Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story): Difference between revisions
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In the meantime, the alien activity around the Coal Hill area has attracted the attention of the military. [[Ian Gilmore|Group Captain Gilmore]] and his unit engage a [[Renegade Dalek]] at the junkyard. The Dalek proves to be more than a match for the military squad until the Doctor destroys it with a timed explosive. The Doctor tries to convince Gilmore and his scientific advisor, [[Rachel Jensen|Professor Rachel Jensen]], that the Daleks are extra-terrestrial and [[human]] weapons are no match for Dalek firepower. The best thing they can do is just make sure that all ground and air forces stay out of the crossfire whilst the two factions blow each other to bits. The Doctor, however, is playing a deeper game — he wants the "right" Daleks to take possession of the Hand. Ace and he investigate [[Coal Hill School]], where the [[Imperial Dalek]]s have set up an outpost. The Renegade Faction, however, have their base in a warehouse where a [[Battle computer]] is and where [[Ratcliffe|Mr. Ratcliffe]] and his group of fascists called '[[The Association]]' work for the Renegade faction. However, a secret agent of The Association, [[Mike Smith]], is found and interrogated by the Imperial-Dalek-controlled [[H. Parson|Headmaster]] of Coal Hill School. Mike Smith, however, is not without his reflexes and subdues the Headmaster, forcing the Imperials to 'terminate agent'. | In the meantime, the alien activity around the Coal Hill area has attracted the attention of the military. [[Ian Gilmore|Group Captain Gilmore]] and his unit engage a [[Renegade Dalek]] at the junkyard. The Dalek proves to be more than a match for the military squad until the Doctor destroys it with a timed explosive. The Doctor tries to convince Gilmore and his scientific advisor, [[Rachel Jensen|Professor Rachel Jensen]], that the Daleks are extra-terrestrial and [[human]] weapons are no match for Dalek firepower. The best thing they can do is just make sure that all ground and air forces stay out of the crossfire whilst the two factions blow each other to bits. The Doctor, however, is playing a deeper game — he wants the "right" Daleks to take possession of the Hand. Ace and he investigate [[Coal Hill School]], where the [[Imperial Dalek]]s have set up an outpost. The Renegade Faction, however, have their base in a warehouse where a [[Battle computer]] is and where [[Ratcliffe|Mr. Ratcliffe]] and his group of fascists called '[[The Association]]' work for the Renegade faction. However, a secret agent of The Association, [[Mike Smith]], is found and interrogated by the Imperial-Dalek-controlled [[H. Parson|Headmaster]] of Coal Hill School. Mike Smith, however, is not without his reflexes and subdues the Headmaster, forcing the Imperials to 'terminate agent'. | ||
[[File:DalekLevitatingROTD.jpg|thumb|left|A Dalek ascends the stairs to attack the Doctor]] | [[File:DalekLevitatingROTD.jpg|thumb|left|A Dalek ascends the stairs to attack the Doctor]] | ||
Whilst the Imperial Daleks are watching from [[Imperial Dalek mothership|their Mothership]], the Renegade Daleks dispatch Ratcliffe and his men to retrieve the Hand Of Omega after the Doctor places it into a cemetery. Although they haul it out of the cemetery, the Imperial Daleks aboard the Mothership detect this. A Dalek calls the [[Davros|Emperor Dalek]] to assess the situation. After a skirmish with the Imperial Daleks during an attempt to retrieve the radio, Ace does some 'Dalek hunting' with the Doctor. They come across the Renegade Daleks' HQ. The Doctor shows Ace the Battle Computer. He tells her that if the Daleks are over-reliant on rationality and logic, the solution would be to get [[Judith Winters|a young, imaginative child]] to enslave to the battle computer. The Doctor tinkers with the [[Time Controller]] to 'manipulate the enemy'. His plan works, but with consequences; the Renegade Daleks return to the base to find the Time Controller has been disabled. The Doctor and Ace flee, pursued by Renegade Daleks. They meet up with the [[Intrusion Countermeasures Group|ICMG]] and tell them the situation, only to find the Rengades are still on their tail. Three soldiers try to fend off the Renegade attackers, only to be obliterated. [[Dalek | Whilst the Imperial Daleks are watching from [[Imperial Dalek mothership|their Mothership]], the Renegade Daleks dispatch Ratcliffe and his men to retrieve the Hand Of Omega after the Doctor places it into a cemetery. Although they haul it out of the cemetery, the Imperial Daleks aboard the Mothership detect this. A Dalek calls the [[Davros|Emperor Dalek]] to assess the situation. After a skirmish with the Imperial Daleks during an attempt to retrieve the radio, Ace does some 'Dalek hunting' with the Doctor. They come across the Renegade Daleks' HQ. The Doctor shows Ace the Battle Computer. He tells her that if the Daleks are over-reliant on rationality and logic, the solution would be to get [[Judith Winters|a young, imaginative child]] to enslave to the battle computer. The Doctor tinkers with the [[Time Controller]] to 'manipulate the enemy'. His plan works, but with consequences; the Renegade Daleks return to the base to find the Time Controller has been disabled. The Doctor and Ace flee, pursued by Renegade Daleks. They meet up with the [[Intrusion Countermeasures Group|ICMG]] and tell them the situation, only to find the Rengades are still on their tail. Three soldiers try to fend off the Renegade attackers, only to be obliterated. [[Dalek shuttle|The Imperial Daleks' Assault Shuttle]] lands on Earth as part of a mission to retrieve the Hand of Omega, resulting in the [[Supreme Dalek]], via the Battle Computer, ordering the Renegade Daleks to withdraw and defend the Hand of Omega from the enemy. After Imperial Daleks are sent out to retrieve the Hand of Omega, the Doctor, Ace and ICMG invade the Imperial Dalek Shuttle. They find out that the Imperials have control of the planet Skaro. The Doctor disables the massive ground defence and gets out of the Assault Shuttle with the team. | ||
[[File:HistoryImperialDalek_010.jpg|thumb|The Imperial Daleks assault the Renegade Daleks' base.]] | [[File:HistoryImperialDalek_010.jpg|thumb|The Imperial Daleks assault the Renegade Daleks' base.]] | ||
As Renegade and Imperial Daleks patrol the streets, a battle rages in London. A pair of Renegade Daleks locate an advancing Imperial Dalek Squad. They all open fire until a Renegade gets the first hit, followed by the Renegades taking a few Imperial Daleks out as they are forced to retreat from the slaughter. At first, the Renegades are winning until the [[Special Weapons Dalek]] is brought in and blows the Renegade patrols to smithereens. | As Renegade and Imperial Daleks patrol the streets, a battle rages in London. A pair of Renegade Daleks locate an advancing Imperial Dalek Squad. They all open fire until a Renegade gets the first hit, followed by the Renegades taking a few Imperial Daleks out as they are forced to retreat from the slaughter. At first, the Renegades are winning until the [[Special Weapons Dalek]] is brought in and blows the Renegade patrols to smithereens. | ||
Revision as of 01:24, 20 October 2013
Remembrance of the Daleks was the first story of the 25th season of Doctor Who. The story's setting brought the Doctor back to 76 Totter's Lane in the year 1963, where the series began in An Unearthly Child. It was notable for a marked change in character for the Seventh Doctor, who had previously maintained a jolly and comedic demeanour. Here, a Machiavellian side to his personality was brought into light, underneath the lighthearted exterior, and he began to reveal a manipulative nature that persisted into the rest of his era. Clues were also given that the Doctor had a secret past on Gallifrey, the first glimpse of the so-called Cartmel Masterplan.
Like The Talons of Weng-Chiang, some members of its guest cast were deemed interesting enough to justify the creation of a Big Finish audio series. In 2012, Counter-Measures continued the adventures of the serial's Group Captain Gilmore, Professor Jensen and Allison Williams.
Remembrance was the final significant televised appearance of the Daleks and Davros until the BBC Wales revival, although both would frequently recur in other media. It continued a narrative of chronological confrontations between the Doctor and Davros that had begun in Genesis of the Daleks, and included Destiny, Resurrection, and Revelation of the Daleks.
At the time of broadcast, it unambiguously showed the onscreen destruction of the Dalek homeworld, Skaro. This act was largely forgotten by future Doctor Who writers; it was shown in the Doctor Who TV movie and in TV: Asylum of the Daleks. Both TV: Asylum of the Daleks and GAME: City of the Daleks exactly reverse the conclusion of Remembrance by showing that Skaro survived while Gallifrey did not. Some fans simply believe that it was rebuilt by the Daleks and/or Davros.
Synopsis
London, 1963: The Doctor returns to the place where it all began — alongside his latest companion, Ace McShane, with unfinished business.
Not for the first time, unusual events are unfolding at Coal Hill School, and at Totters Lane junkyard, the Doctor discovers that his oldest foes — the Daleks — are on the trail of stolen Time Lord technology which he left on Earth centuries ago. The Daleks are planning to perfect their own time-travel capability, in order to unleash themselves across the whole of time and space.
The Doctor, with the help of the local military, must stop his oldest enemies from stealing Gallifreyan secrets, but the lines between allies and enemies are tested to the limit, and the Doctor and Ace must trust no-one to survive.
As two opposing Dalek factions meet in an explosive confrontation, the fate of the whole cosmos hangs in the balance...
Plot
The Seventh Doctor and his companion, Ace have landed the TARDIS in London, 1963, where the Doctor has unfinished business: the Hand of Omega, an all powerful, ancient relic of the Time Lord civilisation that the Doctor hid on Earth during a visit to 1963.
Unfortunately, the Daleks have also heard about the Hand of Omega, and are trying to find it before the Doctor does. To complicate matters, there are two groups of Daleks at work — the Daleks are currently in the midst of a civil war between those who accept and those who reject the leadership of their creator, Davros. Each side wants the Hand for itself.
In the meantime, the alien activity around the Coal Hill area has attracted the attention of the military. Group Captain Gilmore and his unit engage a Renegade Dalek at the junkyard. The Dalek proves to be more than a match for the military squad until the Doctor destroys it with a timed explosive. The Doctor tries to convince Gilmore and his scientific advisor, Professor Rachel Jensen, that the Daleks are extra-terrestrial and human weapons are no match for Dalek firepower. The best thing they can do is just make sure that all ground and air forces stay out of the crossfire whilst the two factions blow each other to bits. The Doctor, however, is playing a deeper game — he wants the "right" Daleks to take possession of the Hand. Ace and he investigate Coal Hill School, where the Imperial Daleks have set up an outpost. The Renegade Faction, however, have their base in a warehouse where a Battle computer is and where Mr. Ratcliffe and his group of fascists called 'The Association' work for the Renegade faction. However, a secret agent of The Association, Mike Smith, is found and interrogated by the Imperial-Dalek-controlled Headmaster of Coal Hill School. Mike Smith, however, is not without his reflexes and subdues the Headmaster, forcing the Imperials to 'terminate agent'.
Whilst the Imperial Daleks are watching from their Mothership, the Renegade Daleks dispatch Ratcliffe and his men to retrieve the Hand Of Omega after the Doctor places it into a cemetery. Although they haul it out of the cemetery, the Imperial Daleks aboard the Mothership detect this. A Dalek calls the Emperor Dalek to assess the situation. After a skirmish with the Imperial Daleks during an attempt to retrieve the radio, Ace does some 'Dalek hunting' with the Doctor. They come across the Renegade Daleks' HQ. The Doctor shows Ace the Battle Computer. He tells her that if the Daleks are over-reliant on rationality and logic, the solution would be to get a young, imaginative child to enslave to the battle computer. The Doctor tinkers with the Time Controller to 'manipulate the enemy'. His plan works, but with consequences; the Renegade Daleks return to the base to find the Time Controller has been disabled. The Doctor and Ace flee, pursued by Renegade Daleks. They meet up with the ICMG and tell them the situation, only to find the Rengades are still on their tail. Three soldiers try to fend off the Renegade attackers, only to be obliterated. The Imperial Daleks' Assault Shuttle lands on Earth as part of a mission to retrieve the Hand of Omega, resulting in the Supreme Dalek, via the Battle Computer, ordering the Renegade Daleks to withdraw and defend the Hand of Omega from the enemy. After Imperial Daleks are sent out to retrieve the Hand of Omega, the Doctor, Ace and ICMG invade the Imperial Dalek Shuttle. They find out that the Imperials have control of the planet Skaro. The Doctor disables the massive ground defence and gets out of the Assault Shuttle with the team.
As Renegade and Imperial Daleks patrol the streets, a battle rages in London. A pair of Renegade Daleks locate an advancing Imperial Dalek Squad. They all open fire until a Renegade gets the first hit, followed by the Renegades taking a few Imperial Daleks out as they are forced to retreat from the slaughter. At first, the Renegades are winning until the Special Weapons Dalek is brought in and blows the Renegade patrols to smithereens.
Realising that Smith is Ratcliffe's agent, Gilmore detains him. The Doctor decides to use the remains of the Transmat in the cellar as a communications link with the Mothership.
Smith escapes to the Renegade base, finding Ratcliffe a prisoner. The repaired time controller powers up, enabling the Renegades' escape, but the base is attacked by the Imperials, who overwhelm their few remaining opponents with the help of the Special Weapons Dalek. Ratcliffe and Mike flee with the Time Controller, and the Supreme Dalek orders the controlled girl to recover it. Using her Dalek-augmented abilities, she kills Ratcliffe and pursues Smith. The victorious Imperials return to the shuttle with the Hand of Omega. Meanwhile, the Doctor tells Ace to follow Smith.
The Imperial Emperor is informed of the recovery of the Hand of Omega. Soon after, the Doctor contacts him, and demands the surrender of the Hand. The Emperor reveals himself as Davros. He declares his scheme to use the Hand on Skaro's sun, granting the Imperial Daleks the power to overthrow the Time Lords. The Doctor insults Davros and his Daleks, angering Davros, who replies "Do not anger me, Doctor! I can DESTROY YOU! AND THIS MISERABLE, INSIGNIFICANT PLANET!" The Doctor replies with further insults, infuriating Davros into unleashing the Hand.
It turns out that the Doctor booby-trapped the Hand: It creates a supernova, obliterating the Daleks' homeworld. The Hand smashes back into the Imperial Mothership, but not before Davros threatens to destroy the Doctor's home planet and flees in an escape pod. The Doctor declares that the Hand is travelling back to Gallifrey.
Ace is captured by Smith, who is still holding the Time Controller. The girl tracks him down and kills him before turning her attention to Ace. The Doctor seeks out the Supreme Dalek, telling it that it is the last Dalek on Earth. Convinced of its absolute defeat, it kills itself, breaking the link with the controlled girl.
At Smith's funeral, Ace wonders if what the Doctor did was good. "Time will tell," the Doctor replies. '"It always does."
Cast
- The Doctor - Sylvester McCoy
- Ace - Sophie Aldred
- Davros (Imperial Emperor Dalek) - Terry Molloy
- Group Captain Gilmore - Simon Williams
- Professor Rachel Jensen - Pamela Salem
- Mike Smith - Dursley McLinden
- Allison Williams - Karen Gledhill
- Ratcliffe - George Sewell
- Headmaster - Michael Sheard
- Harry - Harry Fowler
- The Girl - Jasmine Breaks
- Embery - Peter Hamilton Dyer
- Battle Computer - John Leeson (voice)
- Vicar - Peter Halliday
- John - Joseph Marcell
- Martin - William Thomas
- Kaufman - Derek Keller
- Dalek Operators - Hugh Spight, John Scott Martin, Tony Starr, Cy Town
- Dalek Voices - Roy Skelton, Brian Miller, Royce Mills
- Himself - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (uncredited, stock audio)
- Himself - John F. Kennedy (uncredited, stock audio)
Crew
- Assistant Floor Managers - Val McCrimmon, Lynn Grant
- Costumes - Ken Trew
- Designer - Martin Collins
- Incidental Music - Keff McCulloch
- Make-Up - Christine Greenwood
- OB Cameraman - Robin Sutherland, Barry Chaston
- Producer - John Nathan-Turner
- Production Assistant - Rosemary Parsons
- Production Associates - June Collins, Hilary Barratt
- Script Editor - Andrew Cartmel
- Special Sounds - Dick Mills
- Studio Lighting - Henry Barber
- Studio Sound - Scott Talbott
- Stunt Arranger - Tip Tipping
- Theme Arrangement - Keff McCulloch
- Title Music - Ron Grainer
- Visual Effects - Stuart Brisdon
References
- The Doctor leaves the Renegade Daleks a calling card bearing a set of symbols, including one which looks very similar to a question mark.
- At one point, when asked to sign a document, his hand movements clearly indicate that the Doctor signs it using a question mark.
- Dr. Jensen makes reference to "Bernard" and the British Rocket Group, referencing to the TV character of Bernard Quatermass.
- The Doctor mentions the Daleks invading Earth in the 22nd century.
- The Doctor accidentally refers to Group Captain Gilmore as "Brigadier".
- Mike Smith is placed under close arrest on suspicion of offences contrary to the Official Secrets Act.
Ace
- Ace wears a Batman earring in her left ear.
- As they are walking to the van, Mike is explaining the money system to Ace, much in the same way Barbara needed to explain money to Susan in An Unearthly Child.
- Ace looks at a French Revolution book while in the school - something Susan did in An Unearthly Child.
- Ace prefers the Beatles to Elvis Presley.
Daleks
- The Renegade Daleks have a Time Controller and Battle computer on Earth.
- The Imperial Daleks (and Davros) use a Dalek Shuttle and Transmat to gain access to Earth.
- The Imperial Daleks' base is located within Coal Hill School.
- At this stage, the Daleks are seen to have split into two factions - Imperial (led by Davros) and Renegade (led by the Black Dalek). Davros has augmented the Imperial Daleks with cybernetic implants, while the Renegade Daleks have remained "pure". Although not explicitly stated, it can be reasonably inferred that the Imperial Faction have control of the Dalek home planet Skaro.
- The Imperial Daleks have the ability to hover over staircases.
- The Imperial Daleks have access to teleportation technology.
- The Renegade Daleks use a human child linked into their battle computer to provide a random element to their battle strategies. This tactic was developed after the stalemates of the Dalek-Movellan War.
- The Imperial Daleks utilise a Special Weapons Dalek.
- The Doctor states that the Imperial Daleks could obliterate Earth, but would act with caution and not just blatantly damage the timeline like that.
Foods and beverages
- Much tea is consumed, both in the cafe by the Doctor and Ace and by the military.
- Ace orders "four bacon sandwiches and a cup of coffee" whilst in the cafe.
- The Doctor mocks Davros's ranting, cutting him off when he claims he will become all-powerful. His most ridiculous jest is that Davros will obtain "unlimited rice pudding".
Time Lords
- The Hand of Omega makes its first appearance. The grave in which it is buried bears the symbol ω, the lowercase Greek character for the letter Omega.
- The Doctor speaks to Ace concerning Rassilon, Omega and the Hand of Omega.
- The Doctor states he has nine hundred years' experience with alien technology and also describes himself as "the Doctor, President-elect of the High Council of Time Lords. Keeper of the legacy of Rassilon, Defender of the Laws of Time, Protector of Gallifrey."
- The Doctor makes a slip implying that he may have been involved with the creation of the Hand of Omega along with Rassilon and Omega.
Weapons
- A Renegade Dalek is cornered by Group Captain Gilmore's men in Totter's Lane Junkyard and is eventually destroyed using Ace's Nitro-9.
- The Doctor uses the Hand of Omega to charge Ace's baseball bat with energy. Ace uses it to damage an Imperial Dalek, breaking off its eyestalk; Allison Williams later uses it to kill an Imperial Kaled mutant in order to save the Doctor's life; and the Doctor uses it to destroy the inner workings of the Imperial Dalek's Transmat, destroying the bat in the process.
- The Doctor constructs a Dalek jamming device; he used / built "something like it on Spiridon".
- Ace uses an ATR to destroy an Imperial Dalek at Coal Hill School.
Story notes
- Terry Molloy was credited by the pseudonym of "Roy Tromelly" for part three to preserve the surprise of Davros' return in part four. To further avoid spoiling the surprise, Molloy was not credited in Radio Times for part four.
- This story had a working title of Nemesis of the Doctor.
- Roy Skelton is credited as 'Voices' for parts one to three, and as 'Dalek Voices' for part four.
- Royce Mills and Brian Miller are credited as 'Voices' for parts two and three, and as 'Dalek Voices' for part four.
- The Radio Times programme listing for part one was accompanied by a black and white head-and-shoulders publicity shot of the Doctor and Ace in an open alley doorway with the accompanying caption "Behind the times? The ever-fashionable Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) take a leap back to the swinging 60s to meet an old enemy... / BBC1, 7.35 p.m. Doctor Who". That for part three bore a black and white photograph of Ratcliffe standing with his hands raised before a foreground Renegade Dalek with the accompanying caption "Exterminate... Exterminate... Will Ratcliffe (George Sewell) die at the nozzle of a Dalek? / BBC1, 7.35 p.m. Doctor Who".
- This is the first instance of a Dalek levitating up a staircase on screen. However, Davros appears to have the power of flight in Revelation of the Daleks, achieved with the same special effect. In The Chase a Dalek is seen to elevate from sand and it is implied they can move between the decks of the Marie Celeste.
- This was the first story to be broadcast in NICAM stereo sound.
- This is the first instance of a "skeleton effect" caused by Dalek weapons. This effect would be used in every subsequent Dalek story.
- The pre-credits sequence includes clips from famous speeches including those of JFK, Charles de Gaulle, the Duke of Edinburgh, and Martin Luther King. It had been originally been hoped to use a clip from a speech by HM the Queen when opening the Commonwealth Telephone Cable Link on 2 December 1963, but when the production team contacted Buckingham Palace for permission to include the material, this was denied; apparently, Her Majesty did not wish to be quoted on a fictional television programme. However, the Palace did give permission — albeit reluctantly — for the Duke of Edinburgh to be included in the sequence.
- This is the first story showing the inside of a Dalek (an Imperial one) in a scene where it's transmatting.
- This is the first (and only) time in the series that the Doctor Who series has been (possibly) mentioned, by an announcer on a TV, saying: "This is BBC Television, the time is quarter past five and Saturday viewing continues with an adventure in the new science fiction series Do-" - and then the scene changes.
- The original script called for the Doctor to destroy the Imperial Dalek with the ATR and to attack the Supreme Dalek with a "Finger of Omega". This was changed after Sylvester McCoy protested, citing the Doctor's dislike of weapons.
- This was the third time that the Daleks appeared in a season opener (Day of the Daleks opened Season 9 and Destiny of the Daleks opened season 17).
- This story marks the final appearance in the televised series of Michael Sheard and Peter Halliday, both of whom had appeared in numerous Doctor Who stories over the years.
- In the original script, the Special Weapons Dalek was on the Renegades' side, and, rather than possess great firepower, had the ability to fire around corners. The Imperial Daleks possessed a flying battle platform, a concept which was scrapped due to cost.
- Russell T Davies has stated that the destruction of Skaro in this story is the first act of the Time War.
- The usual coasters underneath the Dalek props' skirting (to allow them to move across surfaces) were replaced by large balls. This allowed them to move over coarse surfaces outside studio sets (which they had not been able to do before) but gave them an unstable, trundling appearance when they moved.
- In part two, the Imperial Daleks telepathically tell the Headmaster (named as H. Parson on the Coal Hill School sign — an in-joke reference to videotape editor Hugh Parson) to apprehend Mike and get him to confess the location of the Renegade Dalek base. Originally, we would hear what the Daleks were telling the Headmaster, but strangely in the final cut all Dalek lines in the scene are omitted. As a result, there is no explanation as to why, when Mike overpowers the Headmaster, the school principal gives a small frightened "No..." before he collapses and dies, falling across a grave. (Originally, at this point, the Dalek voice indicated that the Headmaster would be terminated as a security risk.)
- This story was aired on BBC America along with The Doctors Revisited - The Seventh Doctor. It was also edited into an omnibus format, with the cuts to the credits between cliffhangers removed.
- Concerning the matter of the omnibus editing, the videotape recordings were produced in a way that made the editing out of the credits jarring. A few notes of the Keff McCulloch theme remain audible between the cuts to black. Another complication was presented within the first episode, displaying the words "PART ONE" superimposed over filmed material crucial to the episode. Although it is possible to digitally edit out the words, the process is notoriously time-intensive and delicate, requiring editors to edit each separate frame of film that contains the lettering. For simplicity's sake, it was ignored and left intact upon rebroadcast.
Ratings
- Part One - 5.5 million viewers
- Part Two - 5.8 million viewers
- Part Three - 5.1 million viewers
- Part Four - 5.0 million viewers
Myths
- In part four, when Ace is attacked by the Girl at Mike's house, she hides behind the sofa. (If anybody has evidence that this was a deliberate reference to the popular cliché, please share it with us.)
- (Formerly appearing in many places on this very page) There is nothing to indicate that the episode takes place in November 1963. At one point, a calendar indicating this very thing is clearly seen. However, it's true that the weather and the timing of nightfall in Part Three don't jibe with this. However, in the Special Edition DVD featurette on the making of the story, writer Ben Aaronovich acknowledges that it was intended to be November, but that the timing of daylight was wrong for that time of year.
- The Doctor complimenting the little girl's wisdom for not talking to strangers could be a possible reference to how the 1960s people weren't as worried about stranger danger. On 23 November 1963, the date this story is supposedly set, a young boy was approached by a stranger (Myra Hindley). He was then raped and murdered by her boyfriend (Ian Brady).[1]
- The Doctor tells Davros that he is "far more than a Time Lord". This actually occurs, but in a deleted scene - however this line may have been included in either the PBS or YTV Canada broadcast of the story, as some fans recall seeing this scene long before it was ever released to DVD (however, this may also have been due to the scene's appearance in the 1993 documentary More than Thirty Years in the TARDIS).
Filming locations
- Theed Street, Southwark, London (Final confrontation with the Supreme Dalek)
- Wootton Street, Southwark, London (Imperial & Renegade Dalek battle)
- Braybrook Street, East Acton, London (Some of the conversation between the Doctor and Ace driving)
- Wulfstan Street, East Acton, London (Some of the conversation between the Doctor and Ace driving)
- TAVC, Horn Lane, Acton, London
- Macbeth Centre, Macbeth Street, Hammersmith, London (Landing site of Imperial Dalek shuttle craft)
- Windmill Walk, Southwark, London (Ace and the Doctor running away from Ratcliffe's yard)
- Kew Bridge Steam Museum, Brentford, Middlesex (Foreman's Yard)
- Old Oak Common Lane, East Acton, London
- Willesden Lane Cemetery, Willesden, London
- John Nodes Funeral Service, 181 Ladbroke Grove, London
- Macbeth Street, Hammersmith, London
- BBC Television Centre (TC8), Shepherd's Bush, London
Production errors
- The gates to the junkyard bear the label "I.M FORMAN", as a nod to the junkyard seen in the first ever episode (TV: An Unearthly Child), and as a continuity link. The junkyard in Unearthly Child however, is labelled "I.M Foreman" Though this was later retconned by a couple of books, it was nevertheless a genuine production error, as admitted on the DVD release's production notes extra feature. According to the production notes on the DVD release, the sign had already been corrected once on the day of shooting, as it was originally painted as L.M. rather than I.M., but no one evidently noticed the surname error. (For details of the retcon, see the discontinuity discussion.)
- At the end of Part One, the Imperial Dalek is shown to have a wire on its left side in the front shot.
- In Part Two, during the scene in the undertaker's, the editor mismatches footage, making Ace's baseball bat appear to suddenly switch from the Doctor's left hand to his right. The error is remarked upon by Sophie Aldred on the DVD commentary of this story. Similarly, in another scene, the first soldier to be exterminated on-screen has a gun in his left hand then it switches to his right hand when he gets exterminated.
- At another point in Part Two, when the Renegade Daleks move onto the streets, in a close-up shot, you can see the section between the head and middle section coming off.
- At one point, a continuity announcement on a television in the background establishes the time as 17:15. Given that the episode is implied to be set in November in London, that should make it dark outside. However, it is not only light, but the Doctor subsequently asks people out to lunch. While a convoluted narrative extrapolation might be possible, the simplest reading is that the continuity supervisor, amongst others, dropped the ball.
- At the start of Part Three, Mike sticks some C4 on the Dalek to the left, but it is the one of the right that is destroyed first.
- Near the end of Part Four when the Girl knocks Mike back against the stairs, they can clearly be seen to move away from the wall, revealing the plain grey backing of the set wall. Also, Mike's body clearly comes to rest on the stairs, but he is later shown to be on the floor in front of the stairs.
- The gate of Ratcliffe's yard is clearly a rather ill-fitted prop (One can assume that the real owner of the location did not fancy having their gates blown up in the episode 4 battle). When the gate opens, the path of its swing does not match the groove in the floor, most clearly seen when Mike Smith is sneaking into the yard (and is ambushed by the Renegade Daleks).
Continuity
- The Doctor constructs a device to disorientate the Imperial Daleks to rescue Ace, replying when asked, "I rigged something like it on Spiridon", a reference to TV: Planet of the Daleks.
- AUDIO: Terror Firma follows up on Davros' fate.
- Ace reads a book on the French Revolution. (TV: An Unearthly Child, TV: The Curse of Clyde Langer)
- PROSE: Lungbarrow explains the detailed history of the Hand of Omega and how the Doctor obtained it.
- PROSE: Interference - Book Two explains some of the history behind I.M. Foreman's junkyard.
- The next time a Dalek would be heard on screen would be in the TV movie and their next appearance would be in TV: Dalek.
- This is the first time that a Dalek is seen to levitate up a flight of stairs. This would not be seen again until TV: Dalek, seventeen years later.
- Daleks were previously seen floating in TV: Revelation of the Daleks (although the camera angle didn't show it properly), and TV: The Chase implied that the Daleks could fly, as it showed the Daleks on two levels of the Marie Celeste. In Planet of the Daleks, a Dalek uses an anti-gravitational disk to elevate. Flying Daleks have also been featured in numerous Daleks comic strips since the 1960s.
- According to PROSE: In the Community, the girl used as the Daleks' battle computer is named Judith Winters.
- The Doctor mentions Yeti in the underground (TV: The Web of Fear) and the Zygon gambit with the Loch Ness monster (TV: Terror of the Zygons).
- Davros is not seen on screen again until TV: The Stolen Earth (twenty years later).
- The TV character Bernard Quatermass is also mentioned in TV: Planet of the Dead.
- The Doctor's exchange with Davros ("You tricked me!", "No, Davros. You tricked yourself.") mirrors a conversation his previous incarnation had with Borad. (TV: Timelash)
- The Eighth Doctor Adventures novel War of the Daleks, written by John Peel, included a long passage detailing how the planet destroyed in Remembrance of the Daleks was not Skaro, but a decoy called Antalin.
- This story takes place contemporaneously with the events of TV: The Cambridge Spy.
- The Doctor and Ace would visit 1960s London yet again in AUDIO: Thin Ice.
- The Doctor may have been partially aware of the Shoreditch Incident, including his own involvement with it, prior to his arrival in 1963. After defeating WOTAN on 20 July 1966 (TV: The War Machines), the First Doctor checked to see if the Hand of Omega had been buried in Shoreditch Cemetery as per his instructions, only to discover that it had been removed. He determined that his future self would arrive at an earlier point in order to deal with it. (PROSE: The Rag and Bone Man's Story) Furthermore, his sixth incarnation once commented to his companion Evelyn Smythe that, from what he has heard, his future self is "always blowing up planets." (AUDIO: The 100 Days of the Doctor)
- TV: The Mind of Evil also features a human being controlled remotely with the use of a transmitter/receiver planted behind the victim's left ear.
- In part 1, the Doctor references events of TV: Genesis of the Daleks when he explains to Ace who the Daleks are.
Home video and audio releases
DVD releases
Released as Doctor Who: Remembrance of the Daleks, this was the second release of 2001.
It was released:
- First Release:
- Region 2 26 February 2001
- PAL - BBC DVD BBCDVD1040
Contents:
- Deleted Scenes/Out-takes
- Multi-Angle Sequences
- Trailers
- Music-only Option
- Photo Gallery
- Production Subtitles
- Commentary: Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred
Rear Credits:
- By Ben Aaronovitch
- Produced by John Nathan-Turner
- Directed by Andrew Morgan
- Incidental Music by Keff McCulloch
Notes: An error was made and the Region 2 DVD is missing some SFX from certain shots. The Australia/NZ release is in NTSC format, not the standard PAL format, due to an inability to clear the music and the SFX problem which had been corrected for the US DVD.
Region 2 DVD Cover
Region 1 DVD Cover
- Second Release:
This second release was as part of the Davros box set (along with Genesis of the Daleks, Destiny of the Daleks, Resurrection of the Daleks and Revelation of the Daleks). The SFX errors and the Multi-Angle feature in the first release were corrected, the Photo Gallery revised and expanded, and the following additions made to the DVD package:
- 5.1 Dolby Remix
- Back to School Documentary - Cast and crew talk about the making of the story
- Remembrances Documentary - Cast and crew talk about the influences and references to other adventures
- Easter Egg - Go to the first Special Features menu, scroll down to 'Remembrances', click left for a logo that leads to an out-take of Sophie Aldred preparing one of her intros for the Deleted Scenes.
Notes:
- Remastering for the DVD release was completed by the Doctor Who Restoration Team.
- The special edition version of the story was released on its own on 20th July 2009.
- It was released with DWDVDF 29 on 3 February 2010.
Region 2 Special Edition Cover
North American release
The use of a Beatles song created problems when it came to issuing the story to DVD Region 1 (North America). In November 2007, BBC Video announced a March 2008 release for the story, but in December 2007 this was cancelled, with licensing issues cited as the reason.
In November 2009, two years later, BBC Video announced that Remembrance of the Daleks was finally released to DVD in North America on 2 March 2010. The release, dubbed a Special Edition, included the bonus content included in the UK release of the Special Edition, and substituted another recording of the Beatles song in place of the original recording.[2]
Region 1 Special Edition Cover
VHS releases This story was released as Doctor Who: Remembrance of the Daleks.
It was released:
- First Release:
- PAL - BBC Video BBCV5005
- NTSC - Warner Video E1145
Notes: This story was released in a special edition Dalek Tin along with The Chase and a book entitled The Daleks. The US release featured no book or tin, with both stories packaged in one box without individual artwork.
- Second Release:
- PAL - BBC Video BBCV7255
Notes: W H Smith exclusive as part of the The Davros Collection box set.
External links
- Remembrance of the Daleks at the BBC's official site
- Remembrance of the Daleks at BroaDWcast
- Remembrance of the Daleks at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- Remembrance of the Daleks at Shannon Sullivan's A Brief History of Time (Travel)
- Remembrance of the Daleks at The Locations Guide
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