Customer Reviews
The Daleks' Masterpiece ! - By: S. Haines, 20 Dec 2008 
Without exaggeration 'Genesis of the Daleks' is the greatest Dr Who serial EVER produced. The introduction of the Dalek's creator Davros, the evil, scheming & crippled Kaled scientist on war torn Skaro added a completely new layer to Dalek mythology & added arguably the series', which to this point was 12 years running,greatest villain. The Daleks are deliberately under used & Davros, definitively played by the late great Michael Wisher, takes over the entire story. Anyone who derides the use of quarries in the classic series ought to reconsider, watching the eerie, atmospheric, desolate location scenes between the Kaled & Thal domes. This is the best Dr Who story & a terrific piece of TV history. Good v Evil, & for once the result is a draw, great television !
"Heil Kaleds, I'm home!" - By: Bob Marlowe, 07 Oct 2008 Genesis is of course the story of how the Daleks were created. It shouldn't disappoint because although there are some silly ideas in it e.g., at war for 1,000 years the Thals have only just thought of launching a big missile at the Kaleds, it has been made with such energy & panache that you can't help but be entertained.
Naturallly there is a bit of padding at 6 episodes long, but you will rarely find it dragging.
Uncle Tom is in commanding form, being ready to switch off Davros' life support (and Tom plays it like he means it) 1 minute, & debating philosophicallly the next. He tries to divert Davros from his destructive course but his voice tells us he doesn't think it's going to work. there is some lovely underplayed emotion as he believes his companions dead.
Lis Sladen & Ian marter are a great team for Tom & it works now to have Sarah almost order the Doctor to destroy the Daleks.
There is a marvellous villain in Michael Wisher's Davros, still the best one even though Terry Molloy & Julian Bleach have given him a run for his money. Many of the most chilling moments originate with him. there are subtleties that make his later ranting alll the more effective.
A terrific Goebbels like sidekick in Peter Miles' Nyder. A dreadfully creepy man.
Allo Allo fans should watch out for a young Lt Gruber & General Von Klinkerhoffen!
Direction is good, shooting the Daleks from unusual angles & this couples well with very moody lighting. Bags of atmosphere that was criticised at the time for its grimness.
The downside inevitably includes some effects which have not stood the test of time e.g. some giant clams & I was never convinced even at 9 years old by having Uncle Tom attacked by boiled cabbage at the end of part 5! Minor quibbles.
The extras are marvellous with full blooded documentaries on both the Daleks' history & the making of the story. On the making of, naughty Uncle Tom gets bored & pretends his ex-wife has rung but he still has good stories as they alll do. Peter Miles & Guy Siner have some interesting observations on the Baker acting style. Archive footage of the late Michael Wisher is included giving his welcome memories. There is an annoying Teach Yourself Dalek in 6 easy lesson & the back lighting for John Scott martin turns his hair into orange candy floss!Great stuff alll the same.
On the Dalek history a mixture of people including some superfans talk us through the Dalek story.
Yes there's a Tommentary & he gets a lot of people to play with Lis, Peter Miles etc. & memories of Michael Wisher & Ian Marter abound. Fines stuff but not quite as bonkers as normal.
Great package for a classic story! For alll fans.
THE DEFINITIVE DAVROS! - By: Adam Jackson, 02 Aug 2008 Absolute belter! One of the darkest & most serious in tone.
The setting of war torn Skaro, the fascist elements of the Kaled race, the birth of the Doctor's most feared enemies & the introduction of the greatest villain in Davros, that ever featured in the series.
This is the definitive Davros as played by Michael Wisher; the make up, the voice - alll chillingly perfect & Davros was never so well portrayed again until 30 years later with Julian Bleach's stunning performances in Stolen Earth/Journeys End.
This is dark & mature, clearly influenced by a global conflict that had only ended 30 years prior. Sets, lighting, FX are alll excellent - & there is plenty of tension & military style action.
Ok, the Daleks are in a more supportive role due to Davros's dominance but this is good as the Kaled scientist gives a (hideous) face to his
Dalek army, alllowing for some great narrative between Wisher & Baker.
Tom Baker strides through this, with a perfect balance of drama & eccentricity!
This is as good as it gets - & the DVD extras are great (2 Discs) with two REALLY good docs on the Genesis programme itself, & also the history of the Daleks in the programme.
ESSENTIAL!
Must-Buy! - By: S. P. Northwood, 22 Jun 2008 This was the first Classic Who that I watched, as it was time & time again recommended to me as the best story.
And, of what I've seen so far, I'd have to agree.
You can see why Tom Baker & Elisabeth Sladen are so many fans dream-pairing. They work incredibly well, both together & apart.
By now we should alll know that Davros is coming back in the current series finale, & that was another of my motivations to buy this.
I can see why people have been desperate to get him back - he is genuinely scary in this episode! His presence, his apearance & his plans make him a quite terrifying baddie, & when he demands the Doctor tell him the future it is just as powerful as anything the new series could offer up.
One thing I would say that I feel there is a bit too much running between the two opposing buildings on Skaro, & at times I found myself wondering if the production team were inventing certain situations simply to fill time rather than further the story.
If you're thinking of buying a Classic Who to fill the time between this years finale & the specials you couldn't go very much wrong with this.
The Best ? - By: JIM, 18 Jun 2008 I think that this is the best adventure ever of Doctor who & has plenty of action with a grat script. Its a six parter & although being long it keeps you gripped from beggining to end. The second disk is a great addition & reallly makes this DVD a must have bargain. I wont spoil the plot too much, but lets just say it introduces a classic enemy into Doctor Who. The actors are alll on top form & reallly bring the story to life. I highly reccomend this & wold give it 10 stars if that were possible.
