Resurrection of the Daleks (TV story)
Resurrection of the Daleks was the fourth story of Season 21 of Doctor Who. This story was the first to be broadcast in the 45-minute format.
It was the final regular appearance of Tegan Jovanka, who left the Fifth Doctor for the second time. It also marked the return of Davros and the Daleks after their last appearance in Destiny of the Daleks. Lytton makes his debut and, strangely for villains of the time, survives with no ill effects.
Synopsis
Captured in a Time Corridor, the Doctor and his companions are forced to land on 20th Century Earth, diverted by the Doctor's oldest enemy - the Daleks. It is here that the true purpose of the Time Corridor becomes apparent: after ninety years of imprisonment, Davros, the ruthless creator of the Daleks, is to be liberated to assist in the resurrection of his army.
But not even the Daleks foresee the poisonous threat of their creator. Indeed, who would suspect Davros of wanting to destroy his own Daleks - and why?
Only the Doctor knows the truth. Will he be capable of descending to Davros' level of evil in order to stop him?
Plot
Part one
A group of futuristic humanoids are running down a London alley in 1984. As they flee, they are gunned down by two policemen led by Commander Lytton. Two of the humanoids, Galloway and Stien, escape to a warehouse where a time corridor is situated. Galloway is killed, leaving Stien alone. Lytton transports back to his battle cruiser and prepares to attack a prison space station whose only prisoner is Davros, the creator of the Daleks.
Meanwhile, the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough are being dragged down a time corridor in the TARDIS . They find themselves in the London docklands.
The Daleks try a direct frontal assault on the prison station with poor results, as the station crew, led by Dr. Styles and Lt. Mercer, fight back with considerable force. Lytton persuades the Dalek Supreme to use poisonous gas todispose of the crew. The plan proves to be a success and the Daleks have little trouble taking over the ship. Following orders, Watch Officer Osborn tries to destroy Davros, first using a non-functional automated system, then in person. However, Lytton and an engineer break into the cell and kill Osborn before she can complete her mission, then release Davros from his cryogenic imprisonment.
The Doctor and his friends have by now met a traumatised Stien, who joins them in returning to the warehouse to hunt for the end of the time corridor. There they meet a military bomb disposal squad, called in after builders uncovered what they thought to be unexploded bombs. While the others are distracted, Turlough stumbles into the time corridor, ending up on the Dalek ship.
Having learned the Doctor is in the warehouse, the Supreme Dalek dispatches a Dalek to detain him. The Dalek travels through the time corridor and appears as if from nowhere. The Doctor yells at everyone to take cover as it prepares to exterminate them...
Part two
The Dalek kills several of the men before the Doctor tells them to focus their fire on its eyestalk, blinding it. In the struggle, the humans push the Dalek out of the warehouse window, and it explodes on hitting the ground. Tegan suffers a head injury, and blacks out. Meanwhile, on the prison station, only Styles, Mercer and two guards are left alive of the original crew. Disguised in uniforms taken from Lytton's guards, they plan to blow up the station via its self-destruct system.
Davros explains to Lytton that his cryogenic sentence lasted for "Ninety years of mind-numbing boredom." He vows to take his revenge on "that meddling Time Lord," the Doctor. Lytton insists he is in their grasp. While Davros's travel chair is undergoing maintenance by the engineer Kiston, Lytton explains that the Daleks lost their war against the Movellans due to the development of a virus that specifically attacks Dalek tissue, and have awakened Davros to find a cure. Despite Lytton's reservations, Davros demands he remain on the prison ship while working on the virus, as it may be necessary for him to be refrozen. When Lytton leaves to discuss this with the Supreme Dalek, Davros uses a hypodermic-like mind control device to take control of Kiston.
Meanwhile, the Doctor and the members of the bomb disposal squad, having brought the remnants of the wrecked Dalek machine back inside, search for the Kaled mutant that was housed inside it. They eventually find and kill it after it wounds one of the squad's men. While the medical officer of the squad looks after the victim and a recovering Tegan, the Doctor and Stien head into the TARDIS to find out what is happening at the other end of the time corridor.
The TARDIS materialises inside the Dalek ship and narrowly avoids being captured. The Doctor tells Stien that they should find Turlough and make a swift exit. Stien points his own weapon at the Doctor, revealing that he himself is an agent of the Daleks...
Part Three
A squadron of Daleks close in to exterminate the Doctor, but Lytton enters and tells them the Supreme Dalek has ordered the Doctor is not to be killed - yet. The Daleks confirm this and lead the Doctor away. On the prison ship, Turlough joins forces with the remnants of the crew, telling them of the time corridor, as a way of escaping the ship's self-destruciont. On Earth, the man attacked by the Dalek behaves very strangely and wanders away, mumbling nonsense. The group commander, Colonel Archer, decides to radio for help, although his own radio is dead. He heads outside, finds two policemen (Lytton's associates), and asks for assistance. As he tries the radio, a policeman holds a gun to his head. The Daleks reveal their plan of cloning the Doctor and his companions, and to use the clones to assassinate the High Council of Time Lords on Gallifrey. Stien begins the mind-copying sequence while the Doctor tries to talk him into resisting his Dalek mind conditioning. While this goes on, Styles and the two station guards are killed while trying to activate the station's self-destruct system.
Back on Earth, Colonel Archer returns to the warehouse, obviously under Dalek control. Tegan tries to escape, but is soon recaptured by the policemen and taken through the time corridor to the Dalek ship. The squad's scientific advisor, Professor Laird, is shot while trying to flee the soldiers. Meanwhile, in the duplication chamber, Stien is overcome by confusion: the Doctor has realised that Stien's conditioning is unstable and begins challenging his ability to think for himself. As the mind-copying sequence nears completion, Stien breaks his conditioning and stops the process, freeing the Doctor.
The Doctor finds Turlough and Tegan, and they return to the TARDIS along with Stien and the last surviving station crew member. Rather than depart, the Doctor decides he must destroy Davros once and for all. With Stien and Lt. Mercer he heads to the station lab, leaving Tegan and Turlough in the TARDIS, which he has surreptitiously programmed on time delay to return them to the warehouse. In the lab, Davros has heard the Doctor has been taken prisoner by the Daleks. He announces that once the Doctor has been exterminated, he will build a new race of Daleks which shall be even more deadly, and they shall once more become the supreme beings...
Part Four
The Doctor confronts Davros in the lab, but his chance to kill him is lost when Stien's conditioning re-asserts itself long enough to let Lytton's troops kill Lt. Mercer. Horrified by his actions, Stien refuses to accompany the Doctor back to the time corridor, and runs off into the station.
Davros' army (a biochemist, Kiston, a soldier, and two Daleks) is growing. He dispatches his Daleks to Earth. Anticipating resistance from the Daleks not loyal to him, Davros opens a capsule of the Movellan virus. Two Daleks enter with the intention of exterminating him, but are themselves killed by the virus.
Back at the warehouse, a battle takes place between Davros' Daleks and those loyal to the Supreme Dalek. The TARDIS arrives and the Doctor returns through the time corridor. He now knows that the "unexploded bombs" discovered earlier were in fact cannisters containing the Movellan virus. He opens a cannister that Turlough and Tegan have brought into the TARDIS, and places it behind the Daleks who all start to die.
Lytton has escaped, and gleefully watches the Daleks' demise. He swaps his Dalek uniform for that of a policeman, and joins his two fellow "bobbies" on their next vigil. Back on the space station, Davros prepares to use an escape pod to flee from the station, but the Movellan virus attacks and seemingly kills him.
The Daleks are dead. Tegan is appalled at the deaths. The Dalek Supreme appears on the TARDIS scanner and threatens the Doctor, claiming that the Daleks have duplicates of prominent humans all over Earth, and it is just a matter of time before Earth falls.
Meanwhile, a wounded Stien is trying to activate the self-destruct sequence. Just as he is about to finish, the Daleks enter and exterminate him. With his last effort, he completes the sequence and destroys both the station and the Dalek ship.
The Doctor calls for them all to leave, but Tegan refuses; this has been one massacre too many. She no longer enjoys her adventures and wants to give it up, so she runs off. The Doctor is saddened and he and Turlough leave. As the TARDIS vanishes, Tegan runs back, remembering the Doctor's old admonishment: "Brave heart, Tegan." She calls out to the empty air that she will miss him.
Cast
- The Doctor - Peter Davison
- Tegan Jovanka - Janet Fielding
- Turlough - Mark Strickson
- Davros - Terry Molloy
- Stien - Rodney Bewes
- Lytton - Maurice Colbourne
- Styles - Rula Lenska
- Colonel Archer - Del Henney
- Professor Laird - Chloe Ashcroft
- Sergeant Calder - Philip McGough
- Mercer - Jim Findley
- Osborn - Sneh Gupta
- Trooper - Roger Davenport
- Crewmembers - John Adam Baker, Linsey Turner
- Galloway - William Sleigh
- Dalek Voices - Brian Miller, Royce Mills
- Dalek Operators - John Scott Martin, Cy Town, Tony Starr, Toby Byrne
- Kiston - Leslie Grantham
Crew
- Assistant Floor Manager - Matthew Burge
- Costumes - Janet Tharby
- Designer - John Anderson
- Film Cameraman - Ian Punter
- Film Editor - Dan Rae
- Incidental Music - Malcolm Clarke
- Make-Up - Eileen Mair
- Producer - John Nathan-Turner
- Production Assistant - Joy Sinclair
- Production Associate - June Collins
- Script Editor - Eric Saward
- Special Sounds - Dick Mills
- Studio Lighting - Ron Bristow
- Studio Sound - Scott Talbott
- Theme Arrangement - Peter Howell
- Title Music - Ron Grainer
- Visual Effects - Peter Wragg
References
Daleks
- The Supreme Dalek is in charge of one Dalek faction.
- It is explicitly shown that Daleks can electronically communicate with each other without words.
The Doctor
- Flashbacks through the Doctor's mind on the Dalek's mind analysis machine included: Turlough, Tegan, Nyssa, Adric, Romana II, Romana I, K9, Harry Sullivan, Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, Jo Grant, the Brigadier, Liz Shaw, Third Doctor, Zoe Heriot, Victoria Waterfield, Jamie McCrimmon, Second Doctor, Ben Jackson, Polly, Dodo Chaplet, Sara Kingdom, Katarina, Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton, Susan and the First Doctor.
- Decides that Davros should be killed and accepts the role of executioner with great reluctance.
- Vows to change his ways after the massive death toll and Tegan's stinging criticism of his lifestyle.
Locations
- There are cylinders of the Movellan virus stored on Earth.
- The TARDIS materialises near Tower Bridge in 1984.
Time travel
- The Daleks use time corridor technology to travel between their space craft, the space station and Earth.
- The Cloister Bell can be heard ringing while the Doctor is trying to free the TARDIS from the Daleks' time corridor.
Weapons
- The Doctor handles a pistol, killing a Dalek mutant.
- The Movellans secreted a number of anti-Dalek virus containers on Earth, possibly knowing that Earth is a prime candidate for future Dalek anti-Movellan operations.
- The Daleks equip their android duplicates with time period specific weapons (such as sub-machine guns for Lytton's faux-Policemen). This caused some consternation for Lytton, who abhors the waste of useful slaves/subjects for experimentation after the prisoners escape.
- Dalek Troopers are armed with laser weapons that have no visible beam but are lethal to humans in a single shot, and can damage a Dalek with enough shots.
Story notes
- This story had the working titles of: Warhead, The Return, The Resurrection
- Although recorded as four separate episodes it was broadcast as two 45 minute episodes in order to free up transmission slots for the broadcast of the Winter Olympics.
- An article by Russell T Davies in the Doctor Who Annual 2006 suggested that the Dalek Supreme's attempt to assassinate the High Council was one of the initial clashes in the Last Great Time War mentioned in the 2005 series.
- Eric Saward was unsatisfied with the story, saying in a DVD commentary that it was too frantic, with too many ideas. The main plot was the Daleks releasing Davros in order that he might find a cure for the Movellan virus. There were several sub-plots: the creation of duplicates to invade the Earth; the capture of the Doctor in order to create a clone to assassinate the Time Lords' High Council; Davros's scheme to create a new race of Daleks. None of these are dealt with at any length, and they distract from the central plot.
- John Nathan-Turner hated the Dalek-like helmets of Lytton's troops, but did not have the time to change them.
- Michael Wisher (who had played the original Davros in DW: Genesis of the Daleks) was unavailable to reprise his role as Davros due to theatrical work so he was replaced by actor Terry Molloy.
- A clip of the battling Daleks was used in the first episode of the TV series "James May's 20th Century". This clip was used to illustrate an item about lasers.
- This story is noted for its unusually high body count, even for Doctor Who. Besides the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough, only Lytton and his two policemen survive (the Dalek Supreme may also have survived, as it's unclear whether it is actually on the Dalek ship at the time of its destruction). Much of the violence appears gratuitous, such as the murder of Laird, the killing of a crew member infected by a disease, and the shooting of a man with a metal detector.
Ratings
- Part 1 - 7.3 million viewers
- Part 2 - 8.0 million viewers
Myths
- It was due to the success of the double-length episode format of this story that the BBC decided to adopt the same format for the whole of the following season. (It had already been decided before this that season twenty-two would consist of thirteen episodes of approximately forty-five minutes each).
Filming locations
- Curlew Street, Bermondsey
- Butler's Wharf, Bermondsey, London
- Shad Thames, Bermondsey
- Lafone Street, Bermondsey
- BBC Television Centre (TC6 & TC8), Shepherd's Bush, London
Production errors
- Near the end of episode 2, three Daleks go into the time corridor — but four come out.
- Many of the broadcast dupes of the third and fourth episodes seen on PBS stations in the US lacked sound effects; actors pointed lasers at each other noiselessly, and the final explosion was silent.
- The Dalek that is pushed out the window at the beginning of episode 2 bears little resemblance to the Dalek in the combat scene just before. It's a different colour, and its eye stalk is short.
- When the Doctor shoots the Dalek mutant, no bullet holes can be seen in the sheet.
- Davros is surprised at the impasse of the Dalek/Movellan war, although he saw it at first hand in DW : Destiny of the Daleks .
- When Davros says the line "Now for the Daleks" his mouth does not move at all.
- In episode 1 in the TARDIS you can see the shadow of the boom microphone
Continuity
- With the exception a brief scene in DW: The Five Doctors, this is the only story to feature the Daleks during the Peter Davison era on screen.
- Davros was placed in suspended animation in DW: Destiny of the Daleks.
- Lytton reappears in DW: Attack of the Cybermen.
- Flashbacks on the Dalek's mind analysis machine included: Turlough (DW: Terminus), Tegan (DW: Logopolis), Nyssa (DW: Black Orchid), Adric (DW: Warriors' Gate), Romana II (DW: Warriors' Gate), Romana I (DW: The Ribos Operation), K9 (DW: Warriors' Gate), Harry (DW: Terror of the Zygons), the Fourth Doctor (DW: Pyramids of Mars), Sarah Jane Smith (DW: Pyramids of Mars), Jo (DW: The Mutants), the Brigadier (DW: The Ambassadors of Death), Liz Shaw (DW: Spearhead from Space), the Third Doctor (DW: The Mutants), Zoe (DW: The War Games), Victoria (DW: The Enemy of the World), Jamie (DW: The Enemy of the World), the Second Doctor (DW: The War Games), Ben (DW: The Tenth Planet), Polly (DW: The Tenth Planet), Dodo DW: (The War Machines), Sara (DW: The Daleks' Master Plan), Katarina (DW: The Daleks' Master Plan), Steven (DW: The Time Meddler), Vicki (DW: The Rescue), Barbara (DW: The Daleks), Ian (DW: The Daleks), Susan (DW: The Daleks), and the First Doctor (DW: The Daleks' Master Plan). Leela and Kamelion are missed out for unknown, in the Whoniverse, reasons.
- Tegan leaves the TARDIS but is eventually reunited with the Doctor in Brisbane, Australia on 22 September 2006, 22 years later. (BFA: The Gathering)
- Tegan also has another different encounter with the Doctor in ST: Good Companions.
- Davros next appears in BFA: Davros. He next appears on screen in DW: Revelation of the Daleks.
- Sometimes mistaken for an "everybody dies" episode, every guest star dies. The other "everybody dies" stories include DW: Pyramids of Mars, and DW: Horror of Fang Rock.
- The use of contagion by the Daleks as a weapon is a recurring element of the classic Dalek stories. In DW: The Dalek Invasion of Earth they infect Earth with a plague. In DW: Planet of the Daleks they conquer Spiridon with disease. In DW: Death to the Daleks they threaten to launch plague missiles. In DW: Genesis of the Daleks, Davros contemplates a disease that would wipe out all life. He later creates it in BFA: Terror Firma. In this story, the Daleks use disease to capture the prison ship.
- When Tegan protests the violence which seems to surround the Doctor wherever he goes, he remarks, "It seems I must mend my ways". This foresees a similar remorse more deeply explored in stories involving the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors.
- Tegan previously encountered a Dalek in the Cathedral of Power of the Elite on Florana. (BFA: The Elite)
Timeline
For the Doctor
- This story occurs after ST: Last Minute Shopping
- This story occurs before MA: Lords of the Storm
For Davros
- This story occurs after DW: Destiny of the Daleks
- This story occurs before BFA: Davros
Home video and audio releases
DVD releases
Released as Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks, the UK DVD release came with an additional rubber case that went over the top of the standard packaging.
Released:
- Region 2 18 November 2002
- PAL - BBC DVD BBCDVD1100
- Region 4 3 February 2003
- Region 1 1 July 2003
- NTSC - Warner Video E1759
Contents:
- On Location - Eric Saward, Matthew Robinson, and John Nathan-Turner interviewed about the story.
- Breakfast Time - Two features from the BBC morning magazine show.
- Deleted Scenes
- Trailer
- 5.1 Mix
- Music-only Option
- TARDIS-Cam #4
- Photo Gallery
- Production Subtitles
- Easter Egg- On the first special features menu page, select "BBC Trailer" and press left to highlight a hidden "Doctor Who" logo. Select this and you'll see an original VT countdown used before the programme.
- Commentary: Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, and Matthew Robinson
Rear Credits:
- Starring Peter Davison
- By Eric Saward
- Produced by John Nathan-Turner
- Directed by Matthew Robinson
- Incidental Music by Malcolm Clarke
Notes:
- Editing for DVD release completed by Doctor Who Restoration Team.
- It has also been released as part of the Davros box set with Genesis of the Daleks, Destiny of the Daleks, Revelation of the Daleks and Remembrance of the Daleks.
Region 2 DVD cover
Region 4 DVD cover
Region 1 DVD cover
Davros Region 1 cover
Region 4 Davros cover
Davros Region 2 cover
Special Edition release
Released as Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks: Special Edition
Released:
Special Features:
- The story's original 2-part edition, released on DVD for the first time. The 4-part edition is featured as well.
- Commentary by Terry Molloy, Eric Saward, and Peter Wragg.
- Casting Far and Wide documentary
- The Last Dalek documentary, moved here from The Seeds of Death.
- Come In Number Five documentary, presented by David Tennant.
- Tomorrow's Times - The Fifth Doctor
- 'Walrus' short
- All previous special features.
Notes:
- Is only available in the UK and Australia as part of the Revisitations 2 box set.
Region 2 DVD cover
Region 4 cover
Revisitations 2 Region 2 cover
Region 4 Revisitations 2 cover
VHS releases
Released as Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks.
Released:
- First Release:
- PAL - BBC Video BBCV5143
- NTSC - Warner Video E1261
Notes: Presented in the non-broadcast (original edit) four part format.
- Second Release:
- PAL - BBC Video BBCV7253
Notes: W H Smith exclusive as part of the The Davros Collection box set.
- Resurrection of the DaleksUS.jpg
US VHS cover
AUS VHS cover
- Resurrection of the Daleksuk.jpg
UK VHS cover
UK VHS box set cover
- Resurrection of the Daleks uk a.jpg
UK VHS re release cover
VHS AUS box set cover
- Resurrection of the Daleks s.jpg
AUS VHS re release cover
Novelisation
- This story was never official novelised due to unsuccessful negotiations with Eric Saward, however the New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club had novelised it Resurrection of the Daleks By Paul Scoones.
Misc cover
External links
- Resurrection of the Daleks at the BBC's official site
- Resurrection of the Daleks at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- Resurrection of the Daleks at Shannon Sullivan's A Brief History of Time (Travel)
- Resurrection of the Daleks at The Locations Guide
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