Season 4, Episode 3 | 6 parts | First broadcast: 5 November – 10 December 1966 | Writer: David Whitaker (Dennis Spooner, uncredited) | Director: Christopher Barry
Cast
- Patrick Troughton as the Doctor
- Anneke Wills as Polly
- Michael Craze as Ben Jackson
- Robert James as Lesterson
Summary
The newly regenerated Doctor, Ben and Polly arrive on the human colony world of Vulcan, where a scientist named Lesterson has discovered a derelict space capsule containing three dormant Daleks. Ignoring the Doctor’s warnings, Lesterson revives the Daleks and puts them to work as servants, while the “peaceful” Daleks quietly multiply and prepare a ruthless uprising against the unsuspecting colonists.
Interesting Facts
- This serial marks Patrick Troughton’s debut as the Doctor, and the first time the series depicted a change of lead actor as an in-universe transformation, retroactively termed “regeneration.”
- It introduced the Daleks’ chillingly deceptive catchphrase “I am your servant” as part of their scheme to lull the colonists into a false sense of security.
- All six episodes are missing from the BBC archive; the story has since been fully reconstructed with animation.
- The story was novelised by John Peel decades after broadcast, and its script was partly reworked from an earlier unused Dalek serial concept.
No Responses