The Doctor Who Movie (1996) was the first completed attempt to return the classic Science-Fiction Series to televsion in seventeen years. In 1989, the Doctor (as played by Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (played by Sophie Aldred) walked off to the TARDIS to have further adventures, but not to be seen again. 

And that’s how it remainder on screen for the next eight years.  Off screen, many things were happening.  Doctor Who Magazine continued making comic strip adventures for the Seventh Doctor and Ace.  Virgin Publishing gained the rights to create the very successful “New natures” series of books.  Unofficially fan groups and production companies created short movies and audio series which attempted to fill the need new Doctor Who content.

Also behind the scenes were discussions around a Doctor Who movie.  Discussions around a possible American co-production for Doctor who commenced in the 1970’s. In the 1980’s Walt Disney Corporation attempted to purchase the entire franchise in the early 1980’s. In 1992-1994 the BBC and Steven Spielberg’s production company had intense negotiations about a new co-production.  This developed into a rebooted series, disregarding the previous series. Instead, the story line featured the Doctor searching for his long lost parents while eluding his half-brother, the Master. This original plan changed again into becoming was eventually changed again to be a single ninety minute film made for television, continuing directly from the 1989 tv series.

The movie was completed and broadcasted in 1996. This movie remained the last official piece of Doctor Who being broadcast from 1989 until Christopher Eccleston appeared as the Doctor in 2005.  However, it was never meant to be that way. Instead the movie was hoped to lead to further movies, and potentially a series co-produced across England and America. 

So…why didn’t it?  Why did this attempted relaunch of the series in 1996 fail to lead to anything further? Why did the relaunch in 2004 result very quickly in a successful series which has continued until the present day?

These were the sort of questions I asked myself after a recent re-watch of the movie. By the end I could see a fairly good idea of why the movie failed to completely relaunch Doctor Who for the modern era. 

Plot Summary

Respose – Visuals

The sets are so detailed, and the picture so clear. It looks more cinematic in its detail than anything the series had provided thus far. I love the classic series, but visually they cannot compare to the opening shots of this movie. And that hits you as you start watching it. But that’s an American co-production for you-even their worst television series look better than anyone else’s television.

Initial Fan Reaction

Not this is not the worst television series.  It’s not even the worst doctor who story, and it’s surprises me how much hate it gets. I have watched all existing Doctor Who stories, and only ever hated one story. I have found some stories boring. Others I find had plots that didn’t make sense. However, I never hated them and often could find something to enjoy.

However, for a long time, the fan community hated the Doctor Who TV movie.  The TV series “Queer as Folk” joked that Paul McGann’s incarnation of the Doctor didn’t count. There was substantial criticism of the romantic references between the Doctor and Grace.  When a series failed to materialise, a later planned relaunch suggested forgetting the movie ever happened. 

So I re-watched the TV movie aware of the stigma but also not easily hating anything. And, to me, it’s not a horrible story, but it’s not a great story either. If this story had been in the middle of a series, it would be a completely acceptable standard story. The movie in this context would be an acceptable filler story, not a masterpiece.

But this story needed to be impressive, not just average. New audiences needed to be won over by the story on first viewing to for a series to proceed.

This shows partially why “Rose”was successful in comparison. The TV Movie needed to get everything perfect first time. “Rose” in comparison just needed to get people to gladly watch one more episode. “Rose” could build an audience, the movie needed to win an audience. The movie needed to get everyone demanding more episodes. It needed to attract not just fans, but newcomers to the series as well. And the film is not strong enough to achieve that.

Cons – No Central Character to Follow

I wondered while I was watching this – who are we meant to be following in this story? The first voice we hear is the eighth doctor giving an opening narration, but he doesn’t physically appear yet. The Film focuses instead on a largely silent Seventh doctor, until he is shot by a gang. Shortly afterwards, he changes into a new person without explanation. Fans may know this is the same character. New views to Doctor Who would be entirely lost.  

Of course, the other human characters are easier to identify with.  But Grace is introduced long after the seventh Doctor is shot.  Change Lee, who witnesses the Doctor be shot, is a better choice for audience surrogate. He first meets the Doctor when he arrives on Earthis involved in the story from as soon as the TARDIS lands until the end of the story.  However he spends most of the story allied with the Master.  Potentially this alliance to the Master the story could have worked if he was the central character.

Change Lee’s story would be of being a gang member meeting an alien and helping him restore his bodies. Over time Chang could slowly start having doubts, before realising he is supporting the wrong Time Lord.  This would allow better audience engagement for people unfamiliar with Doctor Who. However, the film instead focuses on Grace and the Eighth Doctor. By doing this, most of the first fifth of the film does not feature the focus characters. 

Monsters vs the Master – a bad choice

While the Master is a long term villain in Doctor Who, he rarely works alone. In most Master stories, he mostly he works with alien allies, monsters, or robot companions.

The Master is an odd choice for a launch story. I understand the character is affordable as a villain, just requiring an actor, no monster design required. But the Master works better when he has a bit of force behind him.  The Master is more of a threat when they have a power behind them, compared to the Doctor operating alone. Having the film just be about two duelling time lords, also leads to one further problem.

How is the Doctor a Hero?

The Doctor is usually our hero, in the movie as he was in the TV series. His name is the title of the movie after all. Once he regenerates, the new Doctor provides massive information dumps to Grace to introduce his character to all of us. But once we learn who the Doctor is, what does this movie say he does?

He saves the Earth! And what does he save the Earth from? His own TARDIS! Which is threatening the entire Earth because the Master left it open. And the Master is only on Earth because the Doctor accidentally brought him there.

Other stories have the issue of the Doctor only solving a problem he created, like this Movie does. However, the movie, in wanting to launch a series, needed to not have problems.

For a familiar fan, you know this is another episode in the ongoing fight between the Doctor and the Master. For a new viewer, though, Earth is just a casualty in a feud between two aliens. Instead of being a hero we need, Earth would have been better off without either the Doctor or the Master arriving. Therefore the Doctor’s actions come off as careless, resulting in deaths and the near destruction of Earth.

What happens next?

At the end of the movie, I wondered “Would I enjoy a series continued from this movie?”

I’ve asked this before, with varied answers. Sometimes I think a new series based on the TV movie would be exciting. Or sometimes I feel a series would esemble other nineties Sci-Fi like the X-Files, and I think I would not enjoy. But this time I realised, I have no idea. Because I have no idea what the series based on this would be like.

The main villain is (apparently) dead. Grace is choosing not to travel with Doctor for a reason I still don’t understand.  Perhaps the writers did not want to bring in a new companion if they weren’t certain if there would be an ongoing series. However, other companions had left without explanation, such as Ace in the seventh Doctor era.  We’ve got the Doctor traveling without a reason. All the movie has said about his motivations so far is that he transports dead Gallifreyans to Gallifrey.

Potentially the next episode could be nothing to do with this story, using new characters and settings. However, this would mean the next episode would need to completely reintroduce the series again. Alternatively, if it wishes to keep Grace and other concepts of the series, any such episode would need to copy a lot of the TV movie. The doctor is would be drawn back to San Francisco to fight an alien menace and see Grace. While this could end with Grace joining the Doctor, it would otherwise be the same general story outline of the first movie.

Not knowing what will happen next can be exciting. Literally having no idea of what the purpose of the characters you are watching is, is not .

The immediate follow up to the TV movie in other media, the Doctor Who Magazine Comic Book and the BBC Book series, both chose to avoid this problem by immediately sending their version of the Eighth Doctor to places the classic fans would be familiar with: Stockbridge fighting the Celestial Toymaker in the comics, and visiting each of his previous incarnations in the book series

What would have been better if the story ended with the Doctor showing Grace and Chang Lee his home planet Gallifrey on the scanner, and saying “Let’s go!” The next episode would still need to be entirely different from what we had seen before, but this way would build on what has happened before, and give viewers an idea what to expect for the next one, what the Doctor does, and have something to get excited about. And excitement means we want to see the next movie, rather than would merely accept it if it arrived.

What Rose Does Right

So with that in mind, what did “Rose” do right?  Why was Rose an instant hit, and the movie was not?

As mentioned before, Rose had the benefit of not having a lot riding on it compared to the movie. No one needs to completely decide whether or not they like Doctor Who by the end of “Rose”, because there are another twelve episodes coming either way.  However, “Rose” succeeded regardless.  

Partly that was because they did choose to focus on the character of Rose, a fairly easy to understand earth woman. This focus only really shifted towards the Doctor towards the end of the first series, and then once the Ninth Doctor regenerated the focus returned to her.  While this lead to complaints of “Rose Show featuring the Doctor” this method was successful in appealing to new fans. If someone had never watched an episode of Doctor Who before, they would learn everything you need to know through Rose, gradually and naturally, without need for info dumps of the kind the TV Movie had in abundance.

This method of introducing the series was used successfully twice before. First we learned of the Doctor through regular schoolteachers Ian and Barbara in 1963, and to a lesser degree we learn of the Doctor through regular earth people the Brigadier and Liz Shaw in 1971.

There was also a clear focus on monsters from the start. Some of them weren’t that amazing, but they had a look which got people excited. The Doctor has a purpose and motivation – to defeat the Autons and save the day. In “Rose”, the Doctor saves the Earth. What he does is save people, not just fixing up his own mistakes. And knowing this is the Doctor’s purpose, we have an idea of what he will do next, creating excitement for the next installment.

Final Thoughts

So, the movie was never terrible, but a good looking production with many problems. It’s big success is showing the later relaunch what not to do which later production teams learnt from. And by bringing us a new Doctor, there was a spark in fandom which may have kept it going for as long as it did, leading to creations such as Big Finish audio series featuring the Eighth Doctor still continuing to this day.

Doctor Who has had a larger amount of output post hiatus than most other stories. Usually there’s a bit of excitement for a few years, then people move onto different things.  I noticed in the lead up to the new series in 2004, there was a significant winding down in fan interest, with the BBC Book series slowing production, and Big Finish trying to permanently free itself from regular continuity with the assumption that there would be no regular continuity to ever return to. 

Could Doctor Who have survived from 1989 to 2004 relying on only novels, and comics to sustain their fandom? Thankfully, we’ll never ever find out. (3 / 5)

Regeneration is one of the most distinctive elements of Doctor Who. For a series that has lasted for over sixty years, there’s been remarkably little change within “Doctor Who.” Yes, the cast changes routinely, and some seasons have an arc, but the bare bones of the series – a Time traveler travelling through time and space with human companion(s) exploring new worlds and helping people – remain as consistent in 1963-1964 as they are in 2024.  A story like “The Daleks” or “The Aztecs” still covers the same ground that “The Giggle” or “Rosa” did sixty years later. 

Since the initial regeneration scene at the end of “The Tenth Planet” episode 4, we as fans have become used to it.  Doctor Who fans go through the cycle when we hear of a new regeneration. First we are uncertain, accepting them, and then preparing for the time they too will regenerate.  Regeneration is normal now – but what was it like for people back in 1966? 

This article explores the multiple factors in Doctor Who that lead to the first Regeneration, or Renewal as it was initially known. In particular we will look at how audiences and texts of the time attempted to explain and understand the change.

Underling issues in 1965

This conflict came to a boil with 1966’s “The Celestial Toymaker.”

The Regeneration That Never Was

In “The Celestial Toymaker” the evil Toymaker forces the Doctor to play his games. Out of frustration for breaking rules, the Toymaker makes the Doctor invisible for most of the story. Producer John Wiles planned for the Doctor to be permanently changed in this process, with William Hartnell not returning. Only the objection of the Head of Serials, Gerald Savory, at the time prevented this plan from coming.  John Wiles, and his script editor, Donald Tosh, finding the working relationship with Hartnell irreconcilable, resigned. They were replaced by Innes Lloyd and Gerry Pedler respectively.   

Hartnell’s health was deteriorating also at the time, though it was not known.  He had undiagnosed arteriosclerosis, a condition which restricted blood flow to the brain. This resulted in Hartnell experiencing difficulty remembering long passages and irritability from these memory gaps. 

Hartnell disclosed some of these pressures in an interview to the Daily Mail on April 26, 1966. In this interview, Hartnell expressed feelings of irritation with people. Discussing the production team, Hartnell explained he knew his role and did not want their interruptions and alterations.  The Producer at the time, John Wiles, was not aware of Hartnell’s illness. Subsequently, Wiles had seen Hartnell’s memory lapses and moods as an act, further antagonizing their relationship. 

Despite these issues, Hartnell states in the interview the BBC would continue the series as long as Hartnell remained.  Hartnell however wanted to have more time off, and more space to recover.  Noticeably around 1966, Hartnell’s Doctor is frequently missing in episodes. Health issues and holidays meant Hartnell had a reduced role in most stories from “The Massacre” onwards.  

Alongside these internal stressors, reviews externally began to criticize the program.  The Daily Worker in 1966 described the series as “showing signs of age” and that  “Youngsters are getting tired of it”

But the way he was to change was still to be determined.

Introducing Regeneration

The term “Regeneration” itself did not occur at this time in the series.  Two regenerations later in “Planet of the Spiders” this process was officially named as regeneration.  Initially, in production discussions, the action was described as “Renewal.”
It is not exactly clear who first developed the idea of how the Doctor was to change form. However, it is most likely to have come from discussions between Innes Lloyd and Script Editor Gerry Davis.  Production notes at the time focus mostly on the character of the new Doctor, with little about the change itself.  What the Production team did envisage was a change which occurred every 900 years or so, feeling:

As if he has had the LSD drug and instead of experiencing the kicks, he has the hell and dank horror

Initial Interpretations of the First Regeneration

The Doctor Who Annual 1968 is a fascinating snap shot into how the change initially by the public of 1967.  Annuals were produced around the middle of the year, to give to children at Christmas time. In the sixties, annuals were one of the few examples of Doctor Who media available.  There were no books, very few novelizations, and definitely no audio plays.  If you wanted further adventures with the Doctor, or to read about Doctor Who the series, the annual was almost your only option. 

For the 1968 Annual, we have a few first ever events.  It is the first time the Annuals would feature television companions alongside the Doctor, with Ben and Polly appearing.  And of course, this is the first annual which featured Patrick Troughton’s Doctor as main character.

Reading through it, it seems the authors did watch Troughton’s first story “Power of the Daleks” but no further. Popular companion Jamie (Introduced in Troughton’s second story), does not appear. Troughton’s costume from his first story, features in all images, despite the costume not being used again.

Also in the annual, there is an article entitled “Phoenix in the TARDIS.” This article compares the mythological creature of the Phoenix from Arabic folklore, with the new Doctor as “Our Modern Phoenix.” The article describes the change as follows:

At the end of nine hundred years, a strange psychological storm rejuvenated his form, changing his character in many ways

The article describes the new Doctor as more “with it” and “switched on” to the 20^th century. The Doctor is less likely to confide in companions, and more likely to be a man of action. Surprisingly, this article is the first time regeneration is used in Doctor Who, with the conclusion pondering “What lies ahead for the regenerated Doctor.”

What’s interesting about this article is how the act of regeneration isn’t seen as an event that will reoccur.  Instead, this is an event that needs almost a millennia to actually come about.  Troughton planned to leave the role longer than three years, but he also doubted the series would last this long.  Troughton was interviewed later he admitted he thought the change to Hartnell would lead to a cancellation within a year.  Even when Troughton did leave after three years, changing the Doctor again was only considered as an alternative to cancellation when suitable alternative series could not be found. 

Audience reactions, gathered by the BBC were not positive to the change.  Audience feedback during his first story reviewed Troughton as being miscast as the Doctor. The media, while initially curious about the change, became increasingly critical of Troughton during the first season.  The Daily Worker on Janaury 25^th 1967 reported that while Hartnell would bring dignity to the party in stories, Troughton’s clownish person only amplifies the nonsense.  The radio times meanwhile interviewed a member of the public, decrying Troughton as turning the Doctor into “Coco the Clown”

Long Term Acceptance of Regeneration

Troughton’s Doctor was eventually accepted as his first season moved away from historical stories, and towards images of the future.  The Cybermen’s return in “The Moonbase” in particular had some critics changing their appraisal of this new era.  At the same time, cast changes, with Frazer Hines, joining the cast, added to reasons audiences enjoyed the series more. 

However, that does not mean regeneration was accepted as normal.  After three years, Troughton announced his departure from the program.  With six full years completed, the BBC discussed completing the series, and replacing with something new, with an idea of being influenced by the new series “Star Trek” being discussed. 

Instead with “Planet of the Spiders” we have the first regeneration where the process was paid attention to.  The idea of regeneration coming about when a body faces significant damage or trauma is first referenced in this story.  The idea of being reborn rather than rejuvenated is expressly stated in this story. 

Final Thoughts

Looking back at the production notes for Hartnell’s final story, it’s surprising how little information or consideration went into it.  Even now, we’re not entirely sure who exactly came up with the idea of regeneration.  Likely no single person can ever claim credit to the full idea.  John Wiles original idea of the Doctor being transformed by the Celestial Toymaker undoubtedly had an influence by raising the idea of changing the Doctor but keeping the series, even though the change only occurred after he had resigned. 

When looking at the past, it’s important to remember that while regeneration for the modern series is just a process of adapting to a cast change, in 1966, regeneration was a risk taken by a series trying to survive.  The producers wanted little attention to be focused on the change, and instead to move on quickly with a new actor, and hence very little description or detail went into the change. 

And that, in part, is why for Doctor Who regeneration was so successful, and determined the longevity of the series to this day.  If William Hartnell had been replaced by the Celestial Toymaker, with the process being a consequence of running afoul of an evil God like character, such a precise process would have been difficult to repeat for later cast changes without being obviously repetitive.  By keeping the idea of regeneration in Doctor Who vague it allowed mythology to develop around it as needed either by a production crew, or as needed for a story. 

Regeneration was created for Doctor Who to respond to an actor’s decaying health, and intense conflict within a production team.  But it continues by allowing a constant refresh and re-invigoration of the series, while keeping its base format the same. 

One of the paradoxes of being a Doctor Who fan is you want more of the same Doctor Who Monsters, but not in the same way.  If you like a particular character or monster, you want them to come back, but with a second opportunity to explore a different perspective.  However, even then for characters and monsters we’ve been seeing for sixty years, how many more angles can we see? 

Luckily, the Doctor Who fan also has the Extended Universe. This mix of books, audio plays and comics across sixty years of entertainment have shown unique perspectives of monsters. 

Today we’re going to focus on five Doctor Who Monsters, and their Extended Universe appearances. If there’s any Doctor Who monster or character I’ve missed of interest, please share in the comments.

The Silurians/Earth Reptiles

First introduced in 1970’s “Doctor Who and the Silurians” the Silurians aren’t aliens. Silurians are more Earthlings than humans. They predated humanity, but entered hibernation during the time the mammals evolved.  After first menacing Jon Pertwee’s third Doctor, Silurians were reintroduced during the Eleventh Doctor’s era in 2010.

Since then, while rarely a main monster of a storyline, they have continued to make regular cameos. Most significantly, the reoccurring character of Madame Vastra, is a loyal Silurians acting as a detective in Victorian London. 

New Interpretation – Bloodtide (2001)

Colin Baker’s Sixth Doctor is the best Doctor for the Big Finish Audio Range. Big Finish Audio range is the best example of the Sixth Doctor.  With freedom from the difficult production era of the mid-eighties, and coupled with newcompanions like history professor, Evelyn Smythe, (Portrayed by the great Maggie Stables), the Sixth Doctor was given opportunities to be nicer and more definitively a hero.

Bloodtide sees the Doctor and Evelyn travelling to the Galapagos Islands. At the same time, Charles Darwin is developing his studies into what will eventually become his theory of evolution.  However, there is another race on the islands, and their influence over humanity will challenge Darwin’s theories.

The relationship between humanity and the Silurians varies significantly across Doctor Who. Some stories suggest Silurians and human beings barely interacting. This story, however explores the idea of Silurians being influential in the development of humanity, with humanity akin to domesticated animals becoming feral.  Also, instead of Silurians awakening on Earth, Bloodtide has Silurians already in control of a degree of humanity. This results in a story where we see how a Silurian ruled world would look like, albeit localised to an island.

Honorable Mentions

Blood Heat – This story is set on a parallel world where the Silurians successfully wipe out much of humanity with a virus. The Silurians now control the planet with only a minimal force of human rebels opposing them.

The Cybermen – A Doctor Who Magazine (DWM) comic strip which connects the creation of the Cybermen to a race of Silurians on Earth’s twin planet Mondas

The Weeping Angels are the only modern series monster that can really be considered a major reoccurring antagonist. In their first appearance in the story “Blink,” the Angels transport people to the past and feed of their time energies.  Being able to move faster than a blink, but frozen when in view created a sense of terror for characters Sally Sparrow, and also the viewers at home. 

In their first story, only four of the angels were present. Their second appearance in “Flesh and Blood” increased their danger, with the Eleventh Doctor visiting a world infested by Angels.  In later appearances, the Angels farmed on human temporal energy, and turned the Thirteenth Doctor briefly into a Weeping Angel herself.

New Interpretation – Grey Matter from Twelve Angels Weeping

One of the limitations of a horror based Doctor Who monster like the Weeping Angels in Doctor Who, is that the Doctor must survive, and almost always wins.  It’s hard to be too terrified when we already know the result, and that our hero would likely survive. 

This story is different though.

On the Planet Gehanna, a plague has broken out among the twelve separate human cities.  Our story starts on City One, the last remaining city free from the outbreak. Citizens wear specialized breath masks being work at all times to protect themselves from the outbreak.  The Twelfth Doctor is quickly captured and interrogated by the City’s Chief Medical Officer. There, he meets the Medical Officer’s other prisoner, a tortured and disfigured weeping angel. 

Despite this being a Christmas themed anthology, this story feels more like Halloween.  While the Doctor will survive, defeating the Angels and saving the planet may not be possible. Angels are seen as victims initially here, but also vengeful, vindictive, and ultimately victorious. Fear inducing scenes convey an impact not seen since their initial appearance in “Blink”

Honorable Mention – The Weeping Angel of Mons

This story sees the Tenth Doctor finding the Angel using the cover of WWI to feast on humanity.  This story seems like a natural sequel to “Blink” with intensity and involvement of angels increasing but only slightly. 

The Cybermen

The Cyberman are considered one of the Big Two Doctor Who Monsters. These cyborg threats first appeared in 1966’s “The Tenth Planet”, the final story of the First Doctor’s era.  The Cybermen were originally humanoids from the Earth’s twin planet, Mondas. Following their planet spiralling out of the solar system, they gradually merged with robotic and computer elements to become the emotionless Cybermen.  Since then we’ve seen a range of Cybermen, from Telos ice vaults, to parallel universes, to the Twelfth Doctor introducing the idea that they are the natural evolution whenever a planet’s technology takes over.  Throuhout the Cybermen consistently reject all emotions and aim to conquer and convert humanity.

New Interpretation: Killing Ground

The Cybermen in most of Doctor Who are seen as attempting to invade planets. Rarely do stories explore what would happen if they were successful.  They’re not like Daleks, killing things because they honestly believe they should die.  They’re not like Sontarans, using conquered planets as tools in their war against an enemy.  Mostly during Cybermen stories their motivation is to survive, to take a planet in order to avoid extinction. 

In the “Killing Ground” the Cybermen are still aiming for survival, but that is happening off page.  In the outer context of the story, the Cybermen are weakened, after losing the Cyber-War.  However, on this planet, the planet Agora, they have remained in complete control of the planet for almost fifty years.  People are used as source material for Cybermen to develop more Cybermen to spread across the Universe. On Agora as most rebellions have been violently suppressed.

Onto this planet arrives the Sixth Doctor and his companion Grant Markham. Grant is a child refugee from Agora, who had escaped the future of being a Cybermen when he came of age. 

It’s rare for a story to show any monster succesfully controlling a planet. Here, the Cyberman have maintained the control for decades. Beyond the fear of invasion, this story shows what a world would look like when Cybermen has eliminated all resistance. Despite being emotionless, the Cybermen can be as cruel with their logical responses as any tyrant. 

Honorable Mentions

The Flood – The last Eighth Doctor comic strip features the Cybermen attempting to invade Earth.  The comic artist takes advantage of its medium to make versions of the Cybermen which can never be seen on TV.  In addition, this story presents the Cybermen as benevolent. The Cybermem remove emotions removed due to an honest belief they cause distress, so removal will improve quality of life. 

The Autons

Servants of the Lovecraftian Nestene consciousness, the Autons are plastic robots, with inbuilt hand weaponry, and skills in duplication.  They first appeared in 1970, facing a newly regenerated Third Doctor. In the final episode of “Spearhead From Space,” they memorably burst out from the shop windows shooting. This scene was replicated for the relaunch, with the Ninth Doctor and Rose opposing the Autons and their Nestene rulers.

New Interpretation – Brave New Town

Originally, the Autons are connected to their controllers, the Nestenes, through Nestene crystal spheres which travel to Earth as meteorites.  Usually if this connection to the Nestenes is cut off the Autons cease to be. 

But what if they don’t?  What would Autons be if they weren’t guided for a time by the Nestenes?  Considering their skills for impersonation, could they impersonate so well they confused themselves?

This is the question asked in this Eighth Doctor Big Finish story. The Doctor and his companion Lucie Miller find the quiet town of Thorington is repeating the same day’s events.  Soon they find the planet has many secrets, and its population having been used by monsters both otherworldly and Human. 

Daleks

The Daleks are THE Doctor Who Monster. The Daleks are the first alien/monster opponent of the entire series, the second antagonist and second alien featured over all.  They have fought against every version of the Doctor on television. The Daleks have also fought parallel universe Doctors in the Unbound Series and the movie version of Doctor Who, portrayed by Peter Cushing. 

Daleks have appeared in Board Games, Video Games, Comics, Comic Strips, Books, Audio Plays, Stage Shows, and Escape Rooms. Any form of media that could feature the metal monsters from Skaro have featured them. 

Many stories show their evil, their hatred for all other beings, their belief in Dalek supremacy. So, what is there left to explore?

New Interpretation – Children of the Revolution

In 1967, Patrick Troughton completed his first season as the second Doctor, with the story “Evil of the Daleks.”

This epic seven part story had the Doctor travelling between present day Earth, the Victorian era, and Skaro itself in search for the stolen TARDIS, and uncovering the Dalek plan to insert the Dalek factor into the human race.

The Daleks are defeated by the Doctor creating Daleks with the Human sense of fun, and the ability to question authority. In response, a civil war emerges between the rival forces of Daleks, and the Dalek city is destroyed

But what if the Daleks who were more human lost the war, but escaped?  This is the question the DWM comic strip “Children of the Revolution” aims to answer.

The Eighth Doctor, and his companion Izzy, arrive on the water planet of Kyrol, where a crew of humans on a submarine are captured by the human Daleks, hiding to survive.  While the Doctor tries to defuse tensions between the human prisoners and the Daleks he played a part in creating, outside enemies attempt to manipulate the situation for their own benefit.

This story shows a world of what would Daleks be if they used their intelligence for acts other that destruction.  How would they view other races if they did not see them worthy of destruction?  We see a Dalek race that invests in art, in scientific curiosity, but can also see the difficulty the Doctor faces in wanting to protect them, while also seeing the point of the humans who want to be free. 

With amazing visuals of Daleks underwater, this is an amazing story and well worth a read.

Honorable mentions:

Prisoner of the Daleks –

While we often hear of the massive Dalek armies of the Dalek war, due to budgets we rarely see them, instead usually seeing small Dalek forces attempting invasions or attacks of certain areas.  Prisoner of the Daleks has the Tenth Doctor landing in a timeline prior to the Time War, where Daleks are a dominant force, with the Earth empire attempting to fight back by paying bounty hunters to destroy Daleks.  The strength and intelligence of the Daleks in this story is impressive, with the Doctor largely being helpless to out manipulate or defeat them until the very end.  Also, for a book from the BBC era which tended to be lighter, this is a dark world, with planets destroying themselves with nuclear weapons to prevent Dalek invasion and the survivors captured anyway by the Daleks who are not deterred by this act. 

This article just touches on some of the Doctor who monsters and villains that can be appreciated in new ways in the Extended Universe.  Of course there are many other ways to appreciate them, and many other monsters and villains to explore.  Please share any characters you’d like to find out about their varied appearances in the comments below.