Cast : Doctor : Sylvester McCoy
Ace : Sophie Aldred
Davros : Terry Molloy
Group Captain Gilmore : Simon Williams
Dr Rachel Jensen : Pamela Salem
Alison : Karen Gledhill
Sgt. Mike Smith : Dursley McLinden
Ratcliffe : George Sewell
Harry : Harry Fowler
The Young Girl : Jasmine Breaks
John : Joseph Marcell
Embry : Peter Hamilton Dyer
Headmaster : Michael Sheard
Vicar : Peter Halliday
Written By : Ben Aarronovitch
Produced By : JNT
Length : 4 x 25 minute episodes.
First UK Broadcast : 5 October – 26 October 1988.
Plot : The Doctor returns to Coal Hill School, with Ace – in 1963. To retrieve an important object secured there, by the First incarnation of the Doctor. Something that will turn the tide, in the up-and-coming Dalek’s civil war.
Whats good : Nostalgic use of locations from An Unearthly Child. The Daleks famously finally overcoming stairs! Subtle inclusion of references from the previous 25 years. McCoy finally sheds the clown act. The “Abomination”.
Whats bad : The Dalek’s side to side wobble – it’s kind of …..offputting!
Review With Spoilers :Remembrance Of The Daleks was the 25th Anniversary episode of Doctor Who – and the first serial, of a season of showcase-stories.
Rather than go for another all Doctor-affair, as per the 20th Anniversary. Producers wisely decided that the nostalgia trip, would be provided by the inclusion of locations and references from An Unearthly Child – and other past stories.
And to good effect too. There are so many subtle Doctor Who references, present. It’s hard to pick up – on all of them. The use of Coal Hill School and I.M. Foreman’s junkyard, are among the obvious ones.
Michael Sheard, as the Headmaster; having previously appeared in many other Doctor Who stories. The strange super-intelligent alien young girl who helps the Dalek’s; a nod to Susan. The references to the Doctor, as being quite different to the “white haired old gentleman” – (the First Doctor).
The Hand Of Omega ties Remembrance Of The Daleks up, with the events of An Unearthly Child. As to what, the First Doctor was doing in I.M. Foreman’s junkyard; prior to meeting Ian and Barbara.
The embryos inside the Supreme Dalek’s polycarbide casing; are more fully formed than the rebel-variety and having red claws. This is a nod to the first time, you see a Dalek’s innards and provides an explanation – as to the inconsistency of their changing appearance – over the years.
Captain Gilmour is (no doubt) a nod to the Brigadier and his interplay with the Doctor; as the stuffy Military Commander – is interesting and harks back to the Brigadier and the Third Doctor’s – frayed relationship.
McCoy is starting to find his feet, as the Doctor. As they finally give him some actual characterisation, to work with. Finally, putting to bed the awful clown act; from season 24.
Ace – is on fine form here aswell. Almost finding herself a boyfriend, in Mike but being more enamoured; with the assortment of guns, rocket launchers and bombs; that the army unwisely – let her loose with. Ace also memorably lets loose on a poor Dalek, with her ‘Hand Of Omega’ imbued baseball bat; in the school.
“Your species has the most amazing capacity for self-deception, matched only by its ingenuity when trying to destroy itself!” Doctor
The “Remembrance” title here, is apt – and is conveyed throughout the story, with the funeral of the Hand Of Omega casket – and the destruction of Skaro.
A couple of neat twists ensue, with the revelation that Davros is not controlling the rebel Daleks from the warehouse, as you are led – to believe (it turns out to be a young girl under Dalek influence).
And that the Supreme Dalek is infact Davros – in disguise; having finally re-established himself, as controller of the Dalek empire. In Revelation Of The Daleks, he was in charge of a doomed rebel-force. We also get to meet “The Abomination” for the first time, a special tank-like super dalek, whose whole top-half is a giant gun.
Special Effects are strong here too, for the time. The Daleks themselves, have a nifty new ‘Terminator’-style viewpoint; which we get to see through. Also, the Dalek laser-blasts, are tangible energy blasts. Rather than the incomprehensible reverse-negative blinking-effect, which had been used in earlier years; when they exterminate.
Remembrance Of The Daleks is one of the better McCoy episodes and nicely signs-off, the previous 25 years. This is largely due, to its fresh take on the Daleks. Its interesting location work and tie-in with An Unearthly Child. McCoy’s best episode.
