Doctor Who: The Daleks - REVIEW - Dalekcember 

In my opinion, the cliffhanger to episode 1 of The Daleks is the best cliffhanger Doctor Who has ever had. It's simple, but effective. The fact that it's Barbara screaming makes it even more chilling, considering she's never been one to shy away from a threat.

If I know my Dalek logic, Their famous battle cry ‘Exterminate’ wasn’t included in their first appearance, Only the words ‘Exterminated’ & ‘Extermination’ until The Dalek Invasion of Earth when the word ‘Exterminate’ is said.

The Nazi parallel is an interesting thing. I’ve read more than one interview with Nation where he said that he never consciously intended the Daleks to be Nazis. He just felt that the idea of the Daleks would make an interesting adversary. It was later, when people pointed out to him the similarities, that he accepted that he was subconsciously influenced by the Nazis and his feelings about them from his experiences in the Blitz, and then later openly used them as a deliberate Nazi metaphor (which is why the Kaled elite all looked like the SS). But whether or not Nation was telling the truth about this is another matter.

I haven't watched this guy for ages and he's still as good as he was

Move over Christmas, Dalekcember is here

In a way the Doctor here reminds me a lot of the way we see the Time Lords in the later series, where they are a bit detached from everything compared to the Doctor later on as he starts to become more open minded and getting more towards the Doctor we know.

I honestly think this story is WAY too long but it's still great. Haunting direction and atmosphere and I adore the writing of the Daleks as more well rounded intelligent beings than later interpretations sometimes had them be. Still could have cut a lot out though.

The Ordeal is properly named

Oh, I LOVE this idea of a series. An otherwise rough December is set to be a treat, thank you.

Fantastic video Mr TARDIS, looking forward to the next one. The music in this story by Tristam Cary is also amazing. One of the best soundtracks in the entire show (that includes Murray Gold.) It’s just so alien, artificial and creepy. When I was younger and had the VHS tapes of “The Daleks,” “The Rescue” and “The Ark,” I was scared to watch them as the music in those stories with the scary black and white images of the Daleks, Koquillion and the Monoids terrified me. It’s use in “Power of the Daleks” (along with some tracks from “The Daleks’ Master Plan”) is fantastic and I think is one of the main factors to why both “The Daleks” and “Power of the Daleks” are creepy stories.

One little detail I loved about this story (even though it comes from a retcon 12 years later) is when the thals show the doctor and his companions images of how their society use to be. But as we see in Genesis, it was far cry from what was shown. In hindsight, it's nice demonstration of how portions of history can be lost through centuries of war.

Looks like you've put a lot of hard work into this, I don't believe reviewing all Dalek stories was an easy (& un stressful) task and I look forward to the rest of the series. Keep up the good content.

Love this! Pretty much agree with everything you said. That first cliff-hanger sent shivers down my spine when I first watched this story. I really like the sets and the way the Daleks were shot was fantastic - very imaginative camera work going on there. Looking forward to the rest of Dalekcember :D

Love the creepy background music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in these early episodes! Thanks for the video - time to re-watch classic Who :)

I really enjoyed watching doctor who over and over again because It is just what I like doing because I enjoy it

A really fair overview of this debut story; I had forgotten just how impassioned Ian was during this one. It may be overlong, sure, but thanks to this, I’ll probably revisit it once I’ve seen/heard the rest of the Classic Series.

Excellent review. I do agree that the one major flaw with The Daleks is the pacing. I do remember watching the two movies based on the original Dalek serials more than the actual serials when I was a kid, but the problem is evident in both the movie and the series. The expedition isn't bad and does make for decent world building, but it does feel suspiciously like padding. Other than that, it's a solid introduction to the Daleks, and probably my favorite story with the First Doctor. Certainly a classic story that still holds up.

I love the daleks first doctor who story and the daleks episode one has got one of the best cliffhangers from the first doctor era

Brian Cox as Sydney Newman in that last clip (from An Adventure in Space and Time).

Somehow I always forget that "What will they die for? You'll hold up a fluid link and thank them for their lives?" My god, this is excellent post-WW2 art. No wonder Ben and I lost to this. That line is just as haunting and revealing as the Nation line in Planet about War not being some great game. Everytime I watch a war movie and tanks storm trenches, I just see Daleks. I love that Britain can claim this sort of sci-fi. Serials like The Daleks makes me honestly proud. That orgasming dalek is still odd, mind.

I binge watch mr tardis alot but my favourite series of his is daleks December and cyberman December and the first doctor era you forgot that terry nashion crated Blake seven terry nashion is one of my favourite writers in doctor who

When i originally decided i wanted to watch doctor who i thought id skip the black and white era to go straight to Pertwee bc i thought itd all be such a low budget mess. But then, im so glad that i decided to start from the very beginning bc the early Hartnell serials were absolutely incredible i was blown away by them.

I will say this, They have a good start since Dr Who back then didn’t exactly had a Excellent start, For me the best parts are the late Peter Hawkins and David Graham as the voices of the Daleks.

One design element of the Daleks that I really liked but which, for whatever reason, was later dropped was the use of an 'iris' on the lens in close up shots. I seem to recall it was an adapted camera part but was quite effective in giving more 'life' to the Daleks. Incidentally, I blame the Doctor here for the later problems with the Daleks. If he hadn't stumbled in and immediately offered to barter his space/time vessel for his release, the Daleks might have continued to huddle in their city ignorant of the possibility of space and time travel!

I'm starting the callendar late, really looking forward to watching a bunch of these in one go. Very cool opening. Interesting recap. Great points on politics in who. Loved the use of an Adventure in Space and Time at the end.

That thing waving around at Barbara frightened the piss out of me (I was 8). Still scary at 67.

That was a fantastic intro!

6:25 That one Dalek the 9th Doctor found was like:

I really do like this story of the original Daleks, but I do agree that it is too long about 7 parts. I know I'm going to get some flack, but that is the reason why I prefer the movie version being Dr. Who and the Daleks 1965, it's a lot shorter and it is much better paced, but that is my opinion. Which one do you prefer, the TV version or the movie version of the Daleks?

I’m glad you’re doing this

Spot on review! Look forward to watching the other 24 🤗

The cowardice of the daleks is a key character trait that should be emphasised

Some really well thought out points about the story. I personally find it hard to take all of it completely seriously but I find it to be an enjoyable journey with a nice political commentary. Good review

I love this story but prefer the Dr Who and the Daleks movie version with Peter Cushing. Half the runtime, twice the fun!

Every story of series 1 of classic doctor who holds up and Every story of series 2 of classic doctor who holds up as well in fact every first doctor story holds up very well

In my opinion the daleks episode 1 has got to be my favourite episode of this story and my favourite cliffhanger is episode one because it still is an amazing cliffhanger and one of doctors best cliffhanger in classic doctor who

2:00 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, came up with the exact concept a year later. Now that is one hell of a coincidence but to make it more exciting, I'm going to say Roald Dahl stole the idea in an act of Industrial Espionage. Can't prove it but nobody can disprove it.

Great review, I saw the serial and it was fun!

This is now a year old 😱

Good stuff indeed!

4:20 You were talking about sending innocent people dying for you.... So I don’t wanna here you talk DOCTOR!

Thanks! Interesting insights here.

This is my favorite episode of Doctor Who!

Honestly, if you showed me this story, cutting out opening and ending credits, and told me it was only five parts, I would believe you.

Who could be sad that the Sheriff of Nottingham got killed by Daleks? good riddance.

Fantastic review, very nice to have a fresh perspective on the first Dalek story and the one that kick-started the show's popularity. I'm not so sure about the comparison with Antifa in the description though. From what I've heard, their decentralised nature and vague definition of 'fascist' in terms of who they target for beat-downs do not make them a movement to be commended in any way.

Oof, that "Our battle-cry" speech is way more cringe than I remember...

Single file lines must make screen viewing real inconvenient.

If it weren’t for the Daleks, Dr Who would never have taken off.

Great video!

Great review, are you not giving it a score like you usually do though?

How come the Thals are speaking in English even when they are on their own without any time travellers nearby?

I've never seen the original seriea to know the context but is it weird that I find them oddly cute?

How do you find your footage for the video

I always felt like that the first story is already political. Talking about how scared the cavemen are off the fire I think that's a, comment on people fearing change and progress.

1.50 haw!

I like The Daleks

This story does lose steam with "The Ordeal" but it's hilarious how the Doctor mentions the Thals were the original warriors and thus played a big part of the neutronic war, if not starting it. The contrasts are so multi-layered in this story that it's a work of art. A shame most Dalek stories aren't as good, but as introductions go this one is The best.

Jesus you’ve been doing reviews and stuff for 10 years

Do you mean, 2024 Dr Who is a Daleks? 10:40 "They used to be like us ..... and now they ate everything that is not like them and all they know to do is lash out" Looks like Who's writers of today.

Exactly! 2nd story, nazi parallel. These haters have obviously no interest in the history of the show whatsoever! We have always been political, the dullards!