Full Notes: Death to the Daleks
Surprisingly, this is the story that emphasizes just how emotionally messed up the Daleks are.
Plot Summary
On a distant alien world, the Doctor and Sarah must contend with a powerless TARDIS, hostile natives, and treacherous Daleks all while helping an Earth expedition cure a space plague.
Notable for:
Cary Blyton score - characterized by use of unusual instruments. Blyton also scored Doctor Who and the Silurians as well as Revenge of the Cybermen.
The first episode was the last one to have its original wiped by the BBC.
Shot at “Hanson's Aggregates Sand Pit,” in Dorset.
One of the few times Doctor Who shows blood, on the Doctor’s lamp.
Terrence Dicks highly influenced the story, suggesting the space plague narrative and the advanced civilization that went backward.
Pete commentary:
The rocks at the beginning look like Weeping Angels! (Grace noticed this.)
Were the Daleks really dying in the millions too? Seems like that was part of the ruse, but it’s never said. The Doctor seems to believe them.
The Daleks are very physical in this story. The operators do a lot of simultaneous movements and twitching of the dome, the eye stalks, and more. The gun sticks don’t move a lot once they switch to machine guns, however.
The color scheme isn’t great on the Dalek shells, though, and the actual props look like they’re about to come apart when the movements get too exaggerated.
How do the Exxilons destroy a Dalek with sticks and stones? I guess if you hit it enough, it goes down. (See also: The Dalek Invasion of Earth).
The Daleks shooting a TARDIS model is a nice touch.
What is with that one Dalek that kills itself the moment it realizes it failed? Why not at least tell your colleagues what happened? (I guess they figure it out eventually.) As Grace said, “I think it has serious self-hating issues.”
The Dalek slowly looking at his colleague when the root destroys one of their force is pretty great. This might be the first good humor conveyed via a Dalek’s physical performance (as in Evolution of the Daleks and The Power of the Doctor).
The Daleks, as characters, are actually not too bad — better than they are reputed to be. They are duplicitous and merciless, but also smart strategists in that they don’t overplay their hand or waste resources by killing everybody even when they have the upper hand. They need a slave force to do the work for them.
Daleks with machine guns is actually a pretty fun idea, though, this being Doctor Who, they can’t show the brutality of that.
Liz Sladen is great, as always. It’s not a terrible episode for Sarah, who gets to beat up an Exxilon right away, and plays creeped out well later (with Bellal). But she gets cheated out of going to the City 🙁
The Exxilon masks are actually pretty decent. Creepy at a distance, and not too bad up close.
Who designed the City’s tests – the Celestial Toymaker? They’re all pretty lame: Find the weird shape, do an easy maze, play an obvious game of hopscotch, convince your hypnotized friend not to kill you, resist a flashing light. Either they’re easy games or cliche psych tests.
The “Stop! Don’t move,” cliffhanger is a contender for the worst in the show’s history.
The Exxilons sure take their time sacrificing Sarah. Speaking of which, letting people get lost in a maze of tunnels doesn’t seem like the most effective way to ensure they’re killed.
The Exxilon “high priest” has absolutely nothing to distinguish him from the commoners. Up until Bellal appears, they have no individuality at all. It would have been nice to have the high priest be a character, and I want to see the Dalek negotiate with them! The Earth team is pretty dumb to let the Dalek do that alone.
The Exxilons were once spacefaring? Interesting. It’d be fun to think about a timeline of the “old” universe, with just the Exxilons, Jaggaroth, and the Time Lords around.
Galloway is a decent character, shown to have shades of gray in his morality. Not sure why the captain thought he was a “glory seeker” — if anything, he just seems coldly pragmatic.
What did Pete’s family think?
Grace enjoyed it, but wasn’t too enthused.
Four Questions to Doomsday - Pete
Why did the Randomizer take us here? Back to back Dalek adventures to start the year! Both The Chase and Death to the Daleks don’t really NEED the Daleks in the sense that neither is much about them. However, Death is stronger in that regard showing off Daleks being diabolical. Also, the Dalek turning to Dalek is Dalek humor done right (as opposed to The Chase).
What if the evil plot had succeeded? Galloway doesn’t fire his bomb, so the Daleks launch their plague missile and everybody dies? Surely the Doctor would get everyone to the TARDIS, which isn’t that far. To really make it succeed, the Dalek would need to not be stupid and gloating at the end, and just shoot everyone. Then they hold the galaxy ransom, their power is cemented further, and maybe get the upper hand in the Time War. Universe conquered.
Where's the Clara splinter? Aeons ago, she advised the Exxilons on their booby traps, making them simple enough to do in case you’re being chased by Daleks.
Dalek, Ogron, Professor Hayter, Viscount Banger, Fixed Point in Time, or Lady Cassandra? Forgettable but still fun. Almost a Dalek, but it’s a bit too bland, and we should set a higher standard for Dalek adventures. Had the City stuff been a bit more interesting, it could have been worth it, but not quite. Professor Hayter
Chris commentary:
Daleks = Lemongrab?
Root = USB cord
Another LSD trip for Pertwee, the most psychedelic Doctor! No wonder he regenerated into Baker, who's like a walking acid flashback
Only 4 Daleks and one can't move, hilarious when they mention more on the ship
The tiny TARDIS for target practice, WTF
Moving by psychokinetic power: new?
No wonder Pertwee quit during this, especially after those "puzzles" – he was bored and had back pain and was openly disdainful of the Daleks
The Maze is the worst. What, those skeletons couldn't complete it?
Why bring up Peru? Did Nation just read Chariot of the Gods?
Nation definitely phoning it in and concentrating on his script for the Survivors. Clearly more interested in the living city thing
To emphasize the Dalek loss of power they add … saxophones?
Perrinium … sorry Bob Holmes, I kept calling it perenium
Four Questions to Doomsday - Chris
Why did the Randomizer take us here? Hilariously bad Daleks. What happens when you're forced to insert Daleks into a story where they really don't belong and you really don't wanna. Also callback to "city of the Exillons" in Pyramids of Mars … finally, the answer. Also this was filmed during the 10th anniversary
What if the evil plot had succeeded? Er … the Daleks explode a plague bomb? But they've all still got the perrineum …
Where's the Clara splinter? Helping Sarah with the bags of sand? Also, maybe she's another "human female" who escaped, which is what helps drive that suicidal Dalek over the edge. Maybe he … loved Clara? In fact, given that we know Daleks say "exterminate" when they mean "love" – cf Witch's Familiar – maybe the Daleks fall in love with their victims more often than we know?
Dalek, Ogron, Professor Hayter, Viscount Banger, Fixed Point in Time, or Lady Cassandra? Big old lumbering Ogron, I'm afraid.
Cast (per TARDIS Wiki)
Peter Hamilton - Julian Fox
Jill Tarrant - Joy Harrison
High Priest - Mostyn Evans
Bellal - Arnold Yarrow
Gotal - Roy Heymann
Dalek Voices - Michael Wisher
Dalek Operators - John Scott Martin, Murphy Grumbar, Cy Town
Uncredited cast
Zombies - Terry Walsh, Steven Ismay (uncredited on-screen for part four, but credited in Radio Times)
Spaceman - Terry Walsh (uncredited on-screen for part one, but credited in Radio Times)
Exxilons - Steven Ismay, Max Faulkner, Marc Boyle, Roy Pearce, Terence Denville, Derek Chafer, Leslie Bates, Nigel Winder, David Rolfe, Bob Blaine, Dennis Plenty, Terry Sartain, Mike Reynel, Terry Walsh (DWM 278)
Exxilon messenger - Tex Fuller (DWM 278)
Jebal - Roy Heymann (DWM 278)
Burning Exxilon - Terry Walsh (DWM 278)