The Old Order Changeth

The second in the Doctor's adventures with the Daleks is certainly an enjoyable. One may laugh that our technology has outpaced certain things (such as radio headests of the Robomen or big radar dishes on the back of the Daleks), yet this story also showcases the collapse of technology and civilization through Dalek subjugation.

The things that I notice largely in this story are that Ian first meets Jack Craddock on board the Dalek saucer. Next, he is being follwed by a fellow named Larry. Why the change? I don't know. The other thing that detracts (for me anyway) from the story are the women that "make clothes for the workers". One, there must be many workers, and, two, why would the Daleks care about the modesty of their slave workforce?

Oh well, these things are trivial, and this story still shows the test of time (look at the actual story, not the special effects).

I always mention that I dislike hidden features on DVDs. This one has some cute ones featuring thr Slyther, yet I know not why they needed to be hidden.

Overall, I like this DVD.

Classic Dalek Story

The Dalek Invasion of Earth was the first return appearance of those pepperpots from Skaro which would become the Doctor's most popular enemies. The Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions arrive in London in the year 2164 A.D. to find that the Daleks have conquered the earth. They have enslaved most of the survivors while others have been converted into "Robomen." The Doctor discovers that the Daleks are using their slave labor force to mine out the Earth's core so they can install a drive system, in effect turning the planet into a ship which they could drive around the universe. TDIOE is one of the best stories involving the Daleks, and also one of the best DW stories of the show's black & white era. It is also the first story in which we see a regular cast member leave the show as Susan (Carole Ann Ford) decides to stay on Earth and marry resistance leader David Campbell. William Hartnell has one of his finest outings as the Doctor, and the supporting cast pulls together and contributes as well. This story and the Daleks' debut adventure from the previous season were both remade for the big screen with Peter Cushing as the Doctor, but both of those films pale in comparison to the original television versions. The Dalek Invasion of Earth is one of the best Doctor Who adventures of the show's early years.

Magnificent!

This is one of those titles I looked forward to long before I knew of any definite plans to release it on DVD. I've always felt that, along with the Patrick Troughton story "The Seeds of Death", this is probably the best-photographed story of the entire 26 year history of the show; this is despite the fact that the cameraman's shadow can be seen drifting in and out of certain shots, but this can be forgiven since it is only the vastly improved DVD resolution that makes it visible at all, a problem that didn't exist when it was originally broadcast.
It was the first Doctor Who story to contain a significant amount of location footage, which enhanced its credibility; to see Daleks swarming around familiar monuments and landmarks leant the story authenticity, and the exterior lighting conditions throughout are flawless, and contribute greatly to creating a tense atmosphere of apprehensive foreboding.
I would also like to say that I have always been outspokenly opposed to the modification of old films and TV shows for any reason, so when I learned that some of the special effects had been replaced with newly-created CGI images, I was a little disturbed. But when I saw the results, I was floored: the new sequences are integrated so seamlessly and applied with such restraint that I have been forced to reconsider my objections. Furthermore, this DVD allows the viewer to choose between the original special effects sequence originally broadcast and the new updated CGI sequences.
This terrific feature, along with the high quality of the transfer, is an excellent example of the extreme care the BBC has taken in presenting these stories on DVD. They have taken an almost reverential approach in presenting this beloved British national icon to the rest of the world, and this is yet one more reason to buy this DVD.