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DOCTOR WHO - Episode 5 - EVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS  - David Tennant and Freema Agyeman
05 - EVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS [Screengrabs]
 
"...Your have doubts..?"

PLOTLINE

Dalek Sec is reborn in human form and plans to build a Dalek empire in Thirties New York.

While Martha fights for her life at the top of the Empire State Building, the Doctor must enter into an unholy alliance in order to change Dalek history for ever.

EPISODE REVIEW

Finally, a brief review.

Like a Rubik's Cube, EVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS had spades of potential, colourful & bewildering for children and rewarding when complete.

Like a Rubik's Cube, EVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS will end up in the back of the cupboard, incomplete, for many years and ready for the next "yard sale".

The episode could have been impressive, stimulating and intelligent but it ended up as a frustrating tapas of concepts, DOCTOR WHO folklore, styling & editorial comment, and broad acting (even comical, at times).

Even Dalek-Human Sec had a nasal that warranted a re-name to "Dalek Vicks" (North American visitors read: "Dalek Rhinocort"), and the design of this "head" seemed more homage to John Holmes than to Terry Nation. It was surprising that even his Cult of Skaro colleagues seemed to be afflicted by personality malady. A couple of Dalek "fish wives":

INT: Following the pursuit of the Doctor through the sewers:

First Dalek (about Dalek Sec's ambitions): You have doubts?
Second Dalek (eye stalk spins round to ensure that Dalek Sec was not eavesdropping): Affirmative.

Was I watching an episode from the CLASSIC SERIES Season 17? This minor scene echoed the 1970s Les Dawson comedy-sketch TV show, as Ada & Sissy gossip about their neighbour's voluminous "bloomers" blowing on the nearby washing-line.

As a generality, the introduction of the Cult of Skaro theme has, sadly, undermined the very concept of the Dalek race as created throughout the early 1960s (with EVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS re-working or plainly plagiarising former episodes from the CLASSIC SERIES - see DALEKS IN MANHATTAN review), and the theme must be exorcised with the Dalek race reinstated as the all-conquering power of the universe (even an episode - Doctor-lite, as they call it - with just the Dalek plotting a new scheme would be welcomed mirroring the 1965 episode, MISSION TO THE UNKNOWN).

However, there were some redeeming features that commend congratulation. The night assault by the Dalek slave Pig-Men establishes that DOCTOR WHO technicians & creative teams are highly skilled in managing stunning action sequences. The design (and destruction) of Hooverville was perfection personified, from the type of canvas tents to the oil burning lamps to the minimal "john".

The struggle by the Doctor on the Empire State Building's mast to remove the Dalekanium plates, and eventual electrocution was thrilling (echoing the thwarted plan of the Fourth Doctor in the 1975 GENESIS OF THE DALEKS story), and continues to demonstrate that Tennant is the all-round Time Lord for a new generation of fans.

Amid the turgid script that would make EASTENDERS look like Bertolt Brecht, there were some gems that like, again, the 1975 GENESIS OF THE DALEKS Doctor & Davros "virus vial" dialogue will be examined and recounted for decades.

Dalek Sec: Consider a pure Dalek. Intelligent but emtionless. Doctor: removing the emotion makes you stronger. That's what your Creator thought, all those years ago.
Dalek Sec: He was wrong.
Doctor: he was what?
Dalek Sec: It makes us lesser than our enemies. We must return to the flesh, and to the heart.
Doctor: You wouldn't be the supreme beings anymore. And that is good?
Dalek Sec: That is correct. Daleks are supreme.
Doctor: No, not anymore.

He was correct, and within minutes Dalek Sec was subordinate, in chains and scorned as an inferior race by the unsullied Cult of Skaro. Humiliated, but in saving the Doctor from a Dalek energy weapon proved that the Cult's re-thinking for the Dalek race was borne out - Daleks with emotion were not all-powerful.

Finally, it had to happen, one Dalek (Dalek Caan) survives to fight another day (another time). It had to happen, and we are back where DALEK episode began - seemingly a single Dalek existing in the universe.

Overall, EVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS (alongside DALEKS IN MANHATTAN) could have been a single episode - without the Doctor - as a prelude to the re-conquering & re-population of the Dalek race after their (supposedly) extermination at the hands of Rose Tyler (see PARTING OF THE WAYS).

But it wasn't. A long and drawn out mélange of DOCTOR WHO folklore detritus with "pick of the best" from CLASSIC SERIES Dalek stories glued deftly together by Helen Raynor.

Like Mark Gatiss, Raynor must be given an opportunity to write again for the NEW SERIES (she was unceremoniously dismissed from the post of NEW SERIES Script Editor) but delivering new ideas, new threats and original resolution.

 

EXTRA
 

DOCTOR WHO FOLKLORE

CONTINUITY


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Main photograph © BBC

Review - Matthew Walter
EOH RATING

EOH - 6/10 RATING

DOCTOR WHO - EVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS
CAST
THE DOCTOR
David Tennant
MARTHA JONES
Freema Agyeman
SOLOMON
Hugh Quarshie
TALLULAH
Miranda Raison
LASZLO
Ryan Carnes
FRANK
Andrew Garfield
MR DIAGORAS
  Eric Loren
MYRNA
  Flik Schwinn
MAN #1
  Earl Perkins
MAN #2
  Peter Brooke
FOREMAN
  Ian Porter
LOIS
  Alexis Caley
WORKER #1
  Joe Montana
WORKER #2
  Stewart Alexander
DOCK WORKER
  Mel Taylor
HERO PIG
  Paul Casey
DALEK OPERATORS
  Barnaby Edwards
Nicolas Pegg
Anthony Spargo
David Hankinson
Dave Ross
DALEK VOICE
  Nicholas Briggs
   
Daleks originally created by
TERRY NATION
MAIN PRODUCTION CREDITS
 
With thanks to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
   
ORIGINAL THEME MUSIC
  Ron Grainer
CASTING DIRECTOR
  Andy Pryor CDG
PRODUCTION ACCOUNTANT
  Endaf Emry Williams
SOUND RECORDIST
  Simon Fraser
COSTUME DESIGNER
  Louise Page
MAKE-UP DESIGNER
  Sheelagh Wells
MUSIC
  Murray Gold
VISUAL EFFECTS
  THE MILL
VISUAL FX PRODUCER
  Will Cohen
VISUAL FX SUPERVISOR
  Dave Houghton
SPECIAL EFFECTS
  ANY EFFECTS
PROSTHETICS
  Neill Gorton and Millennium Effects
EDITOR
  Llana del Giudice
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
  Edward Thomas
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
  Ernie Vincze BSC
PRODUCTION MANAGER
  Tracie Simpson
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
  Helen Vallis
   
PRODUCER
  Phil Collinson
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
  Julie Gardner
Russell T Davies
DIRECTOR
  James Strong
  Produced by
BBC WALES
WRITER
  Helen Raynor
     
INFORMATION
BROADCAST DATE
28 April 2007
 
REPEATED DATE
  29 April 2007
     
FIRST RUN UK RATINGS (millions)
6.97 Million (38% Share)
 
DVD RELEASE
June 2007
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