1. Genesis of the Daleks
General Plot: The Timelords intersect the Doctor's transmat beam and transport them to Skaro, where a Time Lord tells the Doctor he must prevent or alter the development of the Daleks, so they would provide less of a danger to the Universe. Skaro is in the final stages of a war between the Thals and the Kaleds, and the Doctor is quickly captured by the Kaleds. In his captivity he meets the evil scientist Davros, who has just created the Daleks. It soon becomes clear that Davros will stop at nothing to make sure that the Daleks become the supreme force in the Universe, and the Doctor is given the opportunity to put a stop to his oldest and most deadly adversaries. But does he have the right?
What Makes It Great: Simply put, this is the greatest story of Doctor Who's 50 year history. This story has never been, and will never likely be bettered in my opinion. If you've never seen this story, watch it now and if you already have, go and watch it again. It's that good. If City of Death was Tom at his funniest and Pyramids of Mars was Tom had his most grave, then this performance encompasses all aspects of the character better than it has ever been done before or since. The story's ramifications are still being felt today it saw the origins of the most iconic monster in Doctor Who history and introduced their creator Davros. The Time Lords sent The Doctor to Skaro to prevent the development of the Daleks, and Russell T Davies later saw this as the first sign of the Time War, which has been an on-going story arc for the last eight years of the show. So this story was a catalyst for so many different future stories. Historical impact aside, this story is just phenomenal piece of writing. The concept, the characters, the plot, the moral and emotional dilemmas, the humour it's got all the necessary ingredients which make this story so fantastic. At the core of the tale is arguably the greatest dilemma the show has ever proposed if you had the chance to kill someone who would grow up to be totally evil, would you Take it? The scene where the Doctor is agonising over this decision is perhaps the greatest scene in the shows history, and the performance from Tom Baker was just absolutely exceptional. A choice that should be simple, as Sarah keeps imploring him it is, but the Doctor finds it impossible. The Time Lord inside him governed by rules of strictly no interference begins to creep in, and the ironic thing is that it was the Time Lords that wanted him to do it. The Doctor interferes and makes changes to history all the time, but when faced with ridding the Universe of the Daleks, that would make a change too great. As the Doctor points out, worlds will become allies and lives will be dramatically altered, and although lives will be saved, there would always be an adverse effect. As a result, this moral dilemma is particularly gripping. It is a concept most commonly associated with Hitler, and based on this story, it is clear who the writers were basing the Daleks and Davros on. There are many similarities to the Nazis regime: racial purity, domination, military state even Davros's right hand man, Nyder, bears a resemblance and characteristics to the infamous Fuhrer. Nyder forms part of an outstanding supporting cast, and his snide, cold demeanour is almost as chilling as Davros and the Daleks. He forms a great team with Davros he's totally devoted and in line with his master's scheme, and his ability to act shifty and appear to turn against his leader was well-acted by the superb Peter Miles. His interactions with all the key characters are just a joy to watch but particularly with Michael Wisher, who plays Davros. Davros is the deranged and emotionless creator of the Daleks and he will stop at nothing to achieve his goal: for the Daleks to become the supreme being in the Universe. He is as ruthless as he is cunning. The way he will casually manipulate characters into falling for his trap, whether it be convincing the Thals to destroy his own race, blaming the betrayal on the Doctor's ally Ronson so he could destroy the Thals and end the war in a 'retaliation so massive, so merciless, that it will live in history', or whether it be his torturing Sarah and Harry to force the Doctor to tell Davros every Dalek defeat, so he could program them to avoid similar fates. Wisher and Baker bounce off each other magnificently in this scene when the Doctor tries to convince Davros to use the Daleks for good, he uses Sarah and Harry to force him into giving up information that would change history just as much as the dilemma he faced when about to destroy the Daleks. Later, when the Doctor tells him the Daleks are evil, he refutes the suggestion, saying once they are the dominant force, wars will end, making them a force for good an idea that later dawns on the Doctor when faced with destroying them. The Doctor then asks Davros if he would use a virus that he developed to destroy all other living things Davros relishes the idea, saying it would put him up amongst the Gods. This deranged God complex, warped genius mind and dominating will is what has made him into one of the best Doctor Who characters ever created.
Memorable Quote:The Doctor: Do I have the right? Simply touch one wire against the other, and that's it. The Daleks cease to exist. Hundreds of millions of people, thousands of generations, can live without fear, in peace, and never even know the word "Dalek".
So, it is the end, but the comment box has been prepared for. Is Horror of Fang Rock too high? Should Ark in Space be higher up? Did Robot deserve a spot in the Top 10?