Geek Syndicate
THE FOURTH DOCTOR (Tom Baker 1975-1981)
LUKE’S CHOICE:
When I saw Genesis for the first time, I was just taken
aback by the spectacle of the story. The opening shot of
the desolate Skaro as a battle rages on is one that has always stuck with me. Often it is a bad decision to explain a
character’s origin. It takes away their mystery, their awe.
This story manages to create an origin of the Daleks that
in no way detracts from them. Terry Nation (one of the all
time best Doctor Who scribes, in my opinion) produces not
just an exceptional story but one that adds to their awe
and mystery.
The Doctor is brought to Skaro by The Time Lords in order
to change the development of the Daleks, to make them
less of a threat than they were meant to be or even prevent their creation altogether. The Doctor, with the help
of Sarah Jane and Harry, venture into a bunker controlled
by the Kaleds. The Kaleds are one of two races on Skaro,
along with the Thals with who they are at war. In the bunker, The Doctor and his companions encounter Davros.
Davros is the chief scientist of the Kaled race. He is the
man who creates the Daleks. The main thrust of the story
revolves around a simple philosophical debate: does The
Doctor have the right to commit genocide?
Synopsis (from Tardis.wikia.com):
Intercepted while travelling betweenEarth and the Ark,
the Fourth Doctor and his companions are transported
to the planet Skaro, thousands of years in the past, on a
mission for the Time Lords — to prevent the creation of
the Daleks.
Do I have the right? Simply touch one wire against the
other, and it’s it? The Daleks cease to exist? Hundreds
of millions of people, thousands of generations, can live
without fear, in peace, and never even know the word
“Dalek”?
- The Doctor, Genesis of the Daleks
This may be the most iconic quote from all of Doctor
Who. It seems to have resonated across the years and
was almost be echoed by John Hurt’s incarnation “The
War Doctor” in the fiftieth anniversary story, The Day
of the Doctor. Genesis of the Daleks is a true classic. I remember watching it for the first time. It was the second
ever story of Doctor Who I watched. I grew up in the wilderness years (which is what we fans call the period in
which there was no new Doctor Who on television) where
the only Doctor Who I had seen was the television movie
starring Paul McGann.
Tom Baker is at his best here. This story was part of the
actor’s first year in the role but by this point, he has firmly
established his characterisation of the Time Lord. His eccentric, mad, moral Doctor has some excellent dialogue
with megalomaniac Dalek creator Davros. Their battle of
words is not only well scripted but performed marvellously
by the verbal opponents.
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