Quick, get behind the sofa... here come the flying Daleks
- Publication: Daily Express
- Date: 2004-10-30
- Author: Tom Morgan
- Page: 31
- Language: English
FOR years they forced generations of scared children to hide behind the sofa with their terrifying battle cry of "EXTERMINATE!"
But now the Daleks, for years Dr Who's most fearsome adversaries, have become even more terrifying —they can fly.
The aliens — whose inability to climb stairs was somewhat of a flaw in their plans for world domination —have been given rockets to help them do battle from the air.
And fans will be able to get their first sight of the updated robots when they battle new Doctor Christopher Eccleston and his assistant Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), in a new series on the BBC1 next year.
The development of the Daleks — voted TV's most evil villains — was leaked yesterday after a filming schedule was smuggled off the show's set in Cardiff. The move was being kept a closely-guarded secret but the cat was let out of the bag on a storyboard showing the two heroes fighting the flying terrors.
An insider confirmed the plan, saying: "The Daleks were always the doctor's scariest enemy — but now they can exterminate from mid-air. They can rise up from the ground and cause all sorts of havoc."
The schedule was found as the cast and crew filmed for the new series on location at the Millennium Stadium.
Daleks have appeared in every series of Dr Who since the cult show was launched more than 40 years ago.
However, there were fears they would be scrapped after talks between the BBC and the estate of late sci-fi writer Terry Nation, who created the villains, broke down.
But after a public outcry the problems were resolved and an agreement reached. It has been a long-running joke that, despite being armed with death rays and various killer weapons, the fearsome robots were stumped by humble stairs.
But, as well as the up-to-date Daleks, followers of the Time Lord's exploits have been promised a number of surprises in the new show by writer Russell T Davis.
The insider added: "The new Dr Who is bang up to date — the Daleks have moved on, although they still look the same."
Caption: HERO: Christopher Eccleston is Dr Who
Caption: FEARSOME: How the new flying Daleks might look over London
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- APA 6th ed.: Morgan, Tom (2004-10-30). Quick, get behind the sofa... here come the flying Daleks. Daily Express p. 31.
- MLA 7th ed.: Morgan, Tom. "Quick, get behind the sofa... here come the flying Daleks." Daily Express [add city] 2004-10-30, 31. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Morgan, Tom. "Quick, get behind the sofa... here come the flying Daleks." Daily Express, edition, sec., 2004-10-30
- Turabian: Morgan, Tom. "Quick, get behind the sofa... here come the flying Daleks." Daily Express, 2004-10-30, section, 31 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Quick, get behind the sofa... here come the flying Daleks | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Quick,_get_behind_the_sofa..._here_come_the_flying_Daleks | work=Daily Express | pages=31 | date=2004-10-30 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=31 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Quick, get behind the sofa... here come the flying Daleks | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Quick,_get_behind_the_sofa..._here_come_the_flying_Daleks | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=31 March 2025}}</ref>
