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Skaro

Skaro is a fictional planet in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was created by the writer Terry Nation as the home planet of the Daleks.

Skaro
Whoniverse location
Skaro, as seen in the 1996 Doctor Who television movie[1]
First appearanceAn Unearthly Child (1963)
Last appearance"The Witch's Familiar" (2015)
Created byTerry Nation
GenreScience fiction television
In-universe information
TypePlanet
Race(s)Daleks, Thals, Dals, Kaleds
LocationsDalek City (Kaalann), Kaled Dome, Thal Dome, Petrified Forest, Lake of Mutations
CharactersDavros, Yarvelling, Zolfian
Moon(s)Flidor, Falkus, Omega Mysterium
ContinentsDalazar, Darren, Davius
OceansOcean of Death, Ocean of Ooze, Sea of Acid, Sea of Rust, Serpent Sea, Bottomless Sea

In The Daleks (1963–64), Skaro is described as being the twelfth planet from its sun,[2] while in Genesis of the Daleks (1975) it is stated that Skaro is situated in the "Seventh Galaxy".[3] It is portrayed as having various moons: Flidor,[4] Falkus and Omega Mysterium,[5] with Falkus being presented as an artificial construct created by the Daleks as a last refuge. Falkus and Omega Mysterium are also referenced in the Big Finish Productions I, Davros audio dramas I, Davros: Innocence (2006)[6] and I, Davros: Purity (2006).[7] In Destiny of the Daleks (1979) the Movellans refer to Skaro as D–5–Gamma–Z–Alpha.[8]

Geography

 
The Dalography of Skaro as illustrated in The Dalek Book (1964)

The BBC-licensed The Dalek Book (1964) includes a map entitled "The Dalography of Skaro" on which three continents are shown; Dalazar, Darren and Davius. Dalazar is described as the most habitable part of Skaro, having a subtropical climate and being the location of the Dalek city. To the south-east is the Lake of Mutations and to the south the Drammankins mountain range, which stretches across the entire continent from the east to west coast. To the north-east Dalazar is joined to the continent of Darren by a land bridge. Darren is indicated to be the site of the neutron bomb explosion which transformed the Daleks from their humanoid form into mutants. The north and south regions are separated by the "Radiation Range" mountains. The third continent, Davius, is shown divided into east and west regions by the "River of Whirling Waters", with the eastern region being identified as the home of the Thals. Five seas are shown; the Ocean of Ooze, Sea of Acid, Sea of Rust, Serpent Sea and the land-locked Bottomless Sea. Other major features are the Island of Moving Mountains and an island chain named the Forbidden Islands, both situated in the Ocean of Ooze, and the Island of Gushing Gold located in the Sea of Rust.[9]

The BBC-Licensed The Dalek Outer Space Book (1966) confirms some of these details in a cutaway illustration entitled "The Strata of Skaro". A sea called The Ocean of Death is added, together with the Islands of Mist which, from the description, is an alternative name for the Dalek Book's Forbidden Islands.[10] Further information is added by the 1977 Dalek Annual article "The Dark Side of Skaro", which mentions the Crystal Continent, Serpent Island and a feature called The Rocks, consisting of stone needles projecting thousands of feet high out of the sea and populated by gigantic flying creatures. Other areas listed are a prison colony, a region populated by the mutated descendants of prisoners used in early Dalek neutron weapon tests and The Swamp Lands, described as possibly being a vast, living organism that engulfs and feeds upon anything coming near its surface.[11]

Other Skarosian geographical features are mentioned in the TV21 comic strip The Daleks (1965-1967). In the story "Duel of the Daleks" an acid river and mercury geysers appear.[12] In "Legacy of Yesteryear" a desert area called Tarran, volcanic plains and a northern polar region are portrayed, the latter area stated to have been created when the explosion of the Daleks' neutron bomb shifted the planet on its axis.[13]

The novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks (1990) states that the Dalek city is called Mensvat Esc-Dalek and is located in the Vekis Nar-Kangji (Plain of Swords).[14] In the computer game Doctor Who Adventure Game "City of the Daleks" (2010) the Dalek city is named Kaalann.[15]

Flora

In most media, Skaro is portrayed as a nuclear wasteland and almost entirely devoid of plant life, with only a petrified forest located close to the Dalek city.[16] Several exceptions are mentioned, however. Varga plants, resembling large, motile cacti studded with poisonous thorns, are seen in Mission to the Unknown (1965). Native to Skaro, they have been deliberately mutated by the Daleks to act as sentries and deter other life forms from interfering with their activities. An individual poisoned by the thorns develops an urge to kill and eventually transforms into another Varga plant.[17] The Arkellis flower is described as being rare and only able to root in metal,[4] with its sap being a constituent of the Golden Emperor Dalek's metallic casing. In the TV21 comic strip The Daleks, dense undergrowth is depicted on several occasions, most notably in the mercury geyser swamps and the mutated forest.

Fauna

The Doctor Who television programme has shown only a few examples of Skaro's native wildlife. In The Daleks, a small, dead reptilian creature with long teeth, a pointed snout and pliable metal skin is discovered, the First Doctor surmising that its body is held together by a magnetic field.[18] This is later identified by a Thal as a "Magnedon".[19] (In the 1965 film Dr. Who and the Daleks, which is based upon The Daleks television serial, this creature is portrayed as a rather larger, petrified, dragon-like animal). A multi-tentacled creature with two luminous eyes is also shown inhabiting the Lake of Mutations.[20] A large, aggressive, tentacled animal called a "Slyther" appears in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964). It is described as the Black Dalek’s "pet" and is used to patrol the Dalek mine workings.[21] Giant land-based clams, capable of crushing bone, are seen in Genesis of the Daleks (1975). They are described as being the discarded results of Davros’ genetic experiments.[3] In "Asylum of the Daleks" (2012) a flock of bird-like creatures are seen briefly, flying in the distance above the ruins of the Dalek City.[22]

Other media have introduced additional creatures. The Dalek Book's Dalography of Skaro states that vast serpents, mutated from earthworms by a neutron bomb explosion, live below the surface of the continent of Darren.[9] The book also contains The Dalek Dictionary, which includes entries for "Lallapalange" (an extinct harmony bird which sang with two voices) and "Urvacryl" (a two-headed eel inhabiting the Lake of Mutations).[4] Later, the TV21 "The Daleks" comic strip added giant eels,[23] Terrorkons (large aquatic creatures resembling wingless, two-headed dragons)[24] and amorphous Sand Creatures.[25] The Dalek Outer Space Book contains illustrations of several subterranean creatures including "Sponge People", a "Sucker" (resembling a red beetle), the tentacled Krakis and an unnamed squirrel-like animal.[10] To this can be added yellow and black beetles and "rock leopards", mentioned in the novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks.[14]

Sapient inhabitants

In the television serial The Daleks two sapient, humanoid species are described as having existed on Skaro; the Dals, teachers and philosophers, and the Thals, a race of warriors. Radiation from a neutronic war caused both species to mutate. By the time of the story, the Thals are a blond-haired caucasian people, their physical mutation having come full circle. They have renounced violence and survive by farming. In contrast, the Dals have evolved into hideous, aggressive, xenophobic creatures which have encased themselves in protective metal shells and rely upon technology for survival. They now refer to themselves as Daleks.[16]

This evolution of the Dalek and Thal races is contradicted in the TV serial Genesis of the Daleks. The story depicts the Dalek progenitors as being a humanoid race called the Kaleds. They have been at war with the Thals for generations, turning Skaro into a wasteland devastated by chemical and nuclear weapons. While the Daleks and Thals have each engineered their own huge, protective dome in which to shelter, the disfigured victims of chemical and radioactive contamination are banished to roam the surface as "mutos". The Kaled scientists realise that the planet's toxic environment will eventually cause the mutation of their species, bringing their genetic purity to an end. Their chief scientist, Davros, decides to accelerate the mutation to find the ultimate Kaled form, in the process "improving" it by removing all traces of conscience, feeling and emotion. The resulting organisms are placed into armoured travel machines and referred to by Davros as Daleks.[3]

The TV Century 21 Dalek comic strip presents a different description of Skaro's sapient life. One race, the Daleks, are depicted as short, blue-skinned, aggressive humanoids. They are engaged in a vicious war against the Thals who, although not shown in the strip, are described as tall, handsome, peaceful and living in constant fear of Dalek attack. The Daleks build a neutron bomb to finally bring the conflict to an end but a meteorite storm detonates the device prematurely, apparently destroying most of the life on Skaro. A mutated Dalek commandeers a prototype war machine, created shortly before the holocaust, to act as a mobile protective casing. It then convinces the last two humanoid Daleks, Yarvelling and Zolfian, to build more casings for the many other mutants which have survived.[26] No further mention of the Thals is made in the strip, the implication being that they all perished in the nuclear conflagration.

The Big Finish Productions I, Davros series of audio plays (2006) places the divergence of the Kaled and Thal species at a point 10 million years prior to the events depicted in Genesis of the Daleks[27] and refers to two other species, the Tharons and the Dals, as both being extinct due to Kaled genocide by the time of the Kaled-Thal war.[7]

Fictional history

The central plot device of the Doctor Who television programme, and of the Whoniverse, is time travel. Coupled with successive programme producers' and scriptwriters' uneven approach to continuity, attempts at imposing a strict chronology upon Skaro's fictional history are problematic.

The events leading to the creation of the Daleks, as depicted in Genesis of the Daleks (1975), apparently pre-date those of The Daleks (1963–64) while in The Evil of the Daleks (1967), the story of which concludes with the apparent destruction of the Daleks due to a civil war on Skaro, the Second Doctor states that this is the creatures' "final end".[28]

In Destiny of the Daleks (1979), set many centuries after the events of Genesis of the Daleks, the Daleks return to an abandoned and still radioactive Skaro to retrieve their creator, Davros.[8] In the subsequent serial Revelation of the Daleks (1985), the Daleks are shown to have re-occupied Skaro; those loyal to the Dalek Supreme travelling from there to capture Davros and destroy his new Dalek army on the planet Necros.[29]

Skaro's final appearance in the classic series is in the story Remembrance of the Daleks (1988), in which the Seventh Doctor tricks Davros and his Imperial Daleks into using a Time Lord device called the Hand of Omega on Skaro's sun to recreate the Gallifreyan time travel experiments. The Doctor sabotages the device, however, causing their sun to turn into a supernova which completely obliterates the planet.[30]

An image of Skaro is shown briefly at the start of the 1996 Doctor Who television movie, the narrative indicating that it is the site of a trial of the Master. No reference to the destruction of the planet is made.[1] An attempt to explain this incongruity is made in the novel War of the Daleks (1997) in which, at the climax of the events portrayed in Remembrance of the Daleks, the Daleks manipulate Davros and the Seventh Doctor into destroying a planet called Antalin which they have terraformed to resemble Skaro and take its place. The novel further places the story Destiny of the Daleks on the disguised Antalin, and not Skaro.[31]

In the revived Doctor Who series, Skaro is referenced by the introduction of the Cult of Skaro in "Doomsday" (2006)[32] and "Daleks in Manhattan" (2007), where the character Dalek Caan states that the planet is "gone... destroyed in a great war".[33] Later, in the episode "Asylum of the Daleks" (2012), the Eleventh Doctor is lured to Skaro briefly. The planet is depicted as having been abandoned once again and is shown with a stormy, rain-swept red sky, the landscape filled with derelict structures and skyscrapers.[22] This is consistent with the appearance of post-Time War Skaro as seen in the downloadable computer game City of the Daleks[15] and an article written by Russell T Davies in the Doctor Who Annual 2006, which states that Skaro was devastated at the end of the Time War.[34]

Skaro appears in "The Magician's Apprentice" and "The Witch's Familiar" (2015), where Davros is shown first as an adolescent lost on a desert battlefield, and then having returned to the planet many years later to die with his "children", the Daleks. The planet has been made invisible and, when questioned by the Doctor, Davros states that the Daleks have rebuilt it.[35][36]

The Dalek Outer Space Book (1967) contains a chart entitled "The Evolution of Skaro" which traces the development of the planet from its creation, through various geological periods, to the advent of the Daleks.[37]

Other appearances

Skaro is the setting for the feature film Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965), starring Peter Cushing.[38] Although it is not named in the film, it is retroactively identified in its sequel, Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966).

Skaro appears in the Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories The Mutant Phase (2000)[39] and Davros (2003),[40] and features prominently in the I, Davros spin-off series (2006), which focuses on Davros' life and the events that led to his creating the Daleks.[41]

Skaro makes an appearance in the Doctor Who: The Adventure Games episode "City of the Daleks". In the narrative the Daleks remove Skaro from the Time War, preventing its destruction. The Eleventh Doctor thwarts the Dalek's plan, negating the planet's survival and restoring the proper timeline.[15] In April 2010 Piers Wenger, executive producer of Doctor Who at the time, stated that the games constitute "episodes" and form part of the Doctor Who universe.[42]

Skaro appears in Daleks!, a five part CGI animated series launched by the BBC on its YouTube channel in November 2020 as part of its multi-platform story, Time Lord Victorious!.[43]

Exterior filming locations

For Genesis of the Daleks exterior scenes supposedly taking place on Skaro were shot at Betchworth Quarry, Surrey[44] and for Destiny of the Daleks at Winspit Quarry, Dorset.[45] In "The Magician's Apprentice" and "The Witch's Familiar", exterior scenes set on Skaro were filmed in Tenerife.[46]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Matthew Jacobs (writer), Geoffrey Sax (director), Peter V. Ware, Matthew Jacobs (producers) (14 May 1996). Doctor Who. Fox Network.
  2. ^ Terry Nation (writer), Christopher Barry (director), Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield (producers) (11 January 1964). "The Ambush". The Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC.
  3. ^ a b c Terry Nation (writer), David Maloney (director), Philip Hinchcliffe (producer) (8 March – 12 April 1975). Genesis of the Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1.
  4. ^ a b c Whitaker, David; Nation, Terry (1964). The Dalek Book. London: Panther Books / Souvenir Press Ltd. pp. 87–88.
  5. ^ Dicks, Terrence; Nation, Terry (1976). Doctor Who & The Daleks Omnibus. London: Artus Publishing Ltd. pp. 11, 86–89.
  6. ^ Gary Hopkins (writer); Gary Russell (director); Gary Russell, Jason Haigh-Ellery (producers) (September 2006). I, Davros: Innocence (CD). Berkshire: Big Finish Productions. ISBN 1-84435-231-5. BFPDAVCD01.
  7. ^ a b James Parsons, Andrew Sterling-Brown (writers); Gary Russell (director); Gary Russell, Jason Haigh-Ellery (producers) (October 2006). I, Davros: Purity (CD). Berkshire: Big Finish Productions. ISBN 1-84435-232-3. BFPDAVCD02.
  8. ^ a b Terry Nation (writer), Ken Grieve (director), Graham Williams (producer) (1–9 September 1979). Destiny of the Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1.
  9. ^ a b Whitaker, David; Nation, Terry (1964). The Dalek Book. London: Panther Books / Souvenir Press Ltd. p. 72.
  10. ^ a b Nation, Terry; Ashton, Brad (1967). The Dalek Outer Space Book. Panther Books / Souvenir Press Ltd. pp. 12–13.
  11. ^ Terry Nation's Dalek Annual 1977. Manchester: World Distributors (Manchester Ltd). 1976. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-7235-0384-2.
  12. ^ Fennell, Alan, David Whitaker (w), Jennings, Richard (a). "The Daleks: Duel of the Daleks" TV Century 21 11-17: Rear cover (1965), London: Century 21 Publishing / City Magazines Ltd.
  13. ^ Whitaker, David (w), Turner, Ron (a). "The Daleks: Legacy of Yesteryear" TV Century 21 76-85: Rear cover (1966), London: Century 21 Publishing / City Magazines Ltd.
  14. ^ a b Aaronovitch, Ben (1990). Remembrance of the Daleks. London: Target Books. pp. 151–152. ISBN 0-426-20337-2.
  15. ^ a b c Sumo Digital (5 June 2010). City of the Daleks (Microsoft Windows, Mac OS) (1.0 ed.). BBC Wales Interactive.
  16. ^ a b Terry Nation (writer), Christopher Barry, Richard Martin (directors), Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield (producers) (21 December 1963 – 1 February 1964). The Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC.
  17. ^ Terry Nation (writer), Derek Martinus (director) (9 October 1965). "Mission to the Unknown". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1.
  18. ^ Terry Nation (writer), Christopher Barry (director), Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield (producers) (21 December 1963). "The Dead Planet". The Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC.
  19. ^ Terry Nation (writer), Richard Martin (director), Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield (producers) (4 January 1964). "The Escape". The Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC.
  20. ^ Terry Nation (writer), Christopher Barry (director), Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield (producers) (18 January 1964). "The Expedition". The Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC.
  21. ^ Terry Nation (writer), Richard Martin (director), Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield (producers) (21 November – 26 December 1964). The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1.
  22. ^ a b Steven Moffat (writer), Nick Hurran (director) (1 September 2012). "Asylum of the Daleks". Doctor Who. Series 7. Episode 1. BBC. BBC One.
  23. ^ Whitaker, David (w), Jennings, Richard (a). "The Menace of the Monstrons" TV Century 21 44-45: Rear cover (1965), London: Century 21 Publishing / City Magazines Ltd.,
  24. ^ Whitaker, David (w), Turner, Ron (a). "The Terrorkon Harvest" TV Century 21 70-75: Rear cover (1966), London: Century 21 Publishing / City Magazines Ltd.
  25. ^ Whitaker, David (w), Turner, Ron (a). "Legacy of Yesteryear" TV Century 21 76: Rear cover/4 (1966), London: Century 21 Publishing / City Magazines Ltd.
  26. ^ Fennell, Alan, David Whitaker (w), Jennings, Richard (a). "Genesis of Evil" TV Century 21 1-3: Rear cover (1965), London: Century 21 Publishing / City Magazines Ltd.
  27. ^ Lance Parkin (writer); Gary Russell (director); Gary Russell, Jason Haigh-Ellery (producers) (October 2006). I, Davros: Corruption (CD). Berkshire: Big Finish Productions. ISBN 1-84435-233-1. BBFPDAVCD03.
  28. ^ David Whitaker (writer), Derek Martinus (director), Innes Lloyd (producer) (20 May – 1 July 1967). The Evil of the Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1.
  29. ^ Eric Saward (writer), Graeme Harper (director), John Nathan-Turner (producer) (23–30 March 1985). Revelation of the Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1.
  30. ^ Ben Aaronovitch (writer), Andrew Morgan (director), John Nathan-Turner (producer) (5–26 October 1988). Remembrance of the Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1.
  31. ^ Peel, John (October 1997). War of the Daleks. Eighth Doctor Adventures. London: BBC Books. ISBN 0-563-40573-2.
  32. ^ Russell T Davies (writer), Graeme Harper (director) (8 July 2006). "Doomsday". Doctor Who. Series 2. Episode 13. BBC. BBC One.
  33. ^ Helen Raynor (writer), James Strong (director) (21 April 2007). "Daleks in Manhattan". Doctor Who. Series 3. Episode 4. BBC. BBC One.
  34. ^ Hickman, Clayton, ed. (2005). "Meet the Doctor by Russell T Davies". Doctor Who Annual 2006. London: Panini UK. p. 7. ISBN 1-904419-73-9.
  35. ^ Steven Moffat (writer), Hettie MacDonald (director), Peter Bennett (producer) (19 September 2015). "The Magician's Apprentice". Doctor Who. Series 9. Episode 1. BBC. BBC One.
  36. ^ Steven Moffat (writer), Hettie MacDonald (director), Peter Bennett (producer) (26 September 2015). "The Witch's Familiar". Doctor Who. Series 9. Episode 2. BBC. BBC One.
  37. ^ Ashton, Brad; Nation, Terry (1967). The Dalek Outer Space Book. London: Panther Books / Souvenir Press Ltd. p. 57.
  38. ^ Writers Terry Nation, Milton Subotsky, David Whitaker; Director Gordon Flemyng; Producers Max J. Rosenberg, Milton Subotsky (2006). The Dalek Collection (Dr Who and the Daleks & Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (DVD). London: Optimum Home Entertainment. OPTD0591. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  39. ^ Nicholas Briggs (writer); Nicholas Briggs (director); Gary Russell, Jason Haigh-Ellery (producers) (December 2000). The Mutant Phase (CD). Berkshire: Big Finish Productions. ISBN 1-903654-21-1. 6C/C.
  40. ^ Lance Parkin (writer); Gary Russell (director); Gary Russell, Jason Haigh-Ellery (producers) (September 2003). Davros (CD). Berkshire: Big Finish Productions. ISBN 1-84435-030-4. 6W/A.
  41. ^ "I, Davros - Released Items". BIG Finish Website. Big Finish Productions. 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  42. ^ . BBC. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  43. ^ Cremona, Patrick (19 October 2020). "How to watch Daleks!, the new animated Doctor Who spin-off series". RadioTimes. BBC. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  44. ^ "Betchworth Quarry, Doctor Who - The Locations Guide". Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  45. ^ "Winspit Quarry, Doctor Who - The Locations Guide". Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  46. ^ "The Magician's Apprentice: The Fact File". BBC One - Doctor Who, Series 9. BBC. 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.

Bibliography

External links

  • Skaro on Tardis Data Core, an external wiki
  • Skaro Home of the Daleks, article at The Doctor Who Site

skaro, this, article, about, fictional, planet, island, denmark, skarø, abandoned, town, faeroes, skarð, fictional, planet, british, science, fiction, television, series, doctor, created, writer, terry, nation, home, planet, daleks, whoniverse, location, seen,. This article is about the fictional planet For the island in Denmark see Skaro For the abandoned town in the Faeroes see Skard Skaro is a fictional planet in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who It was created by the writer Terry Nation as the home planet of the Daleks SkaroWhoniverse locationSkaro as seen in the 1996 Doctor Who television movie 1 First appearanceAn Unearthly Child 1963 Last appearance The Witch s Familiar 2015 Created byTerry NationGenreScience fiction televisionIn universe informationTypePlanetRace s Daleks Thals Dals KaledsLocationsDalek City Kaalann Kaled Dome Thal Dome Petrified Forest Lake of MutationsCharactersDavros Yarvelling ZolfianMoon s Flidor Falkus Omega MysteriumContinentsDalazar Darren DaviusOceansOcean of Death Ocean of Ooze Sea of Acid Sea of Rust Serpent Sea Bottomless SeaIn The Daleks 1963 64 Skaro is described as being the twelfth planet from its sun 2 while in Genesis of the Daleks 1975 it is stated that Skaro is situated in the Seventh Galaxy 3 It is portrayed as having various moons Flidor 4 Falkus and Omega Mysterium 5 with Falkus being presented as an artificial construct created by the Daleks as a last refuge Falkus and Omega Mysterium are also referenced in the Big Finish Productions I Davros audio dramas I Davros Innocence 2006 6 and I Davros Purity 2006 7 In Destiny of the Daleks 1979 the Movellans refer to Skaro as D 5 Gamma Z Alpha 8 Contents 1 Geography 2 Flora 3 Fauna 4 Sapient inhabitants 5 Fictional history 6 Other appearances 7 Exterior filming locations 8 See also 9 References 10 Bibliography 11 External linksGeography Edit The Dalography of Skaro as illustrated in The Dalek Book 1964 The BBC licensed The Dalek Book 1964 includes a map entitled The Dalography of Skaro on which three continents are shown Dalazar Darren and Davius Dalazar is described as the most habitable part of Skaro having a subtropical climate and being the location of the Dalek city To the south east is the Lake of Mutations and to the south the Drammankins mountain range which stretches across the entire continent from the east to west coast To the north east Dalazar is joined to the continent of Darren by a land bridge Darren is indicated to be the site of the neutron bomb explosion which transformed the Daleks from their humanoid form into mutants The north and south regions are separated by the Radiation Range mountains The third continent Davius is shown divided into east and west regions by the River of Whirling Waters with the eastern region being identified as the home of the Thals Five seas are shown the Ocean of Ooze Sea of Acid Sea of Rust Serpent Sea and the land locked Bottomless Sea Other major features are the Island of Moving Mountains and an island chain named the Forbidden Islands both situated in the Ocean of Ooze and the Island of Gushing Gold located in the Sea of Rust 9 The BBC Licensed The Dalek Outer Space Book 1966 confirms some of these details in a cutaway illustration entitled The Strata of Skaro A sea called The Ocean of Death is added together with the Islands of Mist which from the description is an alternative name for the Dalek Book s Forbidden Islands 10 Further information is added by the 1977 Dalek Annual article The Dark Side of Skaro which mentions the Crystal Continent Serpent Island and a feature called The Rocks consisting of stone needles projecting thousands of feet high out of the sea and populated by gigantic flying creatures Other areas listed are a prison colony a region populated by the mutated descendants of prisoners used in early Dalek neutron weapon tests and The Swamp Lands described as possibly being a vast living organism that engulfs and feeds upon anything coming near its surface 11 Other Skarosian geographical features are mentioned in the TV21 comic strip The Daleks 1965 1967 In the story Duel of the Daleks an acid river and mercury geysers appear 12 In Legacy of Yesteryear a desert area called Tarran volcanic plains and a northern polar region are portrayed the latter area stated to have been created when the explosion of the Daleks neutron bomb shifted the planet on its axis 13 The novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks 1990 states that the Dalek city is called Mensvat Esc Dalek and is located in the Vekis Nar Kangji Plain of Swords 14 In the computer game Doctor Who Adventure Game City of the Daleks 2010 the Dalek city is named Kaalann 15 Flora EditIn most media Skaro is portrayed as a nuclear wasteland and almost entirely devoid of plant life with only a petrified forest located close to the Dalek city 16 Several exceptions are mentioned however Varga plants resembling large motile cacti studded with poisonous thorns are seen in Mission to the Unknown 1965 Native to Skaro they have been deliberately mutated by the Daleks to act as sentries and deter other life forms from interfering with their activities An individual poisoned by the thorns develops an urge to kill and eventually transforms into another Varga plant 17 The Arkellis flower is described as being rare and only able to root in metal 4 with its sap being a constituent of the Golden Emperor Dalek s metallic casing In the TV21 comic strip The Daleks dense undergrowth is depicted on several occasions most notably in the mercury geyser swamps and the mutated forest Fauna EditThe Doctor Who television programme has shown only a few examples of Skaro s native wildlife In The Daleks a small dead reptilian creature with long teeth a pointed snout and pliable metal skin is discovered the First Doctor surmising that its body is held together by a magnetic field 18 This is later identified by a Thal as a Magnedon 19 In the 1965 film Dr Who and the Daleks which is based upon The Daleks television serial this creature is portrayed as a rather larger petrified dragon like animal A multi tentacled creature with two luminous eyes is also shown inhabiting the Lake of Mutations 20 A large aggressive tentacled animal called a Slyther appears in The Dalek Invasion of Earth 1964 It is described as the Black Dalek s pet and is used to patrol the Dalek mine workings 21 Giant land based clams capable of crushing bone are seen in Genesis of the Daleks 1975 They are described as being the discarded results of Davros genetic experiments 3 In Asylum of the Daleks 2012 a flock of bird like creatures are seen briefly flying in the distance above the ruins of the Dalek City 22 Other media have introduced additional creatures The Dalek Book s Dalography of Skaro states that vast serpents mutated from earthworms by a neutron bomb explosion live below the surface of the continent of Darren 9 The book also contains The Dalek Dictionary which includes entries for Lallapalange an extinct harmony bird which sang with two voices and Urvacryl a two headed eel inhabiting the Lake of Mutations 4 Later the TV21 The Daleks comic strip added giant eels 23 Terrorkons large aquatic creatures resembling wingless two headed dragons 24 and amorphous Sand Creatures 25 The Dalek Outer Space Book contains illustrations of several subterranean creatures including Sponge People a Sucker resembling a red beetle the tentacled Krakis and an unnamed squirrel like animal 10 To this can be added yellow and black beetles and rock leopards mentioned in the novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks 14 Sapient inhabitants EditIn the television serial The Daleks two sapient humanoid species are described as having existed on Skaro the Dals teachers and philosophers and the Thals a race of warriors Radiation from a neutronic war caused both species to mutate By the time of the story the Thals are a blond haired caucasian people their physical mutation having come full circle They have renounced violence and survive by farming In contrast the Dals have evolved into hideous aggressive xenophobic creatures which have encased themselves in protective metal shells and rely upon technology for survival They now refer to themselves as Daleks 16 This evolution of the Dalek and Thal races is contradicted in the TV serial Genesis of the Daleks The story depicts the Dalek progenitors as being a humanoid race called the Kaleds They have been at war with the Thals for generations turning Skaro into a wasteland devastated by chemical and nuclear weapons While the Daleks and Thals have each engineered their own huge protective dome in which to shelter the disfigured victims of chemical and radioactive contamination are banished to roam the surface as mutos The Kaled scientists realise that the planet s toxic environment will eventually cause the mutation of their species bringing their genetic purity to an end Their chief scientist Davros decides to accelerate the mutation to find the ultimate Kaled form in the process improving it by removing all traces of conscience feeling and emotion The resulting organisms are placed into armoured travel machines and referred to by Davros as Daleks 3 The TV Century 21 Dalek comic strip presents a different description of Skaro s sapient life One race the Daleks are depicted as short blue skinned aggressive humanoids They are engaged in a vicious war against the Thals who although not shown in the strip are described as tall handsome peaceful and living in constant fear of Dalek attack The Daleks build a neutron bomb to finally bring the conflict to an end but a meteorite storm detonates the device prematurely apparently destroying most of the life on Skaro A mutated Dalek commandeers a prototype war machine created shortly before the holocaust to act as a mobile protective casing It then convinces the last two humanoid Daleks Yarvelling and Zolfian to build more casings for the many other mutants which have survived 26 No further mention of the Thals is made in the strip the implication being that they all perished in the nuclear conflagration The Big Finish Productions I Davros series of audio plays 2006 places the divergence of the Kaled and Thal species at a point 10 million years prior to the events depicted in Genesis of the Daleks 27 and refers to two other species the Tharons and the Dals as both being extinct due to Kaled genocide by the time of the Kaled Thal war 7 Fictional history EditThe central plot device of the Doctor Who television programme and of the Whoniverse is time travel Coupled with successive programme producers and scriptwriters uneven approach to continuity attempts at imposing a strict chronology upon Skaro s fictional history are problematic The events leading to the creation of the Daleks as depicted in Genesis of the Daleks 1975 apparently pre date those of The Daleks 1963 64 while in The Evil of the Daleks 1967 the story of which concludes with the apparent destruction of the Daleks due to a civil war on Skaro the Second Doctor states that this is the creatures final end 28 In Destiny of the Daleks 1979 set many centuries after the events of Genesis of the Daleks the Daleks return to an abandoned and still radioactive Skaro to retrieve their creator Davros 8 In the subsequent serial Revelation of the Daleks 1985 the Daleks are shown to have re occupied Skaro those loyal to the Dalek Supreme travelling from there to capture Davros and destroy his new Dalek army on the planet Necros 29 Skaro s final appearance in the classic series is in the story Remembrance of the Daleks 1988 in which the Seventh Doctor tricks Davros and his Imperial Daleks into using a Time Lord device called the Hand of Omega on Skaro s sun to recreate the Gallifreyan time travel experiments The Doctor sabotages the device however causing their sun to turn into a supernova which completely obliterates the planet 30 An image of Skaro is shown briefly at the start of the 1996 Doctor Who television movie the narrative indicating that it is the site of a trial of the Master No reference to the destruction of the planet is made 1 An attempt to explain this incongruity is made in the novel War of the Daleks 1997 in which at the climax of the events portrayed in Remembrance of the Daleks the Daleks manipulate Davros and the Seventh Doctor into destroying a planet called Antalin which they have terraformed to resemble Skaro and take its place The novel further places the story Destiny of the Daleks on the disguised Antalin and not Skaro 31 In the revived Doctor Who series Skaro is referenced by the introduction of the Cult of Skaro in Doomsday 2006 32 and Daleks in Manhattan 2007 where the character Dalek Caan states that the planet is gone destroyed in a great war 33 Later in the episode Asylum of the Daleks 2012 the Eleventh Doctor is lured to Skaro briefly The planet is depicted as having been abandoned once again and is shown with a stormy rain swept red sky the landscape filled with derelict structures and skyscrapers 22 This is consistent with the appearance of post Time War Skaro as seen in the downloadable computer game City of the Daleks 15 and an article written by Russell T Davies in the Doctor Who Annual 2006 which states that Skaro was devastated at the end of the Time War 34 Skaro appears in The Magician s Apprentice and The Witch s Familiar 2015 where Davros is shown first as an adolescent lost on a desert battlefield and then having returned to the planet many years later to die with his children the Daleks The planet has been made invisible and when questioned by the Doctor Davros states that the Daleks have rebuilt it 35 36 The Dalek Outer Space Book 1967 contains a chart entitled The Evolution of Skaro which traces the development of the planet from its creation through various geological periods to the advent of the Daleks 37 Other appearances EditSkaro is the setting for the feature film Dr Who and the Daleks 1965 starring Peter Cushing 38 Although it is not named in the film it is retroactively identified in its sequel Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 A D 1966 Skaro appears in the Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories The Mutant Phase 2000 39 and Davros 2003 40 and features prominently in the I Davros spin off series 2006 which focuses on Davros life and the events that led to his creating the Daleks 41 Skaro makes an appearance in the Doctor Who The Adventure Games episode City of the Daleks In the narrative the Daleks remove Skaro from the Time War preventing its destruction The Eleventh Doctor thwarts the Dalek s plan negating the planet s survival and restoring the proper timeline 15 In April 2010 Piers Wenger executive producer of Doctor Who at the time stated that the games constitute episodes and form part of the Doctor Who universe 42 Skaro appears in Daleks a five part CGI animated series launched by the BBC on its YouTube channel in November 2020 as part of its multi platform story Time Lord Victorious 43 Exterior filming locations EditFor Genesis of the Daleks exterior scenes supposedly taking place on Skaro were shot at Betchworth Quarry Surrey 44 and for Destiny of the Daleks at Winspit Quarry Dorset 45 In The Magician s Apprentice and The Witch s Familiar exterior scenes set on Skaro were filmed in Tenerife 46 See also Edit Doctor Who portal Science fiction portalDalek Dalek variants History of the DaleksReferences Edit a b Matthew Jacobs writer Geoffrey Sax director Peter V Ware Matthew Jacobs producers 14 May 1996 Doctor Who Fox Network Terry Nation writer Christopher Barry director Verity Lambert Mervyn Pinfield producers 11 January 1964 The Ambush The Daleks Doctor Who BBC a b c Terry Nation writer David Maloney director Philip Hinchcliffe producer 8 March 12 April 1975 Genesis of the Daleks Doctor Who BBC BBC1 a b c Whitaker David Nation Terry 1964 The Dalek Book London Panther Books Souvenir Press Ltd pp 87 88 Dicks Terrence Nation Terry 1976 Doctor Who amp The Daleks Omnibus London Artus Publishing Ltd pp 11 86 89 Gary Hopkins writer Gary Russell director Gary Russell Jason Haigh Ellery producers September 2006 I Davros Innocence CD Berkshire Big Finish Productions ISBN 1 84435 231 5 BFPDAVCD01 a b James Parsons Andrew Sterling Brown writers Gary Russell director Gary Russell Jason Haigh Ellery producers October 2006 I Davros Purity CD Berkshire Big Finish Productions ISBN 1 84435 232 3 BFPDAVCD02 a b Terry Nation writer Ken Grieve director Graham Williams producer 1 9 September 1979 Destiny of the Daleks Doctor Who BBC BBC1 a b Whitaker David Nation Terry 1964 The Dalek Book London Panther Books Souvenir Press Ltd p 72 a b Nation Terry Ashton Brad 1967 The Dalek Outer Space Book Panther Books Souvenir Press Ltd pp 12 13 Terry Nation s Dalek Annual 1977 Manchester World Distributors Manchester Ltd 1976 pp 20 21 ISBN 0 7235 0384 2 Fennell Alan David Whitaker w Jennings Richard a The Daleks Duel of the Daleks TV Century 21 11 17 Rear cover 1965 London Century 21 Publishing City Magazines Ltd Whitaker David w Turner Ron a The Daleks Legacy of Yesteryear TV Century 21 76 85 Rear cover 1966 London Century 21 Publishing City Magazines Ltd a b Aaronovitch Ben 1990 Remembrance of the Daleks London Target Books pp 151 152 ISBN 0 426 20337 2 a b c Sumo Digital 5 June 2010 City of the Daleks Microsoft Windows Mac OS 1 0 ed BBC Wales Interactive a b Terry Nation writer Christopher Barry Richard Martin directors Verity Lambert Mervyn Pinfield producers 21 December 1963 1 February 1964 The Daleks Doctor Who BBC Terry Nation writer Derek Martinus director 9 October 1965 Mission to the Unknown Doctor Who BBC BBC1 Terry Nation writer Christopher Barry director Verity Lambert Mervyn Pinfield producers 21 December 1963 The Dead Planet The Daleks Doctor Who BBC Terry Nation writer Richard Martin director Verity Lambert Mervyn Pinfield producers 4 January 1964 The Escape The Daleks Doctor Who BBC Terry Nation writer Christopher Barry director Verity Lambert Mervyn Pinfield producers 18 January 1964 The Expedition The Daleks Doctor Who BBC Terry Nation writer Richard Martin director Verity Lambert Mervyn Pinfield producers 21 November 26 December 1964 The Dalek Invasion of Earth Doctor Who BBC BBC1 a b Steven Moffat writer Nick Hurran director 1 September 2012 Asylum of the Daleks Doctor Who Series 7 Episode 1 BBC BBC One Whitaker David w Jennings Richard a The Menace of the Monstrons TV Century 21 44 45 Rear cover 1965 London Century 21 Publishing City Magazines Ltd Whitaker David w Turner Ron a The Terrorkon Harvest TV Century 21 70 75 Rear cover 1966 London Century 21 Publishing City Magazines Ltd Whitaker David w Turner Ron a Legacy of Yesteryear TV Century 21 76 Rear cover 4 1966 London Century 21 Publishing City Magazines Ltd Fennell Alan David Whitaker w Jennings Richard a Genesis of Evil TV Century 21 1 3 Rear cover 1965 London Century 21 Publishing City Magazines Ltd Lance Parkin writer Gary Russell director Gary Russell Jason Haigh Ellery producers October 2006 I Davros Corruption CD Berkshire Big Finish Productions ISBN 1 84435 233 1 BBFPDAVCD03 David Whitaker writer Derek Martinus director Innes Lloyd producer 20 May 1 July 1967 The Evil of the Daleks Doctor Who BBC BBC1 Eric Saward writer Graeme Harper director John Nathan Turner producer 23 30 March 1985 Revelation of the Daleks Doctor Who BBC BBC1 Ben Aaronovitch writer Andrew Morgan director John Nathan Turner producer 5 26 October 1988 Remembrance of the Daleks Doctor Who BBC BBC1 Peel John October 1997 War of the Daleks Eighth Doctor Adventures London BBC Books ISBN 0 563 40573 2 Russell T Davies writer Graeme Harper director 8 July 2006 Doomsday Doctor Who Series 2 Episode 13 BBC BBC One Helen Raynor writer James Strong director 21 April 2007 Daleks in Manhattan Doctor Who Series 3 Episode 4 BBC BBC One Hickman Clayton ed 2005 Meet the Doctor by Russell T Davies Doctor Who Annual 2006 London Panini UK p 7 ISBN 1 904419 73 9 Steven Moffat writer Hettie MacDonald director Peter Bennett producer 19 September 2015 The Magician s Apprentice Doctor Who Series 9 Episode 1 BBC BBC One Steven Moffat writer Hettie MacDonald director Peter Bennett producer 26 September 2015 The Witch s Familiar Doctor Who Series 9 Episode 2 BBC BBC One Ashton Brad Nation Terry 1967 The Dalek Outer Space Book London Panther Books Souvenir Press Ltd p 57 Writers Terry Nation Milton Subotsky David Whitaker Director Gordon Flemyng Producers Max J Rosenberg Milton Subotsky 2006 The Dalek Collection Dr Who and the Daleks amp Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 A D DVD London Optimum Home Entertainment OPTD0591 Retrieved 14 January 2010 Nicholas Briggs writer Nicholas Briggs director Gary Russell Jason Haigh Ellery producers December 2000 The Mutant Phase CD Berkshire Big Finish Productions ISBN 1 903654 21 1 6C C Lance Parkin writer Gary Russell director Gary Russell Jason Haigh Ellery producers September 2003 Davros CD Berkshire Big Finish Productions ISBN 1 84435 030 4 6W A I Davros Released Items BIG Finish Website Big Finish Productions 2012 Retrieved 26 August 2015 Doctor Who The Adventure Games BBC 21 April 2010 Archived from the original on 12 April 2010 Retrieved 5 October 2013 Cremona Patrick 19 October 2020 How to watch Daleks the new animated Doctor Who spin off series RadioTimes BBC Retrieved 14 December 2020 Betchworth Quarry Doctor Who The Locations Guide Retrieved 1 October 2010 Winspit Quarry Doctor Who The Locations Guide Retrieved 4 February 2008 The Magician s Apprentice The Fact File BBC One Doctor Who Series 9 BBC 2015 Retrieved 21 September 2015 Bibliography EditWhitaker David Nation Terry 1964 The Dalek Book London Panther Books Souvenir Press Ltd Nation Terry Ashton Brad 1967 The Dalek Outer Space Book Panther Books Souvenir Press Ltd Terry Nation s Dalek Annual 1977 Manchester World Distributors Manchester Ltd 1976 ISBN 0 7235 0384 2 Aaronovitch Ben 1990 Remembrance of the Daleks London Target Books ISBN 0 426 20337 2 Peel John October 1997 War of the Daleks Eighth Doctor Adventures London BBC Books ISBN 0 563 40573 2 Tribe Steve Goss James 2011 The Dalek Handbook London BBC Books ISBN 978 1 84990 232 8 External links EditSkaro on Tardis Data Core an external wiki Skaro Home of the Daleks article at The Doctor Who Site Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Skaro amp oldid 1142625599, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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