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The Daleks
The second Doctor Who story was originally called The Mutants. It has subsequently been referred to as The Daleks to avoid confusion with a later story of the same name. The first appearance of the daleks is generally considered to have been responsible for the show's sudden success.
Radio Times Blurbs:
"Not many moments too soon, Dr. Who and his three companions in the space-time ship Tardis have extricated themselves from the grim and precarious society of prehistoric man on Earth. Once more, they are off on their travels -- but to where? Can the Doctor still find some way to gain control over his craft as it travels on, faster than light, through the fourth and fifth dimensions?"
"This is the situation when the secnd adventure in the odyssey of the strange Dr. Who, his grandchild Susan, and the two teachers Barbara and Ian starts this evening. The opening episode is called 'The Dead Planet' and it finds the travellers in a world which is, if possible, even weirder and less friendly than the one which they have just left. Everything is silent -- and very still. There are trees with strange foliage -- but no leaves rustle, although a strong breeze blows. There is no living soil -- just dust and ashes. But even so, flowers of a sort are growing..."
"Barbara and Ian would be in no way sorry to leave this inhospitable place, but for the Doctor scientific curiosity must come first. 'Fascinating!' he muses. 'A petrified jungle... doubt if it could have been the heat... I intend to try and find out.' And so it looks as if there is to be no return to a familiar civilisation just yet."
In the original version there was not a nuclear war 500 years ago. 2000 years before another civilisation had fired neutron missiles at Skaro. Years later, having evolved into a peaceful spacefaring civilisation, they have waited for radiation levels to drop, visiting Skaro to make reparations for the mistakes of their ancestors. Before their arrival, the Daleks and Thals join forces to defend their planet, assuming that the newcomers would be invaders. Fortunately, the Doctor prevents disaster and negotiates a peaceful resolution.
The Thal names in the original draft were Daren, Jahl, Kurt, Stohl, Vahn, Ven and Zhor.
Radio Times Blurbs:
"Not many moments too soon, Dr. Who and his three companions in the space-time ship Tardis have extricated themselves from the grim and precarious society of prehistoric man on Earth. Once more, they are off on their travels -- but to where? Can the Doctor still find some way to gain control over his craft as it travels on, faster than light, through the fourth and fifth dimensions?"
"This is the situation when the secnd adventure in the odyssey of the strange Dr. Who, his grandchild Susan, and the two teachers Barbara and Ian starts this evening. The opening episode is called 'The Dead Planet' and it finds the travellers in a world which is, if possible, even weirder and less friendly than the one which they have just left. Everything is silent -- and very still. There are trees with strange foliage -- but no leaves rustle, although a strong breeze blows. There is no living soil -- just dust and ashes. But even so, flowers of a sort are growing..."
"Barbara and Ian would be in no way sorry to leave this inhospitable place, but for the Doctor scientific curiosity must come first. 'Fascinating!' he muses. 'A petrified jungle... doubt if it could have been the heat... I intend to try and find out.' And so it looks as if there is to be no return to a familiar civilisation just yet."
| Series | Doctor Who |
| Season/Story (Episodes) | 1.2 (7 eps) |
| Created by | Terry Nation (Writer) Verity Lambert & Mervyn Pinfield (Producers) David Whitaker (Script Editor) Based on a concept by Sidney Newman |
| Transmission dates | 21/12/63 (The Dead Planet) 28/12/63 (The Survivors) 4/1/64 (The Escape) 11/1/64 (The Ambush) 18/1/64 (The Expedition) 25/1/64 (The Ordeal) 1/2/64 (The Rescue) |
| Production Code | B |
| Duration | 171' 45" |
Cast ListThe Doctor | William Hartnell |
| Setting | The story is set immediately after the events of 100,000BC and immediately prior to Inside the Spaceship. |
| Synopsis | For a full synopsis visit http://www.drwhoguide.com/who_b.htm |
Continuity Notes
| Alien Races | Daleks; Thals |
| Historical Events | First Thal post-holocaust victory over the Daleks |
| Organisations | |
| Passing Mentions | |
| Planets & Locations | Skaro |
| Science & Technology | Anti-Radiation Drugs; Dalek Technology; Static Power Systems; TARDIS; |
| Other adventures |
Contradictions & Resolutions
Earlier Drafts
In the original version there was not a nuclear war 500 years ago. 2000 years before another civilisation had fired neutron missiles at Skaro. Years later, having evolved into a peaceful spacefaring civilisation, they have waited for radiation levels to drop, visiting Skaro to make reparations for the mistakes of their ancestors. Before their arrival, the Daleks and Thals join forces to defend their planet, assuming that the newcomers would be invaders. Fortunately, the Doctor prevents disaster and negotiates a peaceful resolution.
The Thal names in the original draft were Daren, Jahl, Kurt, Stohl, Vahn, Ven and Zhor.
Links
- The story was novelised as Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks by David Whitaker in 1964. It had an alternate beginning more in line with the subsequent film screenplay.
- The script was reworked into the screenplay for Doctor Who and the Daleks by Terry Nation
Latest page update: made by Metabaron
, Sep 3 2007, 4:13 PM EDT
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