Doctor Who 1x06 "Dalek" rewatch-review

[arabian]

As I've stated elsewhere, once I finished season two of New Who, I was going to rewatch and review what I call my "Her Name was Rose" collection (click here for the full list of episodes).

Comments

[arabian]

You're welcome, and thank you for stopping by to offer your two cents. Please, please feel free to offer justification. I love this show and love being persuaded that I was wrong about any issues I have. In my write-up for "Aliens of London," some comments had me rethinking one of my criticisms and I was quite pleased that their valid points made that issue I had go away. So hearing the whys of your thinking of whatever issue I had, I'm more than happy to hear.

(I will just say though, because it's on record anyway, that I had nothing to do with the towns beginning with 'S' scene, and that was a late insert by Russell when the BBC got concerned I let Van Statten off the hook too easily. I'm not fond of the scene, but I can understand why they wanted it.

Ah, well, that explains a lot; I didn't know that. (I'm fairly new to the fandom.) I can see the flow out of the second-to-last last Doctor/Rose scene and then the final scene (him still talking briefly about the Dalek and Rose telling him he has her still) much better.

I don't think Van Statten was actually let off too easy at all, his entire core and belief was shaken by what happened, but, I can see where the BBC was coming from. I'm going to insert a note that it was not your doing above in the review since that's the line where I first used your name. Sorry. :(

Thanks again for commenting, and again, I'd love to hear your reasoning behind the other issues I have ... especially since the last scene was actually my biggest issue.

[robshearman]

I'll see what I can do. You mean the reasons why Adam joined the crew? Or the deletion of the hug?

[arabian]

I actually added a whole section on why I think Adam joined the crew (both production-wise, and character-wise) to the post above (it's right under the last Doctor/Rose clip). I don't know why I didn't touch on that last night when I wrote this up, it makes perfect sense. (Of course my reasoning behind it could be all wrong, LOL!)

I would be curious about the why of the deletion of the hug, I know there's been a lot of speculation about that (including in this thread) and also why the Doctor revealed so much of himself to Van Statten in the elevator. I just don't understand why he would reveal so much of himself after seeing/knowing what Van Statten was. I get it in the cage with the Dalek, emotions brought up and stuff, but not afterwards with Van Statten.

Thanks again for commenting, I love hearing from the writer's point of view.

(BTW, I read your user profile and friended you after reading a couple of posts. You said to go for it, so I did, LOL!)

[robshearman]

Okay. Well, before I launch into this, I'd better explain the way the writing of these TV episodes works! Russell allows an awful lot of freedom to the freelance writers on the production, which is rare and a testament, I think, to a showrunner on a TV show who is also first and foremost a writer himself. (You'd have thought that was usually the case, but it really isn't.) You're given a certain latitude in how to interpret the broad commission brief you're given. In my case it was slightly broader than most, because I was being invited to adapt a Dalek story I'd already written for the Big Finish audio productions. The main changes were that Russell wanted the story set in the near future in an underground base in Utah run by a Bill Gates like figure (my original had been in an alternate contemporary England, where a single Dalek was wheeled out from the Tower of London every year to heckling and catcalling), that this feature the new Doctor and Rose (obviously!), and that it introduce Adam. That's what I had to play with.

Adam was always a bit of a difficulty. I knew that Russell planned on writing a story called at that point 'The Companion Who Couldn't' for the episode seven slot. It'd be a yarn which emphasised that not just *anybody* is up to the job of travelling in the TARDIS - and by showing how Adam was too frightened to cope with the experience, how remarkable Rose was in comparison. It's not a bad idea, but I think the trouble was that it's one of those concepts that quickly get out of date once the production's being made. By the time 'Dalek' was being made, it was pretty clear to all that Rose was special already, and that Billie had a terrific chemistry with Chris, without bringing someone in who hadn't and didn't to labour the point. I found Adam very hard to write, and the scene I'm least proud of is the one where Rose flirts with him in his workshop. In a story which *had* to be action based, it seemed to me there was very little time to set up an attraction credibly, and that it risked making Rose look a bit superficial.

Still, I wrote Adam the best I could. I modelled him a bit on me - I know full well that in the story situation I'd be too scared and inept to do the right thing. The stuff of real courage is down to the Roses of this world. I'm just a well-meaning bumbler. I never read the script for what became The Long Game, and the first time I watched it is the night Dalek went out. I never had picked up that Russell wanted Adam to be quite *that* unsympathetic and shallow - I'd gone for ordinary instead. So there's a bit of an imbalance there.

The hug wasn't deleted as such - it was never part of an edit. There are some difficulties with that scene, which required changes to how the Dalek died. I'd written for an explosion. Most of the recording, though, is done with Billie and Chris filmed on different days, because Chris had to take time off for a family illness. It was discovered that it was hard to replicate the rubble produced after the Dalek exploded between those separate takes, so the Dalek died much more cleanly in a video effect. And the hug no longer matched, because it's part of an edit in which there's rubble. At least, I think that's what was going on...! (It was over four years ago, and I wasn't there at the time!)

[robshearman]

It wasn't an agenda on behalf of the production team. To be honest, I far prefer it without the hug - I find the scene has such great performances from Billie and Chris in it that it's much subtler there's no physical contact between the pair at the end. But that's just my opinion! I was very keen to play up the ambiguity of the love between the Doctor and Rose at this stage. Neither of them really know where they stand with each other. The Doctor, we can imagine, has been very secluded going through his survivor guilt, and along comes this girl who opens up his heart. In a very real way, the story of what happens to the Dalek is a poisonous spin on that same story. The Dalek is a creature of lies, and we should take *anything* it says with a pinch of salt. It's only just been introduced even to the concept of love, as it understands from what it's absorbed from Rose - and it's telling that it immediately uses the very idea of it as a means of manipulation. It's a troubled scene, that one; it was originally a longer discussion, which got cut down to a single line. I once thought that worked - now I'm not so sure.

The stuff in the lift? The Doctor has met a Dalek. Everything has changed. The world could end. Even worse, from his point of view, everything he has sacrificed counts for nothing. He doesn't give a stuff about Van Statten. He's too angry for that. He'll do or say anything at this point to get that Dalek destroyed, and he couldn't care less about subtlety. I stand by the scene, actually, though I can understand your difficulties with it.

And I should add - I stand by the final Goddard scene too. I didn't write it, but it's in my script, and you have to accept full responsibility for your script. 'Dalek' changed a lot over the six months it was being written in. It underwent about twelve drafts, and by the end of the process was in response to notes from three exec producers, a script editor and a director. That's the process. There aren't that many lines that survive from draft one to the shooting script! But that's the process. It's a collaboration. There are things I like and things I don't, things that privately I know are my triumph or my fault, others I know that are out of my hands. If I tell you I'm really a comedy writer, and I conceived Dalek (like its audio play forebear) as a black comedy, you might understand!

Hope that's of some use.

[arabian]

The Dalek is a creature of lies, and we should take *anything* it says with a pinch of salt. It's only just been introduced even to the concept of love, as it understands from what it's absorbed from Rose - and it's telling that it immediately uses the very idea of it as a means of manipulation.

Oh, this is just brilliant. As I was reading this, I was just nodding my head in agreement. I want to kick myself for not consciously catching that enough to acknowledge because it's so perfect, so true. But, I suppose I'll offer that as a compliment to you that I was so engrossed in the scene and the story that it fit so organically, it didn't even stand out. But, yeah, brilliant.

... it was originally a longer discussion, which got cut down to a single line. I once thought that worked - now I'm not so sure.

I love the line (as do many in the fandom), but it's intriguing to know that there was a longer discussion there. Hmm ...

The stuff in the lift? The Doctor has met a Dalek. Everything has changed. The world could end. Even worse, from his point of view, everything he has sacrificed counts for nothing. He doesn't give a stuff about Van Statten. He's too angry for that. He'll do or say anything at this point to get that Dalek destroyed, and he couldn't care less about subtlety. I stand by the scene, actually, though I can understand your difficulties with it.

And THIS is why I wanted your take on it because that just made it all make perfect sense. Absolutely perfect. I wasn't putting myself in the Doctor's shoes enough.

Thank you again so much. I've adored -- you have no idea how much!! -- reading the insight from the actual writer about my specific questions. This is like a dream come true for me, I love breaking down episodes/movies that I love and to actually get feedback on my thoughts. My birthday's in two days ... this is a GREAT present!

Bottom-line, this was an absolutely fabulous episode overall, and I'm thankful for that too. I love this show!!!!

(Now, I'm just gonna try and imagine how this could have been Black Comedy. Hah!)

[robshearman]

Oh, you're very welcome!

If I'm honest I think you nailed the problems with those scenes - you really shouldn't *need* the writer to pop along four years later and explain what he'd intended! My fear always writing Dalek was that it was going to be too clunky with the exposition. It was the first story of the new series which had a returning monster, and I tried hard (a bit too hard!) to cut to the chase and not boggle people with points of continuity. But I think the problem is that you end up getting a bit overexcited as a writer - you want to put in everything except the kitchen sink! And you have to simplify. (In the audio version of the story, for example, the imprisoned Dalek gets inside the companion's head through conversation, and gets infected only in a metaphorical sense. In a 45 minute episode which needs to get to the running around, you rely on magic DNA handprints to do what you'd rather spend the running time of the story doing psychologically. And so bits you *think* work because you know where the Doctor's head is, or Rose's head, or even the Dalek's head (dome? eyestalk base?), can end up looking a bit clumsy.

I learned an awful lot writing Dalek, I think. I hope...! It's by no means my favourite story of the year, even though I feel proud of it because it's my strange mutant baby.

The black comedy approach really didn't work too well. Funnily enough, in the mid draft where we lost the Dalek, and instead I substituted the then unnammed Toclafane (who would later come back in season three anyway), I got the chance to indulge it a bit more. But it was just one of the necessary casualties of the process. The BBC had to remind me what the story's selling point was - it was this Dalek killing people! And although I tried to build up characters like Van Statten and the guards et al in what were quite quirky ways, any scene that wasn't about that Dalek or tied in to the emotional journeys of Rose and the Doctor had to be seen as irrelevant. (My biggest regret about the story is that the supporting characters come across as such bland ciphers now - but that Dalek took up all the screen time. Van Statten isn't a villain, he's a macguffin!)

Many happy returns, and have a great birthday! And do feel free to keep in touch.

[arabian]

My biggest regret about the story is that the supporting characters come across as such bland ciphers now - but that Dalek took up all the screen time. Van Statten isn't a villain, he's a macguffin!

Oh, I don't think you have to worry about that. I loved Goddard, and the female soldier who had the one big scene was quite, quite memorable. Not bland at all. (And, of course, the snarky military guy who told the Doctor he could take out the tin robot.) Adam and Van Statten weren't bland, stock characters either. For me, personally, I just wasn't overly impressed with the acting.

Many happy returns, and have a great birthday! And do feel free to keep in touch.

Thank you! :)

[transcendancing]

As usual lovely to read your thoughts on the new series and in particular the episode you've written (I would love to see more of your eps in future seasons!)

*big hugs and fruity alcoholic things*

If I could, I'd totally move Swancon to London - now about those instantaneous transportors we were discussing :)

I found your insight beautiful and interesting, especially now that it's a few years later. Seeing everyone else's comments as well makes for a great deal of food for thought.

*much love*

[thistwilight]

Rob,

It was a pleasure reading about your point of view on this. I found this very beneficial and I really feel like I understand the episode better now.

Also, I'm fangirling like crazy right now, because AN ACTUAL DOCTOR WHO WRITER IS ON LIVEJOURNAL AND COMMENTED A POST ABOUT DOCTOR WHO.

I'm sorry, I just had to get that out of my system.

So, again, thanks for taking the time to explain all of this. It was very helpful and SO COOL.

Thanks a lot,

Rachel

[wendymr]

Sorry for butting in, but I just wanted to say how very much I appreciated reading the writer's perspective on Dalek. S1 remains the season of New Who in which I love every single episode without exception (in every other season there's been a minimum of one and often more that I haven't liked as much), and within S1 my two favourites are Father's Day and Dalek, so it's really made my day to read this behind-the-scenes rationale for some of the inclusions and omissions. Chris Eccleston gave one of his very best performances in this episode, but in order to do that he had to have excellent material with which to work - and he clearly had that.

Thanks, Rob, for generously giving your time to elaborate for us, and thanks, arabian, for posting this review in the first place :)

[arabian]

I just wanted to say how very much I appreciated reading the writer's perspective on Dalek ...it's really made my day to read this behind-the-scenes rationale for some of the inclusions and omissions.

I truly can not express how thrilled I am to actually get the writer's thoughts on the whys and whyfores of what came into the end result of this episode. I spend so much time thinking on what it all means, analyzing it to death, to actually be able to get a back and forth with the writer himself? No words.

I've never been happier at my decision to do these rewatch-reviews since it led to this.

[robshearman]

Thank you!

I think, hand on heart, that my script benefits hugely from an impassioned performance from Chris - rather than Chris benefitting from my script! But that's kind of you to say.

I remember the first time I saw the Dalek confrontation scene, with Chris determinedly investing in the part (as he told us) the horror of a holocaust survivor meeting one of his captors. And I was stunned by how much anger and despair and honesty he was able to get out of the lines. The lines are really much simpler and balder than you'd think - it's Chris who gives them depth.

[arabian]

Again, thank you for the info. You helped a lot in my understanding of the elevator scene. A lot. So thank you.

This was fascinating reading the ins and outs of how it all came about. I think this is very interesting:

I knew that Russell planned on writing a story called at that point 'The Companion Who Couldn't' for the episode seven slot. It'd be a yarn which emphasised that not just *anybody* is up to the job of travelling in the TARDIS - and by showing how Adam was too frightened to cope with the experience, how remarkable Rose was in comparison. It's not a bad idea, but I think the trouble was that it's one of those concepts that quickly get out of date once the production's being made. By the time 'Dalek' was being made, it was pretty clear to all that Rose was special already, and that Billie had a terrific chemistry with Chris, without bringing someone in who hadn't and didn't to labour the point.

And that makes so much sense. It really does make it so clear; you never really know just how things will hit when all is said and done.

I didn't like the Adam/Rose scene merely from a silly shipper point of view, though, logically it did make sense and I don't think it made Rose come across as shallow at all.

So now we have the answer to the "hug" deletion. Thank you for that. I'll just take solace in that at least we got to see it!!

[prynne12]

In hopes that you still look at these posts--was there any particular reason that Mr. Davies wanted Utah as the new setting?

[robshearman]

Do you know - I never thought to ask! I'm sure if I'd questioned it, he'd have let me set the story somewhere else, but from an office in grim 'n' rainy Cardiff, Utah seemed nice and exotic. I dare say Russell was keen to give as much of a global feel to the series as possible (even if all the Americans we saw had Welsh accents!), and to avoid the sort of criticism we used to get on Classic Who that the whole show was set in England.

I've never been to Utah, mind. I looked it up in the atlas, though. It seemed big. That impressed me. I'm easily impressed.