Doctor Who: The Cartmel Masterplan - What Could Have Been

Other obvious hints towards the Doctor's path were given in Silver Nemesis. Once again the Seventh Doctor let slip that he was there for the creation of an old Time Lord artefact, which would seemingly contradict the age and heritage that was previously established. Another major indication was put forward by Lady Peinforte, who insisted that she know who the Doctor really was, and the meaning behind his name.

At this point Andrew Cartmel was careful in how he went about seeding in his ideas, but these fascinating injections towards something greater certainly created a hook for audience members. There was an attempt to go full ahead with delving into the origins of the Doctor, as well as re-establishing the lore behind Gallifrey, within a story titled Lungbarrow.

Written by Marc Platt, it would've delved into the ancestry home of the Doctor, and dealt with the mysteries of why they left it all behind, as well as the darkening secrets towards their past, and Gallifrey's hierarchy. Sadly, this serial was quickly rejected by John Nathan-Turner, feeling it would be going too far, and thus it was reshaped into Ghost Light, abandoning the plot about the Doctor's heritage completely.