#exploding dalek

“Davros must be honoured!”

“Hostility will not be tolerated.”

The Stolen Earth - series 04 - 2008

Resurrection of the Daleks - season 21 - 1984

“Up on the second floor two ‘stunt’ Daleks are awaiting their cue. Unlike their brethren, these Daleks are not made from wood and fibre-glass — they are elaborate constructions of expanded polyurethane foam, cast from the same moulds as the live Daleks. They are much lighter in weight and hollow inside. Into each of these hollows has been packed a quantity of explosive material. A tiny, thin wire emerging from the base will, on cue, detonate these charges. This is why the casings are of foam — though the charge is estimated not to be too powerful, it will explode. There must be no danger of flying material likely to cause harm, especially since Peter Davison and Janet Fielding will be involved in this scene, with literally a bird’s eye view of the event.

Carefully, the Visual Effects Designer, Peter Wragg, checks the length of wire that will detonate the explosives; it is long enough to reach almost to the ground from the loading bay door. At the end of the wire is a pin connected to the charges inside the Dalek. When the wire goes taut it will pull the pin out, allowing two sprung connectors to come together. And when that hap- pens, Bang!!!”

“Like I was sayin’...”

Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150AD (1966) Aaru / Amicus Productions Dir. Gordon Flemyng