One of McCoy's best WHO outings.

Remembrance of the Daleks opened the 25th season of the classic Doctor Who series. In addition to bringing back the Doctor's oldest enemies (also the show's most popular monsters), the Daleks, this story takes a nostalgic trip in time back to London in 1963, the year DW debuted on BBC Television including visits back to the Totter's Lane junkyard and Coal Hill School from the first DW story, An Unearthly Child. Sylvester McCoy gives one of his best performances as the Seventh Doctor, and Sophie Aldred is an absolute delight as Ace. Terry Malloy returns as Davros, creator of the Daleks, and Michael Sheard puts in an appearance as the headmaster at Coal Hill School. Sheard has appeared in many Doctor Who stories over the years, as well as in George Lucas films such as The Empire Strikes Back (as Admiral Ozzel) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (where he had a cameo as Hitler). Remembrance is one of the stronger Dalek stories of DW's later years--better than "Revelation" and (ugh!) "Destiny," but not as good as good as "Genesis" or "Resurrection." Remembrance of the Daleks is one of Sylvester McCoy's best outings as the Doctor, and it made a great start to DW's 25th season.

Remember the Daleks

I'm slightly jaded in reviewing this. Being a long time Dr. Who fan, I love all of the series outright. However Sylvester McCoy is my least favorite Doctor. He certainly had the worst writers for his stories. That being said, "Remembrance of the Daleks" is one of his "best" stories. The plot is a bit confusing, but less so than other 7th Doctor stories. The story is also a bit forced. The writers at this point were unable to write a Dalek story without including Davros and when watching this episode you get the feeling they are forcing him into the script. Other than that, it is a great platform for McCoy's Doctor. His Doctor's personality is at full strength. The chemistry between he and Ace (Sophie Aldred) is firmly established. I can't help but feel that with better writers, his Doctor would have been more fondly remembered.

Poor old Sylvester!

I felt compelled to write this review after recently being reminded just how weak this story is. When I first saw it many years ago I did not come away with a good impression of it at all, but after reading so many positive reviews and testaments to its quality, I thought I'd check it out again. And it was even worse than I remembered.
Despite some superficial glitz, the production, often mentioned as a highlight, is bad. The daleks look slow, tottery, very fake and their voices don't sound right. The renegade dalek faction apparently seem to have picked up a time-travelling device in a homewares gift-shop and Davros sits in a little painted sphere, draped with wires. People often mention the 'eyestalk' view in the first junkyard scene as being a strong point but this is so amateurish as to be pathetic, looking more like an eighties computer game and a bad one at that.
Sylvester McCoy was not Doctor Who. In fact, the whole series should never have been resuscitated after the sixth doctor fell over. Why can't we let these things rest in peace and enjoy them as they were, rather than trying to milk them dry to the very end? - a lack of imagination, I guess. But I digress.
As well as making the daleks completely idiotic, Davros finally completes his 'mutation' from the intelligent, cunning and ruthless shell of a man from 'Genesis' to the hammed-up villain he finds himself here, lurching from one ridiculous escape to another.
What's more, remember how the Doctor, frustrating but true to character, would struggle to kill his enemies when given the chance? (Genesis, Resurrection) Well in this story he seems to think nothing of sending the entire Skaro system into oblivion.
While on the other hand, McCoy's characterisation seems to lack the edge and authenticity of any of his predecessors. I'm sure he's a nice guy - maybe too nice?
Anyway, stay away from this story - a token revisitation upon the dalek myth which tries so hard to please but infuriates even more. Enough!