***This film will only get made if we hit our target! We are doing 'all or nothing' crowdfunding, therefore your pledge of support will only go through if we are successful - With this in mind please share with friends to make this film a reality***
What is “The Undiscovered Daleks”?
It’s the first ever full-length documentary for cinema release devoted to the world-famous interstellar migrants from the planet Skaro. In 1963, the Daleks made their first BBC television appearance, and single-handedly catapulted the “Doctor Who” sci-fi series into mainstream British pop culture (their popularity rivalling even that of The Beatles). Throughout the sixties, ratings for Doctor Who soared whenever they appeared, and drastically declined whenever a storyline did not feature them. And whenever the Radio Times has held a poll of “scariest Doctor Who monsters”, the Daleks usually won it. They’ve been featured on hundreds of magazine covers, been manufactured as toys (full size and desktop models), have appeared in video games, and numerous sitcoms (from “Q6” and “Red Dwarf” to “Top Gear” and “The Vicar of Dibley”), yet astonishingly - despite the ubiquity of their fame – they have never been the subject of a full-length documentary. Until now. It’s time to investigate the myths, misunderstandings, and unknown stories that surround these cybernetic monsters, as we separate fact from fiction in “The Undiscovered Daleks”
Victor Lewis-Smith says: "The BBC have commissioned hundreds of programmes from me (and still do), but there is one proposal they've always rejected. That's the unexpurgated history of the Daleks. Why?"
How will the film be made?
With your help, Associated Rediffusion’s crack team of experienced documentary makers will tell the full unexpurgated story of the Daleks. And while telling the story, we also celebrate the weirder side, such as The Gay Daleks, Pop star Daleks and Dalek merchandise. We also hope to visit Dalek-owning celebrities and Dalek fans, such as Tom Baker, Jonathan Meades, Mark Gattis, Stephen Fry and others. Every aspect of Dalek culture will be explored.
How will the budget be spent?
Over many years, our research team have been making contacts with dozens of engineers, writers, actors, designers, and media archivists, each of whom can contribute a piece towards this gigantic Dalek jigsaw of a documentary. We’ll need to travel not just throughout Britain, but also across Europe and the US to visit these people, and film them and their Dalek-related material. We’ll also use the budget to restore and transfer archive material (much of it from the 60s and 70s) onto modern formats, so that it can be seen for the first time in the modern era. And, of course, we need to pay for the professional services of expert camera crews, editors, and the production team.
How will the finished film be shown?
“The Undiscovered Daleks” will receive its premiere in a London cinema, followed by a limited nationwide release in major cities. A few weeks later, it will be available to our supporters as either a download or a DVD (in return for their support), and a few weeks after that will be made available to the general public.
Who are the people behind “The Undiscovered Daleks”?
Victor Lewis-Smith is a legendary broadcaster, journalist, and TV and radio producer, who has been fascinated by Daleks throughout his life. His hundreds of previous TV programmes include “Alchemists of Sound” (about the BBC Radiophonic Workshop), as well as “The Gay Daleks” (part of his Channel 4 cult comedy series “TV Offal”). He’ll be researching, writing, and producing the documentary, together with writing partner Paul Sparks and their production company, Associated Rediffusion. Alan Martin, who has 25 years’ experience in the film industry, will act as co Executive Producer.