Dalek Invasion Of Earth

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Site added: 29 December 2004 · Last updated: 12 July 2007

The Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara arrive in the London of 2164, where the Daleks have turned the remnants of the human race into Robomen.

The Dalek’s plan involves a vast mine in Bedfordshire and the final destruction of the human race, while pitted against them is a WWII-style resistance movement led by Dortmun (Alan Judd) and David Campbell (Peter Fraser).

One of the most famous of all Doctor Who stories, Dalek Invasion of Earth features such iconic moments as a dalek emerging from the Thames, and a remarkable flight across London showing daleks crossing Westminster Bridge and patrolling Trafalgar Square and the Albert Memorial.

Despite its age and some terrible special effects (the Dalek flying saucer being little more than a plate on a string) this is a very strong episode, well acted, well written and, for the most part, well paced. The DVD has the option of seamlessly replacing the special effects shots with modern CGI versions, which works very well.

At the end of the story, Susan is locked outside the TARDIS by the Doctor, in a memorable and moving scene. The first Doctor, often unable to express his true emotions, realises that Susan is now too old to be treated as a child, and that she has falle in love with David Campbell. He takes the decision to leave her behind, believing that this would be the best thing for her future. The Doctor gives a moving speech before leaving, which we later hear at the start of The Five Doctors (when the Doctor is once again reunited with Susan): “One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets; no tears; no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. Goodbye Susan. Goodbye my dear.”

An essential purchase for the Dalek fan.

Go to Dalek Invasion Of Earth