Dalekmania

Dalekmania

Doctor Who was initially under threat of being axed. The first serial of the programme underperformed, and many believed it would not survive its allotted 52-week run. The Daleks was incredibly successful, and large rushes of fan mail arrived at the BBC asking about the Daleks and their return. The Daleks were especially popular with children, who frequently imitated the Daleks. The popularity resulted in the Daleks having a sequel episode commissioned almost as soon as their debut finished airing, with the BBC strongly interested in seeing how to further utilize the Daleks' popularity. The success of the Daleks changed the trajectory of Doctor Who's focus, shifting it away from educational adventures in the past to space-based alien adventures in the future, guaranteeing the success of the show and allowing it to avoid cancellation. Merchandise followed, such as The Dalek Book. The book was the first attempt to create a dedicated mythology for the creatures beyond the programme, and was incredibly successful, with high predicted sales.