'THE EVIL OF THE DALEKS' - A WEEK OF CELEBRATION. DAY 1: SOMEONE HAS STOLEN THE TARDIS!

Pawns in whose game? Art by Marshall Tankersley.

It's one of the most intriguing and unusual Dalek stories of the monochrome era of Classic Doctor Who, and also one of its best, with a strong and different kind of story for the Skaroan nightmares to show their cunning villainy (courtesy of the clever and esteemed imagination of that skilled writer David Whitaker), fused with memorable historical characters (who wouldn't be out of place in something like The Forsyte Saga) soon tragically caught in their dark and dramatic high-concept sci-fi scheme. It's also a tale that showcases a darker and more manipulative side to the normally genial Second Doctor, played with suck skillful conviction by Patrick Troughton, as he traps his trappers and turns the tide against his mortal metal enemies for what was then originally conceived as being 'the final end' for Terry Nation's iconic creations on UK TV....

Originally aired in seven episodes from June, 1967, and a story so loved by its star Patrick Troughton (who thought it should have been remade into a film in the 1980's), The Evil of the Daleks is now available in animated form on DVD, Blu-ray and Steelbook from BBC STUDIOS. Early word on the new release is that it is a fine return to quality form after the previous disappointment of Fury from the Deep. 

Join Adventures in the Fifth Dimension in celebrating this genuine all-time classic, with a week of special blog entries covering many of the story's most notable and exciting aspects...

Continuing from the end of The Faceless Ones, the Doctor and Jamie race to catch the stolen TARDIS departed via lorry from Gatwick Airport.

Our story begins on a frantic note with the Doctor and Jamie's search for the recently stolen TARDIS, and a long way round journey that will eventually take the duo to a London Antiques dealer with a difference, Edward Waterfield, a unique man setting up an equally unique time trap for our heroes...

The Radio Times magazine's full page promoting Evil's one and only repeat back in 1968. The outdoor posed image of the Daleks was specially taken at Ealing Studios during original filming.

More details on the official animated release:

https://kooltvblog.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-dalek-factor-doctor-who-evil-of.html

Other release info:

https://www.bbcstudios.com/news/bbc-studios-announce-doctor-who-the-evil-of-the-daleks-animation-due-for-release-on-27th-september-2021/

Get it here (from September 27th, 2021):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Evil-Daleks-DVD/dp/B098416MKN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3SHI3YXP7X379&dchild=1&keywords=evil+of+the+daleks&qid=1632498561&s=dvd&sprefix=evil+of+the+daleks%2Caps%2C243&sr=1-1

IT'S ALL IN THE EYES...

Sharaz Jek has had enough of the Doctor's seemingly flippant behaviour towards him during their creepy first meeting deep within The Caves of Androzani, but the deformed genius scientist soon recognises that behind this new irritant visitor's eyes lies a sharp mind and intellect that's almost the equal to his own...

A classic moment from the Classic Series (still) greatest and most dramatic adventure.

P.A.Y.E. NOW, LIVE LATER!

 

Art by Andrew Skilleter for the TARGET Books adaptation of The Sun Makers.

From his central abode on the Pluto Colony, the greedy and heartless The Collector (adeptly played by Henry Woolf, best known for his work on Steptoe and Son and the unusual children's series Words and Pictures) applies his not inconsiderable skills at accumulating money and wielding death to those who either oppose him or are just too poor to pay him!

Ignore the all too noticeable low budget studio work - Robert Holmes' comedy satire/revenge against the British Tax system in The Sun Makers has a terrific script, full of sly wit for the main series regulars and a great guest cast to savour, and there's some excellent location work. At the peak of his popularity, Tom Baker is well matched against the diminutive Woolf for some memorable verbal confrontations.

"YOU ARE THE DOCTOR! YOU MUST BE EXTERMINATED!"

With the colour TV debut of the infamous Daleks in January, 1972 came a wealth of great location filming posed publicity images featuring Jon Pertwee in numerous dramatic/action poses against the scene-stealing creatures which he'd ultimately despise across the following three seasons. Though at least the face-masked Ogron creatures would be a new creation that the flamboyant actor enjoyed fighting against!

I love this particular image from Day of the Daleks- a similar shot adorned one of the first seventies Doctor Who Jigsaw puzzle boot fair gifts I ever got for the series during the mid-eighties.

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN...

 

It looks like the young Jamie McCrimmon, his Scottish Laird Colin McLaren, and the Doctor are in for a distasteful hanging from British Redcoats, but the shady Royal Commissioner Grey has other plans for the captured party...  A tense moment from a fast-paced and generally exciting first episode to the last purely historical adventure, and a much underrated one: The Highlanders.

Oh, to have properly seen Troughton's evolving into the part of the Doctor back in the day, partaking in wearing various disguises through only his second on-screen adventure - the actor still experimenting with his new role...

Despite a couple of surviving Australian censored clips, The Highlanders still remains missing in its four-part entirety from the BBC Archives, likely never to be recovered. Here's another feature to enjoy on the elusive lost stories...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sasKUUbeQM&feature=push-fr&attr_tag=XoHK5Nx4LMbXSAC0%3A6

1066 AND ALL THAT...

Someone's been mucking about with Earth history, most notably at Hastings in the year 1066, as the crafty and manipulative The Meddling Monk (brilliantly personified by Peter Butterworth) makes his first devious appearance within the Hartnell era. In some ways, the Monk is almost as clever and humorously mischievous as the Doctor - even perhaps a kind of early prototype for Patrick Troughton's later incarnation of our TV hero. The fact that Dennis Spooner crafted this clever and amusing story, and did rewrites on Troughton's first story, The Power of the Daleks (tasked with quirkily enhancing the newly renewed /regenerated Time Lord's character), are surely not coincidental.

Radio Times preview.

A TASTE FOR THE GOTHIC! 'THE ESSENTIAL TERRANCE DICKS - VOLUME TWO' - OUT NOW...

Art by Chris Achilleos.

The power of the evil universe destroyer Sutekh has been accidentally reawakened on Earth, of which  his robot servitors (disguised as hideous man-crushing Egyptian Mummies) now wander the English countryside ready to do his bidding. Only the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith stand in the way of newly unleashed Armageddon in Robert Holmes superb ratings-winning gothic horror drama, The Pyramids of Mars, brought to life so well with its Target book adaptation by Terrance Dicks from 1977, and which makes a welcome and most deserved inclusion in the all-new tribute to the popular script editor/writer from BBC BOOKS: Doctor Who - The Essential Terrance Dicks two-volume set, available from August 2th, 2021, and whose ten tales were specially chosen by fans via a special online poll.

KOOL TV set review:

https://kooltvblog.blogspot.com/2021/08/time-lord-ing-tales-doctor-who.html

Get Volume Two here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Terrance-Dicks-2/dp/1785947354/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=THE+ESSENTIAL+TERRANCE+DICKS&qid=1630252547&sr=8-2

Get Volume One here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Terrance-Dicks-1/dp/1785946641/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=THE+ESSENTIAL+TERRANCE+DICKS&qid=1630252590&sr=8-1