7.5: Remembrance of the Daleks

In which Mr Andrew Cartmel reintroduces the concept of mystery.

Broadcast: October 1988

Watched: February 2021

Remembrance of the Daleks, Part One

“Are you from somewhere else?” Something I never appreciated aged 10: this means “in the empire”.

Anyway. Lovely, obviously. First off, am I mad or has the music changed again? The JFK intro is fascinating. Why did they do that?

Second off – if this isn’t the official 25th anniversary story why are we back to Totter’s Yard and a UNIT substitute? Or a French Revolution textbook in the science lab? The show's history is all over it. Also LOL that the military instantly trust the Doctor (“Take the girl”) even though this is insane. Helpful for starting the story, though.

Thirdly, this feels very big: the effects have visibly scaled up. The battle scene, the Dalek in the transmat, etc.

“Ace, give me some of that nitro nine that you’re not carrying!” The regulars are straight into arguing like they’ve known each other forever... Weird that the Doctor is fine with her walking around with a ghetto blaster.

The way Ratcliffe’s men just dispose of a couple of soldiers is sinister in exactly the right, understated way.

Small blonde girl as a significant character for the second story running. I wonder what it could mean. The way we’re meant to think she’s Davros is great.

Love the HILARIOUSLY big 60s mobile phone which presumably had to be bigger than the 1988 mobile phones.

Hang on, Rachel is now younger than me. Oh bloody hell.

The impossible way the Doctor and Ace swaps seats while he explains the Daleks’ back story and large chunks of their history is *wonderful*.

The Coal Hill (THERE ARE NO HILLS IN SHOREDITCH) headmaster thinks the Doctor is applying to be caretaker, 26 years early. [Oh wait this is where the idea came from isn’t it, I’m an idiot.] Michael Sheard did a lot of Doctor Who didn’t he?

The cliffhanger is brilliant, obviously. I am really delighted how well the McCoy stuff stands up.

Remembrance of the Daleks, Part Two

“I’m going to wish I’d never started all this.” The manipulative 7th Doctor makes his first appearance.

Again, loads to love. Ace blowing up a Dalek with an anti tank rocket is quite the mission statement. The funeral parlour scenes, with the Hartnell reference and the Welsh guy passing out. The blind vicar unaware of the floating casket. The Doctor reading Doctor in the House.

But what I think is really great about this is that it doesn’t explain anything. It’s about racism and responsibility... but it’s all subtext, you have the join the dots yourself. (The fact Ace reads the “no coloureds” sign and is sickened but doesn’t say anything feels telling.) And if you don’t join those dots, it’s still a fun story about a teenage girl fighting Daleks. Proper Doctor Who.

Other things... “The sensitive state of the current government” lol Profumo.

The headmaster assaulting Ace is a bit grim. (Helpful how a door can stop a Dalek, even temporarily.) Mike obviously trying to bang Ace through patronising her is also grim.

The Dalek control chip. Nicked from Transformers?

Blimey, the guy in the sugar scene is the butler from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Some blocks of flats in the background of the scene where Mike assaults Mr Branson as a front in a Dalek civil war he doesn’t know about are definitely anachronistic.

The map suggests Coal Hill School is at 57-63 Scrutton Street. Definitely no hill there.

Funny how in Doctor Who land it’s still light at 5pm in November. [Or perhaps the first episode of Doctor Who wasn’t broadcast in Doctor Who land in November. Or perhaps, given that broadcasting Doctor Who in Doctor Who would be weird, it’s a different programme entirely. Perhaps I’ve thought about this too much.]

Remembrance of the Daleks, Part Three

“It works. It works!” The Doctor’s surprise at his own success is lovely. Especially when followed by the slight regret of “There were living beings in there”. Again, it’s all there, but all subtext.

Ratcliffe not knowing the little girl is the Dalek agent is nicely handled. (The little girl is rubbish. No wonder she didn’t work again.) Mike taking a phone call that means he’s the traitor is very obvious, but probably a clever clue if you’re eight.

What i don’t entirely understand is what the human villains *think* they’re getting out of this? Have I missed something? It’s a bit underpants gnomes: 1. Help genocidal aliens get massive source of power. 2. ??????. 3. A Britain free from foreigns!!!!

It’s effective but objectively ridiculous how the authorities just accept the Doctor and his expertise. Rachel’s rant about how shit it is to get drafted into military service and then have the Doctor steal your thunder is brilliant. Should have had that in the UNIT years.

“And didn’t we have trouble with the prototype” OTHER KLAXON. [An early sign of the fact this production team had decided to rewrite the Doctor’s past to bring mystery back to the show, a thing later known as the “Cartmel Masterplan”. Only hints of it made it to screen, but it plays out in the New Adventures novels of the ‘90s; also arguably an influence on the Chibnall years.]

The incidental music in this one is bloody brilliant, by the way. Ditto the effects, even the spaceship landing.

Remembrance of the Daleks, Part Four

“Daleks are such boring conversationalists.” Actually no, the “unlimited rice pudding” speech is the best bit. McCoy is so great in this one. The bit where he just stands there and talks a Dalek to death, my god. Is this a conscious rhyme with The War Machines?

Huh, they cut the excellent “may have miscalculated” line from the recap. Odd. “I’ve no idea, I’m a physicist” is one of my favourite lines.

Anyway, most of the below is just me saying how great stuff is, sorry.

The thought occurs that this is what RTD was trying to achieve with his action two partners – on the surface it’s an action movie, but with bigger ideas beneath that. Only the Sontarans one even got close, I fear.

Interesting, and under discussed, that Davros is now in charge of the imperial Daleks and its the other lot that are renegades. Guessing this is covered by BF somewhere. [It’s in a DWM comic.] Davros being such a pussy that he abandons his own Daleks is a nice character note.

Love the Doctor knocking out the hysterical Dalek in the shuttle craft.

Mike randomly announcing he’s a racist still feels under-developed. It’s not made clear what Ratcliffe was hoping to achieve and he snuffs it before he can actually tell us.

The flying Hand of Omega is a less good special effect. Weird seeing what they can and can’t make work at this point.

Rachel has decided to write her memoirs. She’s 38. F*ck off.

Oooh this is why RTD doesn’t understand what “president elect” means, right.

The shot of Mike, dead, is weirdly upsetting. The way Ace instantly comforts the girl – isn’t at all worried she might still be dangerous – is *perfect*. So is Gilmour at the funeral, arm in arm with Mike’s mum. And the final shot of the church door closing.

No wonder this story created so many fans.