Doctor Who to 'rest' the Daleks

Steven Moffat has suggested that the Daleks, the most famous of the Doctor’s adversaries, will not be returning to Doctor Who for a while.

In an interview with the Radio Times the head-writer of Doctor Who has said the Daleks are being “rested” for a while because the Doctor has defeated them too many times. The Daleks first appeared in 1963 opposite William Hartnell in the second story of Doctor Who. They were an instant hit with viewers and “Dalek mania” hit the country in the 1960s. The metal monsters were brought back time and again appearing alongside every television Doctor – although only their voices were heard in Paul McGann’s 1996 television movie.

“They are the most famous of the Doctor’s adversaries and the most frequent, which means they are the most reliably defeatable enemies in the universe. They have been defeated by the Doctor about 400 times. Surely they see the Tardis approaching, say, ‘Oh. It’s him again’ – and trudge away….They aren’t going to make an appearance for a while. We thought it was about time to give them a rest.” – Steven Moffat in an interview with the Radio Times.

The Daleks last appearance was in season five – just last year – when they were given a somewhat controversial multi-coloured makeover (see above). The new look Daleks weren’t a hit with some fans who were quite vocal about it. The Daleks also appeared in the season five finale The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang where, working with the Doctor’s other enemies, they set a trap for him. It’s unlikely the Daleks will absence from Doctor Who for all that long and it won’t be the first time they’ve been “rested”. In the original series after the initial ‘Dalek Mania’ it wasn’t unusual for their to be years between their appearances especially in the late 1970s/1980s.