Revelation of the Daleks

Season twenty-two can be a difficult season to watch. The tackiness, the arrogant Doctor, and the annoying companion have made many fans dislike the season and its Doctor. Of late there has been a kind of reevaluation of the era thanks to the excellent Sixth Doctor audios produced by Big Finish. I have always had a soft spot for the braggart in the clown coat. One of my first experiences with Doctor Who was watching Attack of the Cybermen. I continue to love that serial even though I recognize its not high art. My favorite Sixth Doctor story (and probably yours too according to the OG polls) is Revelation of the Daleks. 

The serial has the distinction of probably being the strangest Dalek story to date. The story turns the typical “covert alien invasion” plot into a dark horror comedy. Davros has taken control of a galactic funeral parlor, intent on using corpses as Dalek building materials. The Doctor and Peri arrive on the planet because Professor Stengos, a friend of the Doctor’s, has died. What the Doctor doesn’t know is that Stengos has been transformed into a Dalek.

The scene where we are shown Stengos remains one of the most disturbing images in the show’s history. He is encased in a glass Dalek shell, his body gone. His head is barely recognizable as human. His voice alternates between human and Dalek. This scene is one of the key points in the serial and manages to make the Daleks scary again.

Davros is also at his most terrifying. Terry Molloy outshines even Michael Wisher (Genesis of the Daleks) in the role. Revelation of the Daleks features Davros at his most cunning and evil. This serial not only shows Davros as a mad scientist, but as a master manipulator. The scenes between him and the fawning Tasambeker feature some of the finest villainy in all of Doctor Who. 

The human cast is also noteworthy. A criticism that can be laid against the story is the fact that the Doctor and Peri are only accessories to the story. This does not stop Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant from giving fine performances. Both characters have their less likable attributes toned down for this story. In Revelation of the Daleks, Colin Baker gives one of his most noble portrayals of the Doctor. The supporting cast, however, are the real stars. Clive Swift dons an orange toupee for the role Jobel, the sleazy chief mortician. His character is human, but his portrayal of Jobel is as creepy as Terry Molloy’s Davros. The same goes for Jenny Tomasin as Tasambeker. She endows the character with much pathos and feeling. William Gaunt as the mercenary Orcini is another highlight. His performance brings life to the somewhat stereotypical character. Also of note is Alexei Sayle (The Young Ones) as the somewhat annoying DJ to the dead. All in all, Revelation of the Daleks has one of the greatest casts of any 1980’s Doctor Who story. 

The audacity of the story might take some aback. Eric Saward’s scripts are known for their viciousness. It wasn’t till the second viewing that I fully appreciated the story. Revelation of the Daleks was the final story of Season 22 which is a shame because they seemed to have just gotten the feel of the era right. In this serial the shows makers finally managed to find the right balance of gaudiness, gruesomeness, and drama. Season 23 was a good season, but none of the stories seemed to have the quality of this serial.

Revelation of the Daleks is one of the Doctor’s quirkiest adventures. It’s an important serial because it showed how Sixth Doctor stories could actually be good. It also made the Doctor’s arch enemies scary again. The story stands as an excellent story in a somewhat questionable era