Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)

Sypnosis

The Doctor and Ace battle two Dalek factions in 1963, London, both of them seeking the Hand of Omega, a Gallifreyan Superweapon. but will this be the end for the daleks!!

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 ancient relic of the Time Lord civilization that the Doctor hid on Earth on a previous 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 that accept and those that reject the leadership of their creator Davros, and each side wants the Hand for itself. The Imperial Daleks have set up an outpost at the Coal Hill School.

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, destroying it with the help of the Doctor and Ace. The Doctor tries to convince Gilmore and his scientific advisor, Dr Rachel Jensen, that human weapons are no match for the Daleks and the best thing they can do is just stay out of the crossfire. The Doctor, however, is playing a deeper game — he wants the "right" Daleks to take possession of the Hand.

The Renegade Daleks enlist the help of a local fascist, Ratcliffe, in first obtaining the Hand, but they are soon attacked by the Imperial Daleks, who retrieve the Hand. Determining that the Imperial Daleks are from Skaro, the Dalek homeworld, the Doctor allows them to return to their mothership with it. The Imperial Daleks plan to use the Hand to create a power source that will give them mastery of time travel, a technology that the Daleks only have in the crudest sense.

However, when the Dalek Emperor, a much deteriorated Davros, activates the Hand, he also triggers a booby-trap that the Doctor has programmed into it. The Hand transports itself to the future which the Imperial Daleks have come from and turns Skaro's sun into a supernova, destroying the star system and Dalek homeworld, and then returns itself to Gallifrey. The resulting feedback blows up the Imperial Dalek mothership, but Davros manages to flee in an escape pod before its destruction. The Dalek Supreme, the last Renegade Dalek on Earth, destroys itself when told by the Doctor that it is the last of its kind.

Cast

The Doctor - Sylvester McCoy
Ace - Sophie Aldred
Davros - 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

Notes

Terry Molloy was credited by the pseudonym of "Roy Tromelly" in Part 3 to preserve the surprise of Davros' return.

Crew

References

The Doctor leaves the Renegade Daleks a calling card baring a question mark and a set of symbols.
File:Drcallingcard.jpg
The Doctor's calling card
This Dalek encounter becomes known as the Shoreditch Incident.

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 (lead by Davros) and Renegade (led by the Black Dalek) Davros has augmented the Imperial Daleks with cybernetic implants, whereas 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 Daleks use a human child linked into their battle computer in order to provide a random element to their battle strategies. This tactic was developed after the stalemates of the Dalek-Movellan War.
The Doctor constructs a Dalek jamming device which he used / built: "something like it on Spiridon".
The Imperial Daleks utilise a Special Weapons Dalek.

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.

Time Lords and Gallifrey

The Hand of Omega makes its first appearance, the grave in which it is buried bears the symbol Ω.
The Doctor speaks to Ace concerning: Rassilon, Omega and Omega's hand (Hand of Omega).
The Doctor states he has 900 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."

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.

Story Notes

This story had a working title of; Nemesis of the Doctor.
This is the first instance of a Dalek levitating up a stair case 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 "Skeleton Effect" caused by Dalek's weapons.
The pre-credits sequence includes voiceovers from famous speeches including those of JFK, Charles de Gaulle, the Duke of Edinburgh and Martin Luther King.
In part 4, 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.)
This is the first story showing the inside of a Dalek(Imperial one) in a scene where It's Transmatting.
This is the first time(and the last), the Doctor Who series has been mentioned by TV narrator saying: "The time is quarter past five, and Saturday with an adventures of new Science Fiction series: Doc-" until the scene switched before finishing the sentence.

Ratings

Part 1 - 5.5 million viewers
Part 2 - 5.8 million viewers
Part 3 - 5.1 million viewers
Part 4 - 5.0 million viewers

Myths

to be added

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 Cemetary, Willesden, London
John Nodes Funeral Service, 181 Ladbroke Grove, London
Macbeth Street, Hammersmith, London
BBC Television Centre (TC8), Shepherd's Bush, London

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

The gates to the junkyard bear the label "I.M FORMAN", as a nod to the junkyard seen in the first ever episode (An Unearthly Child), and as a continuity link. (The Doctor also has knowledge of the geography of the junkyard). The junkyard in Unearthly Child however, is advertised as "I.M Foreman"This is due to a time blip, as explained in The Algebra of Ice.
When the Doctor is counting ten seconds until the Nitro-9 he obtained from Ace explodes, you can clearly see where the re-dubbed audio doesn't quite match the original footage.
Various details, such as the "French Revolution" book in the science lab, match up with The Pilot Episode but not with An Unearthly Child. It's not known for certain if this is the exact same book Susan looked at.
The Doctor says that the Daleks are dependant on rationality and logic, whereas Daleks are actually driven by Xenophobia and race hatred (it seems an especially odd statement to make as one of Remembrance's core themes is racial purity). The Doctor is obviously referring to their battle strategies, not to their psychology.
In part 2, during the scene in the undertaker's, Ace's baseball bat suddenly switches from the Doctor's left hand to his right. (Sophie Aldred points this out on the DVD commentary.)
It is strongly suggested that the events of this story take place on or about 23 November, 1963, to coincide with the first broadcast of Doctor Who in real life, yet no reference occurs to the assassination of John F. Kennedy the day prior, or the subsequent death of Lee Harvey Oswald, both of which would have been dominant topics of conversation even in London. Although strongly suggested, it's not definitively stated that this takes place in November 1963; all we know is it takes place soon after the events of An Unearthly Child which could have taken place at an earlier or later date. The killing of Oswald didn't occur until the 24th, in any event.
Also left unmentioned is the absence of teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright and student Susan Foreman; if this story takes place within a few days of the events of An Unearthly Child (as suggested by the presence of the "French Revolution" book), their absence should be noted by the police and the school undertaking investigations and news reports of a missing teenager and her teachers. This could all still be occurring "off screen".
The Doctor proclaiming himself as "President Elect of the High Council" contradicts The Five Doctors in which he was named full president and The Trial of a Time Lord in which it was stated that he was deposed. Perhaps in an unchronicled adventure, he was reelected, or his deposition was reversed when it was discovered that the Trial had been orchestrated by enemy elements, or he might have been bluffing.
Rachel Jesen uses the name Dalek without having heard it.
If it is 5:15 when the TV is playing then it should be dark. In addition, The Doctor asks the others to lunch after that on what appears to be the same day. Again, it's never stated exactly when during the year this story takes place. If it's mid-summer then it wouldn't be dark at 5:15. It could be argued that this isn't supported by Susan Foreman arriving at the junkyard after dark after going home from school (presumably late-afternoon) in An Unearthly Child but that story never indicates if she actually went straight home.
Ace is wearing a patch on her jacket of the Soviet Sickle & Hammer, and yet no one says anything, despite 1963 being the height of the Cold War.

Continuity

The Doctor constructs a device to disorientate the Imperial Daleks in order to rescue Ace replying when asked "I constructed something like it on Spiridon", a reference to a Third Doctor story DW: Planet of the Daleks.
EDA: War of the Daleks offers an alternative explanation (or a 'retcon') to many of the events of this story.
BFA: Terror Firma follows up on Davros' fate.
NA: Lungbarrow explains the detailed history of the Hand of Omega and how the Doctor obtained it.
EDA: Interference - Book Two explains the some of history behind IM Forman's junkyard.
This is the first time a Dalek levitates up some stairs, it is not seen again until DW: Dalek.
Daleks were previously seen floating in DW: Revelation of the Daleks (although the camera angle didn't show it properly), and DW: The Chase implied that the Daleks could fly, as it showed the Daleks on two levels of the Marie Celeste. Flying Daleks have also been featured in numerous Daleks comic strips since the 1960s.
According to ST: In the Community a Doctor Who Magazine short story (which appeared in DWM Issue 195) the girl who is the Dalek's battlecomputer name is Judith Winters.
The Doctor mentions Yeti in the underground from DW: The Web of Fear and the Zygon gambit with the Loch-ness monster from DW: Terror of the Zygons.
Davros is not seen on screen again until DW: The Stolen Earth (20 years later).

Timeline

For the Doctor

Remembrance of the Daleks occurs after: to be added
Remembrance of the Daleks occurs before: to be added

For Davros

Remembrance of the Daleks occurs after: DWM: Emperor of the Daleks
Remembrance of the Daleks occurs before: BFA: Terror Firma

DVD, Video, and Other Releases

DVD Releases

Released as Doctor Who: Remembrance of the Daleks, this release was the second release of 2001.

Released:

First Release:
Region 2 26th February 2001

PAL - BBC DVD BBCDVD1040

Region 4 13th May 2002
Region 1 2nd April 2002

NTSC - Warner Video E1183

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.

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

Video Releases

Released as Doctor Who: Rememberance of the Daleks.

Released:

First Release:

UK September 1993

PAL - BBC Video BBCV5005

Australia/NZ September 1993
US October 1993

NTSC - Warner Video E1145

Notes: 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, both stories packaged in one box without individual artwork.