14 Doctor Who Urban Legends That Are Actually True
13. ...And They Were Almost Exterminated Altogether!
When the BBC recommissioned a brand new series of Doctor Who back in 2003, its no surprise that the Daleks were at the top of their agenda to make a long awaited arrival in the 21st century. As one of the classic shows most infamous foes, the titular Time Lords grand comeback just wouldnt have been the same without them. This is the world of TV, though, so unfortunately things were never going to be that simple. Before they could be dusted off and resume their mantra of universal conquest, the metal monsters found themselves caught up in another form of ongoing war involving the ever complicated realm of licensing issues. Prior to the series 2005 reinvention, Dalek rights (who would ever think that the Daleks actually had rights?) solely belonged to the estate of Terry Nation after their original creator passed away in 1997. Initially the BBC were unable to obtain them, or reach any subsequent form of negotiation regarding editorial control, and things seemingly went from bad to worse when the estate publicly accused the BBC of trying to ruin the brand of the Daleks completely. Ouch. It didnt help matters, of course, that the whole debacle was being heavily documented in the British press. Needless to say, everything worked out for the best in the end but, after all the preceding drama, show producers were probably just as shocked as the Doctor was to actually see the Daleks back on screen in Series 1. Theyve made good use of them ever since.