DOCTOR WHO - THE DALEKS (1963) [DVD]

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The episode acts as a close reading of the Dalek design, relying on Christopher Eccleston’s superb emotive performance rather than bombastic spectacle to relay to the viewer the reason why the Dalek is such a durable icon. Introducing the individual Dalek on an emotional rather than spectacular level is at the same time a cautious and brave thing to do. Brave because it goes against audience expectation and delays the visual impact of a Dalek army, and cautious because it allows Davies, as nearly happened, to replace the Dalek at the last minute and introduce a replacement. Drawing these elements together, Davies proves himself to be the best puzzle solver in the business. I can’t help thinking that if faced, as Robert Holmes was, with the challenge of writing The Five Doctors, Russell T Davies wouldn’t have blinked.

Doctor Who: The Dalek Collection DVD box set review Doctor Who: The Dalek Collection DVD box set review

The very existence of this box set could be a comforting reassurance to fans that everything has a destiny, that the Doctor’s story is pre-ordained, particularly apt when considering the ultimate example of retcon/loose-end tying in The Stolen Earth/ Journey’s End. The first episode in the box set reintroduces the Daleks by surprisingly presenting them in the singular. The intention of this is to delay the impact of seeing an army of Daleks in the climax of the first season, but it also has a more subtle effect. Pitting the new Doctor and Rose against a single, at first seemingly defenceless Dalek, slowly reveals to the viewer the antagonistic relationship between the Time Lord and the monster. I’d give the episodes more stars individually than I would give the box set – but the box set I would give two stars. On watching the faux-regeneration for the first time on TV I was genuinely thrilled thinking, perhaps naively, that the ultimate deception had been pulled off by the production team. The resolution the following week was, to say the least, underwhelming, but these episodes are saved by Julian Bleach’s creepy, pitch perfect depiction of Davros, the true and original Dalek/human hybrid.Extras: Language(s): English, Hard of Hearing Subtitles: English, Interactive Menu, Commentary: Tom Baker, Image Gallery, Interviews: Chris Thompson, Making of Documentary Please note: some cover images may be different to actual releases. Some single DVD releases listed above may only be available in box sets. I’m not a huge fan of the endlessly repeated ‘surprise’ appearances of Daleks at the end of the season, but if you are going to include them, it is best to make them the centre of the story. This criticism cannot be levelled at the final two episodes in this box set.

Doctor Who - The Monsters Collection: The Daleks [DVD

This box set is a mixed bag of episodes that the target audience presumably already own or have seen four or five times on BBC Three. It has some corking moments, but, bizarrely, by leaving out Army Of Ghosts and Doomsday, it does not even contain a complete set of the Dalek episodes. It feels a little like a marketing department exercise in legacy building to me – a way of thematically bottling the last four seasons to create a defined Russell T Davies ‘era’ before the start of Steven Moffat’s run as producer. While I can’t blame them for attempting this, I would suggest that it could be done in a cheaper and, perhaps, a less cynical way. For me, despite the claims of the production team at the time, the world of Art Deco and Dalek design don’t gel easily. In all, the season three Dalek episodes have the appearance of a desire to include the Daleks regardless of story. The penultimate episode of season four manages (just about successfully) to cram in all the tenth Doctor’s previous companions and to link the previously unlinkable worlds of the Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood without contradicting the ethos of either series. Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge.

Side guide

The Stolen Earth is spectacular. This doesn’t mean it’s great. I’d contend that the best episodes of the new series, Human Nature, Blink, Utopia, achieve greatness without spectacle.