Doctor Who: How one of the greatest stories ever affected the Daleks

Davros’s first story, Genesis of the Daleks, is absolutely iconic and one of the greatest Dalek stories ever. But how did it affect the Daleks themselves…?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

Did one of the greatest stories in Doctor Who history have a negative impact on one of its most iconic creations? We take a look at how Genesis of the Daleks helped to shape all Dalek stories that followed.

Genesis of the Daleks is, without question, one of the most significant and greatest Dalek stories in Doctor Who history. In terms of quality, it’s an absolutely thrilling story, and Tom Baker gives an absolutely brilliant performance. Particularly during the final episode, when he gives the absolutely iconic “Do I have the right?” speech.

But more than that, Genesis also helped to revive the Daleks in a big way. The previous two Dalek stories, Planet of the Daleks and Death to the Daleks, were rather formulaic in their approach. And while they may not be the worst Dalek stories ever, it was clear that they needed a fresh take.

And that’s exactly what Genesis of the Daleks gave them. While the story was still written by Terry Nation, we were still given a radically different vision of the Daleks by exploring their very beginnings. By focusing more on the grim and gritty war that they were born from rather than on another of their grand plans for universal conquest, we were able to get a Dalek story that was significantly darker than most of their previous appearances.

We were also introduced to Davros for the first time, too. Michael Wisher was absolutely brilliant in the role, playing the restrained yet dangerous genius of Davros perfectly. The Daleks had a smaller role, and there was a lot more focus on their creator in this story. But that made a lot of sense, considering that this is the very beginning of their evil that we’re seeing.

In short, Genesis of the Daleks introduced an iconic Doctor Who villain and took the Daleks in a new direction. And that’s the problem.

Like all Eighties Dalek stories, Resurrection of the Daleks featured Davros as well as his creations. Was this a wise move for the show?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC. Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

Daleks in the Eighties

It’s unsurprising that Davros became such a popular villain in Doctor Who. He was a very well-written and performed character, especially in his first story. But, in some ways, the villain was almost too successful. Because, in every subsequent Dalek story of the Classic Series, their creator would also appear. Every single one.

This resulted in the threat of the Daleks being reduced overall. In Destiny of the Daleks, they required help from their creator to fight back against the android race that they’re at war with, the Movellans. In the following story Resurrection of the Daleks, they need his help finding a cure for a virus that the Movellans created. And in Revelation of the Daleks, he’s definitely the main threat, moreso than the Daleks themselves.

This doesn’t necessarily make the Eighties Dalek stories weak. In fact, I will admit that Revelation of the Daleks is one of my favorites. And there’s no question that Davros himself is a fantastic character. Along with a strong performance from Michael Wisher establishing the character, Terry Molloy was a fantastic successor. I certainly have no problems with the character returning when the story worked.

But at the same time, the image of the Daleks weakened. They seemed somewhat weaker without their creator and less independent overall. It’s a shame, especially since in their Sixties stories, they were almost always an incredibly strong threat. Especially in The Daleks’ Master Plan, when two companions died during the course of that story.

The New Series has noticeably moved away from using Davros too much. But is it now using the character too little?

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

Remembrance

However, in their final story of the Classic Series, Remembrance of the Daleks, things did start to change. Yes, Davros still appeared in this one, admittedly. But Ben Aaronovitch made sure to save him for the very ending, and instead concentrated on the Daleks themselves. Two armies fighting each other, with both of them trying to get their hands on the Hand of Omega, an incredibly powerful Time Lord device.

Remembrance is one of my favorite Dalek stories because – aside from the fact that it’s incredibly exciting and action-packed – the Daleks show themselves to be a truly dangerous threat once more. They’re smart, clever and incredibly powerful. They’re not above using others if it helps them to achieve their goals.

Overall, the story is a very fresh take on the Doctor’s oldest enemies, while staying more true to them than the series had done for a long while. It’s a shame that this was their last appearance in the Classic Series. But then again, the Classic Series was doing a lot of things right just as it was ending.

The New Series

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When Doctor Who came back on television in 2005, the showrunner and producers made a very smart decision: when they brought the Daleks back, they didn’t bring back Davros. At least, not immediately. Instead, the team solely focused on just the Daleks themselves for the majority of the stories we’ve seen so far, particularly in Series One.

In fact, while we’ve had a Dalek story – or even just a cameo appearance – almost every single year, we’ve only had Davros show up in two stories. Over a decade of New Who, and yet one of the most iconic villains in Classic Who has shown up only twice.

To be honest, that seems to have gone too far in the other direction. I love that the Daleks have been focused on considerably more, and have been allowed to be a major threat once again.

But Davros is a pretty iconic villain, and it would be a shame to neglect him completely. Perhaps the villain could return on his own at some point, so that he can really have the spotlight without overshadowing his creations this time, just as Big Finish have done.

Ah, Big Finish. Between the end of the Classic Series and the start of the New, Big Finish did a lot to remind fans of just how dangerous the Daleks really are. But more on that later…

How do you think the Daleks were presented after Genesis? Do you think Davros needed to show up in every story afterwards? Do you think he overshadowed them, or did they still come across as a dangerous threat in their own right? Let us know in the comments below.