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Dalek (Doctor Who episode)
Encyclopedia
"Dalek" is an episode in the British
science fiction television series Doctor Who
that was first broadcast on 30 April 2005. It should not be confused with the first Dalek
serial, The Daleks
. This episode is the first appearance of the Daleks in the 21st century revival of Doctor Who; it also marks the first appearance of Bruno Langley
as companion
Adam Mitchell.
The episode is set in Utah
in the year 2012, in the underground bunker owned by Henry van Statten, a rich collector of alien artifacts. The Doctor encounters his one living exhibit: a creature called "the Metaltron", which the Doctor is horrified to discover is a surviving Dalek
. When the Dalek
escapes, the Doctor races against time to stop it from getting to the surface and wreaking havoc on humanity.
and Rose
materialise the TARDIS
in a massive underground bunker near Salt Lake City, Utah
in the year 2012, drawn to it by a distress signal. They find they are in the Vault, owned by the wealthy but greedy Henry van Statten who collects and houses alien artifacts within it. While Rose tours the facility with one of van Statten's technicians, Adam Mitchell, van Statten offers to take the Doctor to see the pride of his collection, the "Metaltron", contained in a special part of the Vault called the Cage. The Doctor is first shocked and then horrified to find the Metaltron is actually a Dalek
, all of whom he thought destroyed from the Time War
, but then laughs and ridicules the Dalek when he discovers it is weakened and chained down, unable to fight back. The Doctor attempts to destroy it, but is stopped by van Statten's guards and escorted back to his offices.
Meanwhile, Adam has led Rose to the Cage, and she also finds the Dalek
, and takes pity on it. She touches its casing, which gives the Dalek
the chance to absorb her DNA
and time energy from the radiation she has been exposed to as part of her travels in the TARDIS
. The Dalek uses these to become re-energised, drawing power from all over the southwestern United States
to recharge itself, and breaks its bonds. After learning from the Internet that it is the last Dalek
, the Dalek begins shooting all the guards in its way. The Dalek then communicates directly with the Doctor, explaining its ability to regenerate by means of DNA extrapolation when Rose touched it. However, as the last remaining Dalek and without a command structure to receive orders from, it is, to all intents and purposes, useless. The Doctor then suggests the Dalek kill itself to remove the presence of its race from the universe. However, the Dalek refuses, stating "The Daleks must survive" and stating that it will follow the primary directive of all Daleks to exterminate non-Dalek life from the universe. The Doctor becomes increasingly aggressive, demanding it destroy itself, but the Dalek ignores him, coldly stating "You would make a good Dalek" before cutting communications.
Adam tries to help Rose escape, but she is trapped inside the Vault when it is sealed by van Statten. The video feeds are disrupted moments before the Dalek encounters Rose, infuriating the Doctor. The Dalek, infused with human DNA, shows sympathy for Rose and spares her life for the moment, demanding its release from the Cage in exchange for Rose's life, which the Doctor feels forced to allow. The Dalek makes its way to van Statten's office seeking to kill its erstwhile captor, but Rose intervenes, eliciting from the Dalek an indication of what it really seeks: its freedom.
The Dalek and Rose go to the highest point in the Vault, and the Dalek shoots a hole in the ceiling, allowing sunlight into the facility. As the Dalek opens its armoured casing and experiences the sunlight directly, the Doctor appears with an alien weapon, ready to destroy it. Rose again intervenes and deters the Doctor, showing him that her DNA has caused the Dalek to mutate and is no longer able to perform its objective. After asking Rose to order it to do so, the Dalek annihilates itself, as it believes anything different to a Dalek is wrong and that it was not expriencing life, but sickness. In the episode's dénouement, van Statten is deposed by his aide, who orders him mind-wiped, and then dumped on the street. Furthermore, the Vault is to be filled with cement and sealed off. At the TARDIS, the Doctor ruefully observes that as the last survivor of the Time War
, he "wins". He also tells Rose that he would be able to sense the presence of other Time Lords had they survived. As Adam warns them about the impending closure of the Vault, Rose invites him to join them in the TARDIS, much to his bewilderment.
, where a Dalek was implied to have taken flight, while in Revelation of the Daleks
, a Dalek hovered to exterminate two victims. The first part of the 1988 serial Remembrance of the Daleks
shows a Dalek who was clearly seen to hover up a flight of stairs to the Doctor's horror. Rose and Adam allude to a long-held fan joke about the Daleks' inability to climb stairs, and are horrified when it does so.
The museum's display items feature the arm of a Slitheen
(Raxacoricofallapatorian) from "Aliens of London
", which Rose recognises, and something that the Doctor refers to as "An old friend, well, enemy… " – a Cyberman
head (from Revenge of the Cybermen
, but the label on its display case references The Invasion
). A reference book, Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary, describes the exhibit behind The Doctor's and Rose's heads when they are looking at the Cyberman's helmet as the decayed head of a Sea Devil from the Jon Pertwee serial The Sea Devils
.
The callsign for van Statten's personal helicopter
is "Bad Wolf One", a recurrent phrase throughout the first series. An excerpt from the cold open
is used in "Bad Wolf
", when Rose recalls where she had encountered the phrase before.
When the Doctor first attempts to destroy the Dalek it cries out "Have pity!" - echoing the same line Davros cried out in the episode Genesis of the Daleks
before he was "destroyed" by his own creations. The Doctor replies "What for? You never did!" - a reference to the Daleks having been created without emotions.
, the writer of the episode, had his first encounter with the revived series of Doctor Who in 2003 after he created the Sixth Doctor
audio Jubilee
. Executive producer Russell T Davies drew heavily on Jubilee to create "Return of the Daleks" for his pitch to the BBC, a story which Davies hoped to recreate the menace shown by the Daleks in their 1963 debut The Daleks
. The adventure changed the setting from the alternate Earth in Jubilee to 2010 Utah, with the lone Dalek featured being held captive by businessman Will Fences, a caricature of Microsoft's chairman Bill Gates
.
The script went through several changes. The story itself was initially called "Creature of Lies", and Van Statten was originally called Mr Duchesne. For a short period of time, Adam was van Statten's son, but Shearman decided against it. The most notable change to the script happened when the Nation estate, holders of the rights for the Daleks, blocked the use of the Daleks due to the BBC licensing them out too much. The changed story, named "Absence of the Daleks", contained an alien akin to a child who kills for pleasure, which eventually evolved into the Toclafane from "The Sound of Drums
" and "Last of the Time Lords
". Finally, the BBC were able to secure the rights from the Nation
estate, and at the same time gave the episode its final name, "Dalek".
" and "The Long Game
", the latter taken out due to delays in special effects creation. The episode's placement in the series was intentional so as to stave off the inevitable mid-series drop in viewership, although the BBC suggested that the episode be the premiere. Filming of the episode began on 25 October 2004 at the National Museum Cardiff
, before moving to the Millennium Stadium
the following day, where most of the episode was filmed. Most of the filming finished on 3 November 2004, with pick-up shots completed at the show's studio space in Newport
throughout the remainder of the month.
complained about certain elements of the episode, characterising Van Statten's chaining and invasive scan of the Doctor as a "sado-masochistic
" torture scene. Mediawatch also objected to Van Statten's invitation to Adam and Rose to "canoodle or spoon, or whatever you British do" as inappropriate sexual language.
When it was released on DVD, British Board of Film Classification
(BBFC) gave the episode a 12 rating, because of the scenes where the Doctor is seen to torture the Dalek. The BBFC stated:
Reception to the episode was positive. The episode's overnight ratings was 8.73 million viewers, 46% of the audience share, a figure that was finalised to 8.64 million viewers. The Times
stated that the episode was an "unqualified triumph". The Guardian
commented that "Shearman's script bamboozles expectations", and the episode "should hopefully show 2005's kids what was always so wonderful about the iconic tin-rotters.". The London Evening Standard found the lack of surprise (namely, calling the episode "Dalek") the only disappointment, and Daily Mirror simply stated that "for 30 pant-shittingly wonderful minutes, BBC1's new Doctor Who was the best thing on telly. Ever."
The episode was nominated for the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form along with other Doctor Who episodes "Father's Day
" and "The Empty Child
"/"The Doctor Dances
". The stories came third, fifth, and first, respectively.
Reviews
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
that was first broadcast on 30 April 2005. It should not be confused with the first Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
serial, The Daleks
The Daleks
The Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from 21 December 1963 to 1 February 1964...
. This episode is the first appearance of the Daleks in the 21st century revival of Doctor Who; it also marks the first appearance of Bruno Langley
Bruno Langley
Bruno Langley is an English actor. He is best known for playing Todd Grimshaw in Coronation Street and Adam Mitchell in Doctor Who.- Early life :...
as companion
Companion (Doctor Who)
In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, and shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as both deuteragonist and audience surrogate...
Adam Mitchell.
The episode is set in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
in the year 2012, in the underground bunker owned by Henry van Statten, a rich collector of alien artifacts. The Doctor encounters his one living exhibit: a creature called "the Metaltron", which the Doctor is horrified to discover is a surviving Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
. When the Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
escapes, the Doctor races against time to stop it from getting to the surface and wreaking havoc on humanity.
Synopsis
The DoctorNinth Doctor
The Ninth Doctor is the ninth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by Christopher Eccleston....
and Rose
Rose Tyler
Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
materialise the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
in a massive underground bunker near Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
in the year 2012, drawn to it by a distress signal. They find they are in the Vault, owned by the wealthy but greedy Henry van Statten who collects and houses alien artifacts within it. While Rose tours the facility with one of van Statten's technicians, Adam Mitchell, van Statten offers to take the Doctor to see the pride of his collection, the "Metaltron", contained in a special part of the Vault called the Cage. The Doctor is first shocked and then horrified to find the Metaltron is actually a Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
, all of whom he thought destroyed from the Time War
Time War (Doctor Who)
The Time War, more specifically called The Last Great Time War, is a conflict within the fictional universe of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, but then laughs and ridicules the Dalek when he discovers it is weakened and chained down, unable to fight back. The Doctor attempts to destroy it, but is stopped by van Statten's guards and escorted back to his offices.
Meanwhile, Adam has led Rose to the Cage, and she also finds the Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
, and takes pity on it. She touches its casing, which gives the Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
the chance to absorb her DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
and time energy from the radiation she has been exposed to as part of her travels in the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
. The Dalek uses these to become re-energised, drawing power from all over the southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
to recharge itself, and breaks its bonds. After learning from the Internet that it is the last Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
, the Dalek begins shooting all the guards in its way. The Dalek then communicates directly with the Doctor, explaining its ability to regenerate by means of DNA extrapolation when Rose touched it. However, as the last remaining Dalek and without a command structure to receive orders from, it is, to all intents and purposes, useless. The Doctor then suggests the Dalek kill itself to remove the presence of its race from the universe. However, the Dalek refuses, stating "The Daleks must survive" and stating that it will follow the primary directive of all Daleks to exterminate non-Dalek life from the universe. The Doctor becomes increasingly aggressive, demanding it destroy itself, but the Dalek ignores him, coldly stating "You would make a good Dalek" before cutting communications.
Adam tries to help Rose escape, but she is trapped inside the Vault when it is sealed by van Statten. The video feeds are disrupted moments before the Dalek encounters Rose, infuriating the Doctor. The Dalek, infused with human DNA, shows sympathy for Rose and spares her life for the moment, demanding its release from the Cage in exchange for Rose's life, which the Doctor feels forced to allow. The Dalek makes its way to van Statten's office seeking to kill its erstwhile captor, but Rose intervenes, eliciting from the Dalek an indication of what it really seeks: its freedom.
The Dalek and Rose go to the highest point in the Vault, and the Dalek shoots a hole in the ceiling, allowing sunlight into the facility. As the Dalek opens its armoured casing and experiences the sunlight directly, the Doctor appears with an alien weapon, ready to destroy it. Rose again intervenes and deters the Doctor, showing him that her DNA has caused the Dalek to mutate and is no longer able to perform its objective. After asking Rose to order it to do so, the Dalek annihilates itself, as it believes anything different to a Dalek is wrong and that it was not expriencing life, but sickness. In the episode's dénouement, van Statten is deposed by his aide, who orders him mind-wiped, and then dumped on the street. Furthermore, the Vault is to be filled with cement and sealed off. At the TARDIS, the Doctor ruefully observes that as the last survivor of the Time War
Time War (Doctor Who)
The Time War, more specifically called The Last Great Time War, is a conflict within the fictional universe of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, he "wins". He also tells Rose that he would be able to sense the presence of other Time Lords had they survived. As Adam warns them about the impending closure of the Vault, Rose invites him to join them in the TARDIS, much to his bewilderment.
Continuity
The Dalek ability to fly or hover dates back to The ChaseThe Chase (Doctor Who)
The Chase is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 22 May to 26 June 1965. The story is set on multiple locations including the Mary Celeste, the Empire State Building, and the planet Aridius...
, where a Dalek was implied to have taken flight, while in Revelation of the Daleks
Revelation of the Daleks
Revelation of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on 23 March and 30 March 1985...
, a Dalek hovered to exterminate two victims. The first part of the 1988 serial Remembrance of the Daleks
Remembrance of the Daleks
Remembrance of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 October to 26 October 1988....
shows a Dalek who was clearly seen to hover up a flight of stairs to the Doctor's horror. Rose and Adam allude to a long-held fan joke about the Daleks' inability to climb stairs, and are horrified when it does so.
The museum's display items feature the arm of a Slitheen
Slitheen
The Slitheen are a family of massive, bipedal extraterrestrials from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and they are adversaries of the Doctor. They first appeared in the 2005 series episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three", and subsequently recur in later episodes of...
(Raxacoricofallapatorian) from "Aliens of London
Aliens of London
"Aliens of London" is the fourth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television show Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 16 April 2005. The Doctor takes Rose back to 21st century London, just in time to witness a spaceship crashing into the River Thames, triggering a...
", which Rose recognises, and something that the Doctor refers to as "An old friend, well, enemy… " – a Cyberman
Cyberman
The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
head (from Revenge of the Cybermen
Revenge of the Cybermen
Revenge of the Cybermen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 19 April to 10 May 1975.-Synopsis:...
, but the label on its display case references The Invasion
The Invasion (Doctor Who)
The Invasion is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in eight weekly parts from 2 November to 21 December 1968...
). A reference book, Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary, describes the exhibit behind The Doctor's and Rose's heads when they are looking at the Cyberman's helmet as the decayed head of a Sea Devil from the Jon Pertwee serial The Sea Devils
The Sea Devils
The Sea Devils is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from February 26 to April 1, 1972.-Synopsis:...
.
The callsign for van Statten's personal helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
is "Bad Wolf One", a recurrent phrase throughout the first series. An excerpt from the cold open
Cold open
A cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...
is used in "Bad Wolf
Bad Wolf
"Bad Wolf" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on June 11, 2005. The TARDIS crew find themselves trapped in the Gamestation, also known as Satellite 5, where they must battle to survive the cruel games...
", when Rose recalls where she had encountered the phrase before.
When the Doctor first attempts to destroy the Dalek it cries out "Have pity!" - echoing the same line Davros cried out in the episode Genesis of the Daleks
Genesis of the Daleks
Genesis of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was originally broadcast in six weekly parts from 8 March to 12 April 1975. It marks the first appearance of Davros, the creator of the Daleks.-Plot:...
before he was "destroyed" by his own creations. The Doctor replies "What for? You never did!" - a reference to the Daleks having been created without emotions.
Conception
Rob ShearmanRob Shearman
Robert Shearman is currently best known as a writer for Doctor Who and for his ongoing association with Jarvis & Ayres Productions which has resulted in six plays for BBC Radio 4 broadcast in the station's regular weekday Afternoon Play slot, and one classic...
, the writer of the episode, had his first encounter with the revived series of Doctor Who in 2003 after he created the Sixth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
audio Jubilee
Jubilee (Doctor Who audio)
Jubilee is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Elements of the story were reworked by Rob Shearman to create the television episode "Dalek" in the 2005 series.-Plot:...
. Executive producer Russell T Davies drew heavily on Jubilee to create "Return of the Daleks" for his pitch to the BBC, a story which Davies hoped to recreate the menace shown by the Daleks in their 1963 debut The Daleks
The Daleks
The Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from 21 December 1963 to 1 February 1964...
. The adventure changed the setting from the alternate Earth in Jubilee to 2010 Utah, with the lone Dalek featured being held captive by businessman Will Fences, a caricature of Microsoft's chairman Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
.
The script went through several changes. The story itself was initially called "Creature of Lies", and Van Statten was originally called Mr Duchesne. For a short period of time, Adam was van Statten's son, but Shearman decided against it. The most notable change to the script happened when the Nation estate, holders of the rights for the Daleks, blocked the use of the Daleks due to the BBC licensing them out too much. The changed story, named "Absence of the Daleks", contained an alien akin to a child who kills for pleasure, which eventually evolved into the Toclafane from "The Sound of Drums
The Sound of Drums
"The Sound of Drums" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 23 June 2007, and is the twelfth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series...
" and "Last of the Time Lords
Last of the Time Lords
"Last of the Time Lords" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 30 June 2007, and is the thirteenth and final episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series...
". Finally, the BBC were able to secure the rights from the Nation
Terry Nation
Terry Nation was a Welsh screenwriter and novelist.He is probably best known for creating the villainous Daleks in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who...
estate, and at the same time gave the episode its final name, "Dalek".
Filming
The episode was placed in the third production block, along with "Father's DayFather's Day (Doctor Who)
"Father's Day" is the eighth episode in series one of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on 14 May 2005...
" and "The Long Game
The Long Game
"The Long Game" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on May 7, 2005. Along with new companion Adam, the TARDIS deposits the Doctor and Rose on Satellite 5, a space station that broadcasts across the entire human empire...
", the latter taken out due to delays in special effects creation. The episode's placement in the series was intentional so as to stave off the inevitable mid-series drop in viewership, although the BBC suggested that the episode be the premiere. Filming of the episode began on 25 October 2004 at the National Museum Cardiff
National Museum Cardiff
National Museum Cardiff is a museum and art gallery in Cardiff, Wales. The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales...
, before moving to the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
the following day, where most of the episode was filmed. Most of the filming finished on 3 November 2004, with pick-up shots completed at the show's studio space in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
throughout the remainder of the month.
Critical reception and awards
Before the broadcast, media watchdog organisation Mediawatch-ukMediawatch-uk
Mediawatch-uk, formerly known as the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association, is a pressure group in the United Kingdom, which campaigns against the publication and broadcast of media content that it views as harmful and offensive, such as violence, profanity, sex, homosexuality and...
complained about certain elements of the episode, characterising Van Statten's chaining and invasive scan of the Doctor as a "sado-masochistic
Sadism and masochism
Sadomasochism broadly refers to the receiving of pleasure—often sexual—from acts involving the infliction or reception of pain or humiliation. The name originates from two authors on the subject, Marquis de Sade and Leopold von Sacher-Masoch...
" torture scene. Mediawatch also objected to Van Statten's invitation to Adam and Rose to "canoodle or spoon, or whatever you British do" as inappropriate sexual language.
When it was released on DVD, British Board of Film Classification
British Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
(BBFC) gave the episode a 12 rating, because of the scenes where the Doctor is seen to torture the Dalek. The BBFC stated:
"We are concerned about role models for children using the sort of tactics that Doctor Who used against the Dalek. If that was transferred into the playground it would be something we would want to tackle."
Reception to the episode was positive. The episode's overnight ratings was 8.73 million viewers, 46% of the audience share, a figure that was finalised to 8.64 million viewers. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
stated that the episode was an "unqualified triumph". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
commented that "Shearman's script bamboozles expectations", and the episode "should hopefully show 2005's kids what was always so wonderful about the iconic tin-rotters.". The London Evening Standard found the lack of surprise (namely, calling the episode "Dalek") the only disappointment, and Daily Mirror simply stated that "for 30 pant-shittingly wonderful minutes, BBC1's new Doctor Who was the best thing on telly. Ever."
The episode was nominated for the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form along with other Doctor Who episodes "Father's Day
Father's Day (Doctor Who)
"Father's Day" is the eighth episode in series one of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on 14 May 2005...
" and "The Empty Child
The Empty Child
"The Empty Child" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 21 May 2005. It is the first of a two-part story. The concluding episode, "The Doctor Dances", was broadcast on 28 May...
"/"The Doctor Dances
The Doctor Dances
"The Doctor Dances" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 28 May 2005. It is the second of a two-part story and saw Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman, join the Doctor as a companion. The first part, "The Empty Child", was...
". The stories came third, fifth, and first, respectively.
External links
- BBC Doctor Who Homepage
- Doctor Who Confidential — Episode 6: Dalek
- "Exterminate!" — Episode trailer for "Dalek"
- The Last Dalek — Macromedia Flash game by New Media Collective based on the episode
- Streaming for More — Article from The StageThe StageThe Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
about the multicast test leak - GeoComTex.net — the website of Henry Van Statten's company
Reviews