Why were the Daleks so underused in 80's Who?

CELT1987CELT1987 Posts: 12,347
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If you look at eighties Who, there were only 3 Dalek stories. Resurrection, Revelation and Remembrance. Why was this? I would have thought that with ratings going down, they would have been in more stories. Davison should have had at least 2 Dalek stories, as should Colin. McCoy did have one but that was near the end of his time. Even in Tom Baker's time, he only faced the Daleks twice. They were underused in my view.
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  • stud u likestud u like Posts: 42,100
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    They bore most people. So less is best.
  • CELT1987CELT1987 Posts: 12,347
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    Maybe. But they were the most iconic monster. It's incredible that since 1979, there wasn't a Dalek story till 1984!
  • Steve_WhelanSteve_Whelan Posts: 1,986
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    Maybe something to do with the BBC not owning the rights to the Daleks and not wanting to go through the hasal of negotiations With Terry Nation every time they wanted to do something Dalek related.
  • AlbacomAlbacom Posts: 34,578
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    CELT1987 wrote: »
    If you look at eighties Who, there were only 3 Dalek stories. Resurrection, Revelation and Remembrance. Why was this? I would have thought that with ratings going down, they would have been in more stories. Davison should have had at least 2 Dalek stories, as should Colin. McCoy did have one but that was near the end of his time. Even in Tom Baker's time, he only faced the Daleks twice. They were underused in my view.

    I think in honesty that as audiences became more sophisticated with sci-fi (thanks to Hollywood blockbusters), having clunky, cheap looking daleks trundling about, would have been worse than not using them. The daleks are iconic and in the 70's were the most brilliant concept because imagination rather than technology ruled. By the 80's people expected better and more sophistication in their TV, and sadly Daleks couldn't deliver these things. You only have to see a Daleks story from the 80's to see how clumsy they looked!
  • sithlord3ksithlord3k Posts: 548
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    Slightly off topic, but do people still think of Genesis as the best Dalek story ? I do.
  • CELT1987CELT1987 Posts: 12,347
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    Maybe something to do with the BBC not owning the rights to the Daleks and not wanting to go through the hasal of negotiations With Terry Nation every time they wanted to do something Dalek related.
    Good point. Maybe the rights were too costly.
  • PointyPointy Posts: 1,762
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    sithlord3k wrote: »
    Slightly off topic, but do people still think of Genesis as the best Dalek story ? I do.

    It's the best story featuring the Daleks, but I think of it as a Davros one. If any of the three missing/incomplete 60's ones return, you may see more people claiming one of them as the best starring the Daleks as the main foe.
  • Galaxy266Galaxy266 Posts: 7,049
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    I think there was a big feud going on between the BBC and Terry Nation regarding the future use of the Daleks.

    Even when Doctor Who was brought back in 2005 I can still remember it being questionable whether the Daleks would be able to be included in the new series. I believe the feud continued with Terry Nation's family after his death, too.
  • sithlord3ksithlord3k Posts: 548
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    Pointy wrote: »
    It's the best story featuring the Daleks, but I think of it as a Davros one. If any of the three missing/incomplete 60's ones return, you may see more people claiming one of them as the best starring the Daleks as the main foe.

    3 ? Power, Evil and...?
  • Dead ParrotDead Parrot Posts: 956
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    sithlord3k wrote: »
    3 ? Power, Evil and...?

    The Dalek Masterplan
  • jrmswfcjrmswfc Posts: 5,644
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    CELT1987 wrote: »
    Maybe. But they were the most iconic monster. It's incredible that since 1979, there wasn't a Dalek story till 1984!

    There also wasn't one between 1967's Evil of the Daleks and Day of the Daleks in 1972.

    They were just too overused in the first few years, again in the early to mid 70s, and yet again in the 00s. It's good for them to have a break - as well as being the most iconic monsters they became victims of their own success because it also means that they were the most often defeated foes as well.
  • Dead ParrotDead Parrot Posts: 956
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    IIRC, one of the conditions Terry Nation made for the use of the Daleks in the late 70, and the 80s, was that any story had to include Davros.
  • sithlord3ksithlord3k Posts: 548
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    The Dalek Masterplan

    I don't know how that slipped my mind!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 903
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    Daleks appeared in 43 episodes of Doctor Who and Sarah Jane Adventures. Source: http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Daleks_-_list_of_appearances . So they are certainly not underused...
  • DiscoPDiscoP Posts: 5,920
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    Davison mentioned recently that Terry Nation was still being iffy with the rights in his era, which he didn't encounter them until his last season.
  • sithlord3ksithlord3k Posts: 548
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    If the Timelords do come back at some point in the future, I'd like to see another story set on Skaro, with Davros, almost like a third part to Genesis and Destiny (somehow).
  • ZeusZeus Posts: 10,459
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    sithlord3k wrote: »
    If the Timelords do come back at some point in the future, I'd like to see another story set on Skaro, with Davros, almost like a third part to Genesis and Destiny (somehow).

    No sorry disagree with this. Davros ruined the Daleks. They went from being the self professed supreme beings of the universe that had made the show, to self confessed side-issue cannon fodder. In actual fact, they did exterminate Davros in Genesis shortly after their retconned re-creation, but in subsequent shows the writers insisted on literally resurrecting him, mainly (I understand) because Terry Nation, who held the rights, insisted on this. But Davros was only ever another take on the Master type character, one of many arch villains that the Doctor had to face. If they do bring Davros back, I think it should be doing something completely different, not leading the Daleks again (although, to their credit, nu-Who writers have up to now made sure that Davros was serving the Daleks, rather than the other way around. That at least is consistent with their original philosophy).
  • DiscoPDiscoP Posts: 5,920
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    sithlord3k wrote: »
    If the Timelords do come back at some point in the future, I'd like to see another story set on Skaro, with Davros, almost like a third part to Genesis and Destiny (somehow).

    Is Destiny considered a sequel to Genesis? Good grief! If that's the case then surely Resurrection is the third part?

    I thought it was a shame that Davros didn't appear in the 50th because he fought in the Time War, or had he already been dispatched by that point?
  • JAS84JAS84 Posts: 7,430
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    It was the Last Day in the 50th, so yeah, Davros and the Master were both already gone from the action.
  • sithlord3ksithlord3k Posts: 548
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    DiscoP wrote: »
    Is Destiny considered a sequel to Genesis? Good grief! If that's the case then surely Resurrection is the third part?

    I thought it was a shame that Davros didn't appear in the 50th because he fought in the Time War, or had he already been dispatched by that point?

    I didn't mean as a sequel necessarily, just that they both revolved around Davros, and both were set on Skaro.
  • scumcatscumcat Posts: 349
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    They weren't. They have just been over used since 2005.
  • saladfingers81saladfingers81 Posts: 11,301
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    I am bored of the Daleks now. If they come back again they need Davros with them or something to give them a bit of an angle again. Sick of thousands of CGI daleks too easily defeated.
  • PrinceOfDenmarkPrinceOfDenmark Posts: 2,761
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    sithlord3k wrote: »
    Slightly off topic, but do people still think of Genesis as the best Dalek story ? I do.

    No question
  • PrinceOfDenmarkPrinceOfDenmark Posts: 2,761
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    DiscoP wrote: »
    Is Destiny considered a sequel to Genesis? Good grief! If that's the case then surely Resurrection is the third part?

    I thought it was a shame that Davros didn't appear in the 50th because he fought in the Time War, or had he already been dispatched by that point?
    The door is left open for the War Davros ;)
  • DiscoPDiscoP Posts: 5,920
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    The door is left open for the War Davros ;)

    I've never really been that bothered about them showing the Time War, mainly because I didn't think the visuals would be as good as my imagination but after seeing just a glimpse of it in the 50th I would love nothing more than a full on Time War movie, complete with Daleks and Timelords galore, Nestines, Sontarans all kicking the s**t out of each other. Bring it on. Just imagine the cast list too, Hurt, McGann, Jacobi. Peter Jackson directing. What are they waiting for?
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