Saturday, 8 March 1975

Genesis of the Daleks

Premise: The Time Lords foresee a time when the Daleks conquer the Universe. They send the Doctor on a mission to prevent their creation or make them less aggressive creatures.

Notes: After writing two Dalek stories since his return to the series in 1973, it was suggested to Terry Nation for his third to write the origin story or the Daleks. For this he introduced the character of Davros who was played here for the only time by Michael Wisher. Wisher had voiced the Daleks multiple stories before this and had also appeared on screen in others. While both he and the character of Davros would return to the series, he did not reprise his role in these however due to other commitments. His wheelchair (which was based on the bottom half of a Dalek) was designed by Peter Day, his mask sculpted by John Friedlander and his costume created by Barbara Kidd.

Verdict: An extremely immersive war story with strong visuals and breathtaking performances. The repetitive plot is easily covered up by the lashings of atmosphere and it all comes together in what has got to be the Fourth Doctor's most defining moment. Lacking in Daleks it may be, but there's no denying this story is a true classic 10/10

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