The Evil of the Daleks (TV story)

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The Evil of the Daleks was the ninth and final serial of Season 4 of Doctor Who. It introduced Deborah Watling as new companion Victoria Waterfield.

This serial was intended to be the Doctor's final battle with the Daleks altogether, facilitating the transition of The Daleks into its own spin-off TV series, which Terry Nation hoped to produce in the USA. Although the planned TV spin-off did not pan out, the Daleks did not appear again in Doctor Who for five years except for minor cameos.

The story also marked the first true live-action appearance of a Dalek Emperor. Although this first Dalek Emperor had featured prominently in prose and comic stories for years, its sole televised appearance had been a brief, silent appearance of its likeness in the Thunderbirds episode The Man from MI.5 over a year prior.

Currently, only episode two exists in the BBC Archives. However, the story was released on DVD, Blu-Ray and Limited Edition Steelbook on 27 September 2021, with all seven episodes animated in both black-and-white and colour format, including the surviving episode two.[1]

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Daleks draft the Second Doctor into distilling the human factor in order for them to understand why they have always been bested by humans in the past. Once implanted, it will make the Dalek race invincible. Jamie's faith in the Doctor is stretched to the limit as the Doctor appears to be collaborating with the Daleks. The Doctor has a few tricks up his sleeve, but then again so might the Daleks.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Episode 1[[edit] | [edit source]]

Having bid farewell to Ben and Polly at Gatwick Airport, the Second Doctor and Jamie round a corner to discover that someone is stealing the TARDIS, which is being driven away on the back of a lorry. They run after the lorry, but are too slow and the vehicle is soon out of sight.

The Doctor and Jamie go into a building and ask a less-than-helpful air mechanic, Bob Hall. They are told it was taken by someone called J. Smith for the Leatherman Company. Unbeknownst to the pair, a man named Kennedy is listening to their conversation and reporting it back to his boss — Edward Waterfield.

The Doctor tells Jamie he suspects Hall due to his uniform being too small and the cover sheet he was shown being different to the rest. They see Hall leave the airport and hail a cab to follow him.

Waterfield explains to his assistant Perry that the police box is a special request for a particular client. Perry admires all the traditional looking Victoriana in the shop.

Kennedy meets up with Hall, but is disgusted to see he has been followed. Kennedy intends to hurt the Doctor and Jamie, but Hall refuses to be part of it. Kennedy knocks Hall out and hides. When the Doctor and Jamie enter, they find Hall. All he can say is, "Where's Ken...?" before losing consciousness. As they investigate the place, Kennedy sneaks out, locking them in. When they finally break out, Kennedy is long gone. The Doctor finds a book of matches from the Tri-Colour cafe and deduces that the matches have been taken from left to right. The only course of action is to go to the cafe and find someone called Ken who is left-handed.

When Kennedy meets Waterfield, it is revealed it is a trap. Waterfield ensures that it is the Doctor by showing Kennedy a picture. Waterfield's understanding of the cockney Kennedy seems stilted, and he does not understand what he is saying some of the time. He asks Kennedy to fetch Perry. While he is gone, Waterfield goes to a secret room hidden by a bookcase. The room is sparse and decorated in a more futuristic way than Waterfield's office. In the middle of the room stands a Victorian jug. He picks it up and leaves before Perry arrives. Waterfield explains the jug is for a Doctor Galloway — showing Perry a picture of the Doctor — who is to be met at the cafe and told to meet Waterfield at ten that night. As Perry leaves, he notices Kennedy listening at the door and rebukes him.

At the cafe, Jamie and the Doctor wait. The Doctor is sure it is a trap but says they have nothing else to go on. Perry approaches and tells them to be at the shop at 10 PM. The Doctor goes along with it.

At the office, Kennedy hears Waterfield shouting to someone, demanding information and becoming furious when it is not given. Perry reports to Waterfield that the plan has worked.

Later that day, Kennedy breaks into Waterfield's office and investigates. Soon enough he finds the secret room. He breaks into a safe. As he is looking in the safe and his back is turned, a Dalek appears. The Dalek demands to know who he is. A horrified Kennedy is backed up against the wall as the Dalek approaches...

Episode 2[[edit] | [edit source]]

Kennedy attempts to flee and is shot down by the Dalek, which promptly disappears.

The Doctor and Jamie arrive at the antique shop half an hour early and the Doctor makes sure the entrance bell does not chime as they step inside. They note the antique clocks, which are too perfect to be reproductions but too new to be genuinely Victorian. They also find a bill dated 1866, but again it is seemingly too new to be genuine.

Waterfield discovers Kennedy's body and is horrified at the Dalek's callous indifference to human life, but the Dalek demands that he follow orders. Despite his shattered nerves, Waterfield lays a trap for the Doctor and Jamie, involving a photo of the two of them ripped in half, and hides awaiting his guests.

The Doctor and Jamie encounter Perry. As they make their way into Waterfield's office they discover Kennedy's body. Perry immediately runs off to fetch the police. The Doctor investigates Kennedy's body and cannot fathom the cause of death, but he notes half of the photo of his face in the dead man's hands. Jamie discovers the other half of the photo wedged in the box. Before the Doctor can warn him against the suspected trap, Jamie pulls at it, releasing a gas which knocks the pair out. Waterfield moves their prone bodies onto the platform, and the three disappear.

The Doctor awakes to find himself and Jamie in a country house. A maid by the name of Mollie Dawson enters and gives the Doctor a restorative. On enquiry, the Doctor finds out it is the year 1866. A man by the name of Theodore Maxtible introduces himself to the Doctor and states he will explain everything. The Doctor is initially angry until Waterfield enters and explains that there is a higher power at play who have kidnapped his daughter in order to control them.

Victoria as a prisoner of the Daleks.

Waterfield's daughter, Victoria, is indeed prisoner to the Daleks and is being force-fed to keep up her weight.

Maxtible and Waterfield show the Doctor into a comparatively hi-tech laboratory and explain that they have been researching time travel through the use of static electricity and a chamber lined with mirrors. Through their experiments with static electricity, they inadvertently provided entrance to a group of Daleks who took Waterfield's daughter Victoria prisoner and forced them to kidnap the Doctor. A Dalek enters and threatens to destroy the TARDIS unless the Doctor assists them with an experiment. Jamie is to be subjected to a series of potentially lethal tests. The Dalek leaves. Maxtible believes that the Daleks may be trying to thwart their pattern of being defeated by humans by becoming more human themselves, using Jamie as their guinea pig.

Back in the living room, Mollie enters and wakes Jamie. Ruth, Theodore's daughter, enters and introduces herself to Jamie, then leaves him alone. As he is distracted, a ruffian enters and strikes Jamie over the head, rendering him unconscious. Mollie comes in and finds him. She too is attacked.

The Doctor is determined to get to Jamie before the Daleks do and leaves with Waterfield. They find a prone figure on the ground. When uncovered, it is not Jamie but Mollie.

Maxtible is ordered by the Daleks to start the experiment.

The Doctor is examining some dirt on the floor. Waterfield tells him that Jamie is vital to the Daleks' plan. The Doctor says if they don't find Jamie, the Daleks will take pleasure in killing everyone in sight.

In the corridor, two Daleks are talking. The first says the humans have been ordered to begin the test. The second says any delay will result in death. The first responds that there will be no delay...

Episode 3[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor investigates the room and finds a piece of straw.

Jamie has been kidnapped by a ruffian, Toby, at the behest of another house guest, Arthur Terrall (the fiancé of Maxtible's daughter Ruth). Toby and Terrall fight over the payment. Terrall seems confused and at one point has a dizzy fit. His behaviour vacillates wildly from calm to violent. The Doctor tracks Jamie back to the barn and hears the back end of the conversation.

The Daleks prepare for the test to begin, moving Victoria to one end of the south wing of the house.

Jamie is puzzled by the Doctor's behaviour, as he overhears the Doctor claim that the Daleks are in the house and appears to collaborate with Maxtible and Waterfield.

The Daleks argue with Maxtible, demanding a swift start to the experiment. A mute Turkish muscleman, Kemel, a servant of Maxtible, demonstrates his strength by bending an iron bar and breaking a plank. He is told that Jamie is a vicious ruffian and is instructed to guard the house against him. He is taken to a door that is booby-trapped and told to wait for Jamie to pass.

The Daleks confirm that they are wanting to acquire the human factor. When the Doctor asks why Jamie, the Daleks say that because of his travels with the Doctor, Jamie is the most intrinsically human person in the universe. Faced with the option of breeding a race of super-Daleks or losing his TARDIS, the Doctor is forced to agree. Maxtible explains that the way to extract the human quality is through staging a rescue of Victoria by Jamie.

Ruth enters with Terrall, who reacts very wildly to the presence of Jamie and has another dizzy spell. The Doctor enters, and Jamie blows up at him for conspiring with Waterfield and Maxtible. Jamie, however, succumbs to the Doctor's reverse psychology forbidding him from attempting a rescue of Victoria. He has, after all, become seemingly smitten by a painting of Victoria's late mother, who he's told resembles her daughter exactly.

Toby and Terrall meet again and argue about the payment Toby received. As they do, Terrall has a dizzy spell which allows Toby to strike him across the face and steal his money.

Jamie meets up with Mollie, who gives him plans for the house.

Maxtible explains to the Doctor that, as Jamie tries to save Victoria, his emotions will be recorded and saved. The Doctor is to manipulate his emotions.

Toby sneaks into the house to loot it and is exterminated by a Dalek.

Jamie is soon in the south wing. He opens the false panel and is only saved from the booby-trap by a bird triggering it first. He rounds the corner and squares off against the fearsome Kemel.

Episode 4[[edit] | [edit source]]

Jamie and Kemel fight at length. Kemel is much stronger, but Jamie is wily. Jamie runs into another room and forces Kemel through an open window, leaving him dangling from the roof. Once Jamie pulls Kemel back in, they come to a truce. A Dalek places a booby-trap using one of Victoria's handkerchiefs as bait. Jamie attempts to pick it up, and Kemel pushes him away just before an axe swings down.

The Doctor, monitoring their progress, gleefully notes how Jamie's courage and mercy have allowed him to survive.

Meanwhile, Waterfield is increasingly unnerved by the Daleks' ruthlessness. He discovers the body of Toby and attempts to stand up to the Daleks, but he is convinced out of it by Maxtible. Waterfield tells Maxtible that as soon as this whole business is over he is going to confess his part in it. As Waterfield begins to move the body, Maxtible secretes a gun in his jacket.

Despite not being able to communicate, Kemel and Jamie bond. Kemel manages to show that he likes Victoria and shows Jamie a flower she gave him. They combine forces, determined to help her escape together.

Maxtible and Waterfield hide the body in the barn and argue about the plan. Terrall observes all this. Maxtible sends Waterfield back to the house. As Waterfield departs, Maxtible aims the gun at him. Just before he pulls the trigger, Terrall stops him and says this is not the plan. Terrall's response to Maxtible's protestations is, "You will obey!"

Jamie and Kemel are hiding from the Daleks when Jamie accidentally trips a booby-trap. A spike falls from the ceiling. Jamie manages to alert Kemel before it kills him.

The Doctor explains they have now recorded instinct.

Jamie and Kemel watch a Dalek guard inspect Victoria, an hourly routine. Kemel arms himself with a mace, but Jamie says that would be suicide and they need to stick together.

The Doctor explains that this is an example of the human trait of self-preservation.

Later that night, Terrall and Mollie have a violent argument. She has said she heard Victoria's voice, which has incensed Terrall. Ruth interrupts and takes pity on Mollie, but Terrall gets even more furious and sends her away. Ruth begs Terrall to go away with her, but he says he can't.

A Dalek and Maxtible argue. Maxtible tries to stand up for himself and demands that the Daleks fulfil their end of the bargain — the revelation of a secret. They refuse. Maxtible says he will stop allowing them to use his lab as a base, and the Dalek pushes him to the ground before leaving. Ruth enters, much to Maxtible's anger, and demands to know what is going on, why Terrall is acting strangely and where Victoria is. Maxtible answers none of these but explains he is working on the alchemical secret of transmuting base metals into gold.

After working together to destroy a Dalek by flinging it into a lit fireplace using the rope, Jamie and Kemel climb the balcony of the trophy room, finding Victoria in the closed room beyond. A hidden panel slides open, and a Dalek advances on them.

Episode 5[[edit] | [edit source]]

Jamie and Kemel manage to propel the Dalek off the balcony, where it explodes on the floor below. This, however, sets off an alarm and alerts the Daleks to the presence of Jamie and Kemel. Jamie and Kemel break into the room beyond to finally find Victoria. They barricade themselves in.

The Doctor closes in on Terrall, correctly suspecting that he's under Dalek influence — his main claim is that no one has ever seen him eat or drink. In his discussion with Terrall, he also discovers that he is mildly magnetic. It is evident that the strain on Terrall is worsening. Once he is alone, Terrall tries to drink a glass of wine but finds he cannot lift the glass to his lips; he hears a Dalek voice in his head grating the word "Obey!" repeatedly.

Victoria explains to Jamie that she does not recollect how she came to be under the power of the Daleks, but she briefly recalls that she did it willingly. Jamie speculates that it must be an inside job.

Back in the main house, Maxtible hypnotises Mollie to remove her suspicions regarding Victoria. Once the job is complete, Maxtible explains to Terrall that that is how he got Victoria to return to the Daleks. Maxtible explains that the Doctor is being watched and that Waterfield is reaching the end of his usefulness. Maxtible has a task for Terrell — to get Victoria from the other wing of the house. Terrall tries to resist, but he is forced to obey.

Meanwhile, Waterfield pleads with the Doctor to stop the experiment. He states that once the Daleks have the Human Factor, they'll be invincible. The Doctor continues nonetheless, imprinting the qualities that Jamie exhibited into positronic brains that will be implanted into three test Daleks. He admits he has no idea of the outcome. Waterfield even thinks of knocking the Doctor out to stop his continuation of the experiment, but he argues that it is too far along to go back now.

Jamie is telling Victoria the story of how they got to her when a liquid starts to flow under the door, causing it to melt. As Jamie and Kemel set about barricading the Daleks, Terrall sneaks into Victoria's room via a secret passageway and steals her away. Jamie and Kemel follow through the passageway to find her. Jamie and Terrall fight until they are discovered by Ruth, Mollie and the Doctor. The fight is halted when Terrall is overcome by one of his fits. The Doctor orders Ruth to prepare a carriage taking her and Terrall as far away from here as possible. The Doctor finds a small black box around the neck of Terrall and liberates him from the control of the Daleks.

Kemel finds Victoria unconscious in the lab. A Dalek orders him to carry her into the time travel cabinet. The Doctor and Jamie enter. Jamie is furious with the Doctor for his seeming collaboration with the Daleks and has lost his faith in the Doctor — even saying he wishes not to travel with him anymore. Then the three test Daleks with the Human Factor activate; rather than being invincible killing machines, they are childlike and playful, forcing the Doctor into a game of trains with them.

Episode 6[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor is overjoyed with the success of the experiment, watching the Daleks enjoying the individual names given to them by the Doctor (Alpha, Beta and Omega) and playing trains and roundabouts. The Doctor explains to Jamie they are merely children and introduces them to the concept of friendship. All the Daleks, including the three humanised ones, are then summoned back to Skaro now that the experiment has ended. Alpha, Beta and Omega leave the Doctor and Jamie, who go to seek out Victoria.

Maxtible tries to get Waterfield to leave, insisting that Victoria must be somewhere around. Once Waterfield leaves, Maxtible discovers a small grey box on the floor. A Dalek emerges and tells Maxtible off for interfering with it. The Dalek orders Maxtible to fetch the Doctor for their "trip". Maxtible ensures that if he does, the Daleks will reveal their secret. Waterfield overhears all of this and confronts Maxtible. Waterfield and Maxtible fight and Waterfield ends up being knocked unconscious. The Dalek returns and tells Maxtible that the grey box is a bomb and that he needs to find the Doctor now. Panicked, Maxtible goes to fetch him but cannot. Waterfield awakes to see Maxtible and the Daleks return to Skaro through the cubicle. The Doctor and Jamie find the stunned Waterfield, who manages to tell him what has happened. The trio make it to Skaro seconds before the bomb goes off.

Kemel and Victoria are in a cell in the Dalek city. Maxtible arrives to explain to them how they've been transported across the galaxy. Victoria despairs but Kemel resolves to defend her. On the outskirts of the city, the Doctor, Jamie and Waterfield enter the cave system that the Doctor knows so well from his first visit to the city. The Daleks are furious with Maxtible for not bringing the Doctor with him to Skaro. Maxtible shouts at the Daleks for destroying his house, and the Daleks round on him, but an alarm soon rings. The Daleks check on Victoria and Kemel and infer that there must be other humans in the city. Victoria takes hope from this. Meanwhile, the Black Dalek encounters one of the three humanised Daleks, Omega, who proudly boasts how the Doctor gave him his name. Omega is taken somewhere central.

Meanwhile, a Dalek escorts Victoria and Kemel to join Maxtible in a small cell. Maxtible is summoned. Victoria and Kemel hear his screams of agony. The Dalek returns for Victoria. In a tunnel, the Doctor, Jamie and Waterfield hear the screams and hurry on. They round a corner and meet a Dalek claiming to be Omega, but the Doctor quickly recognises it's an impostor and pushes it over a cliff. A furious Victoria and Maxtible are returned to their cell. Victoria rounds on Maxtible for twisting her arm and forcing her to scream, knowing full well that it was bait for the Doctor.

The Emperor Dalek, with its guards.

The Doctor, Jamie and Waterfield eventually reach the centre of Skaro. It is not long before they are discovered and summoned to the throne room of the giant Emperor Dalek. The Doctor boasts to the Emperor how the humanised Daleks will soon ferment revolution on Skaro (his true goal all along), and that the Daleks are beaten. The Emperor then reveals that he too has a secret. Identifying the Human Factor has allowed the Daleks to identify the Dalek factor — the urge to obey, to fight, to destroy and to exterminate. Holding the Doctor's TARDIS as bait, they order the Doctor to implant the Dalek Factor across the history of Earth.

Episode 7[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Daleks put the final touches to their experiment. The Doctor is appalled and refuses to comply. They are all put in the holding cell, and Victoria is reunited with her father at last. Jamie and Maxtible argue, and when it looks like it may become physical, the Daleks intervene. Waterfield tries to persuade Maxtible that he should use this power for good, but he won't hear of it. In conversation with Victoria, the Doctor states that he is willing to sacrifice all of them to protect Earth.

The experiment is ready to begin. A Dalek tries to withdraw his unit from the experiment when another Dalek questions why. Maxtible, once more, demands the transmutation secret. The Daleks show him the machine in action. Spellbound, he walks through an archway that implants him with the Dalek factor. A Dalek reports to the Emperor that a Dalek has questioned an order. The Emperor demands it be found out.

Later, as they sleep, Maxtible appears to hypnotise the Doctor into walking through the arch as well. The others wake to see him, and Jamie cries out in vain for him to stop. As he passes through, the Doctor seems to also be mentally converted into a Dalek. Jamie and the others despair, and all hope seems to be lost. Maxtible leads the Doctor to the machinery that controls the process of implanting the Dalek factor. Once Maxtible has gone, the Doctor, clearly not affected by the arch, switches around some of the machinery. He awakens Jamie and tells him to get everyone through the arch the next time a Dalek walks through. A Dalek comes to bring the Doctor before the Emperor. As he leaves, the Doctor gives a subtle wink to Jamie. Jamie and the humans discuss whether this may be another trap. The Doctor and Maxtible are brought to the Emperor. The Doctor, still pretending to be converted, suggests that all Daleks be passed through the conversion arch so that the humanised Daleks will be re-impregnated with the Dalek Factor.

As the Daleks begin moving through the arch, the Doctor urges his imprisoned colleagues to go through also. He reveals his double-cross: he switched the circuitry, and all the Daleks passing through the arch are being humanised. Because the Doctor is not human himself, the initial Dalek conversion failed. They go through the archway and are unchanged. Waterfield opts to help the Doctor. Chaos erupts in the Dalek city. Humanised Daleks begin defying the non-processed Daleks and are destroyed. The Doctor urges the humanised Daleks to defend themselves and to demand answers from the Emperor. Soon civil war erupts in full force. Whilst encouraging the Daleks into killing the Emperor, Waterfield sacrifices his life to save the Doctor. He makes the Doctor promise he will look after Victoria.

File:DestructionOfDalekCity TheEvilOfTheDaleks.png
The destruction of the Dalek city.

The Emperor himself is destroyed by the fighting in the throne room which sets of a process of mutual destruction. Skaro begins to burn. The enraged Maxtible hurls Kemel over a cliff to his death, as he is confronted by Daleks. The Doctor tries to escape Skaro and encounters Maxtible calling for the victory of the Daleks — despite the odds. The Doctor and Jamie escape the melee with the now-orphaned Victoria and watch the city burn, apparently witnesses to the final end of the Daleks. Jamie expresses concern about Victoria being left alone, to which the Doctor replies that she'll be going with them as they leave.

In the Emperor Dalek's burning chamber, one Dalek appears to be still alive as a light pulses inside its overturned, wrecked casing...

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Animation Team[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The working title of this story was The Daleks (also sometimes referred to as Daleks). A rumoured working title is War of the Daleks, but this does not appear on any contemporary BBC paperwork.
  • Written by former Doctor Who script editor David Whitaker, The Evil of the Daleks was initially intended to be the last Dalek story on Doctor Who. Writer Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks, was busily trying to sell the Daleks to American television at the time, to produce a spin-off series featuring them. To facilitate a sale (and the possible sale of an American Dalek series to ITV) Nation requested that the BBC relinquish its rights to the Daleks and cease using them. Accordingly, the BBC intended to give them a big send-off from the series. Of course, despite the Doctor's pronouncement, this was not to be his last encounter with these most famous of his adversaries. In addition, despite the intention to "kill off" the Daleks, Innes Lloyd was told, at the last moment before filming the final scene, not to. He did this inserting a light globe inside one of the wrecked Daleks in the Emperor Dalek's chamber. This light glowed, suggesting that something within remained alive.
  • Originally, the Doctor and Edward Waterfield were to travel back to Earth in the year 20,000 BC and retrieve a caveman named Og, from whom the Doctor was to deduce the essence of humanity. The Daleks' plan was to eradicate this quality from every generation of man, thereby eliminating Earth as a threat. Meanwhile, Jamie and Victoria were held hostage on Skaro.
  • The concept of a Dalek Emperor originated from Dalek Planetarium and the first Emperor appeared in Invasion of the Daleks, both part of The Dalek Book. Not only does The Evil of the Daleks bring the concept into the TV series, but later stories firmly establish that the Emperor in both stories is the same individual, the Dalek Prime. This makes the Emperor the second character originating in spin-off media to appear on television, having been preceded by the Black Dalek Leader, the Emperor's second in command.
  • Anne Waterfield — probably Victoria's mother — featured in the plot in the early stages of its gestation.
  • Anneke Wills and Michael Craze were both contracted up to episode two of this serial to appear as Polly and Ben. However, it had been decided during the previous serial that the characters would be dropped; consequently both actors had their contracts paid up and were released after episode two of The Faceless Ones.
  • Several model sequences shot on film for episode seven were directed by Timothy Combe, though he received no on-screen credit.
  • This was the last story on which Gerry Davis served as story editor.
  • This is the first seven-part story since Marco Polo was released three years earlier.
  • The Evil of the Daleks was wiped from the BBC Archives in the late 1960s. Only a telerecording of episode two remains, which was returned to the BBC Archives in May 1987, along with episode three of The Faceless Ones, by a private collector, who acquired the episodes at a car boot sale a few years earlier. A copy of the soundtrack was released in 1992. A second version with alternative narration was released in 2003. An 8mm home movie of the filming of the Dalek battle sequence exists and is included on the DVD of The Tomb of the Cybermen.
  • This was the first series finale in Doctor Who history that featured a returning adversary, as well as the first series-finale to feature the Daleks.
  • In 1993, readers of DreamWatch Bulletin voted The Evil of the Daleks as the best ever Doctor Who story in a special poll for the series' thirtieth anniversary.
  • The Beatles' "Paperback Writer" and the Seekers' "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" are used as background music on the jukebox in the coffee bar scenes in Episode One. These have been edited on some audio releases and on the animated version due to copyright issues.
  • The theme given to the Daleks by Dudley Simpson in his incidental music was based on the series' own signature tune.
  • Patrick Troughton and Deborah Watling appear only in pre-recorded film inserts in episode four, as they were both on holiday during the week when it was recorded.
  • Sound effects from The Daleks and The Daleks' Master Plan are reused for the Dalek city.
  • Some Louis Marx "tricky action" toy Daleks are used in model work for the scenes of the destruction of the Dalek city.
  • The first individual visual effects designer credits ever given on the series appear, for Michaeljohn Harris and Peter Day. Previously, visual effects had been handled by the series' scenic designers rather than by the BBC's Visual Effects Department, although the department as a whole did receive a credit on the first story, An Unearthly Child.
  • Roy Skelton (Dalek Voice) was uncredited on-screen for episode five, but credited in Radio Times.
  • This story picks up where The Faceless Ones left off. The first two episodes take place contemporaneously with episode four of The War Machines, which may go some way to explaining why the First Doctor said at the start of the earlier story that he had the same feeling he had when Daleks were around.
  • Initially, Pauline Collins — who played Samantha Briggs in the previous story, The Faceless Ones — was offered the role of the Doctor's companion. However, she had turned it down and so Deborah Watling was offered the chance instead.
  • Denise Buckley was originally offered, and accepted, the role of Victoria, but she was ultimately dropped from the cast just a few days before filming began. The reason for this was never made public, though it is possibly due to the decision to make Victoria a companion rather than a one-off character. However, Buckley was still paid in full for the episodes she had been contracted to appear in and Deborah Watling was cast in her place very soon after.
  • The following story, The Tomb of the Cybermen, picks up immediately after the events of this story on Skaro, with the Doctor welcoming Victoria aboard the TARDIS as its newest crew member.
  • Children of the Revolution and The Death of the Daleks serve as sequels to this story.
  • In the original script, Bob Hall was named Bill and was a gangster.
  • There were plans to make Mollie Dawson stay on as a companion before Peter Bryant decided on Victoria.
  • Timothy Combe recalled on the DVD commentary on the animated release that, while filming the final episode, he got a call from Innes Lloyd telling him "Don't kill the Daleks." Not wanting to redo the whole episode, Combe had a "bulb" idea that he'd have some of the seemingly destroyed Daleks with flashing lights — giving the implication that they were still alive.
  • Hugh Burden and Maurice Denham were considered for the role of Waterfield, Robert Cartland and Christopher Benjamin were considered for Toby, Barrie Ingham was considered for Terrall and John Maxim was considered for Kemel. (DWM 200)
  • There was reportedly some tension during the recording, with some claiming that Derek Martinus was not popular from the cast. This is usually accredited to Frazer Hines overhearing a conversation while hiding in a Dalek casing.
  • Deborah Watling recalled that the Dalek operators would often prank her by using their plungers on her in rude ways when her back was turned.
  • Although The Highlanders is Frazer Hines's favourite story, he claimed that he would prefer to see this one's missing episodes returned, stating through laughter that Philip Morris should get on finding them.
  • The ending scene of episode one was later shown again during episode six of The Wheel in Space in readiness for the upcoming repeat transmission (see below). This has, unintentionally, ensured that a small amount of footage survives from the missing episode one though only a mere three frames.
  • David Whitaker initially gave each episode its own individual title, even though this practice had long been discontinued — with Season 3's The Gunfighters being the last to feature them. No title is listed on the original production paperwork for episode six, but those for the other six episodes, in order, were: "To Set a Trap", "The Net Tightens", "A Trial of Strength", "A Test of Skill", "The Human Factor" and "The End of the Daleks".
  • For their video reconstruction of this story, Loose Cannon went to Grim's Dyke House (where a lot of this serial was originally filmed) and, with permission from the owner, they filmed a number of scenes there using two full-sized Daleks and the owner's wife played the part of Victoria, having donned a wig and dress bought from a nearby charity shop.
  • The animated version of this serial contains some references to other Doctor Who stories and characters:
    • In episode one, when Jamie and the Doctor investigate the abandoned building after following the black car, a number of posters are seen in the background:
    • The candlesticks on the mantelshelf in the room where the Doctor and Jamie wake up have miniature Weeping Angels built into them.
    • In the background on the walls of the Maxtible house, crests listing the names of various actors who have played the Doctor are displayed. These include Baker, Eccleston, and Martin. A separate crest reads "Whitaker" and it is unknown if this is a production error intended to refer to Jodie Whittaker or a reference to David Whitaker, the writer of this serial.
  • The release of the animated reconstruction extends the longest consecutive run of animated Doctor Who episodes to 17 episodes. Previously, The Macra Terror and The Faceless Ones served as an unbroken run of 10 episodes. The Evil of the Daleks extends this by an additional 7. Prior to the release of these three stories, the longest consecutive run was 7 episodes, starting with episode 4 of The Tenth Planet and running through to the end of The Power of the Daleks.
  • During pre-production on the BBC's 1967 adaptation of Great Expectations, director Alan Bridges scouted what is now the Grim's Dyke Hotel as a potential location for Miss Havisham's Satis House, but decided against it, allowing the crew behind Evil to swoop in and use it.
  • Jo Rowbottom unsuccessfully auditioned to play Victoria, but was instead cast as Mollie Dawson.
  • Four existing Dalek props were assembled by combining head and skirt sections retained from earlier serials.
  • This was the first time that the Dalek props weren't provided by Shawcraft Models due to a host of problems during the production of The Faceless Ones. As a result, an additional Dalek casing was constructed in-house by the BBC Visual Effects Department; this was much narrower than its Shawcraft-built counterparts.
  • Patrick Troughton enjoyed the serial so much that he proposed remaking it as a feature film in the 1980s.
  • This story was novelised twice: first in 1993 by John Peel as part of the Target range, and second in 2023 by Frazer Hines for BBC Books line of novelisations.

Changes in the animated version[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • When Kennedy opens the safe in the Dalek communication room, the money is all loose rather than being inside a box.
  • Episode Two includes a wide panning shot of Maxtible's house.
  • Jamie only uses one sword in his fight with Terrall.
  • The timer on the Dalek bomb is in rels.
  • The Emperor Dalek is accompanied by two black Daleks when the Doctor, Jamie and Waterfield first see it.

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

Original broadcast only

  • Episode one - 8.1 million viewers
  • Episode two - 7.5 million viewers
  • Episode three - 6.1 million viewers
  • Episode four - 5.3 million viewers
  • Episode five - 5.1 million viewers
  • Episode six - 6.8 million viewers
  • Episode seven - 6.1 million viewers

Repeat transmission[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Evil of the Daleks was the first Doctor Who serial to be repeated in its entirety. This occurred between June and August 1968, when the serial was aired to fill the gap between seasons 5 and 6, with a two-week break between episodes three and four to accommodate the BBC's extended coverage of the Wimbledon tennis tournament. Unlike most reruns, the repeat was actually worked into the narrative of the series, by having new companion Zoe Heriot watching the events unfold via a telepathic projector hidden behind one of the roundels of the console room. For the repeats, episode one had an added voice-over by Patrick Troughton and Wendy Padbury immediately after the opening title sequence referring back to the fact that this was being "shown" to Zoe:
The Doctor: "Now as I remember, Zoe, it all started when Jamie and I spotted someone making off with the TARDIS."
Zoe: "But what about those Daleks you showed me?"
The Doctor: "We're coming to that, Zoe. Just let me show you the story from the beginning..."
  • The Radio Times programme listings for the repeats of episodes one and two featured additional opening paragraphs. These were as follows (original published text):
Episode One: "As Dr. Who and Jamie embark on another adventure today, they're in a desperate plight. With the Tardis stolen, their base, their home, their means of escape are all gone. The Tardis must be found at all costs — and soon!"
Episode Two: "In search of the stolen Tardis, Dr. Who and Jamie have followed a curious trail leading to a Chelsea antique shop."
  • The second novelisation of the story from 2023 is essentially a novelisation of this repeat transmission, the primary means by which it sets itself apart from the original novelisation from 1993. The main narrative is framed by expanded scenes of the Doctor showing the events of the story to Zoe through the telepathic projector. This framing device effectively slots the second novelisation chronologically between The Wheel in Space and Fear of the Daleks.

Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Ealing Television Film Studios, Ealing Green, Ealing (The Final End)
  • Lime Grove Studios (Studio D), Lime Grove, London (Studio)
  • Kendal Avenue, Ealing, London (TARDIS stolen from airport)
  • Warehouse Lane, Shepherd's Bush, London (Warehouse exterior)
  • Grim's Dyke Mansion House, Harrow Weald, Middlesex (Theodore Maxtible's estate)

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.
Original Production[[edit] | [edit source]]
  • In the opening titles of episode two, David Whitaker (the writer) is credited after the episode number, whereas in typical fashion in the classic series of Doctor Who, the writer is always credited before the episode number. As this is currently the only surviving episode of the serial, it is unclear as to whether this occurs on the other episodes as well.
  • When the Doctor and Jamie enter the Dalek communication room, the shadow of the boom mic is briefly visible in the top left-hand corner.
  • In episode two, part of a camera appears as the Dalek questions Victoria.
  • In episode two, Maxtible refers to Edward Waterfield as "Whitefield." Later, in Episode Six, Maxtible calls Skaro "Skarov".
  • In episode seven (taken from the existing audio recording), when the "Dalekised" Doctor and Maxtible report to the Emperor, their voices are slightly but audibly "Dalekised" also. Similarly, the echo effect of the Emperor's voice affects other Daleks in the control room.
Animated Version[[edit] | [edit source]]
  • When the Doctor says to Hall that maybe they should get the police, he is looking at Jamie. But in the next shot, he is looking at Hall.
  • The flower on Perry's lapel changes from his left to his right side between scenes.
  • The half of the Doctor's picture found in Kennedy's hand is the right-hand side of the picture. But the other half that the Doctor and Jamie find soon after is also the right-hand side.
  • When Jamie first grabs the candlestick that opens the secret panel to the south wing, his fingers pass through it.
  • There are two instances where the animation and the soundtrack are not synchronised together properly:
    • As Jamie emerges from his hiding place having eavesdropped on the Doctor and Waterfield, the bubbling sound of the laboratory can be heard before it appears on screen.
    • In Episode Five when the Doctor is talking to Terrall, the sounds of creaking floorboards are heard numerous times throughout the conversation yet both of them are standing still.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

Home video and audio releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

VHS releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Daleks: The Early Years VHS cover

    Daleks: The Early Years VHS cover

DVD releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

The existing Episode Two was also released in the Lost in Time DVD in January, 2004, alongside the The Last Dalek short film, which showcased the production of Episode Seven's climax.

  • Lost in Time Region 2 UK

    Lost in Time Region 2 UK

  • Lost in Time Region 4 Australia

    Lost in Time Region 4 Australia

  • Lost in Time Region 1 US

    Lost in Time Region 1 US

  • Lost in Time Region 1 US (Disc 2)

    Lost in Time Region 1 US (Disc 2)

  • Lost in Time Region 4 Australian re-release

    Lost in Time Region 4 Australian re-release

The entire story would later be released on DVD and Blu-ray on 27 September 2021 in animation form, both in colour and black-and-white format.[2]

Special Features[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Commentary (moderated by Toby Hadoke):
  • 1992 Audiobook - Tom Baker narrates this 1992 audio-only presentation of 'The Evil of the Daleks', originally released on cassette by the BBC Audio Collection and produced by John Nathan-Turner.
  • Photo Gallery - A collection of over 100 original publicity photographs taken by the BBC during the location and studio shooting of 'The Evil of the Daleks' in 1967. With newly recorded audio commentary from second unit director Timothy Combe (recorded in July 2021).
  • Animation Gallery - A selection of artwork created by the production team behind the new animated production of 'The Evil of the Daleks'.
  • Episode Reconstructions - Surviving film frames and set photographs are brought together with the original audio and a newly restored film recording of Episode 2, to reconstruct the original now lost live-action production of 'The Evil of the Daleks', as seen by viewers of BBC 1 in 1967. Produced by Derek Handley, with film restoration from Peter Crocker and sound restoration from Mark Ayres. Available to watch with an optional narration track from Frazer Hines. Episode 1 is also available to watch with a special introduction from Patrick Troughton, as prepared for a 1968 BBC 1 repeat of the story.
  • The Last Dalek (originally released on Lost in Time DVD) - Visual effects designers Peter Day and Michaeljohn Harris narrate this unique behind the scenes footage, filmed at Ealing Studios during production of 'The Evil of the Daleks' in 1967.
  • An Assignment with Grim Evil - Chris Thompson, production designer on the original 1967 production of 'The Evil of the Daleks' here discusses his work on the serial, in a previously unreleased interview from 2018.
  • The Dalek Factor - A 30 minute 'Making of' programme featuring Frazer Hines (Jamie), with contributions from Timothy Combe (PA/2nd Unit Director), Chris Thompson (Designer), David Tilley (AFM). Charlotta Martinus (Daughter of director, Derek Martinus) and Simon Guerrier (author/expert), plus Toby Chamberlain (props and Dalek builder for both classic and modern Doctor Who), who provided the full size Dalek for the documentary shoot at the original location, Grim's Dyke Hotel, near Harrow. Narration by Mark Reynolds.
  • ROM Content - All seven camera scripts from the original 1967 production of 'The Evil of the Daleks', together with a collection of cuttings from contemporary editions of Radio Times.
  • Region 2 cover

    Region 2 cover

  • Region 1 cover

    Region 1 cover

  • Region 4 cover

    Region 4 cover

  • Region 2 Blu-ray cover

    Region 2 Blu-ray cover

  • Region 2 Limited Edition Steelbook

    Region 2 Limited Edition Steelbook

Digital releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The animated version of the story is available for streaming through Tubi (US) for free as part of Season 4 of Classic Doctor Who in November 2023 for the 60th anniversary. The surviving episode 2 was not included.

Audio releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This story's soundtrack was released in a 2-cassette package by BBC Audio with linking narration by Tom Baker on 6 July 1992. The Tricolour coffee bar scenes in episode one were edited out, because the BBC at the time did not wish to have to pay the copyright holders for the use of "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" by the Seekers, which are audible in the background of the original.
  • A newly remastered version of the story was released on CD, with new linking narration by Frazer Hines, on 3 November 2003, as part of the "Dalek tin" box set. In this version, while "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" was successfully cleared for commercial release, "Paperback Writer" proved impossible. As the only other options would have been to edit the whole scene out again or not release the story at all, "Paperback Writer" was digitally replaced, by Mark Ayres, with another 1960s track: "Hold Tight" by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich.
  • The same version of the story was released individually on 2 August 2004.
  • The story was re-released as part of the box set Doctor Who: The Lost TV Episodes - Collection Four on 2 February 2012.
  • The story was released again on vinyl by Demon Records, also with the Frazer Hines narration, on 19 July 2019.
  • 1992 cassette release

    1992 cassette release

  • "Daleks" CD tin

    "Daleks" CD tin

  • 2004 CD release

    2004 CD release

  • 2012 cover

    2012 cover

  • The Lost TV Episodes - Collection Four

    The Lost TV Episodes - Collection Four

  • The Lost TV Episodes - Collection Four 2020 re-release

    The Lost TV Episodes - Collection Four 2020 re-release

  • Vinyl Record release

    Vinyl Record release

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

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Dalek television stories
For the purposes of this list, a "Dalek story" is one in which one living, authentic Dalek plays a part within the confines of the story, outside of flashbacks to previous stories and cliffhangers that lead into the following story. For this reason, stories such as The Space Museum are not counted due to the Daleks' appearance being defined by their importance to following stories, while stories such as The Wheel in Space and The Waters of Mars are absent due to the Daleks' only contribution being references to past Dalek stories. Stories like The Wedding of River Song, Hell Bent, Once, Upon Time and The Vanquishers are also not included due to the Daleks' appearance being restricted to a single scene of no consequence to the plot of the story, while the TV movie is also absent due to the Daleks only being heard from off-screen.
First Doctor era
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Third Doctor era
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Tenth Doctor era
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Twelfth Doctor era
Thirteenth Doctor era
Fourteenth Doctor era
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Because of the ubiquity of this race, no attempt will be made here to list every appearance in every medium. Instead, we focus on televised appearances here, and invite you to explore a complete list of appearances elsewhere.
  1. ↑ https://cultbox.co.uk/news/missing-doctor-who-story-the-evil-of-the-daleks-to-be-animated-in-2021
  2. ↑ https://www.doctorwho.tv/news/?article=missing-adventure-the-evil-of-the-daleks-animated
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