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The Dalek Invasion of Earth

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Synopsis

Daleks in London

Radiation nil, oxygen normal, pressure normal...an earth reading! The TARDIS has landed in London. A menacing deserted London, with no sign of life and no sense of normality, but the decaying city is not as empty as it seems. The year is 2164 and the travellers soon find themselves facing antagonists whom they thought they had destroyed . .. the Daleks. They have conquered the earth.

Ten years after a cosmic storm continents of people were wiped out by a plague. Then the Daleks came in saucers, shipping humans to vast mining areas, turning them into Robomen and against their fellow humans. Earth contains something no other planet contains – a magnetic core - but why are the Daleks digging for it and how can The Doctor prevent them from tampering with the forces of creation?

Source: BBC VHS Video

General Information

Season:

Two

Production Code:

Story Number:

Episode Numbers:

46 - 51

Number of Episodes:

Percentage of Episodes Held:

100%

Alternative Titles:

"The Invaders" and "World's End"

Working Titles:

"The Return of the Daleks"

Production Dates:

August - October 1964

Broadcast Started:

21 November 1964

Broadcast Finished:

26 December 1964

Colour Status:

B&W

Studio:

Riverside (Studio 1)

Location:

London: Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Bridge, Albert Embankment, The Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, the Albert Memorial, Wembley, Wood Lane (Central Line) tube station, St Katherine's Dock (Wapping) and Kew railway bridge.
Others: John’s Hole Quarry.

Writer:

Terry Nation

Director:

Richard Martin

Producer:

Verity Lambert

Associate Producer:

Mervyn Pinfield

Story Editor:

David Whitaker

Editor:

John Griffiths

Production Assistant:

Jane Shirley

Assistant Floor Manager:

Christina Lawton

Designer:

Spencer Chapman

Costume Designers:

Tony Pearce and Daphne Dare (Episodes 1, 2, 5 & 6)

Make-Up Designers:

Elizabeth Blattner (Episode 4) and Sonia Markham (Episodes 1-3, 5 & 6)

Cameraman:

Peter Hamilton

Lighting:

Howard King

Incidental Music:

Francis Chagrin

Special Sounds (SFX Editor):

Brian Hodgson

Studio Sounds:

Jack Brummitt

Title Sequence:

Bernard Lodge

Title Music:

Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Delia Derbyshire

Daleks Originally Created By:

Terry Nation

Number of Doctors:

The Doctor:

William Hartnell (The First Doctor)

Number of Companions:

The Companions:

Carole Ann Ford (Susan) (Departs), Jacqueline Hill (Barbara Wright) and William Russell (Ian Chesterton)

Additional Cast:

Bernard Kay (Carl Tyler), Peter Fraser (David Campbell), Alan Judd (Dortmun), Martyn Huntley, Peter Badger (Robomen), Robert Jewell, Gerald Taylor, Nick Evans, Kevin Manser, Peter Murphy (Daleks), Robert Aldous (Insurgent), Peter Hawkins, David Graham (Dalek Voices), Ann Davies (Jenny), Michael Goldie (Craddock), Michael Davis (Thomson), Richard McNeff (Baker), Graham Rigby (Larry Madison), Nicholas Smith (Wells), Nick Evans (Slyther), Patrick O'Connell (Ashton), Jean Conroy (Women in the wood), Meriel Hobson (Women in the wood)

Setting:

England (late 2160's)

Villain:

Daleks

The Episodes

No.	Episodes	Broadcast (UK)	Duration	Viewers (Millions)	In Archive
46	World's End	21 November 1964	23'42"	11.4	16mm telerecording
47	The Daleks	28 November 1964	24'19"	12.4	16mm telerecording
48	Day of Reckoning	05 December 1964	26'50"	11.9	16mm telerecording
49	The End of Tomorrow	12 December 1964	23'23"	11.9	16mm telerecording
50	The Waking Ally	19 December 1964	24'29"	11.4	16mm telerecording
51	Flashpoint	26 December 1964	25'21"	12.4	16mm telerecording

Total Duration

2 Hours 28 Minutes

Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions)

11.9

Doctor Who Magazine Poll (1998)	75.03% (Position = 39 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2009)	79.21% (Position = 44 out of 200)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2014)	80.22% (Position = 47 out of 241)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023)	Position = 1 out of 29

Archives

All episodes exist as 16mm telerecordings. An Arabic print is also held of "World's End," "The Daleks," "The End of Tomorrow" and "Flashpoint".

Notes

This story has also been referred to as "The Invaders" and "World's End" - notably in the frontspiece of the Target novelisation. "World's End" is the title of the first episode and was applied to the story as a whole by the 1973 Radio Times Tenth Anniversary Special. In a touch of irony, the story begins in the real World's End area of Chelsea in London.

This story features the first departure of an original cast member: Carole Ann Ford who played The Doctor's 'granddaughter', Susan. It was the production team's idea rather than writer Terry Nation's to write Susan out by way of a romance with the freedom fighter David Campbell.

Carole Ann Ford's departure was the first of what would be many cast changes in the history of the programme.

Carole Ann Ford reprised her role as Susan in the 1983 Twentieth Anniversary Special "The Five Doctors", although no mention was made of David Campbell or her life after she left the TARDIS. Some of this was explored in the BBC The Eighth Doctor Stories novel "Legacy of the Daleks" by John Peel.

The Doctor gets to visit his granddaughter again in the 2009 Big Finish Productions subscriber special audio story "An Earthly Child" starring Carole Ann Ford as Susan and Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. This story also introduces The Doctor's great grandson Alex Campbell, played by Jake McGann, who is Paul McGann's son.

With the departure of Susan it was planned that this story would have introduced a fifteen-year-old girl named Saida, played by Pamela Franklin, as a new companion by having her stow away aboard the TARDIS at the end of the last episode. This idea was subsequently dropped and Saida became just a one-off character, renamed Jenny and played by Ann Davies.

Nicholas Smith, who would later become famous as Mr. Rumbold in Are You Being Served?, appears in his first speaking role in television. He was originally only to have appeared in episode three but he ended up leading the miners' revolution in episodes five and six.

Bernard Kay, who portrays Carl Tyler (and also provides the voice over on the longer of the 2 surviving BBC trailers for this story), would later appear in "The Crusade", "The Faceless Ones" and "Colony in Space".

An injured William Hartnell does not appear in "The End of Tomorrow" (apart from in the film insert reprise from the third) though his stand-in Edmund Warwick does. Edmund Warwick went on to appear as the First Doctor's robotic double in the later Dalek story, "The Chase".

In this story we see The Doctor kill a person. He attacks a Roboman, explaining 'I never take life... only when my own is immediately threatened!'

Dortmun calls the material the Daleks casings are made of as ‘Dalekanium’. In the 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks", Dalekanium is confirmed by the Daleks themselves to be the substance which Dalek casings are made from. However, in the alternate future of the 1972 Third Doctor story, "Day of the Daleks" (and the PC computer game "Destiny of The Doctors"), Dalekanium is an unstable explosive that can penetrate Dalek casings.

The Tenth Doctor is heard to mention the Dalek’s plan to move the Earth in "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End".

The Virgin Books' The New Adventures novel "GodEngine" by Craig Hinton offers an alternate explanation for the Daleks' attempt to remove the Earth's core: an ancient Osirian weapon, capable of turning a star into a giant plasma cannon, which can be operated only on a planet without a bipolar magnetic field. "GodEngine" suggests that the Daleks were working with a rogue group of Ice Warriors to assemble this weapon, and planned to install it on the Earth. The novel also states that The Doctor returned to recover Susan's discarded TARDIS key.

This story features the first of many quarries to be used in the show's location filming - this one, John's Hole Quarry, actually is representing a quarry rather than an alien landscape.

This was the very first story which made extensive use of location filming, with London being chosen as the primary backdrop. The decision to use London also helped to keep the show within its production budget given that the BBC's Lime Grove studios, where Doctor Who was produced, were located at nearby Shepherd's Bush. Location filming took place in various parts of London including extensive sequences at Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Bridge, Albert Embankment, The Royal Albert Hall, Kensington and the Albert Memorial. Scenes involving the Dalek roadblock were filmed at Wembley.

The dockland scenes were shot at the abandoned Wood Lane (Central Line) tube station in West London and the river sequences both shot besides the River Thames at St Katherine's Dock in Wapping and at Kew railway bridge.

The Black Dalek's 'pet', the Slyther, manages to change appearance somewhat between the end of the fourth episode and the beginning of the fifth. (This was due to dissatisfaction on the production team's part with the original version of the costume).

Along with "Planet of Giants" this story was actually the final story made in the first recording block, but was held over to open Season Two.

"The Dalek Invasion of Earth" is Story Editor David Whitaker's last involvement with Doctor Who.

A clip of the speech by The Doctor, to Susan at the end of this story, saying that he would return would be reused as the prologue to the 1983 Twentieth Anniversary Special "The Five Doctors".

This story was the basis for the 1966 Amicus Doctor Who film, Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD, staring Peter Cushing as Doctor Who. The film version starred Bernard Cribbins (as Tom Campbell), Jill Curzon (as Louise) and Roberta Tovey (as Susan).

First and Last

The Firsts:

The first Dalek story set on Earth.

The first departure of an original cast member. Carole Ann Ford who played The Doctor's 'granddaughter', Susan.

The first story in which the Daleks are heard to use their famous battle-cry of 'Exterminate'.

The first story to feature The Doctor actually killing a person - namely a Roboman.

The first story that Dalekanium (the powerful metal from which Dalek cases are formed) is mentioned.

The first Doctor Who story to contain a major use of location filming.

The first of many quarries to be used in the show's location filming - the first being John's Hole Quarry.

The first Doctor Who story to be directed by Richard Martin.

The first Doctor Who story to be recorded at Riverside.

The first Doctor Who story to have an individual episode watched by more than 12 million viewers. This being the second and sixth episodes.

The Lasts (Subject to Future Stories):

Carole Ann Ford's last story as regular companion Susan.

David Whitaker's last involvement in the show as Story Editor.

Story Images

Show Text

The TARDIS by the Thames

Back on Earth

A Dalek Emerges from the Thames

The Dalek Saucer Over London

A Roboman

Daleks in Trafalgar Square

Dortmun With his Bomb

The Dalek Control Room

Escape From the Mine

Saying Goodbye to Susan

Susan is Left Behind

Travelling Without Susan

Quote of the Story

'We are the masters of Earth!'

A Dalek

Release Information

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Code Number	Cover Art	Remarks
VHS	The Dalek Invasion of Earth - Part 1 (Episodes 1-3)	May 1990	BBCV 4353	Alister Pearson	Double cassette release
VHS	The Dalek Invasion of Earth - Part 2 (Episodes 4-6)	May 1990	BBCV 4353	Alister Pearson	Double cassette release The 'next episode' caption deleted from "Flashpoint"
CD	30 Years at the Radiophonic Workshop	1993	BBC CD 871	Photo-montage	Sound effects
DVD	The Dalek Invasion of Earth	June 2003	BBCDVD 1156	Photo-montage	Complete Unedited Version
DVD	The Dalek Invasion of Earth	2003	BBCDVD 1384	Photo-montage	Part of "Dalek Collector's Edition" Box Set also containing "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" and "Remembrance of the Daleks" Exclusive to W H Smith
DVD	The Dalek Invasion of Earth	January 2007	BBCDVD 2261		Part of "The Dalek" Box Set containing 5 Dalek stories Exclusive to Amazon
Blu-Ray	Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 2 (Limited Edition)	December 2022	BBCBD 0479	Lee Binding	Blu-Ray Limited Edition boxed set containing 9 specially restored stories
Blu-Ray	Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 2 (Standard Edition)	December 2024	BBCBD 0609	Lee Binding	Blu-Ray Standard Edition boxed set containing 9 specially restored stories

In Print

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Publisher	Author	Cover Art	Remarks
Novel	Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth	July 1977	Target No. 17	Terrance Dicks	Chris Achilleos	ISBN: 0-426-11244-X (Orange Logo Cover)
Novel	Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth	August 1978	Target No. 17	Terrance Dicks	Chris Achilleos	ISBN: 0-426-11244-X (Blue Logo Cover)
Novel	Dalek Omnibus	1983	WH Allen	Terrance Dicks	Andrew Skilleter	Hardback. ISBN: 0-491-03420-3
Novel	Doctor Who Classics: The Dalek Invasion of Earth & The Crusaders	August 1988	Star Books	Terrance Dicks	Andrew Skilleter	Double story release. ISBN: 0-352-32264-0
Novel	The Dalek Invasion of Earth	August 1990	Target No. 17	Terrance Dicks	Alister Pearson	Virgin new cover reprint. ISBN: 0-426-11244-X
CD	Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth	November 2009	Target No. 17	Terrance Dicks	Chris Achilleos	Audio version of the Target Novel read by William Russell (Ian Chesterton).
CD	Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth	October 2012	Target No. 17	Terrance Dicks	Chris Achilleos	Audio version of the Target Novel read by William Russell (Ian Chesterton). Part of the 'Invasion Earth!' Box Set.
Novel	The Essential Terrance Dicks Volume 1	August 2021	BBC Books	Terrance Dicks		Hardback with a forward by Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time)	Issue 10
Doctor Who Weekly	Issue 12 (Released: January 1980)
Doctor Who Weekly	Issue 13 (Released: January 1980)
Doctor Who Magazine - Nostalgia	Issue 141 (Released: October 1988)
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive	Issue 280 (Released: July 1999)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 285 (Released: December 1999)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 286 (Released: January 2000)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction	Issue 487 (Released: July 2015)
Doctor Who DVD Files	Volume 95 (Released: August 2012)

Photo Gallery

The Doctor and Companions

The First Doctor

Susan

Barbara Wright

Ian Chesterton

On Release

VHS Video Cover

VIDEO

VHS Video Cover

VIDEO

Sound Effects CD Cover

AUDIO

DVD Cover

VIDEO

W H Smith Dalek Box Set DVD Cover

VIDEO

Amazon Dalek Box Set DVD Cover

VIDEO

The Collection Season 2 Limited Edition Blu-Ray Cover

VIDEO

The Collection Season 2 Standard Edition Blu-Ray Cover

VIDEO

In Print

Original Target Book Cover (Orange Logo)

NOVEL

Original Target Book Cover (Blue Logo)

NOVEL

Dalek Omnibus Cover

NOVEL

Doctor Who Classics Cover

NOVEL

Reprinted Virgin Book Cover

NOVEL

Target Audio CD Cover

Invasion Earth! Box Set Cover

The Essential Terrance Dicks Volume 1 Book Cover

NOVEL

Magazines

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time): Issue 10

Doctor Who Weekly: Issue 12

Doctor Who Weekly: Issue 13

Doctor Who Magazine - Nostalgia: Issue 141

Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 280

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 285

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 286

Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 487

Doctor Who DVD Files: Volume 95

Who's Who

Who Me

Episodes of the
First Doctor

Season 2

References

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