078 Genesis of the Daleks

Started 15-Apr

We watched the Blu Ray.

Well this is it. The summit, the peak of classic DW according to some other polls. (#3 in DWM 474 50th Anniversary poll of 2014 and the Mighty 200 Poll of 2009... and no1 in the DWM 254 1998 Poll ...see below)


There are lots of things in this DW serial which are excellent.


The lighting, the costumes, the music. All really, really good. There are few coloured characters and no sign of any Kaled female roles, there's a structural problem in the narrative in p3 and 4 but this is quibbling and unimportant.

I'm personally not sold on the idea that this is the greatest ever DW story because the theme is actually very un-Doctor Who-ish.

The story is about the Genesis of the Daleks. The horrible, machine creatures are created deliberately and with thought and skill by a desperate group led by the megalomaniac Davros in the belief that this was their method of salvation from extinction. As self delusional as this motivation might or might not be it is at least seriously sincere.

Ultimately the Kaleds and the Scientific Elite in the bunker are annihilated by this project and the Daleks survive. The Doctor's mission actually fails. The future is not saved. The cost not even reduced.

What did we learn? Not much. What did we see and hear? The Genesis of the terrible Daleksand we met the truly sensational, terrifying Davros. Which is a ride that's worth it I guess.

It is good that a DW story does not end happily but the net gain from this initiative is The Time War. If I was the Doctor I'd have told that Time Lord in p1 that "you can't rewrite history" and asked to teleported back to Nerva Beacon.

But the whole idea seems misconceived.

So what is this about? Fascist domination is inevitable? And there's nothing anyone can do about it? Apart from set aside your differences and fight terrible wars for "what you know is right"? And probably lose them? What does this piece recommend or suggest anyone should do about this problem? Um....

That's worse than bleak, it's devastating and defeatist. DW is meant to be more hopeful and less nihilistic. DW is meant to show us that there is a solution to the problems of the world/universe not deny that it's possible.

I marked it down several tenths of a point for this.




ABM Rating 3.49/4.00
LJM Rating 4.30/5.00
SPJ Rating 9.34/10   

No. 9 (out of 78)

Link to Cumulative Rankings


Rankings Scoreboard

---

2014

http://doctoroo.blogspot.com/2014/06/from-doctor-who-magazines-first-50.html

DWM 2014 Survey: Full List of Results
From Doctor Who Magazine's 'The First 50 Years' poll - Issue 474


001. The Day of the Doctor (11)
002. Blink (10)
003. Genesis of the Daleks (4)
004. The Caves of Androzani (5)
005. City of Death (4)
006. The Talons of Weng-Chiang (4)
007. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (9)
008. Pyramids of Mars (4)
009. Human Nature/The Family of Blood (10)
010. Remembrance of the Daleks (7)
011. The Robots of Death (4)
012. The War Games (2)
013. Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways (9)
014. Terror of the Zygons (4)
015. Dalek (9)
016. The Web of Fear (2)
017. The Eleventh Hour (11)
018. Inferno (3)
019. The Power of the Daleks (2)
020. The Seeds of Doom (4)
021. The Deadly Assassin (4)
022. The Ark in Space (4)
023. The Tomb of the Cybermen (2)
024. Earthshock (5)
025. The Five Doctors (5)
026. The Curse of Fenric (7)
027. Vincent and the Doctor (11)
028. Spearhead From Space (3)
029. The Girl in the Fireplace (10)
030. The Green Death (3)
031. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead (10)
032. Horror of Fang Rock (4)
033. The Invasion (2)
034. The Evil of the Daleks (2)
035. The Stolen Earth/Journey's End (10)
036. School Reunion (10)
037. The Doctor's Wife (11)
038. The Dæmons (3)
039. Turn Left (10)
040. The Name of the Doctor (11)
041. The Brain of Morbius (4)
042. The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang (11)
043. The Waters of Mars (10)
044. Midnight (10)
045. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday (10)
046. The Daleks (1)
047. The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1)
048. The Daleks' Master Plan (1)
049. Asylum of the Daleks (11)
050. Doctor Who and the Silurians (3)
051. The Three Doctors (3)
052. The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit (10)
053. The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone (11)
054. The Time Warrior (3)
055. Utopia - Last of the Time Lords (10)
056. The Enemy of the World (2)
057. The Christmas Invasion (10)
058. The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon (11)
059. Terror of the Autons (3)
060. The Sea Devils (3)
061. The Aztecs (1)
062. Logopolis (4)
063. Kinda (5)
064. Carnival of Monsters (3)
065. Day of the Daleks (3)
066. Father's Day (9)
067. The Angels Take Manhattan (11)
068. The Snowmen (11)
069. Fury from the Deep (2)
070. Revelation of the Daleks (6)
071. The Fires of Pompeii (10)
072. Rose (9)
073. The Mind Robber (2)
074. The Stones of Blood (4)
075. Enlightenment (5)
076. The Mind of Evil (3)
077. The Time Meddler (1)
078. An Unearthly Child (1)
079. Survival (7)
080. Ghost Light (7)
081. Planet of the Spiders (3)
082. The End of Time (10)
083. The Crimson Horror (11)
084. Marco Polo (1)
085. The Tenth Planet (1)
086. The Unquiet Dead (9)
087. The Abominable Snowmen (2)
088. A Good Man Goes to War (11)
089. Tooth and Claw (10)
090. The Lodger (11)
091. The Girl Who Waited (11)
092. Planet of Evil (4)
093. The Curse of Peladon (3)
094. The Keeper of Traken (4)
095. The Time of the Doctor (11)
096. The Ambassadors of Death (3)
097. A Christmas Carol (11)
098. The Androids of Tara (4)
099. Resurrection of the Daleks (5)
100. The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (1)
101. The Hand of Fear (4)
102. The Unicorn and the Wasp (10)
103. The Ribos Operation (4)
104. The Masque of Mandragora (4)
105. Amy's Choice (11)
106. Partners in Crime (10)
107. The Shakespeare Code (10)
108. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (7)
109. State of Decay (4)
110. The Visitation (5)
111. Smith and Jones (10)
112. Snakedance (5)
113. The Moonbase (2)
114. The Pirate Planet (4)
115. Warriors' Gate (4)
116. Robot (4)
117. Mawdryn Undead (5)
118. The God Complex (11)
119. Hide (11)
120. The Bells of Saint John (11)
121. Castrovalva (5)
122. Image of the Fendahl (4)
123. Planet of the Daleks (3)
124. Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel (10)
125. Planet of the Ood (10)
126. The Seeds of Death (2)
127. Frontier in Space (3)
128. The Crusade (1)
129. The Wedding of River Song (11)
130. The Face of Evil (4)
131. The Romans (1)
132. Cold War (11)
133. The War Machines (1)
134. The End of the World (9)
135. Vengeance on Varos (6)
136. Gridlock (10)
137. Invasion of the Dinosaurs (3)
138. The Two Doctors (6)
139. The Claws of Axos (3)
140. The Sontaran Experiment (4)
141. The Ice Warriors (2)
142. The Faceless Ones (2)
143. Full Circle (4)
144. The Sontaran Strategem/The Poison Sky (10)
145. The Myth Makers (1)
146. The Android Invasion (4)
147. Frontios (5)
148. Death to the Daleks (3)
149. The Next Doctor (10)
150. The Macra Terror (2)
151. Let's Kill Hitler (11)
152. Doctor Who (8)
153. The Runaway Bride (10)
154. Destiny of the Daleks (4)
155. The Awakening (5)
156. Black Orchid (5)
157. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (11)
158. Voyage of the Damned (10)
159. Battlefield (7)
160. Revenge of the Cybermen (4)
161. Planet of Fire (5)
162. The Sun Makers (4)
163. A Town Called Mercy (11)
164. The Power of Three (11)
165. Closing Time (11)
166. The Highlanders (2)
167. The Vampires of Venice (11)
168. The Trial of a Time Lord (6)
(The Ultimate Foe (6))
169. Mission to the Unknown (1)
170. The Reign of Terror (1)
171. The Rescue (1)
172. The Happiness Patrol (7)
173. Aliens of London/World War Three (9)
174. The Leisure Hive (4)
(Mindwarp (6))
(Terror of the Vervoids (6))
175. The Chase (1)
176. 42 (10)
177. The Wheel in Space (2)
178. The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood (11)
179. Boom Town (9)
180. The Doctor's Daughter (10)
181. New Earth (10)
182. The Mark of the Rani (6)
183. The Edge of Destruction (1)
184. The Ark (1)
185. The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People (11)
186. The Beast Below (11)
187. Attack of the Cybermen (6)
188. The Invasion of Time (4)
189. Night Terrors (11)
190. Nightmare of Eden (4)
191. Planet of the Dead (10)
192. The Keys of Marinus (1)
193. Victory of the Daleks (11)
194. The Smugglers (1)
195. The Idiot's Lantern (10)
196. The Invisible Enemy (4)
197. The Celestial Toymaker (1)
198. The Savages (1)
199. Colony in Space (3)
200. The Lazarus Experiment (10)
(The Mysterious Planet (6))
201. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS (11)
202. The Gunfighters (1)
203. Nightmare in Silver (11)
204. The Armageddon Factor (4)
205. The Long Game (9)
206. Silver Nemesis (7)
207. The Krotons (2)
208. Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution ofthe Daleks (10)
209. Terminus (5)
210. Galaxy 4 (1)
211. The Creature from the Pit (4)
212. The Power of Kroll (4)
213. The Mutants (3)
214. Planet of Giants (1)
215. Dragonfire (7)
216. The Monster of Peladon (3)
217. Delta and the Bannermen (7)
218. Four to Doomsday (5)
219. The Web Planet (1)
220. Love & Monsters (10)
221. Arc of Infinity (5)
222. The Time Monster (3)
223. The Horns of Nimon (4)
224. The Underwater Menace (2)
225. The Sensorites (1)
226. Warriors of the Deep (5)
227. The Curse of the Black Spot (11)
228. The King's Demons (5)
229. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (11)
230. Paradise Towers (7)
231. Meglos (4)
232. The Space Museum (1)
233. The Rings of Akhaten (11)
234. The Dominators (2)
235. The Space Pirates (2)
236. Underworld (4)
237. Time-Flight (5)
238. Timelash (6)
239. Time and the Rani (7)
240. Fear Her (10)
241. The Twin Dilemma (6)

This includes the four indiviual segments of The Trial of a Time Lord. Where they'd appear on the list. As in 2009, the entire Trial, it seems, is greater than the sum of its parts!

---

2009

https://gallifreymatrix.fandom.com/wiki/The_Mighty_200

The Mighty 200

In 2009, Doctor Who Magazine released a survey called the Mighty 200. The results are shown below:

1. The Caves of Androzani
2. Blink
3. Genesis of the Daleks
4. The Talons of Weng-Chiang
5. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
6. Human Nature/The Family of Blood
7. Pyramids of Mars
8. City of Death
9. The Robots of Death
10. Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways
11. The Girl in the Fireplace
12. Turn Left
13. The Stolen Earth/Journey's End
14. Remembrance of the Daleks
15. Dalek
16. The Seeds of Doom
17. Terror of the Zygons
18. The Evil of the Daleks
19. Earthshock
20. The Deadly Assasin
21. Power of the Daleks
22. Army of Ghosts/ Doomsday
23. The Web of Fear
24. Silence in the Library
25. The Tomb of the Cybermen
26. Horror of Fang Rock
27. Last of the Time Lords
28. The Ark in Space
29. The War Games
30. The Curse of Fenric
31. The Invasion
32. Inferno
33. School Reunion
34. The Daemons
35. The Impossible Planet
36. Spearhead from Space
37. The Daleks
38. The Five Doctors
39. The Green Death
40. The Brain of Morbius
41. Fury from the Deep
42. The Dalek Masterplan
43. Midnight
44. The Dalek Invasion of Earth
45. Doctor Who and the Silurians
46. Revelation of the Daleks
47. The Time Warrior
48. The Christmas Invasion
49. Father's Day
50. The Sea Devils
51. Terror of the Autons
52. Tooth and Claw
53. Logopolis
54. The Unquiet Dead
55. The Tenth Planet
56. The Fires of Pompeii
57. The Aztecs
58. The Three Doctors
59. The Abominable Snowmen
60. The Mind Robber
61. An Unearthly Child
62. Carnival of Monsters
63. Rose
64. The Shakespeare Code
65. Marco Polo
66. Smith and Jones
67. The Stones of Blood
68. Rise of the Cybermen
69. Kinda
70. The Keeper of Traken
71. Day of the Daleks
72. Enlightenment
73. Image of the Fendahl
74. Gridlock
75. The Time Meddler
76. Ghost Light
77. The Visitation
78. The Ice Warriors
79. Planet of the Ood
80. Survival
81. Warriors' Gate
82. The Curse of Peladon
83. The Unicorn and the Wasp
84. Planet of Evil
85. The Masque of Mandragora
86. The Massacre of St. Bartholemew's Eve
87. State of Decay
88. Castrovalva
89. Planet of the Spiders
90. Ambassadors of Death
91. The Sontaran Stratagem
92. The Mind of Evil
93. Resurrection of the Daleks
94. The End of the World
95. The Androids of Tara
96. The Hand of Fear
97. The Romans
98. Partners in Crime
99. Planet of the Dead
100. The Crusade
101. Full Circle
102. Mawdryn Undead
103. The Sontaran Experiment
104. Frontios
105. The Ribos Operation
106. Robot
107. The Next Doctor
108. The War Machines
109. The Pirate Planet
110. The Awakening
111. The Seeds of Death
112. The Moonbase
113. Frontier in Space
114. Voyage of the Damned
115. The Runaway Bride
116. The Face of Evil
117. Black Orchid
118. Planet of the Daleks
119. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
120. Snakedance
121. Destiny of the Daleks
122. The Faceless Ones
123. The Android Invasion
124. Vengeance on Varos
125. The Two Doctors
126. The Myth Makers
127. The Rescue
128. Death to the Daleks
129. The Claws of Axos
130. Revenge of the Cybermen
131. Invasion of the Dinosaurs
132. Aliens of London
133. Mission to the Unknown
134. Planet of Fire
135. Doctor Who: The TV Movie
136. 42
137. The Macra Terror
138. The Idiot's Lantern
139. The Enemy of the World
140. The Doctor's Daughter
141. Boom Town
142. The Trial of a Time Lord
143. New Earth
144. The Reign of Terror
145. The Highlanders
146. Battlefield
147. The Sun Makers
148. Mark of the Rani
149. The Leisure Hive
150. The Lazarus Experiment
151. The Celestial Toymaker
152. Evolution of the Daleks
153. Love and Monsters
154. The Ark
155. The Invasion of Time
156. The Wheel in Space
157. The Chase
158. The Edge of Destruction
159. The Smugglers
160. The Keys of Marinus
161. Attack of the Cybermen
162. The Savages
163. Planet of Giants
164. The Invisible Enemy
165. The Long Game
166. The Krotons
167. Nightmare of Eden
168. The Armageddon Factor
169. Terminus
170. The Happiness Patrol
171. Colony in Space
172. Galaxy 4
173. Four to Doomsday
174. The Power of Kroll
175. The Gunfighters
176. Silver Nemesis
177. Arc of Infinity
178. The Web Planet
179. The Monster of Peladon
180. Delta and the Bannermen
181. The King's Demons
182. The Mutants
183. The Sensorites
184. The Creature from the Pit
185. Warriors of the Deep
186. Dragonfire
187. The Time Monster
188. Meglos
189. The Horns of Nimon
190. The Space Museum
191. The Dominators
192. Fear Her
193. Paradise Towers
194. The Underwater Menace
195. The Space Pirates
196. Time-Flight
197. Underworld
198. Time and the Rani
199. Timelash
200. The Twin Dilemma

---

1998

https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/DWM_265

The 265th issue of Doctor Who Magazine was released on 7 May 1998.

This issue was notable for displaying the results of the first series-wide poll to declare the favourite episode of all Doctor Who episodes aired at the time. Genesis of the Daleks received the honour of being the first serial chosen by fans as the best. Conversely, The Twin Dilemma suffered the unfortunate distinction of coming in at the very bottom of the polls.

1 Genesis of the Daleks
2 The Talons of Weng-Chiang
3 The Caves of Androzani
4 Pyramids of Mars
5 The Robot of Death
6 Remembrance of the Daleks
7 City of Death
8 The Tomb of the Cybermen
9 The Evil of the Daleks
10 The Web of Fear
11 The Deadly Assassin
12 The Curse of Fenric
13 The Seeds of Doom
14 Inferno
15 Spearhead from Space
16 The Invasion
17 Earthshock
18 The Power of the Daleks
19 Logopolis
20 The Ark in Space
21 Horror of Fang Rock
22 The Daleks
23 The Five Doctors
24 Doctor Who and the Silurians
25 Terror of the Zygons
26 The Tenth Planet
27 The Dæmons
28 Fury from the Deep
29 The Ice Warriors
30 The Abominable Snowmen
31 The War Games
32 The Keeper of Traken
33 The Three Doctors
34 Revelation of the Daleks
35 Terror of the Autons
36 The Green Death
37 Ghost Light
38 The Brain of Morbius
39 The Dalek Invasion of Earth
40 The Sea Devils
41 The Aztecs
42 Warriors' Gate
43 The Masque of Mandragora
44 The Daleks' Master Plan
45 State of Decay
46 The Visitation
47 Kinda
48 Resurrection of the Daleks
49 Castrovalva
50 The Two Doctors
51 The Stones of Blood
52 Full Circle
53 The Time Warrior
54 Survival
55 The Mind Robber
56 The War Machines
57 Marco Polo
58 Image of the Fendahl
59 Enlightenment
60 Carnival of Monsters
61 Frontios
62 Black Orchid
63 Frontier in Space
64 The Celestial Toymaker
65 The Mind of Evil
66 The Curse of Peladon
67 The Hand of Fear
68 Planet of the Spiders
69 The Crusade
70 The Sontaran Experiment
71 Planet of Evil
72 Vengeance on Varos
73 The Ambassadors of Death
74 100,000 BC
75 The Moonbase
76 Mawdryn Undead
77 The Pirate Planet
78 Planet of Fire
79 The Faceless Ones
80 The Leisure Hive
81 Day of the Daleks
82 The Androids of Tara
83 The Face of Evil
84 The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
85 Snakedance
86 The Trial of a Time Lord 13-14
87 Robot
88 The Android Invasion
89 Doctor Who (1996)
90 The Ribos Operation
91 The Awakening
92 Attack of the Cybermen
93 The Seeds of Death
94 The Massacre of St Bartholemew's Eve
95 The Sun Makers
96 The Highlanders
97 Battlefield
98 The Time Meddler
99 The Invasion of Time
100 Planet of the Daleks
101 Destiny of the Daleks
102 The Macra Terror
103 The Reign of Terror
104 Shada
105 The Wheel in Space
106 The Keys of Marinus
107 The Trial of a Time Lord 9-12
108 The Mark of the Rani
109 The Enemy of the World
110 Revenge of the Cybermen
111 The Romans
112 The Armageddon Factor
113 Death to the Daleks
114 The Claws of Axos
115 Inside the Spaceship
116 Silver Nemesis
117 The Happiness Patrol
118 Arc of Infinity
119 Mission to the Unknown
120 Invasion of the Dinosaurs
121 The Ark
122 The Smugglers
123 The Chase
124 The Trial of a Time Lord 1-4
125 Planet of Giants
126 The Invisible Enemy
127 Dragonfire
128 The Trial of a Time Lord 5-8
129 Colony in Space
130 The Myth Makers
131 Galaxy 4
132 Terminus
133 The Creature from the Pit
134 The Sensorites
135 The Rescue
136 The Monster of Peladon
137 Nightmare of Eden
138 The Savages
139 Meglos
140 Four to Doomsday
141 The King's Demons
142 The Krotons
143 The Mutants
144 The Web Planet
145 The Time Monster
146 The Power of Kroll
147 Warriors of the Deep
148 The Space Museum
149 The Dominators
150 The Horns of Nimon
151 Delta and the Bannermen
152 The Gunfighters
153 Paradise Towers
154 Underworld
155 Time and the Rani
156 Time-Flight
157 The Underwater Menace
158 Timelash
159 The Space Pirates
160 The Twin Dilemma