I, Davros: Innocence
Encyclopedia
I, Davros: Innocence is a Big Finish Productions
audio drama based on the long-running British
science fiction television
series Doctor Who
. It stars Terry Molloy reprising his role as Davros
, the twisted creator of the Dalek
race. "Innocence" is the first in a four-part mini-series exploring Davros' early life on Skaro
. According to Gary Russell
, the title is an allusion to the drama I, Claudius
.
The Kaled and Thal
races are at war. No one really remembers why, or when it started, but generations of people on both sides have lost so very much.
Born into an influential family is Davros. Now aged sixteen, he is being pulled in various directions his father wants him to follow tradition and go into the military. His sister has joined the Military Youth and his scheming, devoted mother wants him to pursue a life of science.
But no one seems terribly interested in what Davros himself wants. So he must begin to assert himself, begin to take control over his own life, begin to work towards his destiny.
Produced by Gary Russell
and Jason Haigh-Ellery
The story takes place at an earlier point in the Kaled/Thal war first shown in Genesis of the Daleks
. At this point, it seems that the dome over the Kaled city has not yet been built, and nuclear weapons have yet to be used extensively by either side. Davros is a sixteen year old Kaled from a wealthy family. His father, Colonel Nasgard, wants him to join the military, but his ambitious mother wants him to become a scientist. She has arranged for Tutor Magrantine to give him extra-curricular lessons at his base in the Kaled City. Davros is not pleased about this, preferring to spend his days at Drammankin Lake near the family home, studying the life-forms there. His older sister, Yarvell, is about to join the Military Youth and considers Davros a spoiled younger brother who everyone runs around.
During the course of the story Nasgard is killed, along with his sister, by a mysterious bomb. This in turn is blamed on Major Brogan, who is scapegoated as a Thal spy because of his pacifist tendencies. It is revealed that Nasgard is not Davros' father and that Davros is actually the result of an affair between Calcula and Councillor Quested. Nasgard's sister was aware that Davros was not her brother's son and resented the way her sister-in-law favoured Davros over Yarvell.
By the end of the story, Davros is ensconced in the Kaled city and has already started conducting experiments with his tutor Magrantine into the effects of radioactivity. He kills Quested when he tries to tell him that he is his father, much to the relief of Calcula. As the flashback
comes to an end, a Thal missile attack begins on the city.
Back in the present, the Daleks point out to Davros that he was an inferior being at this point, a mere child. Davros asserts that he was more of a man then those around him and that it would be many years before his abilities would be recognised by the 'spineless' Kaled hierarchy.
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
audio drama based on the long-running British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. It stars Terry Molloy reprising his role as Davros
Davros
Davros is a character from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Davros is an archenemy of the Doctor and is the creator of the Doctor's deadliest enemies, the Daleks...
, the twisted creator of the Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
race. "Innocence" is the first in a four-part mini-series exploring Davros' early life on Skaro
Skaro
Skaro is a fictional planet from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who created by the writer Terry Nation as the home planet of the Daleks and, at times, the centre of the Dalek Empire....
. According to Gary Russell
Gary Russell
Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...
, the title is an allusion to the drama I, Claudius
I, Claudius
I, Claudius is a novel by English writer Robert Graves, written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius. As such, it includes history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC to Caligula's assassination in AD 41...
.
Synopsis
'I find it fascinating that a living creature would subject itself to such dangerous experimentation. Knowing that it would die..'The Kaled and Thal
Thal (Doctor Who)
The Thals are a fictional race of humanoid aliens from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, originating on the planet Skaro.-History within the show:...
races are at war. No one really remembers why, or when it started, but generations of people on both sides have lost so very much.
Born into an influential family is Davros. Now aged sixteen, he is being pulled in various directions his father wants him to follow tradition and go into the military. His sister has joined the Military Youth and his scheming, devoted mother wants him to pursue a life of science.
But no one seems terribly interested in what Davros himself wants. So he must begin to assert himself, begin to take control over his own life, begin to work towards his destiny.
Cast list
- DavrosDavrosDavros is a character from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Davros is an archenemy of the Doctor and is the creator of the Doctor's deadliest enemies, the Daleks...
— Terry MolloyTerry MolloyTerry Molloy is an English actor known predominantly for his work on radio and television.Molloy has been a member of the cast of BBC Radio 4's The Archers playing Mike Tucker since 1973 and has won awards for his work as an actor on radio.On television, Molloy is perhaps best known for his role... - DalekDalekThe Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
Voices — Nicholas BriggsNicholas BriggsNicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Daleks. Briggs sometimes uses the pseudonym Arthur Wallis... - Councillor Quested — Sean Connolly
- Tashek — Rita Davies
- Colonel Nasgard — Richard FranklinRichard FranklinRichard Franklin is a British actor.He has had various roles in different television programmes including Crossroads and Emmerdale Farm...
- Major Brogan — Richard GrieveRichard GrieveRichard Grieve is an actor, currently living in England. He was born in Hong Kong. He has worked extensively in film, television, theatre and musical theatre, but is perhaps best known for his roles in the British soap Emmerdale, and two Australian television series, Neighbours and Home and...
- Major Brint — James Parsons
- Kaled Officer — Scott HandcockScott HandcockScott Handcock is an English writer, director and producer from Birmingham who has involved in a number of audio plays for Big Finish Productions, the audio production company perhaps best associated with the Doctor Who franchise....
- Yarvell — Lizzie HopleyLizzie HopleyLizzie Hopley is a British actor and writer.She appears in several audio plays based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. Her first appearance was as the Eighth Doctor’s companion Gemma Griffin in Terror Firma. She also portrayed the sister of Davros in the I, Davros...
- Young Davros — Rory JenningsRory JenningsRory Jennings is a British actor. He is best known for his role as Craig Dixon in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. Jennings made his first appearance in Eastenders on 27 July 2007, and left on 7 September 2007. He has also made an appearance in a Post Office TV advertisement.- Early life :He has...
- Lady Calcula — Carolyn Jones
- Tutor Magrantine — Peter Sowerbutts
Produced by Gary Russell
Gary Russell
Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...
and Jason Haigh-Ellery
Plot
On Skaro, Davros is brought before the Daleks on a trial basis . The Daleks have been failing in their conquests and a schism has arisen; they need Davros to help, but he needs to think over the mistakes of the past.The story takes place at an earlier point in the Kaled/Thal war first shown in Genesis of the Daleks
Genesis of the Daleks
Genesis of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was originally broadcast in six weekly parts from 8 March to 12 April 1975. It marks the first appearance of Davros, the creator of the Daleks.-Plot:...
. At this point, it seems that the dome over the Kaled city has not yet been built, and nuclear weapons have yet to be used extensively by either side. Davros is a sixteen year old Kaled from a wealthy family. His father, Colonel Nasgard, wants him to join the military, but his ambitious mother wants him to become a scientist. She has arranged for Tutor Magrantine to give him extra-curricular lessons at his base in the Kaled City. Davros is not pleased about this, preferring to spend his days at Drammankin Lake near the family home, studying the life-forms there. His older sister, Yarvell, is about to join the Military Youth and considers Davros a spoiled younger brother who everyone runs around.
During the course of the story Nasgard is killed, along with his sister, by a mysterious bomb. This in turn is blamed on Major Brogan, who is scapegoated as a Thal spy because of his pacifist tendencies. It is revealed that Nasgard is not Davros' father and that Davros is actually the result of an affair between Calcula and Councillor Quested. Nasgard's sister was aware that Davros was not her brother's son and resented the way her sister-in-law favoured Davros over Yarvell.
By the end of the story, Davros is ensconced in the Kaled city and has already started conducting experiments with his tutor Magrantine into the effects of radioactivity. He kills Quested when he tries to tell him that he is his father, much to the relief of Calcula. As the flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
comes to an end, a Thal missile attack begins on the city.
Back in the present, the Daleks point out to Davros that he was an inferior being at this point, a mere child. Davros asserts that he was more of a man then those around him and that it would be many years before his abilities would be recognised by the 'spineless' Kaled hierarchy.
Continuity
- For Davros, the bookended trial scenes probably take place just after being seized by the Daleks at the end of Revelation of the DaleksRevelation of the DaleksRevelation of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on 23 March and 30 March 1985...
. It's possible these scenes could even be related to audio story The Davros MissionThe Davros MissionThe Davros Mission is a Doctor Who audio play written and directed by Nicholas Briggs exclusive to the Complete Davros Collection DVD box set released on 26 November 2007. It is set between the Sixth Doctor audio play The Juggernauts and the Seventh Doctor television story Remembrance of the...
.