Episode #78 : Genesis of the Daleks

"Today, the Kaled race is ended, consumed in a fire of war. But, from its ashes will rise a new race. The supreme creature. The ultimate conqueror of the universe. The Dalek!"

Episode 78:   Genesis of the Daleks.
Companions: 4th Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan.
Air Date:       Six episodes. 8th March to 12th April 1975.

The Time Lords intercept the transmat beam taking the Doctor, Sarah and Harry back to Nerva and deposit them instead on the planet Skaro at an early point in its history. There a Time Lord gives the Doctor both a mission to prevent or alter the Daleks' development so that they become less of a threat to the universe and a time ring that will enable him and his companions to return to the TARDIS once this is done.

Despite it's length and too much filler elements, Genesis of the Daleks is a truly fantastic story for Doctor Who. In this one we learn the origins of the Dalek race and encounter their creator, Davros, for the first time. Previously the Daleks have simply been hateful cybernetic creatures out to exterminate the universe, but now we seen the how and why of their creation. I think it certainly adds more to the shows mythos than perhaps any other classic story.

In the original Star Trek series there were several episodes that featured planets where everyone wore a wore Nazi, Roman or 20's gangster outfits because it was what was on hand and cheap to use. The costumes in this story remind me greatly of those Trek episodes. The Kaleds resemble the Nazi's (in both costume and expected demeanour), and at other times we see characters running about dressed for the first world world. While I am sure that this was entirely intended for the tone of the story, it does tend to stand out more than perhaps it should.

Genesis has also been hinted at as being the first element of the Time War that is to come. The Time Lords sending the Doctor back to prevent their creation or alter them somehow. He doesn't really do either, just delaying their development for a few centuries at best. How the Daleks learnt that the Time Lords attempted this may never be known but seems like a fair reason to launch a war against Gallifrey.

Genesis of the Daleks really is a must watch story for fans.