I was reading a topic polling monster redesigns in New Who and it made me wonder about the Daleks to a degree and about how they still use the same bronze design since Series 1. I know the last redesign didn't hold up too well with many people (though I thought it could have worked with a more uniform, more metallic coloring), and I worry that it'll stop anyone from really trying to do anything new with them. Classic Who tended to give the Daleks some sort of change whenever they showed up every few years, but outside "Victory" there hasn't been a New Dalek-centric story where they haven't used the bronze design.

While it's a good design, I'm worried about it becoming stale soon, particularly with the frequency of Dalek stories, and I would hope that at some point, at the very least, they get a makeover during the Capaldi era that sticks.

What are some other opinions on the possibility of giving the Daleks an updated design?

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. So far it ain't broke.

There's a great old saying: "If it's not necessary to change, it's necessary not to change."

It's a pity it's not employed a bit more in life - and television.

That's not strictly true. Whilst the Daleks frequently received a new paint job, especially once they were in colour, the basic design stayed the same. In fact parts of one of the original Dalek casings was still being used in 1989.

Although new casings were made over the years, notably a large number of partially functioning props for Planet of the Daleks and the new cream ones in Remembrance, the crucial thing is that the same basic design was followed. The Daleks retained their very distinctive shape. I think this is where the new fatter, bulkier Daleks failed. Their silhouette was all wrong, the dimensions, the shape of the Dalek was simply wrong. It didn't quite look like a Dalek should. I used to doodle Daleks in my school books, and it was always immediately apparent if my drawing was right or wrong - a Dalek has very a specific outline, and getting the proportions right is vital, otherwise it somehow loses it's Dalekness. I'm amazed that uberfans such as Moffat and Gatiss didn't spot how the new paradigm Daleks simply didn't have that crucial Dalek shape.

I'm all for updates and redesigns if required, but a Dalek is so distinctive that any redesign needs to be done very carefully. The bronze Daleks were perfect, a subtle update; they looked chunkier, tougher and arguably more believable as war machines than the wobbly, flimsy looking Daleks of the 1980s. But the most important thing was that in virtually every respect that iconic shape remained.

I don't think they need to change. The fact that they have stayed basically the same rough design for most of 50 years is what makes them an iconic part of continuity within the show. The reaction to the 'new paradigm' daleks introduced in victory seems to prove that.

THIS. I think most people will agree.

I remember back in the 80's it was announced that the Tardis would no longer look like a Police Box.....what an outcry from fans!!
Apparently, it was only about Colin Baker's first proper story 'Attack of the Cybermen' when it changed three times - and then returned to the blue box!!

I wouldn't be averse to new colour schemes, say white or grey versions of the Time War design. Specialized variants like the Heavy Weapons Dalek could also work. But in terms of the basic shape, there's absolutely no reason that ever needs to change. They nailed it at the first attempt.

The same fundamental Dalek model lasted from 1963 to their last appearance in 1988 without any real changes - just some additional plating, a change of eyestalk and colour. As such it was perfectly fine.

To be honest, if they want to refresh them I'd say a gunmetal grey colour scheme for them wouldn't go a miss.

That was a John Nathan-Turner PR stunt - there were never any real plans to change it from a Police Box. But I agree completely with your point - change for the sake of change is pointless.

there's THREE factions of the dalek race now .....

the MULTI COLOURED SWAP SHOP!
the COPPERBOTTOMS!!
and DAVROS'S ALL SINGING ALL DANCING SUPER TIME TEAM!!!

Whubbuh? There are loads of mediocre things that should absolutely, completely and totally be changed for the better! Daleks aren't among them, granted, but still, that strikes me as a curious phrase. "Repeat a holiday, settle for second best... and always do the bare minimum!"

A new Dalek design that sticks?

NO! The Daleks must always glide.

That said, I did think the black Dalek looked the coolest of them all.

All Hail Dalek Sec!

I do think it's time for a new colour scheme with the Daleks. The bronze is starting to bore me now.

Same. I'd be fairly happy if they just reused the basic model and gave it some classic colour makeovers. I'd also be fine if the basic model kept the same design but was just scaled up by around 20% to make it more imposing (they should have just done that instead of the humpbacked Daleks).

First time I saw the thread title I thought it said 'sucks'.

Keep the Time War design but change to Genesis livery, now THAT I could live with.

I would love to have something like this keeping with the modern design but more traditional in colour.

(something I knocked up earlier.)
http://i61.tinypic.com/33fdhlc.jpg

That says more about you than it does about the design.

The RTD era design is just so good that it makes zero sense to change it. If they return this year (likely) it should be this design seen again, even if they mess with the colours.

I love the 2005+ Daleks - the first time they've really looked like military hardware - and detest the new parawotsit hunchbacks - cheap looking and clearly intended as a way to punt more merchandise onto a saturated market. (The deeper voices were pretty good though - very menacing and less Germanic.)

As much as I love what the Daleks are, it's always been a sore point that they should supposedly "feel the need" to use colour - of all things - to display rank or some other "individuality". It would be like a human army having different perfume for each rank.

Daleks - all of them - are an army of soldiers - no generals. They are all the more dangerous because there's no social structure involved - they don't NEED one cos they all have exactly the same motivation. They have the mentality of soldier ants - they swarm across space with a single goal.

It has been stated over and over that Daleks HATE DIFFERENCE - so it makes no sense for them to embrace it.

They are highly advanced bio-mechanical devices filled with tech - the operators really don't need a paint job to tell each other apart. Once you give them that sort of identity, you may as well give them names - cos that will do the same job. In fact, why not have some tall thin Daleks - maybe some with hair - and some female Daleks - and how about a couple of Daleks that just want to get married and open a bistro - or perhaps some teenage Daleks arguing cos they want to get their eyestalks pierced and have an "I heart Cyberman" tattoo on their bumps.

Stuff it - let's forget colour completely and give them different sized Dalek-bumps - the boss Daleks will have really big balls and there can be some Pammy Daleks having their bumps enlarged.

Or maybe they're more like cars - they could have licence plates and stickers like "Mutant on board" or "My other Dalek's a Dalek". Maybe the mutant will wind a little window down and drive around with his elbow hanging out of the window whilst doing donuts in Tesco's carpark and playing his music really loud.

Out of interest - were the original TV Daleks multi-coloured despite the monochome cameras or were they first painted for the Peter Cushing film and then for colour TV? I ask cos when colour TV first came out, the TV companies went insane trying to put as much colour as possible into everything - it's part of how we remember the 1960's - eye-jarring primary colours everywhere. I'm just wondering if they'd have multi-coloured Daleks if DW was made today for the very first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFe7BghWflk

"Doctor, they've got names, Daleks don't have names, do they, but one of them said they were--"
"I am dalek Thay!"
"Dalek Sec!"
"Dalek Jast!"
"Dalek Caan!"

Licence plates and haircuts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reducti...w_man_argument

I liked the thing about a proper military vehicle, though. Very true.

The whole point of those specific Daleks having names is that they were a breakaway sect that was trying to rediscover individuality - and they failed miserably cos Daleks are fundamentally incapable of thinking "outside the box". (They tried a borg-like "assimilation" of humanity but couldn't handle it - just as the Dalek in "Dalek" prefered death to feeling emotions).

As for licence plates and haircuts -stop and THINK before cast aspersions at someone's points. Licence plates are a simple method of visually identifying a VEHICLE - and the pepper-pots we see as "Daleks" are exactly that. There's no saying that a licence-plate has to be "A123 XYZ" in written English - it could contain a barcode or pattern or even a "signal" of some sort (indeed, proposals have been made for car licence-plates to move in that direction). In fact, 2005 Daleks already have licence plates - unique markers on each Dalek - so it's not even a far-fetched notion.

As for hair - why not? Just because humans associate hair with organic existence does not mean that every race will do the same. In fact, as humans have evoled towards losing almost all of our body hair, we have replaced it with animal or artificial hair - not just fur coats but symbolic "hair" in the form of hats and sweaters. Maybe another species - especially one that has mutated into some completely hairless - will regard having hair as the ultimate symbol of wealth, power or virility.

In short - there's absolutely nothing but your preconceptions that says that a mechanical or bio-mechanical lifeform shouldn't adorn itself with hair - anymore than there's a "rule" that organics like us can't wear metal because we think THAT looks good. In fact, if we play "opposites", a mecha SHOULD treat organic material as jewellery - hair would be the equivalent of gold on Skaro cos it would be incredibly rare.

So you mock the idea that Daleks would distinguish themselves through use of colour but then argue that the same Daleks would choose to accessorise with hair extensions and jewellery? Ok then...

So are you arguing that daleks shouldn't be in colour, or that they might as well be in colour? Because if the thing about a dalek hanging a hand out of the window was a genuine suggestion I think we're having two different conversations.

Please READ what I wrote - I said that it flies in the face of everything we've been told about Daleks and Dalek "culture" for them to be differentiated by ANY method. I stated - very clearly - that there's no difference between having different coloured Daleks and having Daleks with names or licence plates.

It's not a LITERAL suggestion - it's an ANALOGY.

If you REALLY believe that someone on this forum would make a SERIOUS suggestion that a Dalek mutant would be cruising around in a souped-up Dalek ride with his window wound down, you need to take things a little less seriously. IT WAS A JOKE.