Welcome to Skaro | Genesis of the Daleks | Doctor Who 

I loved how frightfully normalize the war was on Skaro. It went on for so long for the Kelads and Thals that peace talks weren't even a thing. Heck, I don't think each side even hated each other. It was just routine.

My god this man was the Doctor. You can’t take your eyes off him. This episode was the perfect combination of perfect acting, perfect script, perfect score. Perfect everything. This is seminal Who

My Dad watched this back in 1975, my Mum shortly afterwards with Pyramids of Mars. They bought me Genesis of the Daleks on DVD in 2006, when I had just become obsessed with Doctor Who, having caught one half of a single episode, Doomsday. So this was my first full Doctor Who serial. Having been brought up on classic BBC television, mainly 70s/80s/90s comedies, there was no risk of being alienated by the idea of 'classic' Doctor Who. It sounded exciting, the idea that this programme had a past, a history waiting to be explored. That I could now sit down with my parents, and they could go back to the barren wastelands of Skaro deep in the mists of time, and this time, I could go with them. 'We'd like you to return to Skaro at a point in time before the Daleks evolved.' This DVD had a big red sticker on the cover that proclaimed, 'Voted by readers of Doctor Who Magazine as the greatest Doctor Who story of all time!'. As a nine year old, I took that very much to heart, and in a rare example of the hype being lived up to, those words weren't empty at all for many reasons. The soldiers in gas masks, mowed down by gunfire in the opening seconds. The Mutos, stalking in the night like wildebeest, rejected by a race obsessed with genetic purity above all else. The slightly unconvincing claws in the cave where mutations roam free. The Thals' great rocket laying waste to the Kaled city, razing it to the ground in flames. And then, the monsters. The Daleks, silently and ominously gliding through the corridors and trenches, their gunmetal grey casings looking like they were forged in a WWII munitions factory, shot at low angles by director David Maloney, and Dudley Simpson's clanging chimes of death always following them. Their ancient creator, Davros, played by Michael Wisher, the evil, megalomaniacal scientist whose bulbous head evoked the Mekon from Dan Dare, whose bombed-out eye sockets and mobile life-support hinted at a horrific accident as a result of the fallout from a chemical war, whose single hovering hand could dispense with your life in an instant at the mere flick of a switch. The Doctor exposes Davros' insane desire for power through the hypothetical proposition of a virus that would wipe out all forms of life. Davros considers this; 'To hold in my hand a capsule that contains such power, to know that life and death on such a scale was my choice. To know that the tiny pressure on my thumb, enough to break the glass, would end everything. Yes, I would do it! That power would set me up above the gods. And through the Daleks, I shall have that power!' In this story, Davros sits at the heart of a web like a spider, controlling, scheming, embedded in the fabric of Skaro, in the lives of the scientists and soldiers who serve him in the Kaled Elite, striking fear and terror into their hearts. Only for him to be betrayed by his own creation. 'We are entombed, but we live on. This is only the beginning. We will prepare. We will grow stronger. When the time is right, we will emerge and take our rightful place as the supreme power of the universe!' But good monsters and villains need good heroes to fight them. Elisabeth Sladen's Sarah Jane Smith comes running over the crater in yellow rainjacket and hat, and I realise, that isn't Rose, the girl I saw on the beach saying a tearful goodbye to the Doctor. The Doctor has had many friends. This isn't a programme that gets a reboot. This is one, long, continuing story, one which will carry on for as long as people love the show. Ian Marter's Harry Sullivan is delightfully square and bumbling, but just as fiercely loyal to his friends as they are to him. The companions, as much a constant of Doctor Who as the TARDIS and the theme tune. And then, there's the Doctor himself, this mysterious traveller in space and time. Tom Baker's Doctor was confident, commanding, as colourful as his long scarf, and never far away from a smile of those pearly, organ-pipe teeth and a bag of jelly babies to hand. But in this story, we see him vulnerable. He is horrified at the thought that he sent Harry and Sarah into the inferno of the Kaled dome, sent them to their deaths. He is forced to accede to Davros' demands and surrender the secrets of the Daleks' future defeats to ensure their supremacy, or see his friends who he dearly loves tortured. He is almost torn apart by the nightmarish mutations in the incubator room. And then comes his ultimate test. He only has to press two wires together, rigged to detonators in the incubator room, where the first Daleks are bred and genetically conditioned to hate all other forms of life, and he will change history forever. And the Doctor cannot do it. He asks himself, 'Do I have the right?'. And that is why he is our hero. I'd watch and love many more stories after this - The Rescue, The Invasion, The Green Death, Kinda, The Mark of the Rani, Survival, the TV Movie - as well as listen to the Big Finish audios, read the books and the DWM comic strip, and continue to follow and love the modern regeneration, with great episodes like Rose, The Waters of Mars, The Eleventh Hour, Heaven Sent, and The Haunting of Villa Diodati. But none have quite captured for me that same special quality Genesis of the Daleks has, and I actually like that. Knowing that it will never truly be beaten in my affections. Like the companions to the Doctor, it will forever be a constant in my life. 'Failed? No. Not really. You see, I know that although the Daleks will create havoc and destruction for millions of years, I know also that out of their evil must come something...*good*.' Oh, Doctor. It was far more than just good.

Fun fact: Originally the Doctor's meeting with the Time Lord took place in a lush garden. David Maloney and Philip Hinchcliffe disliked this idea and changed it to what you see here.

Truly one of the greatest Dr Who stories of all time…

Absolutely love "Genesis of the Daleks", one of the GREATEST Doctor Who stories of all time!

Ah. The catalyst to the Time War. I've always loved the dialogue here: TIMELORD: Daleks. THE DOCTOR: Daleks? Tell me more. It's the timing, more than the actual words. I've heard The Doctor's "Just one more time." sampled on a dance record, too.

Glorious Doctor Who!! The Doctor, Sarah and Harry the dream team, one of my favourite stories of all time💖

Even mere seconds in, there's something about this opening which just screams, you're about to watch the single greatest Doctor Who story of all time

Tom Baker. Greatest Doctor of ALL TIME. It's not even close.

Genesis Of The Daleks, One Of The Real Gems Of Doctor Who

Favourite Tom Baker episode truthfully?

My headcanon is that the time lords send the doctor on missions not because he's the only one who can solve it, but because he is expendable. If he solves the problem, great. And if he dies then the time lords use their power to intervene.

Now this is "The Doctor" the definitive one, so to speak

Basically the beginning of the Time War

Really miss Tom Baker as the doctor

honestly, this kind of ties into the idea of the doctor being part of Division.

An absolutely iconic scene in classic Who! Thanks for posting!

Wasn’t the 12th Doctor on Skaro when he met a young Davros? I love Doctor Who and I need to watch Genesis of the Daleks

Thus begins the Cold War between the Time Lords and the Daleks which will inevitably lead to the Time War many considered this the beginning of the Time War The Daleks never forgot what the Time Lords tried to do

The story how the Daleks are born, now that is a best doctor who episode ever.

"look whatever i've done for you in the past, i've more than made up for. i will not tolerate this continual interference in my life." BEST LINE EVER!!!!! I actually used this on someone (also a Whovian) as they kept asking me to do stuff for them (I would do them) so i threw this at them & they never asked for anything again. love it!

I love this episode, I just so happy that Tom didn’t get his collarbone broken like what happened from The Sontaran Experiment.

Tom Baker like Jon Pertwee such eccentric Dr's, my favourites from my time

Every line in this story is far superior to anything Chibnall has written.

I wish I could meet him

Clearly the hat had something to do with it. Evil+ weird and goofy hat with sleeves for the ears? Very dangerous!

Happy late birthday Tom!

Ah i was wondering when we were going to get clips for this story.

This is the best ever story and the best backstory of the Delek's ever, and though thing's change over time this is still canon in most part and the choices the Doctor made from the point on about his greatest foes has a major toll throughout the universe but with other future stories especially the secret of the origins of Davros's childhood memories involving the Doctor and then before this The Time Wars to, but would he of actually done the deed and what if had would there be a different universe with the Delek's maybe and then what of Davros he would survive to build them again or create a virus to wipe out a universe or two remember this is actually in this episode's nano Delek's mini virus's and that time lord who was he meant to be it has always puzzled me dressed in black?

2:20 although people usually mention Elizabeth sladen's death (Which I'm not saying is bad) no one seems to mention the actor who played Harry, Ian marter who died In 1986!!

Also just realize Sara didn’t changed that much

Yes, we are now getting clips from genesis

Love Tom’s little ad libs in the subscribe advert at the end. Still a cheeky twinkle in the eye and wow that voice!

I have seen this story many times. One of the best of the series. One flaw I noticed though. When Davros told the Thal representatives how to destroy the Kaled Dome, how come when Gharman and the other elite Kaled Troops rebelled against Davros, did the Doctor not tell them that Davros had assisted the Thals in destroying their own Kaled race ? That would have finished Davros and the Daleks for good.

This is the first I ever saw of classic Who. Needless to say I was not disappointed!

One of the few times Time Lord Commanders broke their own laws.

On DVD i own every story from Doctor Who 4-5-6-7-8 ( Tom Backer to Paul Mcgann) always my fav are the DALEKS stories ... Genesis of the DALEKS with Davros was dark and fun ....i been homeless for now almost 4 years , i miss those Lazy Days In winter Watching doctor who with my boyfriend.....

Couldn't believe The City Of Death (which is a great story) beat Genesis Of The Daleks in the Doctor Who magazine poll a few months back.Think many others were suprised too.The only other Tom Baker story that comes close is The Pyramids Of Mars.

“Haven’t I seen you somewhere before? Yes, that’s it! You were behind the sofa, watching Doctor Who!”

Genesis of the Daleks was the first classic Doctor Who story I watched, followed by Tomb of the Cybermen. I quickly became hooked.

Mercy .. as long as There is mercy

Are we sure that was a CIA (Celestial Intervention Agency)operative? Or a Division operative from galifrey?

The Doctor must envy those Time Lords who can travel in time and space without using a TARDIS. This Time Lord the Doctor encountered wasn't the first to appear and disappear in front of him.

I remember this scene on first transmission. Two of my favourite actors, John Franklyn-Robbins is amazing in everything, especially "Budgie" (produced by one Verity Lambert...)

Interesting that the doctor is one of the lower intelligence timelords. Imagine what the upper classes were capable of.

Is it me or does that Time Lord's voice sound a bit like Anthony Ainley? His attire even looks kind of similar to what Ainley wears as the Master in "The Five Doctors" when he arrives in the Death Zone on Gallifrey.

Great scene. What a contrast with the garbage we get now.

“Something’s annoyed them”. Love that line.

this mysterious representative of the Timelords has a short scene but I thought he made a very memorable impression, he set the scene and laid out the stakes very effectively! Will Always love the 4th Doctor!

The opening of every video adventure game ever: "Here's your quest; off you go."

Eu assisti esse episódio completo, é muito bom! Roteiro esplêndido! Viva Doctor Who! 😉

Got to be the best scene from any Dr Who episode. The time lord appearing and disappearing in the mist is just so atmospheric.

This story is a classic case of underestimating your opponent. I anyone on the Kaled side recognized how truly insane Davros is, he could have been stopped and the true evolution of the Kaleds would have proceeded accordingly. Even the Doctor made the mistake of trying to talk Davros down rather than bypassing him. What we think of as Daleks could have just been a race with all the emotional strengths and weaknesses of other races. They still might have been dangerous conquerors, just as humans have been and will be. They'd also have the possibility for growth and change. We've seen glimpses of that from time to time in Dr. Who history, but the numbers have always been too small to avoid being overwhelmed by the greater Dalek mindset.

BEST. DOCTOR. EVER.

Amazing story. Definitely my favorite from his first season

I've always wondered about Vira on Nerva from the Ark in Space. She was in the middle of transporting the Tardis crew back when they were intercepted and brought to Skaro. When the Doctor and the others use the time ring to get back to Nerva it is a time period thousands of years before Ark in Space. Vira from Ark in Space never found out what happened to them. For all she knew they died in the transport. I doubt the Doctor went back to her time period to say goodbye.

One of the BEST Baker stories ever

Still one of Doctor Who’s best stories. But I always found it weird how this narrative is squashed between two completely different stories that are technically happening after one another.

Amazing how quickly Tom Baker got into being his Doctor. Ark In Space, Sontaran Experiment and Genesis Of The Daleks quite possibly best run of three stories in the show's history, although the next couple of seasons could throw up an equally good run.

Tom baker's googly eyes portrayed so much expression just by themselves.

Everyone's favorite Doctor.

The other Time Lord looks like a goth jester. Classic Who!

I won’t do it. Whatever it is I refuse! Daleks. Daleks? Tell me more.

0:59 such meme potential

“ I won't do it. Whatever it is, I refuse. Daleks. Daleks? Tell me more. “ “ There's no need for that, Doctor. You're here. This is Skaro. What? “ “ What's this? A time ring. It will return you to the TARDIS when you've finished here. There's just one thing. What's that? Be careful not to lose it. That time ring is your lifeline. “

Oh, look, it's Narvin

The Doctor, Harry and Sarah are sent back in time to stop the creation of the Daleks.

This moment in Doctor Who is both enigmatic and magical as well. The mysterious Jester dressed Time Lord Agent the Doctor meets and being lectured. It’s almost as if the Doctor knows him in his personal past. He may just be the same CIA agent from Terror of the Autons(incognito).

what a fantastic opening

Still have this on DVD !

If someone from the future came and pointed to a child, and told you that child would grow up hopelessly evil. To be a ruthless dictator, who would destroy the lives of millions. Could you then kill that child?

I was 10 when I saw this. This and Blink are my top 2 Dr Who stories. perhaps beinhg Jewish played into my appreciition of Davros and his race theory, My Dad however thought Davors was more akin to Dr Strangelove! at first-until he saw the bit which showed the mutilation wrought by Davros; experiments. Then it was Mengele. The mighty rocket used by the Thals was a reference to the V2 which Werner Von Braun launched against Britain-another reference caught by my Dad who remembered them. A fantastic story!

BEST DR WHO EVER.

I dont know what that man is wearing but girl i am living

This is part of the time lord victorious and I had the figure of the daleks from this masterpiece

This episode also marks the last appearance of the Olympian God version of the Time Lords in the series. After "The Deadly Assassin", they were increasingly rendered as just another mundane decadent and corrupt civilisation. The Time Lords should always have been kept mysterious and very rarely seen in the series, even less so than the number of times they did appear.

Genesis of the Daleks was my favourite 4th Doctor story, even though it was before my time.

I watched Tom Baker as Dr Who as a child and have always been a little afraid of him. The best Dr Who though, of all time. And he's still so handsome.

This is where the outtro is better than the body of the clip. So nice to see Tom again. So dramatic!

Happy Birthday Tom Baker!

If Sarah Jane & Harry had seen the Time Lord the Doctor was talking to, they would've given him a piece of their minds for sending them to Skaro without having a say about it.

Man if ABC added Doctor Who back in the early '70's, then Saturday Mornings would be Jelly.....................Babies that is!

The best doctor ❤️

Try big finish I Davros

Pity that they missed the first 30 seconds, where the first world war soldiers, wearing gas masks, get mown down by machine guns... I recall watching this live, and we all said... " Hey ! ... We thought it was Dr Who... This looks like... All quiet on the Western Front ! " ... What a start to a Dr Who story... And, of course, it just got better and better...

We'd love to have done a story line where a companion of The Doctor replies to a Dalek saying 'We... are... the... superior... beings!' and giving the companion a full blast with their death ray... 'Well... your superior at one thing, the companion replies a after absorbing the full blast, "you're tasty..." With that the companion grabs the sides of the Dalek - returning all the energy absorbed from the death dray. A scream is heard and the top of the Dalek blasts off with a fully cooked Dalek following behind it. Companion grabs the Dalek and give it a chomp... Companion offers a bite to the Doctor, who replies, 'No thanks, tastes too much like Cthulhu."

Tom Baker was the best; his acting was always on point, especially when he was like "I won't do what you want!" and the time lord is like "Daleks" and he's now like "Oh, tell me more!" That was just fantastic!

I maintain that this was the opening of the Great Time War.

John Franklyn Robbins played the Time Lord here.....great performance for a fairly small part.

Boi, fourthy never gets old. You just want to stare at him and be like 'How in the hell can I become a Time Lord like you?' lol

Genesis of the Daleks. Genesis of Davros. Amazing

Oh, the legendary music of Dudley Simpson when the original series was at its peak in the 1970s.

WHATEVER IT IS I WONT DO IT! Daleks... HMMM, THIS COULD BE FUN!, TELL ME MORE!

Love the fact that this was what started the time war.

Bit of a film nerd comment here, but this is one scene I'd really like to see the original film negative recovered. That fog would resolve so much better if they could scan in the negative.

The first Fourth Doctor story I ever saw. Talk about starting off strong.

The best. Nuff said. 🥰 O.O.K 👌🏼💙

There's plenty of horse racing to look forward to, Michael wisher, loved horse racing, he used to go to Wincanton racecourse, he said on the genes of the daleks dvd

Love in the novelisation of this story where him thinking of the mission is actually him pretending and that he already accepted as soon as he heard the task. Then later on had doubt in himself to fulfill said mission.