Commenting Dalek
The Commenting Dalek was the name given to a single Dalek, or a group of Daleks, that observed the adventures of the Doctor of Earth-33⅓, often going unnoticed.
Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]
Early encounters[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Commenting Dalek was present when the First Doctor and Susan Foreman revealed that, as Time Lords got younger with each regeneration, their true relationship was grandson and grandmother. Upon Dr. Who's realisation that this made his Susan his great-grandmother, the Commenting Dalek identified Dr. Who as its "daddy". (COMIC: Doctor Who? 106)
On one occasion, the Commenting Dalek slightly frightened Susan, who was in the company of the Doctor, by shouting "Boo!". It appeared to be happy and waved to her. (COMIC: A Moment from 'Doctor Who' 2)
As the First Doctor, John and Gillian started to flee from swords and maces in Storyland after inadvertently attracting the weapons with the Doctor's magnetic grapes, the Commenting Dalek cut short the story of their escape back to the TARDIS. Looking rather unimpressed, it matter-of-factly declared "That's quite enough of that!". (COMIC: Nostalgia Corner)
Along with the Third Doctor, Jo Grant, the Brigadier and two full-sized Daleks, the Commenting Dalek watched some early CSO experimentation on television in a shop window on a street corner, albeit from a slightly further distance away to the others. (COMIC: Untitled 8)
On 17 October 1979, the Commenting Dalek waited in a queue for a newsagent to purchase a copy of the first edition of Doctor Who Weekly. The issue was a sell-out because it was joined in the queue by the first seven incarnations of the Doctor, a Cyberman, a Cybermat, a Dalek, an Ice Warrior, a Sontaran, a Yeti, and a Zygon. (COMIC: Doctor Who? 154)
Encounters with the Sixth Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]
In 1984, the Commenting Dalek looked unimpressed when overhearing John Nathan-Turner telling Colin Baker his contract guaranteed he would be afforded an eighteen month holiday each season, a feature Nathan-Turner tried to pass off as a positive. (COMIC: Ever Wondered What Happened At.. The Auditions For The Seven Doctors?)
While the Sixth Doctor was having a picnic outside the TARDIS, the Commenting Dalek observed from behind a bush as Peri Brown, carrying a new light bulb, exited the ship through its roof. (COMIC: Enlightenment)
As one leg of their history tour ended with the Doctor and Peri meeting Ronald McDonald, Steven Spielberg and Mickey Mouse, the Commenting Dalek was with Tim Quinn and Dicky Howett as the former thought how he would much rather have been in Philadelphia. (COMIC: The Incredible Doctor Who History Tour (No. 7.))
As another stint of the history tour ended with the Doctor and Peri witnessing an army of three-legged elephants chasing some of the Commenting Dalek's kind back to their flying saucers and off of Victorian era Earth, the Commenting Dalek looked unimpressed as it found out that, in the next stint of the tour, Queen Victoria would not be amused. (COMIC: The Doctor Who History Tour No. 10)
The Doctor and Peri ended their history tour when the Doctor explained that the BBC's "real technological breakthrough" came in 1963 with "a programme about a doctor". One of the cameramen predicted in his thoughts the show would last just six weeks and the Commenting Dalek agreed, apparently telepathically. (COMIC: The (Final) Doctor Who History Tour)
The Commenting Dalek was seen in various states of terror as it discovered BBC Enterprises had released a book titled 101 Things To Do With A Dead Dalek. (COMIC: Doctor Who? 124)
Along with the Sixth Doctor and Melanie Bush, the Commenting Dalek watched the beginning of the Cyberman auditions presided over by John Nathan-Turner, a process which involved the shooting and decapitation of hopefuls. (COMIC: Doctor Who? 125)
When Peri and Susan spoke to each other about their lives after "the show", the Commenting Dalek noticed another one of its kind as it toppled over nearby. (COMIC: Doctor Who? 127)
Encounters with the Seventh Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]
After the Seventh Doctor and Mel finished their interview with an interviewer and headed towards the TARDIS, the Commenting Dalek waved them farewell. As this happened, the Doctor revealed major improvements coming to the companion role in the new series, mainly in helping him to reach the TARDIS's lock. (COMIC: Doctor Who? 130)
The Commenting Dalek was on the surface of a planet when the Doctor trapped himself between the inner and outer doors of the TARDIS. He watched events unfold as he cursed himself for letting this happen again. (COMIC: Doctor Who? 132)
The Commenting Dalek was present, wearing a kilt, when the Seventh Doctor decried The Sun for printing false news stories about a Scottish element taking over his programme. A Dalek, Cyberman and Yeti, all also suddenly displaying unusually-Scottish traits, were part of the congregation as well. The Second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon watched from afar. (COMIC: Doctor Who? 134)
The Commenting Dalek was later affected by cutbacks in the BBC costume department. As the Seventh Doctor fled from a trio of Daleks which looked suspicously like ordinary humans, the Commenting Dalek, who was able to retain his dome, looked on unhappily. (COMIC: Doctor Who? 137)
After reading about "almost" lookalikes for each of the first seven incarnations of the Doctor, the Commenting Dalek asked "What's next?". (COMIC: The Doctor Who 'Almost' Lookalikes)
During auditions for the Eighth Doctor in Doctor Who: The Movie, the Commenting Dalek watched the six prospective candidates, which included Batman, confusedly, at the bewildered Seventh Doctor's side. (COMIC: Doctor Who? 138)
The Commenting Dalek held its arms to its dome in fear as he watched the Doctor and Ace flee from a group of Born-again Daleks, the only things in the galaxy worse than Daleks, which were attempting to excommunicate them. (COMIC: Doctor Who? 141)
Later encounters[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Commenting Dalek put its hands up in terror and screamed after a Red Dalek stormed the offices of Dalek Inc and exterminated a man and a woman for not paying their Terry Nation Licence. (COMIC: Doctor Who? 166)
In 2003, the Commenting Dalek was in the Doctor Who Fortieth Anniversary Special and featured in a photograph of the assorted cast. It also starred "all six Doctors" and "every companion", as well as a great many of the Doctor's foes. In the photograph, the Commenting Dalek was pictured next to a full-sized Dalek and in front of a Zygon. (COMIC: A Life in the Day of a Doctor Who Production)
Three Commenting Daleks merrily showed Santa Claus his way to the TARDIS upon his arrival outside the craft with a sack full of toys and Christmas presents. (COMIC: Father Christmas and TARDIS)
When the Commenting Dalek encountered Dicky Howett, it displayed signs of confusion. (COMIC: Character portraits) It showed similar emotions, along with the Twelfth Doctor and Hector the Worm, after witnessing Supermum casually leap over the TARDIS without acknowledging the feat. (COMIC: Untitled)
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
This Dalek is never given a name or referred to in any of its appearances but Dicky Howett described it as the "little foot-of-page commenting Dalek" in It's Even Bigger on the Inside. Hector the Worm served a similar purpose in Howett's Supermum strip for IPC's Whoopee! magazine.
The Dalek appeared in many of Howett's stories produced in conjunction with Tim Quinn. This primarily consisted of the parodic Doctor Who? series but also included multiple longer-form stories.
