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The Daleks (TV story): Difference between revisions
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* [[Dinsdale Landen]] was chosen to play Ganatus, but production date changes forced him to drop out of the serial; he was replaced by [[Philip Bond]], with whom [[Christopher Barry]] had worked on ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Cloak_%E2%80%93_No_Dagger No Cloak — No Dagger].'' | * [[Dinsdale Landen]] was chosen to play Ganatus, but production date changes forced him to drop out of the serial; he was replaced by [[Philip Bond]], with whom [[Christopher Barry]] had worked on ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Cloak_%E2%80%93_No_Dagger No Cloak — No Dagger].'' | ||
* [[Virginia Wetherell]] was cast as the female Thal named Dyoni, having previously worked with [[Richard Martin (director)|Richard Martin]]. | * [[Virginia Wetherell]] was cast as the female Thal named Dyoni, having previously worked with [[Richard Martin (director)|Richard Martin]]. | ||
* The names of the Thals were revised in the final script: Temmosus was originally Stohl, Alydon was Vahn, Ganatus was Kurt, Kristas was Jahl, Antodus was Ven, Dyoni was Daren, and Elyon was Zhor. | * The names of the Thals were revised in the final script: Temmosus was originally Stohl, Alydon was Vahn, Ganatus was Kurt, Kristas was Jahl, Antodus was Ven, Dyoni was Daren (a man originally), and Elyon was Zhor. | ||
* [[Raymond Cusick]] originally wanted six Daleks. Budget constraints meant he was allocated four. | * [[Raymond Cusick]] originally wanted six Daleks. Budget constraints meant he was allocated four. | ||
* Four actors were chosen as Dalek operators, due to their small stature and muscular ability: [[Robert Jewell]], [[Kevin Manser]], [[Michael Summerton]] and [[Gerald Taylor]]; [[Christopher Barry]] knew Manser as a sensitive actor who reacted well to voices, while Richard Martin knew Taylor through repertory theatre. | * Four actors were chosen as Dalek operators, due to their small stature and muscular ability: [[Robert Jewell]], [[Kevin Manser]], [[Michael Summerton]] and [[Gerald Taylor]]; [[Christopher Barry]] knew Manser as a sensitive actor who reacted well to voices, while Richard Martin knew Taylor through repertory theatre. | ||
* Due to the Daleks' electronic voices, it was considered impractical for the actors inside the machines to also deliver the dialogue. As a result, the Dalek voices were performed off-set by [[Peter Hawkins]] and [[David Graham]]. | * Due to the Daleks' electronic voices, it was considered impractical for the actors inside the machines to also deliver the dialogue. As a result, the Dalek voices were performed off-set by [[Peter Hawkins]] and [[David Graham]]. | ||
* [[Christopher Barry]] contacted the Post Office's Joint Speech Research Unit for information on electronic voices. Two samples were provided: one using a vocoder with low and medium monotone pitch; and one using written computer characters, generating a sound which was less human but more time-consuming. While Barry enjoyed these methods, the BBC opted to develop its own method to achieve a similar effect, as some of the Dalek speech was required in studio during production. Richard Martin worked with [[Brian Hodgson]] of the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]] to find suitable tones; ultimately, the actors spoke through a lip-ribbon microphone, which was later given an electronic quality after passing through a ring modulator. | * [[Christopher Barry]] contacted the Post Office's Joint Speech Research Unit for information on electronic voices. Two samples were provided: one using a vocoder with low and medium monotone pitch; and one using written computer characters, generating a sound which was less human but more time-consuming. While Barry enjoyed these methods, the BBC opted to develop its own method to achieve a similar effect, as some of the Dalek speech was required in studio during production. [[Richard Martin]] worked with [[Brian Hodgson]] of the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]] to find suitable tones; ultimately, the actors spoke through a lip-ribbon microphone, which was later given an electronic quality after passing through a ring modulator. | ||
* The final Dalek models stood at four-foot eight-inches, painted in silver with grey trimmings, and light blue balls on the skirt; the lights on the domes were Christmas tree lights covered by a ping-pong ball, operated by the actor inside. | * The final Dalek models stood at four-foot eight-inches, painted in silver with grey trimmings, and light blue balls on the skirt; the lights on the domes were Christmas tree lights covered by a ping-pong ball, operated by the actor inside. | ||
* [[Raymond Cusick]] based the design of the Daleks on a man sitting in a chair. | * [[Raymond Cusick]] based the design of the Daleks on a man sitting in a chair. | ||
* [[Raymond Cusick]]'s original design was tubular, with a plain skirt section, bumpy midriff with one pincer arm, and a short head with an eye-lens; [[Verity Lambert]] rejected this design as being too expensive. It was decided that the designs should be more comfortable for the actors, allowing them to be seated. Cusick's second design was shorter, with a diamond-patterned body and larger head, and two double-jointed claw arms; one of the arms was replaced by a suction cup, due to the low budget of the production. The design was refined to fit over a small tricycle, and the arms were moved further down to allow the operator to see out of a metal gauze above the midriff. Lights were added to the dome to indicate which Dalek was speaking, as suggested by Christopher Barry. | * [[Raymond Cusick]]'s original design was tubular, with a plain skirt section, bumpy midriff with one pincer arm, and a short head with an eye-lens; [[Verity Lambert]] rejected this design as being too expensive. It was decided that the designs should be more comfortable for the actors, allowing them to be seated. Cusick's second design was shorter, with a diamond-patterned body and larger head, and two double-jointed claw arms; one of the arms was replaced by a suction cup, due to the low budget of the production. The design was refined to fit over a small tricycle, and the arms were moved further down to allow the operator to see out of a metal gauze above the midriff. Lights were added to the dome to indicate which Dalek was speaking, as suggested by [[Christopher Barry]]. | ||
* [[Shawcraft Models]] — who had designed parts of the TARDIS set — worked with Raymond Cusick to design the Daleks; when Cusick met with Shawcraft's [[Bill Roberts]] to discuss the project, he used a pepper pot to demonstrate the Daleks' movements. The prototype (known internally as "Shawcraft One") had a wooden base, with the skirt section made using fibreglass. It stood at four-foot six-inches, allowing a small seated actor inside. The BBC approved of Shawcraft's designs, allowing three weeks for the final models. | * [[Shawcraft Models]] — who had designed parts of the TARDIS set — worked with [[Raymond Cusick]] to design the Daleks; when Cusick met with Shawcraft's [[Bill Roberts]] to discuss the project, he used a pepper pot to demonstrate the Daleks' movements. The prototype (known internally as "Shawcraft One") had a wooden base, with the skirt section made using fibreglass. It stood at four-foot six-inches, allowing a small seated actor inside. The BBC approved of Shawcraft's designs, allowing three weeks for the final models. | ||
* This story was ranked as ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' readers' favourite [[First Doctor]] story in their first three polls. In [[2023]], it was demoted to fifth and replaced by ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth (TV story)|The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]''. ([[DWM 589]]) | * This story was ranked as ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' readers' favourite [[First Doctor]] story in their first three polls. In [[2023]], it was demoted to fifth and replaced by ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth (TV story)|The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]''. ([[DWM 589]]) | ||
* The reason this serial has two directors is because [[Christopher Barry]] was busy working on ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smuggler%27s_Bay Smuggler's Bay].'' | * The reason this serial has two directors is because [[Christopher Barry]] was busy working on ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smuggler%27s_Bay Smuggler's Bay].'' | ||
* [[Raymond Cusick]] was very disappointed with the Dalek city miniature constructed by [[Shawcraft Models]]. The firm had followed his rough design drawing too faithfully, and as a result it was very small and lacked detail. He had no choice, but to use it. | * [[Raymond Cusick]] was very disappointed with the Dalek city miniature constructed by [[Shawcraft Models]]. The firm had followed his rough design drawing too faithfully, and as a result it was very small and lacked detail. He had no choice, but to use it. Duing a delay in filming, Shawcraft were given time to refine it. | ||
* [[Michael Ferguson]] doubled as the hand that tapped Susan on the shoulder (later revealed to be Alydon) and held up the Dalek sucker arm at the end of the first episode. | * [[Michael Ferguson]] doubled as the hand that tapped Susan on the shoulder (later revealed to be Alydon) and held up the Dalek sucker arm at the end of the first episode. | ||
* The first episode had to be remounted when the communications from [[Christopher Barry]] to production assistant [[Norman Stewart]], via the latter's headphones, had accidentally been picked up by the studio microphones, rendering the entire day's work unusable. This was a source of concern for [[Jacqueline Hill]], because she was pessimistic that the series would be renewed beyond its first block of episodes, and an extra week of work on the series threatened to interfere with a potential film role. [[Carole Ann Ford]] took advantage of the remount to change her costume. The only bit of the original episode to be re-used was the cliffhanger, which was the opening to the second episode. | |||
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=== Ratings === | === Ratings === | ||
