Short Trips: The Solar System

Gary Russell edited The Solar System himself, sending around an email to several writers to ask for ideas for stories. I managed to get on that email list because I'd made contact with Gary a month or so before, letting him know how interested I was in working for Big Finish.

Gary was looking for a specific type of story: not only did he have the theme, limiting the locations to the real planets in our solar system (no Mondas or Planet 5, then), but he was also looking for Space Opera. He didn't want gritty, realistic stories where the TARDIS crew wouldn't meet any alien life because only Earth has the right conditions: he wanted light, fun adventure stories where danger lurked around every corner but a bit of pluck and courage would see you alright.

I submitted two ideas: the first was a space romp starring space agent Bret Vyon, jetting around the solar system and putting wrong to right with the help of the first Doctor; the second was about the Second Doctor uncovering the reason behind the failure of a terraforming expedition, before the next expedition end up going the same way.

Gary liked the second.

He asked me to replace Jamie with Ben and Polly, and to set the story on Pluto to fit in with the other stories (I needed a planet that had some water on it in some form to provide the reason for the terraformers visiting).