Russell T Davies will not be utilizing the Daleks in the new Doctor Who season or the 60th anniversary specials.
The alien conquerors are easily the most famous of the Doctor’s many enemies. However, Davies believes the Daleks have been overused in recent years. “I do think we’ve had a lot of Daleks lately,” the Doctor Who showrunner explained following a Q&A event after a press screening of the upcoming specials (via The Mirror). Davies added that his predecessor, Chris Chibnall, featured the Daleks in all the specials produced during his run. “I think they’ve been done a lot — people are expecting them every year now. So I think they need a good pause”
Davies also confirmed that the incoming Fifteenth Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa, will not be facing the Daleks in his first season. “There are no Daleks,” stated Davies. “There are no Cybermen, I didn’t want to look back too much.”
The Daleks are not contracted to appear annually
Beyond being the most popular of the Doctor’s adversaries, the Daleks are also the longest lasting. They first appeared in the second Doctor Who serial, titled “The Daleks”, just before Christmas 1963. When BBC revived Doctor Who in 2005, the series reintroduced the Daleks as the instigators of the Time War that seemingly wiped out all the Time Lords (save for the Doctor).
Since that time, the Daleks have appeared at least once a season. This inspired rumors that the estate of the Daleks’ creator, Terry Nation, refused to license their use without contractual appearances. Steven Moffat, the showrunner of Doctor Who from 2010 to 2017, denied these rumors in 2014. Davies comments would seem to confirm that no such stipulation exists.
Luckily for Dalek lovers, the alien invaders are being honored in another way. The BBC is producing a special edition of the original seven-part serial that introduced the Daleks. Colorized and presented with a new score by Mark Ayres, the new version of “The Daleks” will be released on November 23 on BBC Four and the Whoniverse.
Doctor Who: The Star Beast will air on BBC and Disney+ on November 25.
