In 1996, when the prospect of a Time War was a mere glint in Russell T Davies' eye, Doctor Who returned to screens as a TV movie. Excitement amongst fans grew when a Hollywood-style intro took us through space to Skaro, where the Master awaited his fate at the persistent plungers of the Daleks. But wait a minute. What are those high-pitched voices? The ones that sound like a group of students broadcasting over the campus radio on helium? "Exterminate! Exterminate!" And those little blinking lights in the dark? Holy Shalka! Could they be...? And so, several million chains were well and truly yanked. Producer Philip Segal's affection for the show finally got it back on the air. Unfortunately he'd failed to inform the audio department what a Dalek actually sounded like. There is no remedy for a monster misinterpreted, though a Big Finish production depicting this unusual Kaled faction being fired into the vortex (together with Series 5's Smartie-coloured aberrations) may go some way to making amends.
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
