Genesis Of The Daleks is a goddamned perfect Doctor Who story. 

Now, I’ve always been a fairly big fan of Doctor Who and I, like most American fans, consider Tom Baker (the Fourth Doctor) my favorite Doctor. There may be some unfair bias here and I recognize this, not just because Tom Baker played the Doctor for a longer time than any other actor, but also because they were the stories consistently reran on PBS throughout the 1980s, despite the fact that he left the role in 1981.  

None of that changes the fact that Genesis Of The Daleks is a goddamned perfect Doctor Who story and it's only made better by focusing attention on the shows most popular villains.

The Daleks have been around almost as long as Doctor Who. They first appeared in the second serial in 1963 and the mysterious antagonists were a major success both on screen and off. So successful were they that before the first recording block of Doctor Who had ended, it was demanded that they be brought back, which was responded to with The Dalek Invasion Of Earth. Since then, every single incarnation of the Doctor (from the classic series) has done battle against the Daleks at least once. (Before Genesis, there were ten Dalek stories, and that does not include the Peter Cushing theatrical movies) But never in the eleven years of Doctor Who prior to this story have their origins ever truly been explored.  

Which brings us back to Genesis Of The Daleks. Did I mention how perfect this story is? 

Snatched entirely out of time and space by the Time Lords themselves, the Doctor and his companions Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter) are sent on a mission: They are either to destroy the Daleks before they ever existed, or alter their evolution in a way that they don’t become as aggressive. Even before agreeing, the Doctor is dropped off on the planet Skaro at the dawn of the Dalek race. Two races, the Thals and the Kaleds, are at the very end of a thousand-year war (despite the fact that the cities are right next to each other with an underground cavern connecting them). Nuclear usage is going to bring death by radiation to much of the planet, and the warring Kaled race will be forced to evolve into a species unable to get around by conventional means. Their greatest scientist Davros has developed the Mark III travel machine to enable them to live on, but not before he sees to it that the new race, the Dalek, is programmed to dominate all other life forms, under any circumstances.  

What could have been a standard by-the-numbers Dalek story is elevated for a number of reasons. Tom Baker’s overly eccentric portrayal of the Doctor helps, and so does the fact that his companions aren’t completely annoying. But quite possibly the best things that set this story apart from previous Dalek epics is that it has a centralized villain and, come to think of it, not a whole hell of a lot of Daleks. In Genesis Of The Daleks, we are introduced to Davros, the creator of the Daleks, who goes on to star in every Dalek story done since in the classic series. This fascist villain is beautifully played by Michael Wisher and the Nazi allegory runs thick as there is much talk of keeping the Kaled race pure and the dress of both him and his subjects are Naziesque in general. Davros is a sunofabitch, but a great one nevertheless. There’s also a great theme of doing what’s right. The Doctor, at one point, literally has the opportunity to wipe out every Dalek from existence by simply connecting two wires. He contemplates this thoroughly, despite having orders. Does he have the right to commit genocide? What does that make him? Is he any better than the Daleks if he destroys them? 

Despite the very grim subject matter, some humorous bits do shine though, even if those too are dark. The Doctor offers up jelly babies to a few people (a Tom Baker trademark) and continually requests tea for himself and Harry despite they are held prisoner. These scenes, and others like them, help lighten some of the darker themes that otherwise might have made it difficult for children to watch. Genocide, of course, is no laughing matter.  

As for the technicalities of the serial, Genesis is perfectly shot in every way. I can’t imagine Who being much better. The opening segment with the Doctor being approached by the Time Lord takes an approach similar to Bergman’s The Seventh Seal and there is a bit of a Dr. Strangelove thing going on with Davros’ crippled yet omnipotent look and manner.  Many scenes with the Daleks are shot from low-angles thus giving them a more impressive and menacing look. Considering the budget and time which Doctor Who was made in, the fact that anything plays out artistically or convincingly at all says an awful lot about the program.  

This particular serial stands tall on its own among a great many stand out stories staring the Fourth Doctor. Whether or not it’s the best is perfectly debatable, but no fan could certainly place it as one of the worst. Anyone interested in Doctor Who must, at some point, see Genesis Of The Daleks. 

The DVD Presentation
Genesis Of The Daleks is presented in the original full-frame aspect ratio that it was broadcast in. It has gone through an extensive restoration process (which you can learn about here) and it looks fantastic. The Doctor Who Restoration Team really puts their all into these DVD releases and this one truly shines. Audio is also very well done. It’s a mono mix, but everything sounds perfectly clear. English subtitles are included for the deaf or hard of hearing. 

And the Extras Are? 
Audio commentary by actors Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Peter Miles and director David Maloney. There are plenty of moments where the participants fall into watching the program, which isn’t difficult to fathom considering it is such a great one. Still, when they get going, the recollections are wonderful and all the participants are a pleasure to listen to. It’s obvious that they all had a great time during the production, and still enjoy each other’s company 30 years later. 

Information Text
This feature takes the place of a subtitle track and provides all sorts of interesting information, technical detail, script alterations, television ratings, etc. It’s a great feature to run while you have the commentary going for a nice healthy chunk of Who history. 

The remaining features all make up the second disc. 

Genesis of a Classic – (1:02:04)
This amazing “Making of” documentary (presented in anamorphic widescreen) runs nearly an hour and covers just about every single aspect of the production of this serial from conception to its reception. It seems as though anyone alive and related to these episodes at all are interviewed for at least a minute or so. If you’ve enjoyed Genesis, then you MUST watch this documentary. 

The Dalek Tapes – (53:17)
We get two completely awesome documentaries on this set. This is pretty much the bottom line resource on everything Dalek. From their conceptual origins to their success through the Doctor Who program and Peter Cushing Doctor Who movies, to how they have influenced, and continue to influence pop culture. It also makes for a great checklist of nearly every Doctor Who episode that stars the Daleks – many of which remain unavailable on DVD at this time. If you are a Who fan, chances are you love the Daleks, and if you do, you are practically guaranteed to love this feature.  

Continuity Compilation – (6:15)
Simply a collection of commercial lead-in bumpers used when Genesis Of The Daleks was previously ran and re-ran on the BBC. Also included are some commercials for the VHS releases in the UK. 

Blue Peter – (7:12)
A segment of the popular British children’s program which has the presenters showing off some home made Doctor Who models that a fan had made and were actually being exhibited at the time.  

Photo Gallery – (7:56)
A collection of a whole lot of photos taken from the production of Genesis Of The Daleks. 

Doctor Who Annual (DVD-ROM)
Insert this DVD into a DVD-ROM drive and you can access the entire 1976 edition of the 64-page Doctor Who annual in PDF format. 

Radio Times Billings (DVD-ROM)
You also have access to the listings in Radio Times magazine describing each of the episodes and a couple of articles on the serial. These features are accessible on PC and Mac. 

The Bottom Line
Genesis Of The Daleks is one of the best, if not the best story from the Tom Baker era of Doctor Who, and it certainly ranks up there as one of the best Dalek stories as well. So it’s only suitable that the same serial is also one of the best DVD releases so far from the classic Doctor Who series. Fans who don’t own Genesis are doing themselves a great disservice. If you are uninitiated to the worlds of Doctor Who, then this is a perfect place to start.