▁programme ), ▁it ▁used ▁its ▁science - f iction ▁basis ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁convey ▁real ▁warnings ▁about ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁world , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁telling ▁t ense , ▁dram atic ▁stories ▁and ▁not ▁being ▁afraid ▁of ▁shock ing ▁its ▁audience , ▁such ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁killing ▁off ▁of ▁popular ▁lead ▁character ▁T oby ▁W ren ▁( play ed ▁by ▁Robert ▁Pow ell ). ▁ ▁W riter ▁Terry ▁Nation ▁had ▁created ▁the ▁D ale k ▁race ▁for ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁and ▁thus ▁ass uring ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁early ▁popular ity . ▁For ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁Nation ▁had ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁writing ▁for ▁I TV ▁film ▁series , ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁science ▁fiction , ▁contrib uting ▁D ale k ▁stories ▁to ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁again ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁creating ▁his ▁own ▁science - f iction ▁show , ▁Sur viv ors ▁( 1 9 7 5 – 7 7 ). ▁ ▁Sur viv ors ▁was ▁a ▁post - ap oc aly ptic ▁tale ▁of ▁a ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁people ▁who ▁were ▁the ▁only ▁humans ▁left ▁after ▁a ▁pl ague ▁caused ▁by ▁bi ological ▁war fare ▁lab ▁accident ▁has ▁w ip ed ▁out ▁most ▁of ▁human ity . ▁It ▁ran ▁for ▁three ▁seasons ▁and ▁was ▁generally ▁well ▁received . ▁Nation ▁followed ▁it ▁by ▁creating ▁Bla ke '