Doctor Who, Daleks, and More

Nation only agreed to write it after a falling out with comedian Tony Hancock, for whom he'd been writing comedy scripts in 1963. Left with unexpected free time, Nation agreed to write 'The Mutants', a story set on a far-off planet called Skaro, where a devastating war had left a group of small, horribly-mutated creatures having to live in individual, armoured, mobile casings. When Nation had finished his script for 'The Mutants', the episode that first introduced the Daleks, BBC staff designer Raymond P Cusick was given the task of giving the daleks their appearance. The script was little help on describing what a dalek should look like, with Nation only saying they were "Hideous machine like creatures. They are legless, moving on a round base. They have no human features. A lens on a flexible shaft that acts as an eye. Arms with mechanical grips for hands. The creatures hold strange weapons in their hands." Not wishing to have a man in a monster suit, Ray telephoned Terry for advice. Terry spoke of his recent visit to a performance by the Georgian State Ballet, where dancers in long skirts had appeared to glide across the stage, their feet completely hidden. Armed with the extra information, Cusick set about sketching various designs, ending up with the now familiar 'pepperpot' look we know so well