163-556: Since their first appearance in 1963 there have been a number of variant models of the Daleks , a fictional alien race in the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who . First seen in the serial The Daleks (1963–64), the outward manifestation is portrayed as a powerful, technically advanced travel machine in which a hideous and malevolent mutant , the Dalek creature, resides. Although
326-735: A plinth in a corner of the control room in the Dalek City on Skaro , in the story it is destroyed when a civil war breaks out among the Daleks. The Dalek Emperor was designed by Chris Thompson and built by the BBC Visual Effects Department. In Planet of the Daleks (1973) the Dalek Supreme, a member of the Dalek Supreme Council, is despatched to the planet Spiridon. It is tasked with overseeing experiments into invisibility,
489-433: A " toffee apple " shaped eyeball. The eye lenses are illuminated and shown to have an iris which can expand and contract. These Daleks have a silver colour scheme with blue/grey shoulders, blue hemispheres and eye discs, collars in natural aluminium and black fenders. The story refers to them being powered by static electricity , with mobility limited to the metal floors in the Dalek City on their home planet, Skaro . In
652-485: A Dalek vaporises a paintball that has blocked its vision while proclaiming, "My vision is not impaired!" The creature inside the mechanical casing is soft and repulsive in appearance, and vicious in temperament. The first-ever glimpse of a Dalek mutant, in The Daleks , was a claw peeking out from under a Thal cloak after it had been removed from its casing. The mutants' actual appearance has varied, but often adheres to
815-462: A Human/Dalek hybrid. The Cult then set about creating "Human Daleks" by "formatting" the brains of a few thousand captured humans so they can have Dalek minds. Dalek Sec, however, becomes more human in personality and alters the plan so the hybrids will be more human like him. The rest of the Cult mutinies. Sec is killed, while Thay and Jast are later wiped out with the hybrids. Dalek Caan, believing it may be
978-433: A New Year's Day episode, " Resolution " (2019), when a Dalek mutant, separated from its armoured casing, takes control of a human in order to build a new travel device for itself and summon more Daleks to conquer Earth. This Dalek is cloned by a scientist in " Revolution of the Daleks " (2021), and attempts to take over Earth using further clones, but they are killed by other Daleks for perceived genetic impurity. The Dalek army
1141-403: A beam that has electrical tendencies, is capable of propagating through water, and may be a form of plasma or electrolaser . The eyepiece is a Dalek's most vulnerable spot; impairing its vision often leads to a blind, panicked firing of its weapon while exclaiming "My vision is impaired; I cannot see!" Russell T Davies subverted the catchphrase in his 2008 episode " The Stolen Earth ", in which
1304-594: A black " pupil " were introduced. "New Series" Daleks have a clear lens which glows with a blue light while New Paradigm Daleks , introduced in the episode " Victory of the Daleks " (2010), are equipped with an "organic eyeball" set behind a small transparent hemisphere. Throughout the 1960s Daleks were occasionally shown with a functioning iris, a feature also seen in the "New Series" Dalek design. The eye discs have varied in number, size, spacing, profile and configuration. Colour has generally been restricted to powder blue, white or gold, with "New Series" Dalek eye discs having
1467-494: A black Supreme Dalek. By the end of the story, armies of both factions have been wiped out and the Doctor has tricked them into destroying Skaro. However, Davros escapes and based on the fact that Daleks possess time travel and were spread throughout the universe, there was still a possibility that many had survived these events. The original "classic" Doctor Who series ended in 1989. In the 1996 Doctor Who TV-movie (which introduced
1630-452: A catastrophic war, artificially accelerating pre-existing genetic mutations in the Kaled species and the manipulation of genetic material forcibly obtained from other (usually human) species. From 2005 onward the Dalek creature has been seen more frequently, in its latest incarnation resembling a pale octopus-like being with a single viable eye, a vestigial nose and mouth, and an exposed brain. In
1793-525: A ceiling duct. The Fourth Doctor calls down, "If you're supposed to be the superior race of the universe, why don't you try climbing after us?" The Daleks generally make up for their lack of mobility with overwhelming firepower; a joke among Doctor Who fans is that "Real Daleks don't climb stairs; they level the building." Dalek mobility has improved over the history of the series: in their first appearance, in The Daleks , they were capable of movement only on
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#17330848909551956-535: A combination of "goon" and Shawcraft Dalek sections for the upper half, and a unique skirt with a rear section which flares out from the shoulders at almost the same angle as the front. Four prominent bolt heads frame the chest oval and large hemispheres are fitted. These differences are not alluded to in the story and the origin of the components remains uncertain. This variant is sometimes referred to as "The Tussauds Dalek" after Madame Tussauds wax museum in London, where it
2119-455: A greater life form. He placed his new Dalek creations in tank -like "travel machines" of advanced technology whose design was based on his own life-support chair. Genesis of the Daleks marked a new era for the depiction of the species, with most of their previous history either forgotten or barely referred to again. Future stories in the original Doctor Who series, which followed a rough story arc , would also focus more on Davros, much to
2282-675: A height. In addition, in Revelation of the Daleks (1985), they are said to be vulnerable to "bastic-headed bullets". In appearances from 2005 onwards a Dalek's defensive capability has been shown to include an invisible force shield, with the eye remaining a weak point. The lower shell is covered with hemispherical protrusions. In the BBC-licensed The Dalek Book (1964), and again in The Doctor Who Technical Manual (1983), these items are described as being part of
2445-661: A higher fender on all models. The eye lens "pupil", first seen in The Evil of the Daleks , now became a standard fitting. A gold Dalek Leader returned again in Frontier in Space (1973). Seven additional Dalek props were produced for Planet of the Daleks (1973), created by special effects professional Clifford Culley's company Westbury Design & Optical Limited. The production crew referred to these props as "goons". Although fabricated using measurements and moulds taken from an existing prop,
2608-459: A larger, more pointed base; a glowing eyepiece; an all-over metallic-brass finish (specified by Davies); thicker, nailed strips on the "neck" section; a housing for the eyestalk pivot; and significantly larger dome lights. The new prop made its on-screen debut in the 2005 episode "Dalek". These Dalek casings use a short operator inside the housing while the 'head' and eyestalk are operated via remote control. A third person, Nicholas Briggs , supplies
2771-570: A man's skull by suction, measure the intelligence of a subject, and extract information from a man's mind. Dalek casings are made of a bonded polycarbide material called "Dalekanium" by a member of the human resistance in The Dalek Invasion of Earth and the Dalek comics, as well as by the Cult of Skaro in " Daleks in Manhattan ". The lower half of a Dalek's shell is covered with hemispherical protrusions, or 'Dalek-bumps', which are shown in
2934-420: A microphone into a device called a ring modulator . While this produces considerable distortion and a monotone effect, inflection and pace are used to express a range of emotions including rage, triumph, disdain and, very occasionally, fear. ( play sample ) Dalek locomotion is usually shown as a gliding movement a few centimetres above the ground. The Dalek Book (1964) indicates that traction
3097-461: A parasympathetic innervation, and the dilator has a sympathetic innervation. In pupillary constriction induced by pilocarpine, not only is the sphincter nerve supply activated but that of the dilator is inhibited. The reverse is true, so control of pupil size is controlled by differences in contraction intensity of each muscle. Another term for the constriction of the pupil is miosis . Substances that cause miosis are described as miotic. Dilation of
3260-629: A performance by the Georgian National Ballet , in which dancers in long skirts appeared to glide across the stage. For many of the shows the Daleks were operated by retired ballet dancers wearing black socks while sitting inside the Dalek. Raymond Cusick was given the task of designing the Daleks when Ridley Scott , then a designer for the BBC, proved unavailable after having been initially assigned to their debut serial. According to Jeremy Bentham's Doctor Who—The Early Years (1986), after Nation wrote
3423-458: A popular catchphrase. The Daleks were created by Terry Nation and designed by the BBC designer Raymond Cusick . They were introduced in December 1963 in the second Doctor Who serial, The Daleks . Wishing to create an alien creature that did not look like a "man in a suit", Terry Nation stated in his script for the first Dalek serial that they should have no legs. He was also inspired by
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#17330848909553586-437: A power collection array (although this function has never been confirmed on screen). A Black Dalek with grey shoulders is introduced in the first episode of The Chase ; "The Executioners", and makes subsequent appearances in a number of serials thereafter. Daleks with non-standard arm appendages are also seen in this serial. A gimballed hemisphere referred to as both a "seismic detector" and a " TARDIS perceptor" appears, and in
3749-412: A rage when thwarted. They tend to be excitable and will repeat the same word or phrase over and over again in heightened emotional states, most famously "Exterminate! Exterminate!" Pupil The pupil is a hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to strike the retina . It appears black because light rays entering the pupil are either absorbed by the tissues inside
3912-484: A sensory array. In " Dalek " (2005) they are shown to act as components in a self-destruct mechanism. Historically, a Dalek's eye has been depicted as its most vulnerable spot. In " Silence in the Library " (2008) the Doctor, speaking of how to deal with various alien menaces, says "Daleks: aim for the eye stalk". In the revived series from 2005 onwards, storylines have shown Daleks as having systems to protect their vision. In
4075-466: A similar link between foraging behaviour and pupil shape amongst the felidae and canidae discussed above. A 2015 study confirmed the hypothesis that elongated pupils have increased dynamic range, and furthered the correlations with diel activity. However it noted that other hypotheses could not explain the orientation of the pupils. They showed that vertical pupils enable ambush predators to optimise their depth perception, and horizontal pupils to optimise
4238-410: A small stub aerial, projecting from the dome top. Six crude, hollow, vacuum-formed Dalek props were also created. They were primarily used during location filming of the serial's finale, although several of them can also be seen in the background of some studio shots. They can be recognised by their thick neck struts and the absence of dome aerials and appendage ball joints. Production photographs taken at
4401-439: A strict command structure in which they are conditioned to obey superiors' orders without question. Dalek speech is characterised by repeated phrases, and by orders given to themselves and to others. Unlike the stereotypical emotionless robots often found in science fiction, Daleks are often angry; author Kim Newman has described the Daleks as behaving "like toddlers in perpetual hissy fits", gloating when in power and flying into
4564-405: A telescopic arm. Usually the arm is fitted with a manipulating device resembling a sink plunger . This item is shown in various episodes to be capable of holding people and objects, seemingly using a powerful vacuum. The weapon is depicted as having a variable output which can paralyse, stun or kill most life forms, disintegrate other Daleks and destroy buildings and spacecraft. In Remembrance of
4727-772: A translucent, frosted appearance and those of the New Paradigm variant being black. The dome-light covers first resembled table tennis balls , before items having the appearance of plastic egg cup inserts were substituted. Later these were replaced by various types of " bee skep -shaped" vehicle side light lenses. The flattened lights fitted to the Imperial Daleks seen in Remembrance of the Daleks were formed from Perspex discs capped by commercially available saucer-shaped plastic components, while "New Series" and New Paradigm Daleks have light-covers consisting of tubular beacon lenses,
4890-470: A unique variant; the Dalek Supreme . In Death to the Daleks the travel machines display a silver livery with black shoulders, hemispheres and fender, with a task force leader being differentiated from its subordinates by amber, instead of clear, dome lights. During the serial, due to a plot element, the standard blasters are replaced by projectile weapons featuring a drilled barrel with six small fins at
5053-554: Is a diminutive form of pupa , "girl". (The double meaning in Latin is preserved in English, where pupil means both "schoolchild" and "dark central portion of the eye within the iris".) This may be because the reflection of one's image in the pupil is a minuscule version of one's self. In the Old Babylonian period (c. 1800-1600 BC) in ancient Mesopotamia, the expression "protective spirit of
Dalek variants - Misplaced Pages Continue
5216-402: Is at variance with the few glimpses seen in early Doctor Who television episodes and films, which made little attempt to show (or hide) anything other than the actual base of the Dalek prop. As this usually took the form of a plywood board to which castors had been attached and a hole cut out for the operator's feet, these brief appearances were of little assistance in maintaining the illusion of
5379-429: Is in flight mode. The creatures inside the "travel machines" are depicted as repulsive in appearance and vicious even without their mechanical armour. Rarely glimpsed until the programme's revival in 2005, they were usually shown as amorphous green blobs with strong tentacles capable of strangulation or, occasionally, as having clawed hands. Their appearance and evolution is variously attributed to radioactive fallout from
5542-416: Is increased due to the parasympathetic action on the circular muscle fibers, conversely, atropine will cause paralysis of accommodation (cycloplegia) and dilation of the pupil. Certain drugs cause constriction of the pupils, such as opioids . Other drugs, such as atropine , LSD , MDMA , mescaline , psilocybin mushrooms , cocaine and amphetamines may cause pupil dilation. The sphincter muscle has
5705-430: Is known as mydriasis and contraction as miosis . Not all variations in size are indicative of disease however. In addition to dilation and contraction caused by light and darkness, it has been shown that solving simple multiplication problems affects the size of the pupil. The simple act of recollection can dilate the size of the pupil, however when the brain is required to process at a rate above its maximum capacity,
5868-491: Is later sent by the Doctor into the "void" between worlds to be destroyed, using a spare TARDIS she recently acquired on Gallifrey. After cameo appearances depicting them as one of several villains trying to take advantage of "the Flux" event tearing through space-time in series 13 , the Daleks returned in the first 2022 special , " Eve of the Daleks ". In the episode, a team of Dalek Executioners are dispatched by High Command to avenge
6031-471: Is provided by a large, omnidirectional rotating metal sphere, while in the serial Death to the Daleks (1974) the Doctor states that they move by psycho-kinetic power . For years Daleks were depicted as being unable to climb stairs, with travel confined to smooth ground and level surfaces. This was rectified in Revelation of the Daleks in which a hovering Dalek was seen briefly, and then in Remembrance of
6194-437: Is shown capable of inserting a tentacle into the back of a human's neck and controlling them. Daleks' voices are electronic; when out of its casing the mutant is only able to squeak. Once the mutant is removed the casing itself can be entered and operated by humanoids; for example, in The Daleks , Ian Chesterton ( William Russell ) enters a Dalek shell to masquerade as a guard as part of an escape plan. For many years it
6357-403: Is that a partially constricted circular pupil shades the peripheral zones of the lens which would lead to poorly focused images at relevant wavelengths. The vertical slit pupil allows for use of all wavelengths across the full diameter of the lens, even in bright light. It has also been suggested that in ambush predators such as some snakes, vertical slit pupils may aid in camouflage, breaking up
6520-562: The Eighth Doctor ), Skaro has seemingly been recreated and the Daleks are shown to still rule it. Though the aliens are never seen on-screen, the story shows the Time Lord villain the Master being executed on Skaro as Dalek voices chant "Exterminate." In Eighth Doctor audio plays produced by Big Finish from 2000 to 2005, Paul McGann reprised his role. The audio play The Time of the Daleks featured
6683-478: The Nazis , Nation portrayed the Daleks as violent, merciless and pitiless cyborg aliens, completely absent of any emotion other than hate, who demand total conformity to the will of the Dalek with the highest authority, and are bent on the conquest of the universe and the extermination of any other forms of life, including other "impure" Daleks which are deemed inferior for being different to them. Collectively, they are
Dalek variants - Misplaced Pages Continue
6846-632: The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) has circular pupils and the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is intermediate between those of the domestic cat and the Siberian tiger. A similar difference between small and large species may be present in canines. The small red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has vertical slit pupils whereas their large relatives, the gray wolf (Canis lupus lupus) and domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) have round pupils. One explanation for
7009-410: The dilator pupillae . When the sphincter pupillae contract, the iris decreases or constricts the size of the pupil. The dilator pupillae, innervated by sympathetic nerves from the superior cervical ganglion, cause the pupil to dilate when they contract. These muscles are sometimes referred to as intrinsic eye muscles. The sensory pathway (rod or cone, bipolar, ganglion) is linked with its counterpart in
7172-436: The evolution of slit pupils is that they can exclude light more effectively than a circular pupil. This would explain why slit pupils tend to be found in the eyes of animals with a crepuscular or nocturnal lifestyle that need to protect their eyes during daylight. Constriction of a circular pupil (by a ring-shaped muscle) is less complete than closure of a slit pupil, which uses two additional muscles that laterally compress
7335-403: The parabolic dishes now fitted to the rear shoulder section of each prop act as receptors for a form of transmitted energy. Other design changes are a reduction in the number of eye discs to five and painting some eyeballs silver instead of the standard black colour. An amphibious capability is demonstrated in the closing moments of the first episode of the serial when a Dalek emerges from beneath
7498-500: The parasympathetic part coming from the Edinger-Westphal nucleus , which terminates on the circular iris sphincter muscle. When this muscle contracts, it reduces the size of the pupil. This is the pupillary light reflex , which is an important test of brainstem function. Furthermore, the pupil will dilate if a person sees an object of interest. If the drug pilocarpine is administered, the pupils will constrict and accommodation
7661-438: The " Imperial Dalek " faction. New Dalek props were built for the 21st-century version of Doctor Who . The first, which appeared alone in the 2005 episode " Dalek ", was built by modelmaker Mike Tucker . Additional Dalek props based on Tucker's master were subsequently built out of fibreglass by Cardiff -based Specialist Models. The Daleks became an immediate hit with viewers, returning for subsequent appearances throughout
7824-405: The "goon" Daleks exhibited minor differences from the original Shawcraft builds including the substitution of single dowel neck struts for the trefoil cross section items which were the norm up to this point. The story again called for a Dalek to cut through a metal door, on this occasion the cutting device replacing the plunger resembling the tip of a large soldering iron . This serial also featured
7987-518: The 1960s. As early as one year after first appearing on Doctor Who , the Daleks had become popular enough to be recognized even by non-viewers. In December 1964 editorial cartoonist Leslie Gilbert Illingworth published a cartoon in the Daily Mail captioned "THE DEGAULLEK", caricaturing French President Charles de Gaulle arriving at a NATO meeting as a Dalek with de Gaulle's prominent nose. The Daleks have become as synonymous with Doctor Who as
8150-451: The 1972 serial Day of the Daleks , their first appearance in colour on the Doctor Who television programme. "Drone" Daleks were now finished in grey, with black hemispheres and fender. Except for Death to the Daleks (1974), and albeit with variations in the shade of grey and occasional adornment with black slats, black collars or both, this stayed as the standard Dalek colour scheme for
8313-410: The 2008 episode " The Stolen Earth ", Wilfred Mott attempts to disable a Dalek by blinding it using a paintball gun . The Dalek is seen to simply evaporate the paint from its eye. While maintaining their general shape and appearance, the design of these components has varied over the years. Eye lenses were first shown as blank, white discs, sometimes featuring internal illumination. Later, lenses with
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#17330848909558476-469: The Dalek Supreme is demonstrated in the story when it destroys the Dalek leader of the Spiridon task force for failing to meet its mission objectives. In Revelation of the Daleks (1985) Davros creates an army of Dalek mutants by manipulating DNA extracted from humans on the planet Necros, where the terminally ill and the dead are being stored in suspended animation . These Necros Daleks are portrayed in
8639-568: The Dalek War Fleet destroyed by the Doctor in the series 13 finale " The Vanquishers ", only for a time loop established by the TARDIS to save the Doctor's life and give her a chance to destroy the executioners instead. The Daleks later appeared alongside the Cybermen as allies to the Master in " The Power of the Doctor " as part of a plot to finally destroy their nemesis, but the alliance is defeated by
8802-629: The Dalek as the all-time greatest monster, beating competition including Japanese movie monster Godzilla and J. R. R. Tolkien 's Gollum , of The Lord of the Rings . The word "Dalek" has entered major dictionaries, including the Oxford English Dictionary , which defines "Dalek" as "In the BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who: a member of a race of aggressive alien mutants in mobile armoured casings. Frequently in extended, allusive, or similative use." English-speakers sometimes use
8965-515: The Dalek is hovering. Dalek The Daleks ( / ˈ d ɑː l ɛ k s / DAH -leks ) are a fictional extraterrestrial race of extremely xenophobic mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who . They were conceived by writer Terry Nation and first appeared in the 1963 Doctor Who serial The Daleks , in casings designed by Raymond Cusick . Drawing inspiration from
9128-425: The Dalek props on location, or the mixing of components acquired from different sources. The episodes " Asylum of the Daleks " (2012), " The Magician's Apprentice " (2015) and " The Witch's Familiar " (2015) feature appearances by many of the Dalek variants seen in the Doctor Who programme since its inception. The component names listed below are used in this article as an aid to tracking the detail changes made to
9291-468: The Dalek voice in the television series has been provided by Nicholas Briggs , speaking into a microphone connected to a voice modulator. Briggs had previously provided Dalek and other alien voices for Big Finish Productions audio plays , and continues to do so. In a 2006 BBC Radio interview, Briggs said that when the BBC asked him to do the voice for the new television series, they instructed him to bring his own analogue ring modulator that he had used in
9454-483: The Dalek's midsection (where the mutant is located), as normally ineffective firepower can be concentrated on the eyestalk to blind a Dalek. In 2019 episode " Resolution " the bumps give way to reveal missile launchers capable of wiping out a military tank with ease. Daleks have a very limited visual field, with no peripheral sight at all, and are relatively easy to hide from in fairly exposed places. Their own energy weapons are capable of destroying them. Their weapons fire
9617-645: The Daleks (1967) two more elements of the Dalek hierarchy appear; the Dalek Emperor and Daleks with black domes which appear to act as the Emperor's personal guard. (This motif appears again in " The Parting of the Ways " (2005), with black-domed Daleks fulfilling a similar function.) For the first time a Dalek is seen with a black pupil centred in its eye lens. An unusual version of the Mark 3 Dalek made an appearance in The Evil of
9780-542: The Daleks (1988) and the episodes " The Parting of the Ways " (2005) and " Doomsday " (2006) the Doctor states that Dalek casings are constructed from "bonded polycarbide", with this material being referred to as "dalekanium" in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) and " Daleks in Manhattan " (2007). The casing is depicted as being impervious to most projectile and energy weapons, although not indestructible. In various episodes Daleks are shown being damaged or destroyed by overwhelming firepower, their own weaponry and falls from
9943-458: The Daleks the newly created Dalek casing is referred to as a "Mark 3 Travel Machine". The Dalek variant naming conventions used in this article are attributed to the various models as a matter of convenience. They can be found in general use by the Doctor Who/Dalek fan base, and are often quoted in posts and documentation on websites such as The Project Dalek Forum. Other classifications for
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#173308489095510106-572: The Daleks which featured a Dalek levitating up a staircase. From 2005 various Doctor Who episodes have shown Daleks hovering and flying with ease, locomotion being imparted by anti-gravity generators. During the course of the Doctor Who television programme the BBC, its producers and scriptwriters have rarely alluded to changes in Dalek design or ascribed names or designations to the various models seen. Notable exceptions usually refer to rank, such as "Emperor" and "Supreme Dalek", although in Genesis of
10269-403: The Daleks ) or life-size photographic enlargements in the early black-and-white episodes ( The Daleks , The Dalek Invasion of Earth , and The Power of the Daleks ). In stories involving armies of Daleks, the BBC effects team even turned to using commercially available toy Daleks, manufactured by Louis Marx & Co and Herts Plastic Moulders Ltd. Examples of this can be observed in
10432-481: The Daleks , again portraying a drone. In The Evil of the Daleks (1967) the Emperor is presented as a towering, immobile, twelve-sided conical structure to which numerous umbilical cables are connected. Twelve large, black hemispheres girdle its midsection with a further two smaller, tan-coloured hemispheres being mounted horizontally on the chest. It has a predominantly white colour scheme with black detailing and speaks in an echoing, grating voice. Shown mounted on
10595-410: The Daleks , and Death to the Daleks . Other Dalek voice actors include Royce Mills (three stories), Brian Miller (two stories), and Oliver Gilbert and Peter Messaline (one story). John Leeson , who performed the voice of K9 in several Doctor Who stories, and Davros actors Terry Molloy and David Gooderson also contributed supporting voices for various Dalek serials. Since 2005
10758-467: The Daleks . It featured narrow skirt and shoulder sections, with the rear skirt panel having only a single vertical line of hemispheres down the middle. These differences are not alluded to in the story. This prop is sometimes referred to as "The Wilkie Dalek" after Bernard Wilkie, the BBC technical designer who became primarily responsible for the Doctor Who programme's visual effects after Shawcraft's involvement ceased during 1967. The Daleks returned in
10921-455: The Daleks depicted them as capable of hovering up a flight of stairs. Despite this, journalists covering the series frequently refer to the Daleks' supposed inability to climb stairs; characters escaping up a flight of stairs in the 2005 episode "Dalek" made the same joke and were shocked when the Dalek began to hover up the stairs after uttering the phrase "ELEVATE", in a similar manner to their normal phrase "EXTERMINATE". The new series depicts
11084-506: The Daleks , instead of a short nuclear exchange, the Kaled-Thal war was a thousand-year-long war of attrition , fought with nuclear , biological and chemical weapons which caused widespread mutations among the life forms of Skaro. Davros experimented on living Kaled cells to find the ultimate mutated form of the Kaled species, believing his own people had become weak and needed to be replaced by
11247-424: The Daleks as fully capable of flight, even space flight. The non-humanoid shape of the Dalek did much to enhance the creatures' sense of menace. A lack of familiar reference points differentiated them from the traditional " bug-eyed monster " of science fiction, which Doctor Who creator Sydney Newman had wanted the show to avoid. The unsettling Dalek form, coupled with their alien voices, made many believe that
11410-527: The Daleks first appeared, they were presented as the descendants of the Dals, mutated after a brief nuclear war between the Dal and Thal races 500 years ago. This race of Daleks is destroyed when their power supply is wrecked. However, when they reappear in The Dalek Invasion of Earth , they have conquered Earth in the 22nd century. Later stories saw them develop time travel and a space empire. In 1975, Terry Nation revised
11573-464: The Daleks have included Roy Skelton , who first voiced the Daleks in the 1967 story The Evil of the Daleks and provided voices for five additional Dalek serials including Planet of the Daleks , and for the one-off anniversary special " The Five Doctors ". Michael Wisher , the actor who originated the role of Dalek creator Davros in Genesis of the Daleks , provided Dalek voices for that same story, as well as for Frontier in Space , Planet of
11736-451: The Daleks he allegedly shouted at the screen, "That bloody Nation — he's stolen my robots!" The titling of early Doctor Who stories is complex and sometimes controversial. The first Dalek serial is called, variously, The Survivors (the pre-production title and on-screen title used for the serial's second episode), The Mutants (its official title at the time of production and broadcast, later taken by another unrelated story ), Beyond
11899-447: The Daleks outside the series were unsuccessful. Since Nation's death in 1997, his share of the rights is now administered by his former agent, Tim Hancock. Early plans for what eventually became the 1996 Doctor Who television movie included radically redesigned Daleks whose cases unfolded like spiders' legs. The concept for these " Spider Daleks " was abandoned, but it was picked up again in several Doctor Who spin-offs . When
12062-446: The Daleks to rattle as they moved and it was not possible to remove this noise from the final soundtrack. A small parabolic dish was added to the rear of the prop's casing to explain why these Daleks, unlike the ones in their first serial, were not dependent on static electricity drawn up from the floors of the Dalek city for their motive power. Later versions of the prop had more efficient wheels and were once again simply propelled by
12225-487: The Daleks without Davros and nearly removing William Shakespeare from history. In Terror Firma , the Eighth Doctor met a Dalek faction led by Davros who was devolving more into a Dalek-like life form himself while attempting to create new Daleks from mutated humans of Earth. The audio dramas The Apocalypse Element and Dalek Empire also depicted the alien villains invading Gallifrey and then creating their own version of
12388-568: The Daleks' origins in Genesis of the Daleks , where the Dals were now called Kaleds (of which "Daleks" is an anagram ), and the Dalek design was attributed to one man, the paralyzed Kaled chief scientist and evil genius, Davros. Later Big Finish Productions audio plays attempted to explain this retcon by saying that the Skaro word "dal" simply means warrior, which is how the Kaleds described themselves, while "dal-ek" means "god." According to Genesis of
12551-488: The Doctor " (2013), the Daleks are one of the races that besieges Trenzalore in an attempt to stop the Doctor from releasing the Time Lords from the pocket dimension. After converting Tasha Lem into a Dalek puppet, they regain knowledge of the Doctor. The Twelfth Doctor 's first encounter with the Daleks is in his second full episode, " Into the Dalek " (2014), where he encounters a damaged Dalek he names 'Rusty.' Connecting to
12714-539: The Doctor Who television serials and films in which the Daleks have appeared has been in the episodes " Victory of the Daleks " and " Revolution of the Daleks ". The Daleks first appeared in the 1963 Doctor Who serial The Daleks . There are no visual cues to distinguish one Dalek from another, or suggestions in the story of a hierarchy. The Mark 1 Dalek differs from later variants in having no shoulder slats or mesh, nine eye discs (the greatest number of any version) and
12877-597: The Doctor and new and old companions. In a video short for the 2023 Children in Need telethon, the origin of the iconic plunger-like appendages used by Daleks was retroactively established as being from the Fourteenth Doctor 's TARDIS, while also establishing an unintentional hint by that Doctor, given to a Kaled military officer, for the creation of the name "Dalek". Daleks have little, if any, individual personality, ostensibly no emotions other than hatred and anger, and
13040-492: The Doctor himself, and their behaviour and catchphrases are now part of British popular culture . "Hiding behind the sofa whenever the Daleks appear" has been cited as an element of British cultural identity, and a 2008 survey indicated that nine out of ten British children were able to identify a Dalek correctly. In 1999 a Dalek photographed by Lord Snowdon appeared on a postage stamp celebrating British popular culture. In 2010, readers of science fiction magazine SFX voted
13203-474: The Doctor is removed from their collective consciousness at the end of the episode. The Daleks then appear in the 50th Anniversary special " The Day of the Doctor " (2013), where they are seen being defeated in the Time War . The same special reveals that many Time Lords survived the war since the Doctor found a way to transfer planet Gallifrey out of phase with reality and into a pocket dimension. In " The Time of
13366-422: The Doctor's description of the species in Remembrance of the Daleks as "little green blobs in bonded polycarbide armour ". In Resurrection of the Daleks a Dalek creature, separated from its casing, attacks and severely injures a human soldier; in Remembrance of the Daleks there are two Dalek factions (Imperial and Renegade), and the creatures inside have a different appearance in each case, one resembling
13529-515: The Doctor's love of the universe and his hatred of the Daleks, Rusty assumes a mission to destroy other Daleks. In " The Magician's Apprentice "/" The Witch's Familiar " (2015), the Doctor is summoned to Skaro where he learns Davros has rebuilt the Dalek Empire. In " The Pilot " (2017), the Doctor briefly visits a battle during the Dalek-Movellan war. The Thirteenth Doctor encountered a Dalek in
13692-489: The Mark 3 Dalek variant remained relatively unchanged throughout their later appearances. The Mark 3 Dalek variant first appeared in The Chase (1965), with Ray Cusick returning as designer for the serial. As the production required no location filming and Cusick felt that Daleks should be shorter than an average person, he had the enlarged fenders and wheels, installed for The Dalek Invasion of Earth , removed and replaced with
13855-522: The Progenitor results in the creation of New Paradigm Daleks who deem the Time War era Daleks to be inferior. The new Daleks are organised into different roles (drone, scientist, strategists, supreme and eternal), which are identifiable with colour-coded armour instead of the identification plates under the eyestalk used by their predecessors. They escape the Doctor at the end of the episode via time travel with
14018-484: The Second World War and remembered the fear caused by German bombings . He consciously based the Daleks on the Nazis , conceiving the species as faceless, authoritarian figures dedicated to conquest, racial purity and complete conformity. The allusion is most obvious in the Dalek stories written by Nation, in particular The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) and Genesis of the Daleks (1975). Before he wrote
14181-522: The Sun (used on some production documentation), The Dead Planet (the on-screen title of the serial's first episode), or simply The Daleks . The instant appeal of the Daleks caught the BBC off-guard, and transformed Doctor Who into a national phenomenon. Children were both frightened and fascinated by the alien look of the monsters, and the idea of "hiding behind the sofa" became a popular, if inaccurate or exaggerated, meme. The Doctor Who production office
14344-547: The Time Lord power source known as the Eye of Harmony, allowing the Daleks to rebuild an empire and become a greater threat against the Time Lords and other races that possess time travel. A new Doctor Who series premiered in 2005, introducing the Ninth Doctor and revealing that the "Last Great Time War" had just ended, resulting in the seeming destruction of the Time Lord society. The episode " Dalek ", written by Robert Shearman ,
14507-466: The Time War in different audio drama series such as Gallifrey: Time War, The Eighth Doctor: Time War, The War Doctor, and The War Master. A Dalek Emperor returned at the end of the 2005 series, having survived the Time War and then rebuilt the Dalek race with genetic material harvested from human subjects. It saw itself as a god, and the new human-based Daleks were shown worshipping it. The Emperor and this Dalek fleet were destroyed in " The Parting of
14670-626: The Void between dimensions. They emerged along with the Genesis Ark, a Time Lord prison vessel containing millions of pure Daleks, at Canary Wharf due to the actions of the Torchwood Institute and Cybermen from a parallel world . This resulted in a Cyberman-Dalek clash in London, which was resolved when the Tenth Doctor caused both groups to be sucked – unprotected – into
14833-415: The Void. The Cult of Skaro survived by utilising an "emergency temporal shift" to escape. The four-Dalek Cult of Skaro returned in the two-part story " Daleks in Manhattan "/" Evolution of the Daleks ", in which whilst stranded in 1930s New York, they set up a base in the partially built Empire State Building and attempt to rebuild the Dalek race. To this end, Dalek Sec merges with a human being to become
14996-402: The Ways ". The 2006 season finale " Army of Ghosts "/" Doomsday " featured a squad of four pure-bred Dalek survivors from the old Empire, known as the Cult of Skaro, composed of Daleks who were tasked with developing imagination to better predict and combat enemies. These Daleks took on names: Jast, Thay, Caan, and their black Dalek leader Sec . The Cult had survived the Time War by escaping into
15159-582: The ability to manipulate the size of their pupils (i.e. dilating and constricting them) on command, without any changes in lighting condition or eye accommodation state. However, this ability is likely very rare and its purpose or advantages over those without it are unclear. Not all animals have circular pupils. Some have slits or ovals which may be oriented vertically, as in crocodiles , vipers , cats and foxes , or horizontally as in some rays , flying frogs , mongooses and artiodactyls such as elk , red deer , reindeer and hippopotamus , as well as
15322-432: The amorphous creature from Resurrection , the other the crab-like creature from the original Dalek serial. As the creature inside is rarely seen on screen there is a common misconception that Daleks are wholly mechanical robots. In the new series Daleks are retconned to be squid -like in appearance, with small tentacles, one or two eyes, and an exposed brain. In the new series, a Dalek creature separated from its casing
15485-411: The anatomical pupil is the eye's aperture and the iris is the aperture stop . The image of the pupil as seen from outside the eye is the entrance pupil , which does not exactly correspond to the location and size of the physical pupil because it is magnified by the cornea . On the inner edge lies a prominent structure, the collarette , marking the junction of the embryonic pupillary membrane covering
15648-410: The audio plays. The BBC's sound department had changed to a digital platform and could not adequately create the distinctive Dalek sound with their modern equipment. Briggs went as far as to bring the voice modulator to the actors' readings of the scripts. Manufacturing the props was expensive. In scenes where many Daleks had to appear, some of them would be represented by wooden replicas ( Destiny of
15811-411: The basic Dalek design to create variants. From the base up, the major components are: Externally Daleks have the appearance of a truncated cone varying between approximately 1.5 metres (5 feet) and 2 metres (6 feet 6 inches) tall depending upon the variant. They are equipped with a single mechanical rod-mounted eye which protrudes from a rotating dome, a directed energy weapon and
15974-535: The circular outline of the eye. In a study of Australian snakes , pupil shapes correlated both with diel activity times and with foraging behavior. Most snake species with vertical pupils were nocturnal and also ambush foragers, and most snakes with circular pupils were diurnal and active foragers. Overall, foraging behaviour predicted pupil shape accurately in more cases than did diel time of activity, because many active-foraging snakes with circular pupils were not diurnal. It has been suggested that there may be
16137-585: The conductive metal floors of their city; in The Dalek Invasion of Earth a Dalek emerges from the waters of the River Thames , indicating not only that they had become freely mobile, but that they are amphibious ; Planet of the Daleks showed that they could ascend a vertical shaft by means of an external anti-gravity mat placed on the floor; Revelation of the Daleks showed Davros in his life-support chair and one of his Daleks hovering and Remembrance of
16300-405: The cylindrical louvres just beneath the dome, which were lined with mesh to conceal their faces. In addition to being hot and cramped, the Dalek casings also muffled external sounds, making it difficult for operators to hear the director or dialogue. John Scott Martin , a Dalek operator from the original series, said that Dalek operation was a challenge: "You had to have about six hands: one to do
16463-499: The decades. In 1963 Hodgson and his colleagues used equalisation to boost the mid-range of the actor's voice, then subjected it to ring modulation with a 30 Hz sine wave . The distinctive harsh, grating vocal timbre this produced has remained the pattern for all Dalek voices since (with the exception of those in the 1985 serial Revelation of the Daleks , for which the director, Graeme Harper , deliberately used less distortion). Besides Hawkins and Graham, other voice actors for
16626-431: The direction of Bill Roberts, who also provided additional design input. The storyline for the second serial to feature the Daleks, The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964), required the props to be used extensively on location. Consequently, serial designer Spencer Chapman and manufacturer Shawcraft Engineering devised a tricycle arrangement, incorporating three pneumatic tyres , to replace the original castors and carry
16789-421: The dissatisfaction of some fans who felt that the Daleks should take centre stage rather than merely becoming minions of their creator. Davros made his last televised appearance for 20 years in Remembrance of the Daleks , which depicted a civil war between two factions of Daleks. One faction, the "Imperial Daleks", were loyal to Davros, who had become their Emperor, whilst the other, the "Renegade Daleks", followed
16952-719: The domestic horse . Goats , sheep , toads and octopus pupils tend to be horizontal and rectangular with rounded corners. Some skates and rays have crescent shaped pupils, gecko pupils range from circular, to a slit, to a series of pinholes, and the cuttlefish pupil is a smoothly curving W shape. Although human pupils are normally circular, abnormalities like colobomas can result in unusual pupil shapes, such as teardrop, keyhole or oval pupil shapes. There may be differences in pupil shape even between closely related animals. In felids, there are differences between small- and large eyed species. The domestic cat (Felis sylvestris domesticus) has vertical slit pupils, its large relative
17115-416: The embryonic pupil. The iris is a contractile structure, consisting mainly of smooth muscle , surrounding the pupil. Light enters the eye through the pupil, and the iris regulates the amount of light by controlling the size of the pupil. This is known as the pupillary light reflex . The iris contains two groups of smooth muscles; a circular group called the sphincter pupillae , and a radial group called
17278-487: The episode " Dalek " to be spheres embedded in the casing. Both the BBC-licensed Dalek Book (1964) and The Doctor Who Technical Manual (1983) describe these items as being part of a sensory array, while in the 2005 series episode "Dalek" they are integral to a Dalek's forcefield mechanism, which evaporates most bullets and resists most types of energy weapons. The forcefield seems to be concentrated around
17441-462: The episode " The Witch's Familiar " (2015) it is revealed that the mutants are biologically immortal, yet still gradually age to eventually rot away into a liquid mass. These decayed Daleks are ultimately deposited in Skaro 's sewer system, where they decompose further into a living, maddened sludge. Daleks have distinctive electronic voices, the harsh, staccato sound being created by actors speaking through
17604-501: The episode "The Ambush" a Dalek is shown using a device resembling a thermal lance to cut through a door. It consists of a long, slim tube flanked by two globes, surmounted by a clear disc-shaped "sight screen". This appendage is mounted to the Dalek's arm in place of a plunger. The Dalek concept was the creation of screenwriter Terry Nation , with the design being realised by BBC staff designer Raymond Cusick . The props were constructed by Shawcraft Engineering of Uxbridge, England under
17767-560: The episode "The Planet of Decision" an "electrode unit" is employed to disable an electronic lock. The prop consisted of a large revolving parabolic dish from the centre of which two converging rods protruded. In the later 1960s serials in which they appeared the Dalek design remained virtually unchanged, with only minor variations to the standard colour scheme and appendages. In The Daleks' Master Plan (1965) several Daleks are shown clearing areas of jungle using short, tubular flame throwers , referred to as "pyro-flame burners", in place of
17930-574: The eye directly, or absorbed after diffuse reflections within the eye that mostly miss exiting the narrow pupil. The size of the pupil is controlled by the iris, and varies depending on many factors , the most significant being the amount of light in the environment. The term "pupil" was coined by Gerard of Cremona . In humans, the pupil is circular, but its shape varies between species; some cats , reptiles , and foxes have vertical slit pupils, goats and sheep have horizontally oriented pupils, and some catfish have annular types. In optical terms,
18093-428: The eyestalk, one to do the lights, one for the gun, another for the smoke canister underneath, yet another for the sink plunger. If you were related to an octopus then it helped." For Doctor Who' s 21st-century revival the Dalek casings retain the same overall shape and dimensional proportions of previous Daleks, although many details have been redesigned to give the Dalek a heavier and more solid look. Changes include
18256-406: The field of view and image quality of horizontal contours. They further explained why elongated pupils are correlated with the animal's height. The pupil plays a role in eye contact and nonverbal communication . The voluntary or involuntary enlargement or dilation of the pupils indicates cognitive arousal , interest in the subject of attention, and/or sexual arousal . On the other hand, when
18419-495: The first Dalek serial, Nation was a scriptwriter for the comedian Tony Hancock . The two men had a falling out and Nation either resigned or was fired. Hancock worked on several series proposals, one of which was called From Plip to Plop , a comedic history of the world that would have ended with a nuclear apocalypse, the survivors being reduced to living in dustbin-like robot casings and eating radiation to stay alive. According to Hancock's biographer Cliff Goodwin, when Hancock saw
18582-471: The former variant's being surrounded by a metallic cage. The underside structure of a Dalek casing was indeterminate until the publication of The Dalek Book (1964). This included a cutaway drawing entitled "Anatomy of a Dalek" which showed it to have a base through which a large central sphere, surrounded by smaller satellite "balancing globes", protrudes. This layout was generally adopted and used in subsequent Dalek plans and comic strip representations. This
18745-434: The general appearance of the Daleks has remained the same, details of both the casing and the mutant creature have changed over time. Alterations were made to accommodate the requirements of specific plot elements in various serials and episodes or at the request of producers, designers and directors to revitalise the Dalek appearance. On other occasions design changes have been the result of practical considerations when filming
18908-460: The greatest enemies of Doctor Who ' s protagonist, the Time Lord known as " the Doctor ". During the second year of the original Doctor Who programme (1963–1989), the Daleks developed their own form of time travel. At the beginning of the second Doctor Who TV series that debuted in 2005, it was established that the Daleks had engaged in a Time War against the Time Lords that affected much of
19071-416: The intent to rebuild their Empire. The Daleks appeared, only briefly, in subsequent finales " The Pandorica Opens "/" The Big Bang " (2010) and " The Wedding of River Song " (2011) as Steven Moffat decided to "give them a rest" and stated, "There's a problem with the Daleks. They are the most famous of the Doctor's adversaries and the most frequent, which means they are the most reliably defeatable enemies in
19234-464: The interference of Donna Noble , a companion of the Doctor, and Caan, who has been manipulating events to destroy the Daleks after realising the severity of the atrocities they have committed. The Daleks returned in the 2010 episode " Victory of the Daleks ", wherein it is revealed that some Daleks survived the destruction of their army in "Journey's End" and retrieved the "Progenitor", a tiny apparatus containing 'original' Dalek DNA. The activation of
19397-596: The last of its kind now, escapes once more via an emergency temporal shift. The Daleks returned in the 2008 season's two-part finale, " The Stolen Earth "/" Journey's End ", accompanied once again by their creator Davros. The story reveals that Caan's temporal shift sent him into the Time War, despite the War being "Time-Locked". The experience of piercing the Time-Lock resulted in Caan seeing parts of several futures, destroying his sanity in
19560-490: The last time in Resurrection of the Daleks (1984). The eyestalks and discs of standard Daleks in Resurrection of the Daleks are painted white, with four discs arranged in a conical layout, smallest disc to the front. The Tussauds Dalek prop appears in this serial under two guises; a grey drone and a Supreme Dalek painted in gloss black with white hemispheres. The Tussauds Dalek features briefly once more in Revelation of
19723-476: The major Dalek variants exist. The Doctor Who Technical Manual (1983) places both television and Movie Daleks in the same numerical sequence by order of their first screen appearances, although reconciling the characters and events depicted in the Doctor Who films with those established in the TV programme is problematic. The term " drone " is used in this article to indicate a Dalek having no rank. Its only use to date in
19886-545: The mid-shoulder section, and also had a redesigned skirt section which was more vertical at the back. Other minor changes were made to the design due to these new construction methods, including altering the fender and incorporating the arm boxes, collars, and slats into a single fibreglass moulding. These props were repainted in grey for the Seventh Doctor serial Remembrance of the Daleks and designated as " Renegade Daleks "; another redesign, painted in cream and gold, became
20049-413: The muzzle. After killing two primitive humanoids with these devices a Dalek declares them to be "...moderately efficient". The phasing-out of three section telescopic arms commenced in this serial, with two sections becoming the norm for the remainder of the classic series. In Destiny of the Daleks (1979) a revised dome rotation mechanism was installed in many of the props resulting in a pin, resembling
20212-402: The new series was announced, many fans hoped that the Daleks would return once more to the programme. The Nation estate, however, demanded levels of creative control over the Daleks' appearances and scripts that were unacceptable to the BBC. Eventually the Daleks were cleared to appear in the first series. In 2014, Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat denied their numerous appearances since
20375-483: The original Shawcraft "Mk I Daleks" surviving right through to their final classic series appearance in 1988. But years of storage and repainting took their toll. By the time of the Sixth Doctor 's Revelation of the Daleks new props were being manufactured out of fibreglass . These models were lighter and more affordable to construct than their predecessors. These newer models were slightly bulkier in appearance around
20538-448: The original style of running gear. Greater flexibility in the storylines was afforded by freeing the Daleks from reliance on static-charged metal floors for power and mobility. For this and further serials, however, the contrivance of dish aerials as energy receptors was dispensed with. They were replaced by a steel mesh wrapped around the upper collar of each prop, over which were mounted twenty-three vertical, oblong slats ostensibly forming
20701-402: The other end of the spectrum, people with this condition have trouble seeing in darkness. It is necessary for these people to be especially careful when driving at night due to their inability to see objects in their full perspective. This condition is not otherwise dangerous. The size of the pupil (often measured as diameter ) can be a symptom of an underlying disease. Dilation of the pupil
20864-447: The other eye by a partial crossover of each eye's fibers. This causes the effect in one eye to carry over to the other. The pupil gets wider in the dark and narrower in light. When narrow, the diameter is 2 to 4 millimeters. In the dark it will be the same at first, but will approach the maximum distance for a wide pupil 3 to 8 mm. However, in any human age group there is considerable variation in maximal pupil size. For example, at
21027-421: The peak age of 15, the dark-adapted pupil can vary from 4 mm to 9 mm with different individuals. After 25 years of age, the average pupil size decreases, though not at a steady rate. At this stage the pupils do not remain completely still, therefore may lead to oscillation, which may intensify and become known as hippus . The constriction of the pupil and near vision are closely tied. In bright light,
21190-460: The process. Caan rescued many pure-bred Time War era Daleks and Davros, who created new pure Dalek troops using his own body's cells (his Kaled DNA, as all pure Daleks were originally Kaleds). A red Supreme Dalek leads the new army while keeping Caan and Davros imprisoned on the Dalek flagship, the Crucible . Davros and the Daleks plan to destroy reality itself with a "reality bomb". The plan fails due to
21353-424: The production of a plague designed to exterminate all organic life and the deployment of a 10,000 strong Dalek invasion force. The variant was created utilising a prop owned by screenwriter Terry Nation, which had been used in the second Dr. Who film . The neck bin mesh, struts and neck rings were removed, the latter items being replaced by new rings having a flat, recessed edge detailed with small rivets rather than
21516-408: The props being functional, armoured casings housing an alien being. This situation was finally remedied in the episode " Dalek " (2005) and subsequent appearances of the "New Series" Dalek. This variant is shown to have an underside consisting of a large, recessed central hemisphere surrounded by eight satellite hemispheres. The central hemisphere and four of the satellite hemispheres glow when the Dalek
21679-464: The props over uneven ground. Enlarged fenders were then created to hide the revised undercarriage. To explain the Daleks' ability to travel away from the static-charged floors of their city, the narrative has the Doctor stating that an aerial located at the edge of a mine in Bedfordshire is the key to the Daleks' power supply on Earth. Although not referred to directly in the story, it is implied that
21842-441: The props were wholly mechanical and operated by remote control. The Daleks were actually controlled from inside by short operators, who had to manipulate their eyestalks, domes and arms, as well as flashing the lights on their heads in sync with the actors supplying their voices. The Dalek cases were built in two pieces; an operator would step into the lower section and then the top would be secured. The operators looked out between
22005-472: The pupil is mydriasis . Dilation can be caused by mydriatic substances such as an eye drop solution containing tropicamide . A condition called bene dilitatism occurs when the optic nerves are partially damaged. This condition is typified by chronically widened pupils due to the decreased ability of the optic nerves to respond to light. In normal lighting, people affected by this condition normally have dilated pupils, and bright lighting can cause pain. At
22168-470: The pupil is voluntarily or involuntarily contracted , it could indicate the opposite - disinterest or disgust. Exceptionally large or dilated pupils are also perceived to be an attractive feature in body language. In a surprising number of unrelated languages, the etymological meaning of the term for pupil is "little person". This is true, for example, of the word pupil itself: this comes into English from Latin pūpilla , which means "doll, girl", and
22331-402: The pupil. For example, the cat's slit pupil can change the light intensity on the retina 135-fold compared to 10-fold in humans. However, this explanation does not account for circular pupils that can be closed to a very small size (e.g., 0.5 mm in the tarsier ) and the rectangular pupils of many ungulates which do not close to a narrow slit in bright light. An alternative explanation
22494-415: The pupils constrict to prevent aberrations of light rays and thus attain their expected acuity; in the dark, this is not necessary, so it is chiefly concerned with admitting sufficient light into the eye. When bright light is shone on the eye, light-sensitive cells in the retina, including rod and cone photoreceptors and melanopsin ganglion cells , will send signals to the oculomotor nerve , specifically
22657-438: The pupils contract. There is also evidence that pupil size is related to the extent of positive or negative emotional arousal experienced by a person. Myopic individuals have larger resting and dark dilated pupils than hyperopic and emmetropic individuals, likely due to requiring less accommodation (which results in pupil constriction). Some humans are able to exert direct control over their iris muscles, giving them
22820-408: The remaining eight serials in which they appeared over the next sixteen years. During this period, however, several small changes to the standard Mark 3 Dalek design were made and their hierarchy was again expanded. In Day of the Daleks a Dalek Leader is seen painted in gold, with black hemispheres and fender. This serial also saw the first appearance of an oval disc between the appendage boxes and
22983-428: The same life-support system he himself used since being burned and blinded by a nuclear attack. His creations became intent on dominating the universe by enslaving or purging all "inferior" non-Dalek life. The Daleks are the series' most popular and famous villains and their returns to television over the decades have often gained media attention. Their battle cry , a staccato "Exterminate!" has entered common usage as
23146-413: The script, Cusick was given only an hour to come up with the design for the Daleks and was inspired in his initial sketches by a pepper pot on a table. Cusick himself, however, states that he based it on a man seated in a chair, and used the pepper pot only to demonstrate how it might move. In 1964, Nation told a Daily Mirror reporter that the Dalek name came from a dictionary or encyclopaedia volume,
23309-422: The seated operators' feet, but they remained so heavy that when going up ramps they often had to be pushed by stagehands out of camera shot. The difficulty of operating all the prop's parts at once contributed to the occasionally jerky Dalek movements. This problem has largely been eradicated with the advent of the "new series" version, as its remotely controlled dome and eyestalk allow the operator to concentrate on
23472-505: The serial as a rebel faction while the grey Daleks from the Dalek home-world of Skaro, seen in the final episode, serve the Supreme Dalek. In this serial Davros' life-support chair is shown hovering a short distance above the ground. In a later scene a Dalek kills two saboteurs from an elevated vantage point, implying that Daleks now share this capability. For DVD releases of the serial from 2005 onwards new shots were created to clarify that
23635-550: The serials The Power of the Daleks , The Evil of the Daleks , and Planet of the Daleks . Judicious editing techniques also gave the impression that there were more Daleks than were actually available, such as using a split screen in "The Parting of the Ways". Four fully functioning props were commissioned for the first serial "The Daleks" in 1963, and were constructed from BBC plans by Shawcraft Engineering. These became known in fan circles as "Mk I Daleks" . Shawcraft were also commissioned to construct approximately 20 Daleks for
23798-507: The smooth movement of the Dalek and its arms. The staccato delivery, harsh tone and rising inflection of the Dalek voice were initially developed by two voice actors, Peter Hawkins and David Graham , who varied the pitch and speed of the lines according to the emotion needed. Their voices were further processed electronically by Brian Hodgson at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop . The sound-processing devices used have varied over
23961-514: The spine of which read "Dal – Lek" (or, according to another version, "Dal – Eks"). He later admitted that this book and the associated origin of the Dalek name were completely fictitious, and that anyone bothering to check out his story would have found him out. The name had simply rolled off his typewriter. Later, Nation was pleasantly surprised to discover that in Serbo-Croatian the word "dalek" means "far" or "distant". Nation grew up during
24124-454: The standard plunger. A Dalek with a circular sieve-like scoop attachment in place of its plunger is seen in The Power of the Daleks (1966). It is used for transferring embryonic Dalek mutants from a liquid-filled nurturing tank to their travel machine casings. For this serial and future appearance of the Mark 3 variant, the gun design was simplified by removing the mantles. In The Evil of
24287-578: The term metaphorically to describe people, usually authority figures, who act like robots unable to break from their programming. For example, John Birt , the Director-General of the BBC from 1992 to 2000, was called a "croak-voiced Dalek" by playwright Dennis Potter in the MacTaggart Lecture at the 1993 Edinburgh Television Festival . Dalek in-universe history has seen many retroactive changes , which have caused continuity problems. When
24450-470: The time reveal that they also lacked hemispheres on the rear skirt panels. A group of Daleks are seen in this story forming a suicide squad to destroy an enemy spacecraft, each with a number of bombs attached to its shoulder section. The bomb props consist of yellow cylinders capped at the ends by red hemispheres. A Mark 3 drone Dalek with a distinctive design also appears in Destiny of the Daleks . It features
24613-399: The two Dalek movies in 1965 and 1966 (see below ). Some of these movie props filtered back to the BBC and were seen in the televised serials, notably The Chase , which was aired before the first movie's debut. The remaining props not bought by the BBC were either donated to charity or given away as prizes in competitions. The BBC's own Dalek props were reused many times, with components of
24776-573: The universe and altered parts of history. In the programme's narrative, the planet Skaro suffered a thousand-year war between two societies: the Kaleds and the Thals . During this time-period, many natives of Skaro became badly mutated by fallout from nuclear weapons and chemical warfare . The Kaled government believed in genetic purity and swore to "exterminate the Thals" for being inferior. Believing his own society
24939-509: The universe." These episodes also reveal that Skaro has been recreated yet again. They next appear in " Asylum of the Daleks " (2012), where the Daleks are shown to have greatly increased numbers and now have a Parliament; in addition to the traditional "modern" Daleks, several designs from both the original and new series appear, all co-existing rather than judging each other as inferior or outdated (except for those Daleks whose personalities deem them "insane" or can no longer battle). All record of
25102-443: The usual bevel. Lilac dome lights shaped like upturned jam jars were fitted, together with an eyeball resembling a flashlight which lit up when it spoke. It was painted in gloss black with yellow-gold hemispheres, slats, neck rings and dome. It is uncertain who carried out the conversion work, although the painting of the prop was undertaken by the BBC Visual Effects Department under the direction of Clifford Culley. The ruthlessness of
25265-404: The voice in their various appearances. In the 2010 season, a new, larger model appeared in several colours representing different parts of the Dalek command hierarchy. Terry Nation's original plan was for the Daleks to glide across the floor. Early versions of the Daleks rolled on nylon castors , propelled by the operator's feet. Although castors were adequate for the Daleks' debut serial, which
25428-458: The waters of the River Thames. For the first time a Dalek command structure is introduced, with rank indicated by differing colour schemes. The Earth Task Force Commander, or "Saucer Commander", features a black dome and alternating light and dark skirt panels. A Supreme Controller or "Black Dalek" is also seen with a black dome, shoulders and skirt. First introduced in 1965, the basic design of
25591-434: Was as a result of a contractual obligation. Externally, Daleks resemble human-sized pepper pots with a single mechanical eyestalk mounted on a rotating dome, a gun-mount containing an energy-weapon ("gunstick" or " death ray ") resembling an egg-whisk, and a telescopic manipulator arm usually tipped by an appendage resembling a sink- plunger . Daleks have been known to use their plungers to interface with technology, crush
25754-494: Was assumed that, due to their design and gliding motion, Daleks were unable to climb stairs, and that this provided a simple way of escaping them. A cartoon from Punch pictured a group of Daleks at the foot of a flight of stairs with the caption, "Well, this certainly buggers our plan to conquer the Universe". In a scene from the serial Destiny of the Daleks , the Doctor and companions escape from Dalek pursuers by climbing into
25917-411: Was becoming weak and that it was his duty to create a new master race from the ashes of his people, the Kaled scientist Davros genetically modified several Kaleds into squid-like life-forms he called Daleks, removing "weaknesses" such as mercy and sympathy while increasing aggression and survival-instinct. He then integrated them with tank -like robotic shells equipped with advanced technology based on
26080-417: Was broadcast on BBC One on 30 April 2005 and confirmed that the Time War had mainly involved the Daleks fighting the Time Lords, with the Doctor ending the conflict by seemingly destroying both sides, remarking that his own survival was "not by choice." The episode featured a single Dalek who appeared to be the sole survivor of his race from the Time War. Later audio plays by Big Finish Productions expanded on
26243-420: Was exhibited (painted bright blue and silver) as part of their Doctor Who display in the 1980s. Commencing with a cameo appearance in the Doctor Who serial " The Five Doctors " (1983), Mark 3 Dalek variants seen during this decade feature a neck bin raised so that a strip of it is visible between the lower neck ring and the top of the shoulders. The use of the dome rotation mechanism pin continued, appearing for
26406-441: Was inundated with letters and calls asking about the creatures. Newspaper articles focused attention on the series and the Daleks, further enhancing their popularity. Nation jointly owned the intellectual property rights to the Daleks with the BBC, and the money-making concept proved nearly impossible to sell to anyone else, so he was dependent on the BBC wanting to produce stories featuring the creatures. Several attempts to market
26569-430: Was shot entirely at the BBC's Lime Grove Studios , for The Dalek Invasion of Earth Terry Nation wanted the Daleks to be filmed on the streets of London. To enable the Daleks to travel smoothly on location, designer Spencer Chapman built the new Dalek shells around miniature tricycles with sturdier wheels, which were hidden by enlarged fenders fitted below the original base. The uneven flagstones of Central London caused
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