Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10

Cast: Tom Baker, Mary Tamm, John Leeson, David Warner, Toby Hadoke, Dominic Mafham, Jane Slavin, Nicholas Briggs, John Dorney.

It is rightly considered one of the classic moments of Doctor Who ever; faced with the opportunity to eradicate the evil of The Daleks forever, Tom Baker’s incarnation of the man from Gallifrey chose to set them back 1,000 years in their evolution rather than commit genocide of the most hated race and feared in the universe.

Genesis of the Daleks is right up there as one of the finest stories made by the guardians of the long running and much loved programme and it is a shame that for the first time since reprising his role for Big Finish there wasn’t more of a fuss made for his meeting with the Daleks in Nicholas Briggs The Dalek Contract.

Whilst the Doctor and Romana argue over the Doctor’s ability to be pig-headed and turn off the randomiser, there are bigger plots at play and it is thankful that there is, for it gives the chance for one of the great villains of modern times, an even greater scourge than the Daleks to appear to be in this particular episode, the magnificent David Warner as Cuthbert. He is the enigmatic conglomerate CEO, whose ambition seemingly knows no bounds and whose misguided trust in believing the Daleks are working for him seem to rival the thoughts of Theodore Maxtible (The Evil of The Daleks), Professor Martez (Blood of the Daleks) and the despicable Marvic Chen (The Daleks Master Plan).

David Warner continues playing the gruff CEO from the two-parter earlier in the series to the point of being the most interesting character in the audio drama, so fully rounded, so sure of himself that it is a shame that the leading lady from those two episodes, Hayley Atwell, isn’t in it also as the chemistry between them worked well.

The comparisons between the ravaged planet that The Doctor and Romana, played once more with consummate and intrepid ease by the late Mary Tamm, find themselves on and that those of Skaro are chilling and as the Doctor points out that if the differences the two sides of the same species cannot work together they will surely end up like those they are resisting, hating in the dark shadows, fearing and suffering alone.

Whilst Nick Briggs pours everything into his writing, as he always does, it just feels that this first part of two lacks something extraordinary for two of the greatest foes as they come face to face. There is no real disturbing hint of menace or of the terror to come and even the Doctor’s surprising surrender at the end doesn’t really come to that much of a shock to the listeners.  The emphasis being completely on Romana sounding disgusted by The Doctor’s capitulation, even if it is to spare hers and K9’s lives.

Nothing is ever what it seems with Tom Baker’s Doctor around but the conclusion to this story needs have something incredible at its heart to bring it up to the standard befitting the epic feel of the title.

The Dalek Contract is available to buy from Worlds Apart on Lime Street, Liverpool.

Ian D. Hall