Review of Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) by Paul L — 20 Nov 2018

The British TV series "Doctor Who" became a mega-hit in the early 60s, largely on the back of the Daleks. The Daleks appeared in the second story of the original series and were an instant success.

Producer Milton Subotsky saw the potential of the Daleks for the silver screen and obtained the rights to make a film.

The film is based on the first Dalek story, "The Daleks". Written by Terry Nation, it was a 7-Episode, 25min per episode, story, so the film's script needed a bit of work to tighten the story.

Subotsky worked with the then "Doctor Who" script editor, David Whitaker, and managed to create a fine adaptation of the original story.

However there where significant differences to the story in regards to the character of The Doctor and his companions, probably for the benefit of American audiences that had not seen the TV series. The character of The Doctor was changed from being an enigmatic alien known only as "The Doctor", to being an eccentric, human, scientist called "Dr. Who". The companions in the TV series were The Doctor's Granddaughter, Susan and her School Teachers, Ian and Barbara. The film retains the idea of the Granddaughter, Susan (potrayed by 12-year-old Roberta Tovey), but Barbara also became Dr. Who's Granddaughter and Ian became her boyfriend.

In the grand scheme of things, in terms of a stand-alone film, these are minor changes and do not adversely effect it. It is only a concern to a fan of the series.

"Dr. Who and the Daleks" is a very enjoyable film that can be enjoyed by the whole family.