Cast : The Doctor : Patrick Troughton
Polly : Anneke Wills
Ben Jackson : Michael Craze
Bragen : Bernard Archard
Hensell : Peter Bathurst
Lesterson : Robert James
Quinn : Nicholas Hawtrey
Janley : Pamela Ann Davy
The Examiner : Martin King
Resno : Edward Kelsey
Valmar : Richard Kane
Kebble : Steven Scott
Written By : David Whittaker & Dennis Spooner.
Produced By : Innes Lloyd
First UK Broadcast : 5 November – 10 December 1966.
Length : 6 x 25 minute episodes.
Plot : The newly regenerated Second Doctor, masquerades as a visiting Examiner, in an Earth colony on planet Vulcan – and runs into some Daleks.
Whats good : Solid low-key Dalek adventure. Troughton brings a different, more welcome youthful tone to the show. Murder-mystery.
Whats bad : It is a bit long – at 6 episodes. Troughton hasn’t quite found his feet yet. Later scenes use (painfully obvious) still backdrops, to simulate – an army of Daleks.
Review With Spoilers : The Power Of The Daleks, is the third serial of season 4 – and the first full appearance of the new Second Doctor; Patrick Troughton.
Having recently regenerated, the Second Doctor is confused and attempts to understand his predicament and his new younger – and changed body.
Landing on the desolate planet Vulcan, the Doctor meets a wandering human, who is promptly murdered by an unseen foe. The Doctor takes the dead man’s credentials – and travels to a nearby colony, to investigate the murder.
Once there, the Doctor discovers that the colonists are keeping a small army of deactivated Daleks; rescued from a crashed pod – and are unwisely working on trying to reanimate them.
After the huge Dalek epics, of The Dalek Invasion Of Earth and The Dalek’s Masterplan. Producers wisely go for a more low-key Dalek number, to welcome and warm-up the new Doctor.
The Power Of The Daleks brings together a murder-mystery, permeated with the overhanging threat of a sleeping Dalek army.
“I’ve been renewed, have I? That’s it. I’ve been renewed. It’s part of the Tardis. Without it, I couldn’t survive!” The Doctor
The Daleks, once awakened by mad scientist Lesterson, initially take on an obedient servant role – which is kind of creepy. It’s a position we haven’t seen them in before; fetching and carrying drinks – for humans. This servitude angle is explored more in The Evil Of The Daleks.
It is all a ruse though – and when the Dalek’s finally unleash their true intentions – in episode 4; the Colony and most of the Colonists – go up in (exterminated) smoke.
The Power Of The Daleks title is synonomous – and has a double meaning, throughout this serial. The Dalek’s require static power to re-animate them, provided by Lesterson’s mad experiments – and the Dalek’s eventually unleash their power on the colonists.
Patrick Troughton’s first outing, is a nervy affair – and he spends much of the episode attempting to find his feet – in the massive shoes left by William Hartnell’s departure.
He does however, show enough to justify why producers decided that Troughton – was the only man to fill the role. Troughton gives the programme a new, more youthful verve – with his presence.
The Power Of The Daleks is a sometimes nervy – but entertaining low-key Dalek adventure. Intended to blood the new incoming Doctor, which it does well; for an opener.
🔵🔵🔵⚪⚪ (3/5)
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