Dalek scientist. Doctor Who and the Daleks. Creation and entry into popular culture

Daleks

Daleks- an extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. In the series, the Daleks are semi-cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros (English) Russian during the last years of the thousand-year war against the Thals. Genetically, they are mutants of the Kaled race, placed in tank- or robot-like mobile (including those capable of flying) shell machines. The resulting creatures are a powerful race bent on conquering the Universe and dominating without pity, regret or remorse. Daleks lack all emotions except one - hatred.

The race is often the main adversary of the series' protagonist, the Time Lord Doctor. If you believe the Doctor's words that the Time Lords were the most technically advanced race that has ever existed, then the Daleks can safely be placed in second place, since they are the only ones who were able to fight the Lords on equal terms. The Doctor, who as a rule does not recognize violence and believes that every form of life in the Universe has a right to exist, at first believed that the Daleks should be completely exterminated. Later, he changes his mind (when meeting with Dalek Caan, a member of the Cult of Skaro and the only Dalek alive at that time, he says that he is not going to kill him, because “he will not allow another genocide”), but his enmity with the Daleks (after this again found a way to survive and be reborn) persists to this day, because they never make a truce with anyone. A Dalek's sole purpose in life is the destruction of all who are not Daleks.

The word "Dalek" has entered major English dictionaries, including the Oxford English Dictionary, which defines them slightly imprecisely as "a type of robot appearing in Doctor Who, the B.B.C. science fiction television program, that is, used figuratively." The word is sometimes used metaphorically to describe people, usually people in power, who act like robots, unable to deviate from their programmed behavior.

The Daleks’ favorite word, “Destroy!” has become widely known. (English) "Exterminate!").

History of the Dalek race

Davros - creator of the Dalek race

All armor systems are powered by static electricity. On their home planets, Daleks are usually charged by the metal floors and walls of their cities (a sudden power outage can kill a Dalek). To travel outside of charged surfaces, early versions of the Daleks used energy relay antennas. Later models were equipped with extremely efficient solar collectors and a capacitor system capable of storing incredible amounts of energy to keep the Daleks functioning for millennia.

The Daleks spend their entire lives inside the armor, never emerging. One could even say that a living being and its metal shell are only two components of what is called a Dalek, and only together they are a Dalek.

Social structure

All Daleks, with the exception of the Emperor and the Cult of Skaro, are equal. They don't have names, only numbers. The Daleks unquestioningly carry out any orders from their superiors.

A special group of Daleks, commonly referred to as the Black Daleks, have an elevated status in the Dalek hierarchy and are de facto at the top of their society. Black Daleks have more advanced mental capabilities than normal Daleks due to their command function.

At certain periods in the history of the Daleks, at the head of their hierarchy was a single Dalek, called the Supreme Dalek or Dalek Emperor. The Supreme Dalek/Emperor was a genetically enhanced Dalek taken to the "ultimate limit of evolution". Several different Supreme Daleks/Emperors have appeared in the series, including Davros, who briefly held the position.

Cult of Skaro- a group of several Daleks, created personally by the Emperor, whose task is to think as their enemies think. The Daleks think very differently from any other intelligent life form in the universe, and they are not capable of imagination, so thinking through strategy and tactics in war, which requires understanding how the enemy thinks, could be an insurmountable task for them. But for this purpose, the Cult of Skaro exists in the Dalek Empire. Its members are the only Daleks to have names. Their emotional threshold is higher than that of normal Daleks, allowing them to understand the thinking of other races.

In the 2012 season, it was revealed for the first time that at least some of the Daleks have a certain understanding of beauty. In "Asylum of the Daleks", it was demonstrated that the Daleks find particularly violent forms of hatred aesthetically pleasing, and rather than simply destroying permanently battle-damaged or mentally unstable Daleks, exile them to a protected refuge planet.

Facts about filming

Early versions of the Daleks were not remote controlled, but were based on miniature bicycles. One interesting incident related to this is that Terry Nation wanted the Daleks to take to the streets of London to film the end credits. To allow models to move freely on the pavement, designer Spencer Chapman created a new type of Dalek armor that concealed the wheels. Moving along the rough stone pavements of London, the Daleks rumbled so loudly that it was impossible to cover up the noise even with the film's closing music. Later versions of the Daleks had neater wheels (according to the Dalek designers, from a supermarket trolley), or were simply moved by operators, but the Daleks were too heavy. The difficulty with the models' movement contributed to the somewhat jerky movements of the Daleks, as it might seem at first glance. The latest Dalek model still has an operator inside, but the movement is controlled from a distance. This is also convenient for the operator, who can concentrate on controlling the remaining parts of the remote.

Due to their unusual, “non-humanoid” appearance, iron body, and electronic voice, one gets the impression that the Daleks are robots and are controlled from a distance. As already stated, this is not the case. In reality, Dalek models are controlled internally by an operator who is responsible for the movement of the eye stalk, the direction of the laser beam, the movement of the manipulator, and the blinking of lights on the body. The body consists of two parts: upper and lower. The operator stands in the lower one and closes with the upper one.

In addition to being cramped and hot within the Dalek's iron shell, the enclosure muffles external sounds, making it difficult for cameramen to hear commands from the director or studio. The case is also too heavy to open from the inside, meaning operators can get stuck inside if they forget to let them out. John Scott Martin John Scott Martin), the original series cinematographer said that controlling a Dalek is not an easy thing. “You need about six hands: one to control the eye, one to turn on the lights, one to use the weapon, one to move around, and so on. If I were an octopus, it would be easier,” John says ironically. The Daleks created for the later series of the Doctor differ slightly from the original Daleks, with the exception of an expanded base and a number of minor nuances. In addition to the operator inside the Dalek, the "head" and "eye" are controlled by another operator via remote control. The third operator is responsible for the voice.

Notes

Synopsis

The Doctor is interested in the planet the TARDIS lands on. Is there anyone left here who survived the nuclear war? Be careful, you can't escape from them!

Plot

Episode 1. Dead Planet

The Doctor and his companions arrive on a planet unknown to them. They discover a city. The Doctor intends to go there, but his companions stop him. They want to get out of here as quickly as possible. On the way back to the TARDIS, Susan falls behind the Doctor, Ian and Barbara. In the forest, it seems to her that someone touched her on the shoulder. When Susan returns to the TARDIS, no one believes her. Suddenly, something knocks on the ship's door, but there is no one on the scanner. Ian and Barbara begin to persuade the Doctor to leave here, but he claims that the supply of mercury in the TARDIS has run out, and they cannot leave without it. The only place where there might be mercury is the city behind the forest. Leaving the TARDIS, the companions discover bottles with a strange liquid near it, probably left by the creature who knocked on the door. Having arrived in the city, the travelers disperse. Barbara follows long corridors. The doors behind her are constantly closing. When she realizes that she is trapped, a Dalek appears.

Episode 2. Survivors

The Doctor, Ian and Susan come into a room full of different machines. There, the Doctor discovers a Geiger counter, which shows a high level of radiation on the planet. The doctor admits that they don’t need mercury and he already has it. He gives the bottle of mercury to Ian. The Doctor states that it is dangerous to be here and they need to return to the TARDIS immediately. But Ian insists that they need to find Barbara first. But then the Daleks burst into the room. Ian tries to escape, but one of the Daleks paralyzes his leg. The Daleks lock up their companions, where Barbara is already waiting for them. The Daleks summon the Doctor and interrogate him. They explain that they fought with another people - the Tals. During the war, a neutron bomb exploded, which led to the mutation of both races. Now the Daleks cannot leave their metal city. The Doctor convinces the Daleks that they will all die from radiation sickness if they don't use the drugs. The Daleks allow one of the prisoners to go into the TARDIS and bring medicine. The Doctor and Barbara are too weak, and Ian's leg is paralyzed, so the companions send Susan.

Episode 3. Escape

Outside the TARDIS, Susan meets Alidon. He is a thal. He did not mutate like the Daleks, but remained human-like. Alidon is surprised that the Daleks are still alive. His people believed that they died after the neutron war. Alidon claims that the Daleks cannot be trusted and gives Susan another set of drugs. Susan returns to the city and tells the Daleks that the Thals want peace. The Daleks agree to this, but in reality they are preparing a plan for revenge. At this time, the Doctor and his companions take medicine and recover from radiation sickness. A Dalek enters the room. The travelers take the mud from Susan's boots and put it on the Dalek's eye. Ian climbs inside the Dalek's body.

Episode 4. Ambush

The Daleks are chasing the Doctor and his companions. They manage to escape from their enemies in the elevator. The travelers look out the window and see the Thals, who have come to the city to make peace with the Daleks. The travelers shout to them that this is an ambush, but the Tals do not hear them. The travelers go down to the street to warn the Thals. At this time, the Daleks surround them and kill the leader. The remaining Thals and the Doctor and their companions leave for the Thal camp. There, one of the Thals, Diona, tells the Doctor about the history of the planet. The Daleks were once called the Kaleds and were similar to the Thals, but after the neutron war they mutated. Ian persuades the Thals to fight the Kaleds, but the Doctor suggests they leave. But to everyone's horror, the travelers learn that they cannot. The Daleks took the vial of mercury from Ian during the search, and he remained in the city.

Episode 5. Expedition

The Tals decide to help travelers in search of mercury. The companions are divided into two groups: Ian and Barbara will take a detour through the swamps inhabited by mutants, and the Doctor and Susan will go straight to the city and act as bait. During this time, the Daleks begin to die off from the medicine they took. They realize that they have adapted to radiation and decide to increase its amount on Skaro by detonating another neutron bomb. At this time, Ian, Barbara and the Thals stop at the swamp. They hear Elyon - one of the Thals begins to scream. Everyone comes running to the place and sees a terrible picture: a swamp monster is dragging Elion to the bottom.

Episode 6. Test

Elion is dead, but travelers must continue to walk. At this time, the Supreme Dalek is informed that preparing the neutron bomb will take 23 days. This takes too long and the Daleks decide to blow up their nuclear reactors. The Doctor and Susan destroy some of the Dalek computers. But then the alarm is raised and the Daleks surround the travelers and take them prisoner. Ian, Barbara and the Thals walk through the caves. Before them stands a huge chasm that they must jump over. The travelers overcome the abyss, but one of the Tals falls off and falls down.

Episode 7. Rescue

The Daleks lead the Doctor and Susan into the control room. At this time, a group of Ian and Barbara approaches the city and they decide to free the Doctor. Together they destroy the Daleks' power sources and prevent an explosion. The Daleks become motionless and soon die. The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan return to the Thal camp with mercury. The Tals thank the travelers and they say goodbye. The TARDIS dematerializes, but then the ship's console explodes and the travelers fall to the floor.

Broadcasts and reviews

In fact, I don't know what historical or artistic importance is present in this film, or even its purpose. What is this - an addition to the series, or a restart aimed at the general public in the form of a movie? Personally, I mean the latter option, and if this is so, then I will review this movie as a reboot of a classic series.

Plot-wise, the film takes the second episode of the classic Doctor Who series “The Daleks” as a basis, arranging everything as if it were the first adventure of the Doctor and his companions, so that the writers almost exactly reshot the key moments of the series, inserting small and insignificant changes. And yet, for those who don’t know what happened in the classic series (although the movie was made with fans of the series in mind), I’ll explain: a certain Doctor Who decides to show his granddaughter’s new boyfriend the features of his great invention - the TARDIS - a machine capable of being transported in time and space , and it accidentally activates, transporting the Doctor, his granddaughters and the unlucky boy to the planet Skaro, where high radiation reigns and a group of alien Daleks intend to completely destroy the planet for his capture. The Doctor must not only save himself and his companions, but also stop the Daleks.

Interestingly, changes from the classics also concern external qualities, such as the changed internal appearance of the TARDIS, the transformation of the Doctor into a simple but eccentric professor (although at first he was positioned as such). Changes also affected the characters: Barbara turned from a teacher into his granddaughter, Ian from a brave teacher into a klutz, and the Daleks became multi-colored. But such changes exactly correspond to the attempt to restart, so all that remains is to either accept them or reject them, and I am for the first option, because all these changes look very harmonious (and the change in Susan’s age from a teenager to a little girl was very beneficial for the sake of family target audience). It is also worth noting the genre feature - the film is a mixture of family science fiction with seasoned elements of comedy (in fact, the comedy here revolves around the character Ian, who manages to stumble even while standing on his feet).

The only thing that didn’t please me was the fact that the plot of the classic series was completely crumpled. For example, “The Daleks” consisted of 6 episodes of 20 minutes, while here the creators tried to fit it all into an 80-minute film, so this often led to rather stupid and awkward moments, and the short running time turned out to be quite boring. I am silent about the awkward ending, which, although it was positioned as funny, causes nothing but bewilderment.

Peter Cushing looks great as the Doctor. If Hartnell's character was a hot-tempered, stubborn old man, then Cushing's character is a rather funny grandpa with a huge amount of scientific knowledge and the ability to funny show surprise on his face. The perfect character for a comedic version of the Doctor, but it's hard to imagine him as one of his many reincarnations of the original.

I was also pleased with the rather beautiful melody at the beginning, which encourages me to watch. There are no special effects here at all.

Doctor Who and the Daleks a film that fans of the classic series will love and hate. Now it’s up to them to decide whether to love this attempt to remake the series into a comedy format or forget about its existence. For me personally, this picture was of keen interest, and this interest was practically justified.