in Doctor Who. BBC
Shearman continued: "Dalek was better than my other version, though. I'm so relieved we got the rights after all."
The Toclafane were introduced in season 3's The Sound of Drums, and in the next episode, Last of the Time Lords, were revealed to be the future humans seen in Utopia, now in thrall with the Master.
Dalek remains one of the most beloved episodes from Christopher Eccleston's short tenure as the Doctor. He starred in just one season of the show, regenerating after 13 episodes.
However, the actor has since returned to the role for Big Finish audio dramas, and it was recently announced that he would be starring alongside Billie Piper once more, with a new series of audio dramas following more of the Ninth Doctor's adventures with Rose.
Eccleston said of reuniting with Piper: "I am so happy to be back recording more adventures for the Ninth Doctor with Billie. I don't think my Doctor exists without Rose.
"He's a 'one man, one companion' kind of alien. We've explored him on his own at Big Finish, as a loner. But there's a resilience and a bravery and a deep empathy to Billie as Rose, that's why I do this. They complete each other."
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
