Series 5, Episode 3 | 1 part | First broadcast: 17 April 2010 | Writer: Mark Gatiss | Director: Andrew Gunn
Cast
- Matt Smith as the Doctor
- Karen Gillan as Amy Pond
- Ian McNeice as Winston Churchill
- Nicholas Briggs as the Daleks (voice)
Summary
Summoned to World War II London by an old friend, Winston Churchill, the Doctor is horrified to discover a handful of surviving Daleks posing as “Ironsides,” loyal wartime robots built to serve the British war effort. Realizing the Daleks are manipulating the Doctor into vouching for their humanity so they can activate a hidden Progenitor device, he watches helplessly as a fresh, more powerful generation of multicoloured Daleks emerges and escapes into time and space.
Interesting Facts
- This episode introduces the “New Paradigm” Daleks in bright primary colours, a redesign that proved controversial among longtime fans.
- Ian McNeice’s Winston Churchill became a recurring character across the era, appearing in several subsequent episodes and specials.
- The Doctor’s fury at being tricked into legitimizing the Daleks as “good” showcases a colder, more dangerous edge to the newly regenerated incarnation.
- A Spitfire modified for spaceflight to pursue the fleeing Daleks became one of the story’s most memorable and divisive images.
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