Docteur Who The Nightmare Begins (1963–1989) watch online HD

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

In spite of its almost ludicrous length, relative lack of cohesion, insanely complicated storyline, (though not exactly a complex one, just lengthy and full of unexpected turns and trips to places as diverse and bizarre as the locations visited in "The Chase", we even get to go to Egypt during the fourth dynasty, although this is for the most part certainly not played for laughs), largely clichéd (outside of his ethnicity given when this was made) villain in Chen, and frequently meandering feel, not to mention a horrific Christmas episode, "The Daleks' Masterplan" is worth sitting through twelve episodes of.

The end result is almost surprisingly enjoyable and worthwhile for all "Doctor Who" fans and not just completists like myself, even in the form of reconstructions given how most of the episodes are missing. It certainly helps that the reconstructions for these episodes are especially good and watchable. Normally in my comments on "Doctor Who" stories I would go into the actual story in further detail, but this one has so many moods, so many settings, so many events, that it would almost be pointless (not that writing these comments isn't a tad bit pointless in itself...).

The writing, as I've said before, is incoherent and lacking in cohesion, partly because this story was scripted by two different writers in Terry Nation and Dennis Spooner, and probably worked on extensively by the script editor as well. Production-wise the story is excellent, particularly based on the surviving episodes in which the sets are very well-realized.

All in all this is occasionally a slog but completely worthwhile in the end, and absolutely excellent in places. It feels like a twelve-part story, even if it could have worked better as an eight-parter (six might have been too short, and it's not often you get to say that about a "Doctor Who" story).

Episode 1: 7/10, Episode 2: 6/10, Episode 3: 7/10, Episode 4: 8/10, Episode 5: 9, Episode 6: 8/10, Episode 7: 3/10, Episode 8: 7/10, Episode 9: 7/10, Episode 10: 9/10, Episode 11: 7/10, Episode 12: 8/10.

Average: 7.17/10

Spoilers To all twelve episodes even though only three exist . Thanks for nothing BBC television

The Daleks decide to call an alliance with the strongest leaders of the Galaxy . Leader of the Earth Solar System Mavic Chen decides to betray humanity by joining the alliance . The Daleks have a super weapon the time destructor and is operated b a core containing a special material that can only be found in the sector of space ruled by Chen . Getting hold of the Daleks plan the Doctor steals the core and is pursued by Daleks

It's at this point in the programme that the Daleks were DOCTOR WHO and DOCTOR WHO was the Daleks . Apparently the mother of the BBC controller Huw Weldon was so enamored by them that he personally contacted the BBC production team and demanded an epic Dalek story and for a grand total of three months the public got to see a never ending Dalek story . What the story did do was exhaust the publics appetite for the metallic fascist dustbins while at the same time reinforcing the slightly strange public perception that the Daleks feature far more in the programme than they actually do . It's difficult to believe now but the classic show had long periods of several years when no Daleks appeared

The story itself is similar in structure to the previous Dalek story The Chase where the Tardis would land hotly pursued by the Daleks and the Tardis crew wandering around the planet trying to find a way to escape their pursuers only to depart in the Tardis and do it all over again next week . Same plot different setting . If there's an upside to any of this it means if you miss an episode you will still follow the story quite easily since the plot is so repetitive and episodic

The entire tone of the story is entirely different to that of The Chase . While The Chase was camp and silly here almost everything the tone is serious though there are a couple of humorous points . The Feast Of Steven which was broadcast on Christmas Day had the Tardis crew being arrested . escaping to Hollywood which had a meta fictional sequence shot as a Hollywood silent film and ended with the Doctor turning to camera and ripping down the fourth wall to wish the viewers at home a very merry Christmas

Since you can get too much of a good thing ( Daleks ) much of the story is held together by Mavic Chen played brilliantly by Kevin Stoney obviously made up to look like having both Indo-Aryan and Chinese ethnicity . This isn't a prescient and portent foreknowledge of India and China being the new superpowers but more likely the Little Englander mentality that Chen isn't " one of us " . Regardless of this attitude Stoney gives a performance rarely matched as a villain

One shocking aspect to the story is the death of two companions . Katrina who was picked up in the previous story ( Which was purged and no longer exists ! ) and Sara Kingdom who was a de facto companion for the entire story . We don't se Sara's death because that episode got purged too . I wonder if Stalin might have worked at the beeb ?

Five weeks after transmission of Mission To The Unknown episode 1 of The Daleks Master Plan broadcast to extreme hype having held the audience in suspense! It truly is a great one, the tension is already rising as the Doctor learns more and more about what the Daleks are doing and who's involved.

Katarina is actually a very fun companion and I enjoyed her somewhat short lived time in the TARDIS, it's interesting to have a companion that considers the Doctor quite literally a God (as she's from ancient Troy). Unfortunately Steven is unconscious for most of this episode but we also meet Bret Vyon as played by Nicholas Courtney and happens to be one of my favourite side characters of all time, he is respectful, respected and is desperate to do the right thing, I love how he's the one who is actually not hostile on Kembel yet the Doctor traps him in his magnetic chair! Things still have yet to get going however and this episode is mainly putting the pieces in place.

After the Myth Makers and the teaser episode Mission to the Unknown Doctor Who fans were given a huge 12 part Dalek serial which aimed to capitalise on the early success of the Daleks.

Katarina has joined the Doctor and Steven, Vicki has stayed behind in Troy. Steven is sick and the Doctor tries to find him help. The TARDIS lands on the planet Kembel, the scene of recent Dalek activity. Space security agent Bret Vyon is on the planet desperate to get off to warn Earth about the Dalek's plan, he's even prepared to pinch the TARDIS. The Dalek's have assembled a formidable set of allies ready to conquer the Solar System, even the Guardian on Earth Mavic Chen is part of it.

It's a brilliant opening episode, it starts off really strongly, I love the premise. It feels so big, it feels truly epic. One of my favourite parts to this episode is Katarina, she was beautifully portrayed by Adrienne Hill, such a soft, sweet and innocent performance, a great line when she says 'are these tablets?' her lack of understanding was greatly realised, more so then later characters.

Why did they have to lose this one! It's brilliant. 10/10