Doctor Who fans have a new thing to get over-excited about now (what the hell, Russell T Davies?!), but before they dropped that reality bomb, it was the animated version of “The Evil of the Daleks”.
First aired in 1967, this seven-part adventure for Patrick Troughton’s Doctor hops from ’60s Earth to Victorian England and the planet Skaro, and centres on a Dalek scheme to distil the “human factor” which makes us such tricky opponents. The episodes were later junked by the BBC, as was routine in the ’60s and ’70s. Episode two was recovered in 1987, leaving six missing. Now all seven have had the animated treatment, using audio recordings made at the time by fans.
“The Evil of the Daleks” is available to buy now on Blu-ray and DVD. New bonus features include commentary on four of the animated episodes, a half-of Making Of, and an interview with the production designer. You can choose to watch the animations in colour or black and white, or stick with “telesnap” reconstructions (using photos taken off-screen on transmission) – the surviving episode two is also included, of course.
Thanks to the BBC we have five Blu-rays to give away. To put your name in the hat for the chance to win one, simply answer the question below.