The Daleks

002 – *The Daleks*
002 – The Daleks
Doctor Who serial
	Barbara is threatened, in the first on-screen appearance of the Daleks, considered one of the show's most iconic cliffhangers.
Cast
	Doctor William Hartnell – First Doctor;
	Companions William Russell – Ian Chesterton; Jacqueline Hill – Barbara Wright; Carole Ann Ford – Susan Foreman;
	Others Alan Wheatley – Temmosus; John Lee – Alydon; Virginia Wetherell – Dyoni; Philip Bond – Ganatus; Marcus Hammond – Antodus; Gerald Curtis – Elyon; Jonathon Crane – Kristas; Peter Hawkins, David Graham – Dalek Voices; Robert Jewell, Kevin Manser, Michael Summerton, Gerald Taylor – Daleks; Chris Browning, Katie Cashfield, Vez Delahunt, Kevin Glenny, Ruth Harrison, Lesley Hill, Steve Pokol, Jeanette Rossini, Eric Smith – Thals;
Production
Directed by	Christopher Barry (1–2, 4–5); Richard Martin (3, 6–7);
Written by	Terry Nation
Script editor	David Whitaker
Produced by	Verity Lambert
Music by	Tristram Cary
Production code	B
Series	Season 1
Running time	7 episodes, 25 minutes each
First broadcast	21 December 1963
Last broadcast	1 February 1964
Chronology
← Preceded by; An Unearthly Child	Followed by →; The Edge of Destruction
	List of episodes (1963–1989)

The Daleks (also known as The Mutants and The Dead Planet) is the second serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on BBC TV in seven weekly parts from 21 December 1963 to 1 February 1964. Written by Terry Nation and directed by Christopher Barry and Richard Martin, this story marks the first appearance of the show's most popular villains, the Daleks, and the recurring Skaro people, the Thals.

In the serial, the First Doctor (William Hartnell), his granddaughter Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford), and her teachers Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) land in an alien jungle and are captured by the Daleks, a race of mutated creatures who survive off the radiation that remains in the atmosphere after a nuclear war with their enemies. As the group attempt to escape the Daleks, they discover more about the planet and the ensuing war, and attempt to broker a peace.

The Daleks was originally commissioned by script editor David Whitaker, having seen Nation's other writing work. Nation wrote a story outline, influenced by the threat of racial extermination by the Nazis. Whitaker and producer Verity Lambert were impressed, despite disapproval from the show's creator Sydney Newman, who wanted to avoid serials with "bug-eyed monsters". Barry directed several episodes of The Daleks, trailed by Martin who directed three episodes due to Barry's other commitments. The Daleks were designed by Raymond Cusick, and underwent several iterations, while the Dalek voices were achieved using a ring modulator.

The serial premiered with seven million viewers, and audiences grew as news about the Daleks spread; the show's overall audience increased by 50% after the final episode. It received generally positive reviews, with praise for Nation's script, although several reviewers criticised its length. It later received several print adaptations, as well as home media and soundtrack releases, and was adapted into a feature film starring Peter Cushing. A 75-minute colourised version was broadcast in 2023 for the programme's 60th anniversary.

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