Doctor Who Writer Reveals He Feared Daleks Would Be Banned From Killing in 2005 Revival!

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In a surprising twist, it was once suggested that the ruthless Daleks, known for their lethal actions, might have been made less aggressive in order to make them more acceptable for family viewing during the 2005 revival of Doctor Who.

Robert Shearman, who wrote “Dalek” – the initial episode in the revamped series that introduced the famous monster species – confessed that when crafting the early drafts of his script, he wasn’t quite sure how to establish the right tone.

At a recent gathering, hosted by the BFI Southbank in collaboration with the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, Shearman admitted, “I wasn’t aware of my actions.

In the initial gatherings, Russell T Davies would express that we’d be delving into various moods. However, it was uncertain in the early drafts if we could still depict on-screen deaths – a departure from the family-friendly format that hadn’t been seen on TV for roughly 15 years.

“It was that bizarre thing – I thought for a while we might have simply to stun people.

Later on, I received an email from Russell that read, “You’re good to go! Feel free to indulge your gaming heart’s desire!” (Assuming the context is about playing a video game or similar activity where ‘killing’ refers to in-game actions)

Even so, finding a suitable level of on-screen violence proved difficult, as Shearman pointed out: “I penned a scene where Simmons (portrayed by Nigel Whitmey) was tricked – however, it was significantly more intense… his skin had been seared and Russell responded, ‘Attempting to get the entire series cancelled before we even begin? Please refrain.’

In my perspective, the last episode of Dalek, broadcasted on the 30th of April 2005, distinctly took a more somber tone compared to the previous five episodes. It delved into moral intricacies and explored the Doctor’s (Christopher Eccleston) emotional struggle stemming from his survivor’s guilt following the Time War.

Shearman reminisced, “Russell had given me scripts to read, including ‘Aliens of London’ and ‘Rose’. In some aspects, they seemed rather simplistic.

I might have been concerned about going too far, but Russell would encourage, ‘Let’s explore just how deep we can delve,’ so he consistently challenged me.

In that pivotal moment when Chris encounters a Dalek for the first time, I had been eagerly anticipating this scene for quite some time. Russell, on the other hand, kept urging me to make it as intense as possible, and so I was given the freedom to take things as far as I dared.

The latest season of Doctor Who has ended with Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu as the main actors, but former stars David Tennant (Eccleston) and Billie Piper are coming together for a new audio drama series by Big Finish, which will be available in August.

Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and on Disney+ outside of the UK.

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2025-06-03 21:34