DALEKS ABANDON DR WHO; A NATION MOURNS

The Register reports that the BBC’s new Dr Who series will not feature any Daleks. This follows the failure of the BBC to reach terms regarding editorial control with the estate of the late Terry Nation, which owns the rights in the Daleks. A BBC spokeswoman said:

"The BBC offered the very best deal possible but ultimately we were not able to give the level of editorial influence that the Terry Nation estate wished to have".

For its part, the Terry Nation estate accused the BBC of attempting to "ruin the brand of the Daleks". Estate representative Tim Hancock said:

"We wanted the same level of control over the Daleks that we have enjoyed for the last 40 years. If the BBC wanted to re-make any of George Lucas' films, you can bet George Lucas would have something to say about it."

All this unpleasantness will naturally outrage and upset Dr Who fans who were expecting to see an orgy of Dalek mayhem and destruction when the new series hits the screens in 2005. Writer Russell T. Davies expressed his disappointment but asserted that the BBC was "reinventing Doctor Who for a 21st century audience with a fantastic writing team and exciting new challenges". He added:

"We are disappointed that the Daleks will not be included but we have a number of new and exciting monsters. And I can confirm we have created a new enemy for the Doctor which will keep viewers on the edge of their seats".

The IPKat is sad that the Daleks are leaving Dr Who. However, with their power and their ingenuity, it should be easy enough for them to break into other programme formats and establish themselves there: Big Brother, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire … or even Friends?

More on the Daleks here, here, here, here and here
Build your own Dalek here; inflatable Daleks here; Dalek beach party here