Victory of the Daleks is a story that everyone knows. It’s the story that had Winston Churchill and it’s the story that redesigned the Daleks. The first hook has been grabbed and run with by Big Finish, with Ian McNeice’s performance being called on in an evergrowing number of audios – including his own spin-off box sets. The second hook has, like many an unsuccessful idea in Doctor Who, been quietly forgotten.

This is also a story of two halves with the first part being far more successful and engaging than the second.

I really like the World War Two opening. The Cabinet War Rooms are effectively realised and McNeice makes an instant impact as Churchill. It’s easy to forget that this is only Matt Smith’s third outing as the Doctor on screen (and only his second story to be recorded) as he is simply perfect as the Doctor. He has easily become my favourite new series Doctor by a fair distance and the way his performance is just so natural is evident even this early in his time.

It’s also easy to forget this is only Karen Gillan’s second-recorded/third-screened story. I’ve been less enamoured by Amy Pond but I think this may be due to later appearances and, possibly, her dynamic with Rory. In this story, where she is the sole companion I find her more appealing, This wasn’t something I thought about her solo outing in Vincent and the Doctor where I had a few issues with Gillan’s performance but here, there is a freshness and energy to her which I don’t know I’ve ever felt as clearly from her other appearances in this marathon. Her interaction with Bracewell, in particular, is a delight.

Bill Paterson’s Bracewell is an undersung character of the new series – overshadowed by Churchill and the Daleks, he gives a warm, likeable performance as an eager scientist almost unable to believe his luck in getting to contribute so significantly to the war effort. His reveal as a Dalek android is effectively done and I particularly like the final scene where he expects the Doctor to deactivate him but the Doctor and Amy try to subtly tell him to scarper while they’re not looking.

I’ve occasionally seen the scene where Amy manages to ‘defuse’ the bomb planted inside him accused of being a little trite and unbelievable but I think it works. The way the Doctor fails to connect to his ‘human’ side but Amy is able to draw on a lost love and draw out his humanity works for me, even though I know, deep down, that the idea that a Dalek construct has any ounce of real humanity is a little silly. I think it is down to Paterson’s performance that this scene convinces me. I can believe that the Daleks have managed to implant memories into him that are so real they can counteract his mechanical elements.

Bracewell’s ‘invention’ of the Ironsides is also one of this episodes highlights. The khaki green design, the little soldier ‘accessories’, the covers on the ‘ear-lights’ and the Union Jack really work on the classic new series Dalek design. It’s a clever twist on the design and its a massive shame when halfway through they are literally destroyed and disappear from the story. It’s also a design which is never likely to reappear in the series. I have special memories of this Dalek design too as it was at the first Doctor Who event I took my son to when he was a toddler. Scenes of him meeting an Ironside Dalek and wielding his sonic screwdriver will always be extremely special to me.

Gatiss choosing to riff on the memorable ‘I am your servant’ line from Power of the Daleks is also a clever addition to the script as it works purely within the story’s own narrative but also gives a little thrill to classic fans.

And then it all falls apart.

When I first saw the reveal of the new Paradigm Daleks I was nonplussed. Something about them didn’t sit right with me but I actually couldn’t pinpoint it until their design was cross-examined, nit-picked and pulled apart by fandom. They are a contradictory design in that the both seem like Daleks and yet not like Daleks simultaneously.

Firstly, the colours don’t bother me. The Dalek movies did colourful Daleks decades ago so that was never going to be an issue for me. I also like the titles, especially the never-explored mystery of what the Eternal Dalek is.

But the change of silhouette I just don’t think works. The oft-mentioned ‘humpback’ simply doesn’t work (even with the stated intention that it housed various weapons which could interchange with the gunstick and sucker). But I also realised that the grill section is redesigned in a way which doesn’t work either. It seems too bulky and prominent, taking focus away from the ‘head’ and eyestalk.

I also know that the increased height was rationalised as matching the height of the Doctor and Amy but I really don’t think creations as menacing and destructive as the Daleks need worry about the Doctor being a bit taller than them. It isn’t something which is particularly noticeable when Smith is in scenes with the Ironsides so it does feel a bit like a reason being given after the fact to justify part of a badly-received design decision.

It does seem that the production team ended up agreeing with general consensus on the design as the Paradigm Daleks have been quietly forgotten as the years have moved on with the original new series design returning as the dominant form. The redesign seen in the Reconnaissance Dalek in Resolution and the security drones in Revolution of the Daleks works much more successfully because, I feel, there is a better narrative justification and rationale for it. But the classic design remains the go to look.

But the Paradigm Daleks aren’t the only issue with the second part of Victory of the Daleks. I just don’t like the Dalek spaceship set. It is colourless (ironically) and lacks any atmosphere. When the Doctor arrives, he spends an inordinate amount of time just standing there talking. It’s almost like he gets removed from the interesting part of the story in WW2 and parked up on the ship. Even when he gets returned to Earth, it is Amy who manages to defuse Bracewell.

I love Matt Smith but as soon as he gets to the Dalek ship, his performance is stifled. With only the Daleks to play with, he struggles to keep the energy in his Doctor. Maybe if this story came much later in his run, his experience in the role would have been able to combat the stiffness of the script at this point but as it is, the second half of this story is a letdown after the strength of the initial setting and characters.

The rather silly ‘Spitfires in Space’ bit also does little to lift this portion simply because that action seems divorced from the other two settings. The pilots are faceless (even if one is voiced by Gatiss) and have no connection to the other characters. The logic of the spitfires just doesn’t make sense within the narrative unless the viewer squints a lot.

For me Victory of the Daleks is definitely a game of two halves. The WW2 portions are excellent. McNeice and Paterson are brilliant guest stars and the characters they play are engaging. Yes, Churchill is portrayed as a ‘character’ rather than as the historical figure but within a family programme, would it be appropriate to delve into the alleged racism or less savoury aspects of the man? In the context of a story visiting WW2, the broad strokes with which Churchill is painted are completely understandable and appropriate. Whether Churchill should be introduced as an old friend of the Doctor is where things may get a little muddier but I think aspects such as the Doctor refusing Churchill access to the TARDIS hint at a level of caution on the part of the Doctor. This isn’t someone he’s willing to take on trips through time and space and not, I hazard, simply to preserve the timeline. Obviously the Big Finish Churchill Years do have him travel in the TARDIS but only once his contribution to the war is over.

But the story grinds to a halt once the Doctor arrives on the ship and my interest in it wanes. The WW2 scenes just about save it from being a total washout. I’m also not convinced by the conceit that the Daleks are victorious when their victory seems to just be buggering off in their spaceship. I do like the scene of Amy defusing Bracewell but it is too little too late.

There is lots to enjoy in Victory of the Daleks and it’s position as the keystone to the numerous Churchill audio adventures that now exist is a better legacy than the Paradigm Dalek reveal which the story is most known for.