DALEK!

While I admit to enjoying Jon Petwee’s and Tom Baker’s portrayal of the BBC’s errant Time Lord, I wouldn’t call myself a Dr Who fan and can honestly say I have absolutely no interest in the current series. But like most kids growing up in the sixties Dr Who’s arch enemies had much more appeal to me than the Doctor himself.

 

I have vivid memories of watching the first Dalek story shown on TV in 1963 and having nightmares, believing a Dalek was hiding in wait behind my bedroom door.

The Dalek strip on the back page of TV21 sealed the deal for me linking the worlds of Gerry Anderson and those mutant metal monsters. Indeed an edition of the comic was used to promote the colourful big screen adaptation, Dr Who And The Daleks .

The second film, Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. followed a year later in 1966. I still like those films packed with sixties kitsch and love re-watching them while munching through a bowl of Sugar Puffs! Strangely enough, in the film Dr Who And The Daleks, the Doctor, played by Peter Cushing is seen reading an issue of Eagle comic rather than TV21, but I suppose that makes sense, as he’d have prior knowledge of the Daleks if he turned to the back cover!

 

Peter Cushing's co-stars, Jennie Linden and Roy Castle  

The sixties was awash with Dalekmania making a lot of dosh for their creator, the late Terry Nation, and subsequently all types of Dalek toys were released.

The Louis Marx Bump & Go Robot Action Dalek was probably the most popular, available in either black or silver. Examples were even used in the actual BBC series during shots involving miniature Dalek crowd scenes. First in the 1967 story ‘Evil Of The Daleks’, and later in 1973 in the story ‘ Planet Of The Daleks’.

Tom Baker’s popularity as The Doctor in the early seventies meant the toy was re packaged with a more up to date box. These were available in either yellow or red. Other manufacturers got in on the act like Denys Fishers and Palitoy with new Dalek toys.

At the time of it’s release I always considered Palitoys Talking Dalek to be a fairly accurate representation, although looking at it now it’s far from perfect, but, even though I like them both, it’s certainly a better effort than the Marx Dalek.

Stay tuned for more Dalekmania.