The Daleks Masterplan SYNOPSIS:
Landing on the planet Kembel, the Doctor leaves the TARDIS for medical to treat the wounded Steven, leaving him with new companion Katarina. Two Space Security Agents, Bret Vyon and Kert Gantry, are investigating agent Marc Cory's disappearance. A dalek exterminates Gantry and Vyon encounters and knocks out the Doctor,after taking the TARDIS key. Vyon tries to hijack the TARDIS but Steven recovers enough to restrain him with the Doctor's help.Mavic Chen, Guardian of the Solar System has joined the dalek invasion alliance that bringing with him Taranium, the core element needed to power the daleks' time destructor. Vyon now cooperates with the time travellers asthe Doctor wants to find out why the daleks are on Kembel. Once they have captured alliance leader Zephon the disguised Doctor infiltrates an alliance meeting as Zephon and steals the taranium, they all flee use Chen's aboard Chen's spaceship.
They head to Earth to warn Space Security of the dalek plans. Katarina dies saving them all from an escaped convict after they are diverted to the prison planet Deseperus. Mavic Chen arrives on Earth ahead of them and security agents led by Sara Kingdom execute Vyon but the Doctor and Steven manage to get transported to the planet Mira with Sara.
Sara is convinced by the Doctor and Steven that Chen is the traitor working with the Daleks and they escape back to Kembel. There the Doctor exchanges a fake taranium core for their lives. A pursuit through time and space follows as the daleks try to secure the real taranium core and the Doctor's old adversary the meddling monk joins in the chase attempting to revenge himself on the Doctor.
With the Monk now being forced to work with Chen the showdown is set in both ancient Egypt and on Kembel where the daleks re-secure the taranium core and the Doctor is left with only one option to defeat the daleks but this will mean the destruction of an entire planet.
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The Daleks Masterplan DETAILS:
The Daleks Masterplan CAST & CREW
Stars:
The Doctor:
William Hartnell (First Doctor)
Companions:
Peter Purves (Stephen Taylor)
Adrienne Hill (Katarina)
Jean Marsh (Sara Kingdom)
Guest Stars:
Peter Butterworth — The Monk
Nicholas Courtney — Bret Vyon
Brian Cant — Kert Gantry
Kevin Stoney — Mavic Chen
Maurice Browning — Karlton
Julian Sherrier — Zephon
Roy Evans — Trantis
Bryan Mosley — Malpha / Prop Man
Terence Woodfield — Celation
Pamela Greer — Lizan
Philip Anthony — Roald
Douglas Sheldon — Kirksen
Dallas Cavell — Bors
Geoffrey Cheshire — Garge
Roger Avon — Daxtar
James Hall — Borkar
Bill Metley — Froyn
John Herrington — Rhynmal
Robert Jewell, Kevin Manser, John Scott Martin, Gerald Taylor — Daleks
David Graham, Peter Hawkins — Dalek Voices
Michael Guest — Interviewer
Clifford Earl, Norman Mitchell, Malcolm Rogers, Kenneth Thornett — Policemen
Reg Pritchard — Man in Mackintosh
Sheila Dunn — Blossom Lefevre
Leonard Grahame — Darcy Tranton
Royston Tickner — Steinberger P. Green
Mark Ross — Ingmar Knopf
Conrad Monk — Assistant Director
David James — Arab Sheik
Paula Topham — Vamp
Robert G. Jewell — Clown
Albert Barrington — Professor Webster
Steve Machin — Cameraman
Roger Brierley — TrevorBruce Wightman — Scott
Jeffrey Isaac — Khephren
Derek Ware — Tuthmos
Walter Randall — Hyksos
May Warden — Elderly Sara Kingdom
Production Staff for Serial V:
Writers - Terry Nation (episodes 1 to 5 & 7) & Dennis Spooner (episodes 6 & 8 to 12)
Director - Douglas Camfield
Script editor - Donald Tosh
Producer - John Wiles
Missing Episodes 1,3,4,6,7,8,9,11,12
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The Daleks Masterplan REVIEWS
Goldby
The remastered picture quality for these early episodes is amazing. In the Daleks' Masterplan, the Daleks return to their previous, evil, scheming selves without any comedy dalek to be seen. It's great to see the council of galaxy representatives here and to see the only episode that exists of Katarina, the Doctor and Stephen. If she could master acting better than Carole Ann Ford she could've had real potential. The Daleks master plan as such was a better idea than The Chase but think it overstayed it's welcome by going to 12 episodes.
Part 2 was the best, part 5 getting weaker, but with fun gurning by Billy and Pete as they get teleported, a jungle more convincing than the Chase one and finally the really bad part 10. With the only time I've seen the meddling monk who wasn't a bad character just didn't have anything to do. Some really horrible non acting 'Egyptians' (where do they get these street performers from?) and Mavic Chen hamming it up for supremacy? If we were to award them any marks it's 2, 1 and 1 in that order. Think the first 6 parts of the Daleks Masterplan would've been great and the rest ho hum. 4/10
Boland
The Daleks Masterplan: Picture a dark office in the BBC 1965. Dennis Spooner sits at his type writer, thinking to himself. He needs an idea! Who comes in the room but cigar smoking Mr Terry Nation. The friends shake hands, Terry sits down, looks across at Dennis. Dennis has stories to program. Nation wants the Daleks back. Dennis turns to Terry. ‘Terry, that six part Dalek story you gave us recently was great’...
he says, referring to ‘The Chase’,
... ‘but there was one thing wrong with it.’
‘Oh, what is that Dennis?’
‘Not nearly long enough. How about you write it again, but double the length. Hell, why not even throw in a prequel episode to get the kiddies wetting their pants about the imminent return of the Daleks? Then we can piss them off for four weeks before the 12 part epic starts?’
‘Sounds good to me!’
Okay, so that’s rather flippant. The Daleks Masterplan certainly does just take the concept of the Doctor and companions running away from the Daleks for ages straight from ‘The Chase’, but the Daleks Masterplan is a far superior story. Three episodes exist, some clips from part four, and the recon is actually worth watching. If you have the time. Episodes 2, 5 and 10 exist, and two of them are very good. Episode ten on the other hand tends to be more ‘The Chase’ like.
Pacing is very interesting. Clearly The Daleks Masterplan moves faster than most four part Hartnells, and it’s over thirteen parts. Episode two is very interesting, with some creative..... creations (?) in the forms of alien creatures. This was the last episode found, in 2004 I think, and who knows maybe the last recovered ever. Episode Five and Nation brings us invisible creatures, very lamely named ‘Visians’. It a rather weird episode with bald heads and our main heroes pulling some very strange faces, not to mention a starring role of mice! But pacey enough. The Daleks Masterplan has a certain style to it, with Mavic Chen, the creatures, it’s all rather impressive for the time.
By episode nine and ten the Daleks are merely chasing the Doctor, and they are in Egypt. It’s still rather impressive that they constructed tombs and half decent sets. AHHHH don’t worry, as in every Hartnell story we have comic relief – The Meddling Monk returns in all his silly glory. Hartnell wears a very nice hat as well, he is probably going lawn bowling once he has escaped the Daleks. Hartnell is rather good and forceful here. Awesome lapel acting. And the locals have wonderful box hair wigs! The The Daleks Masterplan culminates in a rather haunting episode twelve wear the time destructor has its effect on Sara Kingdom, brought to life by none other than Jean Marsh. Surely she should have been off doing serious work!
Time destructor? Sounds a bit like ‘reality bomb’ doesn’t it? So that’s where RTD got the idea for the whole purpose of the season four finale. A bomb that destroys everything. So why reality? Oh wait, not reviewing THAT piece of crap. Daleks Masterplan. 8.1/10
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