9. The Original Dalek Is Lacking That Human Touch (Or Rather Seat)
The Creature You Know: After the TARDIS, the Daleks are the most immediately recognisable element of Doctor Who mythology. Facing the Doctor in only his second outing, these mutant cyborgs are a formidable design that, despite countless reimaginings and variations, has kept its spirit (yes, even the New Dalek Paradigm) and ability to terrify; they even climb stairs now (and have for decades, despite the mainstream press constantly claiming otherwise).
The Earlier Design You Don't: You may have bought into the urban myth that Daleks were inspired by a pepper pot, but that's a gross misunderstanding of the truth. At a fateful dinner with Terry Nation, designer Raymond Cusick did use a pepper shaker to show how he envisioned his new creation moving, but the design was already firmly in his head. Setting out to create something a world away from the bug eyed men in suits that then populated sci-fi, he drew up the above creature. And it's fair to say he succeeded; there's nothing remotely human about it. Although similar to the final product, this one feels 'faker'; it's too cylindrical. So why the change in design? In what is typical of the rough and ready production of Who, the body was extended to ensure a pilot could sit inside.