Title clear enough? No? Ok. To celebrate the return of the intergalactic pepperpots later this week in the Series 7 opener Asylum of the Daleks, Blogtor has put together a Top 10 list with a difference. This list is a collection of tales which feature Skaro's finest but are not actually "Dalek" stories. Got that? (I've tried to avoid flashbacks using previously used footage, incidentally.)
10. The End of Time
Whilst we don't get a look at any actual Daleks, we do witness their pummelled fleet in the ruins of Gallifrey - so we must assume some of them were wandering around. As The End of Time approached, The Doctor revealed to The Master all the unpleasantness that was about to be unleashed including the Skaro Degradations (possibly a Dalek musical troupe) and the Nightmare Child (Davro's ship of choice). The Time Lord also mentioned the "Horde of Travesties, and the Army of Meanwhiles and Neverweres led by the Could've Been King," but we may have to wait a while to find out if they have any connection to the Daleks...
9. The Next Doctor
Not quite an appearance from Skaro's finest here, but Dalek technology. And in a Cybermen story no less! Must be a real kick in the Cybernuts for them to have to steal their enemy's gadget (The Dimension Vault) to fulfil their plan. I mean, I say "plan", I've watched the 2008 Christmas Special a number of times and still cannot figure exactly what the walking silver tin~cans were up to. I remember a huge effin' robot (and who doesn't lurve a huge effin' robot?), and a clip of Paul McGann. But there must have been more to it than that, surely? Anyway, nicely played Daleks - way to make your opponents look like plumbs, even when you're not there!
8. The Space Museum
Not even two years after their very first appearance and the Daleks are already getting mocked - and in their own show! Slipping himself inside one [stop it - Ed.], Billy H takes much glee in parading around in the bump~laden travel machine in the titular museum. We get a brief glimpse of one (complete with an amusing tag) in the first episode but it’s not until the second (the presciently worryingly titled The Dimensions of Time) where Hartnell’s playful side takes full effect with an interesting impersonation of his mortal enemy. Clearly, not a fan...
7. The Beast Below
Thankfully, some much~needed drama and interest were injected into this 2010 tale (even SteeMo isn't too enamoured with it) with the surprise reveal that Churchill has the shadow of a Dalek in his office. Oh, yes! And, boy~oh~boy, did it get us all excited for the following week and their "Victory"! #cuefansgettingupset
6. Frontier In Space
Like the previous entry, the Daleks didn't appear until the last moments of this story (the final third of the sixth installment) and, again, it was a shock to say the least (unless, of course, you'd looked at the VHS cover to have it ruined for you). The Master departed this wonderful six~parter only to leave his old buddy in the capable plungers of the Skaro bad~boys for another story. It was a bold denouement that, ultimately, leads to an inferior second half, Planet of the Daleks. (Fact fans note: the little guys also get a mention early on in the story with the re~appearance of the Ogrons, leading to The Doctor to wonder if the Daleks are involved.) Amusingly, and like The Space Museum, we also get Pertwee's Dalek impersonation – just as bizarre and offbeat as Hartnell’s.
5. The Wedding of River Song
After SteeMo telling us that there would be no Daleks in Series 6 comes a proper appearance as Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor tracks one down and appears to have given it quite the beating. It’s brief and slightly exciting (a bit like my first wife).
4. The Paul McGann TV Movie
For some reason, known only to the creators of the 1996 "event", The Master was exterminated on Skaro by the Daleks. Though not seen, we do hear a rather Smurfy version of their familiar maniacal trill as they exterminate the renegade Time Lord. One has to wonder just how the conversation went, when The Oncoming Storm arrived to pick up his BF's ashes. Curiously, early production artwork showed that the little guys were to make a more substantial, and more spidery, appearance... Though that might have been preferable to some show~off always dressing for the occasion!
3. The Waters of Mars
Clever, clever Daleks. Even they recognise a fixed point in time (unlike some of the show's writers, *coughs*). Little Adelaide Brooke came face~to~face with one in a rather typically beautiful RTD scene, during the events of The Stolen Earth/Journey's End. It was a tremendously surprising appearance out of the blue, or rather black, and added a certain intellectual edge to the mad little bastards. Of course, maybe the Dalek in question didn’t see anyone through the window due to glare. I guess we’ll never know…
2. The Five Doctors
Despite a prominent position on the VHS cover (the second version, for fact fans), the 20th Anniversary story only features one Dalek. And a not very good one at that. After tooling around the immensely shiny corridors in some building on Gallifrey, the marauding trashcan gets defeated by an elderly man (supposedly Doctor Who, but I guess we'll never really know) and his raincoat~wearing, heavily made~up granddaughter. It was a case of the old push~him~in~the~corner~and~let~him~kill~himself gag. Classic stuff.
1. The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang
A double dose of Skarosian action in the Series 5 finale with shiny new Daleks and a stone cold groove of a Dalek. The first part saw a trio of the tiresome tearaways pop up to help sling The Doctor into his own prison, The Pandorica. What the hateful hatstands [excuse me? - Ed.] didn't quite realise is that this would result in the universe being reset (I don't think any of us saw that coming). In the second half we were presented with the rather pleasing sight of of calcified Dalek who seemed to talk a big game until he came face~to~face with River Song, then he started acting like a baby. And a human baby at that! Davros must've been wetting himself.
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Labels: * jeez daleks are tedious, dalek list, Daleks, doctor who list, dr who list, list
Not quite an appearance from Skaro's finest here, but Dalek technology. And in a Cybermen story no less! Must be a real kick in the Cybernuts for them to have to steal their enemy's gadget (The Dimension Vault) to fulfil their plan. I mean, I say "plan", I've watched the 2008 Christmas Special a number of times and still cannot figure exactly what the walking silver tin~cans were up to. I remember a huge effin' robot (and who doesn't lurve a huge effin' robot?), and a clip of Paul McGann. But there must have been more to it than that, surely? Anyway, nicely played Daleks - way to make your opponents look like plumbs, even when you're not there!
8. The Space Museum
Like the previous entry, the Daleks didn't appear until the last moments of this story (the final third of the sixth installment) and, again, it was a shock to say the least (unless, of course, you'd looked at the VHS cover to have it ruined for you). The Master departed this wonderful six~parter only to leave his old buddy in the capable plungers of the Skaro bad~boys for another story. It was a bold denouement that, ultimately, leads to an inferior second half, Planet of the Daleks. (Fact fans note: the little guys also get a mention early on in the story with the re~appearance of the Ogrons, leading to The Doctor to wonder if the Daleks are involved.) Amusingly, and like The Space Museum, we also get Pertwee's Dalek impersonation – just as bizarre and offbeat as Hartnell’s.
5. The Wedding of River Song
For some reason, known only to the creators of the 1996 "event", The Master was exterminated on Skaro by the Daleks. Though not seen, we do hear a rather Smurfy version of their familiar maniacal trill as they exterminate the renegade Time Lord. One has to wonder just how the conversation went, when The Oncoming Storm arrived to pick up his BF's ashes. Curiously, early production artwork showed that the little guys were to make a more substantial, and more spidery, appearance... Though that might have been preferable to some show~off always dressing for the occasion!
