Despite being missing from the BBC’s vaults since the purges of the early 1970’s, ‘The Power of the Daleks’ remains top of many a Doctor Who fan’s wishlist.
Thanks to BBC Worldwide, the story has been granted new animated visuals to accompany the lovingly recovered soundtrack and is available to purchase in the UK from BBC Store, with a DVD release and a limited edition Blu-ray steelbook on their way in November and February.
As CultBox is (of course!) far too youthful to have seen the original airing, and we were in short trousers when the novelisation appeared, we have decided to treat the story as new episodes – which to our eyes they pretty much are…
While the last episode saw them conspiring, this time the Daleks put their plans for the Vulcan colony into action.
It was not all plain sailing for the mutants though, as Lesterson appeared to be having doubts as to the their motives and used his control of the power supply to demonstrate his power over them, briefly cowing them back into submission.
With the Governer away, security chief Bragen (Bernard Archard), now easing into his new position as Deputy Governor was set on fermenting outright revolt – in league with the rebels, ordinary citizens he is manipulating via Lesterson’s assistant Janley.
Playing at a subservient role herself, much like the Daleks, the cool and collected Janley (Pamela Ann Davy) really came into her own this time; blackmailing and then drugging Lesterson, ordering the power supply be extended to the Dalek capsule and even putting herself in the firing line as an act of faith – her ambition playing utterly into Dalek hands (or should that be plungers?).
For the regulars, Polly was absent from the story and a worried Ben (Michael Craze) was focused was on finding her after a kidnappers note arrived. Patrick Troughton’s Doctor meanwhile seemed less concerned for her fate and more troubled by the Dalek situation.
Investigations led them to spy on a rebel meeting and discover the truth of Bragen’s hand behind events, as well as his plans to control the Daleks and to use them to implement his coup. Falling foul of Bragen, Ben ended up knocked out and the Doctor in custody – and back into contact with ousted Deputy Governor Quinn. Might he be an ally?
At the end, a horrified Lesterson (Robert James) snuck on board aboard capsule to discover the horrifying truth; a production line churning out Dalek after Dalek, hideously brought to life by a spark of electricity.
With scarcely any dialogue, the three and a half minute final sequence was chilling stuff, filled with sound effects and the final chant of those harsh metallic voices en masse, claiming to be the new race of Daleks!
Aired on Saturday 26 November 1966 on the BBC.
Buy ‘The Power of the Daleks’ on DVD on Amazon here.
Buy ‘The Power of the Daleks’ limited edition Blu-ray on Amazon here.
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