The Chase (Doctor Who)

016 – The Chase
Doctor Who serial
The Daleks battle the Mechonoids in the latter's city on Mechanus. The design of the Mechonoids and the battle in the sixth episode received praise from critics.[1][2][3]
Cast
Doctor William Hartnell – First Doctor
Companions William Russell – Ian Chesterton Jacqueline Hill – Barbara Wright Maureen O'Brien – Vicki
Guest Robert Marsden – Abraham Lincoln Roger Hammond – Francis Bacon Vivienne Bennett – Queen Elizabeth I Hugh Walters – William Shakespeare Richard Coe – Television announcer Peter Hawkins and David Graham – Dalek voices Robert Jewell, Kevin Manser, John Scott Martin, Gerald Taylor – Daleks Ian Thompson – Malsan Hywel Bennett – Rynian Al Raymond – Prondyn Arne Gordon – Guide[a] Peter Purves – Morton Dill / Steven Taylor Dennis Chinnery – Albert C Richardson David Blake Kelly – Capt. Benjamin Briggs Patrick Carter – Bosun Douglas Ditta – Willoughby John Maxim – Frankenstein Malcolm Rogers – Count Dracula Roslyn de Winter – Grey Lady Edmund Warwick – Robot Dr. Who[b] David Graham – Mechonoid[c] voice Murphy Grumbar – Mechonoid[c] Jack Pitt – Mire Beast / Cabin Steward / Fungoid / Mechonoid[d] John Scott Martin – Fungoid / Mechonoid[e] Ken Tyllson – Fungoid[f] Derek Ware – Bus conductor[g]
Production
Directed by	Richard Martin[h]
Written by	Terry Nation
Script editor	Dennis Spooner
Produced by	Verity Lambert
Music by	Dudley Simpson
Production code	R[8]
Series	Season 2
Running time	6 episodes, 25 minutes each
First broadcast	22 May 1965 (1965-05-22)
Last broadcast	26 June 1965 (1965-06-26)
Chronology
← Preceded by The Space Museum Followed by → The Time Meddler
List of episodes (1963–1989)

The Chase is the eighth serial of the second season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by Terry Nation and directed by Richard Martin,^[h] the serial was broadcast on BBC in six weekly parts from 22 May to 26 June 1965. Set in multiple time periods on several different planets, including Aridius, Earth, and Mechanus, the serial features the Dalek race travelling through time while pursuing the TARDIS and its occupants—the First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions Ian Chesterton (William Russell), Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill), and Vicki (Maureen O'Brien)—to kill them and seize the TARDIS for themselves. The Doctor and companions encounter several characters, including monsters Dracula (Malcolm Rogers) and Frankenstein's monster (John Maxim), human astronaut Steven Taylor (Peter Purves), and an android replica of the Doctor (Edmund Warwick).

Nation was commissioned to write the serial by story editor Dennis Spooner following the success of the Daleks in The Daleks (1963–1964) and its sequel The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964); Martin was also chosen to direct based on his work on these serials. The Chase was the final work on Doctor Who by Martin and Spooner. The story was allocated a larger budget than normal, resulting in minimal budget for the preceding and following stories. A substantial part of the budget was allocated to the construction of the Mechonoids; they were given a press launch, and their merchandising rights were offered to manufacturers. The production crew coordinated with the Beatles's manager Brian Epstein to feature a clip of the band in the first episode of The Chase. Dudley Simpson composed the serial's incidental score.

The serial marks the final appearance of series regulars Russell and Hill, who depart in the sixth episode; their decisions, made independently, greatly upset Hartnell. It marks the first appearance of Purves, whose appearance in the third episode as Morton Dill led to his casting in the sixth as Steven Taylor, who later became a companion. Warwick worked with Hartnell to imitate his mannerisms as the android replica of the Doctor. Due to the variety of work, set designers Raymond Cusick and John Wood collaborated for the serial; Cusick redesigned some Daleks that had been modified since their original creation. The production crew sourced Dalek props that were on loan to various studios and companies, including for the film Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965). Filming for the serial took place at Riverside Studios from April to June 1965.

The Chase received high viewership, ranging from nine to ten million viewers, and successful Appreciation Index scores, though both were lower than the previous Dalek serial, The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Contemporary reviews improved as broadcast continued; the early episodes were found to be confusing and lacklustre, with the Daleks losing their appeal, though later episodes were praised for the battle between the Daleks and Mechonoids, the cast's performances, and the departure of Ian and Barbara. Retrospective reviews were mixed, with similar praise for the Mechonoids and characters, and criticism towards the comedy and unbelievability of some scenes and concepts. The story was novelised and released on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and as an audiobook, with music and sound effects released on CD.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).