History Recap / DoctorWhoS1E2TheDaleks

Written by Creator/TerryNation. This serial first aired December 21, 1963.

* DefiniteArticleTitle: The serial itself, and all 7 episodes.

N.B.: This story is also referred to as '''"The Mutants"''', which was the title used internally by the BBC to refer to the serial during its production, and '''"The Dead Planet"''', which was the title of the first episode. "The Mutants" was later used as the title a [[Recap/DoctorWhoS9E4TheMutants 1972 Jon Pertwee serial]], making its use for this story potentially confusing. To avoid ambuguity, result two alternative titles have emerged; "The Dead Planet" was commonly used in the 1980s and 1990s, but "The Daleks" has become the most commonly used title today; it was used on the VHS and DVD releases, and therefore must now be considered the official BBC-sanctioned title.

* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: The first Dalek props lack the vertical panels attached to the "shoulder" section of their casings.

* EarlyInstalmentCharacterDesignDifference: The first Dalek props lack the vertical panels attached to the "shoulder" section of their casings.

** When they crack open a Dalek, Ian appears visibly horrified at what he sees inside, and tells the two girls to wait in the hallway so they don't see. The audience also never sees what's inside, either, except for a single claw later struggling from underneath a cloak. Of course, the audience does eventually see the creature inside a Dalek in later episodes. Although, given that this is a different offshoot, what's inside ''these'' particular Daleks might appear totally different... [[note]] David Whitaker's novelisation reveals them to be dark green, slimy, one-eyed bipeds, with bumps for nose and ears. [[/note]]

** When they crack open a Dalek, Ian appears visibly horrified at what he sees inside, and tells the two girls to wait in the hallway so they don't see. The audience also never sees what's inside, either, except for a single claw later struggling from underneath a cloak. Of course, the audience does eventually see the creature inside a Dalek in later episodes. Although, given that this is a different offshoot, what's inside ''these'' particular Daleks might appear totally different...

N.B.: This story is also referred to as '''"The Mutants"''', which was the title used internally by the BBC to refer to the serial during its production. and '''"The Dead Planet"''', which was the title of the first episode. "The Mutants" was later used as the title a [[Recap/DoctorWhoS9E4TheMutants 1972 Jon Pertwee serial]], making its use for this story potentially confusing. To avoid ambuguity, result two alternative titles have emerged; "The Dead Planet" was commonly used in the 1980s and 1990s, but "The Daleks" has become the most commonly used title today; it was used on the VHS and DVD releases, and therefore must now be considered the official BBC-sanctioned title.

N.B.: This story is also referred to as "The Mutants", which was the title used internally by the BBC to refer to the serial during its production. However, the broadcast of a [[Recap/DoctorWhoS9E4TheMutants Jon Pertwee serial with the same name]] in 1972 has made this title potentially confusing, and as a result two alternative titles have emerged. "The Dead Planet", the title of the first episode, was commonly used in older sources to refer to the entire story. However, "The Daleks" has become the most commonly used title today; it was used on the DVD release, and therefore must now be considered the official BBC-sanctioned title.

N.B.: This story is also referred to as "The Mutants", which was the title used internally by the BBC to refer to the serial during its production.[[note]] But is more often referred to as "The Daleks", to avoid confusion with [[Recap/DoctorWhoS9E4TheMutants the 1972 serial of the same name]][[/note]], and was often referred to in older sources as "The Dead Planet", after the title of the first episode. It was adapted for film as ''Film/DrWhoAndTheDaleks'', starring Creator/PeterCushing.

N.B.: This story is also referred to as "The Mutants", one of its working titles[[note]] But is more often referred to as "The Daleks", to avoid confusion with [[Recap/DoctorWhoS9E4TheMutants the 1972 serial of the same name]][[/note]], and was often referred to in older sources as "The Dead Planet", after the title of the first episode. It was adapted for film as ''Film/DrWhoAndTheDaleks'', starring Creator/PeterCushing.

[[FamousLastWords How so very wrong he was.]]

* AllThereInTheManual: According to the BBC Classic Doctor Who website, the Daleks encountered in this story are early prototypes of Davros' experiments, left behind when most of the Daleks went into space after the end of the Thal-Kaled War. This explains both why the Daleks have a mighty space empire later while the Daleks in this story are confined to the city and are all wiped out, and why later Daleks don't have the same weaknesses of needing high levels of radiation to survive and constant static electricity to power their shells.
** Also why they don't recognize and exterminate the Oncoming Storm when they meet him here.

** Also why they don't recognize and exterminate the Oncoming Storm.

In only the second story, the Doctor's most iconic enemies are born. Originally intended as one-shot villains, the Daleks prove so popular that they were the main enemy of over 20 further stories and secondary villains in a few more.

* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: The first Dalek props lack the vertical panels attached to the "shoulder" section of their casings.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:

* EarlyInstalmentCharacterDesignDifference: The first Dalek props lack the vertical panels attached to the "shoulder" section of their casings.
* EarlyInstalmentWeirdness:
** The early Daleks are extremely unpleasant creatures but act mostly out of paranoia, very old and ancient feuds and naked self interest, also being a lot more talkative and eloquent (a memorable scene where they dictate a letter for Susan to write to the Thals comes to mind: "[[CreepyMonotone WE CAN AL-SO SU-PPLY QUAN-TI-TIES OF FRESH VE-GE-TA-BLES...]]"). While they hate the Thals, their main reason for wanting to shower Skaro with nuclear material was because they're dependent on radiation to survive and needed to do this to terraform their world, with the side benefit of killing the Thals. They're also portrayed as being very vulnerable – heavily armed, but dependent on powered floors for movement and very weak and pathetic in nature. Later Daleks were much less reasonable and much more angry, with the primary motivation for their evil being genocidal racism against everything that isn't Dalek in origin. They also became a lot less talkative, probably because their screechy voices were just horrible to listen to, and a lot less pitiful.

* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: The first Dalek props lack the vertical panels attached to the "shoulder" section of their casings.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:

* EarlyInstalmentCharacterDesignDifference: The first Dalek props lack the vertical panels attached to the "shoulder" section of their casings.
* EarlyInstalmentWeirdness:

* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: The first Dalek props lack the vertical panels attached to the "shoulder" section of their casings.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:

* EarlyInstalmentCharacterDesignDifference: The first Dalek props lack the vertical panels attached to the "shoulder" section of their casings.

* [[EarlyInstalmentCharacterDesignDifference]]: The first Dalek props lack the vertical panels attached to the "shoulder" section of their casings.
* EarlyInstalmentWeirdness:

* [[EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference Early Instalment Character Design Difference]]: The first Dalek props lack the vertical panels attached to the "shoulder" section of their casings.

* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: The first Dalek props lack the vertical panels attached to the "shoulder" section of their casings.

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: The whole "cycle of mutation" thing. The Thals mutated into creatures like the Daleks, then over centuries back into human form.

* StrawManHasAPoint: The Daleks are right, coexistence actually is impossible. The Daleks need more radiation to survive and the Thals less.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:

In only the second episode, the Doctor's most iconic enemies are born. Originally intended as one-shot villains, the Daleks prove so popular that they were the main enemy of over 20 further episodes and secondary villains in a few more.

** The Doctor's own characterization also differs greatly in this serial compared to the rest of the show onwards. In this episode, he acts entirely out of self-interest and manufactures a fault with the TARDIS's fluid link purely to force his companions to allow him to explore the Dalek city. He then elects to leave the city ''without'' Barbara when she doesn't turn up, and only agrees to help the Thals fight against the Daleks in order to retrieve the fluid link stolen by the Daleks.

* LiteralCliffhanger: Episode six ends with Antrodus missing a jump over a chasm, and Ian (to whom the other end of the rope is tied) struggling to keep his grip on the rock.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: One for the ages. Had the Doctor not intentionally tampered with the TARDIS so that they'd visit the Dalek City, none of the trouble with the Daleks in future episodes would've ever happened.

* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: At the end of episode 4, the Doctor and his friends have escaped from the Dalek City and saved the Thals from the Daleks' ambush. They're all set to get back in the TARDIS and continue their travels...until Ian remembers the Daleks took a vital TARDIS component from him, meaning they're stuck on the planet. Cue perilous trek back into the Dalek City...