Doctor Who-The Dalek Invasion Of Earth

             With Doctor Who in the beginning of it's second series in 1964,it was felt there was a time for a change in the flow of the series. In the beginning the first Doctor's companions reflected the theme of the show as educational programming: two teachers and a (seemingly) teenage girl. But the nature of the program was changing. The settings for the stories were becoming more diverse and less set around historical themed serials or ones that were set in a future time. With the creation of the Daleks,and the concept the Doctor was not the only creature in the universe capable of space/time travel the program was on the verge of deeply broadening it's storytelling range. Further more this episode would wind up being the first ever farewell story for one of the Doctor's companions and perhaps the most pointed one at that.


             Upon the TARDIS arriving in London Ian and Barbara believe they have returned home. After some sleuthing on the part of Ian and the Doctor,it's found that this London is a wasteland in the mid 22'nd century. Earth has been invaded and the few humans left are planning a revolt,with others have been transformed into zombie like Robomen. It isn't long after this that the reason for all this chaos is found: a group of time travelling Daleks have invaded the Earth. It's up to the Doctor,his companions and the few remaining humans to keep the Daleks from bringing down re-enforcements and quell the infestation of the Robomen. In the meantime Susan has become smitten with one of the humans. And while in the end the Doctor successfully stops the Daleks invasion,he deliberately locks Susan out of the TARDIS,to allow her to grow and continue her adult romance with her human companion.

                It's this episode that concludes with the first doctors famous "Yes I shall come back" speech to Susan. It's a coming of age story for her character,as she is no longer as clingy to her grandfather and develops another type of relationship on her own. So on that front,again the soulless,aggressive Daleks create a set of circumstances that lead inevitably to Susan's departure. Not only does it allow her to have her independent love interest (the first time the idea of romance was strongly emphasized in the program) but the Dalek's planned conquest of Earth and it's view of the human race as utterly worthless on it's own strengthens that state of independence for Susan. With it's epic scope,compelling camera work and location shooting as well as that whole coming of age concept make this one of the major triumphs of the first doctor era serials.