Doctor Who (TV Series) The Power of the Daleks: Episode Three (1966) User Reviews

Agonizingly good.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 14 November 2015]

The Doctor isn't fooled by the Dalek's submissiveness, but the powers on Vulcan are. The Governor allows Lesterson permission to continue experimenting on the test Dalek. The enquiry into Deputy Governor Quinn begins, Bragen makes a convincing case against him, after discrediting him he's made up to deputy Governor. The Doctor attempts to destroy the test Dalek but fails. Bragen tells Janley his plan to overtake the colony with the help of the rebels, she brings in a Dalek gun and kidnaps Polly. Lesterson agrees to provide the Daleks with materials in exchange for technical information, The Dalek begins tampering with the generator giving power to all the other Daleks.

Polly's clearing up the restaurant speech is fairly typical of the 60's girl, be hard to imagine Donna or Rose offering to do that.

It is literally painful knowing that this serial is out there somewhere, it is that good. Part three is where the story begins coming together, Bragen's plan is unearthed, and the Daleks themselves begin growing, you're aware that they will soon be the ones in control.

Listening more closely you realise just how good Robert James is as Lesterson, it's an excellent performance, he's zany and blinded by the Daleks, I like him a lot.

I'll comment once again on how good Troughton is, considering it's his first adventure, he is incredibly good.

Awesomely good 10/10

Superb story with brilliantly devious Daleks and establishing Troughton as the new Doctor

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 10/10 · 21 August 2014]

Review of all 6 episodes:

This 6 part story is the first with Patrick Troughton following the Doctor's first regeneration. If Troughton had failed to work as the Doctor the series would have died so he really is of as much importance in establishing Doctor Who as William Hartnell. The characterisation is interesting to say the least and flirts with disaster in many ways. To make the Doctor SO incredibly different to Hartnell's Doctor that preceded him was astonishing in its bravery. He is a scruffy, strange acting, clownish figure who plays the recorder to 'help him concentrate'! At the start of the story they even have him behaving extremely evasively and mysteriously, making it even harder to cope with the change in lead actor. Nowadays we are more used to coping with huge changes in the Doctor's behaviour after regeneration and it still is difficult so to imagine viewers at the time being thrust into this change so dramatically is mind boggling.

I think what really makes it work are two things. Firstly Troughton's quality which comes through as he begins to establish himself later in the adventure, but this is slow to have an impact. The second is the truly excellent quality story from David Whitaker featuring Daleks which are at their very best.

The adventure is thrilling as the Daleks pretend to be harmless servants to unsuspecting human colonists whilst secretly creating a huge production line of Daleks to conquer and EXTERMINATE the humans. This story has certainly been very influential to Doctor Who since its return in 2005.

The whole story is top quality with strong performances and continuity provided by Michael Craze and Anneke Wills as companions Ben and Polly, really good human guest characters such as Lesterson (Robert James), great dialogue and brilliant Daleks which are the best yet with better voice performances than earlier stories and devious, threatening plans.

Great stuff! All 6 episodes 10/10.