Editing The Daleks (TV story)

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{{Infobox Story
|adapted into           = Dr. Who and the Daleks (theatrical film)
|image                  = Barbara and the Dalek gunstick.jpg
|novelisation           = Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks (novelisation)
|script                 = The Daleks (script)
|series                 = [[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
|season number          = Season 1
|season serial number   = 2
|story number           = 2
|doctor                 = First Doctor
|companions             = [[Susan Foreman|Susan]], [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]], [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]]
|featuring              = [[Thal]]s
|enemy                  = [[Dalek]]s
|setting                = [[Skaro]], [[2064]]
|writer                 = [[Terry Nation]]
|director               = [[Christopher Barry]], [[Richard Martin (director)|Richard Martin]]
|producer               = [[Verity Lambert]]
|epcount                = 7
|broadcast date         = [[21 December (releases)|21 December]] [[1963 (releases)|1963]] - [[1 February (releases)|1 February]] [[1964 (releases)|1964]]
|network                = [[BBC tv]]
|format                 = 7x25-minute episodes
|serial production code = [[List of production codes|B]]
|prev                   = An Unearthly Child (TV story)
|next                   = The Edge of Destruction (TV story)
}}
{{dab page|The Daleks (disambiguation)}}
'''''The Daleks''''' was the second serial of [[season 1]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. Initially titled '''''The Mutants''''', its most obvious contribution to the ''Doctor Who'' mythos was the introduction of the [[Dalek]]s, along with the [[Thal]]s and the [[planet]] [[Skaro]]. It also continued and deepened the antagonistic relationship between the First Doctor and his new [[human]] [[companion]]s, Ian and Barbara, which would come to a head in [[The Edge of Destruction (TV story)|the next story]].

The Doctor's non-[[humanoid]] adversaries caught on immediately with the [[British]] public, as was obvious from the [[serial]]'s ratings. A significant improvement over ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'', ''The Daleks'' cemented ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s position on the 1964 [[BBC1]] schedule.

The [[serial]] was [[writer]] Terry Nation's first for the programme. Its reception led to his recommissioning for ''[[The Keys of Marinus (TV story)|The Keys of Marinus]]'' later in the season, as well as the return of the Daleks every season until [[season 5]]. It also was the proximate cause for Nation's financial success, since his agent had cunningly negotiated Nation's co-ownership of the Daleks.

The ramifications of this deal on the history of ''Doctor Who'' are difficult to overstate. Indeed, though agents are usually unknown and uncredited workers, this deal was known to have been negotiated by future British television legend and studio boss [[Beryl Vertue]] — mother of [[Sue Vertue]], and mother-in-law of [[Steven Moffat]].

Besides Nation, other production personnel made their debuts with this story, including [[director]]s [[Christopher Barry]] and [[Richard Martin]], [[designer (crew)|designer]] [[Raymond Cusick]], prolific [[costumes|costume designer]] [[Daphne Dare]], and future director [[Michael Ferguson]].

''The Daleks'' was also the source material for a theatrical film, ''[[Dr. Who and the Daleks (theatrical film)|Dr. Who and the Daleks]]'', and the [[American comic book]] which was an [[Dr. Who and the Daleks (comic story)|adaptation of the film]]. Both were the first time ''Doctor Who'' had appeared in those media. ''The Daleks'' was the basis for the first attempt to take ''Doctor Who'' to the [[United States]] market.

== Synopsis ==
[[The TARDIS]] has brought the travellers to the planet [[Skaro]] where they meet two indigenous races — the [[Dalek]]s, malicious mutant creatures encased in armoured travel machines, and the [[Thal]]s, beautiful humanoids with pacifist principles. They convince the Thals of the need to fight for their own survival.

Joining forces with them and braving Skaro's many dangers, they launch a two-pronged attack on the Dalek city. The Daleks are all killed when, during the course of the fighting, their power supply is cut off.

== Plot ==
=== The Dead Planet (1) ===
[[File:Daleks101.jpg|thumb|left|The travellers discover the [[Dalek City]].]]
When [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] arrives in a [[petrified jungle]], the [[First Doctor]] and his companions are unaware that the planet is highly radioactive. The Doctor is eager to explore [[Dalek City|a futuristic city]] that they discover beyond the forest. [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]] and [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]] insist on returning to the ship. On the way back to the TARDIS, [[Susan Foreman|Susan]] is separated from the rest of the crew and believes she is touched by a human hand. Once back at the ship, Susan is disconsolate that nobody believes her, and Barbara complains that she feels unwell. There is a knocking from outside the TARDIS, but the scanners show nobody outside. This provokes Ian and Barbara to demand that the Doctor remove them from this place. He seemingly complies, but, determined to get his way, the Doctor sabotages the TARDIS, claiming that [[mercury (element)|mercury]] is needed for the [[fluid link]]. The only place to find mercury is in the city.

The next morning, when the travellers emerge from the TARDIS, they find a small metal box outside. It holds vials filled with an amber liquid, seemingly dropped by whoever knocked the previous night. Susan places the box in the ship for safekeeping, then the four travellers head off to the mysterious city. It is built entirely of metal, with doorways shaped as squat, rounded arches. The travellers separate. Barbara walks down a series of corridors while doors close behind her as she continues forward. She becomes aware that she is trapped. A strange creature emerges, threatening her with a metal arm.

=== The Survivors (2) ===
{{you may|The Survivors (audio story)|n1=the audio story of the same name}}
Searching for Barbara, Ian, Susan and the Doctor enter a room full of machines, including a Geiger counter, which confirms they've been exposed to radiation. They realise the gravity of the situation, prompting the Doctor to admit his sabotage of the fluid link and that they should leave immediately, abandoning Barbara. This causes more mistrust between them. Frustrated by the Doctor's deception, Ian takes the fluid link hostage to ensure the Doctor helps him look for Barbara. As they leave the room, they are surrounded by beings known as [[Dalek]]s, who imprison them. Ian tries to run but is shot by the Daleks, rendering his legs paralysed. They are locked up alongside Barbara.

The Daleks summon the Doctor and interrogate him. They explain they are survivors of a [[neutronic war]] with the [[Thal]]s, inhabitants of the planet, which has caused mutations to both races. The Daleks are now confined to their travel machines and limited to the boundaries of their metallic city. The Doctor persuades the Daleks that the travellers will die from radiation sickness if no drugs are found. The Daleks order one of them to leave straight away. The Doctor and Barbara are each too unwell and Ian is still paralysed, so Susan is sent to retrieve the vials that were left outside the TARDIS. She makes her way out of the city and back into the petrified forest, followed by a mysterious figure. The Daleks reveal that when the drugs are returned to their city they shall take them and leave the travellers to die. Having collected the anti-radiation drugs in the TARDIS, Susan prepares herself for the return journey.

=== The Escape (3) ===
[[File:Daleks301.jpg|right|thumb|Prisoners of the Daleks.]]
Outside the TARDIS, Susan encounters a stranger. He is a striking, handsome blond man named [[Alydon]]. His appearance proves his race, the Thals, have not suffered the same disfiguring mutations as the Daleks. Alydon is surprised to hear the Daleks are still alive. His race believes they were wiped out during the neutronic war. He explains that he brought the drugs to Susan and gives her more, saying the Daleks should not be trusted. She should keep the second stash secret. He explains that the Thals have travelled many miles across the planet in search of food, as their race is near starvation. They hope to establish a treaty for food with the Daleks. Susan heads off to the Dalek city, while Alydon returns to the Thal encampment and tells his friends about his encounter, hoping Susan can broker a peace and trade agreement.

Susan reaches her friends and passes round the drugs, telling them the Thals are looking for peace and food. The Daleks overhear this and imply acceptance to a treaty, asking in return that the Thals help them cultivate the land, but in reality, they are plotting revenge and extermination of their old enemies. The message of peace is conveyed to the Thals, who are invited to collect food from the entrance hall to the Dalek city the following day. They believe this a genuine sign of friendship as Susan promised them that if the message was signed by her name it would be genuine.

Having recovered from the radiation sickness, the Doctor's party stages an argument amongst themselves that breaks out into a fight. In the ensuing struggle, Susan breaks the camera that has been recording their movement in the cell. Using this new-found freedom to talk, the four speculate that the Daleks are powered by [[static electricity]] due to the fact that the floors are made of metal and that the smell of dodgems comes off them. Ian theorises that if they were to break the circuit between the Dalek and the floor, it would become inert. Susan reveals that Alydon gave her a cloak they could use to achieve this. Barbara states that even if this was possible, the Dalek appears to be able to see very well with his eyestalk, so it would be very hard to achieve. However, she devises a plan to use the dirt off of Susan's shoes mixed with water to create mud. The next time a Dalek comes with their food, the captives jam the door, forcing the creature to return into the cell. The four overpower him.

They open the Dalek, removing [[Dalek mutant|the creature inside]] so they can use the robotic shell as a means of escape. The monstrosity within is wrapped in Alydon's cloak and dumped. Ian squeezes into the casing. They exit the cell. An alien claw emerges from the cloak...

=== The Ambush (4) ===
{{you may|The Ambush! (short story)|n1=the DWM short story}}
The ruse works when Ian discovers how to control the Dalek internally, rather than have the Doctor push him. They are stopped by another Dalek. Ian tells it that he is one of them and is taking the three human prisoners for further questioning. However, when the same Dalek makes enquiries, it discovers it has been duped and sounds the alarm.

In the meantime, the Doctor has magnetically locked the door to stop the Daleks from getting to them. The girls and he try to get Ian out of the casing, but the catch is stuck. As the Daleks burn through the door, Ian convinces them to get in the lift and escape. After much persuasion, they leave Ian behind. Once safe, they send the lift down for Ian. The Daleks enter the room and blast through the Dalek casing to find it empty. Ian has escaped just in time and gotten in the lift. Once he has joined the other three, the Dalek summons the lift to catch up with them.

[[File:Dalek cutting tool.jpg|thumb|The Daleks begin to cut through the door.]]
Ian and his friends find themselves at a window, where they observe the Thals arriving to collect the food. The four shout to alert them that it is an ambush, but the Thals cannot hear. The four notice the lift is coming up. The Doctor prises open a door to escape. Ian, Susan, and Barbara throw a Dalek sculpture down the lift shaft to slow the approaching Dalek. By this time the Doctor has gotten the door open and they escape. Once outside, Ian decides to go back and warn the Thals of their danger whilst the others run to safety.

As the Thals take the food, the elder, [[Temmosus]], decides to plea with the Daleks for a longer-lasting truce where in return he offers to work with the Daleks to create food and a stable environment. Unbeknownst to the Thals, they are being surrounded by Daleks. Ian, watching this all unfold, shouts to the Thals that it's a trap, and many escape. However, Temmosus is exterminated.

The surviving Thals, including Alydon, regroup with Ian and join the Doctor, Susan and Barbara at the Thal encampment. A young Thal named [[Dyoni]] provides a history of the planet Skaro from a Thal perspective for the Doctor. It seems that the Daleks were once known as [[Dal (species)|Dals]], humanoids similar to Thals. They mutated into their current forms following the neutronic war. The Thals have reacted to their history by adopting pacifism as a creed even though their history reveals them as warriors. Ian attempts to convince the Thals they'll need to fight the Daleks to survive, but the Doctor suggests they leave. To everyone's horror, they discover they can't. The fluid link held by Ian was taken from him when Daleks searched him. The fluid link is in the city, and the four are trapped on Skaro.

=== The Expedition (5) ===
[[File:Daleks501.jpg|right|thumb|The Daleks make plans.]]
After trying to convince the Thals that they should be more aggressive towards the Daleks, Ian spurs Alydon to display aggression by threatening to take Dyoni to the Daleks as a trade for the [[fluid link]]. The new Thal leader hits him. This act of violence spurs the Thals into using [[violence]] only as a means to do [[good]], and the Thals agree to help the TARDIS crew. One group will accompany Ian and Barbara as they cross the [[swamp]] to the rear of the city situated near a radioactive lake filled with mutants. They can enter the city unseen through a back entrance. The other group, led by the Doctor and Susan, will act as a decoy, entering through the front door.

While the Daleks seem to have rudimentary abilities to film what is going on in the jungle, they cannot hear the gang hatching their plan. They are soon distracted. The Daleks' use of the anti-radiation medication left by the travellers has a bad effect on them. Two-fifths of the Daleks fall ill. The Daleks [[deduce]] they have become immune to radiation and in fact, thrive on it. They decide to increase the levels of radiation on Skaro by deploying another neutronic bomb. Whilst this would sustain the Dalek race, it would be impossible for the Thals to survive.

The attack party heading for the [[Lake of Mutations]] makes good progress on their lengthy journey. Four Thals, [[Elyon]], [[Kristas (The Daleks)|Kristas]], [[Ganatus]], and [[Antodus]], accompany Barbara and Ian. Ganatus and Antodus are brothers and have been to the lake before with fatal consequences to two of their party. The lake contains many mutated beings from the fallout of the neutronic war. Ian soon spots a multi-tentacled creature in the water. The next morning Ian discovers a series of pipes that suck the water from the lake into the city. They prepare for their journey and Elyon goes to the lake to fill the water bags. However, a whirlpool begins to form and Elyon screams for help. The others at the camp run to investigate...

=== The Ordeal (6) ===
[[File:Daleks601.jpg|left|thumb|The Doctor and Susan are captured.]]
Elyon is dead, but even though the Thals are upset, especially Antodus, the party must continue with their journey and climb the mountain to complete their end of the plan.

At the front of the city, the Doctor's party block the Daleks' video and radio communication masks by beaming light at the top of the masts to scramble the images they get. They use this radio silence to sneak into the city.

Whilst this plan is being put into action, the Dalek leaders receive the news that it would take twenty-three days to create a neutronic bomb powerful enough to sustain radiation to ensure the Daleks' survival. As the Daleks absorb this news, the Doctor and Susan sabotage a static electricity control box. The Doctor asks Susan to hand over her [[TARDIS key]] and drops it into a wall panel to draw power away from the system, promising her he can always make a new key if necessary. Susan points out a second panel, which the Doctor rewires to short-circuit. It destroys some of the Daleks' computer terminals. Unfortunately, their activity alerts the Daleks, who soon surround them. They are taken to the city's control centre and are told of the Dalek plan to irradiate the entire planet. Instead of dropping a neutronic bomb, the Daleks will blow up their nuclear reactors to create the radiation.

Meanwhile, Ian's party has found a tunnel that should lead to the Dalek city. They drop into a crevasse that heads directly to the city. Antodus tries to persuade his fellow Thals that they should turn back, saying even if they survive the journey, the Daleks will kill them. While they argue, a rockfall occurs. It injures Antodus and blocks any chance of retreat. The only way is onward — and a vast chasm is their next hurdle. Ian jumps first, followed by the second Thal, who discovers another tunnel they can use. One by one the party has to jump across, supported by a rope that Ian ties to a rock and then around himself. The last to jump is Antodus, who loses his footing and falls into the abyss, his weight breaking the rock and dragging Ian toward the edge.

=== The Rescue (7) ===
{{you may|The Rescue (TV story)|n1=the Season 2 serial of the same name}}
[[File:Daleks and neutron bomb.jpg|thumb|The Daleks prepare their bomb.]]
Antodus sacrifices his life to save the others by cutting the rope and letting himself fall. The others press on and soon find themselves at a dead-end, with their light fading. They discuss going back; however, as the light cuts out, they see a light from a hole in the cliff and find an entrance to the city.

The Daleks have now taken the Doctor and Susan to their control room. They tell him of their plans to wipe out all other life on Skaro so they can thrive in the neutronic fallout. In desperation, the Doctor says that he will help the Daleks build another TARDIS. They say they can do this themselves and don't need the Doctor to help them.

At the front of the city, Alydon has also led another band of Thals in an assault, hoping to rescue the Doctor and Susan. By luck, this party meets Ian's gang and they elect to attack the Dalek control centre at the same time. Together they destroy the Dalek apparatus and prevent the radiation release. They also disable the power source for the Daleks in the city. The creatures become immobile and soon die, but not before they beg the Doctor to repair their system, to which he responds that he wouldn't even if he knew how. The Thals are disgusted by all the death but are grateful that their struggle is finally over.

They all return to the Thal camp — this time with the fluid link — and the Doctor and his party make their farewells and return to the TARDIS. It is revealed that Barbara and Ganatus have been having something of a romance; he kisses her hand just as she is called into the TARDIS.

As soon as they are in flight, there is an explosion on the console and the four travellers fall to the floor.

== Cast ==
* [[First Doctor|Dr. Who]] - [[William Hartnell]]
* [[Ian Chesterton]] - [[William Russell]]
* [[Barbara Wright]] - [[Jacqueline Hill]]
* [[Susan Foreman]] - [[Carole Ann Ford]]
* [[Dalek]] voices - [[Peter Hawkins]], [[David Graham]]
* [[Dalek operator|Daleks]] - [[Robert Jewell]], [[Kevin Manser]], [[Michael Summerton]], [[Gerald Taylor]], [[Murphy Grumbar|Peter Murphy]]
* [[Temmosus]] - [[Alan Wheatley]]
* [[Alydon]] - [[John Lee (actor)|John Lee]]
* [[Dyoni]] - [[Virginia Wetherell]]
* [[Ganatus]] - [[Philip Bond]]
* [[Antodus]] - [[Marcus Hammond]]
* [[Kristas (The Daleks)|Kristas]] - [[Jonathan Crane]]
* [[Elyon]] - [[Gerald Curtis]]
* [[Thal]]s - [[Chris Browning]], [[Katie Cashfield]], [[Vez Delahunt]], [[Kevin Glenny]], [[Ruth Harrison]], [[Lesley Hill]], [[Steve Pokol]], [[Jeanette Rossini]], [[Eric Smith]]

== Crew ==
* [[Writer]] - [[Terry Nation]]
* [[Doctor Who theme|Title music]] - [[Ron Grainer]] with the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]
* [[Incidental music]] - [[Tristram Cary]]
* [[Script editor|Story editor]] - [[David Whitaker]]
* [[Designer (crew)|Designers]] - [[Raymond Cusick]], [[Jeremy Davies]]
* [[Associate producer]] - [[Mervyn Pinfield]]
* [[Producer]] - [[Verity Lambert]]
* [[Director]]s - [[Christopher Barry]] (parts 1,2,4,5), [[Richard Martin (director)|Richard Martin]] (parts 3,6,7)
* [[Costume supervisor]] - [[Daphne Dare]]
* [[Make-up supervisor]] - [[Elizabeth Blattner]]

=== Uncredited crew ===
* [[Assistant floor manager|Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[Jeremy Hare]]<ref name="ordeal info">[[INFO]]: "The Ordeal"</ref>
* [[Production assistant (1963)|Production Assistant]] - [[Norman Stewart]]<ref name="ordeal info" />
* [[Special sounds|Special Sounds]] - [[Brian Hodgson]]<ref name="survivors info">[[INFO]]: "The Survivors"</ref>
* [[Studio lighting|Studio Lighting]] - [[Geoff Shaw]]<ref name="survivors info" />, [[John Treays]]<ref name="rescue info">[[INFO]]: "The Rescue"</ref>
* [[Studio sound|Studio Sound]] - [[Jack Clayton]]<ref name="survivors info" />
* [[Doctor Who theme|Theme Arrangement]] - [[Delia Derbyshire]]<ref>[[INFO]]: "[[The Forest of Fear]]"</ref>
* [[Grams operator|Grams Operator]] - [[Adrian Bishop-Laggett]]<ref name="deadplanet info">[[INFO]]: "The Dead Planet"</ref>
* [[Director's secretary|Director's Secretary]] - [[Susan Pugh]]<ref name="deadplanet info" />
* [[Artists' booker|Artists' Booker]] - [[Pauline Mansfield-Clark]]<ref name="deadplanet info" />
* [[Vision mixer|Vision Mixer]] - [[Clive Doig]]<ref name="deadplanet info" />
* [[Technical manager|Technical Manager]] - [[Ken MacGregor]]<ref name="survivors info" />, [[Mark Lewis]]<ref name="rescue info" />
* [[Props buyer|Props Buyer]] - [[Alan Mancey]]<ref name="ordeal info" />
* [[Supervising sound editor|Sound Supervisor]] - [[Jack Brummitt]]<ref name="rescue info" />

== References ==
=== Culture ===
* Ganatus is aware of some cultural conventions on [[Earth]].

=== Daleks ===
* The [[Dalek mutant|creatures]] inside the Dalek [[casing|armour]]s cannot survive for very long outside their protective casings, indicating their casings employ crucial life support systems.
* The Daleks use a [[paralysing ray]] against Ian Chesterton, which affects the mobility in his legs.
* After some of their own have been poisoned by the Thal anti-radiation drug, the Daleks determine their race need [[radiation]].

=== Skaro ===
* [[The Doctor]] reflects that "[[Dead planet|the planet is dead]], totally dead".

=== Thals ===
* Antodus mentions [[Amezus]], one of the members from their previous expedition.

=== Foods and beverages ===
* Ian and Barbara eat [[bacon]] and [[egg]]s in a sort of freeze-dried form from the TARDIS [[food machine]].

=== The Doctor ===
* The Doctor has a pair of reading [[glasses]] he uses to examine written and illustrated works.
* The Doctor has knowledge of the [[star system]]s on an astrological chart belonging to the Thals.

=== Technology ===
* [[The Doctor's TARDIS]] uses [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] as a fluid.
* The Doctor calls the radiation measuring equipment in the city "advanced". The equipment includes something that resembles a seismograph and a dial with the word "Danger".
* Daleks draw [[static electricity]] from the metal floors.
* The Doctor tells Ian a [[neutron bomb]] destroys life. The Daleks plan to launch another neutron bomb but abandon the idea as it takes too long.
* Daleks can create food using [[Artificial_sunlight|synthetic sunlight]].
* [[The Doctor's TARDIS]] produce [[bacon]] & eggs bars which Barbara considers "delicious". The Doctor compares the process of producing different flavors to combining primary colors.

== Story notes ==
* A working title for this story was ''Beyond the Sun''. ([[DWM 331]])
* This is the first story to feature the [[Dalek]]s and the [[Thal]]s.
* This story is featured in a top 50 magic moments feature in [[DWM 467]].
* [[Sydney Newman]] and head of serials [[Donald Wilson]] were unhappy with the serial, having wanted to avoid featuring "bug-eyed monsters"; however, with no other scripts prepared, they were forced to accept the serial for production.
* The production team's final name for this serial at the time of broadcast was ''The Mutants'', but it is now referred to as ''The Daleks'' to avoid confusion with [[The Mutants (TV story)|serial NNN]], the [[Third Doctor]] story of the same name. Working titles for the overall [[serial]] included ''The Survivors'' and ''Beyond the Sun''. The working title of episode six was "The Caves of Terror" and the seventh episode was originally conceived as "The Execution". ([[REF]]: ''[[Doctor Who The Handbook: The First Doctor]]'') The story is also sometimes referred to by the title of its first episode, ''The Dead Planet''.
* The original proposal, ''The Survivors'', had the Daleks wanting to wipe out the Thals to ensure they could never start another [[neutronic war]] (unaware the Thals were now pacifist). In the seventh episode, the Thals would bring the defeated Daleks back online to discuss peace terms. By the end, the Doctor would reveal that neither side started the war: they had been attacked by an alien race. The descendants of those aliens would then arrive on Skaro, as the radiation levels had lowered, to "make reparations and assist in rebuilding the planet". Due to insufficient time and budget, this plot was cut out and the Daleks were redrafted as more obvious villains, with no "happy ending".<ref>''Doctor Who 50 Years #1: The Daleks'' - "The Survivors" (May 2013)</ref> Elements of this plot were reused for the ''[[Doctor Who Unbound]]'' story ''[[Masters of War (audio story)|Masters of War]]''.
* [[Terry Nation]]'s original proposal said "the year [is] [[3000|three thousand]]" and the [[neutronic war]] was two thousand years ago<ref>''Doctor Who 50 Years #1: The Daleks'' - "The Survivors" page 21</ref>, but it's never mentioned in the story whether the travellers are in the past, the present or the future. In ''[[The Edge of Destruction (TV story)|The Edge of Destruction]]'', the Doctor states that "Skaro was in the future." In ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth (TV story)|The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]'', he states that their 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 of how he knows this; however, the Daleks themselves in this serial state that the neutronic war only took place five hundred years ago. ''[[Planet of the Daleks (TV story)|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. [[DWM 75|''Doctor Who Monthly'' #75]] gives the date as [[far future|150000]], but this was changed in [[DWM 77|#77]] to [[2290]]. ''[[A History of the Universe]]'' 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; in ''[[AHistory]]'' the date was changed to [[23rd century|2263]]. As early as 1965, however, the short story ''[[Peaceful Thals Ambushed! (short story)|Peaceful Thals Ambushed!]]'' gave more solid in-narrative evidence, as it claimed that the [[Thal-Dalek battle]] took place eighteen months prior to [[31 July]] [[2065]], thus logically placing the events of ''The Daleks'' in early [[2064]].
* The first Dalek seen on screen (advancing towards Barbara at the end of ''The Dead Planet'') was played by Assistant Floor Manager [[Michael Ferguson]]. ([[DCOM]]: ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'')
* It was [[Mervyn Pinfield]] who suggested that the Daleks use static electricity.
* This story features a rare instance where somebody survives being shot by a Dalek.
* It was [[Richard Martin (director)|Richard Martin]] who suggested that the Thal anti-radiation drug be lethal to the Daleks. Original proposals were that germs from the TARDIS crew were killing them or the radiation was dropping.
* 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 ''[[The Hidden Planet (TV story)|The Hidden Planet]]'' and ''[[The Masters of Luxor (TV story)|The Masters of Luxor]]''.
* Music from ''The Daleks'' was released in [[2003 (releases)|2003]] as part of ''[[Devil's Planet - The Music of Tristram Cary]]''. This CD also includes tracks from ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)|The Daleks' Master Plan]]'' and (perhaps appropriately) ''[[The Mutants (TV story)|The Mutants]]''.
* The music from this story was reused in several stories: ''[[The Rescue (TV story)|The Rescue]]'', ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)|The Daleks' Master Plan]]'', ''[[The Ark (TV story)|The Ark]]'', and ''[[The Power of the Daleks (TV story)|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.
* [[Telesnap]]s exist for episodes 1, 2, 4 and 5 in private collections.
* The designer originally assigned to this serial was [[Ridley Scott]], later a famed film director. However, a problem with Scott's schedule meant that he was replaced by [[Raymond Cusick]], who was thus given the task of realising the Dalek creatures.
* 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 debut when the first episode of ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' was broadcast.
* This was one of the stories selected to be shown as part of [[BSB's Doctor Who Weekend]] in September 1990.
* "The Rescue" is the first episode of ''Doctor Who'' in which the (de)-materialisation of the TARDIS is achieved through the in-camera technique of "[[roll back and mix]]". This effect was extraordinarily difficult in the 1960s, which is why it was only done a few times in the monochromatic era of the programme. ([[REF]]: ''[[Doctor Who The Handbook: The First Doctor]]'') As camera technology improved over the years, it became fairly straightforward, even easy, to do. In the 21st century, it's commonly seen on chat shows and ''[[Blue Peter]]'' whenever ''Doctor Who'' guests arrive or depart.
* The creature housed inside the Dalek casing was conceived as being somewhat toad- or frog-like in appearance, with a massive brain, by Raymond Cusick; a small webbed claw is visible in the transmitted story, though the full Dalek creature is kept tastefully hidden. Later stories would retcon Dalek mutants to instead look like deformed, fleshy octopuses, with a number of uneven tentacles instead of fully-developed limbs.
* In the original script, the dangers facing Ian, Barbara and the Thals in the mountains were different — they originally included mutated spiders and a fiery gas fissure.
* In the original script, the Doctor and Susan were sentenced to be executed in a "sonic chamber".
* In the original script, much was made of a forthcoming "great rain" — a periodic meteorological event on Skaro — which would reduce the radiation levels enough to permit the Daleks to emerge from their city and confront the Thals.
* Although the plot's development hinges on the discovery by the Daleks that they have grown dependent on Skaro's radiation to survive, this fact has only sporadically been referenced by later stories, which present Daleks as galactic conquerors who routinely travel away from Skaro and conquer other worlds. ''[[The Dalek World]]''’s ''[[Inside a Skaro Saucer]]'' provided [[David Whitaker]] and Terry Nation's answer to this discrepancy: all [[Dalek flying saucer]]s are outfitted with "radiation rooms" where Dalek soldiers must come at least once a month to get themselves bombarded with all the radiation they need. The [[2020 (releases)|2020]] audio drama, ''[[Return to Skaro (audio story)|Return to Skaro]]'', would offer the explanation that the next generation of Daleks, having been suspended in a radiation-free environment for decades, overcame their dependence on it.
* According to Raymond Cusick's obituary, he originally planned for the Dalek skirts to contain bulbs that would light up. This would require a car battery inside the Dalek. It was rejected because car batteries were too expensive.
* [[Carole Ann Ford]] was surprised by the serial's success, claiming that when the Daleks prodded her, she wanted to laugh.
* The first episode had to be remade because talk-back from the production assistant's headphones could be heard on the soundtrack. This remount also allowed the designers to make a better model of the Dalek City.
* [[Christopher Barry]] commissioned [[Tristram Cary]] to provide the serial's incidental score, having worked together on ''No Cloak — No Dagger''; while Sydney Newman disliked Cary's work, Barry and [[Verity Lambert]] convinced him otherwise. Barry had heard some ''musique concrète'' music and, intrigued by it, asked Cary to compose a strange and simplistic electronic score for the serial. About twenty minutes of music was used in the serial.
* [[Alan Wheatley]] was chosen to portray Temmosus, the leader of the Thals, having worked with William Hartnell in an episode of ''[[The Flying Doctor]]'' in 1959.
* [[David Markham]] was originally considered for Temmosus.
* [[Dinsdale Landen]] was chosen to play Ganatus, but production date changes forced him to drop out of the serial; he was replaced by [[Philip Bond]], with whom [[Christopher Barry]] had worked on [[No Cloak — No Dagger|''No Cloak — No Dagger'']]''.''
* [[Virginia Wetherell]] was cast as the female Thal named Dyoni, having previously worked with Richard Martin.
* The names of the Thals were revised in the final script: Temmosus was originally Stohl, Alydon was Vahn, Ganatus was Kurt, Kristas was Jahl, Antodus was Ven, Dyoni was Daren, and Elyon was Zhor.
* Raymond Cusick originally wanted six Daleks. Budget constraints meant he was allocated four.
* Four actors were chosen as Dalek operators, due to their small stature and muscular ability: [[Robert Jewell]], [[Kevin Manser]], [[Michael Summerton]] and [[Gerald Taylor]]; Christopher Barry knew Manser as a sensitive actor who reacted well to voices, while Richard Martin knew Taylor through repertory theatre. 
* Due to the Daleks' electronic voices, it was considered impractical for the actors inside the machines to also deliver the dialogue. As a result, the Dalek voices were performed off-set by [[Peter Hawkins]] and [[David Graham]].
* Christopher Barry contacted the Post Office's Joint Speech Research Unit for information on electronic voices. Two samples were provided: one using a vocoder with low and medium monotone pitch; and one using written computer characters, generating a sound which was less human but more time-consuming. While Barry enjoyed these methods, the BBC opted to develop its own method to achieve a similar effect, as some of the Dalek speech was required in studio during production. Richard Martin worked with [[Brian Hodgson]] of the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]] to find suitable tones; ultimately, the actors spoke through a lip-ribbon microphone, which was later given an electronic quality after passing through a ring modulator.
* The final Dalek models stood at four-foot eight-inches, painted in silver with grey trimmings, and light blue balls on the skirt; the lights on the domes were Christmas tree lights covered by a ping-pong ball, operated by the actor inside.
* Raymond Cusick based the design of the Daleks on a man sitting in a chair.
* Raymond Cusick's original design was tubular, with a plain skirt section, bumpy midriff with one pincer arm, and a short head with an eye-lens; Verity Lambert rejected this design as being too expensive. It was decided that the designs should be more comfortable for the actors, allowing them to be seated. Cusick's second design was shorter, with a diamond-patterned body and larger head, and two double-jointed claw arms; one of the arms was replaced by a suction cup, due to the low budget of the production. The design was refined to fit over a small tricycle, and the arms were moved further down to allow the operator to see out of a metal gauze above the midriff. Lights were added to the dome to indicate which Dalek was speaking, as suggested by Christopher Barry.
* [[Shawcraft Models]]—who had designed parts of the TARDIS set—worked with Raymond Cusick to design the Daleks; when Cusick met with Shawcraft's [[Bill Roberts]] to discuss the project, he used a pepper pot to demonstrate the Daleks' movements. The prototype (known internally as "Shawcraft One") had a wooden base, with the skirt section made using fibreglass. It stood at four-foot six-inches, allowing a small seated actor inside. The BBC approved of Shawcraft's designs, allowing three weeks for the final models.

=== Ratings ===
* Episode 1 - The Dead Planet - 6.9 million viewers
* Episode 2 - The Survivors - 6.4 million viewers
* Episode 3 - The Escape - 8.9 million viewers
* Episode 4 - The Ambush - 9.9 million viewers
* Episode 5 - The Expedition - 9.9 million viewers
* Episode 6 - The Ordeal - 10.4 million viewers
* Episode 7 - The Rescue - 10.4 million viewers

=== Myths ===
* [[Terry Nation]] named the Daleks after seeing the "Dal-Ek" volume of an encyclopedic dictionary. ''(He actually made up the name but invented this as a story to tell the press.)''
* There was a transmission fault at the start of the first episode that meant the opening moments were in negative. ''(This was intentional on the part of the production team, who wanted to create the impression of heat on the surface of Skaro.)''
* This story was intended to feature a [[Glass Dalek]], but this was changed due to budget constraints. ''(The idea of the Glass Dalek was created by [[David Whitaker]] only for his [[Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks (novelisation)|novelisation]] of the story. A Glass Dalek did however later appear in the [[Sixth Doctor]] stor''y, ''[[Revelation of the Daleks (TV story)|Revelation of the Daleks]]''.)
* Electronic interference on the original tape meant that the first episode needed to be remade. ''(The first episode was remade, but this was because instructions being relayed to the studio from the control gallery were clearly audible on the original recording.)''
* [[Raymond Cusick]] based the shape of the Daleks on pepper pots. ''(The shape of the Daleks was actually based on a man sitting on a chair. The inspiration for the movement of the Daleks was a woman moving in a ballroom gown, seemingly gliding as her feet were not visible. Specifically, the Georgian State Dancers, whose large wide dresses gave the impression that they were gliding along the floor. Cusick did, however, use a pepper pot – though he could just as easily picked up the salt pot! – in the BBC canteen to demonstrate to a colleague how he envisioned the Daleks moving.)'' 
* Shawcraft, the company who made some of the special effects for ''Doctor Who'' until 1969 and also built the main Dalek props, had built a prototype prop before actual work began. ''(A rough mock-up was made at the BBC, but this was not built by Shawcraft.)''

=== Filming locations ===
* [[Ealing Television Film Studios]]
* [[Lime Grove Studios|Lime Grove Studios (Studio D)]]

=== Production errors ===
{{discontinuity}}
* In episode 1, a wind machine blows the forest backdrop as well as Ian's hair.
* In episode 1 when the Doctor bends down to get the mercury fluid link, a black wire covered in insulation can be seen lying on the floor.
* In episode 2, a Dalek has faulty lights and an eye that will not turn on.
* In episode 2, when Susan is running through the jungle, voices in the filming studio can be heard.
* Early in the episode, when Ian, Susan and the Doctor are talking in a corridor, the shadow of a boom mic can be seen on Ian's face.
* Just before the Doctor, Susan, and Ian are escorted into the cell (just after the camera has panned across from Barbara to the cell door), the Dalek voice effect's volume is low (or off) and misses the word "stop," (heard in the background) but is back at full volume for "here." This fault is corrected on the DVD release.
* In episode 3, in one shot of the interior of the Dalek city, the shadow of a boom mic is clearly visible.
* The creature rising out of the swamp is supported on a rubber ring, which is inflated to give the impression of movement. The rubber ring becomes clearly visible as it is inflated.
* In episode 6, the rock Barbara grabs is an obvious fake — she ends up with polystyrene on her hand afterwards.
* In episode 6, when the Thals are jumping across the chasm, Ian grabs onto the rock wall when he lands. His handhold breaks off with the rip of tearing Styrofoam, and the white spot where it was is visible for the rest of the scene.
* In episode 6, one of the Daleks rattles as it moves down a corridor.
* When Ian and Ganatus see how far a cliff is in order to get to a cleft on the other side, Ian throws a pebble down. The sound of the pebble hitting the real production floor can be heard before the sound effect of the pebble hitting the bottom of the drop.
* In a scene in which a Dalek succumbs to the effects of the Thals' drugs, the Daleks in the background are flat photographic blow-ups. The wooden bases on which they are supported can be seen at the bottom of the shot. A change of camera angle makes the flatness of the blow-ups obvious.
* In episode 1, when Susan runs to check the fault indicator, the TARDIS console shifts.
* The Dalek that calls for assistance early in the episode can be heard to move on unoiled casters, destroying the impression that it glides along the floor.
* Towards the end, it is nowadays obvious that much use is being made of photographic blow-up Daleks where at the time of broadcast, it may not have been.
* In episode six, a Dalek turns to consult some instruments and crashes into them.
* In the episode six, when Ian grabs the rock wall, [[William Russell]] ends up with a chunk of white polystyrene in his hand.
* When the Doctor shorts a Dalek control panel, the explosion happens early.

== Continuity ==
* The [[Lake of Mutations]] was previously known as Drammankin Lake. [[Colonel]] [[Nasgard]]'s family lived in a villa by the lake for generations. During his childhood, [[Davros]] spent much time by the lake, fascinated by the creatures within it. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Innocence (audio story)|Innocence]]'') By the later stages of the [[Thousand Year War]], it was one of the few remaining places on Skaro where animal life still existed as the devastation had made almost all species other than the Kaleds and the Thals extinct. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Corruption (audio story)|Corruption]]'')
* Susan kept the cloak which Alydon gave her in her room in the TARDIS. Following her departure, the Doctor placed her room in storage in the [[TARDIS holding ring|TARDIS' holding ring]]. During the Doctor's [[Eighth Doctor|eighth incarnation]], the cloak was destroyed by a Blitzen fish, which the Doctor had accidentally released from centuries in stasis by downloading Susan's room. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Relative Dimensions (audio story)|Relative Dimensions]]'')
* The [[Thal-Dalek battle]], which took place eighteen months prior to [[31 July]] [[2065]] (thus, in early [[2064]]), was reported upon on [[Earth]] [[television]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Peaceful Thals Ambushed! (short story)|Peaceful Thals Ambushed!]]'')
* After a return to [[Skaro]], ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Return to Skaro (audio story)|Return to Skaro]]'') the Doctor and his companions would next encounter the Daleks on [[Earth]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth (TV story)|The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]'') [[Susan Foreman]] would also once land on an even earlier version of Skaro and interact with Daleks who did not yet recognise her as an enemy. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Message of Mystery (comic story)|The Message of Mystery]]'')
* The Doctor next encounters the Thals in his [[Third Doctor|third incarnation]]. The Thals at that time make reference to the events of this adventure. ([[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Daleks (TV story)|Planet of the Daleks]]'')
* The Doctor next returns to Skaro in his [[Second Doctor|second incarnation]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Evil of the Daleks (TV story)|The Evil of the Daleks]]'')
* Susan's [[TARDIS key]] is used by the Doctor to sabotage one of the Daleks' static electricity control systems, resulting in its loss. The Doctor soon replaces this key, and Susan is seen with a new one. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sensorites (TV story)|The Sensorites]]'')
* Ian later adapted the story of the Daleks and the Thals for an audience in [[Byzantium (city)|Byzantium]] in [[March]] [[64]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Byzantium! (novel)|Byzantium!]]'')
* Having learned of the existence of life on other planets from the Doctor, the Daleks vowed to conquer the universe and master [[time travel]] in order to regain their power. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Lights of Skaro (audio story)|The Lights of Skaro]]'')

== Home video and audio releases ==
=== DVD releases ===
This story was released (as ''Doctor Who: The Daleks''), together with ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' and ''[[The Edge of Destruction (TV story)|The Edge of Destruction]]'', as part of ''[[The Beginning (DVD box set)|The Beginning]]'' DVD box set.

Released:
* Region 2 - [[30 January (releases)|30 January]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]

::PAL - [[BBC Worldwide|BBC DVD]] BBCDVD1882
* Region 4 - [[2 March (releases)|2 March]] 2006

::PAL - [[Roadshow]] ????

Special features:
* Commentaries (moderated by [[Gary Russell]]):
:* Episode 2 - The Survivors: [[Verity Lambert]], [[Christopher Barry]]
:* Episode 4 - The Ambush: [[William Russell]], [[Carole Ann Ford]] & Christopher Barry
:* Episode 7 - The Rescue: William Russell, Carole Ann Ford & Richard Martin
* ''[[Creation of the Daleks (documentary)|Creation of the Daleks]]'' - A documentary which looks at the origins of the creation of Doctor Who's most feared villains, the Daleks. With contributions from Verity Lambert, [[Richard Martin]], designer [[Raymond Cusick]], sound designer [[Brian Hodgson]], original Dalek voice [[David Graham]], and original Dalek operator [[Michael Summerton]].
* Photo Gallery
* Production Subtitles
* Digitally remastered picture and sound quality

<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
TheDaleksDVD.jpg|Region 2 UK cover
File:Dalesk australia.jpg|Region 4 Australian cover
</gallery>

==== Box sets ====
This story was released along with ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' and ''[[The Edge of Destruction (TV story)|The Edge of Destruction]]'' in a box set called ''[[The Beginning (DVD box set)|The Beginning]]''.

<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
File:TheBeginning DVD.jpg|Region 2 UK DVD box set cover
File:The Beginning DVD Australian box set cover.jpg|Region 4 Australian DVD box set cover
File:Beginningdvdna.jpg|Region 1 US DVD box set cover
</gallery>
* Region 1 - [[28 March (releases)|28 March]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]

::NTSC - [[Warner Video]] E2489

=== Digital releases ===
This story is available:
* in [[iTunes]] stores ([[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[UK]] and [[US]]) as part of the ''Doctor Who'' ('''not''' ''Doctor Who: The Classic Series'')'' ''collection ''Monsters: The Daleks'', which additionally includes the story ''[[Asylum of the Daleks (TV story)|Asylum of the Daleks]]'' (all episodes are given as ''The Daleks, Episode 1'', etc. without mentioning individual episodes' titles);
* on [[Amazon (service)|Amazon Video]] (UK) as Season 2 of ''Doctor Who (Classic)'' series;
* for streaming through [[BritBox]] (US) as part of Season 1 of ''Classic Doctor Who''.

<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
File:DaleksMonsters.jpg|''Monsters: The Daleks'' collection iTunes cover
</gallery>

=== Video release ===
==== Original release ====
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
File:The Daleks 1 Video.jpg| (Part 1) cover for the original 1989 VHS release
File:B-video5.jpg| (Part 2) cover for the original 1989 VHS release
</gallery>
This story was released as ''Doctor Who: The Daleks - The Dead Planet'' and ''Doctor Who: The Daleks - The Expedition'', two separate volumes held together with sticky tape.
The lead-in to ''The Edge of Destruction'' and the "Next Episode" caption have been removed from Episode 7.

Released:
* [[United Kingdom|UK]] June [[1989 (releases)|1989]]
:PAL - [[BBC Worldwide|BBC Video]] BBCV4242 (2 tapes)

* [[Australia]]/[[New Zealand]] December 1989
:PAL - [[Polygram]] BBCV4242 (2 tapes)

* [[United States of America|US]] June [[1995 (releases)|1995]]
:NTSC - [[CBS/FOX Video]] 8253 (2 tapes)

* [[United States of America|US]] [[2000 (releases)|2000]]
:NTSC - [[Warner Video]] E1275 (2 tapes)

==== Second release ====
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
File:B-video.jpg|Remastered UK VHS cover
File:The Daleks remastered VHS Australian cover.jpg|Remastered Australian VHS cover
</gallery>
This story was released as ''Doctor Who: The Daleks (Remastered)''. It was an unedited, remastered edition that the [[BBC]] originally intended to release in a box set with ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' and ''[[The Edge of Destruction (TV story)|The Edge of Destruction]]''. They changed their plans and decided to release each story individually.

Released:
* [[United Kingdom|UK]] February [[2001 (releases)|2001]]
:PAL - [[BBC Worldwide|BBC Video]] BBCV6960 (2 tapes)

* [[Australia]]/[[New Zealand]] April [[2001 (releases)|2001]]
:PAL - [[Roadshow]] 6960 (1 tape)

* Editing for the VHS and DVD releases was completed by the [[Doctor Who Restoration Team]].

== Script book ==
* In December [[1989 (releases)|1989]], [[Titan Books]] published the scripts for the serial as part of its [[Doctor Who: The Scripts|''Doctor Who'': The Scripts]] line of books.

== External links ==
* {{bbcepguideclassic|daleks/|The Daleks}}
* {{radiotimes|2008-10-01/the-daleks|The Daleks}}
{{dwcast}}
{{dwrefguide|who_b.htm|The Daleks}}
* {{briefhistory|serials/b.html|The Daleks}}
* [http://www.eofftv.com/episodes/d/doctor_who/1st_doctor/mutants_main.htm Encyclopaedia of Fantastic Film and Television entry for '''The Daleks''']

== Footnotes ==
{{reflist|2}}
{{DWTV}}
{{Dalek stories}}
{{TitleSort}}

[[Category:Articles that were originally Wikipedia forks]]
[[Category:Doctor Who (1963) television stories]]
[[Category:Dalek television stories]]
[[Category:Stories with disputed titles]]
[[Category:Stories set on Skaro]]
[[Category:1963 television stories]]
[[Category:1964 television stories]]
[[Category:Season 1 stories]]
[[Category:Thal television stories]]
[[Category:Seven part serials]]

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