Why does New Who get all the credit for levitating Daleks?

Jon RossJon Ross Posts: 3,322
Forum Member
✭✭✭
Just watched Doctor Who's Greatest Moments, and both Tracy Oberman and Corey Johnson were making out as though it was an astonishing new thing when a Dalek climbed a flight of stairs in New Who when this was done - and quite well too - in the '80s!!

Comments

  • VerenceVerence Posts: 104,575
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭
    Jon Ross wrote: »
    Just watched Doctor Who's Greatest Moments, and both Tracy Oberman and Corey Johnson were making out as though it was an astonishing new thing when a Dalek climbed a flight of stairs in New Who when this was done - and quite well too - in the '80s!!

    If the actors in question weren't big fans of Doctor Who in the 80s they may have been unaware that the Daleks levitated back then
  • PalmerwhoPalmerwho Posts: 1,158
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    In one of 7's most popular stories too.

    "Unlimited Rice Pudding" lol
  • TalmaTalma Posts: 10,520
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I wondered about that too.
    They mentioned the 'return of the Master' as well, they didn't actually explain why or from where he 'returned'. You'd think he was invented for New Who as well.
  • Ed SizzersEd Sizzers Posts: 2,671
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Well, new Who is the first time they levitated.. competently! In Remembrance, it takes so much power for a Dalek to levitate itself up a staircase, it's incapable of firing its gun for the best part of a minute, by which time the Doc has long since legged it!
  • bennythedipbennythedip Posts: 2,343
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Jon Ross wrote: »
    Just watched Doctor Who's Greatest Moments, and both Tracy Oberman and Corey Johnson were making out as though it was an astonishing new thing when a Dalek climbed a flight of stairs in New Who when this was done - and quite well too - in the '80s!!

    80s? Doctor who started in 2005.
  • TEDRTEDR Posts: 3,413
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Ed Sizzers wrote: »
    Well, new Who is the first time they levitated.. competently! In Remembrance, it takes so much power for a Dalek to levitate itself up a staircase, it's incapable of firing its gun for the best part of a minute, by which time the Doc has long since legged it!

    I think it was expecting Michael Sheard to switch into Mr Bronson mode and be a bit more proactively vindictive.
  • codename_47codename_47 Posts: 9,682
    Forum Member
    And yet it still hasn't permeated into popular culture, lest the constant "run up stairs to hide from Daleks" jokes ever run dry.

    You hear them everywhere, topical comedy shows, newspaper articles, letters written by former Doctors that starred in episodes clearly showing them fly....everywhere ;)
  • Tom TitTom Tit Posts: 2,554
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Jon Ross wrote: »
    Just watched Doctor Who's Greatest Moments, and both Tracy Oberman and Corey Johnson were making out as though it was an astonishing new thing when a Dalek climbed a flight of stairs in New Who when this was done - and quite well too - in the '80s!!

    Why are you giving 80s Doctor who all the credit?

    A levitating Dalek was done - and quite well too - in the 1960s, in 'The Chase'.
  • !!11oneone!!11oneone Posts: 4,098
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I think the levitating were better done in the 80s.

    The idea that they can fly everywhere on whim means the trundling tank design is obsolete. Why don't they just fly everywhere? Why even have wheels and a big clumsy shell when they could be sleek and aerodynamic? Making the flying bit more of another 'weapon' in the arsenal - and one that consumes a lot of power - is much more realistic. It's also scarier - trundling weaponised tanks acting alone were always scarier than RTDs millions of flying daleks.

    Also, why have we never seen the abilities of the dalek in Dalek? The rotating gun, the shell domes being mines. All much more believable.
  • garbage456garbage456 Posts: 8,225
    Forum Member
    The dalek going up the stairs was a scary moment.

    I just don't like the flying ones at all.
  • hajuahajua Posts: 140
    Forum Member
    80s? Doctor who started in 2005.

    That's just RTD propaganda, it really started in 2010.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 356
    Forum Member
    Tom Tit wrote: »
    Why are you giving 80s Doctor who all the credit?

    A levitating Dalek was done - and quite well too - in the 1960s, in 'The Chase'.

    But weren't The Daleks in The Chase levitating under sand (which probably doesn't count) or off camera to get to the top of a flight of stairs.

    Also I'd like to point out the complete lack of fuss made about a levitating Davros in Revelation of the Daleks or the Dalek that pursues the Doctor up the shaft in Power of the Daleks (it's unclear if a levitating pad is in use in this case).
  • codename_47codename_47 Posts: 9,682
    Forum Member
    Apparently it's a stanna stairlift, so that Dalek must've been getting on a bit! ;)
  • snakecharmer37snakecharmer37 Posts: 296
    Forum Member
    One of the biggest reasons, is that daft line of Tom Bakers in Destiny. Which goes something like, 'If you're supposed to be the supreme beings, why don't you climb up after us.'
    Ever since then, it's become something of a stupid joke. Even though, as others have said, Daleks were elevating before and after in the classic series.
    Mind you, the whole of Destiny was a stupid joke. Great shame after the excellence of Genesis.
  • johnnysaucepnjohnnysaucepn Posts: 6,775
    Forum Member
    !!11oneone wrote: »
    The idea that they can fly everywhere on whim means the trundling tank design is obsolete. Why don't they just fly everywhere? Why even have wheels and a big clumsy shell when they could be sleek and aerodynamic? Making the flying bit more of another 'weapon' in the arsenal - and one that consumes a lot of power - is much more realistic. It's also scarier - trundling weaponised tanks acting alone were always scarier than RTDs millions of flying daleks.
    Hear, hear. Their scariness should be a product of their nature - they should be incredibly dangerous, even at range, but slow and relentless. Rather than "we have to make them scary, what power should we give them?"

    I seem to remember scenes (possibly from the video games?) of fleets of Daleks descending from the sky, but in that case it still managed to give the impression of a relentless army marching in step, so I think it worked better.

    Daleks should never swoop.
    Also, why have we never seen the abilities of the dalek in Dalek? The rotating gun, the shell domes being mines. All much more believable.
    Someone will either correct me or confirm this, but I thought it was because it turned out to be more expensive and difficult to achieve than anyone expected?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,043
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Jon Ross wrote: »
    Just watched Doctor Who's Greatest Moments, and both Tracy Oberman and Corey Johnson were making out as though it was an astonishing new thing when a Dalek climbed a flight of stairs in New Who when this was done - and quite well too - in the '80s!!

    I liked them on the flying saucers on that 90s doc.
  • Brass Drag0nBrass Drag0n Posts: 5,046
    Forum Member
    Daleks don't need to climb stairs - they just level the building. :D

    It is interesting how the Daleks are perceived by non-fans/fans.

    The non-fan image as perpertrated in the media is still of wobbly old "cardboard" props with sink plungers and egg whisks on their arms who can't climb stairs and fall apart when moving over anything that isn't even ground.

    While fans understand they are the onscreen representation of one-man (blob) tanks with heavy weapons/armour, battle computers and an anti-gravity capability.

    Though - I do think the bronze Daleks did a little too much swooping around.
  • codename_47codename_47 Posts: 9,682
    Forum Member
    Non fans think they're robots without realising it's a fancy wheelchair that probably needs charging every night...

    (that's why they only save the flying for when it's REALLY important, terrible drain on the batteries ;) )

    There's probably a whole thread in the "misconceptions of Doctor Who" idea now I think about it...
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
    Forum Member
    It's probably because about three people were watching the show at the time of Remembrance. No one remembers it because hardly anyone watched it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,244
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    It's because the classic series didn't go out of its way to convince people. Levitating daleks were featured, but it didn't make a big deal of them. Dalek demonstrated it in a big, significant, landmark way - people remember the crap out of that scene. Which it did, deliberately, to make a point. "These are not the daleks everyone's joked about for the last sixteen years." It starkly contradicted everyone's cultural awareness, and did it when everyone was watching.
  • Shawn_LunnShawn_Lunn Posts: 9,353
    Forum Member
    Lazy journalism I suppose.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,043
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I think it kinda ruined them for me by having them levitate.

    Id prefer the was it was.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,043
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    But thats the BBC writers for you ruin everything. First they actually let us see a dalek inside and then a Ice Warrior inside the suit.

    They just seem to take all the mystery away. Least with the classic era you only saw a hand.
  • PointyPointy Posts: 1,762
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    But thats the BBC writers for you ruin everything. First they actually let us see a dalek inside and then a Ice Warrior inside the suit.

    They just seem to take all the mystery away. Least with the classic era you only saw a hand.

    In the classic era we got to see inside the Dalek casing.
  • GDKGDK Posts: 9,467
    Forum Member
    rwebster wrote: »
    It's because the classic series didn't go out of its way to convince people. Levitating daleks were featured, but it didn't make a big deal of them. Dalek demonstrated it in a big, significant, landmark way - people remember the crap out of that scene. Which it did, deliberately, to make a point. "These are not the daleks everyone's joked about for the last sixteen years." It starkly contradicted everyone's cultural awareness, and did it when everyone was watching.

    Reminds me of something from another well known SF franchise:

    These are not the Daleks you're looking for. Move Along!

    :)
Sign In or Register to comment.