The Daleks (3.1)

In terms of its impact and legacy, 'The Daleks' comes second only to 'An Unearthly Child'. It's introduction of the Daleks, the arch villains of the series, established Dr Who as a series that would stand the test of time. However, the story needs to be viewed not for its legacy but just for what it is: a whopping 7 episode story that feels like 10.

The TARDIS crew land on Skaro, a dead planet, destroyed and irradiated by a nuclear holocaust. Underneath an abandoned city, live the remnants of the Dalek race. (According to the continuity experts, these are a weaker group of Daleks left behind on the planet after the main group evacuated.) Teaming up with a rather limp bunch of Thals, the Doctor and friends take out the Daleks: more by accident than by design.

The Majesty

There are some excellent aspects to this story. The design overall is very memorable: the forest is alien, the Dalek city designed for machines especially the Dalek monster itself is a design that is instantly recognisable. Indeed, there have been only tiny modifications made to the original design in fifty years, in comparison to the Cybermen, for example. It is a brilliant looking creation, as sinister today as ever. In this, their first outing, they do not just rely on firepower: they are shown as vulnerable, and therefore perhaps even more scheming and cruel than normal.
The idea that the TARDIS crew are all suffering from a real illness: radiation sickness, adds a needed dimension of realism to the story.

The Misery

The story is very long and slow, involving lots of tunnels and corridors and lift shafts and wandering about. The plot is convoluted and branches off in different directions without much structure.
The Thals are certainly better characters than the cavemen from 'An Unearthly Child'. They joke around a little, and there is something approaching a romance with Barbara, but they are still completely 2D.
The whole setting up of straw-man pacifism and its subsequent infantile take-down is very annoying. It undermines the moral value of pacifism as defiance, and Ian's jingoistic speeches about soldiers being better than farmers feel both dated and irritating.

Magical Moments

• The doctor, desperate to look around the city, sabotages the TARDIS, and smugly says that if they want to fix it, they'll have to go to the city after all.
• When Ian discovers the truth, his takedown of the Doctor is highly enjoyable.
• The hunky Thal appears outside the TARDIS to Susan like an angelic vision appearing to the Virgin Mary: Do not be afraid!
• The Dalek tentacle emerging from the cloak at the end of episode three is delightfully sinister... shame we never come back to it!
• There is an extended argument between the TARDIS crew in episode 4. The Doctor and Barbara are all up for using the Thals as cannon fodder while they sneak past the Daleks to steal back the fluid link. Ian and Susan are appalled. It's great TV. The Doctor even ends up saying 'My dear boy, this is no time for morals!' which is quite a statement, especially considering the way the Doctor is portrayed today.
• In episode 5, the Daleks realise they have become so dependent on radiation that they will die without it. For one marvellous moment, we experience a tiny glimpse of something approaching sympathy for them. They were scientists, attacked with a neutron bomb. Now they realise they can never repair their world and get back to the way things used to be. But they are Daleks, and their solution is pragmatic, evil and almost nihilistic: irradiate the planet. If we can't survive in this environment then let us change our environment. It's great to watch.
• The Daleks line up, sucker arms raised in a fascist salute.
• Barbara kisses one of the Thals just before jumping into the TARDIS. Lovely moment!

In Summary

It's a lot better than the preceding Cavemen episodes, but it's still long, rambling and slow. The Thals are lame on screen, but the Daleks are lots of fun. Ultimately, this is a story that is better to remember than to actually watch.

Overall: 3.1