Doctor Who (TV Series) Day of Armageddon (1965) User Reviews

The plan is unearthed.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 22 October 2015]

Firstly, how good were the names on these early episodes, Day of Armageddon, written by Terry Nation.

The Daleks discover the TARDIS on Kembel, the crew's destruction is ordered. Operation Inferno is put into action, the burning down of the City where they are. The first meeting of the Daleks and its allies occurs, one delegate, Zephon, who's outside alone is overpowered by Bret Vyon. The Doctor dresses in his clothes and attends the meeting, he learns of the plan to make The Time Destructor. Chen's contribution is Tiranium, a rare mineral that has taken 50 years to mine on Uranus. A quick thinking Doctor pinches it and flees. Bret has managed to steal a cruiser and starts the engine, the Doctor has little time to reach it.

It is wonderful that this episode still exists, it helps give a flavour of the many episodes of Master plan that are missing. Hartnell is at his very best, and Kevin Stoney is also excellent as Mavic Chen.

The Delegates look great, it's curious why they were changed from those in Mission to the Unknown, I wonder why.

Great episode. 8/10

Burning Jungles and Disguised Doctors

[maxglen · 8/10 · 8 November 2019]

This episode is (in my opinion) quite a step up from the initial first episode. Although I enjoyed the first part of this 13 chapter saga this episode is a far more epic and tense affair. Flame throwing Daleks burning the Jungles of Kembel evoke a powerful mental image and the Doctor infiltrating the Dalek's meeting and beginning to understand their plan is an edge of your seat and intriguing path to walk down.

The Daleks' Master Plan: Part 2 - Brilliant epic adventure

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 10/10 · 18 July 2016]

Review for all 12 parts:

This is an epic 12 part story from writers Dennis Spooner and Dalek originator Terry Nation, beginning with the episode The Nightmare Begins.

This adventure continues the story introduced in the episode Mission To The Unknown and features the Doctor trying to thwart the Daleks evil plans to conquer the solar system. It also features Nicholas Courtney (later to play Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, a series regular), as Bret Vyon. He, along with the regular cast, Kevin Stoney as villainous Mavic Chen and most other cast, perform superbly. The Daleks too are at their peak in many ways and are great villains for this epic. In addition there are the other interesting alien characters and even the return of the Meddling Monk (Peter Butterworth) from the Doctor's home world! The story even has the shocking deaths of no less than 3 of the Doctor's 'companions'!

The word epic is absolutely right for this mammoth story and it is incredible how the quality and interest is kept over an unprecedented 12 episodes. The only slight drop in quality being the 7th episode The Feast of Steven which is a Christmas special of a far more light- hearted and whimsical kind. To compare that episode and criticise it as a blot on the story is very unfair, you have to take it on its own as a special episode more comparable to the kind of comedy spoof used for charity telethons in later years. On that basis it is successful. The other 11 episodes are brilliant, exciting and well made.

A classic.

My Ratings: Episode 7 - 7/10, all other episodes 10/10

The Tension Mounts Gloriously

[icewarrior-26727 · 10/10 · 13 January 2017]

This is without a doubt the second best episode from this story, what a miracle it happens to be one that's been recovered! The acting is superb, the characters are amazing, the music is brilliant and the sheer tension literally kills me by the end of episode 2 with an amazing cliffhanger.

Despite seeing him a bit in the previous episode we get our first real taste of Mavic Chen here, he's cunning, manipulative and power mad which plays to every strength Kevin Stoney has as an actor and he remains my favourite guest star of all time due to his performance here and as Tobias Vaughn later in The Invasion. The conversation between him and the Master of Zephon is extremely entertaining, the two have a great chemistry and its fun to watch them try to outplay each other as men of power, it also contributes greatly to the world building of the universe we've been plopped into for this serial, Nation clearly knows what he's doing.

In the end I can't praise this episode enough, it's enthralling and exciting from start to finish and I absolutely love it.