Death to the Daleks: Part One

Review of the Complete Story:

DEATH TO THE DALEKS is hardly a classic serial from the Jon Pertwee era of Dr Who, although it does have plenty of charm to recommend it to the fans. The story opens as the Doctor and Sarah Jane experience a massive power drain on the Tardis, which forces them to land on a murky and remote alien planet. They hook up with a human space expedition while being menaced by some unpleasant inhabitants.

The look of this serial is one of the things I liked most about it. There are exotic cities, weird rag-clothed aliens, some funny masks, and a murky, barren, alien planet all filmed in an old quarry somewhere. Inevitably the Doctor's most famous enemies also make an appearance, although the Daleks present a rather ordinary foe here with little of the fear factor that viewers are usually exposed to.

The bug-eyed aliens are more interesting, especially the friendly one that Pertwee hooks up with in the latter stages; it makes for amusing viewing. Elisabeth Sladen has little to work with but Pertwee's not bad and some of the guest stars (Hammer's Duncan Lamont, Joy Harrison) are good value. Not perfect, perhaps one for the fans to enjoy instead.