"Revolution of the Daleks" is a special episode of the British

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

television programme ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'', first broadcast on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

on 1 January 2021. It was written by

Chris Chibnall Christopher Antony Chibnall (born 21 March 1970) is an English television writer and producer, best known as the creator and writer of the award-winning ITV mystery-crime drama ''Broadchurch'' and as a showrunner of the long-running BBC sci ...

, and directed by Lee Haven Jones. The episode follows the twelfth series as a New Year’s Day special, continuing on from "

The Timeless Children "The Timeless Children" is the tenth and final episode of the twelfth series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', first broadcast on BBC One on 1 March 2020. It was written by Chris Chibnall, and directed by Jami ...

" (2020). The episode stars

Jodie Whittaker Jodie Whittaker (born 17 June 1982) is an English actress who is best known for portraying the thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' (2017–2022) and as Beth Latimer in ''Broadchurch'' (2013–2017). She came to prominence ...

as the

Thirteenth Doctor The Thirteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the fictional protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme, ''Doctor Who''. She is portrayed by English actress Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to portray the character, st ...

, with

Bradley Walsh Bradley John Walsh (born 4 June 1960) is an English actor, comedian, singer, television presenter, and former professional footballer. Walsh is known for his roles as Danny Baldwin in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' (2004–2006), a ...

Tosin Cole Tosin Cole (born 23 July 1992) is an American-born British actor. He is known for various roles in British television series and films. He began his on-screen career starring in '' The Cut'' and ''EastEnders: E20'', later securing a regular rol ...

and

Mandip Gill Mandip Kaur Gill (born 5 January 1988) is an English actress. Her first television role came in 2012 when she was cast as Phoebe McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. After departing the series in 2015, Gill went on to have guest r ...

as companions

Graham O'Brien Graham O'Brien is a fictional character created by Chris Chibnall and portrayed by Bradley Walsh in the long-running British sci-fi television series ''Doctor Who''. A retired bus driver from Essex who is in remission from cancer, the character ...

Ryan Sinclair Ryan Sinclair is a fictional character created by Chris Chibnall and portrayed by Tosin Cole in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Introduced in the first episode of Series 11, Ryan was a companion of J ...

and

Yasmin Khan Yasmin Khan is a historian of British India and Associate Professor of History at Kellogg College, Oxford. Education and career Born in 1977 to Pakistani and Anglo-Irish parents in Kingston-upon-Thames, Khan completed her BA in history at St ...

respectively. Walsh and Cole depart the series in this episode. It also stars

John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' and '' Torchwood'', and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrowv ...

Jack Harkness Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series, '' Torchwood''. The character first appears in the 2005 ''Doctor Who'' episode "The Empty Child" and subsequently features in the ...

, following his return to the series in "

Fugitive of the Judoon "Fugitive of the Judoon" is the fifth episode of the twelfth series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', first broadcast on BBC One on 26 January 2020. It was written by Vinay Patel and current showrunner Chris C ...

" (2020). The episode was watched by 6.35 million viewers overall.

Plot

It is revealed that in 2019, shortly after the destruction of the Reconnaissance Scout Dalek, the damaged casing from it was transported to a government facility but intercepted en route. Using the Dalek parts, businessman Jack Robertson funded a defence drone resembling a Dalek to suppress public riots and gave some to politician Jo Patterson to use in her constituency. In the present day, 10 months have passed since Graham, Ryan and Yaz returned to Earth. Graham and Ryan meet Yaz at the TARDIS they returned in, which is disguised as a house in a neighbourhood, where she is investigating the whereabouts of the Doctor. Graham shows her a leaked video of the defence drone demonstration and they unsuccessfully confront Robertson about the drones. Patterson, projected to be elected the Prime Minister, requests that Robertson increase the drone production so they can be implemented nationally. Scientist Leo Rugazzi discovers organic cells in the Dalek remnants and clones the cells into a living creature. Leo shows the new creature to Robertson, with the latter immediately ordering its destruction. Before he can incinerate the creature, it escapes and takes control of Leo's mind and body. Dalek-controlled Leo travels to

Osaka, Japan is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...

, where Dalek clones are already being grown in a facility. The Doctor has been imprisoned in a distant asteroid for a number of decades. She eventually encounters Jack Harkness, who learned of her arrest and committed a series of crimes in order to rescue her. He uses a temporal freezing gateway disinhibitor bubble to take them both to his vortex manipulator which he had previously hid in another cell, which transports them back to the Doctor's TARDIS. The Doctor rejoins her companions and learns about the new Dalek threat. Jack and Yaz investigate the facility in Japan while the Doctor, Graham, and Ryan confront Robertson. They all meet back up in Japan where the Dalek reveals its plan to take over Earth. Using

ultraviolet Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation ...

light, the Dalek clones transport themselves into the defence drones which begin exterminating humans, as well as assassinating Patterson. The Doctor sends out a Dalek reconnaissance signal, which reaches a death squad of Daleks. The death squad Daleks eliminate the reconnaissance Daleks because they do not consider them pure Dalek due to them having traces of human DNA. Impressed by their intelligence, Robertson decides to make an alliance with the Daleks and reveals that the Doctor actually summoned them. Jack, Graham, and Ryan infiltrate the Dalek ship to rig it with explosives. The Doctor tricks the Daleks into the other TARDIS where it is set to collapse on itself and be transported to the Void to be destroyed. Robertson weakly claims he was acting as a "decoy" by betraying the Doctor, before using his encounter with the Daleks to restore his public reputation. After Jack leaves to catch up with

Gwen Cooper Gwen Cooper is a fictional character portrayed by Welsh actress Eve Myles in the BBC science-fiction television programme ''Torchwood'', a spin-off of the long-running series ''Doctor Who''. The lead female character, Gwen featured in every ep ...

, the Doctor prepares to resume travelling with her companions. However, Ryan announces his decision to stay on Earth and Graham elects to remain with his grandson. They sadly part ways with the Doctor, who gifts them with psychic paper. The Doctor and Yaz continue their adventures together, while Ryan and Graham decide to use their new psychic paper to investigate strange phenomena on Earth. Ryan and Graham first attempt to help Ryan ride a

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. B ...

as they did before meeting the Doctor and see a vision of Grace O'Brien watching over them.

Cultural references

The Doctor refers to the imprisoned

Ood The Ood are an alien species with telepathic abilities from the long-running science fiction series ''Doctor Who''. In the series' narrative, they live in the distant future (circa 42nd century). The Ood are portrayed as a slave race, natural ...

and

Sycorax Sycorax is an unseen character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Tempest'' (1611). She is a vicious and powerful witch and the mother of Caliban (character), Caliban, one of the few native inhabitants of the island on which Prospero, the he ...

Bonnie and Clyde Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The co ...

. During her captivity, the Doctor quotes the first sentence of ''

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' is a 1997 fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. The first novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series and Rowling's debut novel, it follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers hi ...

'' to herself as a bedtime story. Robertson appears on ''

Newsnight ''Newsnight'' (or ''BBC Newsnight'') is BBC Two's news and current affairs programme, providing in-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines. The programme is broadcast on weekdays at 22:30. and is also availa ...

'' to explain his encounter with the Daleks at the end of the episode, with its host

Emily Maitlis Emily Maitlis (born 6 September 1970) is a British journalist, documentary filmmaker, and former newsreader for the BBC. She was the lead anchor until the end of 2021 of ''Newsnight'', the BBC Two news and current affairs programme. Early lif ...

making an uncredited cameo as herself.

Production

Development

"Revolution of the Daleks" was written by showrunner

. The title of the special episode was revealed after the credits of the twelfth series finale, "

". The episode features the

Dalek The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by writer Terry Nation and first appeared in the 1963 ''Doctor Who'' ...

s, last seen in "

Resolution Resolution(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Resolution (debate), the statement which is debated in policy debate * Resolution (law), a written motion adopted by a deliberative body * New Year's resolution, a commitment that an individual mak ...

" (2019). In April 2020, Chibnall confirmed that post-production was continuing on "Revolution of the Daleks" remotely throughout the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. Promotional stills from filming were released at a virtual Comic Con on 9 October 2020.

Casting

and

reprise their roles as

and

, respectively. On 23 November 2020,

confirmed that he would return for the special as Captain Jack Harkness, after last reprising the role in "

". In November 2020, '' SFX'' #355 reported that

Chris Noth Christopher David Noth ( ; born November 13, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as NYPD Detective Mike Logan on ''Law & Order'' (1990–95), Big on ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), and Peter Florrick on ''The ...

would return as Jack Robertson,

Harriet Walter Dame Harriet Mary Walter (born 24 September 1950) is a British actress. She has received a Laurence Olivier Award as well as numerous nominations including for a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 20 ...

had been cast, and Walsh and Cole would depart the series in this episode.

Filming

The episode was directed by Lee Haven Jones, who also directed " Spyfall, Part 2" and "

Orphan 55 "Orphan 55" is the third episode of the twelfth series of the British science fiction television programme '' Doctor Who'', first broadcast on BBC One on 12 January 2020. It was written by Ed Hime, and directed by Lee Haven Jones. In the episo ...

" of the twelfth series. The

Clifton Suspension Bridge The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Avon Gorge and the River Avon, linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset. Since opening in 1864, it has been a toll bridge, the income from which provides fun ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

was used as the setting for a scene, which was filmed in October 2019 while the bridge was closed, supposedly for repair. Images and video recordings showing Dalek props on the bridge were leaked by passers-by during a break in filming.

Broadcast and reception

Television

"Revolution of the Daleks" aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2021, after being announced for the "festive season" of 2020/2021. The episode aired in the United States on

BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary ser ...

on the same day, and aired in Australia on ABC TV and

ABC iview ABC iview is a video on demand and catch-up TV service run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Currently iview video content can only be viewed by users in Australia. As of 2016, ABC iview attracts around 50 million plays monthly and ac ...

on 2 January 2021.

Ratings

"Revolution of the Daleks" was watched by 4.69 million viewers overnight, making it the third most watched programme for the day in the United Kingdom, and the most watched on BBC One. The episode received an official total of 6.25 million viewers across all UK channels. BARB viewing data shows that 6.35 million watched the episode when all platforms are considered. The show was 2nd for the day and 10th for the week. While this was the show’s best performance in a year, it was the lowest-rated special to date. It also received an

Audience Appreciation Index The Audience Appreciation Index (AI) is an indicator measured from 0 to 100 of the public's appreciation for a television or radio programme, or broadcast service, in the United Kingdom. Until 2002, the AI of a programme was calculated by the B ...

score of 79. The live broadcast on BBC America had 652,000 viewers.

Critical reception

On review aggregator

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, 69% of 13 critics gave the special a positive review, and an average rating of 7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Despite fun moments and some welcome reunions, 'Revolution of the Daleks' doesn't have the emotional weight to pull off its social commentary and two goodbyes."

Home media

"Revolution of the Daleks" received a standalone DVD and Blu-ray release in Region 2/B on 25 January 2021, and in Region 1/A on 2 March 2021, and in Region 4/B on 21 March 2021.

Soundtrack

Twelve selected pieces of score from this special as composed by

Segun Akinola Segun Akinola (born 1993) is an English composer for television and documentaries. He took over from Murray Gold as the director and composer of the music for ''Doctor Who'' from "The Woman Who Fell To Earth" in 2018 until "The Power of the Doct ...

were released on digital music platforms on 2 January 2021 by Silva Screen Records. It was released on 11 November 2022 as a bonus disc to the '' Series 13 – Flux'' soundtrack release.

Notes

References

External links

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