Daleks in Manhattan

They survived, they always survive whilst I lose everything…

The Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor finds his oldest enemies at work on top of the Empire State Building when he and Martha travel to 1930s New York.

Review

Well, what would be more fitting than to close 2023, the year in which David Tennant triumphantly returned to our screens, TARDIS key and sonic screwdriver in hand, with a Tenth Doctor review? I just wish it was with a better story!

Helen Raynor has the unenviable position of having to write the follow-up to Doomsday and it is possible that the Daleks should have been given a bit more of a break following this story. It is perhaps notable that the Cybermen did get a break between Doomsday and The Next Doctor to deal with what happened to the Cybermen in the aftermath of the Battle of Canary Wharf. Ultimately, the story revolves around the Cult of Skaro trying to find ways to ensure the survival of the Dalek race by evolving into humans, which is something that ultimately goes against the fundamental creed of the Daleks that the only pure life in the universe are the Daleks. In any event, believing that the answer to their problems lies in combining with humanity is a significant retread of old ground, covering similar ideas to those put forward in the Second Doctor serial The Evil of the Daleks.

It’s the Depression sweetie. Your heart might break but the show goes on. Because if it stops, you starve.

Tallulah

One thing that the story does well is highlight the divide between the classes as a result of the Wall Street Crash in 1929. With the homeless forced into communities like Hooverville, the story contrasts this with the construction of the Empire State Building and Mr. Diagoras using the poor to go down into the sewers. Even Tallulah performing on the stage reflects that if she stops she will end up in Hooverville. The story reflects that even in hard times, there will always be those who will be able to come through relatively unscathed. The Dalek plan even distinguishes between those of low intelligence and high intelligence, with the low being used as pig slaves.

The Daleks make their return in this story, but due to this having to be a two-part story, it suffers with the need to build up to them, even though the audience are aware that they are coming as they are named in the title. As a result, I feel as though the story would be more effective if we did not have two reveals of the Daleks in the story. The story gives us both the reveal following the results of the tests on the mutation that the Doctor finds in the sewers that the planet of origin is Skaro, then the Doctor seems surprised when he finally comes across them in the sewers. As mentioned above, whilst the Cult of Skaro are trying to devise ways to ensure the survival of the Dalek race at any cost, their scheme in this story seems slightly too far fetched for this to ever be acceptable to the Daleks. The pig slaves are a good idea and quite startling and scary, even if the prosthetics don’t look great in brighter light.

Another issue with the story is the fact that it is painfully clear that it has been shot in the United Kingdom with British actors. Whilst there was filming conducted there during production of this story, it is obvious that the scenes of the Doctor and Martha wandering New York are shot in Cardiff in front of matte paintings of the Empire State Building and other landmarks. This is made all the more egregious by the actors performing stereotypical New York accents and perhaps the most egregious of these is Miranda Raison as Tallulah (three l’s and a h). Despite this, Hugh Quarshie is an unexpected stand out as Solomon, even if his character appears to be rather obviously written – once we learn his name and we are given two characters squabbling over a loaf of bread, the outcome seems rather lazy and obvious. Andrew Garfield’s American accent doesn’t seem that egregious to me, but perhaps that’s because I’m used to hearing an American accent come from his mouth following the Spider-Man films and Tick Tick Boom!

Whilst the Doctor and Martha have encountered adversaries before, the introduction of the Daleks, or any of the Doctor’s recurring foes is always a milestone. It is a realisation for the companion that travelling with the Doctor does come with severe dangers, and the Doctor’s reaction to encountering them again so soon is well played by David Tennant. Martha is still relatively fresh to this time travelling and still enamoured with the Doctor, but Freema Agyeman does get moments to shine, especially towards the end when she is attempting to get answers out of the Daleks.

Verdict: The return of the Daleks perhaps comes too soon and the story is not strong enough in Evolution of the Daleks, which is not helped by some suspect American accents. 4/10

Cast: David Tennant (The Doctor), Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones), Miranda Raison (Tallulah), Ryan Carnes (Laszlo), Hugh Quarshie (Solomon), Andrew Garfield (Frank), Eric Loren (Mr Diagoras), Flik Swan (Myrna), Alexis Caley (Lois), Earl Perkins (Man #1), Peter Brooke (Man #2), Ian Porter (Foreman), Joe Montana (Worker #1), Stewart Alexander (Worker #2), Mel Taylor (Dock Worker), Barnaby Edwards, Nicholas Pegg, Anthony Spargo and David Hankinson (Dalek Operators), Nicholas Briggs (Voice of the Daleks) & Paul Kasey (Hero Pig).

Writer: Helen Raynor

Director: James Strong

Producer: Phil Collinson

Composer: Murray Gold

Original Broadcast Date: 21 April 2007

Behind the Scenes

• The working title for this story was Daleks in New York, but was changed as Manhattan was deemed easier to say.
• Steven Moffat was initially assigned to write this two-parter, however, was busy with his commitments to the television show Jekyll. Moffat would instead be commissioned to write Blink.
• Helen Raynor is the first woman to write a Dalek story for the television programme and the first woman to write for the show since its revival.
• Limited filming took place in New York for this story, and the majority of the story was filmed in Cardiff.

Cast Notes

• Miranda Raison would go on to play Sixth Doctor companion Constance Clark for Big Finish. She has also appeared in numerous other roles for Big Finish, including in The Trouble with Drax (The Fourth Doctor Adventures), The Wreck of the Titan and Persuasion.
• Eric Loren would go on to appear in the Big Finish play Assassin in the Limelight.
• Joe Montana played the Commander in the Ninth Doctor story Dalek.
• Stewart Alexander has also appeared in Renaissance of the Daleks and The Macros.

Best Moment

Martha hiding during the live performance, trying to see Laszlo.

Best Quote

Hey, you’re lucky, though. You got yourself a forward-thinking guy, with that hot potato in the sharp suit.

Oh, he’s not – We’re not – together.

Oh sure you are! I’ve seen the way you look at him, it’s obvious.

Not to him.

Oh! I should have realized. He’s into musical theatre, huh? What a waste.

Tallulah and Martha Jones

Previous Tenth Doctor review: Gridlock

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