Classic Doctor Who: The Daleks

Briarheart Reviews: The Daleks

After finding a tiny bit of success with the first serial, Doctor Who continued into its second story which almost didn't happen. I am of course talking about the serial that brought Doctor Who to the mainstream, The Terror of the Vervoids... Ah, no, wait, sorry, The Daleks.

Unlike the previous story, most people find that this one still holds up today, save for episode six. Though it's not as action-packed and exciting as future Dalek stories will be, it offers a look at what nuclear wars have done to a planet populated by human-like creatures. The dominant species on the planet has been forced to retreat inside cold metal shells, while all the plant life has died and all the animals have mutated beyond recognition.

The Daleks themselves are also a big plus in this story. They're actually portrayed as cold, calculating, manipulative beings and every time they're onscreen they just have that eerie presence. I think part of that's also down to Peter Hawkins performance as them. They're not over the top and shouty, they're calm and collected and that's what makes them all the more creepy.

There are two major problems with this serial, however. The first lies within the Daleks' motive for enacting their evil plot in this story. They found out that anti-radiation pills, not made for Dalek consumption, killed Daleks and therefore they need radiation to survive... that's just fucking stupid. As for the other problem, it's a problem with the pacing. During episodes five and six, Barbara and Ian go off on an expedition behind the city and I shit you not, it is one of the most boring sequences in Doctor Who's history. All I can say is thank Christ the characters we get stuck with are actually enjoyable or else the whole sequence would just be unbearable.

At the end of the day, though the story does have a couple issues, they are few and far between. It's an amazing introduction to one of the show's most beloved monsters and it's the story that truly solidified Doctor Who's place in pop culture today.