The Dalek Invasion Of Earth

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Doctor Who story number 10

Basically, the Daleks were so immensely popular they brought them back. The story would have been more ominous if the presence of the main enemy was not known (using monsters in the titles would carry on with Daleks and Cybermen for years, until the 80's). Overall the story does really well, using location footage in London to convince us that the Daleks really have conquered the world. Admittedly there are cars moving in the background, but your attention is usually focused on the Daleks, so it's not nearly so bad as you think.

The story also features the first departure of a companion from the series, with Susan being given a rather crappy sending off (though the Doctor's speech to her is really great). the producers felt she was not working out, and so Carole Ann Ford was dropped from the show. She did not do much more acting afterwards, but returned to play Susan in two later stories.

Like the previous Dalek story this was made into a movie in 1966, with the awesomely dumb title Dr. Who: Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. - apparently not so good as the previous film based on the series, in some places the rattier effects are considered better (the Robomen look more disturbing in the series, even in stills), while frankly even without seeing the movie you know the Dalek saucer is going to look better....

Writer
Terry Nation

Episodes
This story has 6 episodes with individual titles:

• World's End
• The Daleks
• Day of Reckoning
• The End of Tomorrow
• The Waking Ally
• Flashpoint

Plot Overview

The TARDIS materialises by a bridge on the Thames. As they look around they see a sign "It is forbidden to dump bodies", which is the first indication that something is wrong. The TARDIS is blocked off by Susan, and so they must look for a way to move the rubble over it.

As they search (split up as usual) the Doctor and Ian find a calendar dated 2164, and conclude that it must be a few years afterwards. They think there has been a plague or war, but then they find a body, a human wearing some kind of headgear. The truth of the matter is that the Daleks have invaded Earth and taken over, and people either live in hiding, work as slaves or are converted into Robomen, mind controlled humans who eventually go mad and commit suicide.

The Doctor is captured by the Daleks, along with Ian. While in captivity they conclude that this invasion has taken place "thousands" of years before they destroyed the Daleks on Skaro. Susan and Barbara meet the resistance movement and their leader, Dortmun. Dortmun is wheelchair-bound, and he is intent on developing a bomb that will shatter the outer casing of the Daleks. After an attempt to rescue the Doctor from their flying saucer the Daleks decide to use their firebombs to wipe out the city. Barbara and another girl escape with Dortmun, while Susan is in the company of David Campbell, the resistance fighter who first met her and Barbara. Dortmun dies testing his improved bomb, while David defuses a firebomb, saving himself and Susan.

With 90% of London razed to the ground, the only place to go is Bedfordshire, which contains a gigantic excavation. It turn out the Daleks want to blow up the core of the planet and build a giant motor on it to fly it around (Like Mongo in Flash Gordon, only with better special effects). Ian jams the shaft, Susan and David sabotage the radio control system keeping the robomen enslaved and they all revolt along with the slaves. The bomb explodes, destroying the Daleks, and everyone escapes.

Afterwards, as the TARDIS is cleared out of the rubble, the Doctor locks Susan out and leaves her on Earth, saying she is obviously in love with David Campbell (not that we see much of a relationship on screen).

Main Cast

• William Hartnell - The Doctor
• William Russell - Ian Chesterton
• Jaqueline Hill - Barbara Wright
• Carole Ann Ford - Susan Foreman

Notes

• The Daleks mock-Nazi saluting with their plunger arms is a deliberate attempt by Terry Nation to bring images of Nazi domination of England to the screen (He used the Nazi theme in both Doctor Who and Blakes 7).
• The first episode's title, World's End, is apparently also a place in Chelsea (according to one source, the place the TARDIS materialises) as well as a reference to the post-apocalypse Earth.
• The Daleks softened Earth up for invasion by bombarding the planet with meteors until everything was ruined, and then they just took over.
• Police Boxes were still in use up to the invasion of Earth. Oddly enough, there are plans to re-introduce them in the UK....
• The Earth's crust is said to be thin in Bedfordshire. Though not true in the real world, this is a feature of the Doctor Who universe that relates to the later story from the 70's, Inferno

Resistance is useless! We are the masters of Earth! - Yes, a Dalek