Season 1, Episode 2 | 7 parts | First broadcast: 21 December 1963 – 1 February 1964 | Writer: Terry Nation | Director: Christopher Barry and Richard Martin
Cast
- William Hartnell as the Doctor
- Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman
- William Russell as Ian Chesterton
- Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright
Summary
The TARDIS lands in a petrified jungle on the planet Skaro, where the travellers discover a magnificent but deserted city. Investigating, they are captured by the Daleks, the city’s mutated, radiation-dependent inhabitants encased in mechanical shells, who are locked in a centuries-old war with the peaceful, humanoid Thals. The Doctor and his companions must help the Thals find the courage to fight back before the Daleks wipe them out entirely.
Interesting Facts
- This serial introduces the Daleks, who would become Doctor Who’s most iconic and enduring villains, propelling the series to mainstream popularity in Britain.
- “Dalekmania” swept the UK following this story’s broadcast, spawning toys, comics, and two Peter Cushing feature films.
- Terry Nation reportedly wrote the scripts at a rate of one per day after the production team, having no other scripts ready, reluctantly accepted his “bug-eyed monster” story.
- All seven episodes survive in the BBC archive.
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