Although this is really a science-fiction series (and with a misleading title to boot), it cries out to
be mentioned in these pages if only for the fact of it being the only radio pairing (apart from an
episode ofThe Price of Fear) of those two legends of horror cinema, Vincent Price and Peter
Cushing.
“Aliens in the Mindwasn’t created as a vehicle for these two horror giants—it was originally
written as an episode of Dr. Who calledAliens in the Bloodand took place far in the future rather
than in modern times. Robert Holmes,Alien’s writer, had the Doctor pitted against ‘Mark II’
humans who protested the placement of the Outer Space Commission of Control offices on their
native island by wrecking spacescraft with Uber-ESP. When this idea was rejected, the script was
rewritten with the help of Rene Basilico…”
“Holmes submitted this idea on October 22, 1968, shortly after completing work onThe
Krotons. Script editor Terrance Dicks was wary of the proposal, feeling that OSCOC bore
similarities to the eponymous facility inThe Wheel in Space… ‘The Aliens in the Blood’ was
rejected soon thereafter. Years later, however, Holmes was commissioned to write an amended
version of the serial—now set in present-day Chile and with the Doctor and his companions
replaced by Dr. John Cornelius and Prof. Curtis Lark—for BBC Radio 4. Cowritten with Rene
Basilico, it was transmitted in six weekly episodes asAliens in the Mindfrom January 2, 1977.”
Radio 4, London (BBC).
January 2-February 6, 1977.
Rene Basilico (scriptwriter), John Dyre (producer), Robert Holmes (scriptwriter), Chris
Jenkins (effects).
Joan Benom, Fraser Carr, Sandra Clark, Peter Cushing, Shirley Dickson, William Eagle, Michael
Harver, Richard Herndle, Joan Matheson, Clifford Norgate, Vincent Price, Andrew Spear, Henry Stamfer,
James Thomlinson, Steve Titus, Irene Tucklef.
January 2, 1977
Island Genesis”
January 9, 1977
Hurried Exodus”
January 16, 1977
Unexpected Visitations”
January 23, 1977
Official Intercession”
January 30, 1977
Genetic Revelation”
with powers to help in the crisis is murdered…”]
February 6, 1977
Final Tribulation”
unidentified Controller…”]
Peter Cushing & Vincent Price