First Doctor Who Dalek story to be released in color to celebrate show's anniversary

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The early story will receive a "cosmic makeover" as it heads to BBC Four and iPlayer

The Daleks menace the TARDIS crew
(Image credit: BBC)

The Doctor Who news just keeps coming this month. Hot on the heels of the launch of BBC iPlayer's treasure trove of over 800 episodes of the sci-fi show, the broadcaster has announced that one of these classic stories will be made available in color for the first time, and in a new "blockbuster" movie format.

The Daleks is the second Doctor Who story ever broadcast (the first is currently unavailable in the iPlayer archive for rights reasons). Debuting way back in 1963, it introduced the series' most infamous villains to the world, sparking a wave of "Dalekmania" across the UK.

A statement from the BBC describes the new version of the story as having been given "a cosmic makeover" with color, new sound and a brand new score from composer Mark Ayres. It's also been edited into a far pacier 75-minute version. The original seven-episode serial - which is also available in full on iPlayer - runs to 2 hours and 54 minutes.

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The Doctor and Susan face the Daleks

(Image credit: BBC)

Doctor Who's executive producer Phil Collinson said via a statement: "It's been my absolute pleasure to spend this past 12 months working with such a talented team to breathe new life into this classic adventure - a story that is literally the foundation stone of all that Doctor Who has become. The original is a masterpiece of 1960's television drama and this new version stands on the shoulders of the pioneering spirit of 1960's Doctor Who."

In the story, the original TARDIS team of the First Doctor (William Hartnell), his granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford), and their friends Ian (William Russell) and Barbara (Jacqueline Hill), land on the seemingly dead planet of Skaro. There they encounter both the Daleks and the planet's other inhabitants, the mysterious Thals.

The new version of The Daleks will be broadcast on BBC Four on November 23 - Doctor Who's 60th anniversary. It will also be available on iPlayer. It will be followed on November 25 by The Star Beast, the first of the new Doctor Who anniversary specials, starring David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Yasmin Finney, and Miriam Margolyes.

For more TV, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2023 and beyond.

Will Salmon
Will Salmon
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Will Salmon is the former Streaming Editor for GamesRadar+. He has been writing about film, TV, comics, and music for more than 15 years, which is quite a long time if you stop and think about it. At Future he launched the scary movie magazine Horrorville, relaunched Comic Heroes, and has written for every issue of SFX magazine for well over a decade. His music writing has appeared in The Quietus, MOJO, Electronic Sound, Clash, and loads of other places too.