Doctor Who: The Davros problem – How the villain was used too much…then too little

Time War 4 is Davros’s first full appearance in a Doctor Who story since 2015. Why is the character being used so little these days?

Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions

It could be argued that Davros was used too much in Doctor Who during the Classic Series. But, with just two appearances in the New Series, is the exact opposite now true?

With the recent release of Doctor Who box set The Eighth Doctor: Time War 4, we’ve been pretty Davros crazy at Doctor Who Watch the past couple of weeks. Whether we’re looking back at the early years of the Dalek creator with I, Davros, or exploring what makes the character so appealing and complex, we’ve been keen to write plenty about this iconic villain. Particularly as it’s been so long since we’ve last heard from him – both on and off the screen.

It’s strange to think about, but it’s already extremely close to five years since we last saw Davros on TV – specifically, in the Peter Capaldi two-parter The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar. It’s surprising knowing that it’s been half a decade already since we last heard from such an iconic character.

But perhaps what’s even more surprising is that Davros has hardly appeared in the expanded universe, at least in recent years. In books, comics, and even audios, Davros has barely popped up at all. This is extremely surprising, especially when compared to the Doctor’s other arch-enemy the Master. Just this year alone, the Time Lord villain features in as many as four separate releases from Big Finish – with most of the incarnations appearing in the fiftieth anniversary special Masterful next year!

So what gives? Why has Davros appeared so little in recent years? Well what’s interesting is that in the Classic Series, the reverse was extremely true. At least, if you stay focused on the Dalek stories from his first appearance onwards.

The iconic Tom Baker story Genesis of the Daleks introduced us to Davros, and he was certainly a brilliant villain. But was he used too much afterwards?

(Photo by Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Davros in the Classic Series

I’m sure you all know just how important Genesis of the Daleks is. Even if you haven’t seen it, if you know of the Classic Series, you’ll know of Genesis and its reputation. It gave us a fresh take on the Daleks, fleshed out a huge amount of mythology, and even helped to set things up for the future, too. (After all, Russell T Davies has often said that the Doctor being sent back in time to stop the Daleks at their very beginning was essentially what lead to the war in the first place.)

On top of all that, it also features the first-ever appearance of Davros. Played brilliantly by Michael Wisher, the character became extremely popular very quickly, just as the serial itself would go on to become regarded as one of the Classic Series’s greatest stories. As a result, it was only natural that Davros would return.

In some ways, Davros didn’t return too often. Four years after Genesis, he returned in Destiny of the Daleks (played by David Gooderson), and then five years after that, he returned once more in Resurrection of the Daleks. So initially, it looks like his appearances were nicely spread out.

Overshadowing the Daleks

There was just one problem: these were the only two Dalek stories during this time. In fact, in all the Dalek serials after Genesis of the Daleks, Davros has a major appearance in every single one. Even when he’s somewhat kept to the shadows in Remembrance of the Daleks, he still has a key role in that story.

As a result, the Daleks became rather overshadowed by Davros. Gone were the days when they felt like a major threat in their own right – now, they were seen to be constantly seeking help or fighting over their creator.

I’m not saying Davros shouldn’t have appeared after Genesis at all. After all, he’s a fantastic character and deserves to be explored further. But at the same time, the Daleks needed the occasional story without him to remind the audience that they were a major threat in their own right. This problem wasn’t fixed in the Classic Series, but it was handled well by Big Finish…

Prequel series I, Davros is just one of several stories featuring the character. But perhaps not quite as many as you’d think…

Image courtesy Big Finish Productions

Davros in the expanded universe

Only two original Dalek novels were published during the wilderness years: War of the Daleks and Legacy of the Daleks, both by John Peel. Davros only appeared in the former story, where he was apparently killed off (honestly, this felt like overdoing it).

However, overall, Big Finish handled the character much better. They made two smart choices when it came to the Daleks and Davros. First, when they were able to tell Dalek stories, they held off on using the character too soon. Instead, the Dalek Empire arc of Doctor Who audios helped to re-establish them as a major threat in their own right, without the need of their creator.

The second smart thing Big Finish did was that when they finally did bring back Davros in 2003, they gave us a story that didn’t feature his creations. Davros by Lance Parkin explored not just the early years of the villain, but also his character and his beliefs, too. (All of which would be explored further in audio prequel series I, Davros.) It meant that – while the Daleks were inevitably discussed – the character got to stand out on his own terms.

Since then, however, Davros has appeared in surprisingly few audios. The next release was another Sixth Doctor story, The Juggernauts. Terror Firma was more significant, due to being the first meeting between Paul McGann’s Doctor and Davros on audio.

Other stories include The Curse of Davros with Six and Flip; Daleks Among Us with the Seventh Doctor, and an appearance in the first volume of Doctor Who: The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield. He even meets David Warner’s Unbound Doctor in Masters of War! But all things considered, there have been surprisingly few appearances of the villain on audio. But even that’s still a lot more compared to the New Series…

Davros in the New Series

When Russell T Davies helped to bring Doctor Who back in 2005, he made a very smart move. He avoided using too many established monsters at once, usually focusing heavily on brand new ones. But he also made sure to save the biggest ones for a season finale. So Series 1 ended with a Dalek invasion; Series 2 brought back the Cybermen; Series 3 featured the return of the Master…but who would return for Series 4? There was really only one option left.

Davros made his long-awaited on-screen return in 2008 – nearly twenty years after his last appearance in Remembrance of the Daleks. By this point, the New Series had made sure to use the same trick that Big Finish did: established the Daleks as their own threat before bringing in their creator. So it was the right time for it.

However, the biggest surprise was that, after his return…nothing happened. The character didn’t show up, not once in either the Tenth Doctor specials or even the whole of Matt Smith’s entire era. Now, it makes sense why Russell T Davies wasn’t in a rush to bring him back, especially as he was bringing the Master back for the Tenth Doctor’s final adventure. (Although it kind of makes you want to see the two grand villains actually working together, doesn’t it?) However, looking back, it’s quite surprising that Steven Moffat didn’t bring him back for a story until 2015 – seven years after his last appearance! Not only that, but that’s the last we’ve seen of the villain in the TV series.

So on the surface, it seems like things have gone too far in the other direction. While it’s nice that the Daleks have been re-established as force to be reckoned with, without need of their creator, it would still be nice to see Davros more often. Two appearances in fifteen years is definitely shocking, and I can’t help but feel that a third New Series appearance is long overdue.

Why we haven’t seen much of Davros

However, looking back, it’s easy to see why Davros hasn’t been used much. Sometimes, you do need to use the right story for him, and more importantly, it needs to be a big one. While The Wizard’s Apprentice didn’t have the same sense of grand scale that The Stolen Earth had, it did feature many cameos and appearances from friends and foes past. And, on top of that, it kicked off with one of the best shocks in Doctor Who history. So it’s definitely a huge story in its own right.

Looking at the Matt Smith era, it’s clear that Steven Moffat wanted to focus on arcs and monsters of his own. Particularly with the Silence, which was spread out across the whole of Eleven’s era. And while Daleks, Cybermen and even the Great Intelligence showed up, there was arguably less reliance on old-school monsters. After all, not even the Master showed up during Smith’s era.

More from Winter is Coming

Looking at the reverse of that, it’s also easy to see why Davros hasn’t been seen since. He didn’t need to appear in Series 9, or even Series 10 – the latter of which featured not just one Master but two!

Since then, we’ve seen the show change showrunners once more, with Chris Chibnall taking over and introducing both a new Doctor and new companions. Series 11 focused entirely on new monsters and villains, feeling like a completely fresh start. Series 12 saw the return of the Master and the Cybermen once more, so there wasn’t really room for a villain as big as Davros.

However, we do know that the next special episode is called Revolution of the Daleks. With the title following the same structure as all of Davros’s Eighties appearances, will he be making a surprise return once more? Only time will tell.

Do you think it’s time for Davros to return? What are your thoughts on the villain overall? Do you think he appeared too much in the Classic Series? Let us know in the comments below.