Editing Dalek (section)

==Physical characteristics==
{{multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 218
| footer            = A Dalek as seen through another's eyestalk.
| image1            = DalekVision003A.png
}}

Externally, Daleks resemble human-sized [[salt and pepper shakers|pepper pots]]<ref name="Cusick" /> with a single mechanical eyestalk mounted on a rotating dome, a gun-mount containing an energy-weapon ("gunstick" or "[[death ray]]") resembling an egg-whisk, and a telescopic manipulator arm usually tipped by an appendage resembling a sink-[[plunger]]. Daleks have been known to use their plungers to interface with technology,<ref name="Dalek (episode)">{{cite episode
 | title = Dalek
 | episode-link = Dalek (Doctor Who episode)
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Rob Shearman]], Director [[Joe Ahearne]], Executive Producers [[Russell T Davies]], [[Julie Gardner]] and [[Mal Young]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = [[BBC One]]
 | location = Cardiff
 | airdate = 30 April 2005
}}</ref> crush a man's skull by suction,<ref name="Dalek (episode)" /> measure the intelligence of a subject,<ref name="Manhattan">{{cite episode
 | title = Daleks in Manhattan
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Helen Raynor]], Director [[James Strong (director)|James Strong]], Producer [[Phil Collinson]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = [[BBC1]]
 | location = Cardiff
 | airdate = 21 April 2007
}}</ref> and extract information from a man's mind.<ref name="Doomsday">{{cite episode
 | title = Doomsday
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Russell T Davies]], Director [[Graeme Harper]], Executive Producers Russell T Davies and [[Julie Gardner]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = BBC One
 | location = Cardiff
 | airdate = 8 August 2006
}}</ref> Dalek casings are made of a bonded [[carbide|polycarbide]] material called "Dalekanium" by a member of the human resistance in ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]'' and the Dalek comics, as well as by the Cult of Skaro in "[[Daleks in Manhattan]]".<ref name="Manhattan" /><ref name="Invasion3">{{cite episode
 | title = Day of Reckoning
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Terry Nation]], Director [[Richard Martin (British director)|Richard Martin]], Producer [[Verity Lambert]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = BBC1
 | location = London
 | airdate = 5 December 1964
}}</ref>

The lower half of a Dalek's shell is covered with hemispherical protrusions, or 'Dalek-bumps', which are shown in the episode "[[Dalek (Doctor Who episode)|Dalek]]" to be spheres embedded in the casing.<ref name="Dalek (episode)" /> Both the BBC-licensed ''Dalek Book'' (1964) and ''The Doctor Who Technical Manual'' (1983) describe these items as being part of a sensory array,<ref>Harris (1983), p. 22</ref> while in the [[Doctor Who (series 1)|2005 series]] episode "Dalek" they are integral to a Dalek's [[Force field (fiction)|forcefield]] mechanism,<ref name="Dalek (episode)" /> which evaporates most bullets and resists most types of energy weapons. The forcefield seems to be concentrated around the Dalek's midsection (where the mutant is located), as normally ineffective firepower can be concentrated on the eyestalk to blind a Dalek. In 2019 episode "[[Resolution (Doctor Who)|Resolution]]" the bumps give way to reveal missile launchers capable of wiping out a military tank with ease. Daleks have a very limited visual field, with no peripheral sight at all, and are relatively easy to hide from in fairly exposed places.<ref name="Parting">{{cite episode
 | title = The Parting of the Ways
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Russell T Davies]], Director [[Joe Ahearne]], Executive Producers Russell T Davies, [[Julie Gardner]] and [[Mal Young]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = BBC One
 | location = Cardiff
 | airdate = 18 June 2005
}}</ref> Their own energy weapons are capable of destroying them.<ref name="Evolution" /> Their weapons fire a beam that has electrical tendencies, is capable of propagating through water, and may be a form of [[Plasma (physics)|plasma]] or [[electrolaser]]. The eyepiece is a Dalek's most vulnerable spot; impairing its vision often leads to a blind, panicked firing of its weapon while exclaiming "My vision is impaired; I cannot see!" [[Russell T Davies]] subverted the catchphrase in his 2008 episode "[[The Stolen Earth]]", in which a Dalek vaporises a paintball that has blocked its vision while proclaiming, "My vision is ''not'' impaired!"<ref name="cribbins">{{cite magazine|last=Cook|first=Benjamin|author2=Cribbins, Bernard|date=25 July 2008|title=Bernard Cribbins: Stargazer: Wilfred Mott|magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]]|publisher=[[Panini Comics]]|location=[[Royal Tunbridge Wells]], Kent|issue=398|page=33}}</ref><ref name="Stolen" />

[[File:Dalek attack.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A man in camouflage fatigues winces with pain as he tries to remove a green alien creature from his neck. | Kaled mutants are octopus-like; many are coloured green, such as this one from "[[Resurrection of the Daleks]]".]]

The creature inside the mechanical casing is soft and repulsive in appearance, and vicious in temperament. The first-ever glimpse of a Dalek mutant, in ''[[The Daleks]]'', was a claw peeking out from under a Thal cloak after it had been removed from its casing.<ref name="B3">{{cite episode
 | title = The Escape
 | episode-link = The Daleks
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Terry Nation]], Director [[Christopher Barry]], Producer [[Verity Lambert]]
 | network = BBC
 | location = London
 | airdate = 4 January 1964
}}</ref> The mutants' actual appearance has varied, but often adheres to the Doctor's description of the species in ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks]]'' as "little green blobs in bonded polycarbide [[armour]]".<ref name="Remembrance3">{{cite episode
 | title = Remembrance of the Daleks, Part Three
 | episode-link = Remembrance of the Daleks
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Ben Aaronovitch]], Director Andrew Morgan, Producer [[John Nathan-Turner]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = BBC1
 | location = London
 | airdate = 19 October 1988
}}</ref> In ''[[Resurrection of the Daleks]]'' a Dalek creature, separated from its casing, attacks and severely injures a human soldier;<ref name="Resurrection1">{{cite episode
 | title = Resurrection of the Daleks, Part One
 | episode-link = Resurrection of the Daleks
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Eric Saward]], Director [[Matthew Robinson (producer)|Matthew Robinson]], Producer [[John Nathan-Turner]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = BBC1
 | location = London
 | airdate = 8 February 1984
}}</ref> in ''Remembrance of the Daleks'' there are two Dalek factions (Imperial and Renegade), and the creatures inside have a different appearance in each case, one resembling the amorphous creature from ''Resurrection'', the other the crab-like creature from the original Dalek serial. As the creature inside is rarely seen on screen there is a common misconception that Daleks are wholly mechanical robots.<ref name="letter">{{cite news |title=Letters to the Editor – Inside a Dalek |work=The Times |location=UK |first=Terrance |last=Dicks |author-link=Terrance Dicks |date=20 December 1974 |page=13}}</ref> In the [[Doctor Who (series 1)|new series]] Daleks are [[retcon]]ned to be [[squid]]-like in appearance, with small tentacles, one or two eyes, and an exposed brain.<ref name="Dalek (episode)" /> In the new series, a Dalek creature separated from its casing is shown capable of inserting a tentacle into the back of a human's neck and controlling them.<ref name="Resolution">{{cite episode
| title = [[Resolution (Doctor Who)|Resolution]]
| series = [[Doctor Who]]
| series-no = 11
| number = - 2019 New Year's Day Special 
| credits = [[Chris Chibnall]] (writer), Wayne Yip (director), [[Nikki Wilson]] (producer)
| network = [[BBC]] 
| station = [[BBC One]] 
| airdate = 1 January 2019
}}</ref>

Daleks' voices are electronic; when out of its casing the mutant is only able to squeak.<ref name="Resurrection1" /> Once the mutant is removed the casing itself can be entered and operated by humanoids; for example, in ''[[The Daleks]]'', [[Ian Chesterton]] ([[William Russell (English actor)|William Russell]]) enters a Dalek shell to masquerade as a guard as part of an escape plan.<ref name="B3" />

For many years it was assumed that, due to their design and gliding motion, Daleks were unable to climb stairs, and that this provided a simple way of escaping them. A cartoon from ''[[Punch (magazine)|Punch]]'' pictured a group of Daleks at the foot of a flight of stairs with the caption, "Well, this certainly buggers our plan to conquer the Universe".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/news/obituary/21572725-ray-cusick-designer-daleks-died-february-21st-aged-84-ray-cusick|title=Ray Cusick, designer of the Daleks, died on February 21st, aged 84|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=2 March 2013|access-date=21 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118060405/http://www.economist.com/news/obituary/21572725-ray-cusick-designer-daleks-died-february-21st-aged-84-ray-cusick|archive-date=18 January 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In a scene from the serial ''[[Destiny of the Daleks]]'', the Doctor and [[companion (Doctor Who)|companions]] escape from Dalek pursuers by climbing into a ceiling duct. The [[Fourth Doctor]] calls down, "If you're supposed to be the superior race of the universe, why don't you try climbing after us?"<ref name="Destiny2">{{cite episode
 | title = Destiny of the Daleks, Episode Two
 | episode-link = Destiny of the Daleks
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Terry Nation]], Director [[Ken Grieve]], Producer [[Graham Williams (television producer)|Graham Williams]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = BBC1
 | location = London
 | airdate = 8 September 1979
}}</ref> The Daleks generally make up for their lack of mobility with overwhelming firepower; a joke among ''Doctor Who'' fans is that "Real Daleks don't climb stairs; they level the building."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.warlord/browse_thread/thread/a4c1372fb5769f30/2aff27237eb980e9?lnk=st&q=%22Real+Daleks+don%27t+climb+stairs%22&rnum=75&hl=en#2aff27237eb980e9 |title=Federal Department of Transportation Bulletin #92–132 |access-date=9 March 2010 |last=Dippold |first=Ron |date=6 February 1992 |format=[[USENET]] post |publisher=alt.fan.warlord |via=[[Google Groups]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210184536/http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.warlord/browse_thread/thread/a4c1372fb5769f30/2aff27237eb980e9?lnk=st&q=%22Real+Daleks+don%27t+climb+stairs%22&rnum=75&hl=en#2aff27237eb980e9 |archive-date=10 December 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Dalek mobility has improved over the history of the series: in their first appearance, in ''The Daleks'', they were capable of movement only on the conductive metal floors of their city; in ''The Dalek Invasion of Earth'' a Dalek emerges from the waters of the [[River Thames]], indicating not only that they had become freely mobile, but that they are [[amphibious vehicle|amphibious]];<ref name="Invasion1">{{cite episode
 | title = World's End
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Terry Nation]], Director [[Richard Martin (British director)|Richard Martin]], Producer [[Verity Lambert]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = BBC1
 | location = London
 | airdate = 21 November 1964
}}</ref> ''Planet of the Daleks'' showed that they could ascend a vertical shaft by means of an external [[anti-gravity]] mat placed on the floor; ''Revelation of the Daleks'' showed Davros in his life-support chair and one of his Daleks hovering and ''Remembrance of the Daleks'' depicted them as capable of hovering up a flight of stairs.<ref name="Remembrance1">{{cite episode
 | title = Remembrance of the Daleks, Part One
 | series = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Ben Aaronovitch]], Director Andrew Morgan, Producer [[John Nathan-Turner]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = BBC1
 | location = London
 | airdate = 5 October 1988
}}</ref> Despite this, Daleks have often been mocked for their supposed inability to climb stairs in the press, and their inability to climb stairs has even been used to placate children who are frightened of the Daleks.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sample |first1=Ian |title=Why can't daleks go up stairs? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2005/mar/10/thisweekssciencequestions3 |work=The Guardian |date=10 March 2005}}</ref> In response to this, a character escaping up a flight of stairs in the 2005 story "[[Dalek (Doctor Who episode)|Dalek]]" mocked the Dalek as "defeated by a flight of stairs", and was shocked when the Dalek began to hover up the stairs after uttering the phrase "Elevate!", in a similar manner to "Exterminate!"<ref name="Dalek (episode)" /> Along with hovering, the new series depicts the Daleks as fully capable of flight, even [[spaceflight]].<ref name="Parting" />

===Prop details===
====Overview====
[[File:Dalek, MediaCityUK, Manchester.jpg|thumb|left|Time War Dalek model on display at [[MediaCityUK]] in Manchester]]
The non-humanoid shape of the Dalek did much to enhance the creatures' sense of menace.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://mithilareview.com/mukherjee_04_17/|title=Aliens with a Human Face: The Human-like Non-Humans of Doctor Who {{!}} Mithila Review|date=2017-04-11|work=Mithila Review|access-date=2018-05-01|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127162559/http://mithilareview.com/mukherjee_04_17/|archive-date=27 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> A lack of familiar reference points differentiated them from the traditional "[[bug-eyed monster]]" of science fiction, which ''Doctor Who'' creator [[Sydney Newman]] had wanted the show to avoid.<ref>Howe (1992), pp. 3, 26–27</ref> The unsettling Dalek form, coupled with their alien voices, made many believe that the props were wholly mechanical and operated by remote control.<ref name="dalek companion">Howe (2004), p. 31</ref>

The Daleks were actually controlled from inside by short operators,<ref name="Monsters-82">Howe (1997), p. 82</ref> who had to manipulate their eyestalks, domes, and arms; as well as flashing the lights on their heads in-sync with the actors supplying their voices. The Dalek cases were built in two pieces; an operator would step into the lower section, and then the top would be secured. The operators looked out between the cylindrical louvres just beneath the dome, which were lined with mesh to conceal their faces.<ref name="Monsters-82" />

In addition to being hot and cramped, the Dalek casings also muffled external sounds, making it difficult for operators to hear the director or dialogue. [[John Scott Martin]], a Dalek operator from the original series, said that Dalek operation was a challenge: "You had to have about six hands: one to do the eyestalk, one to do the lights, one for the gun, another for the smoke canister underneath, yet another for the sink plunger. If you were related to an octopus then it helped."<ref name="Monsters_85">Howe (1997), p. 85</ref>

For ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s 21st-century revival, the Dalek casings retain the same overall shape and dimensional proportions of previous Daleks, although many details have been redesigned to give the Dalek a heavier and more solid look.<ref name="Tucker">{{cite magazine |last=Arnopp |first=Jason |date=July 2005 |title=Tucker's Luck |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] Special Edition |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |location=[[Royal Tunbridge Wells]], Kent |issue=11 |pages=62–70}}</ref> Changes include a larger, more pointed base; a glowing eyepiece; an all-over metallic-brass finish (specified by Davies); thicker, nailed strips on the "neck" section; a housing for the eyestalk pivot; and significantly larger dome-lights.<ref name="Tucker" /> The new prop made its on-screen debut in the 2005 episode "Dalek".<ref name="Tucker" /> These Dalek casings use a short operator inside the housing while the 'head' and eyestalk are operated via remote control. A third person, [[Nicholas Briggs]], supplies the voice in their various appearances.<ref name="Briggs">{{cite magazine |last=Briggs |first=Nicholas |author-link=Nicholas Briggs |date=25 May 2005 |title=Diary of a Dalek |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |location=[[Royal Tunbridge Wells]], Kent |issue=356 |pages=23–27}}</ref> A new, larger model appeared during the 2010 series in several colours; each representing different parts of the Dalek command hierarchy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cooper |first=Steven |date=2010-05-02 |title=Doctor Who Recap: Season 5, Episode 3, "Victory of the Daleks" |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/tv/doctor-who-season-5-episode-3-victory-of-the-daleks/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Slant Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

====Movement====
Terry Nation's original plan was for the Daleks to glide across the floor. Early versions of the Daleks rolled on nylon [[Caster|castors]], propelled by the operator's feet. Although castors were adequate for the Daleks' debut serial, which was shot entirely at the BBC's [[Lime Grove Studios]], for ''The Dalek Invasion of Earth'' Terry Nation wanted the Daleks to be filmed on the streets of London. To enable the Daleks to travel smoothly on location, designer Spencer Chapman built the new Dalek shells around miniature [[tricycle]]s with sturdier wheels, which were hidden by enlarged fenders fitted below the original base.<ref>Howe (1997), pp. 84–85</ref> The uneven flagstones of Central London caused the Daleks to rattle as they moved and it was not possible to remove this noise from the final soundtrack. A small parabolic dish was added to the rear of the prop's casing to explain why these Daleks, unlike the ones in their first serial, were not dependent on [[static electricity]] drawn up from the floors of the Dalek city for their motive power.<ref name="Monsters_85" />

Later versions of the prop had more efficient wheels and were once again simply propelled by the seated operators' feet, but they remained so heavy that when going up ramps they often had to be pushed by stagehands out of camera shot. The difficulty of operating all the prop's parts at once contributed to the occasionally jerky Dalek movements.<ref name="Monsters_85" /> This problem has largely been eradicated with the advent of the "new series" version, as its remotely controlled dome and eyestalk allow the operator to concentrate on the smooth movement of the Dalek and its arms.<ref>Russell (2006), p. 163</ref>

====Voices====
The [[staccato]] delivery, harsh tone and rising inflection of the Dalek voice were initially developed by two voice actors, [[Peter Hawkins]] and [[David Graham (actor)|David Graham]], who varied the pitch and speed of the lines according to the emotion needed. Their voices were further processed electronically by [[Brian Hodgson]] at the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]. The sound-processing devices used have varied over the decades. In 1963 Hodgson and his colleagues used equalisation to boost the mid-range of the actor's voice, then subjected it to [[ring modulation]] with a 30&nbsp;Hz [[sine wave]]. The distinctive harsh, grating vocal timbre this produced has remained the pattern for all Dalek voices since (with the exception of those in the 1985 serial ''[[Revelation of the Daleks]]'', for which the director, [[Graeme Harper]], deliberately used less distortion).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2004/07/08/12725.shtml |title=BBC – Doctor Who – Dalek Empire III [interview with Nicholas Briggs] |date=8 July 2004 |access-date=9 March 2010 |work=BBC News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110052452/http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2004/07/08/12725.shtml |archive-date=10 January 2009 }}</ref>

Besides Hawkins and Graham, other voice actors for the Daleks have included [[Roy Skelton]], who first voiced the Daleks in the 1967 story ''[[The Evil of the Daleks]]'' and provided voices for five additional Dalek serials including ''[[Planet of the Daleks]]'',<ref name="Planet">''[[Planet of the Daleks]].'' Writer [[Terry Nation]], Director [[David Maloney]], Producer [[Barry Letts]]. ''Doctor Who''. BBC1, London. 7 April–12 May 1973.</ref> and for the one-off anniversary special "[[The Five Doctors]]". [[Michael Wisher]], the actor who originated the role of Dalek creator Davros in ''[[Genesis of the Daleks]]'', provided Dalek voices for that same story, as well as for ''[[Frontier in Space]]'', ''[[Planet of the Daleks]]'', and ''[[Death to the Daleks]]''. Other Dalek voice actors include [[Royce Mills]] (three stories),<ref name="Revelation" /><ref name="Remembrance" /><ref name="Resurrection" /> [[Brian Miller (actor)|Brian Miller]] (two stories),<ref name="Remembrance" /><ref name="Resurrection" /> and [[Oliver Gilbert (actor)|Oliver Gilbert]] and [[Peter Messaline]] (one story).<ref name="Day">''[[Day of the Daleks]].'' Writer [[Louis Marks]], Director [[Paul Bernard (director)|Paul Bernard]], Producer Barry Letts. ''Doctor Who''. BBC1, London. 1–22 January 1972.</ref> [[John Leeson]], who performed the voice of [[K9 (Doctor Who)|K9]] in several ''Doctor Who'' stories, and Davros actors [[Terry Molloy]] and [[David Gooderson]] also contributed supporting voices for various Dalek serials.<ref name="Remembrance" /><ref name="Destiny" />

Since 2005 the Dalek voice in the television series has been provided by [[Nicholas Briggs]], speaking into a microphone connected to a voice modulator.<ref name="Briggs" /><ref name="dalek confidential">{{cite episode
 | title = Dalek
 | series = Doctor Who Confidential
 | credits = Seaborne, Gilliane (director)
 | network = [[BBC Three]]
 | airdate = 30 April 2005
}}</ref> Briggs had previously provided Dalek and other alien voices for [[Big Finish Productions]] [[audio plays]], and continues to do so. In a 2006 BBC Radio interview, Briggs said that when the BBC asked him to do the voice for the new television series, they instructed him to bring his own analogue ring modulator that he had used in the audio plays. The BBC's sound department had changed to a digital platform and could not adequately create the distinctive Dalek sound with their modern equipment. Briggs went as far as to bring the voice modulator to the actors' readings of the scripts.<ref name="Briggs" /><ref name="dalek confidential" />

====Construction====
Manufacturing the props was expensive. In scenes where many Daleks had to appear, some of them would be represented by wooden replicas (''[[Destiny of the Daleks]]'')<ref name="Destiny">''[[Destiny of the Daleks]].'' Writer [[Terry Nation]], Director [[Ken Grieve]], Producer [[Graham Williams (television producer)|Graham Williams]]. ''Doctor Who''. BBC1, London. 1–22 September 1979.</ref> or life-size photographic enlargements in the early [[black-and-white]] episodes (''[[The Daleks]]'', ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]'',<ref name="Invasion3" /><ref name="Invasion2">{{cite episode
 | title = The Daleks
 | episode-link = The Dalek Invasion of Earth
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Terry Nation]], Director [[Richard Martin (British director)|Richard Martin]], Producer [[Verity Lambert]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = BBC1
 | location = London
 | airdate = 28 November 1964
}}</ref> and ''[[The Power of the Daleks]]'').<ref name="Power4">{{cite episode
 | title = The Power of the Daleks, Episode Four
 | episode-link = The Power of the Daleks
 | series = Doctor Who
 | series-link = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[David Whitaker (screenwriter)|David Whitaker]], Director [[Christopher Barry]], Producer [[Innes Lloyd]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = BBC1
 | location = London
 | airdate = 26 November 1966
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/photonovels/power/four/61.shtml |title=BBC – Doctor Who – Photonovels Power of the Daleks – Episode Four |access-date=9 March 2010 |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110045742/http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/photonovels/power/four/61.shtml |archive-date=10 January 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> In stories involving armies of Daleks, the BBC effects team even turned to using commercially available toy Daleks, manufactured by [[Louis Marx and Company|Louis Marx & Co]] and Herts Plastic Moulders Ltd. Examples of this can be observed in the serials ''The Power of the Daleks'', ''The Evil of the Daleks'', and ''Planet of the Daleks''.<ref name="Planet6">{{cite episode
 | title = Planet of the Daleks, Episode Six
 | episode-link = Planet of the Daleks
 | series = Doctor Who
 | credits = Writer [[Terry Nation]], Director [[David Maloney]], Producer [[Barry Letts]]
 | network = BBC
 | station = BBC1
 | location = London
 | airdate = 12 March 1973
}}</ref> Judicious editing techniques also gave the impression that there were more Daleks than were actually available, such as using a [[Split screen (video production)|split screen]] in "The Parting of the Ways".<ref name="Parting" />

Four fully functioning props were commissioned for the first serial "The Daleks" in 1963, and were constructed from BBC plans by Shawcraft Engineering.<ref name="Burk 2013 p. 11">{{cite book | last=Burk | first=Graeme | title=Who's 50: the 50 Doctor Who stories to watch before you die : an unofficial companion | publisher=ECW Press | location=Toronto | year=2013 | isbn=978-1-77041-166-1 | oclc=861785703 | page=11}}</ref> These became known in fan circles as [[Dalek variants#Mark 1 Daleks|"Mk I Daleks"]]. Shawcraft were also commissioned to construct approximately 20 Daleks for the two Dalek movies in 1965 and 1966 (see [[#Other appearances|below]]). Some of these movie props filtered back to the BBC and were seen in the televised serials, notably ''The Chase'', which was aired before the first movie's debut.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} The remaining props not bought by the BBC were either donated to charity or given away as prizes in competitions.<ref>Howe (1992), pp. 132, 137</ref>

The BBC's own Dalek props were reused many times, with components of the original Shawcraft "Mk I Daleks" surviving right through to their final classic series appearance in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dalek6388.co.uk/remembrance-of-the-daleks.htm |title=Dalek 6388 Remembrance |work=Dalek 6388 – A Dalek Prop History – Remembrance of the Daleks |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325193549/http://www.dalek6388.co.uk/remembrance-of-the-daleks.htm |archive-date=25 March 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> But years of storage and repainting took their toll. By the time of the [[Sixth Doctor]]'s ''Revelation of the Daleks'' new props were being manufactured out of [[fibreglass]]. These models were lighter and more affordable to construct than their predecessors.<ref name="Monsters_92">Howe (1997), p. 92</ref> These newer models were slightly bulkier in appearance around the mid-shoulder section, and also had a redesigned skirt section which was more vertical at the back. Other minor changes were made to the design due to these new construction methods, including altering the fender and incorporating the arm boxes, collars, and slats into a single fibreglass moulding.<ref name="Monsters_92" /> These props were repainted in grey for the [[Seventh Doctor]] serial ''Remembrance of the Daleks'' and designated as "[[Dalek variants#Renegade Daleks|Renegade Daleks]]"; another redesign, painted in cream and gold, became the "[[Imperial Dalek]]" faction.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-23 |title=A Brief History of Dalek Civil War |url=https://gizmodo.com/a-brief-history-of-dalek-civil-war-1845934752 |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Gizmodo |language=en}}</ref>

New Dalek props were built for the 21st-century version of ''Doctor Who''. The first, which appeared alone in the 2005 episode "[[Dalek (episode)|Dalek]]", was built by modelmaker [[Mike Tucker (special effects artist)|Mike Tucker]].<ref name="Tucker" /> Additional Dalek props based on Tucker's master were subsequently built out of fibreglass by [[Cardiff]]-based Specialist Models.<ref name="Specialist">{{cite web|url=http://www.specialistmodels.co.uk/services/film_and_tv/bbc_wales_dr_who_daleks_fibreglass_props |title=BBC Wales Dr Who Daleks Fibreglass Props |date=21 March 2010 |publisher=Specialist Models & Displays |access-date=23 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904183235/http://www.specialistmodels.co.uk/services/film_and_tv/BBC_Wales_Dr_Who_Daleks_Fibreglass_Props |archive-date=4 September 2011 }}</ref>