The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964)

After the success of the Daleks in the last season, it was obvious that there was going to be a second story. However it had to serve a purpose and that was to write out the exit of Carole Ann Ford who had decided that the restrictive character was getting tiresome. It’s also interesting that ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ is production wise the last story of the first season. This story and Planet of Giants were kept over to launch the second season. This is also Terry Nation’s third offering to the show after the first Dalek story and ‘The Keys of Marinus’. This time the adventure takes place on Earth in 2164. Though it’s not the London that Barbara and Ian know. We get this idea due to the fact that they don’t encounter anyone for a long time, they don’t hear any traffic and Battersea Power Station has lost its chimneys.

 

First shot is of someone in ragged clothes walking into the river and killing himself. Quite a bold thing to do in a family drama. It pretty much sets the tone for this story. It’s not a cheery story with a faint hint of terror but the terror is the overwhelming factor and the Daleks haven’t even appeared. This episode has the most substantial location filming that we have had. It’s not just someone pretending to be the Doctor but actually outside filming at its quite good because it gives a great scale of where the story is set and makes it feel like London and not just a studio. The smiles on Barbara and Ian’s face as they realise that they are in London is a joy to see. It’s a very different reaction compared to in ‘The Reign of Terror’.

 

Despite this being Susan’s last story it’s a shame that she starts off by spraining her ankle. Then the Doctor tells her that she need a “jolly good smacked bottom”. It does muddy the waters of what her age is. Cant believe Gallifreyans would put up with that type of talk even from someone like their grandfather. The exit (or the Doctor and Susan) is somewhat stopped by the fact that a girder that has fallen on the TARDIS blocking the door. Like ‘The Keys of Marinus’ and ‘The Sensorites’ and ‘The Aztecs’ there is a contrivance that is put in place to prevent them from just leaving.

 

Nice bit of dramatic music to go over the scene where Susan, Barbara and Tyler are running. It’s helped by the where they were filming and the fact it’s a nice sunny day. We are introduced to David who’s first question to Barbara is if she can cook. Clearly womens rights took a battering in the year 2164. The first interaction between these future love interest doesn’t get off to the best start. Dortmund is the leader but has been put in a wheelchair. He’s not letting his disability get in the way and feels he can contribute just as much as everyone else.

 

There is a slight downside and its that the flying saucer is a bit poor. Apart from that it was a good and solidly produced episode. Richard Martin directs this six part story and its clear because its very good and there are some shots which are really well done.

 

When this episode went out no one would have known that the Daleks were going to return. So when the cliffhanger comes it must have been tremendously exciting for viewers. After being surrounded by guards. The sight of the Dalek coming out of the water is one of the most impressive sights since the show started. The mere idea of a Dalek underwater is something could have come out of the comic strips that were out at the time. It was a great opening episode as it was atmospheric and seemed that it was going to be very gloomy.

 

After what must have been a surprising return, the Daleks are well and truly back and even the episode is called ‘The Daleks’. The Daleks are slightly different because they have a disc on their backs. They also sound different and in their first encounter with the Doctor, he has a wonderful moment of defiance and the Daleks proclaim themselves as the Masters of Earth. It’s at this point that they are sent to the saucer. We are introduced to Jenny who comes across as quite a cold and abrupt character. Its quite hard to believe that there was talk about making her a companion. It’s possible as she could mellow over the rest of the story and want to travel with the Doctor.

 

The set to the landing ramp is quite good but is slightly ruined by the return of the dreaded cut-out daleks. I don’t know why they persist with them. It would be better to have just the five Daleks on set and believe that its just them. It isn’t helped when the spot light seem to hover on and around the cut-outs which just seems to add insult to injury. The Robomen are given a bit of backstory and some of the language used by David is quite strong. They are human but in the end they are just the lackeys of the Daleks. The performances are that good because they are slow in talking and look half asleep. I know that this is how they are suppose to look but its not a great way of portraying a group of people The battle out on the loading bay is short but it was well done. They use all five Daleks and even though its in a quite tight space its still quite well achieved.

I like the resistance of Dortmun, Jenny and co. Even though they are visitors it is Barbara comes with a plan to help the attack become a success. This is a good group of people and they work in such a way that makes them weary and just as determined to fight back and its done well and it makes you want them to succeed and I particularly like Tyler as he seems quite smart and is strong. Dortmun is slightly annoying and David is quite sprite and perky. Almost a bit too perky and if I didn’t know better then I would say he’s working for the Daleks.

 

The Doctor and Ian are trapped on the saucer with a bloke named Craddock. The Doctor and Ian work together to try and get out and they come up with a plan to escape their cell despite the gloom from Craddock though the plan doesn’t go that well when they are captured almost immediately. The Doctor is manhandled onto a bench and the Doctor gets the cliffhanger as he is by the end unconscious. I think that the cliffhanger isn’t the greatest but the sight of the Doctor in danger with no obvious sign of rescue must be quite a good reason to tune in. As a result its good at getting the story going after the introduction episode. We learn about the Robomen and what the Daleks may want on Earth.

It’s a good episode and carries on at the same pace as the first one did and apart from the cut-outs the direction and production of the episode was good.

The battle continues with the Doctor being rescued. It seemed a bit lacklustre compared to the previous episode and the music doenst really help matters as it seems a bit cheery and cookey. After the long winded battle is over we got to the resistance’s base and it’s a very sombre affair with no-one looing particularly happy. Tyler walks in looking like a defeated man and seems quite miffed that the bombs didn’t work.

The Daleks sound like their on helium. Not like what we saw the first time. I cant make up my mind about whether it makes them sound less menacing than they did before. Was it the setting and the mood that made them seems so striking or was it the look and voice?

Theres a nice trio that forms with Dortmun, Jenny and Barbara. They go on a trip through the streets of London. The sequence where they are going through some of the landmarks and seeing Daleks travelling across Westminister Bridge is one of the best in the story. The sight of a Dalek pulling up infront of Big Ben is another great moment. The whole bit of location footage is brilliant even though not a single word is uttered and it’s a mixture of the performances from the trio and also the music is far more interesting than what we got in the battle at the beginning of the episode. It’s weird to see one of the most populated cities in the world look so empty.

The sets are very impressive in this episode, in particular the scene where Susan and David hide from a Dalek. It gets used more than once in this episode and there are other sets that are good to watch and it feels like some money has been chucked at this story.

Susan does get quite emotional and for the first time I don’t think it’s a sense of being told to act like child I get the feeling that she’s just tired   of the fighting. It’s a bit like Tegan would be in ‘Resurrection of the Daleks’.  Susan entertains the idea of her and David running on board and go somewhere that have never heard of Daleks and when David questions what to do if there is something bad, she just thinks about moving on and David doesn’t like this idea. I like how they casually drop in the idea of Susan’s exit. She seems to be more willing to listen to David than the Doctor and whilst a couple of stories ago this would have been a source of conflict, here it’s a minor irritation.

William Hartnell doesn’t really do a great deal as the Doctor is still recovering from being on the robotising machine. It’s not until the final five minutes that he gets on his feet and tries to pass of an idea as his own that he seems to show some life. It’s the last we see of Hartnell until Episode Five as he was unwell during the next episode and it’s another opportunity for the rest of the regulars to get a bit more of the action.

Dortmun’s death is quite a surprise as I think it was a wasted move. There was plenty more that the character could have done and his death came a couple of episodes too early.

The cliffhanger is another good one. The Doctor, David and Susan are waiting and just as they are doing this, two robomen plant a bomb. It’s a nice incentive to see what will happen to the trio in the next episode. As an episode it started off iffy but soon picked up and is memorable for the location footage. It’s the most extensive filming outside for the show up until this point and it seems to add a nice dimension to the story. At the halfway point of the Daleks’ second story, I think it’s a better story because the characters are better and there isn’t as much standing around talking.

The End of Tomorrow is another episode where William Hartnell doesn’t appear apart from the reprise. The fact that he doesn’t appear is filmed in quite a clever way so that all we see are the backs of David, Susan and the Doctor. We finally get to Bedfordshire and see a proper sense of the scale of destruction that the Daleks have caused. The location footage is something that I have commented on before but it’s surprising to me how much energy it seems to have put into the story. It’s one thing to have studio sets that convey the destruction but location filming makes it seem more real. Filming outside is still relatively new to the show by its using effectively.

Susan and David go travelling through the sewers. The first scene of them in it is ended with a brilliant shot of someone holding a gun at David and Susan. It turns out to be Tyler. Quite why they didn’t notice it was him or vice versa sooner is a bit of a mystery but it doesn’t ruin the effectiveness of the scene. We get a scene between Susan and David which is another indication about Susan’s impending departure as she loves the idea of building a new city. It’s been at least two episodes since Susan was used as a source to introduce some drama. This time she is hanging from a broken ladder and it falls to David and Tyler to rescue her from being eaten by an alligator.

The scene of Barbara driving the truck through the Daleks is perhaps less dramatic than the film version but it’s a great scene. I think that the partnership of Barbara and Jenny is a good one. They are very much like chalk and cheese and that’s why I enjoy it when they are on screen together. The scene with Ian isn’t quite as exciting as Susan or Barbara’s stuff. It’s just Ian trying to negotiate with a smuggler. The Smuggler is called Aston and I thought that Philip Madoc was better in the movie. This is probably the weakest part of the episode and its not a regular think to attach the word weak with William Russell or Ian Chesterton. The only time that he has something good happen to him is at the end and that lasts about ten seconds. The absence (if unscripted) of William Hartnell means that the regulars get more to do and its certainly the case that they benefit from this.

Richard Martin has directed a wonderful episode and there are several shots that are very good (though there are one or two that are a bit iffy). Terry Nation should be praised for writing a story that doesn’t feel like it’s a holding pattern for something bigger that’s happening in a later episode. The story is moving forward and its helped by stronger and weary characters. On the whole the episode was another good one. The characters are all ones that you can care about and despite Jenny being slightly annoying, its all shaping up to be a good story.

The penultimate episode in the story and this is where it’s the beginning of the end for Susan and its also the point where all four regulars reach their lowest ebb. The opening moments see Ian and Larry trying to fight off the slither. I mentioned that I found Ian’s story to be particularly dull which might seem unfair (and I don’t like writing it) but its true and in this episode its different. It starts the same with the pair of them being lowered into the mine shaft. It picks up once they have got to the bottom and Larry meets a very grim end after being reunited with his brother who has been turned into a Roboman. It’s the first time that I have really found the part of the story to be interesting.

William Hartnell returns after his unexpected abscene in the previous episode. The Doctor seems to have recovered from the effects of the robo-conversion unit. The Doctor and David are having a serious discussion and then Susan ruins it by telling him that the foods getting cold. It’s good to have William Hartnell back as unlike when he was away during ‘The Keys of Marinus’, this time his absence was noticeable.

Barbara and Jenny’s story is again the most interesting as they have quite the torrid time in just 25 minutes. They stumble across two rough looking women. They make clothes for the Daleks and the Robomen but there is something instantly odd about them. One of them goes off and it’s obviously to everyone watching that Jenny and Barbara are doomed. The moment when Barbara and Jenny realise that they have been betrayed and Jenny goes for the women is one of my favourite moments in the episode. They are not sorry for what they have done and that’s why despite their brief involvement in the story. Barbara and Jenny are taken to work in the mines but it doesn’t last long before Barbara comes up with a plan and is taken to the Black Dalek.

There is another moment between Susan and David having fun. The idea of Susan warming to someone is perhaps new but this is the most time that’s ever been given to her being interested in someone. It’s a shame that Susan ruins the Doctor and David’s scene by telling them about the food getting cold because up until that point I thought that Susan was doing well and was being quite normal but that one moment ruins it.

The final few minutes of the episode are a bit odd. Ian somehow stumbles into the bomb which has just enough for him to fit it and he gets into it without anyone noticing. The cliffhanger ends with the bomb about to be deployed. It’s a good ending but its just the contrived way that it comes about that causes me to feel a bit cold towards it. As an episode it’s a good one and its clear building up to the end and it’s a strong penultimate episode.

It’s another well directed episode by Richard Martin. The scenes in the Dalek control room are rather well done. The final scenes in that room are the best as Martin has decided to film it at an angle like you would get in the baddies lair in the Batman TV series. Martin has been one of the best directors in the show so far with some consistently good episodes under his belt.

Flashpoint is the final episode for Susan and also the final story of what I think has been a stronger story for the Daleks than their debut. In this episode their plan comes to suppose to come to fruition. Ian is still in the bomb and its about to be deployed but the way that he gets out of it is quite clever and doesn’t seem like a cop out. Barbara and Jenny have got out of the mines and are in the Daleks control room where she is implementing her plan. I like how it nearly works. It’s a wonderful scene where she tries to blind the Daleks with bits of historical information but disguising it as current. Sadly it doenst work and the Dalek tie her and Jenny up instead of killing them. It’s the classic gag in Austin Powers where Dr Evil tells Jenny and Baraba their plans and instead of killing them they just lock them away.

William Hartnell is really good in this episode. It’s the most active that I remember seeing him for a long time. His best moment comes when the Dalek is coming towards him and he’s acting defiant. It’s a good performance from Hartnell helped in part by Richard Martin’s direction. His speech about going forth in all your beliefs is one of his best and its so well played. Considering its her last episode, very little is given to Carole Ann Ford to do. Apart from her final scene we barely get anything from her. It’s the same as the final episode of ‘The Reign of Terror’. It’s reasons like this that make you understand why she chose to leave. That final scene is very good and its down to Ford and Hartnell that make it even more emotional. The Grandfather/Granddaughter relationship was more than just a on-screen thing and it was sad that it was broken up.

The models are good in this episode. In particular the model that is used for the bomb going down the shaft.  What makes that bit better is that the camera shakes about to give the illusion that its being moved about. Another good bit is when he manages to escape and falls down the tube.

It’s good how all the characters have got collectively more dishevelled. Their clothes are looking more ruined and the dirt on their faces is more evident. It’s good that they done keep on looking clean cut as it would ruin the illusion.

After 51 episodes, Carole Ann Ford bows out of the series. I must say that whilst I would be sad to see Carole Ann Ford go, I wont necessarily be sad to see Susan go. At times she has been annoying and at times she has been really strong. After the first episode of An Unearthly Child, she went from being mysterious to just a youngster. Almost toddler like at times. If only she had been better written for then I think the character would have been more popular. Oh well it’s a historic moment in Doctor Who and as the series rolls into 1965, we get more arrivals, more departures and more Daleks.

As an episode it was the best final one in several stories as it didn’t feel like a weak ending or feel like it was rushing itself. It felt like it was the natural conclusion for the story and the Daleks were thwarted and there was enough time to have the emotional send off. Its something that Russell T Davies could learn after his prolonged emotional send offs. As a six part story it was much better in my mind than the first Dalek story as it didn’t seem like people were spending a long time sitting down, there was always something going on and that’s what I like about this story.