TV
Cult Spy: The Impotence of the Daleks
Published Sunday, Aug 10 2008, 08:00 BST | By Ben Rawson-Jones | 23 comments
The task facing showrunner Russell T. Davies and writer Rob Shearman was undoubtedly immense. The Daleks, once a bastion of fear with Nazi overtones, had been reduced to a kitsch object of fun and ridicule in the many years that Doctor Who had been off air. Perhaps the nadir was a Kit Kat advert in 2001 featuring a Hare Krishna-like procession of Daleks wailing "peace and love", or maybe a series of Energiser battery adverts shortly after. Just like the Spice Girls, these metallic mutants appeared to like making a quick buck through commercial endorsement on their way to global domination. (They also shared similarly grating vocals, but that's another story).
Gone were the petty squabbles and devious ramblings in the ranks that were so delicious during the black and white era of the show. Just witness the stream-of-consciousness "WE-ARE-THE-MASTERS-OF-EARTH" rant in 1964's 'The Dalek Invasion Of Earth' by the Dalek that famously emerged from the River Thames.
On a visual level, gone were the battered props of old that barely managed to negotiate a cobbled street in 1988's 'Remembrance of the Daleks'. A gleaming, beefed up Dalek was an awesome sight to behold, with a rotating mid-section, bullet shield, functional plunger and a dilating iris that also evoked the 1960s props. The advent of CGI meant that we could see the Dalek glide across the sky and up stairs too, in much clearer fashion than their late '80s attempts to defy gravity.
Yet this season finale also signalled the advent of an increasingly regular tendency to build up the Dalek threat only to suddenly wipe them out en masse in their entirety.
Rose Tyler's absorption of the Tardis vortex allowed her to disintegrate every Dalek in existence (apparently), which was a sudden plot twist that tied in with the ongoing 'Bad Wolf' story arc. Fast forward a year later and the Daleks are out in force and dominating the Earth's skies. Rose Tyler pulls a lever and suddenly all the Daleks (except the Cult of Skaro) fly into the Void and out of reality. Job done.
Most recently in 'Journey's End', Donna Noble has to flick a few switches in the Crucible and, shock horror, the Daleks go doolally and blow up. All of them. In seconds. Again. (Albeit with the help of a genocidal half human Doctor, in a neat parallel to a key scene from 'Genesis of the Daleks').
When so much time, effort and ingenuity is invested in establishing the menace of these perennial villains - and how one Dalek is enough to wipe out humanity - it's a shame to see the species repeatedly thwarted in such a manner.
The Daleks' power to strike fear into viewers is just about intact though, as proved by the terrifying shrieks of "exterminate" that Mr. Smith and Torchwood HQ managed to pick up in 'The Stolen Earth'. So simple, yet so effective.
The extended break for Doctor Who couldn't come at a better time for the bug-eyed monsters from Skaro. If they continued to be so easily and conveniently destroyed, then it wouldn't be long before they replace Pele in those Viagra adverts. It's over to you Steven Moffat...
> Do you think the Daleks are firing blanks? Share your views
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don, on August 25th, 2008
I bet you wouldn't say that to a Daleks face . .
I bet you wouldn't say that to a Daleks face . .
Shane, Peterborough, on August 15th, 2008
The Daleks do seem to have been killed off so easily since the show's revival. The Daleks are a powerful and intelligent race created by meglomaniac genius. They are the race who were involved in a long, epic war against The Timelords. A war which ultimately ended in the destruction of The Timelords and their planet Gallifrey. Yet one lone Timelords and a handful of humans can wipe them in one go. I am not a mathematical genius but for me the sums don't add up. The season four finale ended very disappointingly for me. RTD has done a great job in reviving Doctor Who. But with the Daleks, its almost as though he has spent so much of the story building up to an epic climax that he suddenly realises he's nearly out of time and needs to get to the conclusion.
The Daleks do seem to have been killed off so easily since the show's revival. The Daleks are a powerful and intelligent race created by meglomaniac genius. They are the race who were involved in a long, epic war against The Timelords. A war which ultimately ended in the destruction of The Timelords and their planet Gallifrey. Yet one lone Timelords and a handful of humans can wipe them in one go. I am not a mathematical genius but for me the sums don't add up. The season four finale ended very disappointingly for me. RTD has done a great job in reviving Doctor Who. But with the Daleks, its almost as though he has spent so much of the story building up to an epic climax that he suddenly realises he's nearly out of time and needs to get to the conclusion.
Andy, Boston, USA, on August 14th, 2008
Dalek and The Parting of the Ways succeeded as Dalek stories, in part, because they took the core idea of a Dalek and freshened it up. Dalek as political prisoner, Dalek as religious fanatic.. great stuff. Rose clicking her heels together and destroying a whole Dalek army was a fun idea that worked once. The problem is, the Daleks haven't really done anything interesting since then. When they came out of the sphere in "Army of Ghosts," I was disappointed but slightly intrigued. By the time they started taking Manhattan, I was sick of them. You could say, though, that the problem really is this: new Who works best when it's on a small scale. Even "Parting of the Ways" was happening to a relatively small group of people on a space station (with the Earth in jeopardy, but only if the Doctor did what he thought was necessary.) Every time they threaten the entire planet, though, the show gets silly.
Dalek and The Parting of the Ways succeeded as Dalek stories, in part, because they took the core idea of a Dalek and freshened it up. Dalek as political prisoner, Dalek as religious fanatic.. great stuff. Rose clicking her heels together and destroying a whole Dalek army was a fun idea that worked once. The problem is, the Daleks haven't really done anything interesting since then. When they came out of the sphere in "Army of Ghosts," I was disappointed but slightly intrigued. By the time they started taking Manhattan, I was sick of them. You could say, though, that the problem really is this: new Who works best when it's on a small scale. Even "Parting of the Ways" was happening to a relatively small group of people on a space station (with the Earth in jeopardy, but only if the Doctor did what he thought was necessary.) Every time they threaten the entire planet, though, the show gets silly.
Adam, London, on August 14th, 2008
I don't think the Daleks have become tiresome, they just need someone new with imagination to write their next story. So many people complain they are over-used in the new series. they have appeared in 9 episodes between 2005 and 2008. Back in the 1960s they apepared in 44 episodes between 1963 and 1969, now that is overkill!
I don't think the Daleks have become tiresome, they just need someone new with imagination to write their next story. So many people complain they are over-used in the new series. they have appeared in 9 episodes between 2005 and 2008. Back in the 1960s they apepared in 44 episodes between 1963 and 1969, now that is overkill!
Harjit, Bradford, on August 14th, 2008
The ending of the Dalek episodes have been pathetic. The last one where Donna Noble with a press of a few buttons turns the Daleks into clowns was painfully laughable. I blame Russel T Davis totally. The guy is not a sci-fi writer; he hasn’t got the imagination for it. He creates millions of Daleks that are powerful enough to move planets, creates a weapon that will wipe out life in the universe and every alternative reality (supposedly infinite). Now the problem - how is the Doctor and his companions going to stop the Daleks and Davros? Not an easy problem to solve. The Doctor has been turned into god like figure that looks down on everyone from his high pacifist moral ground. He is now someone that isn’t brave enough to do what needs to be done regardless of the consequence. To me the Doctor is now a coward. Thank you Russel T Davis. True to form the Daleks are wiped out by a combination of Donna Noble with the Doctor’s brains and a human version of the Doctor. The mysterious ‘Shadow proclamation’ should be grateful that they didn’t have to follow up on their call to war with an unknown enemy in an unknown location, because the BBC informed them that the license fee doesn’t cover expensive battles in space. Plus Russel T Davis has turned them into something that should be in a circus and not policing the galaxy. If only the Time Lords (idiots) had Donna Noble and the human version of the Doctor, with a few buttons pressed here and there, the Daleks would have been wiped out.
The ending of the Dalek episodes have been pathetic. The last one where Donna Noble with a press of a few buttons turns the Daleks into clowns was painfully laughable. I blame Russel T Davis totally. The guy is not a sci-fi writer; he hasn’t got the imagination for it. He creates millions of Daleks that are powerful enough to move planets, creates a weapon that will wipe out life in the universe and every alternative reality (supposedly infinite). Now the problem - how is the Doctor and his companions going to stop the Daleks and Davros? Not an easy problem to solve. The Doctor has been turned into god like figure that looks down on everyone from his high pacifist moral ground. He is now someone that isn’t brave enough to do what needs to be done regardless of the consequence. To me the Doctor is now a coward. Thank you Russel T Davis. True to form the Daleks are wiped out by a combination of Donna Noble with the Doctor’s brains and a human version of the Doctor. The mysterious ‘Shadow proclamation’ should be grateful that they didn’t have to follow up on their call to war with an unknown enemy in an unknown location, because the BBC informed them that the license fee doesn’t cover expensive battles in space. Plus Russel T Davis has turned them into something that should be in a circus and not policing the galaxy. If only the Time Lords (idiots) had Donna Noble and the human version of the Doctor, with a few buttons pressed here and there, the Daleks would have been wiped out.
Elliot, High Wycombe, on August 13th, 2008
The problem with the Daleks is that in the old days, they didn't have hundreds of special shields and space-flight capabilities. They had their extermination beam and towards the end they could go up stairs, yet they were still so feared, and rightly so. RTD has decided that the audience will want the Daleks to have CGI shielding and CGI flight and be completely invincible. The difference being that they used to be defeatable, and yet feared, but now they have the power to be undefeatable, and therefore have to be feared by law. And in my opinion, we should have seen a load of ships escape in "Journey's End". Let their survival be seen.
The problem with the Daleks is that in the old days, they didn't have hundreds of special shields and space-flight capabilities. They had their extermination beam and towards the end they could go up stairs, yet they were still so feared, and rightly so. RTD has decided that the audience will want the Daleks to have CGI shielding and CGI flight and be completely invincible. The difference being that they used to be defeatable, and yet feared, but now they have the power to be undefeatable, and therefore have to be feared by law. And in my opinion, we should have seen a load of ships escape in "Journey's End". Let their survival be seen.
Alex, on August 13th, 2008
I'm a big fan of the Daleks, so I'm not totally against them being out for ages. But if you've noticed, Russell T. Davies has written most of the Dalek stories. I think he's ruining the image of the Daleks now, so maybe Moffat could do a better job!
I'm a big fan of the Daleks, so I'm not totally against them being out for ages. But if you've noticed, Russell T. Davies has written most of the Dalek stories. I think he's ruining the image of the Daleks now, so maybe Moffat could do a better job!
Annis, UK, on August 12th, 2008
Between making the Daleks impotent, putting the Cybermen into flares, and turning the 'fighting man' of Tennant's first appearance into a girning screeching clown who is even more grating than Sylvester McCoy's Doctor, I have given up watching. Davies and his crew are destroying my beloved Doctor, though more subtly than others have done in the past. Plus, of course, we had the Mills & Boon finale this season. And don't start me on Captain Jack trying to hump the leg of everyone he meets - he's just lucky he's in Cardiff, where eveyone is bi-sexual, eh??? [rolls eyes] No, I won't be watfching any more. They have killed the franchise for me.
Between making the Daleks impotent, putting the Cybermen into flares, and turning the 'fighting man' of Tennant's first appearance into a girning screeching clown who is even more grating than Sylvester McCoy's Doctor, I have given up watching. Davies and his crew are destroying my beloved Doctor, though more subtly than others have done in the past. Plus, of course, we had the Mills & Boon finale this season. And don't start me on Captain Jack trying to hump the leg of everyone he meets - he's just lucky he's in Cardiff, where eveyone is bi-sexual, eh??? [rolls eyes] No, I won't be watfching any more. They have killed the franchise for me.
PS in Virginia, on August 12th, 2008
Yes, they're being overused, and yes, they're getting boring, so although I love them the Daleks do need to be put on the shelf for a bit. When the Borg were headed down this same path, the Star Trek writing team made them interesting again by pitting them against another evil race that was even deadlier and even more unstoppable (Species 8472), so something like that might be worth a shot. A storyline where the Doctor and the Daleks are forced to work together to stop an even greater threat might be interesting, though when your stated goal is "the destruction of reality" another race has to try -really- hard to be more villainous.
Yes, they're being overused, and yes, they're getting boring, so although I love them the Daleks do need to be put on the shelf for a bit. When the Borg were headed down this same path, the Star Trek writing team made them interesting again by pitting them against another evil race that was even deadlier and even more unstoppable (Species 8472), so something like that might be worth a shot. A storyline where the Doctor and the Daleks are forced to work together to stop an even greater threat might be interesting, though when your stated goal is "the destruction of reality" another race has to try -really- hard to be more villainous.
Chris, on August 12th, 2008
Boredom of the Daleks. They're so indestructible that they can only be defeated by a cop-out "deus ex machina" ending. Yawn.
Boredom of the Daleks. They're so indestructible that they can only be defeated by a cop-out "deus ex machina" ending. Yawn.
Jj, Wolves, on August 11th, 2008
I thought they WERE bringing Rani back next series?
I thought they WERE bringing Rani back next series?
Dennis, Manchester, on August 11th, 2008
Maybe, just maybe if all the writers and others involved in Doctor Who can stick what little creativity each of them possesses into one pot, they might be able to come up with a new, non-recycled and convincing series villain. The Daleks and Cybermen have had their day!
Maybe, just maybe if all the writers and others involved in Doctor Who can stick what little creativity each of them possesses into one pot, they might be able to come up with a new, non-recycled and convincing series villain. The Daleks and Cybermen have had their day!
Jack NY, on August 11th, 2008
I think that this affects people like me the most. Those being people who just recently been turned onto the show and have basically been grabbing at every Doctor Who episode they can get their hands on and has subsequently ended up watching the Darleks be defeated easily and in 2 hours max over and over, and back to back during the marathons Sifichannel airs one a month. I've never seen the Darleks as anything but what they are now so I actually start laughing it's revealed that it’s Darleks. Again. It really is funny when you know that all the Darleks will be defeated in one brilliant sweeping blow by the end with little or no death or damage.
I think that this affects people like me the most. Those being people who just recently been turned onto the show and have basically been grabbing at every Doctor Who episode they can get their hands on and has subsequently ended up watching the Darleks be defeated easily and in 2 hours max over and over, and back to back during the marathons Sifichannel airs one a month. I've never seen the Darleks as anything but what they are now so I actually start laughing it's revealed that it’s Darleks. Again. It really is funny when you know that all the Darleks will be defeated in one brilliant sweeping blow by the end with little or no death or damage.
fred tam us, on August 11th, 2008
considering how dumbed down the series has become, the impotence of the daleks is just one of many problems.
considering how dumbed down the series has become, the impotence of the daleks is just one of many problems.
Sheffield, on August 11th, 2008
I think I would like to see the Daleks destroyed in an epic war which would really test them. However I believe that the Daleks will always be the famous fearsome, evil exterminators.
I think I would like to see the Daleks destroyed in an epic war which would really test them. However I believe that the Daleks will always be the famous fearsome, evil exterminators.
Dave in Florida, on August 11th, 2008
The daleks need a situation in which the Doctor takes a real defeat.In fact a real defeat for the Doctor would be good for the series.Remember how the classic series worked the death of Adric and the grief worked out through the series through Tegan and Nyssa-----Create a character that we the fans fall in love with then have the Daleks exterminate them. I hated the cybermen for a long while after Adric's passing but can you imagine the pop the daleks would have gotten had they killed Rose or Donna or (dare I say it) Sarah Jane with no parallel universe- saved in a library -memory erased so they are not really gone happy endings Bang Dead Gone and the daleks get away........
The daleks need a situation in which the Doctor takes a real defeat.In fact a real defeat for the Doctor would be good for the series.Remember how the classic series worked the death of Adric and the grief worked out through the series through Tegan and Nyssa-----Create a character that we the fans fall in love with then have the Daleks exterminate them. I hated the cybermen for a long while after Adric's passing but can you imagine the pop the daleks would have gotten had they killed Rose or Donna or (dare I say it) Sarah Jane with no parallel universe- saved in a library -memory erased so they are not really gone happy endings Bang Dead Gone and the daleks get away........
Cy Bones, Kent, on August 10th, 2008
I agree with the thoughts of others so far - give them a break for a couple of years, and bring back the truly menacing Daleks... Maybe the sales of Dalek toys mean that they need to constantly be at the forefront though??
I agree with the thoughts of others so far - give them a break for a couple of years, and bring back the truly menacing Daleks... Maybe the sales of Dalek toys mean that they need to constantly be at the forefront though??
Jon, Essex, on August 10th, 2008
I agree that it is a good time to let the Daleks go into hiding for a little bit. I think that having the Daleks in all the series since 2005 worked because it meant that all of the companions who came back knew exactly what they were, and it made the "EXTERMINATE" message sequence all the more terrifying. But I also agree that they all have become too easy to dispatch. Hopefully, if they come back in the future they will be a little bit tougher. Even the Supreme Dalek (who sure by definition alone should be a toughy) was easily defeated!
I agree that it is a good time to let the Daleks go into hiding for a little bit. I think that having the Daleks in all the series since 2005 worked because it meant that all of the companions who came back knew exactly what they were, and it made the "EXTERMINATE" message sequence all the more terrifying. But I also agree that they all have become too easy to dispatch. Hopefully, if they come back in the future they will be a little bit tougher. Even the Supreme Dalek (who sure by definition alone should be a toughy) was easily defeated!
Lee, Coalville, on August 10th, 2008
I think it's time that the writers learned to leave the Dalek's out for a year or 2, we don't need them every series finale, there are OTHER classic series monsters/villains that can return aswell, one I'd like to see being The Rani, and as it too often now, it's too much of cry EXTERMINATE!! without doing it imediately. Come on BBC, I hope there not back in the specials for next year & I certainly hope their not back in Series 5.
I think it's time that the writers learned to leave the Dalek's out for a year or 2, we don't need them every series finale, there are OTHER classic series monsters/villains that can return aswell, one I'd like to see being The Rani, and as it too often now, it's too much of cry EXTERMINATE!! without doing it imediately. Come on BBC, I hope there not back in the specials for next year & I certainly hope their not back in Series 5.
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I am a massive, huge, universal fan of The Daleks and although they do seem to loose a bit to often and are far to easily defeated i still like the fact they are on so much, although i would like to see them at somepoint capture a companion and then vanish, leaving a 'secondary' story within the future episodes so although he is saving worlds time after time he is still searching time and space for the companion and the daleks.