The Daleks: The Destroyers (Part of the Second Doctor Lost Stories Boxset)
In 1967, the Evil of the Daleks wrote the Doctors biggest enemy out of the show forever (or at least until Day of the Daleks brought them back in 1972). Terry Nation’s intention was to launch the eponymous villains in the USA, fighting Sara Kingdom rather than our big hero. For unknown reasons, that never happened (perhaps for the best in my view) and so, Big Finish have now dusted down the scripts and adapted them for audio. Utilising three main characters, Sara (featured in the fourteen part epic that was the Daleks Master Plan), Mark Seven (an unlovable android) and Jason Corey (a character that is basically Nick Courtney’s replacement here), and of course the Daleks.
The plot itself is clearly a Nation plot. Carnivorous plants, an inhospitable jungle and a weird stone creature are all plot devices that he has used so often before, in one form or another, in his original stories, being given just another rewrite here. Giving the plot another best of compilation Dalek story was really not a good idea (Had this been made, another one would be shown a few years later in Planet of the Daleks). For realisation, I really do not see how this would have worked, in any form on TV. The idea of Daleks falling down bottomless abyss’s or Sara being attacked by a rock monster would not have worked at all, either being poorly realised or would have ended up dropped from the TV script. The opening slaughter at Explorer Base One would have been far too much to create, even on a big American budget. However, part of me wishes it could be created on television using today’s technology, as it could be spectacular.
Unfortunately on audio, the plot just doesn’t work. The need for visual imagery is spectacular, and while I know that this would let it down, the plot relies on it so much, that, having the stage directions read as narration causes it to loose the drama and tension that it would have without them. Also if you wanted the Daleks to be at their cunning best, then this isn’t for you. Compared to something out of the 1960’s their plans make complete sense, however put it next to something from modern BF, then it is awful. The massacre here is nothing in contrast to, say, The Curse of Davros. I think, had the series been continued the Daleks could have grown into something much more menacing for new audiences, but, as with so many pilot episodes, the enemy’s presence is so weak that it holds no water at all, possible because the plot was designed to last for more than one episode, so you get no conclusion to it here. While this does lead for a more exciting cliff-hanger ending, it feels like a bit of a rough deal. Spending £25 on one four part story and half of another does seem a bit pricey.
The idea of having Terry Nation’s stage directions read out as narration is an inspired idea that could have worked so well. Unfortunately, for some reason that I can’t quite place they don’t. They do succeed in outlining the action, telling the reader the events and giving the story that Terry Nation feel that is present in so many of his TV stories. For me, what let it down was how monotone it was. Jean Marsh was great in all her scenes as Sara, giving every one an edgy feel that made those great to hear. However, the prolonged areas where she was describing the action, her voice rarely changed tone, lending the scenes where there was fighting and explosive drama little more energy than those where the characters were walking through the forest. This surprised me, as I know the Jean Marsh is a great actor in all mediums, but I didn’t see it in the narration. Disappointingly, this let the play down, moving it from what could have been a great play to a mediocre one.
And so, I wasn’t that impressed with The Daleks: The Destroyers. For something with so much potential, it really disappointed me. Thankfully, having the slightly better Prison in Space in the same boxset, makes the £25 slightly more bearable, without that, I surely would be shouting at my CD player for a refund.
The plot itself is clearly a Nation plot. Carnivorous plants, an inhospitable jungle and a weird stone creature are all plot devices that he has used so often before, in one form or another, in his original stories, being given just another rewrite here. Giving the plot another best of compilation Dalek story was really not a good idea (Had this been made, another one would be shown a few years later in Planet of the Daleks). For realisation, I really do not see how this would have worked, in any form on TV. The idea of Daleks falling down bottomless abyss’s or Sara being attacked by a rock monster would not have worked at all, either being poorly realised or would have ended up dropped from the TV script. The opening slaughter at Explorer Base One would have been far too much to create, even on a big American budget. However, part of me wishes it could be created on television using today’s technology, as it could be spectacular.
Unfortunately on audio, the plot just doesn’t work. The need for visual imagery is spectacular, and while I know that this would let it down, the plot relies on it so much, that, having the stage directions read as narration causes it to loose the drama and tension that it would have without them. Also if you wanted the Daleks to be at their cunning best, then this isn’t for you. Compared to something out of the 1960’s their plans make complete sense, however put it next to something from modern BF, then it is awful. The massacre here is nothing in contrast to, say, The Curse of Davros. I think, had the series been continued the Daleks could have grown into something much more menacing for new audiences, but, as with so many pilot episodes, the enemy’s presence is so weak that it holds no water at all, possible because the plot was designed to last for more than one episode, so you get no conclusion to it here. While this does lead for a more exciting cliff-hanger ending, it feels like a bit of a rough deal. Spending £25 on one four part story and half of another does seem a bit pricey.
The idea of having Terry Nation’s stage directions read out as narration is an inspired idea that could have worked so well. Unfortunately, for some reason that I can’t quite place they don’t. They do succeed in outlining the action, telling the reader the events and giving the story that Terry Nation feel that is present in so many of his TV stories. For me, what let it down was how monotone it was. Jean Marsh was great in all her scenes as Sara, giving every one an edgy feel that made those great to hear. However, the prolonged areas where she was describing the action, her voice rarely changed tone, lending the scenes where there was fighting and explosive drama little more energy than those where the characters were walking through the forest. This surprised me, as I know the Jean Marsh is a great actor in all mediums, but I didn’t see it in the narration. Disappointingly, this let the play down, moving it from what could have been a great play to a mediocre one.
And so, I wasn’t that impressed with The Daleks: The Destroyers. For something with so much potential, it really disappointed me. Thankfully, having the slightly better Prison in Space in the same boxset, makes the £25 slightly more bearable, without that, I surely would be shouting at my CD player for a refund.