RTD Thinks the Daleks Need A Break

Russell T Davies has indicated he might be giving the Daleks a break with his new era.

Speaking to the Mirror, the returning showrunner said, “I do think we’ve had a lot of Daleks lately. They’ve been done a lot – people expect them every year now. So, I think they need a good pause.”

Davies seems confident some new foes could take their place, “Hopefully, there are some enemies that will become new classics.”

There have been reports in the past that the Daleks are contractually obligated to appear in every series as part of a deal with the Terry Nation estate.

If you check a complete list of the Dalek appearances since the revival in 2005, it seems to back this claim up. They’ve appeared in either major or minor roles in every single series so far, from 2005’s “Dalek” in Series 1 all the way to 2022’s Centenary Special, “The Power of the Doctor.”

However, former showrunner Steven Moffat once debunked claims of a legal necessity, suggesting that their regular inclusion just happens to be a choice.

It will be interesting to see how long it is before they appear again. It would be unfathomable for Ncuti Gatwa not to face them, but it seems they won’t be in his first series: “There are no Daleks, there are no Cybermen, I didn’t want to look back too much.”

Even if the pepperpots don’t appear in any of the 60th-anniversary specials, they’ll still be seen in the “blockbuster colourisation” of The Daleks, airing on the 23rd.