The Daleks

Information

Writer: Terry Nation
Director: Christopher Barry, Richard Martin
Script Editor: David Whitaker
Producer: Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield (associate producer)
Executive Producer(s): None

Originally Broadcast: 21st December 1963 - 1st February 1964

Episodes: 7
Duration: 25 mins each episode
Production Code: B
Series: 1
Story Number: 2
Enemy: The Daleks
Setting: Skaro (year unknown)


Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives on the planet Skaro, a seemingly dead world. When the Doctor sees a technologically advanced city in the distance he is determined to investigate, and is even willing to sabotage the TARDIS to get what he wants. While in the city the crew are captured by the Daleks, a race of scientists who have been mutated into creatures who must encase themselves in a metal body to survive. Before long the travellers are suffering from radiation poisoning.
After managing to escape the city they encounter another race living on the planet, the Thals. In contrast to the Daleks, the Thals are a race of physically perfect pacifists. After a dangerous journey Ian is able to lead the Thals to victory and destroy the Daleks.

Cast

William Hartnell - The Doctor

Carole Ann Ford - Susan Foreman

Jacqueline Hill - Barbara Wright

William Russell - Ian Chesterton

Alan Wheatley - Temmosus

John Lee - Alydon

Virginia Wetherell - Dyoni

Philip Bond - Ganatus

Marcus Hammond - Antodus

Gerald Curtis - Elyon

Jonathon Crane - Kristas

Peter Hawkins, David Graham - Dalek Voices

Robert Jewell, Kevin Manser, Michael Summerton, Gerald Taylor, Peter Murphy - Daleks

Chris Browning, Katie Cashfield, Vez Delahunt, Kevin Glenny, Ruth Harrison, Lesley Hill, Steve Pokol, Jeanette Rossini, Eric Smith - Thals

Story Notes

• This is the first story to feature the Daleks.
  
• The story was originally known as The Mutants but is now referred to as The Daleks to avoid confusion with story 3N The Mutants (see also disputed story titles).
  
• The story is also known as The Dead Planet and The Survivors.
  
• It is never mentioned in the story whether the travellers are in the past, the present or the future. In The Dalek Invasion of Earth, the Doctor states this first encounter with the Daleks occurred "...a million years in the future.", (and implies it was) towards the end of Dalek history, though he gives no indication how he knows this. Planet of the Daleks suggests this first encounter occurred in the past, generations before the 26th century. This is now generally the accepted placement of the story, though the exact year is still a matter of debate and theorising among fans. In his A History of the Universe, Lance Parkin arbitrarily places the story in 1963, suggesting that the Doctor was attempting to return Ian and Barbara back to their own time and succeeded, only getting the planet wrong.
  
• Death to the Daleks has a few similarities to this story. The Doctor and Sarah Jane find themselves on a planet, Exxilon, which, like Skaro, was once a lush world and home to an advanced civilisation, now rendered desolate. They discover some of the life has been petrified, sight a city on the horizon, and Sarah is captured by the natives while exploring the city, just as Barbara is captured by the Daleks. Like the inhabitants of Skaro, the inhabitants of Exxilon have developed into two distinct groups. One, like the Thals, are gentle and peace-loving, while the others are warlike and hostile to all outsiders.
  
• Episode 6 was made under the working title The Caves of Terror and episode 7 under the working title The Execution.
  
• It was Mervyn Pinfield who suggested that the Daleks use static electricity.
  
• It was Richard Martin who suggested that the Thal anti-radiation drug be lethal to the Daleks.
  
• Bands of sticky tape were affixed around the shoulder section of the Daleks after William Hartnell cut himself on one of the metal bands.
  
• This story replaced previous proposals including Beyond the Sun and The Masters of Luxor.
  
• Music from The Daleks was released in 2003 as part of Devil's Planet - The Music of Tristram Cary. This CD also includes tracks from The Daleks' Master Plan.
  
• Some of the music from this story was released as Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Volume One - The Early Years, 1963-1969". The music would again be used for The Power of the Daleks.
  
• All episodes exist in 16mm telerecordings.
  
• The episodes were all recovered from negative film prints which were discovered at BBC Enterprises in 1978.
  
• The negative of episode 7 is a dub from the positive print.
  
• Telesnaps exist for episodes 1, 2, 4 and 5 in private collections.
  
• This story was originally scheduled to be designed by Ridley Scott who later went on to direct films such as Alien and Blade Runner.
  
• It was during the filming of this serial that American president John F. Kennedy was assassinated; the very next day, Doctor Who made its public bow when the first episode of An Unearthly Child was broadcast.
  

Preceded by: An Unearthly Child - Followed by: The Edge of Destruction