Day 24 — January 24th 2021
World’s End and The Daleks
World’s End (The Dalek Invasion of Earth — Episode One)
Everything about this episode feels special. It’s Doctor Who’s first ‘epic’, and when you watch through the series in order for a marathon like this, it really stands out as something totally different for the series.
By the time this episode hit screens in November 1964, the Dalek craze was starting to ramp up. The Dalek book had been released a couple of months earlier, the cigarette sweet cards — featuring a story in which the Daleks fought the Voord — were already available to collect, and the pop charts were about to be rocked (or not) by I Wanna Spend My Christmas With a Dalek.
To say that there was excitement about the return of the Daleks to TV would be an understatement. The production team knew just how anticipated this episode would be, and they really pulled out all the stops for it. Even off screen you’ve got a stunning Radio Times cover (probably the best they ever gave Doctor Who, for my money).
And then there’s the episode itself. Ooh, it’s good. That opening sequence with the Roboman slowly walking to his doom in the Thames! The TARDIS prop — and our regulars — actually out in the real world doing some location filming!
Even the sets — which to be fair have always been pretty good in the series so far — feel like something special this time around. The care given to match the studio set of the bridge to the location is incredible, and the inside of the warehouse feels like such a real space that it’s only the fact it’s shot on videotape which give it away.
One of the things the series does very well at this stage is dropping our heroes into a new time and place, and letting them get caught up in the mystery. It works well in The Dead Planet, and it works well here. We spend the first half of the episode only in their company, but once we do get the guest cast it feels like things swell to a proportion we’ve not seen before. There’s loads of people!
All the regulars are on top form here, too, and the dialogue is so good that I reckon it’s been heavily rewritten by David Whitaker, because I simply don’t believe Terry Nation is up to it. My favourite exchanges might be the ones between Doctor Who and Ian — ‘I’m not a half-wit!’ being especially fun.
If I have to pick just one thing to love about this episode, though, it’s the location filming. It already feels like a novelty — we’ve only briefly stepped outside for The Reign of Terror before now — but it’s so good. The sequence in which Barbara races through the wastelands of decaying London is beautiful, and feels far more modern than anything else in the series to date. There’s something brilliant about seeing London in this way, still bearing the scars of the Second World War. I’m not sure you’d be able to do these sequences as effectively now.
Then there’s the outside of the warehouse explored by Ian and Doctor Who, or the aforementioned filming under the bridge… oh God it’s all really good, and it feels like they’re making the most of being able to do it.
And all of this is before I’ve even mentioned the brilliant cliffhanger! The Dalek rising from the Thames must surely be one of the best cliffhangers ever? It’ll be often repeated (Daleks emerging at the end of Episode One), but i’m not sure it’s ever bettered. Imagine how exciting that must have been for a kid in 1964!
There’s no other score for today; it’s a 10/10.
Something interesting to note about today’s episode; it’s probably the reason that the TARDIS prop starts to get a little shabby from now on.
There’s a brilliant sequence where we see the bridge collapse on top of the box (and I’m amazed they did it in studio, because it seems too good!), but unlike the TARDIS itself, the prop isn’t indestructable.
We know that there’s some damage to the prop around this time, because there’s paperwork for The Rescue that indicates repairs to the sign boxes needed to be carried out before that serial could be recorded. The damage seems to have been caused at this moment — it’s rare that we actually get to see the prop being bashed about — it usually happens thanks to stagehands off screen!
It also appears that the lamp of the prop was either damaged in the same sequence, or was removed beforehand and subsequently lost (frustratingly, the picture above makes it difficult to tell if the lamp is in place or not). As part of the Rescue repairs, the box is fitted with a new lamp, and the original is never seen again.
There’s quite a few small modifications to the box coming up over the second season, so I’m looking forward to tracking them as I make my way through…
The Daleks (The Dalek Invasion of Earth — Episode Two)
Coming right off the back of that brilliant opening episode, this one was always going to have a tough job to do. It’s not a bad episode at all, but I think my score is probably unfairly lowered simply because it’s not World’s End.
There’s lots to love here. I’m amazed by how big the Heliport looks, filled with Daleks. It’s also a perfect example of how the cardboard cutouts can work to swell the Dalek ranks — they look really good in the background here, only occasionally illuminated by a searchlight.
And there’s the design of the Daleks themselves. I don’t know if it’s a popular opinion or not, but I think the Dalek Invasion of Earth models might be my favourite Daleks. There’s something about the beautiful original version, with the shoulder rings rather than the slats having the little modifications made to them for this story. The chunky base looks great, and I really like the satellite dish on the back! I’d have kept both of these features going forward if I’d been in charge. Heck, if I were put in charge of Doctor Who tomorrow, I’d reinstate these features with immediate effect. Ooh, and there’s the first appearance of a senior Dalek today too, in the form of the Black Dalek. If anything, he looks even more beautiful, standing out nicely against the others.
The Daleks get some great moments in this episode, too. I really love the slightly crazed tone to the first one we see as it repeats ‘Daleks are the Masters of Earth’ to itself, as though to reassure. And I really like their two broadcasts to the rebels, which I’ve conflated below for ease;
‘Survivors of London, the Daleks are the masters of Earth. Surrender now and you will live. Those wishing to surrender must stand in the middle of the street, and obey orders received. Rebels of London, this is our last offer. Our final warning. Leave your hiding places. Show yourselves in the open streets. You will be fed and watered. Work is needed from you but the Daleks offer you life.’
It’s really easy to think of the Daleks as being a bit basic in their speech. Eric Saward used to complain that you couldn’t give a Dalek very much to say. But this proves him wrong, because it’s a brilliant couple of speeches! I love ‘the Daleks offer you life’, and I’ve never really noticed how brilliant it is before now.
Oh, but I think my absolute new favourite line from the story comes in the form of a fellow prisoner not believing a word that Doctor Who says; ‘and a great big pumpkin too!’ I’m gonna start saying that.
6/10, and a great big pumpkin too!
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