Doctor Who - The Power of the Daleks
Half a week early with my thoughts on Patrick Troughton's debut story! I was dying to watch the new reconstruction a friend generously sent me on DVD, and it was brilliant. One of the very best I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy.
*****
"The Power of the Daleks" was a six-part serial, first broadcast on BBC TV between 5 November 1966 - 10 December 1966. It was written by David Whitaker, and directed by Christopher Barry. It starred Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, Anneke Wills as Polly, and Michael Craze as Ben Jackson.
The newly regenerated Doctor arrives on the planet Vulcan, where he is mistaken for a murdered Examiner from Earth. The colony is in disarray. Governor Hensell is weak, security head Bragen is gaining power, rebels are causing trouble... and a scientist, Lesterson, has discovered a Dalek spaceship that has been buried for centuries. Despite the Doctor's warnings, Lesterson revives the Daleks. "We are your servants," the Daleks insist, and the humans give them what they want: power. Meanwhile, the Daleks are secretly creating more of their own kind. When Bragen and the rebels take over, they expect the Daleks to help. But the Daleks resume their usual cry, "Exterminate!" and set out to kill all the humans on Vulcan...
"The Power of the Daleks" is one of the all-time great Doctor Who stories, and it's an absolute tragedy that the BBC destroyed all six episodes instead of preserving them for posterity. Everything about this story is wonderful: excellently written, directed and acted. It saw the first great upheaval in the series, and one that left an important legacy - the first time the lead actor had changed. Patrick Troughton was now the Doctor, and I'm sure everyone involved with the program was waiting nervously as Episode One went out. The familiar face of William Hartnell was gone; what would have been disorienting and disconcerting for viewers was the fact that their hero was totally different - not just the actor, but the character as well. Of course, the production team's enormous gamble paid off, but was surely such a television experiment at the time to have had many people scratching their heads.
The new Doctor's initial scenes in the TARDIS are highly ambiguous - this strange man refers to the Doctor in the third person, he never clearly asserts to a bewildered Ben and Polly (and the audience) that he is the same person as before; and this is very annoying on the Doctor's part - he doesn't make the effort to prove who he is. However Patrick Troughton lands on his feet - it's been said that he doesn't really grow into his role as the Doctor for several stories, but there's much that typifies him from the very beginning - there's his slapstick clowning, including his obliviousness when he almost walks into a pool of mercury and then, just as unknowingly, sidesteps it just in time. His recorder playing, listening to a piece of fruit and opening a door so hard the knob comes off in his hand are others (which, after the austere dignity of William Hartnell, would have disconcerted viewers even more!) But Troughton also shows his Doctor's shrewdness, cunning, and his ability to be outraged: all these elements are on display here, and more often than not, his tomfoolery is a deceptive front.
Anneke Wills and Michael Craze are also very successful as the disoriented companions. Polly and Ben are the audience's touchstone; familiar faces who help to carry the viewer through the shocking event that has occurred. There are some interesting parallels to "An Unearthly Child", in both stories it was the man (Ian, Ben) who was aggressive and judgmental, and the woman (Barbara, Polly) who was willing to listen and believe. They have an amazing rapport with Patrick Troughton's Doctor - indicative of the friendship shared by the trio off screen - and their incredulous roles are suitably realistic, mirroring the audience's reaction - if the companions accept the new Doctor, the viewers are more likely to. It also helps that they're both extremely engaging characters - Ben, a cockney lad with a lot of muscle and little patience, and Polly, sweet and gorgeous to look at. Like Steven before them, they're both woefully underrated companions, and I can only assume the reason being that so many of their episodes are lost.
The decision to bring back the Daleks, to remind viewers this still is Doctor Who, was a wise one. Despite some uncredited rewriting on Dennis Spooner's part, David Whitaker's skill shines through. In fact, this is one of the cleverest uses of the Daleks in the series; rather than a "kill the Doctor" or "conquer the galaxy" storyline, this presents them as cunning schemers. Their subservient nature is a fascinating idea, and scenes such as a Dalek serving drinks, and all those "I am your servant" recitations are so unusually different, providing some lasting images, especially Episode Two's excellent cliff-hanger. Of course, being the Daleks, they're up to no good, but their manipulation of the human colonists is wonderfully underplayed. Whitaker's script not only portrays a new side to the Daleks, but it also shows up human failings. An amazing moment is the Dalek's query "Why do human beings kill human beings?" after Bragen orders it to exterminate Hensell. This is a terrific condemnation; killing your own kind is illogical - it's a sorry state for humanity that it takes a Dalek to point this out!
The guest performances are strong, especially Robert James who almost steals the show as the dedicated scientist Lesterson, driven to madness by the results of his ill-fated attempts to improve the colony. Bernard Archer plays the power-hungry Bragen to perfection, and Nicholas Hawtrey gives a brilliantly understated performance as the hapless Quinn, while Peter Bathurst's Hensell is a crusty, stubborn character who is nonetheless a sympathetic one. Then there's Pamela Ann Davy as Janley, a woman who wants power at any cost, but realizes in the end just what that cost means.
The story does have a few dodgy moments, although these are minor quibbles. During the famous "Daleks conquer and destroy!" cliff-hanger (the clip of which thankfully survives) it is clear there are photographic blow-ups in the background, and a few Daleks are going round in circles to look like a great army; and then there's the production line toys. But these shortcomings are inevitable thanks to the paltry budget the BBC afforded the series, and if "The Power of the Daleks" should ever turn up in its entirety - and I hope with all my heart it does - then hopefully these tiny niggles will be accepted gracefully.
Honestly the only real fault I find is in the costuming. The colony's uniforms are dreadful; karate outfits and safari suits aren't very flattering at the best of times - combining the two is just ghastly. But that's all. The rest of the story is wonderful: excellently written and realized. The first introduction of a new Doctor and one of the most interesting portrayals of the Daleks combine to make an example of just how high quality Doctor Who can be. A superb start for the Troughton era.
5 / 5 stars
*****
"The Power of the Daleks" was a six-part serial, first broadcast on BBC TV between 5 November 1966 - 10 December 1966. It was written by David Whitaker, and directed by Christopher Barry. It starred Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, Anneke Wills as Polly, and Michael Craze as Ben Jackson.
The newly regenerated Doctor arrives on the planet Vulcan, where he is mistaken for a murdered Examiner from Earth. The colony is in disarray. Governor Hensell is weak, security head Bragen is gaining power, rebels are causing trouble... and a scientist, Lesterson, has discovered a Dalek spaceship that has been buried for centuries. Despite the Doctor's warnings, Lesterson revives the Daleks. "We are your servants," the Daleks insist, and the humans give them what they want: power. Meanwhile, the Daleks are secretly creating more of their own kind. When Bragen and the rebels take over, they expect the Daleks to help. But the Daleks resume their usual cry, "Exterminate!" and set out to kill all the humans on Vulcan...
"The Power of the Daleks" is one of the all-time great Doctor Who stories, and it's an absolute tragedy that the BBC destroyed all six episodes instead of preserving them for posterity. Everything about this story is wonderful: excellently written, directed and acted. It saw the first great upheaval in the series, and one that left an important legacy - the first time the lead actor had changed. Patrick Troughton was now the Doctor, and I'm sure everyone involved with the program was waiting nervously as Episode One went out. The familiar face of William Hartnell was gone; what would have been disorienting and disconcerting for viewers was the fact that their hero was totally different - not just the actor, but the character as well. Of course, the production team's enormous gamble paid off, but was surely such a television experiment at the time to have had many people scratching their heads.
The new Doctor's initial scenes in the TARDIS are highly ambiguous - this strange man refers to the Doctor in the third person, he never clearly asserts to a bewildered Ben and Polly (and the audience) that he is the same person as before; and this is very annoying on the Doctor's part - he doesn't make the effort to prove who he is. However Patrick Troughton lands on his feet - it's been said that he doesn't really grow into his role as the Doctor for several stories, but there's much that typifies him from the very beginning - there's his slapstick clowning, including his obliviousness when he almost walks into a pool of mercury and then, just as unknowingly, sidesteps it just in time. His recorder playing, listening to a piece of fruit and opening a door so hard the knob comes off in his hand are others (which, after the austere dignity of William Hartnell, would have disconcerted viewers even more!) But Troughton also shows his Doctor's shrewdness, cunning, and his ability to be outraged: all these elements are on display here, and more often than not, his tomfoolery is a deceptive front.
Anneke Wills and Michael Craze are also very successful as the disoriented companions. Polly and Ben are the audience's touchstone; familiar faces who help to carry the viewer through the shocking event that has occurred. There are some interesting parallels to "An Unearthly Child", in both stories it was the man (Ian, Ben) who was aggressive and judgmental, and the woman (Barbara, Polly) who was willing to listen and believe. They have an amazing rapport with Patrick Troughton's Doctor - indicative of the friendship shared by the trio off screen - and their incredulous roles are suitably realistic, mirroring the audience's reaction - if the companions accept the new Doctor, the viewers are more likely to. It also helps that they're both extremely engaging characters - Ben, a cockney lad with a lot of muscle and little patience, and Polly, sweet and gorgeous to look at. Like Steven before them, they're both woefully underrated companions, and I can only assume the reason being that so many of their episodes are lost.
The decision to bring back the Daleks, to remind viewers this still is Doctor Who, was a wise one. Despite some uncredited rewriting on Dennis Spooner's part, David Whitaker's skill shines through. In fact, this is one of the cleverest uses of the Daleks in the series; rather than a "kill the Doctor" or "conquer the galaxy" storyline, this presents them as cunning schemers. Their subservient nature is a fascinating idea, and scenes such as a Dalek serving drinks, and all those "I am your servant" recitations are so unusually different, providing some lasting images, especially Episode Two's excellent cliff-hanger. Of course, being the Daleks, they're up to no good, but their manipulation of the human colonists is wonderfully underplayed. Whitaker's script not only portrays a new side to the Daleks, but it also shows up human failings. An amazing moment is the Dalek's query "Why do human beings kill human beings?" after Bragen orders it to exterminate Hensell. This is a terrific condemnation; killing your own kind is illogical - it's a sorry state for humanity that it takes a Dalek to point this out!
The guest performances are strong, especially Robert James who almost steals the show as the dedicated scientist Lesterson, driven to madness by the results of his ill-fated attempts to improve the colony. Bernard Archer plays the power-hungry Bragen to perfection, and Nicholas Hawtrey gives a brilliantly understated performance as the hapless Quinn, while Peter Bathurst's Hensell is a crusty, stubborn character who is nonetheless a sympathetic one. Then there's Pamela Ann Davy as Janley, a woman who wants power at any cost, but realizes in the end just what that cost means.
The story does have a few dodgy moments, although these are minor quibbles. During the famous "Daleks conquer and destroy!" cliff-hanger (the clip of which thankfully survives) it is clear there are photographic blow-ups in the background, and a few Daleks are going round in circles to look like a great army; and then there's the production line toys. But these shortcomings are inevitable thanks to the paltry budget the BBC afforded the series, and if "The Power of the Daleks" should ever turn up in its entirety - and I hope with all my heart it does - then hopefully these tiny niggles will be accepted gracefully.
Honestly the only real fault I find is in the costuming. The colony's uniforms are dreadful; karate outfits and safari suits aren't very flattering at the best of times - combining the two is just ghastly. But that's all. The rest of the story is wonderful: excellently written and realized. The first introduction of a new Doctor and one of the most interesting portrayals of the Daleks combine to make an example of just how high quality Doctor Who can be. A superb start for the Troughton era.
5 / 5 stars