Post by Tumble Lord on Nov 25, 2006 18:14:10 GMT
"Exterminate! Annihilate! Destroy! Daleks conquer and destroy!"- Dalek
Story EE :The Power of the Daleks
Written by David Whitaker
Starring Patrick Troughton, Bernard Archer, Anneke Willis, Michael Craze.
The Doctor, once all-powerful enigmatic gentleman of the universe is dead, his body was "wearing a bit thin"; Mondas' influence drew the energy from the time traveller and he collapsed inside the TARDIS with recent newcomers; Ben Jackson and Polly, as the ship dematerialises, the Doctor loses consciousness. Death and rebirth and here lies the Doctor, the ship is still moving and the two companions are powerless to intervene.
The Doctor from his earliest origins was a mystery; it was known that he was "more than human", having come from a civilisation highly advanced when compared to the human race. Not human but human-like in appearance but the Doctor has died, he lies there but wait, a further mystery is introduced. A concept written into the mythology of the series, that when the lead actor wishes to move on, or in Hartnell's case, becomes too unwell to continue. The Doctor is an alien and as Ben and Polly watch, just with the viewers, a mysterious glow envelopes him and out of this appears another character; his appearance and clothes are all different, as too is his behaviour. More impish and comical than the gruff arrogance of Hartnell, though considerably shorter.
So begins a brilliant and original way to kick off a new series of Doctor Who by replacing its lead with a "younger" version of the Doctor or is it the Doctor? That is the dilemma open to Ben and Polly as this stranger decides to take it upon himself to enter their trust and their lives.
An incredible sight emerges when the Doctor examines his new face and is capable of comparing it to his old one with the way of a mirror that shifts back to his previous incarnation. Though he appears to be cheeky, it is however a ploy to undermine information and enemies, something that employ uses of subterfuge considerably in later stories.
Taking to a recorder just as the previous Doctor often had a walking stick by his side, he certainly unnerves Ben, who takes much convincing rather than Polly, who is able to accept him fully.
Arriving on a new planet, Vulcan- no, not the one from Star Trek; which hadn't been shown in the UK yet!- a small Earth colony, a long way from help, which should fall into a standard base-under-siege scenario but Whitaker turns this around with one of the most beautifully grafted stories to be made.As the Doctor's identity is mistaken for an Examiner or Inspector from Earth, tensions are thrown up as a precarious series of scales is tipped by his arrival.
But these events were triggered by murder; the original examiner having been shot down, moments after his arrival, the body vanishing into the swamp regions; a vicious arid alien landscape with pools of mercury depositing clouds of thick vapours into the atmosphere, something that would take hold of both Ben and Polly.
Though this story is very much a Dalek story, events are unexplained how and where these Daleks came from but it removes the cliche of having a Dalek trundle on by the end of episode one. Instead a drama of tension and fear is played upon; focussing on the strength of the government, insurrectionist meetings, espionage and the driven and very determined scientist; Lesterson, whose sole motivation is a vast alien capsule found in the mercury swamps. Assisted by eager Janley, whose agenda is far from that of Lesterson's, though she appears to be nice and quiet, she is an interesting creation, being one of the few villainous female characters to have a starring role for all episodes of this serial. A strong and resourceful woman, who will resort to pretty much anything to manipulate and goad others, particularly Lesterson with his work.
The fear comes not from the fact that the word; Daleks is mentioned but that the Doctor, in a powerful assumed position is able to recognise and understand the origin and nature of the alien capsule.As Lesterson remarks; it's (the capsule) quite alien.
And using a key, a relic from the TARDIS, he opens the capsule's inner compartments to reveal the owners within; though not active or screeching, they are dead or inactive, covered in cobwebs but the greater terror is watching this horror unfold as the ignorant humans start to work on them, one Dalek is missing from the compartment. But the real shock comes when a glimpse, rather than a full on display is given of a Dalek mutant. Believed originally in the series to keep it hidden so as to instill horror from the imagination, this sudden sighting caught in the rays of the torch unnerves everyone; a disemboded claw that scuttles away into the shadows.
The situation starts to side away from the Daleks, an interesting take on events as the writer; Whitaker decides to have subtle moments that will eventually lead to the collapse of society by having the murderer of the Examiner remove those in his way as he too becomes the more unexpected monster of the piece. First by removing the deputy governor; Quinn and then in a terminal capacity; the ageing stubborn Governor Hensell. This sub-plot does well to keep the Daleks in the background, allowing them to go by unnoticed and doubtless an action repeated through history on TV, the audience is screaming at the screen to turn around or see what's going on back there.
The Doctor and the audience know full well what is going to happen but it comes from the terror that the humans are ignorant, stubborn or simply don't believe the possibility of a further revolution against all humans, not just a group of rebels against the established rule of the colony. So too do things start to spiral out of control with both companions abducted, the Doctor threatened with blackmail and imprisoned and poor Lesterson, when he finally does discover the horrible truth behind "his" creations he is humoured and utterly ignored, thus this gives way to one of the most touching of scenes when like the colony around him; order falls away to chaos and Lesterson starts to loose his mind. Even reduced to a panic-stricken animal as he tries to alert the Doctor in his cell.
"Examiner! The Daleks are reproducing themselves, I've seen them... they've got their own power and I can't stop them!"
Just as the colony's situation rises and falls so too does the turmoil that Lesterson faces; so proud of his work, his ideas for the colony. So protective of his work against the Doctor, who's trying to expose these "robots" for what they are, it is however the moment where Janley turns his entire perspective around. The Daleks killed his assistant, Resno and Janley hid the body from him. They are evil and it's as the facts hit him, coupled by the appearance of a Dalek does it all click together that sends him into a very realistic portrayal of a breakdown.
The villain, the more than helpful Bragan, the security chief has his mind set on higher things, he becomes a very nasty piece of work; manipulating and goading others, using them to attain position of Governor; which outlines his ambitions, mask his own understanding of the insanity in his work. Like Nero before him, playing the fiddle as Rome burns, so he proclaims all are expendable just as long as he gets what he wants.
The Daleks are the greatest as ever, since their first appearance, Whitaker's take on of the creatures is very fresh and their motivation is subtle rather than smash and kill of before but to use their brains, to give us an insight of how Daleks think.
"We understand the human mind"- one of them says as it goads Lesterson into assisting them rather than them helping the colony, also because it uses an isolated group of humans, the story uses a race of humans ignorant to the danger they are unleashing. And slowly the Daleks start to expand their influence, behaving much like machines, simple robots yet by the end of the pretense they have fully finished off the colony.
It's scary the dialogue they use; less like a Dalek and more human; acting as "robot" slaves or "servants" as they call themselves, then later calling themselves; "friends" to humanity. It's when they make a slight mistake that so far only three Daleks have been seen yet four are glimpsed, only then do we get a sense that in the background the Daleks are almost using the humans, getting them to tip the balance, all the more asking Lesterson or material and power to "help the colony".
A superior return for the creatures of terror, appearing less like the machines of war and more like the evil monsters, masterful tactians and ultimately predators whose cunning knows noi bounds, they get humans; ignorant humans to remove the obstacles in their path, even from their first proper alive appearance do they recognise the Doctor, immediately cementing the acknowledgment from both companions and audience that this is the Doctor and not a clever impostor. As for the Doctor; he is a quirky individual and it's interesting to see him take part fully in the events rather than appear observational and assisted by the more determined brawn of his companions.
Though it introduces regeneration of the lead character; it seems unsettled ground but as soon as the Doctor arrives on the scene, a vast countdown starts ticking down to an incredible moment, when at long last the Doctor has to save the colony from now mobilised, virtually unstoppable alien army of hate.
Story EE :The Power of the Daleks
Written by David Whitaker
Starring Patrick Troughton, Bernard Archer, Anneke Willis, Michael Craze.
The Doctor, once all-powerful enigmatic gentleman of the universe is dead, his body was "wearing a bit thin"; Mondas' influence drew the energy from the time traveller and he collapsed inside the TARDIS with recent newcomers; Ben Jackson and Polly, as the ship dematerialises, the Doctor loses consciousness. Death and rebirth and here lies the Doctor, the ship is still moving and the two companions are powerless to intervene.
The Doctor from his earliest origins was a mystery; it was known that he was "more than human", having come from a civilisation highly advanced when compared to the human race. Not human but human-like in appearance but the Doctor has died, he lies there but wait, a further mystery is introduced. A concept written into the mythology of the series, that when the lead actor wishes to move on, or in Hartnell's case, becomes too unwell to continue. The Doctor is an alien and as Ben and Polly watch, just with the viewers, a mysterious glow envelopes him and out of this appears another character; his appearance and clothes are all different, as too is his behaviour. More impish and comical than the gruff arrogance of Hartnell, though considerably shorter.
So begins a brilliant and original way to kick off a new series of Doctor Who by replacing its lead with a "younger" version of the Doctor or is it the Doctor? That is the dilemma open to Ben and Polly as this stranger decides to take it upon himself to enter their trust and their lives.
An incredible sight emerges when the Doctor examines his new face and is capable of comparing it to his old one with the way of a mirror that shifts back to his previous incarnation. Though he appears to be cheeky, it is however a ploy to undermine information and enemies, something that employ uses of subterfuge considerably in later stories.
Taking to a recorder just as the previous Doctor often had a walking stick by his side, he certainly unnerves Ben, who takes much convincing rather than Polly, who is able to accept him fully.
Arriving on a new planet, Vulcan- no, not the one from Star Trek; which hadn't been shown in the UK yet!- a small Earth colony, a long way from help, which should fall into a standard base-under-siege scenario but Whitaker turns this around with one of the most beautifully grafted stories to be made.As the Doctor's identity is mistaken for an Examiner or Inspector from Earth, tensions are thrown up as a precarious series of scales is tipped by his arrival.
But these events were triggered by murder; the original examiner having been shot down, moments after his arrival, the body vanishing into the swamp regions; a vicious arid alien landscape with pools of mercury depositing clouds of thick vapours into the atmosphere, something that would take hold of both Ben and Polly.
Though this story is very much a Dalek story, events are unexplained how and where these Daleks came from but it removes the cliche of having a Dalek trundle on by the end of episode one. Instead a drama of tension and fear is played upon; focussing on the strength of the government, insurrectionist meetings, espionage and the driven and very determined scientist; Lesterson, whose sole motivation is a vast alien capsule found in the mercury swamps. Assisted by eager Janley, whose agenda is far from that of Lesterson's, though she appears to be nice and quiet, she is an interesting creation, being one of the few villainous female characters to have a starring role for all episodes of this serial. A strong and resourceful woman, who will resort to pretty much anything to manipulate and goad others, particularly Lesterson with his work.
The fear comes not from the fact that the word; Daleks is mentioned but that the Doctor, in a powerful assumed position is able to recognise and understand the origin and nature of the alien capsule.As Lesterson remarks; it's (the capsule) quite alien.
And using a key, a relic from the TARDIS, he opens the capsule's inner compartments to reveal the owners within; though not active or screeching, they are dead or inactive, covered in cobwebs but the greater terror is watching this horror unfold as the ignorant humans start to work on them, one Dalek is missing from the compartment. But the real shock comes when a glimpse, rather than a full on display is given of a Dalek mutant. Believed originally in the series to keep it hidden so as to instill horror from the imagination, this sudden sighting caught in the rays of the torch unnerves everyone; a disemboded claw that scuttles away into the shadows.
The situation starts to side away from the Daleks, an interesting take on events as the writer; Whitaker decides to have subtle moments that will eventually lead to the collapse of society by having the murderer of the Examiner remove those in his way as he too becomes the more unexpected monster of the piece. First by removing the deputy governor; Quinn and then in a terminal capacity; the ageing stubborn Governor Hensell. This sub-plot does well to keep the Daleks in the background, allowing them to go by unnoticed and doubtless an action repeated through history on TV, the audience is screaming at the screen to turn around or see what's going on back there.
The Doctor and the audience know full well what is going to happen but it comes from the terror that the humans are ignorant, stubborn or simply don't believe the possibility of a further revolution against all humans, not just a group of rebels against the established rule of the colony. So too do things start to spiral out of control with both companions abducted, the Doctor threatened with blackmail and imprisoned and poor Lesterson, when he finally does discover the horrible truth behind "his" creations he is humoured and utterly ignored, thus this gives way to one of the most touching of scenes when like the colony around him; order falls away to chaos and Lesterson starts to loose his mind. Even reduced to a panic-stricken animal as he tries to alert the Doctor in his cell.
"Examiner! The Daleks are reproducing themselves, I've seen them... they've got their own power and I can't stop them!"
Just as the colony's situation rises and falls so too does the turmoil that Lesterson faces; so proud of his work, his ideas for the colony. So protective of his work against the Doctor, who's trying to expose these "robots" for what they are, it is however the moment where Janley turns his entire perspective around. The Daleks killed his assistant, Resno and Janley hid the body from him. They are evil and it's as the facts hit him, coupled by the appearance of a Dalek does it all click together that sends him into a very realistic portrayal of a breakdown.
The villain, the more than helpful Bragan, the security chief has his mind set on higher things, he becomes a very nasty piece of work; manipulating and goading others, using them to attain position of Governor; which outlines his ambitions, mask his own understanding of the insanity in his work. Like Nero before him, playing the fiddle as Rome burns, so he proclaims all are expendable just as long as he gets what he wants.
The Daleks are the greatest as ever, since their first appearance, Whitaker's take on of the creatures is very fresh and their motivation is subtle rather than smash and kill of before but to use their brains, to give us an insight of how Daleks think.
"We understand the human mind"- one of them says as it goads Lesterson into assisting them rather than them helping the colony, also because it uses an isolated group of humans, the story uses a race of humans ignorant to the danger they are unleashing. And slowly the Daleks start to expand their influence, behaving much like machines, simple robots yet by the end of the pretense they have fully finished off the colony.
It's scary the dialogue they use; less like a Dalek and more human; acting as "robot" slaves or "servants" as they call themselves, then later calling themselves; "friends" to humanity. It's when they make a slight mistake that so far only three Daleks have been seen yet four are glimpsed, only then do we get a sense that in the background the Daleks are almost using the humans, getting them to tip the balance, all the more asking Lesterson or material and power to "help the colony".
A superior return for the creatures of terror, appearing less like the machines of war and more like the evil monsters, masterful tactians and ultimately predators whose cunning knows noi bounds, they get humans; ignorant humans to remove the obstacles in their path, even from their first proper alive appearance do they recognise the Doctor, immediately cementing the acknowledgment from both companions and audience that this is the Doctor and not a clever impostor. As for the Doctor; he is a quirky individual and it's interesting to see him take part fully in the events rather than appear observational and assisted by the more determined brawn of his companions.
Though it introduces regeneration of the lead character; it seems unsettled ground but as soon as the Doctor arrives on the scene, a vast countdown starts ticking down to an incredible moment, when at long last the Doctor has to save the colony from now mobilised, virtually unstoppable alien army of hate.
