394 Genesis of the Daleks Part Three

EPISODE: Genesis of the Daleks Part Three
OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 394
STORY NUMBER: 078
TRANSMITTED: 22 March 1975
WRITER: Terry Nation
DIRECTOR: David Maloney
SCRIPT EDITOR: Robert Holmes
PRODUCER: Philip Hinchcliffe
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who - Genesis of the Daleks

Sarah is saved by Sevrin and they continue their climb but are caught by the Thals as they reach the top of the rocket. Davros continues to order improvements to the Daleks. Kavell, the scientist in charge of communications, tells Ronson that his prisoners have been seen in the Kaled city and confides in Ronson that he has doubts about the work they are doing. However their conversation catches Nyder's attention. The Doctor & Harry make it to the Kaled city where they brief the Kaled leaders on what Davros is doing. Nyder informs Davros of the meeting in the city and that Ronson's prisoners are there. The councillors refuse to close down the Bunker but agree to stop Davros 's work while an investigation is carried out. General Ravon gives the Doctor & Harry news of Sarah's escape attempt and tells them how to get into the Thal city. Davros agrees to the investigation but is angered by his leaders actions. Entering the city they find Davros & Nyder there, giving the Thal leaders the formula for the dome covering the Kaled city and how to penetrate it. The Doctor & Harry free Sarah, Sevrin and the remaining slaves. They leave for the Kaled city, with the Doctor remaining behind to sabotage the Thal rocket, but he touches an electrified grid and is electrocuted.

We now get to see the lengths that Davros will go to for his project, so certain is he that it's the future of his race that he's willing to sacrifice all of the surviving Kaled people so that the Daleks will continue. But follow the chain of events back. Davros acts in this way because of the Kaled councillor's enquiry. The enquiry is sparked by the Doctor. Is the Doctor (and thus are the Time Lords) responsible for the annihilation of the Kaled people? Of course we know that Davros isn't to be trusted and most viewers can probably predict what lies in the Thals' immediate future. Davros' commissioning of twenty new Dalek units in this episode might be a bit of a clue....

Odd things in this episode: There's an Ice Warrior body shell in the cave that the Doctor & Harry exit the bunker through. If General Ravon knows of a secret passage into the Thal city then why hasn't a crack commando team of Kaleds stormed it years ago? Also consider the geography in the story: the cities appear to be relatively close to each other. If so how have they managed to sustain a war for so long? I suppose they could have started out a much further distance apart and are now trapped together in the only habitable regions of the radiation scarred Skaro.

Two of the actors in this episode have a connection: They were both in Allo Allo, the BBC Comedy about the French Resistance. Guy Siner plays General Ravon (also seen in Episode 1). In Allo Allo he played Lieutenant Gruber. He's also had roles in Babylon 5 and Star Trek Enterprise making him, I believe, the only person to appear in all three shows. On the other side of the conflict here is Hilary Minster, playing a Thal Soldier, was Marat in Planet of the Daleks making him the only person to play two different Thals in Doctor Who. Meanwhile in Allo Allo he played Gruber's superior General von Klinkerhoffen. Other Who actors to be involved in Allo Allo include Carmen Silvera (as Edith Artois) who was in The Celestial Toymaker as Clara the Clown, Mrs. Wiggs, and the Queen of Hearts, and appeared as Ruth in Invasion of the Dinosaurs. John D Collins (who was Flight Lieutenant Fairfax) was Talor in Ark of Infinity. Meanwhile Ivor Roberts, playing Kaled leader Mogran, has roles in two other David Croft sitcoms. His opposite number Michael Lynch, the Thal Politician, was prevbiously Spencer in The War Games. Tom Georgeson, playing Kavell, returns as the Detective Inspector in Logopolis but has a significant number of recognisable roles to his name.

Joining the production in this episode are Roy Skelton, providing the Dalek voices and Cy Town as a Dalek operator. Both have fulfilled these roles in several previous Doctor Who stories. Making his only appearance in a Dalek shell is Keith Ashley who'll be back as a Zygon in Terror of the Zygons and a Kraal android in The Android Invasion. Finally another Thal guard is regular extra Max Faulkner.