Revelation of the Daleks

Eric Saward's last Dalek story boasted one of the worst scripts he ever wrote and, Revelation of the Daleks shares one of the main problems with its predecessor (and, indeed many other Saward scripts)- the Doctor is not the prime mover of the plot. However, if you ignore the fact that the Doctor (and, indeed, the Daleks) play lesser roles in the plot, it becomes evident that this is easily Saward's best script. Despite containing a few redundant sub-plots, it maintains a coherent narrative and has great dialogue and characterisation. Saward wrote this story after a very enjoyable holiday and his joy in writing it clearly shows. One oft-cited inspiration for this story is Evelyn Waugh's The Loved One, which pokes fun at the morbid tackiness of American funeral homes as only the brilliant, if odious, Waugh could. To this, Saward adds Soylent Green style cannibalism and intimations of necrophilia. Needless to say, this would never have made today!

The excellent script by Saward is more than matched by the very welcome return of Graeme Harper as director. Again, his understanding of using the camera to tell the story is obvious in every scene, creating unease and tension by composition or angle. He is backed up by excellent production values across the board- look at the nauseatingly realistic make-up on the mutant, the flawless matte work and excellent set and costume design, with the garish colour schemes that characterised the Colin Baker era actually being used to the story's advantage. A very underrated triumph of Harper's is to take several varying moods- black comedy, a portrayal of an alcoholic, some of the strongest violence of the season, Alexei Sayle- and make them fit together and work.

Harper is also a master of marshalling actors, and with a cast this impressive, the characters are a joy to watch. Saward seems to be doing his own take on Holmesian double-acts and they are realised very successfully- Eleanor Bron and Hugh Walters seem to anticipate Wilhelmina and Marc from Ugly Betty by 20 years (not that I watch it…ahem) and Trevor Cooper and Colin Spaull are excellent as Takis and Lilt. There is William Gaunt's dignified, yet knowing portrayal of Orcini which effortlessly shows both the man's morality and ruthlessness. Then there is the relationship between Tasambeker and Jobel. Clive Swift is excellent, but he could do this role in his sleep. Jenny Thomasin's performance is actually very skilled, making Tasambeker both sympathetic and unlikeable- a very tall order. A special mention must be given to Terry Molloy's best performance as Davros, making him seem, for the first time, as cunning and as dangerous as he was in Genesis of the Daleks.

The Doctor is not only a minor player in the story, but seems to have become a bit less likeable on paper. However, thanks to Colin Baker's complete understanding of the role and Harper's direction, this portrayal works excellently. Peri is again the object of lust, but this is a minor point and Nicola Bryant puts in a very effective performance.

Revelation of the Daleks has very little to do with Daleks or the Doctor and, it could be argued, that this raises the question of whether it works as a Doctor Who story at all- however, it is a great piece of television drama by any standard, easily the best Colin Baker story.

NEXT: The Trial of a Time Lord