Who Birthday: Mary Tamm

Mary Tamm was born in Bradford in 1950 and began her acting career on the stage in the early seventies. Her first television work came in 1973 when she appeared in Coronation Street and The Donati Conspiracy. Tamm also moved into movies the following year, starring alongside Jon Voight and fellow Doctor Who actor Derek Jacobi in The Odessa File.

Tamm continued to work regularly through the 1970s in both film and television, notably in the big screen version of The Likely Lads. She made her first appearance in Doctor Who in 1978 as Romana in The Armageddon Factor, the first part in The Key to Time series arc. A strong, charismatic and elegant presence from her first appearance Tamm’s short spell on the show brought a new dynamic in the Tardis. As a fellow Gallifreyan the character of Romana was a departure from many previous companions in her ability to at times match and sometimes even better the Doctor’s intelligence and it was the promise of a more equal relationship that overcame Tamm’s initial reluctance to take on the part. While in her view the character quickly reverted to a more stereotypical Doctor’s assistant role by the end of the series, resulting in a fast departure from the show, she certainly held her own in the early episodes. The dialogue sparkles between Tamm and Tom Baker’s Doctor and she is a dignified and impressive figure throughout. Possibly her most impressive performance comes in the fourth serial in The Key to Time, The Androids of Tara where she takes on the role of not only Romana, but also Princess Strella and their android duplicates. She gives subtly contrasting performances and is a key component to an excellent often underrated story.

After leaving Doctor Who Tamm worked on a variety of different television shows adding to her early appearance in Coronation Street with roles in Brookside, Doctors, Holby City, The Bill, Heartbeat and in her final television work, Eastenders. In 2005 she returned to the world of Doctor Who, playing Pandora in the second series of the Big Finish spin-off audios Gallifrey. Tamm’s ability to work was limited in the last couple of years as she battled cancer, but she was able to return to the character of Romana by appearing in all seven episodes of the second season of Tom Baker Big Finish audiobooks. Sadly Tamm lost her fight against cancer in July 2012 at the tragically young age of 62. The audiobooks currently being released by Big Finish are a fitting tribute to a wonderful actress and a sadly missed member of the Doctor Who family.

Who Birthday: Ian Stuart Black

Ian Stuart Black had a long, successful and varied career as a writer, enjoying success as a novelist, playwright and screenwriter for both television and film. One of his earliest credits came for the screenplay of the 1953 film, The Limping Man starring Lloyd Bridges, Leslie Phillips and Moira Lister, the original female member of the cast of Hancock’s Half-Hour. He contributed to a number of television shows throughout the 1950s most regularly Fabian of the Yard and in an early move towards science-fiction H.G. Wells’ Invisible Man.

In 1960 he was involved in the creation of the hit television series Danger Man, contributing a number of scripts and filling the role of Executive Producer. The High Bright Sun, the most successful of his nine novels was published in 1962 and two years later he completed the script for the movie, starring Dirk Bogarde.

In total he contributed three scripts to Doctor Who, The Savages, The War Machines and The Macra Terror. Black was offered the chance to write for the show after he approached the producers offering his services. His first story, The Savages saw Peter Purves leave the show and his final contribution to the series, The Macra Terror gave us one of the few monsters to have so far made a return to the show in the new run. However, his greatest contribution to the series came with the script for The War Machines. Pat Dunlop had originally been intended to write the script for the serial, but when he was unable to complete it, Black stepped in to fill the void. Following the brief of script editor Gerry Davis and scientific advisor Kit Pedler to create a more contemporary science based show, Black’s script set the template for the next few years of Doctor Who. While the script is far from perfect, set in contemporary London and with the Doctor being aided by a large military presence, it is a direct influence on many of the Unit stories that would follow, particularly The Invasion. For that reason alone Ian Stuart Black should be remembered as having made a singnificant contribution to the show.

Black worked solidly throughout the rest of his career across a variety of different media receiving his final writing credit in 1991. He died in 1997 aged 82.

Review: The Edge of Destruction

The Edge of Destruction has gained a well-deserved reputation as one of the strangest Doctor Who serials ever to have been broadcast and it has often been much maligned. Script problems on other serials coupled with the BBC’s decision to originally only grant the show a trial thirteen episode run had left the makers of Doctor Who with a two episode gap to fill. Story editor (the title of script editor wasn’t used until later in the show’s history) David Whitaker therefore completed the script in just two days basing it all in the one set and using only the four regular cast members. In that respect The Edge of Destruction is unique in Doctor Who and it is an incredibly important serial in the development of all four of the original cast members.

The tone for the serial is set very early with an eerie atmosphere evident right from the opening scene particularly when a zombie-like Susan enters the fray. This eventually turns towards a genuine horror sensibility, which wouldn’t be seen in Doctor Who again for some time and arguably never again to the same extent. The malfunction of the Tardis allows the directors of the serial to exploit some dramatic lighting and the use of only the Tardis set develops a genuinely claustrophobic feel that only adds to the tension. In many ways it is a return to the success of the first episode of the debut serial An Unearthly Child when sharp dialogue and a reliance on the actors resulted in such a darkly atmospheric piece.

The Edge of Destruction is ultimately an actor’s serial. Each character experiences more different emotions in these two episodes than in many other whole serials. Susan in particular takes on a much more interesting role here than she had previously played in The Daleks, where even at that early stage in the series the character had begun to fall into what would later become known as the stereotypical role of ‘the screamer’. This is most famously exhibited in the scene in which seemingly possessed she threatens Ian with a pair of scissors. This in itself would be extremely shocking, but the moment when she begins to repeatedly stab the chair  beneath her in a frenzied state is one of the most surprising in Doctor Who history. Unsurprisingly it garnered some complaints and the producers of the show admitted that in that instance they had gone too far for a childrens programme. While this is undoubtedly true and it would be unthinkable to see such a scene in Doctor Who these days, it is nonetheless a wonderfully powerful image and adds an incredibly dramatic threat.

Under the pressure of carrying the story the cast do an excellent job. There are occasional moments where William Russell and Carole Ann Ford both slightly overplay their ‘possession’ (also it’s noticeable in all the early shows how difficult it is to convincingly act fainting), but these are the exceptions and at a time when one-take was the norm they can certainly be forgiven the odd indiscretion. The stand-out performer unquestionably though is Jacqueline Hill as Barbara. It’s hard to think of any actor in the show’s fifty year history who put in such consistently wonderful performances as Hill and she is simply superb here. She invests the character with a quiet dignity at all times and is totally believable throughout. The scene in episode one where all the clock faces on the Tardis have melted is let down by the effects and it is quite hard to work out exactly what has happened on first watch, however Hill’s reaction and her genuine sense of anguish completely sells it and overcomes the shortcomings caused by the shows meagre budget.

The relationship between the crew of the Tardis changes dramatically after The Edge of Destruction and for that reason it stands as one of the most important serials in the shows long run. While the tension and conflict between the four main characters had worked to make the show an engaging and dramatic success over the early episodes it would have been hard to sustain such an atmosphere for much longer. Key to the change is the development of the Doctor’s character. Up until this serial he had been unsympathetic, crotchety and generally untrustworthy with moments of selfishness and cowardice thrown in. For much of The Edge of Destruction little seems to have changed. His first reaction to the signs that things are starting to go wrong is to accuse Ian and Barbara of meddling and his only shows of concern are once again towards Susan. As episode one progresses his accusations grow in size leading to a wonderful scene in which Barbara fights back, legitimately pointing out that without his new companions he would almost certainly have been killed in his two previous adventures and ultimately calling the Doctor “a stupid old man”, a speech again brilliantly delivered by Jacqueline Hill. He repeatedly ignores Ian and Susan’s pleas to apologise to Barbara and by the beginning of episode two his anger and aggression has grown even further towards them. What is perhaps more surprising is to see Susan, though very briefly, also turn on her friends and it is noticeable again that Hill plays Barbara’s reaction to her accusations differently and with a greater air of desperation than The Doctor’s. The darker edge to the Doctor’s character is once again drawn out when he states that Ian and Barbara must be treated as enemies and be punished as such. The reaction of Susan to this statement leaves viewers in no doubt of the seriousness of the punishment and once again shows the threat that the Doctor posed in the early stage of his development.

The first chink of light in the relationship between the Doctor and his companions comes midway through episode two when he realises that he was wrong in his accusations and states the necessity of them all working together to survive, admitting for the first time that he needs them. This is borne out when once again the Doctor seems out of ideas and ready to prepare for death and it is Barbara who again shows some proactivity in trying to unravel the mystery of what has happened to the Tardis. He does show some signs of compassion and concern, albeit by todays standards in an unacceptably sexist manner by sheltering the two girls from the truth of how long they potentially had left to live and encouraging Ian to face death alongside him. When eventually the problem is worked out and danger is averted there is an immediate change in the Doctor’s character, he is apologetic and warm towards Ian and when setting the Tardis controls he for the first time shows a genuine excitement about traveling with his new friends. The final scene of the serial where he makes his apology to Barbara takes these changes further and the warmth and friendliness of the Doctor is clearly evident, as is the beginnings of a bond between him and Barbara that will arguably be the strongest of any of the first Doctor’s with his companions.

Alongside the four regular cast members, the fifth character in The Edge of Destruction is the Tardis itself, as this is the first indication that it is more than simply a ship. Thanks to the new series in particular we are now entirely familiar with the idea that the Tardis is a living breathing entity, but it’s clear that even as Ian and Barbara made the first suggestion that maybe it could think for itself, the writers had no such concrete plans. The Doctor initially dismisses the idea, though shortly after admits that it is possible that in a different way to theirs it might have some capacity for thought. In doing so Whitaker added a further layer of mystery to the show.

The climax of the mystery is in many ways quite disappointing. After the drama and tension of the two episodes to discover that it had all been caused by a single switch being stuck in place is slightly anti-climactic. particularly as the idea of the Tardis having a ‘fast-return’ button is a slightly clunky device anyway (this isn’t helped by the famous mistake of having the words ‘fast return’ written in marker pen above the switch, supposedly as a rehearsal aid for Hartnell). Despite this The Edge of Destruction is a classic example of the journey being more important than the ending. It represents the beginning of the Doctor as we know him and slowly turns the Tardis crew from reluctant companions into genuine friends. Not bad for a serial that was never planned.

Who Birthday: Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams is arguably the most famous writer to have ever been associated with Doctor Who thanks to the massive success of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. His time on the show was relatively brief, spanning just a couple of years, but he nonetheless made an indelible mark on the history of Doctor Who.

Adams studied English Literature at St John’s College, Cambridge in the early seventies, where he was eventually accepted into the famous Cambridge Footlights at the second attempt in 1973. He contributed to a number of comedy revue shows and after leaving university formed a writing relationship with Monty Python’s Graham Chapman. Though this led to him making occasional contributions to Python the relationship ultimately was unsuccessful with the majority of their projects never seeing the light of day. This led to a lengthy fallow period for Adams with only occasional contributions to various BBC radio shows.

Things changed for Adams when the BBC commissioned the first radio series of his most famous work The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. The series first aired in 1978 and following it’s success he was given a position as a radio producer for the BBC. He stayed for just six months before he was offered the script editing job on Doctor Who. The second series of the radio show was broadcast in 1980 and the first novels in the five-part ‘trilogy’ were also published in 1979 and 1980 respectively.

Adams was first commissioned to write for Doctor Who after submitting the then unmade original script of Hitchhikers to the makers of the show. A fan of the show from childhood, he was asked to write the second part of the 1978 ‘Key to Time’ series. The Pirate Planet is unmistakably Adams, filled with his own unique sense of humour and featuring a number of larger than life characters, it also recycles a number of lines from his Hitchhikers script, which at that stage he was unaware would ever be produced.

On the back of the success of his script and his clear love for the show he was recommended by outgoing script editor Anthony Read as a potential successor, despite his relative inexperience. After such a long period of inactivity Adams jumped at the chance of regular work and he accepted the role of script editor for season 17. Very quickly after accepting the position however, Hitchhikers became an incredible success and Adams found himself trying to combine his Doctor Who duties with writing radio, novel and the TV versions of his own creation. Given Adams’ famously chaotic and at times seemingly reluctant approach to writing it isn’t surprising that he felt only able to stay with Doctor Who for one series. Despite the pressure he suddenly found himself under little elements of Adams’ style are evident throughout the five completed episodes of his tenure. Undoubtedly his greatest contribution to the show though came when script problems forced him to pen the second serial of the season himself. City of Death is a remarkable piece of writing, often topping polls of the best Doctor Who serials ever and reportedly shown to the new shows creators by Russell T. Davies as an example of how he wanted the series to move forward. The script is full of wit and charm and the dialogue is almost endlessly quotable. While it benefits from a location shoot in Paris and a fine cast on top form it is Adam’s script which is the star performer. Sadly Adams’ final contribution to Doctor Who, Shada was never completed due to strikes at the BBC, but the sections that were made indicate another wonderful piece of work.

As well as his work on the wonderful Hitchhikers Guide series which would make Adams a millionaire he also produced the fantastic The Meaning of Liff book alongside John Lloyd (the book was recently the subject of a lovely radio4 show on its 30th anniversary) and The Dirk Gently novels, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, which again exhibited Adams’ talent for recycling by using elements of his Shada script. The Dirk Gently stories have also subsequently been turned into both radio and television series by the BBC. Sadly Adams died tragically early in 2001 aged just 49 robbing us of one of British comedies greatest writers. It’s testament to his huge talent that he is still held in such high esteem by both his contemporaries and the public at large. Today would have been his 61st birthday.

Additional birthday mentions should go to John Barrowman, Alex Kingston and director Graeme Harper. So many birthdays today, so little time to write!

 

 

 

Who Birthday: Brian Hayles

Brian Hayles was one of the most prolific writers in the early era of Doctor Who producing scripts for each of the first three Doctors. Like many of his contemporaries Hayles’ first writing credit came thanks to Z-Cars and he progressed through various television writing jobs in the early sixties before making his Doctor Who debut in 1966.

His first contribution to Doctor Who came with the original script to the William Hartnell adventure The Celestial Toymaker although the serial went through a number of fairly dramatic alterations. After originally submitting the story Hayles was unavailable to complete any re-writes and so Donald Tosh the then script editor took over its development, however Tosh then left his position and was replaced by Gerry Davis. He made further changes to the script and when Tosh was unhappy with them he asked for his name to be removed from the credits. With Davis unable to be credited as both script editor and writer, Hayles took the writing credit again despite his original script having been changed to such a large degree.

Hayles’ second script for the show was a more straight-forward affair. The Smugglers would be Hartnell’s penultimate serial as the Doctor and sees the Tardis crew arrive in seventeenth century Cornwall. To bring Hayles’ script to life, The Smugglers would be the first Doctor Who serial to be assigned a major location shoot. Sadly the whole of The Smugglers has been lost and with only one episode of The Celestial Toymaker surviving and two episodes of The Ice Warriors also missing Hayles’  contribution to the early years of the show is sometimes forgotten due a lack of available stories.

However, with the creation of The Ice Warriors in their eponymous debut serial, Hayles guaranteed his place in Doctor Who history. The Martian villains would appear in all three of Hayles’ further Who serials and remain an incredibly popular creation (they are set to make their return in the next few weeks in the new series). His final work on Doctor Who, The Curse of Peladon and its sequel The Monster of Peladon gained Hayles a reputation as a writer of stories with strong political links. ‘Curse’ with its storyline of Peladon awaiting acceptance to the Galactic Federation was a direct comparison with the UK’s entrance into the EC. ‘Monster’ was an even more obvious take on the miner’s strike and both are worthy attempts to link Doctor Who with the prevailing political issues of the time.

Hayles’ Doctor Who connection wasn’t quite over with the final broadcast of his shows as he went on to novelise both The Curse of Peladon and The Ice Warriors for the terrific Target range of books. He continued his writing career through the seventies producing scripts for The Archers and also the BBC science-fiction show Doomwatch, created by ex-Who alumni Gerry Davis and Kit Pedler. Hayles completed the script for the movie Arabian Adventure, which starred amongst others Peter Cushing in 1978 shortly before his sad death at the age of just 47. Today would have been Hayles’ 82nd birthday.

Who Birthday: John Woodnutt

John Woodnutt was an incredibly familiar face throughout my childhood thanks to programmes as diverse as the excellent ITV adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster and the children’s gameshow Knightmare where he played Sit Watkyn Bassett and Merlin and Mogdren respectively. A talented and versatile actor he also made no less than four different appearances in Doctor Who spread over eleven years delivering a set of brilliantly diverse performances.

After starting out on the stage aged just 18, Woodnutt received his first major television work in 1956 and he went on to work consistently throughout his career in shows such as, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Dr. Finlay’s Casebook, Z-Cars and The Tomorrow People. Woodnutt also made appearances in comedy shows Paul Merton: The Series and Harry Enfield and Chums.

His first appearance in Doctor Who came in 1970 in Jon Pertwee’s debut serial as the Doctor, Spearhead From Space. He played the part of Hibbert, managing director of a plastics factory taken over by the Nestene. Woodnutt gives a classy performance as he portrays a man desperately fighting to regain control of his own mind, eventually winning the battle, but losing his life in the process. The subtlety of Woodnutt’s performances in Who stand out and it is wonderful to see how he takes some potentially difficult characters and makes them utterly believable throughout.

His second appearance in Who would come in another Pertwee serial, Frontier in Space. Though Woodnutt is unrecognisable in the elaborate, but brilliant costume of the Draconian Emperor his ability as an actor still shines through in his short time on screen. There is a dignity to the Emperor that is impressive and helped to make the Draconians some of Jon Pertwee’s favourite characters from his time as the Doctor. Possibly Woodnutt’s best role came in 1975’s Terror of the Zygons after Tom Baker had taken over the role of the Doctor. Playing the duel roles of the Duke of Forgill and Zygon leader Broton. The Zygons had the ability to morph into their captive’s human form and playing the Zygon imitation of the Duke offered a real challenge and once again it is the subtlety of his performance that is so impressive. He alters his character only slightly when flipping between the human and the Zygon and as a result he manages to create a far more sinister and scary villain that if he had overplayed it. Woodnutt made one final appearance in Doctor Who, this time in 1981, again alongside Tom Baker in the supporting role of Seron in The Keeper of Traken. Though a less demanding role he nonetheless brought his customary excellence to the part.

Having appeared in four different Doctor Who serials in fairly major parts John Woodnutt stands alongside the likes of Bernard Horsfall and Philip Madoc as amongst the actors to have had the biggest impact on the series without having a continuing role. All four of his performances were fantastic and his death in 2006, aged 81 brought to an end a distinguished acting career. In 1995 Woodnutt gave an interview to TV Zone Magazine where he talked about his career and in particular his work on Doctor Who, “I loved it. I’m delighted there are so many Doctor Who associations and I go to conventions up and down the country. I’m fascinated by the interest and enthusiasm being shown by people who couldn’t possibly have seen the originals, who have been introduced to it by videos. It really does hold a special place in my heart.” Today Woodnutt would have been 89.

Who Birthday: Roger Delgado

It was the production team of Barry Letts and Terrence Dicks who originally came up with the idea of the character of the Master. They felt that the Doctor’s relationship with the Brigadier had begun to resemble that of Holmes and Watson, it was therefore a logical step to find the Doctor his Moriarty. When the idea for the character had formed, Letts immediately suggested Delgado for the role, having worked with him previously. It would prove to be an inspired piece of casting as Delgado made the role his own and made the Master one of the most popular figures in the show’s history.

Roger Caesar Marius Bernard de Delgado Torres Castillo Roberto was born in Whitechapel in 1918. His diverse background, his mother was Belgian and his father Spanish, meant that in his early acting career he was often cast in foreign parts or perhaps reflecting the culture of the time, the role of the villain. During the sixties he appeared in a host of successful British TV shows such as, The Champions, The Avengers, Danger Man, The Saint and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) alongside his regular stage work.

His role in Doctor Who began with the broadcast of Terror of the Autons in 1971, a genuinely scary story in which Delgado made a remarkable instant impact in the show. Within the story he showed an amazing ability to switch from charming and charismatic to darkly terrifying, a skill that would remain throughout Delgado’s time on the show. He is instantly a captivating presence on screen and the success of the character is based largely around the fact that Delgado makes the villain so easily likable. After his debut performance the Master would go on to appear in all four of the remaining serials in season eight a decision that Dicks and Letts would later regret for making the reveal of the villain too predictable. Nonetheless, what the shows lost in mystery they more than made up for as Delgado’s skill as an actor and popularity with the rest of the cast shining through as he developed a terrific rapport with the other members of the regular acting team.

Delgado went on to make three further appearances as the Master, twice in season nine in The Sea Devils and The Time Monster and once more the following year in Frontier in Space. However, despite the characters appearances in the show becoming less frequent, Delgado found that he wasn’t being offered parts due to people believing he was still tied up by Doctor Who. He therefore asked Dicks and Letts if they could kill the character off and plans were made to do just that in Jon Pertwee’s final serial. Sadly, whilst filming Bell of Tibet in Turkey the car Delgado was travelling in crashed into a ravine and he was killed at the tragically young age of 55.

Delgado’s skill as an actor and his wonderful characterisation of the Master ensured that the character remained incredibly popular and of course he would live on in the series in various guises. Actors of the calibre of Anthony Ainley, Derek Jacobi and John Simm have all brought their own interpretations of the role, but for many, myself included, Delgado’s Master has never been bettered and will remain definitive. He was a hugely popular member of a particularly close Doctor Who ensemble and remains much missed, though never forgotten. He would have been 95 today.

Review: The Daleks

The Daleks saw the Doctor and the Tardis crew make their first trip together to an alien world and in doing so encountered their first alien beings who would prove to be the most iconic in the series’ history. The impact of the Daleks was immediate and saw the show’s viewing figures climb dramatically, establishing it in the public consciousness. As a creation they transcend the programme and it is remarkable to think that they represented just the kind of ‘bug-eyed monster’ that the series’ creators had initially set out to avoid.

Following on from An Unearthly Child, the initial exchanges in The Daleks are a slight disappointment. The dialogue between the show regulars that had sparked with tension in the first story here falls a little flat. Terry Nation the writer of the serial and creator of the Daleks has a reputation for writing good adventure stories, but his dialogue is often less impressive. The actors also seem to be having a tricky time delivering the lines, with their excellent naturalistic performances from the first serial slightly slipping in quality in the early stages of the new adventure. William Hartnell fluffs the odd line, but I should point out at this stage that these mistakes have never bothered me. There’s an argument from some fans that many of the so-called fluffs were deliberate on the part of Hartnell as part of his characterisation of the Doctor. Personally I think the fluffs are understandable mistakes given the pressure on the actor and the ridiculously tough recording schedule he and the acting team had to deal with. There are times when they interrupt the flow, but more often than not they make little difference and deliberate or not can be seen as part of the charm of the first Doctor.

The Daleks had two different directors over it’s seven episode run, Christopher Barry and Richard Martin. Both make some interesting choices and there are some very nice touches such as when Barbara places her hand on the camera lens when feeling her way around a wall. Generally though the more interesting and experimental elements of the direction jar with what is a pretty static piece. In particular the directors seemed to struggle with exactly how to make the scenes involving just the Daleks seem interesting given their lack of movement and often long speeches. That said, Barry does provide us with one of the most iconic shots in Doctor Who history as episode one ends with Barbara pressed against the wall in fear as we see a Dalek arm approaching her.

So to our eponymous monsters. They make their first full appearance in episode two and the first thing that is noticeable about them is how incredibly verbose they are. The nature of the Dalek speech pattern and their relatively static nature in this serial does cause a few issues with the flow and rhythm of the adventure, nonetheless their initial appearance makes an immediate impact. It’s well worth stating in the week of his sad death that this is in no small part down to the brilliant work of Raymond Cusick. The design of the monsters has barely changed in fifty years and the many subsequent attempts to recreate their success by later designers demonstrates just how impressive Cusick’s achievements were. It is also notable that at this early stage the Daleks haven’t quite developed their exterminate on sight policy. They initially simply temporarily paralyse Ian when he attempts to escape and overall these Daleks are far more scheming and thoughtful than many of their later incarnations. In episode four we get our first tiny glimpse of the insides of a Dalek. I mentioned in my review of An Unearthly Child how particularly in the early stages of the show much use was made out of the reactions of the actors to events happening off screen. This is a classic example of how well that can work to cover up a limited budget and the limits of special effects. When Ian and the Doctor lift up the lid of the Dalek casing their reaction is immediately one of horror and disgust, it’s a wonderful moment and it allows the audience to imagine what they may have seen. Shortly after we get a glimpse under a Thal cloak of the Dalek and though it is only fleeting it can’t really live up to the effect of that initial reaction shot.

By the end of the serial there are the first signs of the Doctor who we see as a hero starting to show themselves. However, at the beginning he is still very much the untrustworthy and seemingly selfish individual we left at the end of An Unearthly Child. As the Tardis crew land on the unfamiliar planet they all agree that they should leave as soon as possible and only the Doctor wants to stay. He therefore lies to his companions, claiming that he needs mercury for the Tardis fluid link in order to leave, ultimately endangering the lives of them all just to satisfy his scientific curiosity. His first thought remains his own safety and he is seemingly quite happy to leave Barbara stranded when it first becomes clear they are in danger, even snapping at Susan when she challenges him for this reaction. Despite this there is evidence of a bond developing between him and Barbara later in the story. First he praises her ingenuity when they overpower the Dalek and then later they form an alliance when attempting to persuade Ian to use the Thals to get into the Dalek city. Ian’s relationship with the Doctor remains frostier, but they enjoy a nice moment after the Doctor gets Ian’s name wrong. The Doctor remains happy to leave the Thals to deal with the Daleks on their own until he realises they cannot leave without first returning to the Dalek city. It’s noticeable though that at the end of the adventure the Doctor remains with the Thals for longer than is absolutely necessary, suggesting that his meeting with the pure evil of the Daleks, coupled with his introduction to Ian and Barbara has already made him re-assess his general policy of non-intervention and self-preservation.

As the Thals are introduced the story turns into an attack against pacifism as Ian and the crew attempt to persuade their alien allies that fighting the Daleks is essential if they are to survive. Sadly the Thals come across as being rather bland. It’s ironic that given the clear influence of the Nazis on the Daleks that the Thals are positively arian in their looks and while they look mostly the same they are also fairly indistinguishable as characters. The exception is the character of Antodus, who though mostly whiny and cowardly, does have his own personality and when eventually dying in a moment of self-sacrifice he completes an interesting character arc that is sadly lacking with his fellow Thals. Of course the Tardis crew do eventually manage to persuade the Thals of the need to fight and the Doctor’s response of “the mind will always triumph” to Ian’s query of how they were supposed to take on the Daleks with no weapons can be seen as a defining mantra for the show in the ensuing years.

The link between the Daleks and the Nazis is often mentioned and it’s clear from very early on in their creation, most blatantly in episode six when their arms point upwards in a Nazi style salute and they chant of becoming ‘the master race’. Ian had earlier pinpointed the Daleks hatred of the Thals as simply a ‘fear of the unlike’ though there is again a slight irony in the positioning of this statement. It comes in the middle of a scene in which Barbara and Ian talk regularly of a lack of humanity and human characteristics in the Daleks and the tone and manner of their speech makes it clear that they are including the Thals under the umbrella of the term ‘human’ simply because they look like them, when of course they are really just as alien as the Daleks.

Ultimately The Daleks isn’t the best Dalek serial in Doctor Who, but as the first it is an early watershed moment in the history of the show. The Daleks themselves are very successful and they provide a genuine menace that makes it easy to understand why they caught on to such an enormous extent. The Doctor and his companions’ relationships are continuing to develop alongside the series itself. A development that would kick on once more with the next serial, the unique The Edge of Destruction.

 

Review: Who on Earth is Tom Baker?

Tom Baker’s autobiography ‘Who on Earth is Tom Baker?’ was published in 1997 so it’s fair to say that this isn’t exactly a topical review. However, having sat down to read it again recently I felt the need to champion the book for anyone yet to discover it’s magic.

The first thing to say about the book is that anyone reading it simply looking for a memoir of Baker’s time on Doctor Who may be disappointed. My well-thumbed paperback copy clocks in, thanks to some remarkably small print, at 262 pages. Baker is offered the part of the Doctor in chapter sixteen beginning on page 181, so the role that made him famous takes up only just over a quarter of the book. Who fans shouldn’t let this put them off. Through childhood, his attempt to make it in the church, national service, family life and his acting career Baker’s life has been fascinating and he is quite simply a wonderful story teller. The cast of characters he introduces us to is quite remarkable and gives credence to his suggestion that no writer has ever been able to come up with characters as interesting as those he has met in real life. He is witty, clever and brutally honest, allowing the book to veer seamlessly between being laugh out loud funny and terribly sad. Often seeming to be at odds with the world, you are left with the belief that while we got arguably the best Doctor in the show’s long run, Baker found the part that possibly saved him.

Ultimately I would recommend this book to anyone, whether you have an interest in Doctor Who or not (but if you’re reading this you probably do). Tom Baker is one of the classic British eccentrics and it is no surprise that he is still held in such great esteem. For Who fans I’d say it’s a must. The book is unlikely to reveal anything new about the show to fans, particularly so long after it’s original publication, but it is a wonderful insight into the man who was the Doctor for longer than anyone else. A genuine five star read.

Ray Cusick 1928-2013

While the wealth and fame that came from the creation of the Daleks may have gone to writer Terry Nation it is undoubtedly Ray Cusick’s classic design that had the greatest impact in ensuring that they remain as iconic today as they did fifty years ago. After hearing that Cusick had sadly passed away today aged 84 after a short illness I felt compelled to write a small tribute to the man. In 2008 he appeared on Doctor Who Confidential, meeting the new design team and talking about his work on the Daleks. It was clear from watching his successors that they were slightly in awe of Cusick as they demonstrated to him how little they had needed to adapt his original design. Cusick himself came across as a modest but incredibly knowledgable gentleman. At the time that he created the Daleks he was on a basic staff wage and it is a mark of the man that at no stage did he ever ask for extra money for his incredible work, but simply wanted to be always credited as the Daleks designer. For his amazing contribution to the show that we all love and for his incredible modesty Cusick has always been held in great affection by Who fans and he will be sadly missed. However he will always live on in his great work and will never be forgotten as his design continues to captivate new audiences.