It's not been too long since the last Dalek story, and this one flops in comparison to The Mutant Phase... in fact, it flops in comparison to most dalek stories. There's a lot of behind-the-scenes drama which I really think caused a lot of issues in terms of producing this story, but even without them I wonder how confusing Bidmead's story must've been initially. And what on earth is that cover? It's the most bland, generic cover I've ever seen.

The Doctor seems very cavalier throughout this story - he never seems to take the Daleks seriously - and who could with them being toys? After being captured by them, he just goes on a stroll singing "Three Blind Mice" and the Daleks just yell at him and don't do anything to stop him. The way he is handled in this story is very immature and, whilst it might fit his character on TV usually, doesn't match the attitude he usually has towards the Daleks. With Nyssa, she's incredibly forgettable and doesn't really do anything at all but allow the Doctor to expose information for the audience. I don't think Briggs or Bidmead had a very good handle over these characters, and if you like characters who fit perfectly into the TV series with little to no development or role in the story, then this is for you.

Toy Daleks? TOY Daleks? Oh how scary, there are mini Daleks on the console. I couldn't help but moan at how juvenile the idea is. Their plan to fix the Dalek Invasion of Earth (which we've just had a story about) is to create toy Daleks and invade by using them. These are meant to be the fiercest, most ruthless creatures in the Universe, but all they can do by the start of the third part is give the Doctor an electric shock. The inclusion of the Greylish served no contribution of the story - why have we never heard about him before and why do we never see him again? He seems like an important figure but only is there to explain how the nano Daleks were made.

In true 80s fashion, most of the episode takes place on board the TARDIS. They go travelling through lots of time tracks, and end up going back to the American Civil War and then to a Dalek city... quite literally, a city made of Daleks. It's a nice idea, and there could've been some nice visuals, but on audio it doesn't work. They spend most of the story just roaming about corridors and not doing anything interesting and these visuals, in concept, sound great, but are just pointless.

Our side characters are from moments across history - the conflict between these characters could be interesting, but I struggled to engage with it when I consider the representation of them - the leading woman is critical, brash and annoying constantly, and the person who always sticks up for the Doctor and a decent guy - is a Confederate soldier. The others have no real major role in the story - they're nice enough but I have nothing to say about them. It's a nice little trip through history, though.

There's a really nice orchestral score that accompanies this story - it's really different from the Classic Series and it's cool - I don't think it particularly fits this story, but it's enjoyable.

Favourite Line: "Zero room? On the account of how much furniture they have in it?"

This really isn't great - Whether it's down to the production issues, the fact that there was a Dalek story only a few episode ago or the lack of interest overall, it doesn't work for me. It's very bland and generic and honestly makes no sense. It's got a few redeeming qualities, but it's not one I'll revisit. In my opinion, it wouldn't feel out of place in the Fourth Doctor Adventures due to its shoddy nature and the amount of references it makes.