Dalek

When I first saw “Dalek”, I had the same sort of vibe as I did when watching “The Green Death”, “Planet of the Spiders”, “Genesis of the Daleks”, “Earthshock” and “The Caves of Androzani”. In other words, here in 2005, we had another member of my personal “Doctor Who classic” club.

Subsequent viewings have confirmed that first impression (which, in my experience, are so often right). From beginning to end, I loved “Dalek”. It was my favourite episode of the new series – and I’d be surprised if it didn’t rank similarly highly in any season surveys.

It was a very shrewd move from Russell T Davies to position “Dalek” at Episode Six in the series running order. This guy plays the TV game beautifully, and he must have known there was a chance if things weren’t going well, ratings-wise, in the new series, the promise of the Daleks’ return – even if it was just the one truly-amazing Dalek – would provide a mid-season boost. As it happened, it did just that, even though the season’s success was already guaranteed by this point.

I’d thoroughly enjoyed the new series to this point, but “Dalek” took things to another level. It wasn’t “just” an excellent “Doctor Who” adventure, it was a first-class piece of TV drama in its own right. I’m sure even the people out there with no imagination could have found something in there!

And the “old school” fans who found the new series too far removed from what came before must have found an affinity with Robert Shearman’s beautifully-crafted, perfectly-paced piece. Unlike any of the other episodes in the series (with the possible exception of “The Unquiet Dead”) I think “Dalek” could have appeared in another Doctor’s tenure but, given the choice of any Doctor at their best to play the Time Lord in this story, Christopher Eccleston would have been my pick.

I’ve been a fan of Eccleston’s Doctor right from the off. I like the physicality he brings to the role. Jon Pertwee and both Tom and Colin Baker were all powerful men who really filled the screen – and Eccleston is of that ilk. And, without the bouffant or curly mops, his shorter hair marks him out as someone who can really handle themselves. I also enjoy his sometimes-criticised “inane grinning” – he’s playing an alien, why shouldn’t he grin inanely and have a rather odd stride pattern as he bounds along?

And he really delivers his lines with a passion. When Eccleston’s Doctor goes through a gamut of emotion when he uncovers the Dalek for the first time – fear, loathing, sarcasm, relief, anger, the lot, all in the space of a couple of minutes – you really feel those emotions with him.

I must admit I found the back-up characters in this story less remarkable than in previous episodes – including companion-to-be Adam Mitchell. However, this way have been because this was all about the Doctor, the Dalek and Rose.

The setting for the episode was ideal. The Daleks have always been at their deadliest in an underground setting (after all, that’s how it all began) and the basic idea of the last Dalek being held in a museum, and being tortured by a megalomaniac, was a cracker.

The initial encounter between the Doctor and the Dalek really was gripping. Nicholas Briggs’ Dalek intoning, “Doc-tor. THE Doc-tor!” emphasising the definite article was an edge-of-the-seat moment – one of the best scenes of the whole series. Simple, but so effective.

And displaying the Doctor showing genuine fear – an emotion never shown in previous incarnations – is one big improvement to the Time Lord’s character in the new series. Of course, the Doctor is a superhero. He’s physically powerful and mentally strong. But he’s seen terrible things. He may have caused terrible things in the Time War. His whole race have been destroyed. He isn’t invincible. He is vulnerable – and he knows it. And, although we’re not used to seeing the Doctor afraid, he is afraid here. Even of this chained-up, impotent Dalek. Very afraid.

Briggs – now, undisputedly THE voice of the Daleks – had some great dialogue to work with, but I really enjoyed the softer monotone he brought to his character looking for pity. “Character” being the operative word. Too often in the past, the Daleks have been one-dimensional killing machines or, as in “Revelation of the Daleks”, mere drones. But here, without Davros for the first time since the Pertwee years, a Dalek by itself was able to take centre stage and be a “character” in its own right.

And who’d have thought the viewer would have cared about that character? A tribute to Shearman, Briggs - and Eccleston and Billie Piper in their scenes with the Dalek. It must be difficult acting against what is essentially a giant metal pepperpot, and making it so utterly believable and watchable, but they managed to pull it off.

The Dalek itself was another triumph for the design team. I loved the transformation from old, battered Dalek to majestic, gold, killing machine after its extrapolation of Rose’s DNA. It really looked the part as it glided along the corridor (you can never have enough corridors and running in a Dalek story!) at no great pace, exterminating indiscriminately. This is part of the menace of a Dalek when it’s handled properly – you can’t stop it. It doesn’t have to be move quickly. You have nowhere to run to. It will catch you, and it will exterminate you.

Obviously, the effortless “elevation” upstairs was an added bonus, as was the “kitchen sink plunger” being used for more nefarious purpose than just being there. I wonder if the production team were tempted to go further with the “sucking” of the Dalek torturer’s face – now that would have been worth the 12 rating on the DVDs!

Talking of added bonuses, the Doctor actually allowing Rose to die (or so he believed when she was trapped by the Dalek) was a fabulous scene. The only thing from the old series which was comparable was Adric’s death in “Earthshock” (one of the great scenes in “Doctor Who” lore) and, even then, the Fifth Doctor didn’t directly seal his companion’s fate. More scope for great moments from Eccleston and Piper, who must look back on this episode with tremendous pride.

And a truly great ending to boot. Eccleston’s Doctor is, by this stage, mentally all over the place, waving around a huge gun for goodness’ sake! The Dalek’s plea for an order to die, and Rose’s softly-intoned clearance for the creature’s suicide was gripping stuff.

This was a great story – have you got that impression from these words? If there was a serious fault, it wasn’t one I could find. Even if the rest of the series had been rubbish, it would have been worth it for “Dalek”. Full marks to all involved. This was “Doctor Who” at its very best. And maybe time will show “Dalek” to be the best of the best.