THE DALEKSHow could any anniversary rewatch of a great number of Doctor Who classic stories omit an enemy in the show's history as iconic as the Daleks? Aptly enough, the second ever story for the sci-fi drama was simply titled The Daleks, and placed a profound focus on the Doctor's first journey to Skaro with his companions. Peaked by curiosity, the Time Lord purposefully sabotages his own TARDIS to force his crew to explore, yet when they begin to succumb to the planet's inherent toxic levels of radiation and they encounter the infamous pepper pots, the Doctor realises the severity of his mistake...
The question is simple, then: how well does the Daleks' first appearance on Who fare just under fifty years later? Thankfully, fairly admirably. Sure, there are once again pacing issues in terms of new viewers' viewing experience of this six-parter in a 'movie' format of storytelling, but all the same, there's an inherent fear that becomes a crucial part of the success of the Doctor's most infamous foes. Here, the Nazi-esque fascist ideological inspirations that creator Terry Nation sparked in his acclaimed metal menaces is clear to see, with the Daleks echoing the cold-hearted brutality associated with war criminals of the time such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. The adventure never lingers on these inspirations to the point of anti-nostalgia, though, instead rightly remaining focused on providing scare tactics on a mysterious alien planet.
There's definitely a grand sense of awe and mystery in the Doctor's first on-screen intergalactic voyage, then, and it's something which the show never loses every time the Time Lord steps out of the TARDIS doors with his companion, just as the Eleventh Doctor and Clara will come April. What with the blazing success of The Daleks, a single truth became evident to the show's creators and its characters- the conquerors of Skaro were not going anywhere. Time and time again, the Daleks would return...
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