The Daleks

Christopher Barry, Richard Martin

Directed by

Runtime

175 minutes

Time Travel

Future

Tropes (Potential Spoilers!)

Monster Vision

Inventory (Potential Spoilers!)

Fluid Link, Food Replicator

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Skaro

Synopsis

The TARDIS has brought the travellers to the planet Skaro where they meet two indigenous races — the Daleks, malicious mutant creatures encased in armoured travel machines, and the Thals, beautiful humanoids with pacifist principles. They convince the Thals of the need to fight for their own survival.

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7 Episodes

The Dead Planet

First aired

Saturday, December 21, 1963

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

6.9 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

Time Unknown, Planet Unknown. The TARDIS lands in an eerie petrified forest overlooking a magnificent steel city. The Doctor wants to explore the city – but what is waiting there?

The Survivors

First aired

Saturday, December 28, 1963

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

6.4 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The dead planet is not uninhabited after all. The Doctor is about to meet what will become his greatest enemies. And he and his crew are dying of radiation sickness.

The Escape

First aired

Saturday, January 4, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

Richard Martin

UK Viewers

8.9 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

Imprisoned on Skaro by the scheming Daleks, the Doctor and his companions work to escape their clutches.

The Ambush

First aired

Saturday, January 11, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

9.9 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The time travellers work desperately to both escape the Dalek city and prevent a bloody massacre.

The Expedition

First aired

Saturday, January 18, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

9.9 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The time travellers have escaped from the Daleks, but left a vital piece of the TARDIS behind. Getting it back will mean pushing the Thals to mount a dangerous operation.

The Ordeal

First aired

Saturday, January 25, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

Richard Martin

UK Viewers

10.4 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

Ian, Barbara and the Thals struggle through the caves to reach the Dalek city. Will they get there in time? Is there even a way through the treacherous caves? And what are the Daleks planning?

The Rescue

First aired

Saturday, February 1, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

Richard Martin

UK Viewers

10.4 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

Time is running out as the Doctor and his companions try to defeat the Daleks before they wipe out all life on Skaro.

Characters

First Doctor

William Hartnell

Susan

Carole Ann Ford

How to watch The Daleks:

Watch on iPlayer

DVD

The Monster Collection: The Daleks

DVD

The Beginning – An Unearthly Child / The Daleks / The Edge of Destruction

Blu-Ray

The Daleks in Colour [Steelbook]

Blu-Ray

The Daleks in Colour

DVD

The Daleks in Colour

The Daleks (VHS) (Part 1)

The Daleks (VHS) (Part 2)

Daleks: The Early Years (VHS)

The Daleks (VHS) (Limited Edition Boxed Set)

The Daleks (VHS) (Remastered)

Reviews
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14 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

This episode is just too long.

The first 4 (5?) parts are good. But the others… Here we enter the purely science fiction episodes. The first parts, with the Doc and his companions discovering the planet, trying to escape after discovering the terrifying Daleks, are good, but let's say that it could be better.

The rest, it just seems like the producers had no ideas, the writers either, and it happened like this:

"Ok. We don't have any ideas?

- No

- Uh… What was the reason they had to go to the planet?

- The empty but not really empty liquid conductor

- Oh yeah! Ok, let's play that?

- Yeah… Come on!"

It's filler, whatever you WANT as long as it respects the principle of boring. So for the first parts I go up to 8, for the last ones it goes down to 5/10.

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Review last edited on 28-12-24

This review contains spoilers!

Such an iconic serial and yet as somebody who adores long serials, I must admit I felt the length quite a lot. The Daleks are a great force in it, all well-voiced and work pretty well. The conflict is a simple one but works well enough. And there are plenty of lovely scenes with our Tardis Crew. The Fact that the doctor is so curious, he puts them all in danger makes for interesting drama that later gets explored in this story and the edge of destruction. The Moments with Susan writing a letter and giggling about the fact that the Daleks don’t know what Names are all lovely. I really like the first Half of this Story. It only starts to struggle when we come to the parts where our Team unites with the Thals, the conclusion is great, but the fact that we get a lot of unnecessary fillers in those latter parts bothers me. I will say after watching the color version it earned more respect, of course no disrespect to the colorization. That Part is actually stellar, but the cutting down was done so odd and the fact they tried to add music more akin to nuwho does not work.

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Review last edited on 15-12-24

This review contains spoilers!

📝7/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

"The Daleks: The Birth of an Icon"

Returning to the spirit of mystery and exploration from the series' very first episode, The Daleks kicks off with a strong tone-setting opener. Part One masterfully establishes the eerie, alien setting of Skaro, with a cliffhanger so iconic it remains one of the most talked-about moments in Doctor Who history. I wish I could have experienced its impact firsthand.

This serial marks the TARDIS crew’s first real moment of cohesion, showcasing teamwork while still pushing each other’s boundaries. The Doctor, as portrayed by William Hartnell, retains his manipulative and stubborn edge here. However, by the end of the story, we catch the first glimpses of the warmer, more heroic figure he will grow into. Even Susan gets a touch of character development—though it's minimal, it’s a step in the right direction.

The Daleks themselves make a strong debut. Inspired by the Nazis, they are simple yet terrifying, even if they aren't at their most menacing here. Their design and the way they interact with the world set the foundation for the cultural phenomenon they would become.

Behind the scenes, Christopher Barry and Richard Martin share directing duties, with Barry’s work clearly standing out. His direction is creative and effective, particularly in how he creates a sense of scale and atmosphere within the studio confines. Martin's contributions, by contrast, feel less polished.

The set design deserves special mention. The alien city and petrified forest are both excellent examples of Doctor Who’s ability to craft convincing, immersive worlds on a tight budget. From the start, the stakes feel monumental, almost as if this were a series finale rather than just the second story.

That said, the pacing falters towards the end. At seven episodes, The Daleks could have easily lost one without harming the narrative. The cave sequence in Part Six drags considerably, draining much of the energy and tension built up over the earlier episodes. Its clumsy direction and reliance on suspension of disbelief don't help matters.

Lastly, the food dispenser is a delightful piece of sci-fi world-building. It’s a shame it doesn’t see much use in later stories.

The Daleks is a landmark serial, introducing not only the show’s most iconic villains but also setting a new standard for tension, teamwork, and atmosphere. Despite its minor flaws, it remains a vital part of the First Doctor's legacy and the foundation of Doctor Who’s enduring appeal.

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Review last edited on 10-12-24

To think, without this there is no Doctor Who as we know it. Terry nation created such a banger, saving the show and creating Dalek mania.

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Review last edited on 26-11-24

“Can’t you sound more like a Dalek ?”

La Bombe hante un Skaro apocalyptique, magique et terrifiant, où le fascisme a triomphé de toute forme de vie.

Mais là où l’épisode peut être brillant, et ce malgré son rythme désastreux et ses aryens débiles en claquettes, c’est encore une fois pour son poids historique et ses personnages qui apprennent ensemble.

The Daleks parle en effet beaucoup d’entraide et de lutte, et il fait un peu plus progresser le quatuor central.

Seulement, il est toujours coincé entre son discours anti-nazi sincère et ses propres biais antisémites. Et si c’est carrément représentatif d’une série de son temps, c’est surtout révélateur de ses limites politiques.

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Review last edited on 10-11-24