TV-MOVIES
The Creator Of Doctor Who Hated These Classic Villains
By BRANDON SHOAFF
"Doctor Who," which premiered in November 1963, has gone through several different iterations of the Doctor, a rotating cast of companions, and a number of enemies. However, there’s a group of iconic baddies that the show’s co-creator Sydney Newman wasn't initially fond of, and fans of the show are lucky that Newman didn't exterminate the villains before the public got to see them.
The villains in question are the iconic Daleks, small, tentacled aliens that are housed in clunky cylindrical bodies with an eyestalk and a single, weaponized arm. Newman stated, "Being a real aficionado of science fiction, I hated stories which used bug-eyed monsters, otherwise known as ‘BEM's.'"
Newman explained that producer Verity Lambert made the push for Daleks, and the viewing public couldn't get enough of the fearsome aliens, even though members of the BBC were worried about the terrifying nature of the villains. It seems like the creation of the Daleks wasn't exactly a smooth process, but it resulted in some terrific and prolific "Doctor Who" villains.