Season 25, Episode 1 | 4 parts | First broadcast: 5–26 October 1988 | Writer: Ben Aaronovitch | Director: Andrew Morgan
Cast
- Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor
- Sophie Aldred as Ace
- Terry Molloy as Davros / the Dalek Emperor
- George Sewell as Group Captain Gilmore
- Pamela Salem as Rachel Jensen
Summary
Returning to Shoreditch in 1963, the very spot where he first arrived on Earth, the Doctor and Ace find themselves caught between two warring Dalek factions battling for possession of the Hand of Omega, a devastating Time Lord stellar manipulator device the Doctor left hidden there decades earlier. As Renegade and Imperial Daleks clash over the relic, the Doctor works to outmaneuver the Emperor Dalek, revealed to be his old nemesis Davros, in a scheme with consequences for the Daleks’ entire homeworld.
Interesting Facts
- Broadcast as part of the show’s 25th anniversary season, this story deliberately returns to the setting and year of the series’ original 1963 debut.
- Terry Molloy makes his final appearance as Davros, here reimagined as the secretive Dalek Emperor concealed within an ornate casing.
- The serial was praised for tackling real-world themes of racism and prejudice through its 1960s setting and supporting characters.
- It marks a turning point in the show’s approach to the Doctor’s characterization, hinting at greater, more manipulative depths to his knowledge and power as part of the unofficial “Cartmel Masterplan.”
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