N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!
One of the things I love about old Doctor Who (and indeed old TV in general) is the slower pacing: where a story is given the room to breathe.
I think it was Steven Moffat who said the pre-credit sting in modern Doctor Who served the purpose of the original show’s first episode. Whilst there’s a lot to be said for throwing you into the story immediately like this, it does mean you lose episodes like The Dead Planet, where you get twenty-five minutes of atmospheric build-up leading to a belting cliffhanger – or, if you prefer, the most famous plunger in television history!
As we know, this 7-part serial, now commonly referred to as The Daleks (although perhaps more accurately known as The Mutants), is the one that really fired the public’s imagination as far as Doctor Who was concerned. We first see them in full in the second episode The Survivors and their impact is immediate: they look strange and their voices are great, full of psychotic menace. (Have Peter Hawkins and David Graham vocal performances ever been bettered, I wonder?) And I love Ian’s reaction in The Escape when he opens up the Dalek travel machine: what could possibly be at the other end of that claw? A classic less-is-more moment.
Whilst I’m not going to do a full detailed breakdown of the what, where, why and how of this or any other Doctor Who serial (many other books and articles have done that far better than I could), I did note that it’s in fourth episode The Ambush we first hear the Daleks say what becomes their catchphrase, that we learn the planet of the Daleks and Thals is named Skaro and that Alan Wheatley as Temmosus is the actor who has the honour of playing the first character to be ‘exterminated’ on-screen by a Dalek! All in all, another momentous episode in Doctor Who’s history.
“Always search for truth: my truth is in the stars and yours is here.”
The Doctor, The Rescue
At this point, the Doctor is still himself a little irresponsible and childish – petulant even – with his deliberate, albeit feigned, sabotage of the ship in order to go exploring, but by the fifth episode The Expedition he is starting to exert his leadership skills and by final episode The Rescue he is happy to offer at least a little moral guidance to the Thals.
The Daleks is a serial that for me has everything: atmosphere, menace, an unforgettable monster, a great score from Tristram Cary, strong performances all-round and even a B-movie-style trek through swamps and caves.
I’ve watched this story a few times over the years, but it’s never seemed better.
