PREVIOUS                                                                                  NEXT

Exploration Earth

'THE TIME MACHINE'

4TH OCTOBER 1976

(1 EPISODE)

Strictly speaking “Exploration Earth” qualifies as Doctor Who’s first venture into radio, pre-empting “Slipback” by almost a decade. However, unlike “Slipback” and the superfluity of audio adventures that have followed since, “Exploration Earth” places the emphasis on education, as opposed to drama. Now available on CD alongside a wonderfully enjoyable condensed audio version of “Genesis of the Daleks” narrated by Tom Baker, this bite size radio episode sees the Doctor and Sarah Jane explore the beginnings of life on Earth.

The resulting programme is well… horrendous. Words like ‘camp’ and ‘cheesy’ for once

can be used with complete justification and, somewhat incredulously, the performances of both Baker and Elisabeth Sladen are uncharacteristically wooden. And as for the villain; Megron, the self-professed Lord of Chaos… do not even get me started on him!

All told, “Exploration Earth” / “The Time Machine” (or whatever you want to call it) is no more than a nostalgic curiosity; something only for the completists that I feel would be much more at home as a bonus feature on a 1976 Tom Baker DVD than it is married up with the “Genesis of the Daleks” soundtrack here. If you already own a copy of “Genesis of the Daleks” in some shape or form, then it is hard for me to recommend shelling out for this release.

Copyright © E.G. Wolverson 2006

E.G. Wolverson has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This radio programme was broadcast on 4th October 1976, between the television serials The Masque of Mandragora and The Hand of Fear. We have placed it accordingly.

Unless otherwise stated, all images on this site are copyrighted to the BBC and are used solely for promotional purposes.

‘Doctor Who’ is copyright © by the BBC. No copyright infringement is intended.