Things I've Learnt from Watching My Favourite Doctor Who Stories : Part 55 - Death to the Daleks

55. Death to the Daleks


A saxophone quartet and sci-fi don't exactly mix...



Der-dun-dun-dun... 

Der der der der 

Der-dun-dun-dun


Now if you're a fan of a certain Dalek story starring Jon Pertwee, the above won't seem like gibberish but will instantly conjure up the incongruous incidental music that assaults your ears whenever you watch that story and the tinpot terrors appear on screen...

The Pertwee era has a certainly got an eclectic mix of incidental music to it; from Dudley Simpson's wonderful and evocative music to the Ambassadors of Death, to the electronic bleeps and burbles of Malcolm Clarke's score for the Sea Devils, there are some that work and some that are an assault to the eardrums.

Carey Blyton who composed the incidental music for Death to the Daleks had already worked on the series for Doctor Who and the Silurians, with instruments including a crumhorn and kazoo which are interesting and at times almost effective whilst at others detract from the tension. Perhaps in the case of the kazoo, I've listened to too many episodes of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue...

So when Blyton is commissioned by Michael E Briant for Death to the Daleks it's going to be a change from the then-usual synth sounds by Dudley Simpson. And a saxophone quartet is, shall we say, an interesting choice. Fan opinion is divided, for some it's dreadful and others quirky and original. My view is that it's an unusual choice but it sounds much better than some of Dudley Simpson's electronic dirges from season eight. It's certainly memorable especially the Dalek theme although it becomes rather wearing towards the end.

Let's be honest, this story is included in my list for nostalgia reasons. Released on VHS in 1987, it was one of the early ones and for my generation is immortalised in its movie format version. (I didn't actually see the episodic version until the DVD release in 2011!) But even its most ardent fans would admit it's far from perfect! 

Pertwee always said he hated the Daleks and as this is his third encounter with them, and made after his announcement to leave, it's perhaps not surprising that he's rather subdued. Conversely, Elisabeth Sladen in her third story is great value, although Sarah Jane is written more of a female in distress than the independent strong willed journalist of her first two stories. The scenes of her being attacked by the Exillons in the lifeless TARDIS are harrowing, shot from the alien's perspective. In the shadows they're quite effective but in the temple scenes with the opera singing in the background, they're not quite so scary. 

Of the guest cast, Arnold Yarrow as Bellal is the most memorable, his alien body language is weirdly effective and he works well alongside Pertwee in the latter two episodes. The human characters aren't so great, although I don't think the performances are as bad as some fans say. But they're stock characters that Nation has written countless times before... 

As he has with the plot (Space plague, doctor and companion get separated, Daleks surprise arrival at the end of part one...) it's all rather predictable but in the right mood, it's almost comforting. Even the incidental music. All together now "Der dun din dun..."


Next Time : Not all rude and amusingly shaped vegetation appeared on That's Life! 




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