terry nation's original title for this story was "the pursuers". there were several changes made from his original proposal in the finished serial. in the original storyline, the tardis crew would witness on the visualiser shakespeare discussing with his wife the possibility of allowing francis bacon to use his name on bacon's plays, as well as a speech by winston churchill; ian and vicki would see through the sands the vast underground aridian city; and ian and barbara would not return home to earth at the end of the serial.