2. The Daleks (Story 002, 1963 1964)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMFInjn4mMw Well, this of course had to be on here. Yes, its the second serial in the shows history and it introduces the Daleks. The impact that this had on the show cannot possibly be overstated. The ratings for the first story had been kind of meh but with this one they really took off and the Daleks began their domination of British culture. The story itself is longer than it should be, and has entirely too many scenes of capture and escape, but the first couple of episodes, where the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan all meet the Daleks for the first time, are something really amazing to behold. Watching as they talk and plan and try to figure out how to deal with the situation they are in is something great. Its also fascinating to see just how little the Daleks have changed over the last fifty years, unlike, say, the Cybermen. Its also quite fun to watch this and compare it with the truly tragic first Peter Cushing movie! Technicolor Daleks. Gee, Im glad no one has ever though to do THAT sort of thing againahem. You also have to love the fact that at this point the Doctor wasnt at all above endangering everyones lives just to satisfy his own curiosity. He lies about the TARDIS being damaged and in doing so nearly gets everyone killed. While its good that he got out of that habit later, its quite entertaining to see him do it here.
Chris Swanson
Chris Swanson is a freelance writer and blogger based in Phoenix, Arizona, where winter happens to other people. His blog is at wilybadger.wordpress.com
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