A story that often crops up in the debate of the “greatest Doctor Who story of all time”.

If you’ve seen any episode of Classic Who or are planning to watch an episode of Classic Who, chances are this is it. I think it’s safe to say that Genesis of the Daleks is the most iconic episode in the show’s history. It’s event television unlike any other and the effects are still rippling out in Doctor Who even today. You all know the story; the Doctor is sent back to Skaro to prevent the creation of the Daleks. I can’t imagine what was going through Tom Baker’s head to be given an episode like this in only his first year! But my god does he approach this like a pro, he really deserves all the credit he gets for perfectly cementing his own take on the Doctor while carrying the wisdom of all his predecessors in such a short space of time. If you read back on the production troubles of his first season where he almost broke his collar bone and risked ending his career there and then, can you imagine being robbed of this story for such a small thing.

Genesis of the Daleks is a perfect example of how to do a villain’s origin story by introducing new concepts such as Davros, expanding on the lore previously established such as the war between the Dalek’s forbearers and the Thals but doing so in a way that doesn’t let the Dalek’s popularity and how they’ve been absorbed by the fandom get in the way of telling a compelling story. All the plot points and the events in this episode just play out in a natural, organic way. There aren’t many episodes in Doctor Who that successfully flesh out an alien world and give it such attention to detail to the degree Genesis of the Daleks gives to Skaro.

It does have its silly moments for sure such as the killer clams and the Nazi imagery is a bit on the nose, but they’re completely drowned out by the countless incredible scenes, quotable lines and amazing performances from everyone involved. If there’s one episode of Classic Doctor Who you’re going to watch, make it this one! But then again you probably already have, it’s one of the most memorable and highly acclaimed Doctor Who stories for a very good reason.