Index

Here's an index to all my original blog posts in episode order:

BY DOCTOR

First Doctor
Second Doctor
Third Doctor
Fourth Doctor
Fifth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
Seventh Doctor
Eighth Doctor

BY SEASON

Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
Season 13
Season 14
Season 15
Season 16
Season 17
Season 18
K9 & Company
Season 19
Season 20
Season 21
Season 22
Season 23
Season 24
Season 25
Season 26
The Movie

An Unearthly Child

001 An Unearthly Child Revisitation
002 The Cave of Skulls
003 The Forest of Fear
004 The Firemaker

The Daleks

005 The Dead Planet
006 The Survivors
007 The Escape
008 The Ambush
009 The Expedition
010 The Ordeal
011 The Rescue

The Edge of Destruction

012 The Edge of Destruction
013 Brink of Disaster

Marco Polo

014 The Roof of the World
015 The Singing Sands
016 Five Hundred Eyes
017 The Wall of Lies
018 Rider from Shang-Tu
019 Mighty Kublai Khan
020 Assassin At Peking

The Keys of Marinus

021 The Sea of Death
022 The Velvet Web
023 The Screaming Jungle
024 The Snows of Terror
025 Sentence of Death
026 The Keys of Marinus

The Aztecs

027 The Temple of Evil
028 The Warriors of Death
029 The Bride of Sacrifice
030 The Day of Darkness

The Sensorites

031 Strangers in Space
032 The Unwilling Warriors
033 Hidden Danger
034 A Race Against Death
035 Kidnap
036 A Desperate Venture

The Reign of Terror

037 A Land of Fear
038 Guests of Madame Guillotine
039 A Change of Identity
040 The Tyrant of France
041 A Bargain of Necessity
042 Prisoners of Conciergerie

Planet of Giants

043 Planet of Giants
044 Dangerous Journey
045 Crisis

The Dalek Invasion of Earth

046 World's End
047 The Daleks
048 Day of Reckoning
049 The End of Tomorrow
050 The Waking Ally
051 Flashpoint

The Rescue

052 The Powerful Enemy
053 Desperate Measures

The Romans

054 The Slave Traders
055 All Roads Lead to Rome
056 Conspiracy
057 Inferno

The Web Planet

058 The Web Planet
059 The Zarbi
060 Escape to Danger
061 Crater of Needles
062 Invasion
063 The Centre

The Crusade

064 The Lion
065 The Knight of Jaffa
066 The Wheel of Fortune
067 The War-Lords

The Space Museum

068 The Space Museum
069 The Dimensions of Time
070 The Search
071 The Final Phase

The Chase

072 The Executioners
073 The Death of Time
074 Flight Through Eternity
075 Journey Into Terror
076 The Death of Doctor Who
077 The Planet of Decision

The Time Meddler

078 The Watcher
079 The Meddling Monk
080 A Battle of Wits
081 Checkmate

Galaxy 4

082 Four Hundred Dawns
083 Trap of Steel
084 Airlock Revisitation
085 The Exploding Planet

Mission to the Unknown

086 Mission to the Unknown

The Myth Makers

087 Temple of Secrets
088 Small Prophet, Quick Return
089 Death of a Spy
090 Horse of Destruction

The Daleks' Master Plan

091 The Nightmare Begins
092 Day of Armageddon
093 Devil's Planet
094 The Traitors
095 Counter Plot
096 Coronas of the Sun
097 The Feast of Steven
098 Volcano
099 Golden Death
100 Escape Switch
101 The Abandoned Planet
102 Destruction of Time

The Massacre

103 War of God
104 The Sea Beggar
105 Priest of Death
106 Bell of Doom

The Ark

107 The Steel Sky
108 The Plague
109 The Return
110 The Bomb

The Celestial Toymaker

111 The Celestial Toyroom
112 Hall of Dolls
113 The Dancing Floor
114 The Final Test

The Gunfighters

115 A Holiday for the Doctor
116 Don't Shoot the Pianist
117 Johnny Ringo
118 The O.K. Corral

The Savages

119 Episode One
120 Episode Two
121 Episode Three
122 Episode Four

The War Machines

123 Episode One
124 Episode Two
125 Episode Three
126 Episode Four

The Smugglers

127 Episode One
128 Episode Two
129 Episode Three
130 Episode Four

The Tenth Planet

131 Episode One
132 Episode Two
133 Episode Three
134 Episode Four

The Power of the Daleks

135 Episode One
136 Episode Two
137 Episode Three
138 Episode Four
139 Episode Five
140 Episode Six

The Highlanders

141 Episode One
142 Episode Two
143 Episode Three
144 Episode Four

The Underwater Menace

145 Episode One
146 Episode Two Revisitation
147 Episode Three
148 Episode Four

The Moonbase

149 Episode One
150 Episode Two
151 Episode Three
152 Episode Four

The Macra Terror

153 Episode One
154 Episode Two
155 Episode Three
156 Episode Four

The Faceless Ones

157 Episode One
158 Episode Two
159 Episode Three
160 Episode Four
161 Episode Five
162 Episode Six

The Evil of the Daleks

163 Episode One
164 Episode Two
165 Episode Three
166 Episode Four
167 Episode Five
168 Episode Six
169 Episode Seven

The Tomb of the Cybermen

170 Episode One
171 Episode Two
172 Episode Three
173 Episode Four

The Abominable Snowmen

174 Episode One
175 Episode Two
176 Episode Three
177 Episode Four
178 Episode Five
179 Episode Six

The Ice Warriors

180 One
181 Two
182 Three
183 Four
184 Five
185 Six

The Enemy of the World

186 Episode One Revisitation
187 Episode Two Revisitation
188 Episode Three Revisitation
189 Episode Four Revisitation
190 Episode Five Revisitation
191 Episode Six Revisitation

The Web of Fear

192 Episode One Revisitation
193 Episode Two Revisitation
194 Episode Three Revisitation
195 Episode Four Revisitation
196 Episode Five Revisitation
197 Episode Six Revisitation

Fury from the Deep

198 Episode One
199 Episode Two
200 Episode Three
201 Episode Four
202 Episode Five
203 Episode Six

The Wheel in Space

204 Episode One
205 Episode Two
206 Episode Three
207 Episode Four
208 Episode Five
209 Episode Six

The Dominators

210 Episode One
211 Episode Two
212 Episode Three
213 Episode Four
214 Episode Five

The Mind Robber

215 Episode One
216 Episode Two
217 Episode Three
218 Episode Four
219 Episode Five

The Invasion

220 Episode One
221 Episode Two
222 Episode Three
223 Episode Four
224 Episode Five
225 Episode Six
226 Episode Seven
227 Episode Eight

The Krotons

228 Episode One
229 Episode Two
230 Episode Three
231 Episode Four

The Seeds of Death

232 Episode One
233 Episode Two
234 Episode Three
235 Episode Four
236 Episode Five
237 Episode Six

The Space Pirates

238 Episode One
239 Episode Two
240 Episode Three
241 Episode Four
242 Episode Five
243 Episode Six

The War Games

244 Episode One
245 Episode Two
246 Episode Three
247 Episode Four
248 Episode Five
249 Episode Six
250 Episode Seven
251 Episode Eight
252 Episode Nine
253 Episode Ten

Spearhead from Space

254 Episode One
255 Episode Two
256 Episode Three
257 Episode Four

Doctor Who and the Silurians

258 Episode One
259 Episode Two
260 Episode Three
261 Episode Four
262 Episode Five
263 Episode Six
264 Episode Seven

The Ambassadors of Death

265 Episode One
266 Episode Two
267 Episode Three
268 Episode Four
269 Episode Five
270 Episode Six
271 Episode Seven

Inferno

272 Episode One
273 Episode Two
274 Episode Three
275 Episode Four
276 Episode Five
277 Episode Six
278 Episode Seven

Terror of the Autons

279 Episode One
280 Episode Two
281 Episode Three
282 Episode Four

The Mind of Evil

283 Episode One
284 Episode Two
285 Episode Three
286 Episode Four
287 Episode Five
288 Episode Six

The Claws of Axos

289 Episode One
290 Episode Two
291 Episode Three
292 Episode Four

Colony in Space

293 Episode One
294 Episode Two
295 Episode Three
296 Episode Four
297 Episode Five
298 Episode Six

The Dæmons

299 Episode One
300 Episode Two
301 Episode Three
302 Episode Four
303 Episode Five

Day of the Daleks

304 Episode One
305 Episode Two
306 Episode Three
307 Episode Four

The Curse of Peladon

308 Episode One
309 Episode Two
310 Episode Three
311 Episode Four

The Sea Devils

312 Episode One
313 Episode Two
314 Episode Three
315 Episode Four
316 Episode Five
317 Episode Six

The Mutants

318 Episode One
319 Episode Two
320 Episode Three
321 Episode Four
322 Episode Five
323 Episode Six

The Time Monster

324 Episode One
325 Episode Two
326 Episode Three
327 Episode Four
328 Episode Five
329 Episode Six

The Three Doctors

330 Episode One
331 Episode Two
332 Episode Three
333 Episode Four

Carnival of Monsters

334 Episode One
335 Episode Two
336 Episode Three
337 Episode Four

Frontier in Space

338 Episode One
339 Episode Two
340 Episode Three
341 Episode Four
342 Episode Five
343 Episode Six

Planet of the Daleks

344 Episode One
345 Episode Two
346 Episode Three
347 Episode Four
348 Episode Five
349 Episode Six

The Green Death

350 Episode One
351 Episode Two
352 Episode Three
353 Episode Four
354 Episode Five
355 Episode Six

The Time Warrior

356 Part One
357 Part Two
358 Part Three
359 Part Four

Invasion of the Dinosaurs

360 Part One
361 Part Two
362 Part Three
363 Part Four
364 Part Five
365 Part Six

Death to the Daleks

366 Part One
367 Part Two
368 Part Three
369 Part Four

The Monster of Peladon

370 Part One
371 Part Two
372 Part Three
373 Part Four
374 Part Five
375 Part Six

Planet of the Spiders

376 Part One
377 Part Two
378 Part Three
379 Part Four
380 Part Five
381 Part Six

Robot

382 Part One
383 Part Two
384 Part Three
385 Part Four

The Ark in Space

386 Part One
387 Part Two
388 Part Three
389 Part Four

The Sontaran Experiment

390 Part One
391 Part Two

Genesis of the Daleks

392 Part One
393 Part Two
394 Part Three
395 Part Four
396 Part Five
397 Part Six

Revenge of the Cybermen

398 Part One
399 Part Two
400 Part Three
401 Part Four

Terror of the Zygons

402 Part One
403 Part Two
404 Part Three
405 Part Four

Planet of Evil

406 Part One
407 Part Two
408 Part Three
409 Part Four

Pyramids of Mars

410 Part One
411 Part Two
412 Part Three
413 Part Four

The Android Invasion

414 Part One
415 Part Two
416 Part Three
417 Part Four

The Brain of Morbius

418 Part One
419 Part Two
420 Part Three
421 Part Four

The Seeds of Doom

422 Part One
423 Part Two
424 Part Three
425 Part Four
426 Part Five
427 Part Six

The Masque of Mandragora

428 Part One
429 Part Two
430 Part Three
431 Part Four

The Hand of Fear

432 Part One
433 Part Two
434 Part Three
435 Part Four

The Deadly Assassin

436 Part One
437 Part Two
438 Part Three
439 Part Four

The Face of Evil

440 Part One
441 Part Two
442 Part Three
443 Part Four

The Robots of Death

444 Part One
445 Part Two
446 Part Three
447 Part Four

The Talons of Weng-Chiang

448 Part One
449 Part Two
450 Part Three
451 Part Four
452 Part Five
453 Part Six

Horror of Fang Rock

454 Part One
455 Part Two
456 Part Three
457 Part Four

The Invisible Enemy

458 Part One
459 Part Two
460 Part Three
461 Part Four

Image of the Fendahl

462 Part One
463 Part Two
464 Part Three
465 Part Four

The Sun Makers

466 Part One
467 Part Two
468 Part Three
469 Part Four

Underworld

470 Part One
471 Part Two
472 Part Three
473 Part Four

The Invasion of Time

474 Part One
475 Part Two
476 Part Three
477 Part Four
478 Part Five
479 Part Six

The Ribos Operation

480 Part One
481 Part Two
482 Part Three
483 Part Four

The Pirate Planet

484 Part One
485 Part Two
486 Part Three
487 Part Four

The Stones of Blood

488 Part One
489 Part Two
490 Part Three
491 Part Four

The Androids of Tara

492 Part One
493 Part Two
494 Part Three
495 Part Four

The Power of Kroll

496 Part One
497 Part Two
498 Part Three
499 Part Four

The Armageddon Factor

500 Part One
501 Part Two
502 Part Three
503 Part Four
504 Part Five
505 Part Six

Destiny of the Daleks

506 Part One
507 Part Two
508 Part Three
509 Part Four

City of Death

510 Part One
511 Part Two
512 Part Three
513 Part Four

The Creature from the Pit

514 Part One
515 Part Two
516 Part Three
517 Part Four

Nightmare of Eden

518 Part One
519 Part Two
520 Part Three
521 Part Four

The Horns of Nimon

522 Part One
523 Part Two
524 Part Three
525 Part Four

Shada

526 Part One
527 Part Two
528 Part Three
529 Part Four
530 Part Five
531 Part Six

The Leisure Hive

532 Part One
533 Part Two
534 Part Three
535 Part Four

Meglos

536 Part One
537 Part Two
538 Part Three
539 Part Four

Full Circle

540 Part One
541 Part Two
542 Part Three
543 Part Four

State of Decay

544 Part One
545 Part Two
546 Part Three
547 Part Four

Warriors' Gate

548 Part One
549 Part Two
550 Part Three
551 Part Four

The Keeper of Traken

552 Part One
553 Part Two
554 Part Three
555 Part Four

Logopolis

556 Part One
557 Part Two
558 Part Three
559 Part Four

K9 & Company

K9- A Girl's Best Friend

Castrovalva

560 Part One
561 Part Two
562 Part Three
563 Part Four

Four to Doomsday

564 Part One
565 Part Two
566 Part Three
567 Part Four

Kinda

568 Part One
569 Part Two
570 Part Three
571 Part Four

The Visitation

572 Part One
573 Part Two
574 Part Three
575 Part Four

Black Orchid

576 Part One
577 Part Two

Earthshock

578 Part One
579 Part Two
580 Part Three
581 Part Four

Time-Flight

582 Part One
583 Part Two
584 Part Three
585 Part Four

Arc of Infinity

586 Part One
587 Part Two
588 Part Three
589 Part Four

Snakedance

590 Part One
591 Part Two
592 Part Three
593 Part Four

Mawdryn Undead

594 Part One
595 Part Two
596 Part Three
597 Part Four

Terminus

598 Part One
599 Part Two
600 Part Three
601 Part Four

Enlightenment

602 Part One
603 Part Two
604 Part Three
605 Part Four

The King's Demons

606 Part One
607 Part Two

The Five Doctors

608 The Five Doctors

Warriors of the Deep

609 Part One
610 Part Two
611 Part Three
612 Part Four

The Awakening

613 Part One
614 Part Two

Frontios

615 Part One
616 Part Two
617 Part Three
618 Part Four

Resurrection of the Daleks

619 Part One
620 Part Two

Planet of Fire

621 Part One
622 Part Two
623 Part Three
624 Part Four

The Caves of Androzani

625 Part One
626 Part Two
627 Part Three
628 Part Four

The Twin Dilemma

629 Part One
630 Part Two
631 Part Three
632 Part Four

Attack of the Cybermen

633 Part One
634 Part Two

Vengeance on Varos

635 Part One
636 Part Two

The Mark of the Rani

637 Part One
638 Part Two

The Two Doctors

639 Part One
640 Part Two
641 Part Three

Timelash

642 Part One
643 Part Two

Revelation of the Daleks

644 Part One
645 Part Two

Trial a Timelord

646 Part One
647 Part Two
648 Part Three
649 Part Four
650 Part One
651 Part Two
652 Part Three
653 Part Four
654 Part One
655 Part Two
656 Part Three
657 Part Four
658 Part One
659 Part Two

Time and the Rani

660 Part One
661 Part Two
662 Part Three
663 Part Four

Paradise Towers

664 Part One
665 Part Two
666 Part Three
667 Part Four

Delta and the Bannermen

668 Part One
669 Part Two
670 Part Three

Dragonfire

671 Part One
672 Part Two
673 Part Three

Remembrance of the Daleks

674 Part One Revisitation
675 Part Two Revisitation
676 Part Three Revisitation
677 Part Four Revisitation

The Happiness Patrol

678 Part One
679 Part Two
680 Part Three

Silver Nemesis

681 Part One
682 Part Two
683 Part Three

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

684 Part One
685 Part Two
686 Part Three
687 Part Four

Battlefield

688 Part One
689 Part Two
690 Part Three
691 Part Four

Ghost Light

692 Part One
693 Part Two
694 Part Three

The Curse of Fenric

695 Part One
696 Part Two
697 Part Three
698 Part Four

Survival

699 Part One
700 Part Two
701 Part Three

The Movie

702 The Movie

677 Remembrance of the Daleks: Part Four

EPISODE: Remembrance of the Daleks: Part Four
OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 677
STORY NUMBER: 149
TRANSMITTED: Wednesday 26 October 1988
WRITER: Ben Aaronovitch
DIRECTOR: Andrew Morgan
SCRIPT EDITOR: Andrew Cartmel
PRODUCER: John Nathan-Turner
RATINGS: 5 million viewers
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who - Remembrance Of The Daleks - Special Edition

"Powerful! Crush the lesser races! Conquer the galaxy! UNIMAGINABLE POWER! UNLIMITED RICE PUDDING! Et cetera! Et cetera!"

Daleks emerge from the ship and leave the school to find the Hand of Omega.

Mike tries to present his point of view to Ace but she refuses to listen and Gilmore charges him with offences contrary to the official secrets act. The Imperial Daleks come under heavy fire from the Renegade Daleks.

In repsonse the Emperor Dalek orders the Special Weapons Dalek into position.

The Special Weapons Dalek is the most radical Dalek variant seen since the Emperor in Evil of the Daleks. It's got a normal white & gold base, but very dirty. The upper half is a massive cannon, replacing the traditional sucker arm & gun stuck, topped with a dome, but without an eye stick. The original idea is that the Imperial Daleks would have a floating weapons platform but budget constraints reduced it to this. But I think he looks fab, a really decent design.

The Dalek Battle sequences take place on Windmill Walk and Wootton Street, both close to Waterloo station. Filming took place on Easter Bank Holiday Monday 4th April 1988. At this point in the program's history the special effects men were providing some very large explosions for the show. One particular blast set alarms off all over the area causing the emergency services to descend on the location in some force, fearing an IRA bomb, only to be confronted by Daleks emerging from the smoke!

The Dragonfire DVD features current special effects supervisor Danny Hargreaves watching & commenting on a number of explosions from the original series. Seeing one from this sequence, likely the one that caused the security alert, he comments that you wouldn't get away with that in Central London now!

The Doctor exploits a weakness in the shuttle's defences and abseils down to an undefended hatch on the top.

He immobilises the Dalek pilot and disables the ship's defences. Mike escapes from the school cellar. The Doctor probes the shuttle's computer and learns that the Daleks have returned to Skaro. Mike reaches Ratcliffe's yard & warehouse but is captured by the Daleks. The Renegade Daleks prepare to leave when the Imperial Daleks arrive and attack.

The Doctor tells Ace he's rigged the shuttle's communication relay so they can monitor Dalek transmissions. Mike & Ratcliffe steal the time controller, but Ratcliffe is killed by the battle computer's controller as they escape.

How is the girl from the battle computer projecting the electric bolts when she's not attached to the machine?

The Doctor links a television set into the damaged transmat system. Rachel asks why two different sets of Daleks and The Doctor allows Ace to explain:

Renegade Daleks are blobs.
Imperial Daleks are bionic blobs with bits added.
Well you can tell the Daleks are into racial purity.
So one lot of Daleks reckon that the other lot of blobs are too different.
Well they're mutants, not pure in their blobiness.

Doctor: Result?
Ace: They hate each other's chromosomes! War to the death!

It's a superb description of the two and dead on. It takes the Daleks back to their roots: hating the Thals, the unalike, themes which are to the front in both the Daleks & Genesis of the Daleks. Now each group of Daleks is facing another group of Daleks that isn't Dalek enough according to each's definition. Now all the race related material in episode 2 suddenly fits in terms of the larger story.

The Doctor & Ace leave Rachel & Allison in the cellar to go and see which blobs are winning.

The nationalisation of the story moves the events of this episode round a little allowing Ace & The Doctor to see some of the battle. On page 137, when the Doctor asks Ace which side she think is winning after seeing the Special Weapons Dalek in action she replies "The Bazooka Blobs!"

The Imperial Daleks on the ground report they have recovered the Hand of Omega and it follows them back to the shuttle.

Ace spots Mike carrying the time controller and pursues him. The shuttle returns to the mothership ....

Lovely shot of Ace looking skyward and the shuttle flying overhead followed by the girl skipping down the street

.... and the Hand of omega is plugged into the control circuit. Gilmore asks to be let into plan but Doctor says it's a surprise. The Doctor contacts the Dalek Mothership and confronts the Emperor.

DOCTOR: Hello, hello, hello? Dalek mothership, come in please. Come in, please. Ah, there you are. This is the Doctor, President Elect of the High Council of Time Lords, Keeper of the legacy of Rassilon, Defender of the Laws of Time, Protector of Gallifrey. I call upon you to surrender the Hand of Omega and return to your customary time and place.
EMPEROR: Ah, Doctor. You have changed again. Your appearance is as inconstant as your intelligence. You have confounded me for the last time!

The Emperor's case slides back revealing him to be Davros.

Just in case you hadn't figured out that the Emperor was Davros it's speech becomes more like Davros as his unveiling approaches!

The sixth Doctor's line in Revelation of the Daleks to Davros "with you as their Emperor?" now looks rather prophetic!

It worth pointing out now that the name of the actor credited as playing the Emperor in Episode 3, "Roy Tromelly", is of course an anagram of Terry Molloy who's playing Davros here just like he did in Resurrection & Revelation of the Daleks. He was also under cover policeman Russel in Attack of the Cybermen.

Ace returns to the boarding house where Mike pulls a gun on her.

The Doctor pleads with Davros not to use the Hand of Omega:

DOCTOR: Davros, the Hand of Omega is not to be trifled with.
DAVROS: I think I am quite capable of handling the technology.
DOCTOR: I sincerely doubt that.
DAVROS: Does it worry you, Doctor, that with it I will transform Skaro's sun into a source of unimaginable power? And with that power at my disposal, the Daleks shall sweep away Gallifrey and its impotent quorum of Time Lords! The Daleks shall become Lords of Time! We shall become all-

The Doctor: Powerful! Crush the lesser races! Conquer the galaxy! UNIMAGINABLE POWER! UNLIMITED RICE PUDDING! Et cetera! Et cetera!

Davros activates the Omega device and it leaves for Skaro and it's Time Zone but when it encounters Skaro's sun the reaction goes out of control vaporising Skaro.

From the state of the planet in Destiny of the Daleks is probably safe to assume that there are no Thals left on Skaro.

Former fan turned writer John Peel (Not the DJ!) tackles the destruction of Skaro in War of the Daleks coming up with a complicated plot that results in some other planet being destroyed. Despite this War of the Daleks is a better read than his follow on novel Legacy of the Daleks but to be honest both are to be avoided. Peel's adaptations of the 60s Dalek stories are rather good and well worth reading!

Davros accuses Doctor of tricking him. The Device returns towards the Daleks ship as Davros pleads for pity.

Davros abandons the Dalek mothership in an escape pod and the mothership is vaporised by the Hand of Omega which then returns to Gallifrey.

The child controlling the battle computer arrives at Mike's house and kills him with energy bolts before turning on Ace.

The Doctor confronts the Supreme Dalek:

Doctor: Dalek! You have been defeated. Surrender! You have failed.
Dalek: Insufficient data.
Doctor: Your forces are destroyed, your home planet a burnt cinder circling a dead sun.
Dalek: There is no data.
Doctor: Even Davros, your creator, is dead. You have no superiors, no inferiors, no reinforcements, no hope, no rescue!
Dalek: You are lying. There is insufficient data!
Doctor:You're trapped, a trillion miles and a thousand years from a disintegrated home. I have defeated you. You no longer serve any purpose.
Dalek: Cannot compute!

The Supreme Dalek self destructs and the child collapses in the boarding house, freed from the Dalek influence.

Oh dear. The words "Insufficient data" and "cannot compute" are horrendous science fiction cliches. It's a weak link in the story, apparently replacing a sequence where the Doctor destroys the Supreme Dalek with a weapon. I can see that the Supreme needs to survive to this point as it's somehow linked to the child, but that never comes through until this point on screen. (it's much clearer in the novel)

Could it have been done better? Possibly: have the Supreme shooting at whatever comes near it, then the Doctor overcomes it using the device in episodes 2 & 3 before the army blow it up.

Sometime later Mike's funeral takes place but as the mourners process inside the chapel the Doctor & Ace, bringing up the rear slip away.

Remember I said that I'd never spotted that Gilmore was in the RAF? He's even wearing full RAF Uniform here.

This scene continues the run of the Doctor not entering the main body of a church. We don't think he does in The Smugglers and he definitely doesn't in the Daemons. He does in The Awakening but the building there is disused. It's probably a coincidence but an interesting one nonetheless....

Incidentally I've been reading Love and Monsters: The Doctor Who Experience, 1979 to the Present by Miles Booy who points out the number of times avowed Communist and Atheist Malcolm Hulke slipped biblical references into his Doctor Who books!

Ace asks the Doctor if they did good. "Perhaps", he says, "time will tell, it always does".

Superb.

Not perfect: Dursley McLinden acting ain't great, the character of Allison, Rachel's assistant, is a little superfluous and spends the story on the sidelines, the Daleks wobble and the timing of all the sequences from the end of the second episode onwards is skewed by one little in joke.

But against that it's so much better than what was shown the year before to open the season. It's a story about something, race, that neither forces the subject down our throat or makes it so hidden to be invisible. Instead it's a good Doctor Who story with both action and character moments. It's got Daleks in it so people will want to watch it, and you can watch it, it obviously makes sense watching it (unlike certain other stories) and looks good on the screen. If I was only allowed to keep one McCoy Doctor Who it would be this one. And it's a first script from writer Ben Aaronovitch!

Remembrance of the Daleks opens the 25th season of Doctor Who but isn't the official 25th anniversary story: that's Silver Nemesis. But it deserves to be, celebrating Doctor Who's past by setting the story the weekend that the first episode aired and filling it with references to the first episode and previous Dalek stories.

It's also, sadly, the final appearance of the Daleks in the original Doctor Who series. So we say goodbye to some of it's longest serving contributors: Dalek Operator John Scott Martin has been inside the casing for almost every Dalek appearance since the Chase in 1965, but made his debut 3 stories earlier in The Web Planet as a Zarbi. Dalek voice artist Roy Skelton first voiced the Daleks in 1967's Evil of the Daleks, but had first provided voices during 1966's The Ark. John Scott Martin died on 6 January 2009 and Roy Skelton on 8 June 2011.

Ben Aaronovitch novelised his own script in June 1990, embellishing it with a considerable amount of detail not seen on the screen and giving an airing to some of the themes found in "The Cartmel Masterplan". It's well worth a read if you can find a copy.

The release of this story has a somewhat lengthy history: It's first release on video was in a Dalek tin to celebrate the show's 30th anniversary in September 1993 along with the Chase. It was re-released in September 2001 as part of the WH Smith exclusive Davros set along with Genesis of the Daleks, Destiny of the Daleks, Resurrection of the Daleks & Revelation of the Daleks.

Doctor Who - Remembrance Of The Daleks was the 1st Seventh Doctor story and the fourth overall to be released on DVD on 26th February 2001. This release contains a major error in episode 1 where the extermination effect is missing, a mistake caused by going to the earliest surviving video footage in an attempt to build a better quality of picture. This version also appears in a WHSmiths exclusive Dalek DVD set along with Dalek Invasion of Earth and Resurrection of the Daleks.

A special edition DVD release of Remembrance of the Daleks, correcting the fault on episode 1 and adding new special features was released as part of Doctor Who: The Davros Collection, released on 26th November 2007 to tie in with the release of Destiny of the Daleks on DVD, completing the DVD release of all five Davros stories on DVD. An individual version of the Remembrance Of The Daleks - Special Edition was released on 20th July 2009. A Who Talk commentary CD exists for this story featuring actors Pamela Salem, Simon Williams & Karen Gledhill, Script Editor Andrew Cartmel and Director Andrew Morgan. It's moderated by Toby Hadoke.