The Valley of Death was originally a story idea by producer Philip Hinchcliffe, thinking he'd like to do a story set in the Amazon. He had mentioned this story idea to a few writers including Robert Holmes, but he and none of the other writers were either particularly taken to the idea or understood it and it was quietly forgotten about. (DOC: Moving On) About 35 years later, Big Finish Productions resurrected the original idea from Hinchcliffe and adapted it to audio using a script written by Jonathan Morris. It was then released as a four-part adventure starring Tom Baker and Louise Jameson.