Yes, there was a Doctor Who movie. In cinemas. Two Dalek movies, in fact.
Peter Cushing, better known for his Hammer Horror movie appearances and the gentlemanly villainous Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars, played a version of the BBC’s own popular sci-fi character in 1965’s Dr. Who and the Daleks and ’66’s Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.
Both of these Dalek movies will be available to subscribers of Britbox — the U.S. streaming home of classic (1963-89) Doctor Who — starting July 16.
There are notable differences between these big-screen cash-grabs and the original TV series, besides the divergent casting: the Doctor actually goes by the name of Dr. Who; the TARDIS is his nutty invention, not a stolen time vehicle from Gallifrey (in fact, he seems to be a human and not an alien); and he has more than one granddaughter.
But really, it’s not about the cast — it’s the evil and, here, colourful Daleks that were driving Doctor Who to the big screen, as the “tin-plated pepper-pots” had taken Britain by storm and were one of the key factors in the TV series’ early success.
Amazon Prime Video users can also check out these mostly awful Dalek movies in a Rifftrax-enhanced form — trust me, it helps!
