3.10: Day of the Daleks

In which the Doctor enjoys a nice wine and cheese evening, with terrorists.

Broadcast: January 1972

Watched: February 2020

Day of the Daleks, Episode One

Lot of affection for this as it’s the first Pertwee I ever saw. [In 1991, inexorable march of time fans!!]

Interesting that the first we see of the regulars this season is the Brig getting a phone call from a minister. Reassuring the viewers that Who’s back now means “Heeeeeeeeere’s UNIT!”

The political situation makes this a sort of sequel to Mind of Evil. Not entirely buying the idea that one random civil servant is the lynchpin to this whole peace conference thing but okay. 

OGRONS!

Yep, perhaps we shouldn’t think too hard about these guys.

I like the way we get a reminder of how messy time travel can be at the start. Also that we recently went to the future. Subconsciously reinforces the idea that the timeline we’re about to see is Wrong.

Have the effects been redone? They’re quite good. [They have. Purists disagree with me that they are good, or indeed worth doing.]

The controller is very Number Two [the one from The Prisoner]. The sudden pull back to reveal a Dalek 

a) reminds of Parting of the Ways, and 

b) Would be more effective were the episode called something different. 

Is the shock of the cliffhanger meant to be that the controller is in league with them?

The whole wine and cheese bit is great.

Day of the Daleks, Episode Two

The reprise of the theme tune at the end of the recap? Is that original? [It is.]

The Doctor is less unit a twat than he’s been for ages (blimey, automatically wrote “she” there) suggesting the freedom fighters might have a point. The scene in the cellar is lovely. Nice to have Jo’s escapology back too.

The futuristic cityscape, which I assume they made for the special edition DVD, is quite effective actually.

Anat is very hot for a terrorist. Is there a Baader Meinhof thing going on here? [Possible a PLO thing.]

Day of the Daleks, Episode Three

Love the way the Daleks sh*t themselves when they hear the Doctor’s name. Is this the first time? Also, in the interrogation scene at the end we see pictures of Troughton and Hartnell – were they DVD additions? [I still don’t know, because my so called friends didn’t bother to tell me.]

I love the Controller. I mean, he’s awful, but it’s a lovely portrayal of a collaborator, someone who isn’t inherently evil but will do terrible things out of self-interest. The scene in which he debates the ethics of his society with the Doctor, and the camera gets closer and closer to their faces, is fucking brilliant.

The Christopher Benjamin-a-like who runs the torture centre but turns out to be a rebel is one of the great one scene cameos.

Day of the Daleks, Episode Four

Been meaning to say, the Doctor is *much* less of a prick now than he’s been of late. Have they consciously softened him?

The thought occurs that this is the first time a regular cast rolls over into second year, and then a third – is this a conscious choice? A result of fewer episodes?

Anyway. The Daleks have time travel now. This is said as if it’s kind of a new development, but they actually had it in their last story didn’t they? [Update: They’ve had it since 1965’s The Chase. Oops.]

I love that “controller” is an inherited position – of course this is how it would go. I absolutely do not buy his change of heart.

Also love the shots of the arriving delegates. Is this the only time we see UNIT fighting the Daleks until Stolen Earth?

The ending makes no sense whatsoever. An entire timeline has just been wiped out. All those people we’ve met, what, they cease to exist? The story doesn’t care, it just stops.

Still. Second story running to end with a big building exploding. Cool.

Was there meant to be another scene in which the Doctor and Jo walk in on themselves to bookend the one from part one btw? [Yes! Written, partially shot but they run out of time, restored for the novelisation.]