World War II In Colour [Review: Victory Of The Daleks. Spoilers]

Some thoughts on this Doctor Who story: underwhelming for an episode that needed to be much stronger. When it's good, it's very very good: Ian McNeice - that's Baron Harkonnen to you - as Sir Winston Churchill, the War Rooms setting, and the inevitable spitfires vs flying saucers scenes are all cool, and the appearance of the Daleks as soldiers - trusted by Churchill and the British - is extremely sinister.

I was disappointed for two reasons: firstly, I thought the Doctor's demeanour was a little too cheery for a World War II story, particularly at the end. Secondly, something about the new Dalek race. I guess the BBC needs to keep redesigning the Daleks so they can sell remote control toys to supplement the license fee, but I wasn't impressed this time.

Compare this story to two of the Christopher Eccleston episodes: The Empty Child, a brilliantly loopy tale also set in World War II London but one that really managed to convey the darkness of the period; and also Dalek, the story that re-introduced the monster. The Daleks were redesigned then too - a new, battle hardened look that suggested they had modified themselves in the course of the Time Wars. Real behind-the-sofa stuff. Now something like the Sixties colour scheme is restored, and instead of the single Dalek killing machine that could have wiped out an entire continent if let loose, we had a line-up of bulky, technicoloured machines that would struggle with a doorway let alone a flight of stairs. Oh well. KBO, right?