Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964)

"The Dalek Invasion of Earth" was the first return appearance of those megalomaniacal pepperpots from Skaro which would become the Doctor's most popular enemies. This six-part adventure was originally broadcast near the end of 1964, and helped solidify the Daleks as cultural icons in the UK. Terry Nation, the writer who had introduced the Daleks a year earlier during Doctor Who's first season, returned to script this follow-up story. Nation's story (originally commissioned under the working title "The Return of the Daleks") has roots in H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds as well as several resistance movies set in World War II Europe.

The Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions arrive in London in the year 2164 A.D. to find that the Daleks have conquered the earth. They have enslaved most of the survivors while others have been converted into "Robomen." The Doctor discovers that the Daleks are using their slave labor force to mine out the Earth's core so they can install a drive system, in effect turning the planet into a ship which they could drive around the universe. TDIOE is one of the best stories involving the Daleks, and also one of the best DW stories of the show's black & white era. It is also the first story in which we see a regular cast member leave the show as Susan (Carole Ann Ford) decides to stay on Earth and marry resistance leader David Campbell. William Hartnell has one of his finest outings as the Doctor, and the supporting cast pulls together and contributes as well.

Producer Verity Lambert is joined on the commentary track by William Russell (Ian Chesteron) and Carole Ann Ford. Some new optional CGI effects shots are also available. Bonus features on Disc Two include the ever-popular pop-up production notes, a six-minute segment from the BBC children's program Blue Peter on making edible Daleks, and a photo gallery. Actress Jane Asher voices the role of Susan Foreman in the 1994 BBC Radio spoof "Whatever Happened to...Susan" which runs about a half hour in length.

This story and the Daleks' debut adventure from the previous season were both remade for the big screen with Peter Cushing as the Doctor, but both of those films pale in comparison to the original television versions. "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" is one of the best Doctor Who adventures of the show's early years.

Other Doctor Who DVD releases you might be interested in:

Doctor Who: The Beginning Collection

Doctor Who: The Web Planet

Doctor Who: The Three Doctors(Tenth anniversary story with William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee)

Doctor Who: The Complete First Series (Season One of the new Doctor Who series, starring Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor)