Dominique came about because The Doctor in this series of stories had no romantic interest and I wanted to give him one that would not be a rerun of Rose. That meant it would not be a companion as such. The idea of Dominique was to be a slightly racier version of Cameca, the Aztec woman that the First Doctor was briefly romantically attached to in The Aztecs. This time The Doctor WOULD go all the way, actually spending the night in Dominique’s bed, doing what comes natural to Time Lords as much as to Human men. In the morning she calls him ‘husband’ and he likes the idea. Did he jump into bed too fast? I think not. The Doctor’s one regret was not telling Rose he loved her. This time he grabbed with both hands the opportunity he couldn’t risk losing again.

Now, originally, I planned for Dominique to be the one who dies in the Dalek attack on their village. But as I was writing this, the episodes in which Rose was written out of the series were broadcasting and it seemed too cruel for the Daleks to be responsible for him losing another woman he cared for. And besides, it did seem just a little too like when James Bond loses his wife soon after marrying her in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. I had, in any case, at least one idea for a follow up story on the planet of Forêt. So it became her brother who died, making her leader of the people, and therefore unable to come with The Doctor in the TARDIS, but still very much in love with him and willing to wait upon his return.

The Robos seemed a good name for the local people to give to the Daleks. Obviously nobody ever got close enough to them to discuss their real name and live. When The Doctor discovers the truth, of course, he is mortified.

Some thought did go into the question of how high an old style Dalek who doesn’t have any kind of hover mode can shoot, in order to determine that the people would be safe in the trees. Without a certain amount of advanced geometry I didn’t want to be too specific, but I think there is a limit. But they CAN burn down the trees or break the struts holding the lower platforms.

The Doctor, motivated by anger and grief takes on the Daleks one last time and liberates Forêt, but not single-handedly. He needed them to help him to help them. That’s the way it has always been. The Thals had to help themselves, so did the people of Earth in the Dalek invasion. The Doctor doesn’t just do other people’s dirty work.

Incidentally, in the first draft the planet wasn’t named. I called it Forêt only in the follow up story and then rewrote Dominique to give the planet its name – French for forest, obviously.